June Caedmon's Blog, page 57
May 18, 2015
Inspired by . . . a profound mystery
Inspired by . . . a profound mystery
I wrote a post about submission a week or so ago, and thought maybe the subject might need a bit of follow up. Depending upon where you are in your spiritual walk and understanding of God, you may not be ready to fully embrace the concept of submission. Especially when it comes to marriage. But I thought these insights I gleaned from Beth Moore, offered up in her study of Paul, might help all of us move further along.
Sometimes understanding what something does NOT mean, is key to understanding what it DOES mean. There are several things that submission does not mean, when understood in biblical context, but the one I want to communicate here is:
Submission does not mean slavery. The Greek word Paul uses in Ephesians 5:22 is completely different than the word he used in Ephesians 6:5 where he exhorts slaves to obey their masters.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Eph 5:22
The word here is hupotassō {hoop-ot-as'-so}. It is a compound word meaning “to place under or in an orderly fashion.” Paul is advocating order in the home, just as he did for order in the church, order in government, etc. Scripture clearly teaches us that our God is a God of order, not chaos. Should we really be surprised that He designed an order to family life?
It may help to remember, too, that Paul is also the author of Galatians 3:28, where he advocated equality for men and women. A radical concept in his day!
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:28
Beth admits that the concept of a submissive wife went against her grain, until she learned two things about God that changed her attitude. Maybe they will help you, too.
1. God is good and loving. He would never give approval to meanness or abuse. Any misuse of submission by either the husband or the wife is sin.
2. God granted women a measure of freedom in submission that we can learn to enjoy. It is a relief to know that as a wife and mother I am not totally responsible for my family. I have a husband to look to for counsel and direction. I can rely on his toughness when I am too soft and his logic when I am too emotional.
Now if you’re still thinking that this command to submit to our husbands is too much and unfair, let’s have a look at what God commands the husbands concerning their wives.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it;
That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing;
but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.
He that loveth his wife loveth himself. Eph 5:25-28
Wow! I don’t know about you, but that reads like a pretty tall order. Especially when we look at the word Paul used for love. The Greek word agapaō. We’re not talking about a feeling or emotion here. No, agapaō love goes much deeper than that: “to esteem, love, indicating a direction of the will and finding one’s joy in something or someone.”
Doesn’t every woman want to be loved like that? I know I do .
Friend, I encourage you to test God in this matter. Yes, I said test God. {You can read Malachi 3:10 if you don’t think it’s okay to test God on His promises.} Following a path toward Biblical Womanhood is a good step to unleashing the power of the Holy Spirit in your marriage. Without Christ in your marriage, you cannot submit to your husband and he cannot love you with an agapaō love!
Beth describes marriage as a stool with three legs. A submissive wife, a loving husband, and Christ. The stool can’t stand without all three.
No, we don’t live in a perfect world. Our stools may lean a little {or a lot} in one direction from time to time. As Beth says, “A wife submitting to an unloving husband is as lopsided as a loving husband sacrificing for a domineering wife.”
Only God created marriage and only He can hold it together.
No marriage is perfect, but I am deeply blessed with a husband who loves me with an agapaō love. He finds JOY in me. In turn, he is blessed with a wife who respects and esteems him - - rather than one who is defiant and derisive. It is our mutual desire to keep Christ at the center of our marriage that allows this to be true. It’s something we work at every day and I can tell you with 100% certainty, it’s worth the effort.
I feel led to reiterate one thing before closing:
God is good and loving. He would never give approval to meanness or abuse. Any misuse of submission by either the husband or the wife is sin.
This certainly isn’t a definitive word on submission. It is a complex concept and many who are more educated and wiser than I have written on the subject. I’ve included some recommendations below for further reading. {feel free to share additional, biblically based, resources on this subject in the comments}
My prayer is that my words here have brought you closer to the heart of God in this matter,
and that you will continue to seek His will for your life.
Going Deeper,
June
Recommended Reading:
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May 12, 2015
Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 20:52
Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 20:52
The weather is the hottest thing on the news right now, and none of it good. Here in south Texas it’s been another week of dodging raindrops and slip-sliding through the mud. But I’m not complaining about the rain. No, sir, I learned my lesson in that regard.
What I am doing is making the most of the sunlit moments, and those quiet moments after the rain when the world is washed clean and smells fresh and new again.
Blue-eyed Grass
Sunlit moments, more often than not, involve chasing butterflies. I have some new species for you this week.
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Orange Sulphur (my best guess) (Colias eurytheme)
The Antelope Milkweed is nearly spent, so the Gray Hairstreaks are gettin’ all they can while the gettin’ is good! How many do you see?
The quiet moments after the storms are more reflective. Like contemplating the beauty of a blossom, on such an ill-mannered plant, the prickly pear cactus . . .
. . . and studying the life of Paul. Who faced no shortage of storms in his life. God often uses the apostle Paul to encourage me. This week, God has shown me that although the circumstances may not be okay, I can, and will be okay.
Do you remember last week when I talked about the rope? Well, here’s a little gem from Beth Moore, from my study this week:
Psalm 62:5 encourages us to wait ONLY upon God, our expectation is from Him. That word, expectation, in Hebrew is tiqvâh. It literally means, cord or attachment. We are never to give up HOPE, my friend.
We may not always find our answers, but we can always find our God.
He will love and comfort us until the answers come.
***
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation:
He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory:
the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in Him at all times; ye people,
pour out your heart before Him:
God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Psa 62:5-8
Shalom,
June
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May 11, 2015
Inspired by . . . always near the cross: submission
Inspired by . . . always near the cross: submission
Continuing the series.
Submission
Faith
Trust
Submission, I wonder if there is a more despised or misunderstood word in all of scripture.
Coming to a clear, Biblical understanding of what submission truly is changed my life. To me the word submission is synonymous with freedom. If that shocks you or gets your nightie in a knot, you may not have a Biblical understanding of submission. It’s not popular, or politically correct. But it is God’s way and His way will always bring us out of darkness into light.
Submission is key to the cross. It was key for Jesus, and it’s key for us if we wish to reside there with Him.
Submitting means accepting Christ, not just as our Savior, but as our Lord. Trusting Him with the plan and purpose of our life. Seeking His will, in all things. And, as we talked about last time, obeying His Word. The simple act of accepting and doing what He has told us to do is beautiful in His eyes.
Oh, this can be so hard, my friend! We can become so convinced that we know best. And sometimes, too, our view of God is wrong and we don’t trust Him as we should.
May I suggest a careful reading of the book of Job? Especially the last five chapters.
When we know not who is in the right, and are perhaps doubtful whether we ourselves are, God speaks forth and makes things clear.
But remember, friend, even as harshly as God spoke to Job and his friends, He did not force Job to submit. In the face of his all-powerful and mighty Creator, Job chose to submit.
God will guide you and light your path. He will show you the way to go and even walk it with you. But you must still choose to walk the path He has set out for you.
The path of submission tarries beneath the cross.
To God, our journey is as important as our destination.
He doesn't just wait for us at the next stop.
He travels every mile right beside us. ~Beth More
Shalom,
June
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May 10, 2015
Inspired by . . . my mom
Inspired by . . . my mom
In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m sharing some pictures that my Mom took several years ago while living in Newbury, Vermont. Springtime blossoms don’t stay around very long. The first wind/rainstorm can quickly make the trees look barren again. In this case, the petals from the Crabapple trees hung around long enough to create another kind of beauty.
Mom, I’m sorry we can’t be together today. But I want you to know that I’m thankful for your support, your patience, your faith, your hope, and your love.
Me, Mom and Nana, Saguaro Lake, Arizona, April 1995
Happy Mother’s Day!
Blessings,
June
May 6, 2015
Inspired by . . . Nest Watch
Inspired by . . . Nest Watch
If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you may know that I recently became a certified nest watcher for The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Sounds like a big deal, and it is to me, but really, anyone can do it. If you have nesting birds in your area and want to help collect data, you can sign up here.
So far this year, I have three active nests and, sadly, two failed attempts.
The Eastern Phoebe pair appear to be using the same nest as last year. It is located under the eave at the back of our cottage.
The first, and second viewing has revealed two eggs.
I’m very much hoping for a happy ending here.
The cardinal pair are on their second attempt. My first visit to the nest revealed three {I think} babies.
I was concerned about the nest from the beginning because the limb on which the nest sits is only about 5-5.5 ft off the ground. I can easily access the nest, which means so can predators. When I returned to the nest a few days later, the babies were gone and a single egg was present. It was far too early for these little guys to fledge. This pair needs to pick a better location for their nest site.
The Carolina Chickadee pair also had a failed attempt, but for completely different reasons. I believe they already had at least one hatchling when I first observed them, because they were taking food to the nest. That’s a green grub in his mouth.
The steel pipe they built their nest in seemed like a good choice. It would be hard for predators to access the nest.
It wasn’t until days later, when I finally found my ladder and climbed up to look inside, that I realized how small the pipe was inside - - only about 2 inches in diameter. It may be that some of the babies fledged, but there was one inside that didn’t make it.
The third active nest I’m monitoring is a pair of scissor-tailed flycatchers. You may remember that a pair nested here last year and had two successful hatchlings. You can see pictures of last years nest watch here and here.
The nest from last year isn’t there anymore, but a their new nest is looking pretty good. The nest is too high for me to see into, but I think we’re at the egg stage, as the female is spending a lot time on the nest. I’ll be checking back in a day or two.
Observing nature is not for the faint of heart. Knowing the fate of the cardinal chicks and seeing the Carolina chickadee’s young one hurt my heart. But it also reminds me of God’s love.
If my heart hurts over baby birds, how much more does God grieve over the woes of His children?
So why doesn’t He do something about it, you ask?
He has.
For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Joh 3:16
Shalom,
June
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May 5, 2015
Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 19:52
Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 19:52
We had some beautiful weather last week and I was able to spend a good deal of time out-of-doors observing nature. Most of these were taken right from my front porch!
Aren’t these little house finches sweet? I just love his striped markings, they make him look like he’s wearing bloomers! They have one of the prettiest songs, you can listen to it here.
My seeds from Monarch Watch arrived. However, after talking with some people in-the-know about these things, it seems like I should have ordered them in February, to start the seedlings in March. Some even said I need to over-winter the seeds first! So these seeds will be spending the next 10-11 months in my refrigerator, and I’ll look forward to hosting the monarchs next year! I did find some butterfly weed at the local nurseries, and will probably plant more for this season. I have both red {below} and yellow in my garden.
I’m finally starting to see some monarchs around. I chased this one for about fifteen minutes the other day, and this was the ONLY time he landed! I’ve been checking the leaves of my butterfly weed and these native antelophorn milkweed, but I haven’t seen any eggs yet.
I’ve seen quite a few ladybugs in my garden this year, and that makes me happy. They are fast little buggers! and camera shy to boot! I found this little guy meandering through my blue sage.
My mom has counted up to twelve hummingbirds at her feeders at one time, and she has to fill her feeders at least once a day. Sadly, I haven’t seen near as many here at my place. Really only a couple pair of black-chinned hummingbirds and no ruby-throats at all, yet.
There are a ton of yellow butterflies flitting about. But unlike the butterflies I shared with you last week, they never seem to land! I finally captured one, but never could get it to open it’s wings. I think this is either a Sleepy Orange {Abaeis nicippe} or a Boisduval's Yellow {Eurema boisduvaliana}. I’m leaning toward the latter. I’ll continue chasing butterflies in an effort to confirm their true identity. {It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it!}
Our lesser goldfinches “Texas form” are going crazy over all the grasses that are starting to seed. These little birds are so sweet, especially the females.
I’ve been reading Beth Moore’s To Live is Christ, a wonderfully insightful look into Paul’s life. I’ll leave you with a favorite quote from my reading last week.
How do you measure success?
Blessings,
June
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May 3, 2015
Inspired by . . . thoughts on faith Vol. III
Inspired by . . . thoughts on faith Vol. III
It was mid-December, and I clearly remember the sweetest man in the world and I sitting at our dining table, and I said something like, “I hope nothing happens with Dad. I can’t handle one more thing right now. I’m serious, honey, if something happened with Dad I really think I would lose it.”
On January 3rd Dad had a stroke and was hospitalized. He passed away on February 4th.
Since that time, God has been teaching me a lot about faith. Real faith. Faith that saves.
And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy,
lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy;
Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. Mat 9:2
Let me be clear, God did not cause my dad’s stroke and subsequent passing in response to those fear-filled comments I made in December. That would be arbitrary, and cruel. God is neither. He is good, and just, and right. Always. In everything. Yes, those are absolutes - -and they are Truth.
God already knew, in intimate detail, that these events were getting ready to unfold. He used my weakness as an opportunity to teach me, and to grow my faith.
You see, I thought I had a strong faith. If I were to boast about one thing, I would boast of my strong faith in God.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Heb 11:6
In the days following my dad’s passing, God spoke to me, tenderly, in more ways than I can count. Dad’s Christmas cactus, put on new buds and bloomed again. A dear friend, sent a live oak to plant in his memory. Finding dad’s bible, seeing the marks and notations of a faith he rarely spoke about. Soft assurances about many things. God carefully bandaged the wound, and prepared me to hear from Him some hard truths.
My grief has made me question my faith. My trust in Him. Is God enough? Do I truly trust Him to do what is best for me, every time? Do I pray with faith, being fully persuaded, as Abraham was, that God will do what He has promised to do?
Or am I too quick to let go of the rope?
When I’m praying {wrestling} with God over a matter, I often give up, rather than keeping ahold of the rope and allowing Him to pull me into His will. Into His perfect peace.
I may disguise my response by praying the prayer that never fails, “God’s will be done.” But, rather than praying that prayer in faith, what I’m really saying is, “What does it matter? God’s going to do what He wants to do anyway.”
God has shown me that this line of thinking is a complete cop-out. It’s faithless, and it dishonors God.
Faith is not faith for the sake of faith. Faith has an object, and that object is God Himself. True faith is believing that God will act according to His character. True faith is being fully persuaded that He will fulfill His promises to us. Not only believing these things, but acting on that belief.
And truly, I do believe. The area where my faith most needs to mature is acting on my belief.
It’s the difference between standing in the crowd, and reaching out to touch His robe.
And be healed.
Blessings,
June
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April 28, 2015
Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 18:52
Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 18:52
I’m calling this the butterfly edition.
It’s been an amazing week out-of-doors! So much going on, as jam-packed as this post is, it’s only a wee part of the whole. In other words, more to come!
These images don’t have the creamy backgrounds that I’m working to achieve with some of my manual camera settings, but in these cases, I’m more interested in sharing the subject matter with you than displaying the perfect image. Of course, there are those out there who can do both, but I’m not there yet {smile}.
These first shots are of our native Antelophorn Milkweed {asclepias asperula}. We have a lot more if it this year, thankfully, and I’m hopeful to start seeing some Monarchs in the near future.
These two darling butterflies are called Gray Hairstreaks {strymon melinus}. You can see how small they are next to the bee in this image. This milkweed attracts all sorts of insects.
Here is the beautiful Gray Hairstreak with it’s wings open.
This insect is a striking little fellow. Aptly named the Milkweed Bug {oncopeltus fasciatus}. The blooms on this milkweed and the one in the image above haven’t opened yet. Early diners!
The giant thistle I shared about in last week’s post has finally opened and I was thrilled to find a Question Mark Butterfly {polygonia interrogationis} happily devouring the thistle’s nectar. These butterflies are not nearly as skittish as the Painted Lady’s and I was able to get some great shots.
Why is it called a Question Mark butterfly? I’m glad you asked! Here is a shot of the under-wing. See the two white marks near the center of the lower wing? They resemble a sort of side-ways question mark. Hence the name!
If you only ever saw this butterfly with it’s wings closed, you’d never guess the beauty within. I’m including the image below so that you can see how easily they can blend in with leaves and grasses. He looks a lot different from the image above on the thistle, doesn’t he?
I have blue sage {salvia farinacea} in my front flower beds and I just love it! It comes back every year and produces a lot of blooms. Butterflies of all kinds love it’s nectar. This is a Horace’s Duskywing {erynnis horatius} which is in the Skipper family of butterflies. They are not as showy, but I welcome them just the same.
When the lantana is blooming, it’s the nectar of choice for most butterflies, but right now, the coneflower is the big attraction. This is a Painted Lady {vanessa cardui} and they are out in abundance right now! Did you notice the small praying mantis on the petal below the butterfly?
kk_carmel
The real show-stopper this week was the Red Admiral {vanessa atalanta}. This guy just couldn’t get enough of the coneflower’s sweet nectar, and I couldn’t get enough of him!
Even his under-wing is colorful!
When he was done with the coneflower, he moved to the blue sage!
It’s a little harder to navigate! I love this shot {below} because it shows his proboscis curled up! You can call it his tongue if you like!
Parting shot . . .
Wow, they take my breath away. You ?
With all the new I’ve experienced this year, mostly sad and unwelcome occurrences, the butterfly reminds me that, “without change, there wouldn’t be butterflies.” Without change, much of the beauty in our world, and in ourselves, would not exist. And the coming of spring reminds me that there are two faces to new.
Although, in life, we must experience both, the face I’m choosing to embrace is the one of new life, and JOY.
What does your week look like?
Blessings,
June
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April 26, 2015
Inspired by . . . a month in photos: April
Inspired by . . . a month in photos: April
It’s been a lovely month of rain, and sun, and rain, and sun. I can’t believe we’re getting ready to say “hello” to May.
It’s been a month of welcoming old friends back into my life. The scissor-tail flycatchers are back - five of them this year! Milkweed is blooming, my roses are blooming, coneflowers, blue sage, lantana - - all blooming and welcoming a myriad of butterflies {photos I’ll be sharing soon!}, bees and other creatures! For those of you in northern climes, spring is coming, and I promise, she is worth the wait!
Thanks to all the rain {I grumbled about all winter} the Texas wildflowers are blooming in abundance! The sweetest man in the world says he has never seen the land as green as it is this spring.
Light overshadows the darkness and hope springs forth as a new bud. Love reigns down, and redemption rises to slowly, and tenderly encourage each petal to open to the Son-light.
This is April. This is new life.
Favorite photo of the month:
“Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible.
There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible.
Faith begins where man’s power ends.” ~George Mueller
Sprinklings of God’s mercy and grace:
1. The butterflies, oh, the butterflies
2. Birdsong
3. Feeling the warmth of the sun, and the Son again
4. Lunch with a friend
5. God’s perfect provision, just when and where we needed it
When you look back at April,
what do you see?
Blessings,
June
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April 23, 2015
Inspired by . . . thoughts on faith Vol. II
Inspired by . . . Thoughts on Faith Vol. II
Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a ship with His disciples: and He said unto them,
Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
But as they sailed He fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake;
and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Master, Master, we perish.
Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water:
and they ceased, and there was a calm.
And He said unto them, Where is your faith? Luk 8:22-25
It was a gentle rebuke, I think, that Jesus gave the disciples here, “Where is your faith?”
After all, He had just displayed His power and authority over the wind and the sea. Surely He knew that that would terrify them more than the storm itself.
And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another,
What manner of Man is this!
for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him. Luk 8:25
Can you imagine this scene? Many of the disciples were fishermen. They had fished this lake all their lives. For them to say, “we perish!” it must have been quite a storm indeed! Why shouldn’t they have been afraid? What did Jesus expect them to do?
I think He expected them to do the same thing He expects us to do when the storms rage, and the boat fills with water, and we feel like we’re perishing. When we feel like we can’t take one more trial, one more hurtful comment, one more failure, one more mistake.
He expects us to:
Believe.
In Him.
In His promises.
In His Power.
In His Provision.
How do we do this?
To begin with, you may want to ask yourself: Is Jesus is even on my boat? Do I believe in Him?
And if He is curled up at the stern, sleeping peacefully as you look around at the chaos of your life, ask yourself, do you trust Him to do what He says He will do? Have you read His word, so that you know what He said He would do? And do you believe He has the power to do it?
If so, how will you act on that belief? Do we wake Jesus, like His disciples did, in a panic. Whining about the circumstances, screaming for Him to do something to fix it? {I confess, I do this often}
Or do we trust that He Himself is our portion. Our Provision.
Instead of panic, what if we curled up beside Him, under the shelter of His wing, and waited for Him to act?
Would He rebuke us then? Or might He say, "My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble." Mark 5:34
Yes, He might say that, but He could also say, "My grace is all you need, for My power is greatest when you are weak." 2Co 12:9
And if that is the case, may we, like Paul respond, “I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me.”
Lord, we pray, increase our faith!
Going deeper,
June
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