God loves weddings. Weddings brings families together. They are God’s design. His plan. His delight. In fact, God equates His blessing upon a nation with weddings. Jeremiah 33:11 describes it: “The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth forever.”
The Hebrew word for “joy” is “sasown” and means “cheerfulness, joy, mirth, and rejoicing.” The Hebrew word for “gladness” is “simchah” and means “blithesomeness and glee, exceeding gladness and joyfulness, pleasure, and mirth.” Wow, you can’t get much more joy than this, can you? This is the joy God has about a young man and a virgin being joined together. This is the joy we have as we celebrate with them.
Meadow and Kendall’s wedding began at 4.00 pm on Saturday. The seven bridesmaids and five flower girls walked down the aisle in an idyllic outside setting. Then came the beautiful bride on the arm of her father. It was picture perfect. The pastor began his opening remarks. He hardly got started and the wind picked up. They sky grew dark. The thunder boomed and all of a sudden, before we could believe what was happening, drenching rain poured down. Wedding party, mothers and babies, and guests all ran for cover! The pouring rain drenched everyone, including the bridal couple!
What a way to start a beautiful wedding. But our spirits were high and no one minded at all. The bridal party soon got in position again in the reception hall and the wedding service and vows continued. Even Meadow and Kendall, who love everything to be perfect, were not fazed at all. In fact, God broke up the perfectness and everyone celebrated all night!
We cannot put God in a box. Later Serene said, “God is not a tame lion. We cannot tame him and push Him around. Surely God would never allow one of my children to have cancer!~ Surely God would never allow one of my children to have a serious accident and brain injury. And Surely God would never allow it to rain on MEADOW’S wedding! But God is bigger than all our situations and He is still in control and we can totally trust Him.” Everything He does is good. Amen and Amen.
After the meal we had loads of speeches as bridesmaids and groomsmen and others told stories about Meadow and Kendall and affirmed all their wonderful attributes. Such a very special couple. Many commented on the kingly anointing on Kendall’s life and the queenly attributes of Meadow. Speeches are very much part of all our family functions, and especially weddings. And then everyone danced and rejoiced as God wants us to do at weddings.
I’ll send more pictures in another post.
Blessings,
Nancy
Today at 4.00 pm this beautiful oasis will be decorated and waiting the wedding of our granddaughter, Meadow Barrett (Pearl's daughter) who will be married to Kendall Hall. She will have seven bridesmaids and five little flower girls attending her. They are all upstairs getting dressed now. It's going to be a most beautiful wedding. 
What kind of food do you eat in your home? Junk food or healthy food? I’m sure most of you try to eat healthy food as much as possible. As mothers we are very aware of our responsibility regarding what we allow our children to eat. I cared very much for my children’s bodies as they grew up. I never allowed junk food. Never had any refined foods, white sugar, or any of the “whites” (white flour, white pasta, white rice, etc.) in my pantry. I wanted them to grow healthy and strong. Apart from going to the emergency room for broken bones or the boys cutting their legs open throwing knives (!) etc., we didn’t even have a doctor for any of our children growing up.
Where do you keep the Bible in your home? On the shelf? We have lots of Bibles on our bookshelves. In fact, I have a whole shelf of different translations. Beside your bed? On the table? In the bathroom? On your iPhone? It’s great to have God’s Word in all these places, ready to pick up wherever you happen to be. But even if we have twenty or more Bibles in our home, it’s not enough. We’ve got to keep it even better places.
We often sing the hymn:
Mark 8:35 has always been a challenging verse to me as a mother: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” We often feel that we give out more than we have to give as we pour out our lives in motherhood We feel as if we are losing our lives.
Some women think they have it all together. Others feel like falling on the floor in a heap as they know they could never have it all together, especially if it means keeping a perfect home, perfect children, and perfect situations! Let’s face it. There is not a day that goes perfectly. Every day poses new challenges.
Yesterday we talked about “sound doctrine,” the healthy lifestyle God intends us to live. God also gives us pointers in the Old Testament to bring health to our bodies and to everyone in our homes.
Paul writes to Titus and exhorts him: “Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).The word “sound” is interesting. The word is “hugiaino” and means “to be physically well in body, to be healthy, hygiene.” The Scriptures use this word in the context of health in 3 John 1:2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health (hugiaino), even as thy soul prospereth.” Also Luke 5:31; 7:10; and 15:27.
God’s water of life that He gives to us is pure, clean, holy, and life-giving. Revelation 22:1 says: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
There are times when it is right to be silent. We all know the adage, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” It’s also good to remember, “If you can’t say something positive and faith-building, don’t open your mouth.” When we are accused unjustly, we should also follow Jesus’ example and keep our mouths shut. Jesus “opened not His mouth” when He was accused by his tormentors.
Have a blessed day worshipping the Lord together as a family.
Dear mother, you are in the greatest building program in the nation--building strong, godly marriages and families. Proverbs 16:14 reminds us that we are builders: “Every wise woman builds her house: but the foolish plucks it down with her hands.”
Filling our children with God's Word is the greatest antidote to deception!
Yesterday we reminded each other about digging deep wells. Away with shallow wells. Away with sitting on the fence--dabbling with the world and having a little bit of God when we need Him.
The early patriarchs dug wells to get their water. They couldn’t survive without a well. We also have to be well-diggers in our spiritual life. Isaiah 12:3 inspires us to draw water out of the wells of salvation. Not just one well. Do you notice the word is “wells”? Plural! There are wells for every need we have in Christ.
Lift up your head.
“But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have permitted his house to be burglarized” (Luke 12:39 MLB).
"In EVERY thing give thanks: for THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Our thought life is our biggest temptation isn’t it? It’s so easy to allow negative thoughts, unbelieving thoughts, doubtful thoughts, depressing thoughts, self-pitying thoughts into our minds. And worry! The worst! We are consumed with worldly matters of this life. We spend more time thinking about material things and the things of this earth rather than things which are above (Colossians 3:1-3).