Pledging of the Troth

So, I feel terrible because I don't remember who wrote this, but I know that it was from this blog by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. I find the genders fascinating, so I've added this blog to my lists. BTW, I am not yet convinced that women's "God-ordained role" is "in the home" and that if you have children and still work it makes you one of the "women who abandon their children on the altar of their career or before the idol of self." (Kay Arthur) But she's not the author of the post I'm sharing! I found this amazing segment saved in my email drafts:

This pledging of troth comes to characterize the whole marriage relationship. "Mutual dependence and trust allow husband and wife to be genuine and real with each other. Each can be accepted and loved for what he is. A wife need not compete with other women for her husband's love and affection: she has it. Her husband has sworn a bond of lifelong troth to her to which God is the witness. Neither does the husband have to compete with other men for his wife's continued affection. Both of them settled that matter when they married. That is the very meaning of marriage: both partners count on the other's fidelity."

It's a call to us men

• that we should take the risk of getting egg on our faces;
• that we should pray like we've never prayed for help in this tremendous responsibility;
• that we should be in the word more than we ever have been to know what God expects of us;
• that we should plan things more than we do, and be intentional and thoughtful and less carried along by the mood of the moment;
• that we should be disciplined and ordered in our lives;
• that we should be tender-hearted and sensitive;
• that we should take the initiative to make sure that there is a time and a place to talk to her about what needs to be talked about - this "her" could be a friend, a date, a colleague, a wife, a sister;
• that we should be ready to lay down our lives in discharging this responsibility to be the leaders God is calling us to be.

Katie here again. I really like the part about not competing and, of course, the part about men planning things and being intentional and thoughtful. But who doesn't? Also, I don't think I've ever heard/read anyone say that men should take the initiative in purposeful conversation, particularly with nonromantic figures. What an excellent way to honor these females! I don't think the author talked about women's roles. (I'm an equal opportunity poster.) Happy Friday.

Today's Encouragement

I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to You.

I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters where the floods overflow me. * Waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!" I called on Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: "Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help." You drew near on the day I called on You, and said, "Do not fear!" * Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? And I said, "This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. * I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. * He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him.

Ps. 31:22; Ps. 69:2; Lam. 3:54-57; Ps. 77:7-11; Ps. 27:13; Ps. 91:5

I caught the boomerang!

All right friends. The time has come for a moment of epicness. It just so happens that on Wednesday, October 13, my friend Aimee and I went to the ... wait for it ... 50% off sale at Goodwill in Fillmore at which I scored my best haul yet.

Ahem.

I purchased:

2 jackets for me (including one beautiful black and white coat from Express!)
1 shirt for me
1 shirt for Beth
1 shirt to sell to Buffalo Exchange
1 sweater for me
1 comfy wrap dress for me
1 pair of dress pants for me for a hypothetical job
1 jacket/shirt for me for a hypothetical job
1 jacket for Emily
2 sweaters for Emily
1 pair of shorts (brand-new from Target) for me
1 belt for me
1 skirt for me
1 sweater for Beth
1 package of unopened tissue paper
3 new Beanie Babies for Operation Christmas Child

= 16 articles of clothing and 1 package of tissue paper and 3 Beanie Babies

Guess how much?

a.) 31.95
b.) 37.25
c.) 42.45
d.) 49.05

I just have to say that the day before this tremendous score, I was wandering around Express in Valencia because I had a coupon and Jeremy had a birthday and Express was having a sale (such a happy merging of circumstances). I was looking at all their beautiful jackets that cost $100-$200 and thinking I would never buy one unless I found one at a thrift store--and the odds of that were higher than me actually catching a boomerang that someone threw at me from across the street. Lo and behold, the very next day, one appeared in my size for $3.00! It was only missing one button, which was soon remedied. God surely spoils us sometimes. Ah, so did you guess the grand total? It's answer "b." Hum and I did the math; each article of clothing cost an average of just over $2.00. It was a good day!

Mercy and random thoughts

This evening, a few minutes ago, I knew the feeling I wanted to describe in this post but was unsure of how to articulate it. Moreover, I was concerned that this blog has been too much of a downer of late, although I am trying to give God the glory in the midst of (to put it poetically) storms and wilderness. So I began scrolling through past entries to review my recent sharing. Exactly to the second as I begin reading the lyrics from "Beautiful Lord," Jeremy began strumming his guitar in the next room and singing, "When the storm is raging all around me, You are the peace that calms my troubled sea." And so on and so forth. So, of course, I start crying because God is quite good and the moment is an example of the second verse: "When my weakness is all I can give, Your gentle Spirit gives me strength again." This is how I feel most days. I do my thing: tutor, data entry, take the SAT, clean my room, talk to friends, think too much, make birthday cards, finish buying Christmas presents, put together shoeboxes for OCC, write letters, read about humanitarian crises, play Boggle, etc. (Working only part-time and still don't get around to watching many movies.)And I do my thing despite varying degrees of weariness and brokenness. It's quite a beautiful thing, actually. I don't enjoy it, but it's quite extraordinary (literally). Pop always says some of the most profound prayers are "Help, Lord!" I concur.

Here are some of my random thoughts from today:

Will the New Earth look like the Old One? If so, pre- or post-Pangea?
From the viewpoint of babies, tear-free shampoo has to be one of the best inventions. (I mean, they don't really care about disposable diapers or bottles or cute outfits.)
The passage-based reading sections of the SAT are the meanest.
How does the Oreo company mold the cookies?
Why does cats' hair stop growing at such a short length relative to humans' head hair?

"You know what we're supposed to say and what we're not supposed to say."

I am reading a book about how our love languages were created by God and how we connect to God through our love languages. This little girl is obviously words of affirmation. Her parents must pray often. As a words of affirmation lover myself, I find I often connect to God by repeating His truths back to Him.