4 hours ago
This Christmas season I've been paying a lot of attention to the stars.
It seems like the nights sky is especially glorious this year. The stars seem especially bright - when I get home from work it's usually dark, and we've had a lot of clear nights - I look up and the sheer multitude of stars has just amazed me. And the other morning on my way to work I saw four shooting stars.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1
I'm not sure why the skies seem to have my attention this Christmas, but it brings to my mind the star that led the Magi to Bethlehem. Where did that start come from, I wonder? Was it the result of two or three stars joining together, or did the Lord create it just for that purpose?
And where did it go? Did the star die, or did the two or three stars that made it just go their separate ways?
Did it appear right when Christ was born? And how long did it shine?
I think I'll have to ask Jesus when I get Home.
What a wondrous way for the Lord to make His coming known, even to heathen wise men in foreign lands! "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20
The Lord is so creative, and how great is His power that even while he was in human form, waiting in Mary's womb for the day of His birth, He was also making sure Caesar ordered a census, sending the angels to bring the good tidings to the shepherds, and setting the star in the sky so that Mary and Joseph were not the only ones who knew of His coming! He is mighty indeed that He continued to control the universe, even while He stepped down from His throne and became a baby in order to save us.
To think that our sovereign God, the Creator of everything, humbled Himself to be born as a human baby in the humblest of places. Hardly a birthplace worthy of the King of Kings, and though His birthplace was unworthy of Him, the darkness of our world was even more undeserving of such a light!
The sacrifice it took for Him to take human form - and the even greater sacrifice for which He came, to give Himself as payment for our sins - if we think about it, the thought should blow our minds. What kind of grace He must have! It's unfathomable.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your sacrifice! You could have left us in darkness, and it would have been just and right - but You chose to show us mercy and grace by giving Yourself! May we walk in a way that is worthy of that mercy and grace! A way that is worthy of the calling we have received (Ephesians 4:1). Amen.
May your Christmas be blessed, my friends, and I pray that each of you may turn your faces to His glorious light as we celebrate His coming this Christmas season!
,
It seems like the nights sky is especially glorious this year. The stars seem especially bright - when I get home from work it's usually dark, and we've had a lot of clear nights - I look up and the sheer multitude of stars has just amazed me. And the other morning on my way to work I saw four shooting stars.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1
I'm not sure why the skies seem to have my attention this Christmas, but it brings to my mind the star that led the Magi to Bethlehem. Where did that start come from, I wonder? Was it the result of two or three stars joining together, or did the Lord create it just for that purpose?
And where did it go? Did the star die, or did the two or three stars that made it just go their separate ways?
Did it appear right when Christ was born? And how long did it shine?
I think I'll have to ask Jesus when I get Home.
What a wondrous way for the Lord to make His coming known, even to heathen wise men in foreign lands! "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20
The Lord is so creative, and how great is His power that even while he was in human form, waiting in Mary's womb for the day of His birth, He was also making sure Caesar ordered a census, sending the angels to bring the good tidings to the shepherds, and setting the star in the sky so that Mary and Joseph were not the only ones who knew of His coming! He is mighty indeed that He continued to control the universe, even while He stepped down from His throne and became a baby in order to save us.
To think that our sovereign God, the Creator of everything, humbled Himself to be born as a human baby in the humblest of places. Hardly a birthplace worthy of the King of Kings, and though His birthplace was unworthy of Him, the darkness of our world was even more undeserving of such a light!
The sacrifice it took for Him to take human form - and the even greater sacrifice for which He came, to give Himself as payment for our sins - if we think about it, the thought should blow our minds. What kind of grace He must have! It's unfathomable.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your sacrifice! You could have left us in darkness, and it would have been just and right - but You chose to show us mercy and grace by giving Yourself! May we walk in a way that is worthy of that mercy and grace! A way that is worthy of the calling we have received (Ephesians 4:1). Amen.
May your Christmas be blessed, my friends, and I pray that each of you may turn your faces to His glorious light as we celebrate His coming this Christmas season!
,
I was listening to Hugh Hewitt yesterday (I know, alot of talk radio this week), and Tarzana Joe, a poet for the Hugh Hewitt show, came on to read a poem for Thanksgiving this year. I liked it so much that I'm going to re-publish it here. I thought this year's Thanksgiving poem is great, and really brings things into focus.
Without further ado, the poem read on yesterday's Hugh Hewitt show:
Thanksgiving 2009
By Tarzana Joe
While thanking God this week for all our blessings is the norm
I say we should be thankful for the calm and for the storm
For the things that seem a hazard, when we think about them longer
Are somehow, by the will of God, designed to make us stronger
And so, I'm doubly grateful for the blessings and the curses
And humbly I acknowledge both my good and better verses
I thank Him for the grace that pumps the heart that keeps me living
And all the things I’ve done in life—I thank him for forgiving
The hand of God has fashioned this broad universe of beauty
And thanking him for all of it--is our pleasure and our duty
But more than for creation—for the rose and for the lotus
We ought to thank Him most for all the things we’ve yet to notice.
I really like that last line about thanking the Lord for things that we haven't noticed yet. I'm thankful for all the big things - my husband, my family, a house to live under, food to eat, dogs to cheer me up, having a job, being born an American. I could go on and on about each one of those things, and I do go on and on about them in my prayers of thanks to Jesus.
But after reading that poem, I've been trying to think of things for which I can thank the Lord that I haven't noticed before.
------------------
I'm thankful for my nice cozy down comforter.
I'm thankful for mud. It's fun to squish between my toes.
I'm thankful for all the great inventions that make my life easier. Like the microwave. How often do I thank the Lord for the microwave?
I'm thankful for electricity. That's what powers all the afore-mentioned inventions.
I'm thankful for the way it's so easy to connect with other Christians these days via the telephone, the internet, etc.
I'm thankful for color - can you imagine how wonderful the mind of God must be to think of something like color?
I'm thankful for spiders, because without them flies would take over the world. It's true, is it not?
I'm thankful for bacteria, because through the study of them we can get an entirely new glimpse at the ingenuity and creativity of God.
I'm thankful for space. There is no better proof of the existence of God.
I'm thankful that the Lord Jesus chose to die on the cross to save the likes of me. Me, with my selfishness, my pride, my sins.
I'm thankful that God chose to make a place like Heaven. I'm thankful that He died and rose again to make me a citizen of Heaven. I'm thankful that one day I'll spend the rest of eternity with Him.
I'm thankful for that eternity. It's a mind-boggling thought.
------------------
I've noticed some of these things before, but not in the way that I would thank the Lord for them.
Okay, and those last three weren't things that I haven't noticed before. Of course I've noticed what Jesus did for me - that's why I follow Him. But somehow I tend to forget to thank Him for it like I should. And that is shameful on my part. It's the ultimate thing to be thankful for.
I hope you find that ultimate gift of Christ's death and resurrection this Thanksgiving, and if you have already, I hope you remember to thank Him for it.
Poem: Thanksgiving 2009 by Tarzana Joe. www.tarzanajoe.blogspot.com; www.tarzanajoe.com.
Without further ado, the poem read on yesterday's Hugh Hewitt show:
Thanksgiving 2009
By Tarzana Joe
While thanking God this week for all our blessings is the norm
I say we should be thankful for the calm and for the storm
For the things that seem a hazard, when we think about them longer
Are somehow, by the will of God, designed to make us stronger
And so, I'm doubly grateful for the blessings and the curses
And humbly I acknowledge both my good and better verses
I thank Him for the grace that pumps the heart that keeps me living
And all the things I’ve done in life—I thank him for forgiving
The hand of God has fashioned this broad universe of beauty
And thanking him for all of it--is our pleasure and our duty
But more than for creation—for the rose and for the lotus
We ought to thank Him most for all the things we’ve yet to notice.
I really like that last line about thanking the Lord for things that we haven't noticed yet. I'm thankful for all the big things - my husband, my family, a house to live under, food to eat, dogs to cheer me up, having a job, being born an American. I could go on and on about each one of those things, and I do go on and on about them in my prayers of thanks to Jesus.
But after reading that poem, I've been trying to think of things for which I can thank the Lord that I haven't noticed before.
------------------
I'm thankful for my nice cozy down comforter.
I'm thankful for mud. It's fun to squish between my toes.
I'm thankful for all the great inventions that make my life easier. Like the microwave. How often do I thank the Lord for the microwave?
I'm thankful for electricity. That's what powers all the afore-mentioned inventions.
I'm thankful for the way it's so easy to connect with other Christians these days via the telephone, the internet, etc.
I'm thankful for color - can you imagine how wonderful the mind of God must be to think of something like color?
I'm thankful for spiders, because without them flies would take over the world. It's true, is it not?
I'm thankful for bacteria, because through the study of them we can get an entirely new glimpse at the ingenuity and creativity of God.
I'm thankful for space. There is no better proof of the existence of God.
I'm thankful that the Lord Jesus chose to die on the cross to save the likes of me. Me, with my selfishness, my pride, my sins.
I'm thankful that God chose to make a place like Heaven. I'm thankful that He died and rose again to make me a citizen of Heaven. I'm thankful that one day I'll spend the rest of eternity with Him.
I'm thankful for that eternity. It's a mind-boggling thought.
------------------
I've noticed some of these things before, but not in the way that I would thank the Lord for them.
Okay, and those last three weren't things that I haven't noticed before. Of course I've noticed what Jesus did for me - that's why I follow Him. But somehow I tend to forget to thank Him for it like I should. And that is shameful on my part. It's the ultimate thing to be thankful for.
I hope you find that ultimate gift of Christ's death and resurrection this Thanksgiving, and if you have already, I hope you remember to thank Him for it.
Poem: Thanksgiving 2009 by Tarzana Joe. www.tarzanajoe.blogspot.com; www.tarzanajoe.com.
I read something interesting the other day in the Bible study book that Derek and I are doing together, and I thought I'd share it here.
"Biblical terminology does not say that a Christian has two different natures. He has but one nature, the new nature of Christ. The old self dies and the new self lives; they do not coexist. It is not a remaining old nature but the remaining garment of sinful flesh that causes a Christian to sin. The Christian is a single new person, a totally new creation, not a spiritual schizophrenic. It is the filthy coat of remaining humanness in which the new creation dwell that continues to hinder and contaminate his living. The believer as a total person is transformed but not yet wholly perfect. He has residing sin but no longer reigning sin (Romans 6:14). He is no longer the old man corrupted but is now the new man created in righteousness and holiness, awaiting full salvation (Romans 13:11)."
From Ephesians: Our Immeasurable Blessings in Christ by John MacArthur.
I thought that paragraph was really good, because I guess in my head I always thought some of the old sinful nature must still be there, because I don't think anyone can deny that Christians still sin. But this paragraph is saying that the old nature is completely gone. There isn't even a little bit left.
When I was growing up, I learned in church that there are three things that can tempt a Christian to still sin, even though they are saved - the flesh, the world, and Satan. When they say "the flesh" can cause a Christian to still sin, I always thought that meant some remaining bit of sinful human nature. But when I read the above paragraph in my Bible study book, I realized that "the flesh" is alot different from "sinful nature", or the old man. The Bible states very clearly that when we come to Christ we are a new creation, and the old passes away (2 Corinthians 5:17). So when we accept Jesus as our Savior, the old sinful man is completely eradicated, and inside we are a completely new creation. The list doesn't include "sinful nature", just "the flesh". That old childhood list finally makes perfect sense to me.
However, that new creation is still encased in our sinful flesh, our earthly bodies. And those earthly bodies still hinder us and cause us to sin, even though spiritually we are totally clean and new. Kind of like a butterfly when it's still trapped in that icky cocoon. The butterfly is totally transformed from that fuzzy caterpillar into the beautiful creature with wings - but it's still in the same cocoon that a caterpillar is in.
But someday, we'll shed our earthly bodies, and only the inward spiritual creature that is underneath will show. If you're a Christian, that totally new and clean spiritual nature that the Lord gave you long ago, from the moment you believed in Him, will finally be freed from the corruption of our outward flesh, and we will be able to see the Lord because He has transformed us.
If you're not a Christian, your earthly body will be shed as well; but all that will be left is that old man, the one that is not fitted to fly to Heaven, because you've never let the Lord save you from that sinful nature and make you new and clean.
So are you a butterfly or a caterpillar under that cocoon?
Image from .
Recently Derek and I decided to do a Bible Study together. We went out and bought a couple Bible study books by John MacArthur on the book of Ephesians, and we're trying to do one of the lessons each week and discuss it together each Saturday. We haven't got to discuss this week's lesson yet, but I was working on my lesson this morning, and it really convicted me.
The lesson this morning was on Ephesians 1:15-23. In this passage Paul talks about how he always thanks the Lord for the Ephesians when he thinks of their faith and the love they have for each other, and then he goes on talking about the things that he prays for them.
It just struck me how Paul didn't pray that the Ephesians would have a good day, or that everything would go smoothly for them. Does anyone else pray for others that way? I know I do - I want to pray for other people, but my prayers for them always end up being so superficial. My prayers for my own situation are the same way - I pray that the Lord would allow work to go well, or that he would help us with our discipline efforts for our dog, or that he would lead us in the way we should go when it comes to Derek's job.
Not that there is anything wrong with praying about our specific troubles. But I realized as I did the lesson this morning that though I do cast those cares on the Lord, as we are encouraged to do in 1 Peter 5:7, that's pretty much all I do. All my prayers consist of earthly concerns. And the Lord does care about our earthly concerns, and He wants to hear about them. But shouldn't I be focusing a little bit more on eternal things, especially when I pray?
Paul's prayer for the Ephesians was a request that the Lord would give them "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him" . . . "that you may know the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe".
Do you see what I mean? Paul didn't just pray for the immediate benefits of a blessed day, or that all their present troubles would work out okay. He prayed that the Lord would give them things that would last forever, things that they truly needed - to know God better, and to understand His power, the hope we have in Him, and the riches He gives us when we know Him.
The knowledge of those things is of lasting benefit to those who have them - they can get through all their troubles because they understand God and can be focused more on what is really important. They can appreciate everything they have in the Lord and bring more glory to Him through their troubles, because though the cares they have may not work out exactly like they wanted, they have so many spiritual blessings that are of a more lasting value.
This verse seemed to go well with this concept: "Therefore do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:31-33. If we focus first on honoring the Lord, drawing closer to Him, and keeping our mind on eternal things, everything else will fall into place. And I realized I need to do this not only just in my daily actions, but also in my prayer life. Those unseen, eternal things last a whole lot longer than a good day at work, so I think the proportions of the time I spend praying for each of those things should fit accordingly.
I haven't written alot of posts this week, because something came up on Wednesday that required some research and prayful consideration.
On Wednesday evening I was browsing through all of the new blog posts, and I came across a new post on my friend Amber's blog. If you'd like to read her post, check it out here.
Amber wrote saying that one of her friends had recently brought to her attention a fact about the birth control pill that she had not been previously aware of. She wrote that the pill works in three ways to prevent pregnancy:
1. Prevents ovulation (we all knew this one, right?)
2. Thickens the cervical fluid to make it difficult for the sperm to reach the egg.
These first two effects are contraceptive - they prevent conception, that is, the joining of the egg and the sperm. However, there is also a third effect that I had not heard of before.
3. Thins the lining of the uterus so that if an egg is fertilized, the feritilized egg will not be able to implant in the uterus. The fertilized egg would then die and be lost with the next menstrual cycle.
I am very pro-life, and I believe that life begins at conception. But this third effect means that the pill can cause a fertilized egg (which I believe to be a human being) to be lost. It's an abortive effect.
This information sent me reeling. I hadn't ever heard of this before, and I was pretty skeptical. I knew some methods of birth control, like IUDs (intra-uterine devices), caused fertilized eggs to be lost, but I had never heard of the birth control pill doing the same thing.
I'm very scientifically minded, so I decided to do some research on this before making a decision. Here's what I found out.
First I tried to find other resources that would give me information on whether or not this effect actually occurs, or whether it was just one of those theories that some anti-birth control person had come up with that didn't have alot of supporting evidence.
Every medical website that I checked listed all three effects of the pill. I checked out my specific birth control, and though the website for my birth control didn't list that third effect, it was confirmed to me by the other medical websites I checked that said low-dose hormonal birth control (which is what I take), does thin the lining of the uterus. I couldn't find one website that said that the pill does not thin the endometrium - every website either listed that as one of the effects, or didn't refer to it at all, but I couldn't find a source refuting it.
In addition, the statement that the lining of the uterus is thinned with hormonal birth control made sense to me. Don't most birth control pills broadcast that they can give you shorter, lighter periods? The lining of the uterus, or endometrium, is what is shed during your period, so if the period is lighter, the lining of the uterus must have been thinner.
I found a good paper on this topic written by a couple pro-life doctors, as well as an abbreviated version of the information in a book entitled Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions? by Randy Alcorn. Please see resources 1 and 2 for links to those resources.
I was pretty disturbed by this information. I didn't want my birth control to have that effect. I like the pill - my periods were extremely irregular and heavy before I started the pill, and I liked the lighter periods and knowing when my period would be.
I wondered how often "break-through ovulation" occurs on the pill. I mean, the pill makes your cycles regular, and if ovulation almost never occurs on the pill, Derek and I could just guess the time that I would ovulate, if ovulation were to occur, and we could abstain during that period.
However, after a little more research I found out that in a study performed by Dr. Don Gambrell, JR. 4.7% of women on high dose birth control had breakthrough ovulation (meaning they ovulated even though they were on the pill), and 14% of women on low-dose birth control (50 mg or less) had breakthrough ovulation (see Resource 3). And apparently the only hormonal birth control that is really available today is of the low-dose variety. That means that you'll probably ovulate a couple times a year, even on the pill. If you ovulate and don't get pregnant, it's because one of the other two mechanisms kicked in. If the sperm never reached the egg, there's no problem, but if it did reach the egg and there was no pregnancy, then the egg was unable to implant and was lost.
What about staying on the pill and just trying to guess when you ovulate and abstain during that time? Unfortunately it seems that it is possible to ovulate any time during the month (see Resource 4). Even if you try to monitor ovulation through taking your basal body temperature or cervical mucous, those methods really can only tell you when ovulation has already occurred, or when it is imminent. In order to ensure that the egg isn't fertilized you have to stop having sex about seven days before ovulation, because sperm can survive for up to seven days inside the woman's body. I couldn't find a reliable way to predict ovulation that far in advance.
My conclusion from all this information hunting was that, yes, hormonal birth control of any kind (ring or pills) can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, which, in effect, is very early abortion. Breakthrough ovulation can and does occur on hormonal birth control, and it is difficult to determine if and when ovulation occurs until after the fact, making the option of abstaining when ovulation is suspected to occur unreliable. *(Note: See update to this information after the Resources section.)
Update 8/2010: Since writing this post I have done alot more research on the signs of ovulation and how to predict ovulation in order to prevent , which appears to be alot more do-able than I originally thought. However, I still think it would be difficult to predict ovulation when taking the birth control pill, because of the additional hormones that the pill introduces to the body and the effects of those hormones on the quality and amount of cervical fluid (see the above list of the effects of the birth control pill). Changes in cervical fluid consistency must be observed in order to predict ovulation and prevent the fertilization of the egg. It would be very difficult to identify changes in cervical fluid when taking hormonal birth control because the pill causes a dry-up of cervical fluid, and that sign would then be obscured. Therefore, my previous concerns with adequately predicting ovulation when taking hormonal birth control are still valid.
I thought all you married, pro-lifers out there had a right to know this information. Each couple has to evaluate the information and decide for themselves. Hearing about this has resulted in a few restless nights, a ton of time spent researching, and quite a bit of prayer, but we finally came to a decision.
Knowing all this information, Derek and I could not justify continuing to use hormonal birth control. If the abortive effect of the hormonal birth control were to occur it would most likely be extremely rare, and may not even happen at all; however, there is a possibility it could happen, and there is no way to reliably prevent an egg from getting fertilized, should breakthrough ovulation occur.
If there is even a chance that a human life could be ended because of our choice to take birth control, can we really justify it? Derek and I couldn't. And believe me, I tried. I researched every avenue and excuse I could think of, but nothing can assure me that losing a fertilized egg won't happen. I really don't want to stop taking the pill - it makes my life so much easier and better, and I honestly don't think I'm ready to be a mother.
But do I want to answer to God someday for continuing to take the pill, even though I knew there was a possiblity that I could be losing babies by taking it? I don't want to be judged for that someday.
I believe every human life is precious, and I believe human life begins as soon as that sperm fuses with that egg. I have to try to do what is right, even though it's not what I want to do right now.
I prayed before I even began my research that the Lord would show us the right choice, that He would make the choices so clear that there wouldn't be a way that I could pick the wrong one. And I feel like He made His opinion on it pretty clear to me.
To be honest with you, I'm absolutely terrified! I don't want to get pregnant right now, and even though Derek and I have a pretty good plan for not getting pregnant, the chances are certainly higher that we might. But there was a fork in the road - choose my own way, follow my own desire and stay on the pill? Or do what I know is the right choice, take a leap of faith, stop taking the pill, and trust in the Lord to take care of us? If I really call myself a follower of Jesus, I have to choose the second. And I think my Jesus will continue to take care of me, whether we get pregnant right now or not. He's never let me down so far, and I really have no reason to believe He will now!
For a little more information on how we plan to try not to get pregnant, check out Resource 5 and 6. I'll do another post ASAP on our game plan, just in case any of you are interested.
My original post stopped here, but another question was brought up in the comments section which I spent some more time researching. My response and conclusions are below.
Brittany, my dear blogging friend, brought up a point in the comments section that referred to how some doctors think the research is inconclusive on whether the thickness of the endometrium in pill-users can cause fertilized eggs to be lost. So yes, I did more research! Here's some more stuff I found out.
I did a little more research on why some doctors think the research is inconclusive for the third effect. I found a research paper (see Resource 7) that stated that some doctors think that if breakthrough ovulation does occur in women who are taking birth control, the associated increase in estrogen will help to thicken the lining of the uterus at that time. There are no studies that show that the endometrium does thicken after breakthrough ovulation, but there's no studies that show that it doesn't either. That's why some pro-life doctors are okay with birth control, because there hasn't been a study done to see what the endometrial thickness is in women on birth control after breakthrough ovulation.
I did a little more research on the average pre-ovulatory endometrial thickness in women who are not on birth control. If the difference in thickness between women who are in the pre-ovulatory phase and women on birth control is pretty significant, that would be some information that I would consider helpful in my own decision-making process.
The average pre-ovulatory endometrial thickness in women who are not on birth control is anywhere from 3-8 mm (I found one page that said it could be 3 mm, but I lost that page - one resource I found says 4-8 mm usually before ovulation - see Resource 8). In the ovulatory phase (right before and after ovulation) it is usually 6-10 mm thick, and post-ovulation it increases again to anywhere from 7-14 mm thick.
I found a study (see resource 9) that measured the uterine thickness in pill users and non-pill users, and concluded that "Endometrial thickness was significantly smaller in the pill-using group, correlating with the well established fact that oral contraceptives cause atrophy of the endometrium". "In the pill-using group, endometrial thickness was 1.1 mm in both phases . . ."
In women on birth control the thickness starts out at about a third of the thickness of the lowest number I could find in a pre-ovulatory, non-birth control estimate (1.1 mm compared to 3 mm). The minimum thickness for implantation to occur can be anywhere from 5 mm to 9 mm to 13 mm (see Resource 1 again).
Since the thickness starts out so much thinner, and stays that way throughout both phases of the cycle, it seems to me that it would be questionable whether it would increase in thickness to the point that it could support implantation after breakthrough ovulation, if the thickness increases at all (remember there are still no studies on what happens after breakthrough ovulation on oral contraceptives).
The third effect of birth control seems to be pretty well accepted in the secular community (and why shouldn't they accept the evidence as it is - it doesn't affect their belief system like it does ours). The debate on whether that third effect does indeed happen seems to be mostly within the pro-life community - because it affects our pro-life belief system so much, I think it's harder for us pro-life people to be totally objective on this. But the secular community can be pretty objective, because they don't care if it inhibits implantation or not. I think more research should be done on the thickness of the endometrium in pill users after breakthrough ovulation. Until more studies are done, there is just no way to be sure what exactly happens.
I think the secular community to be more objective (as much as it pains me to admit that) on this topic because of their lack of belief that they need to change their behaviour depending on whether or not the third effect happens. So I'm going to go with the thought of the group that I would think to be a little more objective on this issue, until more research is done.
1. Larimore, Walter L.; MD. Stanford, Joseph B.; MD. "Post fertilization Effects of Birth Control and Their Relationship to Informed Consent." Arch Fam Med. 2000;9:126-133. Link: http://archfami.highwire.org/cgi/content/full/9/2/126
2. Alcorn, Randy. "A Condensation of Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?" Link: http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish/prolife_birth_control_pill/A_Short_Condensation_of_Does_The_Birth_Control_Pill_Cause_Abortions.shtml
3. Schibler, Ann. "Growing debate over abortifacients: abortifacients, drugs or agents that cause an abortion, are commonly sold to women who think they are getting substances that prevent conception altogether." The New American, January 21, 2008. Link: http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-33824001_ITM
4. Grunebaum, Amos; MD. "Ovulation Issues", MedicineNet, WebMD Live Events Transcript, February 2, 2004. Link: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=54668
Quote:
"Member question: Is it possible to ovulate the day after you stop bleeding?
Dr. Amos: It is possible to ovulate any time in your cycle, even the day after you stop bleeding. Most women usually ovulate around CD 14 or so, but much earlier and much later ovulations are possible."
5. A website on information on pregnancy. Check out this link for some good information on how to prevent pregnancy when you are not on the pill. Link: http://www.epigee.org/guide/natural.html
6. TheBump.com's Fertility Chart. Link: http://images.thenestbaby.com/tools/pdfs/fertility_chart.pdf
7. Johnston, James P; D.O. "Do Oral Contraceptives Cause Abortions?" Updated january 7, 2005. Link: http://www.prolifephysicians.org/abortifacient.htm.
8. Daiter, Eric; MD. The New Jersey Infertility Treatment Center. "Procedures Tutorials" page. Link: http://www.thenewjerseyinfertilitytreatmentcenter.com/ultrasound_cases.php
9. McCarthy, Shirley; MD, PhD. Tauber, Cheryl; RT. Gore, John; PhD. "Female Pelvic anatomy; MR Assessment of Variations During the Menstrual Cycle With Use of Oral Contraceptives". Radiology, Volume 160, Number 1. 1986. Link: http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/reprint/160/1/119
*Update 8/2010: Since writing this post I have done alot more research on the signs of ovulation and how to predict ovulation in order to prevent or achieve pregnancy (see the post "The Fertility Awareness Method" for more information). Predicting ovulation appears to be alot more do-able than I originally thought.
However, I still think it would be difficult to predict ovulation when taking the birth control pill, because of the additional hormones that the pill introduces to the body and the effects of those hormones on the quality and amount of cervical fluid (see the above list of the effects of the birth control pill).
Changes in cervical fluid consistency must be observed in order to accurately predict ovulation and prevent the fertilization of the egg. Hormonal birth control causes a dry-up of cervical fluid. It would be very difficult to predict ovulation by identifying changes in cervical fluid when taking hormonal birth control, because that sign would be obscured as an effect of the pill. Therefore, my previous concerns with adequately predicting ovulation when taking hormonal birth control are still valid.
On Wednesday evening I was browsing through all of the new blog posts, and I came across a new post on my friend Amber's blog. If you'd like to read her post, check it out here.
Amber wrote saying that one of her friends had recently brought to her attention a fact about the birth control pill that she had not been previously aware of. She wrote that the pill works in three ways to prevent pregnancy:
1. Prevents ovulation (we all knew this one, right?)
2. Thickens the cervical fluid to make it difficult for the sperm to reach the egg.
These first two effects are contraceptive - they prevent conception, that is, the joining of the egg and the sperm. However, there is also a third effect that I had not heard of before.
3. Thins the lining of the uterus so that if an egg is fertilized, the feritilized egg will not be able to implant in the uterus. The fertilized egg would then die and be lost with the next menstrual cycle.
I am very pro-life, and I believe that life begins at conception. But this third effect means that the pill can cause a fertilized egg (which I believe to be a human being) to be lost. It's an abortive effect.
This information sent me reeling. I hadn't ever heard of this before, and I was pretty skeptical. I knew some methods of birth control, like IUDs (intra-uterine devices), caused fertilized eggs to be lost, but I had never heard of the birth control pill doing the same thing.
I'm very scientifically minded, so I decided to do some research on this before making a decision. Here's what I found out.
First I tried to find other resources that would give me information on whether or not this effect actually occurs, or whether it was just one of those theories that some anti-birth control person had come up with that didn't have alot of supporting evidence.
Every medical website that I checked listed all three effects of the pill. I checked out my specific birth control, and though the website for my birth control didn't list that third effect, it was confirmed to me by the other medical websites I checked that said low-dose hormonal birth control (which is what I take), does thin the lining of the uterus. I couldn't find one website that said that the pill does not thin the endometrium - every website either listed that as one of the effects, or didn't refer to it at all, but I couldn't find a source refuting it.
In addition, the statement that the lining of the uterus is thinned with hormonal birth control made sense to me. Don't most birth control pills broadcast that they can give you shorter, lighter periods? The lining of the uterus, or endometrium, is what is shed during your period, so if the period is lighter, the lining of the uterus must have been thinner.
I found a good paper on this topic written by a couple pro-life doctors, as well as an abbreviated version of the information in a book entitled Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions? by Randy Alcorn. Please see resources 1 and 2 for links to those resources.
I was pretty disturbed by this information. I didn't want my birth control to have that effect. I like the pill - my periods were extremely irregular and heavy before I started the pill, and I liked the lighter periods and knowing when my period would be.
I wondered how often "break-through ovulation" occurs on the pill. I mean, the pill makes your cycles regular, and if ovulation almost never occurs on the pill, Derek and I could just guess the time that I would ovulate, if ovulation were to occur, and we could abstain during that period.
However, after a little more research I found out that in a study performed by Dr. Don Gambrell, JR. 4.7% of women on high dose birth control had breakthrough ovulation (meaning they ovulated even though they were on the pill), and 14% of women on low-dose birth control (50 mg or less) had breakthrough ovulation (see Resource 3). And apparently the only hormonal birth control that is really available today is of the low-dose variety. That means that you'll probably ovulate a couple times a year, even on the pill. If you ovulate and don't get pregnant, it's because one of the other two mechanisms kicked in. If the sperm never reached the egg, there's no problem, but if it did reach the egg and there was no pregnancy, then the egg was unable to implant and was lost.
What about staying on the pill and just trying to guess when you ovulate and abstain during that time? Unfortunately it seems that it is possible to ovulate any time during the month (see Resource 4). Even if you try to monitor ovulation through taking your basal body temperature or cervical mucous, those methods really can only tell you when ovulation has already occurred, or when it is imminent. In order to ensure that the egg isn't fertilized you have to stop having sex about seven days before ovulation, because sperm can survive for up to seven days inside the woman's body. I couldn't find a reliable way to predict ovulation that far in advance.
My conclusion from all this information hunting was that, yes, hormonal birth control of any kind (ring or pills) can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, which, in effect, is very early abortion. Breakthrough ovulation can and does occur on hormonal birth control, and it is difficult to determine if and when ovulation occurs until after the fact, making the option of abstaining when ovulation is suspected to occur unreliable. *(Note: See update to this information after the Resources section.)
Update 8/2010: Since writing this post I have done alot more research on the signs of ovulation and how to predict ovulation in order to prevent , which appears to be alot more do-able than I originally thought. However, I still think it would be difficult to predict ovulation when taking the birth control pill, because of the additional hormones that the pill introduces to the body and the effects of those hormones on the quality and amount of cervical fluid (see the above list of the effects of the birth control pill). Changes in cervical fluid consistency must be observed in order to predict ovulation and prevent the fertilization of the egg. It would be very difficult to identify changes in cervical fluid when taking hormonal birth control because the pill causes a dry-up of cervical fluid, and that sign would then be obscured. Therefore, my previous concerns with adequately predicting ovulation when taking hormonal birth control are still valid.
I thought all you married, pro-lifers out there had a right to know this information. Each couple has to evaluate the information and decide for themselves. Hearing about this has resulted in a few restless nights, a ton of time spent researching, and quite a bit of prayer, but we finally came to a decision.
Knowing all this information, Derek and I could not justify continuing to use hormonal birth control. If the abortive effect of the hormonal birth control were to occur it would most likely be extremely rare, and may not even happen at all; however, there is a possibility it could happen, and there is no way to reliably prevent an egg from getting fertilized, should breakthrough ovulation occur.
If there is even a chance that a human life could be ended because of our choice to take birth control, can we really justify it? Derek and I couldn't. And believe me, I tried. I researched every avenue and excuse I could think of, but nothing can assure me that losing a fertilized egg won't happen. I really don't want to stop taking the pill - it makes my life so much easier and better, and I honestly don't think I'm ready to be a mother.
But do I want to answer to God someday for continuing to take the pill, even though I knew there was a possiblity that I could be losing babies by taking it? I don't want to be judged for that someday.
I believe every human life is precious, and I believe human life begins as soon as that sperm fuses with that egg. I have to try to do what is right, even though it's not what I want to do right now.
I prayed before I even began my research that the Lord would show us the right choice, that He would make the choices so clear that there wouldn't be a way that I could pick the wrong one. And I feel like He made His opinion on it pretty clear to me.
To be honest with you, I'm absolutely terrified! I don't want to get pregnant right now, and even though Derek and I have a pretty good plan for not getting pregnant, the chances are certainly higher that we might. But there was a fork in the road - choose my own way, follow my own desire and stay on the pill? Or do what I know is the right choice, take a leap of faith, stop taking the pill, and trust in the Lord to take care of us? If I really call myself a follower of Jesus, I have to choose the second. And I think my Jesus will continue to take care of me, whether we get pregnant right now or not. He's never let me down so far, and I really have no reason to believe He will now!
For a little more information on how we plan to try not to get pregnant, check out Resource 5 and 6. I'll do another post ASAP on our game plan, just in case any of you are interested.
My original post stopped here, but another question was brought up in the comments section which I spent some more time researching. My response and conclusions are below.
Brittany, my dear blogging friend, brought up a point in the comments section that referred to how some doctors think the research is inconclusive on whether the thickness of the endometrium in pill-users can cause fertilized eggs to be lost. So yes, I did more research! Here's some more stuff I found out.
I did a little more research on why some doctors think the research is inconclusive for the third effect. I found a research paper (see Resource 7) that stated that some doctors think that if breakthrough ovulation does occur in women who are taking birth control, the associated increase in estrogen will help to thicken the lining of the uterus at that time. There are no studies that show that the endometrium does thicken after breakthrough ovulation, but there's no studies that show that it doesn't either. That's why some pro-life doctors are okay with birth control, because there hasn't been a study done to see what the endometrial thickness is in women on birth control after breakthrough ovulation.
I did a little more research on the average pre-ovulatory endometrial thickness in women who are not on birth control. If the difference in thickness between women who are in the pre-ovulatory phase and women on birth control is pretty significant, that would be some information that I would consider helpful in my own decision-making process.
The average pre-ovulatory endometrial thickness in women who are not on birth control is anywhere from 3-8 mm (I found one page that said it could be 3 mm, but I lost that page - one resource I found says 4-8 mm usually before ovulation - see Resource 8). In the ovulatory phase (right before and after ovulation) it is usually 6-10 mm thick, and post-ovulation it increases again to anywhere from 7-14 mm thick.
I found a study (see resource 9) that measured the uterine thickness in pill users and non-pill users, and concluded that "Endometrial thickness was significantly smaller in the pill-using group, correlating with the well established fact that oral contraceptives cause atrophy of the endometrium". "In the pill-using group, endometrial thickness was 1.1 mm in both phases . . ."
In women on birth control the thickness starts out at about a third of the thickness of the lowest number I could find in a pre-ovulatory, non-birth control estimate (1.1 mm compared to 3 mm). The minimum thickness for implantation to occur can be anywhere from 5 mm to 9 mm to 13 mm (see Resource 1 again).
Since the thickness starts out so much thinner, and stays that way throughout both phases of the cycle, it seems to me that it would be questionable whether it would increase in thickness to the point that it could support implantation after breakthrough ovulation, if the thickness increases at all (remember there are still no studies on what happens after breakthrough ovulation on oral contraceptives).
The third effect of birth control seems to be pretty well accepted in the secular community (and why shouldn't they accept the evidence as it is - it doesn't affect their belief system like it does ours). The debate on whether that third effect does indeed happen seems to be mostly within the pro-life community - because it affects our pro-life belief system so much, I think it's harder for us pro-life people to be totally objective on this. But the secular community can be pretty objective, because they don't care if it inhibits implantation or not. I think more research should be done on the thickness of the endometrium in pill users after breakthrough ovulation. Until more studies are done, there is just no way to be sure what exactly happens.
I think the secular community to be more objective (as much as it pains me to admit that) on this topic because of their lack of belief that they need to change their behaviour depending on whether or not the third effect happens. So I'm going to go with the thought of the group that I would think to be a little more objective on this issue, until more research is done.
1. Larimore, Walter L.; MD. Stanford, Joseph B.; MD. "Post fertilization Effects of Birth Control and Their Relationship to Informed Consent." Arch Fam Med. 2000;9:126-133. Link: http://archfami.highwire.org/cgi/content/full/9/2/126
2. Alcorn, Randy. "A Condensation of Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?" Link: http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish/prolife_birth_control_pill/A_Short_Condensation_of_Does_The_Birth_Control_Pill_Cause_Abortions.shtml
3. Schibler, Ann. "Growing debate over abortifacients: abortifacients, drugs or agents that cause an abortion, are commonly sold to women who think they are getting substances that prevent conception altogether." The New American, January 21, 2008. Link: http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-33824001_ITM
4. Grunebaum, Amos; MD. "Ovulation Issues", MedicineNet, WebMD Live Events Transcript, February 2, 2004. Link: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=54668
Quote:
"Member question: Is it possible to ovulate the day after you stop bleeding?
Dr. Amos: It is possible to ovulate any time in your cycle, even the day after you stop bleeding. Most women usually ovulate around CD 14 or so, but much earlier and much later ovulations are possible."
5. A website on information on pregnancy. Check out this link for some good information on how to prevent pregnancy when you are not on the pill. Link: http://www.epigee.org/guide/natural.html
6. TheBump.com's Fertility Chart. Link: http://images.thenestbaby.com/tools/pdfs/fertility_chart.pdf
7. Johnston, James P; D.O. "Do Oral Contraceptives Cause Abortions?" Updated january 7, 2005. Link: http://www.prolifephysicians.org/abortifacient.htm.
8. Daiter, Eric; MD. The New Jersey Infertility Treatment Center. "Procedures Tutorials" page. Link: http://www.thenewjerseyinfertilitytreatmentcenter.com/ultrasound_cases.php
9. McCarthy, Shirley; MD, PhD. Tauber, Cheryl; RT. Gore, John; PhD. "Female Pelvic anatomy; MR Assessment of Variations During the Menstrual Cycle With Use of Oral Contraceptives". Radiology, Volume 160, Number 1. 1986. Link: http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/reprint/160/1/119
*Update 8/2010: Since writing this post I have done alot more research on the signs of ovulation and how to predict ovulation in order to prevent or achieve pregnancy (see the post "The Fertility Awareness Method" for more information). Predicting ovulation appears to be alot more do-able than I originally thought.
However, I still think it would be difficult to predict ovulation when taking the birth control pill, because of the additional hormones that the pill introduces to the body and the effects of those hormones on the quality and amount of cervical fluid (see the above list of the effects of the birth control pill).
Changes in cervical fluid consistency must be observed in order to accurately predict ovulation and prevent the fertilization of the egg. Hormonal birth control causes a dry-up of cervical fluid. It would be very difficult to predict ovulation by identifying changes in cervical fluid when taking hormonal birth control, because that sign would be obscured as an effect of the pill. Therefore, my previous concerns with adequately predicting ovulation when taking hormonal birth control are still valid.
Thank you Lord, for allowing us to live in a country that is free! Please bring our country back to Yourself, and I pray for Your continued blessing on our country. Help us to remember the Christian principles that the United States of America was founded on, and to never take the liberty You have entrusted to us, or the blood that has been spilled to defend it, for granted. Help us to value that freedom, and give us the grace to always defend it and preserve it! In Jesus's name, Amen.
"The truth is, all might be free if they valued freedom and defended it as they ought."
-Samuel Adams
Article in the Boston Gazette
October 14, 1771
"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and anger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men."
-Samuel Adams
Article in the Boston Gazette
October 14, 1771
"Is life so dear, or so peaceful so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
-Patrick Henry
Speech at Virginia Convention
March 23, 1775
"If the true spark of religious and civil liberty be kindled, it will burn. Human agency cannot extinguish it. Like the earth's central fire, it may be smothered for a time; the ocean may overwhelm it; mountains may press it down; but its inherent and unconquerable force will heave both the ocean and the land, and at some point or other, in some place or other, the volcano will break out and flame up to heaven."
Daniel Webster
Address at bunker Hill Monument Cornerstone
June 17, 1825
"God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it."
-Daniel Webster
I hope you all have a wonderful celebration of the founding of this great country!
I think lately the Lord has been trying to show me how I'm way too concerned with what others think of me. I spend a lot of time fixing my makeup, wrestling with my unruly hair, exercising, and generally trying to make sure I look good. There are countless times when I lose sleep worrying about something I said or didn't say, and hoping it came across right. It's a little too important to me what others think of me. I'm assuming I'm not the only one who does this.
I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to make sure we give a good impression, or taking care of our physical appearance - I think it's a good thing, actually. But the past month or so the Lord has been impressing it upon my heart how I'm just getting too concerned about those things, maybe putting more effort on my outward beauty than my inward beauty. Outward beauty doesn't last, but inward beauty will matter for eternity. Life will move on, and everyone except those who are closest to me will eventually leave my life, but Jesus will always be my Lord; He will be for eternity. I think I should be worrying a little more about what He thinks of me, and a little less what those around me think. I want to make my Saviour proud.
One of my favorite passages of Scripture is in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, but for my point today especially verse 18:
". . .While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18).
The Lord has been telling me lately that I need to focus a little more on unseen things, that I need to invest a little more in eternity. And with His help, that's what I'm going to try to do.
Yes, I broke down ad joined the Twitter community. I'm not sure whether I'm excited about that, or a little ashamed of it! I held out for so long, but the final straw came this morning when Laura Ingraham, one of my favorite talk show hosts who has also been skeptical about twittering, joined. I wanted to follow her, so I created a Twitter account. Here's the link to my page; if any of you are on there, feel free to follow me and I'll follow you too! I guess we'll see how this goes.
In other more serious news (in my world), I feel that I have failed in a way with this blog. One of my major reasons for starting this blog was to record what the Lord is teaching me as I try to walk with Him, and I haven't been doing the best job of doing that. I feel like I need to do a better job of using this outlet for the Lord, so I've decided to try to post once a week on something I've been learning in my relationship with the Lord, something He has done for me, any good insights that I stumble across, etc.
Have any of you heard the hymn "In the Garden", by Charles Austin Myles? It's a beautiful old hymn on the sweetness of having a quiet time with the Lord. I love the line that says "And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known". There is great joy when we tarry with the Lord, and I know I need to do a better job of that myself, not just privately in prayer, but publicly with this blog. So I'll be trying to post a "tarrying there" post every week, probably around Friday or Saturday. That's my goal. And I want to ask you all to hold me accountable there - if I haven't posted something about my walk with the Lord in a while, I give you all full permission to ask me what's up, okay?
I'll finish with the lyrics to "In The Garden". I think they are so beautiful, and they always seem to bring a prayer to my heart.
In The Garden
I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
Refrain
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
Refrain
I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.
Refrain
Words: Charles Austin Miles (1912)
Lyrics from HymnLyrics.org.
P.S. The picture is of a pretty old church that I had to take a picture of when Derek took me downtown for my birthday!
I'm getting into the Fourth of July spirit early! Hence, the fun patriotic background. Just thought I'd explain since it isn't the fourth quite yet. But then you don't need a holiday to be patriotic, do you?
Aaron Tippin - Where The Stars & Stripes & The Eagle Fly - The most amazing bloopers are here
Video from YouTube.com.
Aaron Tippin - Where The Stars & Stripes & The Eagle Fly - The most amazing bloopers are here
Video from YouTube.com.
Memorial Day is not about the three-day weekend.
It's not about the picnics.
It's not about the camping.
It's not about the parades.
Today is a day to remember the sacrifices of those who have fought and died to protect our precious freedem that we enjoy in this country. Let's remember that today and also remember to thank our God for the freedom He grants us, and pray that He will continue to allow it to be preserved.
Freedom Is Not Free
By Kelly Strong
I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.
I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.
More Day poems and songs at Memorial Day Tribute.
It's not about the picnics.
It's not about the camping.
It's not about the parades.
Today is a day to remember the sacrifices of those who have fought and died to protect our precious freedem that we enjoy in this country. Let's remember that today and also remember to thank our God for the freedom He grants us, and pray that He will continue to allow it to be preserved.
Freedom Is Not Free
By Kelly Strong
I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.
I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.
More Day poems and songs at Memorial Day Tribute.
This is my favorite Resurrection Day hymn, and I thought I'd share it here this morning. He is Risen! He is risen indeed.
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788
Music: Lyra Davidica, 1708
Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!
Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun's eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection day, Alleluia!
King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!
Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!
But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He's King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!
Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
Go to this link to hear the music to the song. I hope you all have a blessed Resurrection Day! Our Lord is Risen!
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788
Music: Lyra Davidica, 1708
Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!
Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun's eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection day, Alleluia!
King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!
Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!
But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He's King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!
Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
Go to this link to hear the music to the song. I hope you all have a blessed Resurrection Day! Our Lord is Risen!
This morning I read the story of Jesus's crucifixion in all four gospels. Every Good Friday I like to read about what our Saviour suffered in order to save us - it's always helps me refocus on Jesus for the rest of the day. This year as I was reading I started thinking about some of the people who were there when He was crucified. Not those who actually hung Him on the cross, and not His disciples, but some of the minor characters in the story. It makes me wonder what some of them were thinking as they saw this Man who they didn't even know, but perhaps had heard of, being killed.
What did Simon of Cyrene think? He was from the country, only in Jerusalem to observe the Passover and sacrifice his lamb. Yet they compelled him to help Jesus carry His cross to Golgotha. I always thought that Simon was granted a great honor that day - to be able to help our Lord carry His cross, to make Jesus's load even a little lighter, just for a moment. I wonder what ever happened to Simon of Cyrene - I wonder if he knew what an honor that simple act was.
What made the thief on the cross realize Jesus was not just any man? He probably didn't realize it before that moment, or I doubt he would be hanging on that cross for stealing. But something that occured on the way to the Golgotha or while they were hanging on the crosses must have convinced him. I always thought that thief was so brave. He believed, but he was so humble - he knew he deserved to be punished. Yet he asked Jesus to remember him, when Jesus came into his throne. What courage! To ask the Son of God to remember him. And Jesus reassured him that it wasn't too late to believe, that the thief would be with Him in heaven. I can't wait until I get there too, so I can ask him about his story.
I also wonder about that centurian, the one who exclaimed that "Truly this was the Son of God!" after he saw Jesus die. That centurian was in the perfect position to observe everything that happened to Jesus during His last hours, everything that was said, every significant event. And after all was said and done, the centurian was also convinced that this was something out of the ordinary - this was not just any man. I wonder what he did with that knowledge? Did he become one of the many believers in Jesus after He rose from the dead? Did he see Jesus ascending to heaven? What happened next?
The stories of these people intrigue me, because they were there. They were present when our God died in our place - they had some small part to share in His story. Whenever I read the accounts of Jesus's death, these two things always strike me - how much our Lord suffered and endured for us; I can't even imagine everything He went through, and it always reminds me of how unworthy I am of such a sacrifice on His part. And the second thing is the individual people who were involved. What must have gone through their minds? And if they lived, what did they do with what they had seen? Did they believe - did they glorify God? Did they help establish the early church, did they tell others about what they had seen? Or did they just go on their way?
What do we do with our knowledge? Do we tell others what we know, what we have seen? I for one don't share my story often enough. Let's remember what Jesus did for us this Good Friday, and endeavor to share what we know in the future.
The image above was from Little Spark Mission.
Last night Derek and I went to our church Bible study. We haven't been going as regularly as we'd like, but we decided to start trying to go every week. It was such a blessing to go spend time with fellow believers and study God's word! Last night we were studying 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22. Our church elder, Herb, who leads the Bible study called these "Admonitions On 'How To Live In Order To Please God'", and I thought they were really good things to work on in my own life. I thought I'd share this list here; you can also look up the Bible verse and read them for yourself!
Admonitions On How To Live In Order To Please God
1. Appreciate those who labor among you and have charge over you in the Lord; esteem them highly in love.
2. Live in peace with one another.
3. Admonish the unruly. (Other versions said the lazy or idle as well)
4. Encourage the fainthearted.
5. Help the weak.
6. Be patient with everyone.
7. See that no one repays evil for evil.
8. Seek after that which is good for each other and all people.
9. Rejoice always.
10. Pray without ceasing.
11. In everything give thanks.
12. Do not quench the Spirit. (I was a little confused on this one at first, but we read different Bible versions, and it was explained to me that this means not to ignore the Holy Spirit when He convicts you, or when He is leading you to do or say something. I usually pay attention when the Holy Spirit convicts me, but I don't always listen when He is calling me to some action - that is something I need to work on).
13. Do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything carefully. (Test everything against Scripture).
14. Hold fast to that which is good.
15. Abstain from every form of evil. (Or every appearance of evil; the Greek word there is eidos, which means "that which strikes the eye").
I thought these admonitions for living were really good, and I'm going to work on these personally; because what better goal is there than to live in order to please God?
Admonitions On How To Live In Order To Please God
1. Appreciate those who labor among you and have charge over you in the Lord; esteem them highly in love.
2. Live in peace with one another.
3. Admonish the unruly. (Other versions said the lazy or idle as well)
4. Encourage the fainthearted.
5. Help the weak.
6. Be patient with everyone.
7. See that no one repays evil for evil.
8. Seek after that which is good for each other and all people.
9. Rejoice always.
10. Pray without ceasing.
11. In everything give thanks.
12. Do not quench the Spirit. (I was a little confused on this one at first, but we read different Bible versions, and it was explained to me that this means not to ignore the Holy Spirit when He convicts you, or when He is leading you to do or say something. I usually pay attention when the Holy Spirit convicts me, but I don't always listen when He is calling me to some action - that is something I need to work on).
13. Do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything carefully. (Test everything against Scripture).
14. Hold fast to that which is good.
15. Abstain from every form of evil. (Or every appearance of evil; the Greek word there is eidos, which means "that which strikes the eye").
I thought these admonitions for living were really good, and I'm going to work on these personally; because what better goal is there than to live in order to please God?
I recently stumbled across a website called Internet Cafe Devtions. This is a website that provides devotions for Christian women. They also have a weekly meme where a question is asked, and those who want to participate answer the question in a blog post. I thought I'd try it this week.
The question had to do with a story of a Missionary in the Congo who chose to stay and minister to the people there in a very dangerous time. She was attacked by a truckload of soldiers who did awful things to her, but she escaped with her life and was taken away from the Congo for her recovery. This is a quote from David Jeremiah regarding Helen's attitude about what happened to her.
We're supposed to tell our thoughts about this question.
I think if something similar had happened to me my first response would be to ask God why He had let this happen to me when all I was trying to do was to serve Him. I would probably start out depressed and maybe a little angry. But I'm not the type to stay that way, and I think if I heard the above question I would be able to say yes, that I would trust my Lord that He had let this happen for a reason, even if I never knew why.
Not that my questions and anger would go away just like that. I'm sure I would struggle with the why questions for years to come, and there would certainly be occasional moments of anger or bitterness. But the Lord is in control of everything that happens, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I would find comfort in that verse, that there has to be some purpose in my suffering, even though I may never know it.
It's easy to say how I think I would react now, when I'm in the safety and comfort of my living room. The real test comes when something bad really does happen to you. But I'm still confident that I would respond in a very similar way to what I described above. Though I may have twinges of anger at God, I couldn't stay angry at Him. Though my faith my be in danger for a brief time, I couldn't lose it entirely. Though I may cry out to God why He would let this happen, I couldn't turn my back on Him. Because without Jesus, what else do I have? I know that though I may react in a very negative and ungodly way at first, He would gently draw me back, hold me together in my time of weakness, remind me to just trust Him, and bring me out stronger in the end. I'm safely in the palm of His hand, and He would never let me go; the only way I could get through it would be to cling to Him. I have nothing, I am nothing without Him, and He suffered much worse for me.
The following is one of my much loved songs sung by Aaron Shust, and I think the section in bold would be my refrain through a time of suffering, and I think the thought would bring me much comfort.
The question had to do with a story of a Missionary in the Congo who chose to stay and minister to the people there in a very dangerous time. She was attacked by a truckload of soldiers who did awful things to her, but she escaped with her life and was taken away from the Congo for her recovery. This is a quote from David Jeremiah regarding Helen's attitude about what happened to her.
"There was no bitterness within her, though Helen had experienced terrible, mindless evil. It would have been so easy to demand of God why He allowed these atrocities, when she had been so faithful to His service. But in her heart of hearts, she felt that God’s question would be, 'Can you thank Me for trusting you with this experience, even if I never tell you why?'"
We're supposed to tell our thoughts about this question.
I think if something similar had happened to me my first response would be to ask God why He had let this happen to me when all I was trying to do was to serve Him. I would probably start out depressed and maybe a little angry. But I'm not the type to stay that way, and I think if I heard the above question I would be able to say yes, that I would trust my Lord that He had let this happen for a reason, even if I never knew why.
Not that my questions and anger would go away just like that. I'm sure I would struggle with the why questions for years to come, and there would certainly be occasional moments of anger or bitterness. But the Lord is in control of everything that happens, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I would find comfort in that verse, that there has to be some purpose in my suffering, even though I may never know it.
It's easy to say how I think I would react now, when I'm in the safety and comfort of my living room. The real test comes when something bad really does happen to you. But I'm still confident that I would respond in a very similar way to what I described above. Though I may have twinges of anger at God, I couldn't stay angry at Him. Though my faith my be in danger for a brief time, I couldn't lose it entirely. Though I may cry out to God why He would let this happen, I couldn't turn my back on Him. Because without Jesus, what else do I have? I know that though I may react in a very negative and ungodly way at first, He would gently draw me back, hold me together in my time of weakness, remind me to just trust Him, and bring me out stronger in the end. I'm safely in the palm of His hand, and He would never let me go; the only way I could get through it would be to cling to Him. I have nothing, I am nothing without Him, and He suffered much worse for me.
The following is one of my much loved songs sung by Aaron Shust, and I think the section in bold would be my refrain through a time of suffering, and I think the thought would bring me much comfort.
"I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior
I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior
That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior
Chorus (2x's)
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be
Yes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring;
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior
That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior
Chorus (2x's)
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
