A Spoonful Of Insight: Family Worship Part 3

By: Mark Baker

Read, Pray, Sing

In the last post I briefly outlined a helpful structure for family worship through three simple actions: reading, praying and singing. This installment will expand on each of these three elements.

Read

The purpose of family worship is to gather together as a family to glorify God. What better way to glorify God than to do it by being saturated in the Scriptures? Create a Bible reading plan where you work your way through Psalms, Proverbs or the New Testament. Depending on the age of your children, you may want to read one third or one half of a chapter. As your children get older, one way to help engage them in conversation is to ask them to choose one verse that they will explain to you and one verse that you will explain to them. This will keep them paying attention as well as allowing them to verbally process the easier verses and to understand the harder verses with greater clarity.

While secondary literature should never replace the Bible, it can prove to be a helpful and enjoyable supplement. Here is a list to help you get started:

• The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones. (0-4 years)
• The Children’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos. (4-10 years)
• Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware. (8-up)

Pray

Prayer is the natural response to reading the Word. Your prayer time is a wonderful opportunity for your children to learn how to pray by hearing you pray and by praying themselves. Try to pray about what you have just read from in the Scriptures. You also may want to include praying for your pastor, friends and family, missionaries and the persecuted church.

• Voice of the Martyrs is a wonderful (and free!) resource for learning how to pray for the persecuted church.
• Operation World is a helpful resource that lists specific gospel-oriented prayer needs for every country in the world.

Sing

I have recently gained a new appreciation for worship through song. We are currently singing through the Psalms at the school where I teach. Though I cannot carry a tune in a bucket, sometimes I am required to lead a class or even the entire school in a cappella singing. If there were ever a group of off tune singers, it would be my class when I lead! But I have experienced fresh waves of joy in Jesus and fresh understanding of the Scriptures as I have lifted up my voice in song to the Lord.

It is easy to compile a simple family song book. If your church prints song lyrics in the bulletin, collect several of the extras and put them in a notebook. You might also be able to get your hands on some old hymnals if you so desire.

Conclusion

If this post makes you feel like you are drinking from a fire hydrant, then stop and take a deep breath! You will obviously not be able to incorporate every suggestion into your own time of family worship. Keep these three points as general guidelines for all that you do in family worship: brevity, regularity and flexibility. Remember the goal is not to legalistically accomplish a task, but to glorify God by gathering together as a family to worship on a regular basis.

A Spoonful Of Insight: Family Worship Part 2

By: Mark Baker

Jonathan Edwards is one of my heroes. He was the greatest mind America has ever produced. He also shepherded some of the most significant revival and awakening our nation has ever experienced. He preached America’s most famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” yet he cherished God’s promises about heaven just as much as he trembled when thinking about hell. He was elected as president of one of America’s most prestigious universities and seminaries and served as a missionary to the Native Americans.

This is a pretty amazing resume’. Significant as these achievements are, however, they fail in comparison to Edwards’ most important accomplishment: he was the spiritual leader of his family. Edwards famously said, “Every Christian family out to be as it were a little church.” At one time, Edwards lost his job as pastor in his home town. Though his pastorate could be terminated, he knew that he was commissioned to be head of his family for life. It follows that all of Edwards’ children who survived until adulthood either became gospel ministers or married a gospel minister. None ever denied the faith.

You may never steward a great revival or be elected seminary president. But you can lead your family the way God has called you to. A vital part of this leadership is found in the discipline of family worship. With this in mind, I will now cover the basics of family worship by answering some frequently asked questions.

Who should be present during family worship?

Everyone who lives in your house should be present. Your family may comprise of yourself and your spouse, or you may have a room-full. Either way, encourage everyone to participate in this important spiritual discipline. If you have guests or visitors, invite them to attend as well. I once stayed with a family I barely knew while attending a week-long seminary class. Every night they invited me to worship with their family. I found it to be a richly rewarding experience and grew to know the family much better as a result.

When should we do family worship?

Schedule your time based on what works best for your family. Some might prefer mornings; others might prefer dinner time or before bed. My family currently has a very hectic schedule. I usually leave the house before my wife and children are awake, and we are often forced to eat quick dinners at home or on the road. We have found that bedtime provides the best and most consistent time.  

How often should we do family worship? How long should family worship last?

There are two viable options for these questions. (1) Your family could enjoy one extended time of family worship once a week. (2) Your family could spend a shorter amount of time every day. My family has tried both and we favor option 2. We have found strength in the consistency of an everyday routine. Additionally, if you chose option 1 and miss a day of family worship, you will have gone two weeks without gathering as a family to worship.

If you choose option 1, you will probably want to schedule your family worship for about an hour. If you chose option 2, think more along the lines of ten minutes a day. If you have children under the age of two, maybe even less time. The goal is to gather together as a family to glorify God without causing the time-frame to become an unnecessary burden.  Obviously these options are merely guidelines, and families should avoid legalism concerning these options.

Who should lead family worship?

Scripture is clear that the husband is the head of the family (Ephesians 5:22-6:4). If at all possible the husband should serve the family by leading in this capacity. If there are extenuating circumstances where the husband is absent or not a believer, then the wife may lead.

What should we do during family worship?

In brief, there are three essential elements to family worship: reading, praying and singing. The next installment of this series will cover each of these elements.

A Spoonful Of Insight: Family Worship Part 1

For the month of January, I thought it would be really fun to explore the idea of family worship. I’ve asked my husband, Mark, who has recently taken a number of seminary classes on family worship to come and explain some of the basics for us. I hope this series of post gives you fresh ideas as well as encouragement in your praise to God as a family.

What is Family Worship?

By Mark Baker

I have recently been learning about a spiritual discipline that is of the utmost importance for the church. It was a discipline so valuable that our fathers in the faith who penned the Westminster Confession authorized church discipline on anyone who refused to participate in it. It was of this discipline that Matthew Henry, the famous Puritan commentator said, “Here the reformation must begin.” It is the discipline of family worship.

Family worship is the act of assembling the family unit together for the purpose of intentionally giving praise and glory to God. Deuteronomy 6:7 commands fathers to teach the commandments of God “diligently to your children, and… talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” While family worship will not be the only time the ways of God are taught in the home, it should be the foundation from which all other instruction can be given.

The Puritans even described the routine of family worship as similar to “Jacob’s Ladder” in Genesis 28. Jacob had an encounter with God where he saw angels ascending and descending to and from heaven. After the encounter, Jacob exclaimed, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it… How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16-17). What did the Puritans see in family worship that could cause them to equate it with the very gateway between heaven and earth? This series of blog posts will explore the “what” and “how” of family worship, that our families might be able to see and savor the goodness of God in the place of the home.

5 Resolutions Every Parent Should Make

5 Ways To Love Your Kids Better In 2012:

1. Love Jesus.

Our end goal cannot be to simply love our kids. We must first love our Savior and be loved by Him. He is the only one who can supply us with the love we need for our children. He is the one who must lead and direct us in the way we should go. He must save us, fulfill us and refresh us before we can reproduce true love for our children.

2. Let Your Life Be Guided By The Word Of God.

We must let our lives be guided by the Word of God because Proverbs 28:26a shows us that anyone who trusts his own heart is a fool. Thankfully God has made a way for us to daily hear from Him in His word. He has given us His Scripture.

As 2 Timothy 3:16 shows, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” We must have God’s reproof in our lives. We must have his correction. We must have His instruction in righteousness. We must let our lives be guided by the Word.

As parents we are commanded in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 to diligently teach our children the commands of God and to talk to them about it. How can we love them in this way if we ourselves are not being taught by God?

Live by the word and train your child in it. For as Proverbs 22:6 promises, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

3.       Love Your Spouse.

Marriage is a special bond between two people that cannot be paralleled. No other relationship can match it. It is unique in the fact that God makes the two become one. This is important in parenting because as Gary Ezzo, author of On Becoming Baby Wise says, “Great marriages produce great parents” (20). If you want to love your children well, love your spouse. A strong marriage will help produce security in the home, emotional stability, as well as confidence in your child (20-21). If your marriage is intact, protect it and keep it a priority.

Consider further what Ezzo has to say, “When the marriage relationship is beautiful what impressionable child would not desire to share in its joy? When two are beautifully one, what child would not seek the comforts of this togetherness? The best years of parenting flow out of the best years of marriage. Protect it!” (22).

4.       Study Your Child.

Each child you bring into your home is a brand new person. They have a new personality, different likes and dislikes, varying interests, etc…Even though you may have had them since the day they were born there is still more to learn. Study your children. Find out how they are gifted. Strive to know their interests. Engage them in the places where they struggle. As you study them you will be able to parent accordingly.

5. Time, Time, Time!

Many people are willing to substitute quantities of time for what they would call quality time. This is not a fair substitute. Every child’s love language is time. Children need their parents. They need instruction, guidance, love, and fun from their parents. They can only receive these forms of love if the parent is present. Aim for quantity when it comes to time, not just “quality” time.

Merry Christmas!

A Spoonful Of Insight: The Season Of Advent

Having a special guest come to my house is always exciting. Sometimes I am so thrilled that I’ll count down the days, plan special dinners, and try to put the house in perfect order. Advent is all about someone special coming. Advent means “to come.” It celebrates that Jesus came and stepped into our history in the form of a baby. Advent celebrates our great God’s coming to bring salvation to man.

In honor of this advent season, I wanted to share a few ways that you and your family can remember Jesus’ first coming as well as anticipate his second coming.

1. Buy or make an Advent Wreath:

(Photo Source)

Advent wreaths serve as a reminder of Jesus’ coming and help prepare our hearts for Jesus’ second coming. Just as Anna and Simeon anticipated Jesus’ coming (Luke 2:25-30), so we can anticipate Christ’s second coming as well as celebrate his first coming.

What is the significance of an Advent Wreath?

1. The evergreen of the wreath reminds us of Jesus’ love. God’s love has no beginning and no end.
2. There are five candles in the wreath. A white candle stands in the center, three purple and one pink candle also stand amid the greenery. The first purple candle is called Prophecy, and is significant for hope. Author of The ADVENTure of Christmas, Lisa Whelchel says, “It invites us to thank God for the hope we have in Jesus, the prophesied Messiah” (6).
3. The second purple candle is called Bethlehem, and is significant for peace. “In Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace was born so that we sinners could be at peace with our holy God” (6).
4. The pink candle is the Shepherd’s candle, and is significant for joy. This candle celebrates the good tidings of great joy that Jesus Christ was born in human form and would take away the sins of the world (6).
5. The third purple candle is called Angel and is significant for love (6). Like the angels proclaimed on the day of Jesus’ birth we too can say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:24).
6. The white candle is also representing love- Christ’s love. “Love has entered our world through the birth of Jesus” (6). The baby Jesus would grow up and die a sinner’s death on the cross to take away our sins. This is the greatest love and it is worth celebrating.

How do I use an Advent Wreath?   

1. Light the first purple candle on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
2. On the next Sunday, light the first purple candle again and then light the second purple candle as well.
3. The next Sunday (two weeks before Christmas) light the two purple candles and then light the pink one.
4. On the Sunday before Christmas, light the two purple candles, the pink one, and then light the final purple one.
5. On Christmas Day light all of the candles. The white one is lit last (7).

Each week as you light a candle talk about what they represent and celebrate that part of Jesus’ coming.

2. Another Idea is to buy or make and advent calendar:

An advent calendar simply counts down the days until Christmas. This can help children anticipate celebration Jesus’ first coming on Christmas day.

Enjoy celebrating Jesus this Advent season!

A Tragedy Turned Into Triumph

On October 2, 2008 I lost my first baby. I remember my cheeks were hot with tears, as I felt the sting of sudden loss. As the mysterious world of pregnancy slipped from my grasp, I waded through various emotions. I was sad because I wouldn’t be afforded nine months to carry life. I was angry that wouldn’t be able to hold onto the delicate life that had been placed in my womb. Pinpricked by the reality of death, I faced tragedy.

What I didn’t know on October 2^nd was that Jesus had victory waiting for me around the corner. What I would find out was, Jesus is good at turning tragedy into triumph. He was the one who could lift my head that was heavily tilted toward despair. He was the one who could take the sadness that clung to me like cobwebs and turn it into joy. He was the only one who could triumph.

What helped me while facing tragedy was to know who God is. God is a rescuer. In Exodus 1-3 there is a group of people who were stuck. Their lives were bound with chains. Slavery had overtaken them. Like many of us today the people were oppressed and carrying heavy burdens. The people were afflicted. But bigger than their very real problems was a God who loves to rescue.

This God that loves to rescue is one who hears. The same God that heard the people’s cries for help is the same God who will hear your cry for help today (Exod. 2:23-25; 3:7).

This God that loves to rescue is one who sees. God saw the oppression of His people and did not stand idly by. That same God sees your hurt. This God that loves to rescue is a hearer, and a seer, but also one who knows. At the end of Exodus 3:7 it says, “I know their sufferings.” Jesus knew the suffering of His people, and He knows what is making the tears flow for you. He knows what is causing you pain. He knows your suffering.

This rescuing God hears. He sees. He knows. This God came to deliver His people (Exod. 3:8) and to bring them out of their affliction (Exod. 3:17). This God is Jesus. And “Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Jesus can deliver you and is strong enough to bring you out of your affliction.

Just because God knows about our pain and can rescue us doesn’t mean that our pain isn’t real. We can cry. The people in Exodus cried and even groaned, but they did it before the Lord. Their hope was in the only one who could deliver them. In the midst of tragedy it is important to know what to do.

In the middle of tragedy cry out to God. In Exodus 3:23-25 the people cried and groaned before God and He heard them. Jeremiah 29:12 tells us to call upon God, to come to Him, and to pray to HIm. He will hear us.

Don’t just cry out but seek the Lord with all of our hearts. Not just the pieces that are together. Not with just the pieces that are presentable. Bring Him your whole heart. Even if it crushed, broken, tattered, or bruised. Bring the whole thing even if it is burning with a desire to sin.Bring your whole heart even if it is confused. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says that the eyes of the Lord are looking for a whole heart devoted to God. We don’t have to get our heart right before we bring it to God. Bring it no matter what condition it is in. Watch God take that heart and rescue it, restore it, and renew it. He can and will give you a new heart, a healed heart, and a whole heart.

The Beatitudes: A Christian “to do” list?

You may be like me when you read Matthew 5. It seems like a Christian “to do” list, but it is so much deeper than that. Now the Beatitudes are supposed to be the character of a Christian, but only because it is the character of Jesus. Jesus is the subject of the Beatitudes. It is all about him. Jesus is the one blessed by the Father because he perfectly keeps the law. Jesus, not only keeps the law, but is really the only one who is promised blessing. He is the narrow way to our joy and the only way for us to find happiness.

When Matthew 5: 3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” You need to know that Jesus was poor in spirit. He acknowledged his need for the Father and was dependent on God in all things. The Bible says, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phi 2:8). Because Jesus was poor in spirit his Father blessed him and the kingdom of heaven is his.

Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” Remember when Jesus wept over Jerusalem? He was mourning. He was grieved by the people in Jerusalem who were sinning.  Remember the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed and sweat blood because he was about to bear the weight of the world’s sin? Jesus was concerned about sin. He mourned over it therefore his Father blessed him and comforted him.

Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.” Meek means having faith in God and being weak toward the world. Jesus came having great faith and resisted the world’s fleeting pleasures. He invites us to do the same in Matthew 11 where he says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mat 11:28-30). Because Jesus was meek, he was blessed by the Father and has the earth as his inheritance.

Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work (John 4:34). Jesus literally called his food “doing the will of God.” Because he was a man who hungered and thirsted after righteousness he was blessed by Father and was filled by God.

Matthew 5: 7 says, “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.” Jesus was a merciful man. In Scripture we see Jesus telling Peter to not forgive seven times, but to actually “mercy” the person who has wronged us (Mt. 18:21-22).We also see Jesus “mercying” a crowd after his cousin has died.  The Bibles says, “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Mat 14:14). Because Jesus was merciful, he was blessed by the Father and he obtained mercy.

Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” Jesus had integrity. There was no difference between his words and his actions. He was not double minded. He was singled minded in his devotion to God. Because Jesus was pure in heart, he was blessed by the Father
and he saw God.

Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” Peacemakers aren’t passive. Jesus was actively making peace for us. Ephesians says, “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility”(Eph 2:14 ESV). Through dying on the cross Jesus tore down the hostility that was between us and the Father. Because Jesus was a peacemaker, he was blessed by the Father and is called the Son of God.

Matthew 5:10-12 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus was the most persecuted man. He was mocked. He was spit on. He died a criminal’s death even though he was an innocent man. Because he was persecuted for righteousness’ sake, he was blessed by the Father and the kingdom of Heaven is his.

The only person who is promised blessing is Jesus. Apart from Jesus this world is as good as it gets. It will only get worse after this.However if we are in Christ, this world is as bad as it is ever going to get. It will get so much better after this. The point is: accept Jesus. He is the narrow way to joy and the only way to find happiness.

* Much of what I wrote here was taken and adapted from Nathan Tarr’s sermon at Christ-Church Knoxville.

Why I Was Not Surprised at 6p.m. By: Mark Baker

Mark’s thoughts on Christ’s Return:

This weekend was buzzing with a flurry activity. Many high schools celebrated the graduation of their seniors yesterday, I am gearing up for a weeklong seminary class next week—and we were all supposed to be prepared for the rapture at 6pm on May 21^st. I have three thoughts on how we should respond to claims like this.

First, I heard a vast array of responses to Harold Camping’s rapture prediction and the majority of them were light, lacking in substance and downright ridiculous. People were planning on attending “rapture parties,” drinking away the night until they see Jesus, or even complaining that they should be getting paid “time and a half” for having to work on the night of the rapture. This is foolish. To be sure, the May 21^st rapture prediction was greatly unhelpful, but the responses I heard were even more unhelpful.

Jesus really is coming back. He came first to earth as a servant, drenched in his own blood, sacrificing himself for the lost. When he returns he will come as a king, drenched in the blood of those who have rebelled against him, establishing his kingdom on the earth. The return of Jesus is a weighty matter.Foolish prediction or not, we should consider Christ’s return with utmost solemnity. I was not surprised at the non-result last night, but I still passionately live with Christ’s imminent return in mind. Whether Jesus returns this year, 10 years from now, or 50 years from now, the reality for each one of us is that this is our last generation. You only have one life to live, and it is shorter than you think.

The second thought is related to the first. While we must not speak about “the rapture” as Harold Camping does, we still must speak about the second coming of Christ. Day-specific predictions grieve the heart of God because they are not in line with the Word of God. Jesus specifically says that not even he knows the day or the hour, but only the Father knows (Matthew 24:36). Day-specific predictions are for the purpose of fame from the media, shock effect, and money-making. We must not speak this way.

Yet we must speak. The Bible emphasizes the necessity of being prepared for Christ’s coming. Consider the testimony of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the
darkness.”   (emphasis mine)

We will not know the day or the hour of Christ’s coming, but we must not be caught off guard. Paul says those who are surprised by the coming of Jesus are in darkness. Living in darkness means living in sin. Sin is blinding to the spiritual revelation of the urgency of the coming of the Son of God. In contrast, we must live in the light and we must speak of Christ’s return with hearts that are prepared for his coming.

The Biblical passage that puts the most fear of God in my heart contains the words of Jesus to those who have not been living in the light: “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). Assurance of salvation on judgment day comes only from knowing and being known by one man, the God-man Jesus Christ. We must speak of the return of Christ in a way that puts the fear of God into the heart of man.

Third, we must consider carefully and biblically the idea of the rapture. One of the most famous “rapture passages” comes from Matthew 24: 37-42, “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

Those who are accustomed to studying the Bible will know if we are to interpret this passage correctly, we first must study the life of Noah, since Jesus equates his return with the “days of Noah.” In the Bible, God’s world-wide judgment on sinners in the days of Noah is a prominent comparison to Jesus’ second coming. The point that many people miss is that in light of the Noah account, “being taken” is a very bad thing. Those who are taken—the one in the field and the one by the mill—are not raptured to heaven, they are swept away in judgment.The one who is left (behind) is the one who is kept safe in the sanctuary of God’s presence.

I do not believe there will be a pre-tribulation rapture. This is yet another reason why I was not surprised at 6pm last night. The main reason I bring it up is this: Christians must not shy away from the idea of suffering. When I share that I do not believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, the most common objection I get from Christians is “you mean we will have to go through the tribulation? How could God allow that?”

The Biblical testimony is clear. Christians will suffer, they will suffer persecution for their faith, and many times they will suffer more than non-Christians. Yet in our suffering we rejoice, because this world is not our home. Rejoicing in Jesus in the midst of suffering should be one of the key distinctions between Christians and non-Christians. How much more, then, will God be glorified, when Christians persevere in rejoicing in the Son of God during the tribulation at the end of the age?

Beloved—Jesus is coming soon! In a very short time each one of us will meet our Maker. We must not speak of the return of Christ in jest. We must walk in the light and be known by the Son of God and thereby prepare hearts for His return. And we must be prepared to go through even the greatest tribulation for the fame of God’s name.

Fun Stuff Fridays…

5 Things I Like…

1. I love taking classes. I was actually sad when college was over. Thankfully my church is offering Sunday night Bible classes. I am taking one called So Great A Salvation. We are studying different words like justification, adoption, redemption, etc…

(source)

2. I love picnics. One time I thought it would be romantic to take a bike ride and then have a picnic with Mark. However, we were so starving from peddling up hill the whole time, that by the time we got there we were hot and on the verge of being grouchy. I still laugh about that. Now we drive to our picnic stops and have an amazing time.

3. I love to use Isaiah 61:11 as a prayer for my church and country. “For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before the nations.”

(source)

4. I love my mom! She has been such an amazing servant to my family. She always puts others before herself. She is not only a servant, but she has a deep well in the Lord and is such a blessing to our family.

5. I love hats. Part of the reason I loved watching the royal wedding last week was because of all of the hats.

  (source)