Calvin on our Life's Calling

I found some encouragement in Calvin's teaching on how Christians ought to view their lot in life. Knowing that God has called to be faithful with what He has given us, we can pursue that commanded faithfulness wholeheartedly without a discontented longing to be doing something else or a restless anxiety that we are not doing enough...

“The Lord enjoins every one of us, in all the actions of life, to have respect to our own calling. He knows the boiling restlessness of the human mind, the fickleness with which it is borne hither and thither, its eagerness to hold opposites at one time in its grasp, its ambition. Therefore, lest all things should be thrown into confusion by our folly and rashness, he has assigned distinct duties to each in the different modes of life. …Every man’s mode of life, therefore, is a kind of station assigned him by the Lord, that he may not be always driven about at random. So necessary is this distinction, that all our actions are thereby estimated in his sight, and often in a very different way from that in which human reason or philosophy would estimate them….In all our cares, toils, annoyances, and other burdens, it will be no small alleviation to know that all these are under the superintendence of God. The magistrate will more willingly perform his office, and the father of a family confine himself to his proper sphere. Every one in his particular mode of life will, without repining, suffer its inconveniences, cares, uneasiness, and anxiety, persuaded that God has laid on the burden. This, too, will afford admirable consolation, that in following your proper calling, no work will be so mean and sordid as not to have a splendour and value in the eye of God.” (35)

Super-Hearty Wheat-free Man-size Lunchbox Cookies

One of my favorite activities these days is making cookies for my brother - who has both food-sensitivities to gluten and sugar, and the appetite of a large war-horse - to pack in his lunches. He seems to have enjoyed all of my experiments thus far... Here is one example

Mix together in large bowl:
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup flax-meal
1/3 cup toasted coconut
(the flax and coconut help to replace some of the lost bulk of the sugar asked for in the original recipe)
1 T stevia
1 T molasses (gives a brown sugar taste, but less than 1g sugar per serving)
3 eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
(The original recipe asked for a cup of dried apricots, chopped, which are quite good, if fruit is not a problem.)

Combine in second bowl :
3 cups rolled oats or quick oats
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat, sorghum or teff flour
2 tsp. xantham gum (to make cookies less crumbly)
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape 1/4-1/3-cup-size hunks of dough into cookies about 3/4" thick and place on greased cookie-sheets. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, or till lightly browned on the bottom and set in the middle. Remove and cool. Makes about 10 cookies.
For lunch-box packing convenience, I put each cookie in a small sandwich bag with a twist-tie and then put all the bagged cookies in a big ziploc bag and stick them in the freezer.

Resting Satisfied With Our Own Good

“If we obey God only because it is necessary, provided we can escape, we shall cease to obey him. But what Scripture calls us to consider in the will of God is very different, namely, first justice and equity, and then a regard to our own salvation. Hence Christian exhortations to patience are of this nature: Whether poverty, or exile, or imprisonment, or contumely, or disease, or bereavement, or any such evil affects us, we must think that none of them happens except by the will and providence of God; moreover, that every thing he does is in the most perfect order. …If the equity of God is undoubtedly displayed in affliction, we cannot murmur or struggle against them without iniquity. We no longer hear the frigid cant, Yield, because it is necessary; but a living and energetic precept, Obey, because it is unlawful to resist; bear patiently, because impatience is rebellion against the justice of God. Then as that only seems to us attractive which we perceive to be for our own safety and advantage, here also our heavenly Father consoles us, by the assurance, that in the very cross with which he afflicts us he provides for our salvation. …In bearing them patiently we are not submitting to necessity but resting satisfied with our own good. The effect of these thoughts is, that to whatever extent our minds are contracted by the bitterness which we naturally feel under the cross, to the same extent will they be expanded with spiritual joy. Hence arises thanksgiving, which cannot exist unless joy be felt.” (23)

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, II.VIII.11

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

- 1 Peter 1.6-8, ESV

This, Too, is His


While reading on the patio, I noticed this tiny and beautiful plant clinging to the mossy bricks and was impressed with the thought that this, like all things, was "created by Him and for Him" (Col. 1)

On Not Being a Wasteful Servant

Today I was reflecting on my attitude in the workplace. Since I am aware that I am being paid to do the work that is assigned to me, I am diligent to be busy and not be guilty of wasting or stealing the salary which I am being paid to do that work. Knowing what is expected of me, my attitude toward my supervisor is: "I am here to work. What would you have me do?"

But I realized that this sense of purpose and stewardship should not be left in the workplace. For my Creator gives me all that I have for the purpose of my serving Him with gladness, obeying His commands and magnifying His Name on the earth. If I should take the life, breath, strength, health, possessions and knowledge that He has given me, and should use them for my own selfish ends, I am guilty of being a wasteful, pilfering servant!

In reflecting on this, I am brought to see how I sin every day in not giving my Master his rightful due. Thus I am brought to see my need of Christ, the One and Only Faithful Servant who has perfectly fulfilled the obligations of man to God, and not only for Himself, but for me, paid the enormous debt I owe to God for my wasteful stewardship. And now this Faithful Servant walks beside me, to help me to be a faithful servant like Him. Oh the gospel is good for everything! Let me now, knowing that my debts were paid so dearly, be altogether unwilling to waste a minute of the life God has given and restored to me. It is foolish and evil use what is God's for myself. He is such a kind and gracious Master, and deserves more than all I could devote to Him.

Slow but Steady Wins the Race

Reading John Calvin on the Christian's pursuit of godliness in this present life, I was encouraged by his realistic view: sometimes we are only "crawling on the ground" towards godliness, but we must still keep our eyes on that goal. God has predestined and called us to be conformed to Jesus image, He will bring us there. He will help us to crawl, and one day He will complete the work altogether when we stand in His presence....

~ ~ ~

“The spiritual commencement of a good life is when the internal affections are sincerely devoted to God, in the cultivation of holiness and justice. But seeing that, in this earthly prison of the body, no man is supplied with strength sufficient to hasten in his course with due alacrity, while the greater number are so oppressed with weakness,that hesitating, and halting, and even crawling on the ground, they make little progress, let every one of us go as far as his humble ability enables him,and prosecute the journey once begun. No one will travel so badly as not daily to make some degree of progress. This,therefore, let us never cease to do, that we may daily advance in the way of the Lord; and let us not despair because of theslender measure of success. How little soever the success may correspond with our wish,our labour is not lost when to-day is better than yesterday, provided with true singleness of mind we keep our aim, and aspire to the goal, not speaking flattering things to ourselves, nor indulging our vices, but making it our constant endeavour to become better, until we attain to goodness itself. If during the whole course of our life we seek and follow, we shall at length attain it, when relieved from the infirmity of flesh we are admitted to full fellowship with God.” (5)

"But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day."
- Proverbs 4.18, ESV

My Lunch Recipes

While I was packing a lunch this evening, Mother stated that she thought I should keep a journal of all the lunches I make (!) This would be a rather large task, considering my many experimental and never-to-be-exactly-repeated concoctions. But since I spend quite a lot of time preparing my lunches sometimes, I thought I should try to record a few of my favorite recipes. I hope that making lunches for myself will make me better prepared to serve my family in food preparation.

One of my staples is tuna salad. (I have made it probably 20 different ways.) I often have it by alone, or sometimes on Ezekiel bread with canola mayo. Here are a few of my favorite inventions, notated in recipe form for the first time.

Garden Tuna Salad
In a pint-sized container, combine
- 1-2 T oil (I used combination of olive, sunflower, flax...whatever)
- 1 t red wine vinegar
- 1 T white vinegar
- dash of salt
- dash of hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
- 2-3 chive 'leaves', finely chopped
- 2-3 sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
- 1 can of tuna, drained
- 1 small carrot grated

Mix thoroughly, cover tightly and refrigerate several hours. (i.e. the night before)

Italian Tuna (or Chicken!) Salad
In a pint-sized container, combine
- 1-2 T. olive oil
- 1 T. red wine vinegar
- 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced
- dash of Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 t. dried oregano
- 1/4 t. onion powder
- a pinch of dry basil, or a few leaves of fresh basil, minced
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh parsley, minced
- dash of black pepper
- 1 can of tuna or chicken, drained, or 6-8 oz. cooked, chopped salted chicken breast
- 1/4 cup diced red pepper, or diced fresh tomato (usually I put red pepper with tuna, tomato with chicken)
- sliced black olives (maybe?)

Mix thoroughly, cover tightly and refrigerate several hours.

Other ideas: I once made a tuna salad with dill that was very interesting. My brother likes his tuna salad with lots of mayo, grated carrot and chopped green olives (to each his own!) Chopped green pepper is a very nice addition to almost any combination, so are any fresh herbs. For extra protein, I've added canned, drained chickpeas, or white beans....It doesn't get boring very quickly! :o) The best part is that this stuff is hearty and nutritious, which gives you more energy to serve the Lord and His people. Happy lunch-making!

...A song that helps to pull along my wandering heart to where it ought to be

O Lord, I would delight in Thee
And on Thy care depend,
To Thee in every trouble flee,
My best, my only Friend.

When all created streams are dried,
Thy fullness is the same;
May I with this be satisfied
And glory in Thy Name.

No good in creatures can be found
But may be found in Thee;
I must have all things and abound
While God is God to me.

O Lord, I cast my care on Thee,
I triumph and adore;
Henceforth my great concern shall be
To love and please Thee more.

- John Ryland, 1777

Calvin on Repentance

"Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations."

- Luke 26.46-47 ESV

~ ~ ~

“Repentance is preached in the name of Christ, when men learn, through the doctrines of the Gospel, that all their thoughts, affections, and pursuits, are corrupt and vicious; and that, therefore, if they would enter the kingdom of God they must be born again. Forgiveness of sins is preached when men are taught that Christ “is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,” (1 Cor. 1:30), that on his account they are freely deemed righteous and innocent in the sight of God.”

- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion III.III.19

Mother was waxing eloquent on Sunday afternoon, and looking up from her reading, declared with a chuckle:

"To avoid confusion we use confessions, and we use catechisms to define our dogmas."

....Hebrew or poetic parallelism may be defined in turn, but I think Mother's defies classification.

Self Smitten and Annihilated

I was quite struck by these words of John Calvin on the nature of true repentance:

"It is a most difficult and arduous achievement to renounce ourselves, and lay aside our natural disposition. For the flesh must not be thought to be destroyed unless every thing that we have of our own is abolished. But seeing that all the desires of the flesh are enmity against God (Rom. 8:7), the first step to the obedience of his law is the renouncement of our own nature.
...As we are naturally averse to God, unless self-denial precede, we shall never tend to that which is right. Hence we are so often enjoined to put off the old man, to renounce the world and the flesh, to forsake our lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind. Moreover, the very name mortification reminds us how difficult it is to forget our former nature, because we hence infer that we cannot be trained to the fear of God, and learn the first principles of piety, unless we are violently smitten with the sword of the Spirit and annihilated, as if God were declaring, that to be ranked among his sons there must be a destruction of our ordinary nature."

- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.III.8

The Death of Athaliah - Gustave Dore

"Vapors"

life flies, life flies,

oh how swift its vapors rise,

though they sparkle in the light,

or roll darkly in the night,

they will pass like hasty breath,

and how quickly comes our death.

but our Savior dauntless stands,

see, He holds our trembling hands,

sweet might grasps the trusting soul,

saying "your stone too will roll."

- Alyssa Colby - 4-6-2009

"...be not afraid"

A storm? But He who rules all things,
From rolling dice to hearts of kings,
Still speaks; my frightened heart is stayed
By, "It is I; be not afraid."

AFC-6-22-09

Advice to my deceitful heart concerning its prayers...

Do not presume to counsel the One who has all knowledge. Though you plead your case before Him, do not consider it His wisdom to precisely comply with you, nor count your desires more sovereign than His. Is He not God? Does He not do as he pleases in the heavens and on the earth?
And yet, He has told you to pray - as a means for accomplishing His will....did you begin to think there was any other purpose for prayer?

Let not your prayers be the cries of a revolutionary in the streets, or the whisperings of a counselor sidling behind the throne, but the requests of a loyal subject bowing before the King, who delights in nothing so much as in seeing the will of the King be done.

“your Father in heaven…makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
- Matthew 5:45

“God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance”
- Romans 2:4

Sun bright and sweet casts widening smiles
Across the earth’s awakening face
And sparks soft grass with glowing life
And all is green and all is grace.

In still-bare treetops blithe birds sing
Bared people walk with happy eyes
In sun and warmth, the strength of spring
For them, they know not otherwise.

Each heart leaps forth to grasp the boon
Of nature’s smiles, plans pleasant ways
To revel in the vivid gift
Of soft blue skies and sunny days

Men who their Maker disregard
Yet think to own His smiles as theirs
For to the unjust He gives light
Although they take it unawares.

And saints whose eyes are winter-worn
Whose hearts grow sad o’er present sin
In spring hear resurrection’s voice
And hope their battles soon to win.

In spring, few weary, warring souls
Are loathe to lay their armor off
For heaven’s rays seem bright on earth
Sin old, a thing at which we’d scoff.

But though the resurrection’s call
Rings glad in warm breeze and bird’s cry
These give but hope, not solid change
Saints’ wars end not until they die.

Though heav’n seems here, it’s yet to come
Spring’s not war’s lull, but kind supply
Of sweet refreshment in the fray
That girds us with peculiar joy.

God’s mercies to men good and bad
Are meant to humble all their pride
Spring shows His grace and patience great
Toward sinful men who Him despise.

Soul, see God’s kindness in the spring
As grace to all unworthy men
Remembering that a greater grace
That spring foresees to you is giv’n.

-AFC, April 17, 2009

Prayer II - All My Want

Grant, oh Thou my Lord

That when all my wants are supplied

And petitions answered

And desires fulfilled

That I may not cease to pray

Or neglect to seek Thy presence

Or lose care to draw near Thee

That I may not grow full and forget Thee

But continue to cry out to Thee

Not for temporal wants

Or earthly desires

Or anything outside Thyself that Thou wouldst give me

But for Thyself

That I may see and know more of Thee

That I may walk more closely with Thee

And be holy as Thou art holy.

What greater thing, my Lord, can Thy grace give me -

What fuller overflow of fullness canst Thou pour out

Upon my soul

Than Thy own fullness, sweetness, goodness

Might and mercy?

Oh pillar of cloud and flame that leads me day and night

Thou art the rock that goeth with me, quenching thirst

And manna, heaven-sent to feed my soul

Thy mighty, saving joy doth flow like milk and honey

Thy power doth conquer all my foes.

Oh Christ, who ever meets my need,

In every wilderness

And in green valleys,

When I am brought to feel no wants,

Grant me never to forget that Thou Thyself art all to me.