I'm a no-brainer

"We know you believe in God and everything, but He gave you a brain, you know, and He expects you to use it!"

I know I have done lots and lots of stupid things, but having children is not one of them. Having children is just about the smartest thing a person could "choose" to do (God is the one who actually decides--remember the patriarch stories in the Old Testement--God is always the one opening and closing the womb).

Children give you reasons to get closer to God.

Children help you to live a more holy, moral life.

Children are the only investment that has an eternal return.

Children can go out into the fallen world and be lights for Jesus Christ to others who are in darkness.

Children give you reasons to handle your money more wisely.

Children help you to grow up--if you allow them to.

Children keep you healthier--you eat better, and at more regular intervals; you rest more regularly, and you exercise more (you might even take more vitamins).

Children give you joy and all sorts of other happy emotions.

Children keep you from becoming selfish, so that you are naturally a happier person.

Children give God more reasons to bless you financially.

The more children you have, the less likely you are to be lonely and desitute in old age--it is still true, especially when one thinks about the future of Social "Security".

On the other hand, couples who see children as a liability are the ones who are "stupid". I would not like to wake up one day at retirement age and have only money to take care of me...

Jon Voight calls out Barack Obama

Jon Voight calls out Barack Obama

Posted using ShareThis

I thought that this was a godly view point from a Holywood actor.

A great, pithy, large-family article

I thought you might get a few laughs and information for interesting conversation from this article.

BTW, did you know that mainstream Protestant churches and the Catholic church were all in agreement on procreation issues until about the 1930's?

Life on the fringe

The other night a co-worker asked my son, “Why doesn’t your mom work?”

I guess I forget sometimes just how counter-cultural just staying at home can be. Isn’t that funny—a person doesn’t have to wear a sign and protest at the capital, she doesn’t have to run away to Alaska and live in a commune, she doesn’t have to do much at all; all she has to do is to stay home and take care of her family, and all of a sudden she is considered to be on the “fringe” of society.

During the cold war I had an acquaintance who had escaped with her family from behind the iron curtain. She told me that being a stay-at-home mom was not against the law in her Soviet satellite country, in fact, women with children under the age of two were perfectly within their rights to do so. However, once a child was over the age of two and she was still at home, a mother would be arrested and accused of practicing prostitution, the idea being she was making a living “somehow”…

When I determined to stay at home we were not well-off, in fact we were just about as poor as dirt. We lived with our two young children in a 400 square-foot shack in the old part of town. I owned barely enough clothes and household goods to keep from going naked and starving, but I was not willing to surrender the two treasures we did own—our babies—to uncertain hands.

I had a few marketable skills—I could have landed suitable employment in order to provide our children with matching bed sets and cable TV, but even the shame I felt when I showed up at church in cast-offs did not convince me to go out for a “paying” position.

I had already experienced life from the other side; I knew loneliness and disconnectedness in the wake of the “liberation” of the adults in my life. It was all part of the plastic, disposable existence we were supposed to think of as “new” and “modern”.

So when my well-meaning relatives complained about being seen in public with my shabbily-dressed children (we had been misunderstanding each other every since God had become the biggest thing in my life), I didn’t even flinch. I was having too much fun!.

I would never trade those days with my children for anything. God was with me, and together we used the nothing I had in my hand. I formed cute curtains for the windows, found innovative ways to tuck and store all sorts of things, and scrubbed and scoured every nook and cranny of that little shack until it was as neat as a pin. Since it was small, there was plenty of time left over for playing and delighting in my little girl and boy.

We went on walks together, we read aloud together. After our play outside, I would wrestle with them on the floor and give them all sorts of rides. Sometimes we turned on the radio and danced together.

At one point someone gave us enough money to afford a brand new, garden-level 2-bedroom apartment, with a washer and dryer included—I was ecstatic! Soon after, more babies were added, and along the way we found ourselves in a townhome with our own yard, then a huge house with a yard, and a few jumps later we are today in a 6-bedroom, 4 bathroom home.

I am still rich—I wake up in the morning in my fluffy, king-sized bed, sandwiched between my nursing baby and my cuddling husband—the same husband I started out with.

And those two children, the ones who dressed in rags? They love Jesus with all their hearts. My oldest daughter is 26 now, raising two little children of her own, and staying home with them and playing with them and delighting in them, even though she is still being belittled and made fun of—mostly from church people (even though she is much better off financially than we were when we started out). She calls me almost daily and shares with me the wonder of her babies.

My oldest son is a picture of a young man dedicated to His God. He is the worship leader at his church, not because he sought to be important, but because worship has been a driving force in his life for many years. Before courting his fiancé last year, he had never had a girlfriend, believing with Josh Harris that waiting was worth it all. He surprised me with a dozen pink roses for my birthday, and he is always hugging me and thanking me—does he know just how much he has given to me?

And yesterday I took all of my children at home on a walk before breakfast so we could enjoy the rare “misty-moisty” weather. Along the way we passed mothers hurrying their children up and young people scurrying to meet the bus. Together we stood at the top of our mesa and beheld with awe the artistry of clouds with mist rising from the ground behind elm trees fuzzy with new green growth.

Those others, the ones who belittled and chided me for my foolishness, where are they now? It doesn’t matter—they have been silenced by years of God proving Himself on our behalf, of the evidence of rewards from costly choices that have brought harvests of meaning and joy and eternal treasure laid up in heaven.

You need to know this because it may be you who is feeling the pressure to cave in and buy the pack of lies ferreted by neighbors and newscasters and ladies in gossip circles (in and out of church) all over our nation. You need to know this because right now your life may seem like a darkened room, but there is light and hope.

What we do in our homes is so vitally important—it won’t make the history books and it won’t land us on TV, but it will be indelibly inked into the hearts and minds of the people we send out, and it will affect the ones they come in contact with, and most importantly it matters to God.

I sing the almighty power of God

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.

Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;

While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.

Isaac Watts (1715)

Experience it on YouTube here.

Mommy's toolbox--fast, easy and delicious bread!

Bread smells so delicious when it comes out of the oven, and there is no way to duplicate its delicate texture or full flavor, no matter how well it is encased in plastic packaging.

I do not own a grain mill, or any sort of fancy bread mixer or maker, but I do have the basic ingredients and tools to make some pretty good loaves.

Years ago I didn't think making bread was possible for me because of the description in my cookbook--afraid the yeast would be killed easily, not willing to take the six hours or so described in the recipe for the dough to rise twice.

But I have since perfected a method that yields a pretty healthy dough that is not expensive or too time-consuming. Here is how I make bread in just one hour:

4 cups of the hottest tap water--we keep our water heater to 120 degrees Farenheit, so the water from the faucet is the perfect temperature,

4 heaping tablespoons of yeast--we buy the bulk dried yeast from Sam's Club, the amount of yeast is what speeds things up a bit,

3-4 tablespoons brown sugar (to give the yeastie beasties something to feast on),

2 tablespoons or so of salt (you can use Sea salt for those who wish).

I add it all together and then I whisk it. Then I set it aside in a warm, dark place while I clean up the kitchen, answer the phone, kiss the baby, etc. This usually only takes about 10-15 minutes.

As soon as I notice a nice foam on top of this yeast "soup", I know it is time to add flour, which is what I do. I add white flour--just enough to make it goopy (about 4 cups worth)--and mix it up with a huge spatula, this is to activate the gluten so that when I add the whole wheat flour the dough will have enough structure to hold more of the carbon dioxide and give the loaves more fluff.

Then I add more whole wheat flour--I mix this with the spatula until it is too difficult to continue, then I begin to fold in more and more whole wheat flour until the dough is nice and formed, but still just a little bit sticky. I then let this dough rise in the same bowl in a warm, dark place (again, usually on the back of the counter).

In about a half an hour the dough is risen (to twice the original size). I punch it down and split it into two equal portions. Then I spread about a half cup of flour and place one half of the dough in the middle of it. I roll the dough (with a rolling pin) into the size and shape which resembles a legal-sized sheet of paper (below).

Then I roll this up jelly-roll style, place it on a greased cookie sheet, and cut slits in the top of the loaf on a sight diagonal (just to be a bit fancy).

I repeat the process with the other loaf and allow both to rise until doubled. Then I place both into a 375 degree Farenheit oven and bake until golden brown--then serve after sitting just a few minutes--this bread is best when it's still warm from the oven!

Voila!

In real life

Sometimes things can seem a bit solitary, and this is typical for those who follow Christ whole-heartedly, but sometimes He affords us just a glimpse of heavenly fellowship.

This is what it was like for me this past Friday when I traveled out of town and used the occasion to meet a dear friend, Kim, of Starry Sky Ranch.

I felt right at home in her huge farm house with the "ancient" barn along-side. Her children were more beautiful in person than in the pictures on her blog.

It is funny how many experiences we have in common, and it was so much fun to speak with someone "in the flesh" who has grown up a few, yet has all different ages still under one roof, from young-adult to baby.

We shared experiences from childbirth, to military life, to young people and cars.

I have enjoyed over these past years reading about her journey through homeschooling and farming, gleaned wisdom and help through her notebooking pages, and become encouraged as she shared her efforts at becoming more Christ-centered.

If you have a chance, drop by and be blessed yourself!

Validation and Charlotte Mason

Yesterday was my oldest son's 25th birthday. I baked him a cherry pie, and he stopped by on his way to direct band practice for the church he attends. While we were catching up, we discussed his recent work on the re-design of a community college website (one from which online courses are conducted), which is very involved and has caused some of the teachers at the college some concern. The concerns he is receiving have given him reasons to do a lot of communicating, in speech and in writing; in fact, he just finished a three-page "pitch" for some of the changes he is making to the website before he came over for some pie. He told me he has learned to enjoy writing, and he does it quite well. I smiled.

I smiled because this young man was the first to begin writing narratives. When he was nine years old I gave him a Big Chief tablet, a pencil, and the book "LaFayette, Friend of Washington" which I had bought second-hand at the Goodwill. He very faithfully, although somewhat reluctantly, gave me a written description of each chapter as he read it, and I still have some of these saved in a box downstairs.

During his older years at home, I wondered if he would enjoy writing, or if he would be able to communicate well via the written word if necessary, since most of his time was taken up with so many other things, such as media design and learning music from one end to the other (he plays numerous instruments, learned all on his own or with lessons he paid for himself). It made me wonder if the things I had tried to do for him were really helpful.

But yesterday I felt pretty good about my efforts, and it made me more confident about my other grown children, and those still here at home.

It seems as though there are so many curriculum choices for language arts, but Charlotte Mason, Ruth Beechick and the like are all very trustworthy in their assertion that children learn well through using real literature, not dumbed-down, sanitized lectures and exercises which have been removed from practical life application.

If you don't feel confident in language arts yourself, just buy a secretary's guide or other guide to things such as verb and comma placement, etc., and refer to it as you and your children explore narration together.

I have found a new resource for practical, brass-tacks application of CM principles at Charlotte Mason Help. It is encouraging me in my efforts, and even teaching an old dog some new tricks! Another site is Simply Charlotte Mason, which is full of all sorts of resources.

Psalm 127 vs. the Self-Made Woman

“Unless the Lord Builds the house, they labor in vain that build it.”

It is so easy to build in vain, those of us who keep our homes. It is so easy to wake up each day and take it all on.

The plans and the schemes to build togetherness and love and peace—they can all fall to dust.

I am reminded here of that popular sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond. It could be said that the mother in this show has had the intention of building a wonderful family life—but what mess she has created instead!

This speaks loudly to me. The intentions of our hearts might be wonderful, but everything that is not of Him will only be partially good, there will always be the hint of destruction on it. This is where we get “dysfunction” and “co-dependent”.

“It is vain [read here 'useless'] for you to rise early, to sit up late, for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

Homekeeping and homeschooling can give you a real case of the “urgents”. The demands can get you up early and keep you up late. I'm sure we have witnessed, or been part of, a woman who has poured herself out, “all for the family”, only to freak out and blow up at everyone. If not, we may have at least lived for periods of time when there is more drudgery than enjoyment in our lives. It can seem as though we are always planning, always on edge with all of the irons we have in the fire to bless everyone.

But, if properly surrendered, we don't have to work that hard. This scripture has been translated, “For so he giveth to his beloved even in his sleep.” Do you believe this? Do you believe that God is capable of building you a wonderful home, full of love, laughter, loyalty and longevity, even when you are sleeping?

Something happens when we release—then we get to embrace.

“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.”

This is the reward of those who stop building on their own—they get to experience the reward in their children. God showed this to me when I was reading this familiar section of scripture for the 100th time. If I am surrendering, then I am enjoying, because my emotions and my concentration is not constantly somewhere else. Like Martha we are busy serving and doing, but let's not forget that Mary chose the better part--while sitting at Jesus' feet.

The key is becoming so dependent on God that you cry out, and that you listen when He answers. Then, expect the best, expect joy and learn to celebrate each and every heartbeat.

Autodidacting is an educational strategy

For everything there is a season under the sun.

A time for grammar,

And a time for swinging;

A time for math,

And a time for singing;

A time for History,

And a time for dreaming;

A time for parent-directed learning,

And a time for child-directed learning.

This is our season for auto-didacting. I can tell it is time by the way my mind is wandering, and by the way I am feeling a little burnt.

What is an "auto-didact" you may ask? It is simply self-directed learning.

What it looks like is a day that is well-ordered, with regular chores and meals, but also full of blocks of time to be spent however the learner wishes, with the fewest boundaries and requirements necessary.

When combined with times of definite instruction, the results are fruitful.

I am not of the camp that a child left to himself will automatically choose the best things--the scriptures say that a child left to himself brings his mother to shame.

But I am also not of the ilk that suggests children won't learn unless taught--children learn all of the time, and often the most important things for their lives are learned on their own.

A good way to begin is with a trip to the library--I speak here with caution, as there are many books I would avoid, but with a little effort, one may just find some food for thought and ignite a few flames, especially in the non-fiction section.

Another good way to begin is to look at what is lying about the house; the projects that have been put aside for other, more "rigorous" learning, the need to plant a garden, learn some hymns or other spiritual songs, the involved histories that could be read while everyone snacks on freshly-baked cookies (my kids even enjoy the store-bought type).

My oldest daughter (at home) will probably work on the patterns and dresses she has been snatching time to create. My next daughter is going to work on her knitting, and she is interested in beginning her own blog.

One son loves history and geography--I can guess what sort of books his nose will disappear into. The next son will most probably study classical artists of all types, and attempt to create some original art of his own.

The little girls may play more than read; this is perfectly alright for me. Playing is learning--an important part of learning. The baby will continue to learn to crawl, and we will be interrupted at any and all times to notice and laugh at her new discoveries!

Something happens when you legitimize this type of learning and exploring. A child discovers that he is responsible for his own education. He learns that he can have fun and still be progressing. He begins to listen to God and have Him enlighten and direct his mind. It also gives him time to apply all the tools that have been so carefully deposited into his hands (such as reading, writing, ciphering, comprehending, etc.).

And if a parent is astute enough to demand hard, sweat-of-the-brow, sometimes mundane work at other times, learning becomes all the more sweet (challenges help children to feel successful--especially young men).

The children who have grown beyond our protection are all accomplished above their peers because they understand these things. With the appropriate parental oversight, they have had the personal time to become critical thinkers along with the ability to stay humble and teachable. They do not wait around for someone to tell them what to do; they find things to do. They do not stop and stare when faced with a problem, they pray and look for solutions.

In order to raise children like this, it takes a recipe. It takes putting wisdom above knowledge (which puffs up), teaching children personal responsibility, and allowing God to direct your life and your family, not the scope and sequence and grade-equivalents of the public school methods, which are meant for the brain-washing of "sheeple".

At the end of the day, when other young people receive scholastic diplomas with a false, self-assured, humanistic approach to life, they believe they have arrived. Conversely, our children barely notice--they know the journey of learning has just begun.

Use it up, wear it out...

...make it do, or do without.

We describe our appliances in “dog years”; ours age 3 years for every one year of normal use by the average family.

Take our dishwasher for an instance. Most families use theirs once a day, since most families consist
of 4-6 people and eat 2 out of 3 meals away from home. Here there are at least 10 of us at each meal, and we eat all 3 at home.

For years my “dishwashers” were human beings.
It wasn’t until 7 years ago that we owned the mechanical type, even when we had 14 of us at home. But when we bought our current home, a dishwasher was included. It was a typical, medium-class, plastic-tubbed GE, and it wasn’t very long before it was obvious to us we needed a much better unit to handle our kind of punishment; 3 full runs a day loaded by children who may or may not clean the dishes beforehand, and who often break, chip and deposit all sorts of items into the machine.

After saving the money and doing massive amounts of research, we settled on purchasing a KitchenAid with a steel tub. We liked it because it had two spray arms, one for the top rack and one for the bottom, and that the racks themselves were the most substantial for the price. The unit cleaned wonderfully, and it was quiet besides.

Before the first year was out, we had broken rollers on the top rack, the rollers that were not covered under the “extended” warranty we bought, and the machine was depositing more food on the dishes than was on them to begin with—only this food was baked on by the powerful drying action of the unit.

A few hundred dollars later we learned that the “soft food emacerator(?)” that was supposed to grind the food left by the children who were in such a hurry to get finished with the dishes that they really didn’t scrape them off after all, really didn’t grind food at all, it consisted of this tiny little fan assembly that couldn’t do much of anything, and certainly couldn’t handle all of the chipped glass and stonewear that swam around in the super-heated wash water.

So we accepted the fact that we would have to have the food grinder assembly cleaned periodically and we knew by how the machine was sounding (if we heard the clinking of too much debris) that it was time to make a service call. One time a serviceman actually found a popsicle stick, a chenille stem, and bobby pins, which he placed neatly into a bowl to try and shame me into having more respect for the machine’s limits.

Recently the dishes were looking pretty poorly, so the call for repair was made. This time Ruben, the gentleman who has suffered with me through years of nursing along my other over-worked appliances, gave me a sort-of clinic on dishwashers.

First, he noticed that the door on the soap dispenser had been broken off—this was due to the pounding it received when it wouldn’t close because it was overfilled (I thought I was economizing by buying the store-brand powdered type). This, he informed me, was no small detail. What was happening was that the soap was being washed away during the pre-wash, and that the action of the detergent and enzymes was not available to help during the actual cleaning cycle. Solution—replace the door assembly and purchase the little gel-packs so the children would not break the new door. He also strongly advised we use the rinse agent unit so we would have better-rinsed dishes.

Next, he noticed a number of broken parts—some we had substituted rubber bands for. He promptly ordered these, along with any that he saw were in deplorable condition.

As he was taking apart the machine to clean the grinder assembly, we both noticed a build up of a film of gooey food and grease underneath and around all sorts of parts. It was enlightening as to why the poor thing could not clean as well as it used to, and also explained why it had begun to smell, even though it was lined with stainless steel.

Ruben told me of a dishwasher cleaner/disinfectant that comes in a one-use container and can be found in most grocery stores. I bought one and used it, after scrubbing every inch of the dishwasher with Lysol and rubber gloves. I discovered where a lot of the deposited food and smell was coming from—the crease where the bottom of the door met with the machine. I put the fingers of my glove in that crevice and pulled it out covered with smelly goo that resembled peanut butter, but I would never spread it on any bread!

Incidentally, we had thought we needed to replace the whole thing and had been searching for a new one at our local home-improvement store, and we really couldn’t outdo the KitchenAid, even after all these years. The only two that were comparable were the Bosch and the Electrolux. The Bosch was a consideration because it had a manual food filter, but the racks were too small. The Electrolux would have been wonderful because it also had a manual filter, wonderfully strong racks, and was roomy inside, but Electrolux dishwashers are extremely expensive—we were looking at a figure approaching $1000—and they do not allow retailers to discount.

Ruben confirmed for us that our KitchenAid was the closest to commercial grade out of the other affordable brands, and with his help and by God’s gracious provision, we should be able to keep it in good working order for years to come.

Bible time: Faith, not fear.

Fear is a natural emotion. In its simplest form it is useful to keep us from burning ourselves or putting ourselves and others in unnecessary danger.

But it is also a destructive force when fueled by an unbridled imagination. Fear of this type begets anger, and anger ultimately begets outbursts of violence, which the scripture declares, "...for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:20 NIV)

If there was ever a season ripe for the harvest of fruitless fear, it is now. Our government, our economy, and our hope for the future are all diminishing before our eyes, like the disolving of an Alka Seltzer in a glass of water.

2 Chronicles tells us of another situation much like ours. In chapter 20 we read of a great multitude set on the destruction of Judah. The Bible tells us that Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, feared--just like we fear now.

But his response was important; he feared, but he did not succomb to that fear. His first response was to seek the Lord. So he fasted, and he gathered everyone together and they sought the Lord.

And this must always be our first response. Colossians 3:1 tells us that we are to be heavenly-minded. This world is not our home, not our resting place--we are hid with Christ in God. While we are bound in this mortal coil we must still function here, but never as if we are dependent on the times or the people in charge during those times. Our hope and our rest is in God, just as with Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah.

Our declaration must be with that godly king:

O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

What confidence, what a faith expressed! It is so easy to lose sight of these simple principles. God is in control, He has wrought many miracles in the past, He has promised that His purposes will come to pass, come hell or high water, and God hears when His children call out in distress and He will save them. Today, God fearing families must call upon the Name of the Lord in our time of need!

The scriptures tell us that "all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children."--it was a family affair, a reminder to the people and to the Lord just how much was at stake, much as it is to us all in this day.
And here are some of my favorite words: "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

These words are going to become more and more important to us in the days ahead. As we face the possible challenges in front of us, we are going to be without human resource or ideas, but we will be able to gaze into the face of Jesus and never be without recourse.

When God's people call upon Him in the past how did He answer? Did He send down a fiery judgement? Did He ignore the humble pleas of His children?

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.

The battle is not ours--we have responsibility to vote and to voice opinion and be living influences, but we don't have to fight in the panic of fear. Remember, God is the Mighty One, the Warior, the "Bulwark never failing".

God is a warrior, and He is our refuge in time of need.

How great is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you,

which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues. (Psalms 31:19-20)

The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

And when we say to Him, "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance," He says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go." (Psalm 32:7-8), just as in 2 Chronicles we see that God goes further and gives Judah specific instructions, and tells them exactly where the enemy will be and where they need to position themselves.

We have seen God do this very thing in our own family. During the period of my husband's unemployment, he relied on God's wisdom with finances, and it seemed as though he knew what to do at each juncture, that he was given creative ideas of what to do with each little bit of money. It was amazing at the time, and even more amazing as we look back and remember how God kept us.

And, finally, God gives the people of Judah a final assurance, and the means by which we will live victorious, hopeful lives even in these troubled times:

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.

If we claim to believe in an all-consuming, all-powerful Master, and it is His plans which will come to pass, and He is love itself, then fear and sorrow should not be our food, but joy borne out of a restful assurance and faith in Him!

As the system of this world winds down, and the light diminishes as if being turned down with a dimmer switch, we will shine forth like beacons for those who are called as His, to lead them safely to the other shore. (Refer to John Bunyon's Pilgram's Progress)

But there is more. As God pronounced His unfailing help and deliverence, the whole nation bowed in worship. And as they moved forward to meet the enemy, there were singers who went before, praising and worshipping God in the beauty of holiness.

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

God will move on our behalf as we praise and worship Him, as we remind ourselves of how magnificent He is, His power will be released on our behalf, and the end will be victorious as we see our enemies devouring each other!

For further meditation, Psalm 37 has blessed me for years. You will find a wonderful commentary/exposition here.

1Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.