Feminine Appeal and a Clean House

This summer, I'm rereading Carolyn Mahaney's book called Feminine Appeal in order to study it with my Women's Bible Study small group. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. You will be filled with encouragement and conviction as you read through the pages.
Mahaney focuses on Titus 2 and the seven virtues she extracts from that passage. To begin the book, Mahaney gives a general overview in chapter 1, and she gives the reader a very challenging assignment in the discussion questions at the end. She urges the woman reading to approach her husband and ask him which of the seven virtues she most lacks and needs to give the most attention.

The seven virtues upon which Mahaney focuses are loving our husbands and children, self control, purity, working at home, kindness, and submission. I was not very excited about asking Ryan where I lacked expertise, but, like a good student, I did my homework.


I was surprised and not surprised by Ryan's response. I think most husbands would talk about working on better loving them, submitting to them, or, most popular, adding some more time in the bedroom. Ryan, however, went right to working at home. He loves clean, organized, sparkling surroundings. He is microorganized and thrives when his surroundings are organized in every way too. I, on the other hand, am clean and macroorganized. I can deal with some piles--if they aren't unsightly--and I am temporarily pleased with just putting messes in closets and drawers. Having a new baby at home hasn't helped the issue either. I am pleased as pudding when I get a load of laundry done, the kids fed and bathed and dinner on the table.


I realized in this discussion with Ryan that his priorities need to be my priorities. He loves an obscenely clean house, so I should love an obscenely clean house. Needless to say, my goal and accountability lately has been to better clean the house. I'm making small baby steps to better prioritize my time so that I can do this.


Now, how about you? Do you have the courage to ask your husband what is important to him and what he wishes you could do better as a wife? It's a great exercise in humility and self-discipline!

Micah is 4 months old

He's grabbing things--often my hair--and rolling over. Our precious boy is 4 months old!

Fourth of July at the Hawley Home

The Fourth of July was fun, fun, fun! We were so busy, that the fifth of July was a recovery day. We woke up the morning of the fourth and went to the Lake Forest Fourth of July Parade to watch our church float. We lucked out and sat next to one of our church's hospitality booths. It provided shade, fellowship, snacks, and beach balls for Carter. We ran into our friends, the O'Connells, and had our families sit together. We had to wait two hours to see our float, but it was worth it!

After the parade, we headed straight over to Susan and Jim's for pool time and lunch! Carter is becoming quite the swimmer, which is something I truly didn't expect this summer. It is fun watching Ryan work with him in the pool. Micah made his first debut in the pool, and he wasn't all that impressed. He's used to the warm bath water.

After the boys took naps, we all headed over to Sarah and Matt's for a bbq dinner and fireworks. Their new home is blocks from Lake Mission Viejo, so it was a blast getting to watch the fireworks from their backyard. They are the new Fourth of July house--what a fun tradition!

I pray you all had great fellowship and family time this Fourth of July. I am thankful for the wonderful day we had here at the Hawley home.

The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics

Happy Fourth of July, friends! It is one of my favorite holidays, because, like Thanksgiving, it is a great holiday to be thankful and count your blessings. I am so thankful for America and all the freedom it has given me to worship my Creator. Of course, I also have an affinity for the holiday because it means sticky, drippy watermelon, suntans from swimming all day, barbeque, family time and fireworks on a warm summer night.

I thought I'd include the lyrics of our National Anthem. We all know the first stanza, but do you know the rest? I particularly like the fourth, and last, stanza. We all know that this song, as is, would never be adopted as a National Anthem today. Let's celebrate that it boldly recognizes God as the giver of our freedoms and blessings! Happy Fourth!

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner!

Oh long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

A home and a country should leave us no more!

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Truths on Baptism

I made a quick note explaining our beliefs of baptism and what the Bible states in our family's dedication post below. Well, This weekend, Pastor Mike did a whole sermon on external signs like baptism, so I thought I'd post the information here for further study. You can hear the sermon--which I highly recommend--at http://www.compasschurch.org/sermons. It is called: The Gospel According to Abraham, Part 3 "Rethinking outward signs and inward realities."

If you want even more study on this topic, here are other sermons Pastor Mike has given which give much Bible study about the topic.You can go to http://www.compasschurch.org/ and then click on Focal Point to download these sermons for FREE.

CD # 0706 – A Crash Course on Christ’s Two Ordinances
CD # 0615 – A Crash Course in Justification & Sanctification
CD # 0634 – Why Don’t We Have to Keep All Those Old Testament Ceremonies?
CD # 0801 – Realities Instead of Rituals
CD # 0836 – No Hiding Behind Religious Trappings

Here are the questions on the back of the sermon (to spur application and further thought):

Application Questions
These questions are provided for your further study and application of today’s sermon. Thoughtfully writing out the answers to these questions will help to drive home the point of today’s study.

1. What are some of the dangers of failing to differentiate between the biblically commanded ceremonial signs and the realities they are supposed to represent?
Why do you think so many prefer to check the box of participating in an “external sign” rather than to engage in the “inward reality” of trusting completely in Christ?
2. Read Jeremiah 4:4 and Deuteronomy 30:6. Why are these passages so important in understanding the limitations of the Old Testament sign of physical circumcision?
3. Why do most couples (or why did you) choose to add a variety of symbolic formalities and ceremonial elements to their wedding event as opposed to simply filing the legal paperwork?
4. Read Matthew 28:19-20. In the New Covenant, Jesus commanded us to baptize those who have become his disciples. Have you been baptized by a church leader after you became a follower of Christ? If not, when will you? If so, what was that like?
5. How would you respond to someone who tells you that because water baptism does not save him, he is not going to do it?

Here are some resources which may assist you in a deeper study of the truths presented in this week’s sermon.
Carson, Alexander. Baptism: Its Mode and Subjects. Reprint. Kregel, 1981.
Conant, Thomas Jefferson. The Meaning and Use of BAPTIZEIN. Reprint. Kregel, 1977.
Dyer, Larry E. Baptism: The Believer’s First Obedience. Kregel Publications, 2000.
Erickson, Millard. “The Initiatory Rite of the Church” in Christian Theology (Second Edition). Baker Books, 1998.
Feinberg, John S. Continuity and Discontinuity: Perspectives on the Relationship Between OT & NT. Crossway, 1988.
Jewett, Paul K. Infant Baptism & the Covenant of Grace: An Appraisal of the Argument. Wipf & Stock, 1978.
Malone, Fred A. A String of Pearls Unstrung: A Theological Journey Into Believers’ Baptism. Founders Press, 1998.
Schreiner, Thomas, ed. Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. B & H Academic, 2006.
Unger, Merrill F. The Baptism & Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Moody Press, 1974.
Watson, T. E. Should Babies Be Baptized? Grace Publications, 1995.
Waymeyer, Matt. A Biblical Critique of Infant Baptism. Kress Christian Publications, 2008.
Whitney, Donald. Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church: Participating Fully in the Body of Christ. Moody, 1996.