Almost in Real Life

We enjoyed ourselves immensely while making this video for you all and are so excited for you to watch it!  Now, start loading the video while you read these three disclaimers:

    1.    It is long.  Very long.  Amazingly long.  We didn't realize we had such a talent for endlessly jabbering to a camera until we tried it yesterday.  But we were answering your wonderful questions, and talking to our delightful readers, and we're obviously good at talking on and on, so... You don't have watch all of it.  You don't have to watch any of it, although we certainly hope you do.  In fact, let's make it simple and we'll just leave the choice up to you! 

   2.     We were extremely on top of the video yesterday, and quite proud of ourselves for our efficiency.  Until we struck the brick wall of actually saving the video and uploading it.  (And I quote: "Youtube says it's going to take 10 hours to upload!!")  And that, you see, is clearly why the video did not go up yesterday. 

   3.    We've never attempted anything like this before (unless chattering as a three year old in front of your Daddy's video camera counts!), so bear that kindly in mind as you watch this our first foray into this medium of communication. 

With those disclaimers, hopefully your video is all buffered and ready to go, so enjoy!

&

                          

Gentlewoman

Guest Post by Kelly

Last, but not least, our final guest poster this week is a godly young woman who has been an immense encouragement and challenge to me.  Though several states separate us and our meetings and chats are too few and far between, she is the most genuinely joyful woman, with an endearing southern accent and a bubbly smile for all she meets.  Kelly and her sister's blog was one of the first Mikaela and I read, so I am so excited for you all to read what the Lord laid upon her heart to share today! 

Happy 2nd Anniversary One Bright Corner!!

I would like to express my gratefulness to Lauren and Mikaela for their faithful service in writing such an uplifting and excellent blog. Through this blog, many lives have been and will be impacted for our Lord and His ways. Just as it is on my own blog, the entries posted are usually a reflection of the lessons the Lord is teaching us in each of our lives.

In fact, speaking of the lessons the Lord is teaching us, that’s just what I would like to talk with you about today! Not too long ago, I was blessed to hear a sermon which really impacted my life and provided me with a lot of challenging thoughts to ponder over. These truths made a difference in my life and I pray they might make a difference in your life as well!

My insights are based on a sermon given by Dr. Joseph Norvell the day after Christmas. He began by reminding us of God’s gentle working in our lives. Psalm 18:35 “Thy gentleness has made me great.” I am assuming that we already understand that God is great in mercy and lovingkindness. (Jeremiah 31:3 "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." ) There are so many other verses that refer to His mercy and lovingkindness, they would hardly fit on this blog if I listed them all! (-:

God desires that we should respond to His gentle leading in our lives. His ultimate goal is to conform each of us to the image of His son. (Romans 8:29) (That’s right! It’s the verse right after the one we all quote so often. Why not add it to your memory?)

As we grow in our relationship with our Lord, and respond to His gentle leading, we will find these are more often a part of our lives.

Christ will help us to:

1. Make no attempt to cause others to think better of ourselves.
2. Make no attempt to cause others to think less of someone else.  After all, love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
3.  Feel no attempt to always have to be right or even to win an argument!

(How about that? You don’t have to win! Shortly after hearing this sermon, we walked into a restaurant and noticed a sign on the wall right by our booth that read “The man who wins all his arguments may lose most of his friends." :-)

I hope you understand what I am explaining here. These things have to do with standing on Christ’s righteousness, not hanging onto your own. (Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.") Here is one more.

     4.    Christ is working in our lives, when we make no attempt to set ourselves above others, but instead serve the other person.

Doesn’t this remind you of our Lord on so many occasions? (John 13: 12-14 for just one example.) (Phil. 2:1-11, Matt.23:11, 1 Peter 4:10, Gal. 5:13, Mark 10:45 for serving others.)

One final thought. Don’t be surprised if when yielding to the Lord’s working in your life, you feel a battle between the flesh and the spirit. Remember, you don’t have to rely on your own strength to change yourself! (Or, as we say in Texas, “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps!!” :- ) Aren’t we grateful that God is the one, who by His mighty power and strength changes each of us? (Philippians 2:13 "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do, of His good pleasure.")

God’s blessings on each of you as you respond to the gentle working of God in your life!

Photo Credit: Tangent~Artifact

Apron Strings

Guest Post by Hiedie

Let me introduce you to an amazing woman, who also happens to be my aunt. She is the stay-at-home mother of three absolutely wonderful children. She is a very talented writer and helped to mold our writing as we grew up--getting Aunt Hiedie's approval of our musings on paper was the highest compliment we could hope for. Understandably, she does not have much time for blogging, so please enjoy this rare opportunity to learn from her in the online world! (Aren't we blessed? We get to learn from her all the time in the real world!)

Lately I have had an attraction to aprons, retro fashioned fabrics, full and waist styles and especially those whispering frill and femininity, yes even the ruffled. Whether hand sewn for sale at a church bazaar or hanging on the rack at my local grocery store, these kitchen garments beckon me to glance at their price tags. There is something about wrapping a simple piece of cotton tightly around my torso that just makes me happier. Recently while reading a piece by Susanna Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley (founder of the Methodist church and a writer of many of our beautiful hymns - respectively) my affinity for this simple kitchen wrap gained monumental importance.

Learning that Mrs. Wesley would flip her apron up and over her head so that her children knew not to bother her because she was in prayer, for an hour no less, brought me a chuckle. What a clever mothering tip, as if she were turning over a shop sign to display whether she was “opened” or “closed.” I began to daydream about aprons of many meanings, of course my family would understand each color or fabric’s representation as I flipped it up over my own head: Mom needs a time-out; Mom needs to dry her tears; Mom needs to seek God for some advice; Mom needs a nap; Mom thinks Dad’s not romantic enough; Mom thinks Dad is super dreamy; and sadly but true, the apron I would likely don the most would be Mom needs Chocolate or coffee or both! My apron drawer - no my apron cupboard - would overflow with aprons each bearing its own special meaning. Well, I can only dream; however, I do know how grateful I am to experience such a vast array of emotions as a woman choosing to follow God’s plan for her family.

Staying at home with my 11 and 5 year old daughters and my 5 month old son is one of my greatest joys, if not the greatest. It’s difficult for me to remember the time when I was a working woman not even interested in having children, let alone staying home all day with them. Starting a family at 30 and working until I was 38, I experienced the whole super-woman I can have it all adoration from society. Thankfully my Lord was there to wake me up, reminding me I was gaining approval yet still feeling unsettled. But how could this be? We were taking lovely vacations, wearing great clothes and moving on to bigger and better, or were we? Ironically as we attempted to keep up with the Jones’s, God placed our family in a conservative neighborhood where we felt surrounded by families who had made the decision to make God and family the priority; wives were submitting, women were staying at home, and relationships were working. Surrounded by such mentors and role models, together we made the most difficult decision I have ever had to make; I would turn in a letter of resignation after 14 years of working outside of the home. My supervisor was so shocked he refused to accept that I wanted to leave a field where I had achieved so much success, stating he would grant a year’s leave instead, certain I would reevaluate and return to the profession. Laughing I told him that would not be happening – this move would be permanent (it took 3 more meetings before I convinced him of this).

Well that was 4 years ago and I thank God every day for allowing me the pleasure of running a household. Certainly our family has its share of struggles - we sometimes feel emotionally or physically drained, worry about the bills, get cranky and selfish - but joy always comes, for we know God honors the choice we have made for our family. True joy did not always come, it seemed to be accompanied by worry and fear before we let go of our plan for our family and followed God’s course. The struggles really can be heavy but faith has made the burden light.

The peace we have felt as we put our faith in God to lead and provide for our family far surpasses any monetary gains or false pride I accrued as a working mom. I believe God placed me in the workforce for so many years only to lead me down this path of complete fulfillment and contentment. Too many women my age believe they have missed out on some aspect of their lives and head back to school, seek hobbies outside of the home or even walk away from their marriages; I am grateful God showed me that what is out there is not what I desire. I can adore and appreciate my role as a woman whose heart is to serve God, her husband and her family. Tied to my apron strings – yes, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Photo Credit

We're All Below the Poverty Line

Guest Post By Ruthie H.

I am thrilled to introduce Ruthie to you through her guest post here on One Bright Corner.  She is a firebrand for the Lord, and a dear friend whom I have known for fifteen years.  (Wow, it's really been that long?)  Her life and words are continually an encouragement to me, and this blog post comes special delivery from Uganda, where she has been serving since last January.  Please give her a warm welcome and enjoy her unique perspective in this insightful post! 

Are the poor in the “corner” you are to “brighten”?

If so, are you effectively sharing God’s love and light with them? As I have spent the last year working on an island in southern Uganda, this second question has often been on my mind.

Before we gauge our effectiveness we must ask, “Who are the poor?”

Perhaps the word “poor” stirs up images of Africa’s countless orphans, Latin America’s slum dwellers, the homeless in America’s largest cities, or the single-parent family living near you.

Recently I was humbled to learn that I, you, and indeed the entire world are “poor,” and that the definition of “poverty” is much broader than just a “lack of basic needs.”

Could it really be that the people of the island, who I am serving, are suffering not only from a lack of money, clean water, education and healthcare? But that the root of their destitution is much deeper?

Few books have really affected me in a transformational way. But, one that has captured my attention and excited me with its look at Biblical truths is When Helping Hurts – How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself, co-authored by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.

Indeed the Bible holds the key for a true understanding of poverty and its alleviation. Clearly the destitute are very close to God’s heart since the words “poor” and “needy” occur 276 and 83 times, respectively, in the Bible. Repeatedly God commands His people to care for the less fortunate. But, how do we go about this?

According to the Bible, “poverty” lies in our brokenness. We are broken? Yes, we are. Ever since that day when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and sin was ushered into the world, all of humankind has been kept captive in a perpetual state of brokenness.

During our lives, we experience brokenness in four fundamental relationships, ordained by God since creation and considered - “the building blocks for all of life.[i]”

But, with Adam and Eve’s rebellion, “The Genesis account records that all four of Adam and Eve’s relationships immediately became distorted: their relationship with God was damaged, as their intimacy with Him was replaced with fear; their relationship with self was marred, as Adam and Eve developed a sense of shame; their relationship with others was broken, as Adam quickly blamed Eve for their sin; and their relationship with the rest of creation became distorted, as God cursed the ground and the childbearing process.[ii]”

When these “building blocks” are in proper place “people are able to fulfill their calling of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work.” But, when these “blocks” are askew, people are unable to be and to do what God created them for as they struggle in a world that is not running as it was meant to. Individuals, families and communities are plagued by brokenness, but so are the world’s systems – political, economic, religious and social. They can’t help but be imperfect, when it is broken people who are running them.

So, in a world staggering under thousands of years of damaged relationships and systems, is there hope? Yes, there is, and again we go back to the Bible for the cure.

The same Creator God who spoke this incredible world into existence, and who established these vital relationships, has also been working since the millisecond after the fall, to redeem, to sustain, and to reconcile His creation. His Son Jesus Christ came to earth for this very purpose.

“He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.” – Colossians 1:15-20 (emphasis mine)

As the ultimate reconciler, Christ not only reunites us with our Heavenly Father, through the forgiveness of sins, but He is also sustaining and reconciling all of creation. Brokenness has affected every inch of our world and Christ is working to make each and every thing new. This process will continue until He establishes a new heaven and a new earth – places marked by perfection, unity and harmony.

If we are born-again Christians, having personally experienced Christ’s reconciling power, then we have an incredible opportunity to be part of His mission of reconciliation.

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

When we realize all of humanity is broken, it levels the playing field. As a Western Christian I am not “superior” because of my money, technology or ideas, and I cannot “rescue” the materially poor. I must humbly see my own destitution and need for continued personal reconciliation.

Understanding poverty stems from damaged relationships should cause ministry to be based on building those relationships, and not on implementing methods or programs. Additionally, since poverty cannot be alleviated by only meeting physical needs, which does not bring lasting change, we must serve in a holistic manner, also ministering to the individual’s relational, emotional and spiritual needs.

“Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation.[iv]”

As Christ has been reconciling the world since the fall, it means He has already been active in the very areas we want to reach with the gospel of reconciliation. In joining Christ’s work, we come alongside the poor, and encourage reconciliation, as well as proper stewardship of the resources and abilities God has already planted in an individual’s life, and in these communities.

We are to work together, ourselves alongside the materially-poor and non-poor, to fulfill our incredible calling – to glorify God in every area and relationship of our lives.

[i]“When Helping Hurts,” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, pg. 57
[ii]“When Helping Hurts, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, pg. 61
[iii]“When Helping Hurts, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, pg. 57
Picture Credit: Evan Lavine

Our Corner Turns Two

Well, if you've clicked on this post instead of--heaven forbid!--skimming these first sentences in your feed, then you've noticed the most obvious excitement for this week: our brand, spanking-new blog design! Ara from My Designer Girl created all of this for us, though, sadly she shut down her business at the beginning of this month. (We're hoping the two are not related. ;)

All is not lost, though, because she's offering a giveaway for you guys! Ara will provide the "Surprise Designal"--what we chose for our blog--which includes a new, custom-designed header, background paper, and installation--plus three to eight surprise extras of her choice. Did you notice our new tabs, our post dividers, our sidebar titles, our blog button, our new signatures, and more? So many cool details--we can't wait to see who wins this and what Ara comes up for you!

Also, we put ourselves to work and came up with something we're quite proud of--a piece of jewelry that is not only artistic and beautiful, but also will be a reminder to brighten your corner! We're giving away two of these charms, with love. (Due to some unfortunate and unforseen setbacks. the official photos of these delightful charms will have to wait until a bit later this week. However, they look something {and only something!} like this photo.)

So, how to enter? We will have three separate winners; you cannot win more than one item; and one entry will give you a chance to win any one of these three prizes. For the first entry, you must be a follower of our blog and leave a comment on this post with a question for us or a suggestion for a future blog post. After this entry, there's also some extra credit! You can gain an extra entry by

• Putting our new blog button (you'll find the code on the sidebar!) on your blog
• Following Ara on her personal blog, Shilah
• Announcing the giveaway on your blog

For each extra entry, please leave a separate comment telling us that you did it! (Do not include all your entries in one comment, as this will make our job more difficult when we sift through all the entries.) Your comments must be entered by midnight PST, Monday, February 28, and we'll announce the winners in Tuesday's post on March 1.

Remember how we're asking for questions or suggestions in your entry comment? We did this last year, too, and we got so many great ideas that kept us busy through over the past year. However, we're not just planning on blogging through these ideas this year. We're also planning on uploading a video on Friday with answers to some of the questions you might pose! As much as we try to open up through our writing, there's just nothing quite like seeing someone with their personality and idiosyncracies. Here's hoping we won't scare you off!

We hope that you enjoy our new design, our giveaways, and our special guest posts this week. Honestly, we're doing all this for you, because without our readers, our followers, and most importantly, our commenters, we would not have persisted in blogging for two years. If you've been lurking for awhile now without introducing yourself, now's your chance! Your insights, encouragements, friendships, and "just-wanted-to-let-you-know-I'm-reading-comments" mean so much to us and make us excited to blog every Tuesday and Friday. This week is our big "thank you" to you--thank you, thank you, thank you! To God be the glory!

&

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Picture Credit