Surprise!

Despite an accidental post (that lasted less than 10 seconds) of my previous blog, Richard & Debbie were surprised Friday night!  The party was a wonderful celebration of 40 years of love and commitment, and the weekend was whirlwind of family fun. 

For the first time in 6 years we didn't let anyone other than Jason's family know we were coming to town, choosing to focus our limited time on the party and a bit of relaxation (a huge change of pace for Jason).  It was definitely the right choice -- but it still felt odd not seeing Uncle Jim, Aunt Jan, Matt & Emily, the Daniels, the Allens...etc, etc...

Nevertheless, I wouldn't change a thing.  Rather than exhausted with heads spinning, we boarded our flights to Charleston relaxed, but still ready to see the dogs.

A few highlights of the quick trip...

Necessities

One of Charlie's and my Activities of the Day today was packing for our whirlwind weekend trip to Kansas City for BaBa and PaPa's surprise 40th Anniversary party (and no worries... I won't be posting until after the party).

Anyway, I had thought I'd done a fairly thorough packing job: shorts, t-shirts, socks, underwear, swimsuits, jammies, toiletries, snacks...  But either I was downright negligent or Charlie knew an excellent pre-nap delay tactic when he saw one.  He added a few things to our suitcase:

• Crabby Towel
• Little Bella (stuffed version of Grandma & Grandpa's precious pug)
• 2 "Party" Monkeys (better known as Sock Monkeys)
• His "old" Bible and his "new" Bible
• Green blankie, 2 "blank" blankies and a boat blankie
• A Pocket for Corduroy
• A is for Ark

I am going to leave it up to Jason and Charlie to determine whether Charlie's reading and cuddling needs take precedence over Daddy's desire not to run around naked for 3 days...but one thing is certain, we will not be checking a second suitcase!



Fashion Sense?

I'm not sure if this is a sign of unique creativity or abject boredom, but apparently the layered look is back in style...at least according to one three year old we know...

Say it isn't so...

I will be the first to admit that I'm not always completely rational...  Once in a while I get worked up about something inconsequential or fail to recognize the importance of some other event or risk, etc...  What can I say?  It happens.

So it may not come as much of a surprise to those who know me best (Jason, Mom...) that one of my biggest concerns after losing my job was that I would have to start cleaning my own house again!

Lest you think I am a complete princess, I did grow up doing various chores including mowing the yard (until the blessed day we found out I'm allergic to all kinds of grass) and cleaning my portion of the upstairs, and I even worked at the carwash (albeit briefly...babysitting was more my cup of tea), and until June 29 of this year, I had not been without a job since I turned sixteen. 

I just don't like to clean.  When I lived in a 490 square foot apartment by myself it was at least quick, then for a while right after we got married it was like playing house, then after we moved South  I didn't mind it at first because I just adored our home, and before long Jason started to pitch in when I pointed out that unlike yardwork and other "boy chores" it's a mandatory, regular, year-round drudgery.

Then in May 2011 the heavens parted and the angels started to sing:  for my third Mother's Day Jason gave me the best gift a man could ever give a woman -- even better than the Wine of the Month Club or the Brita Water Pitcher!!!  He gave me Leslie.

The original intent was for Leslie to just come for a surprise deep clean, but I oohed and aaahed and thanked and begged and made all sorts of ridiculous promises (even going so far as to offer my ironing skills) that we got to keep her!  And for 13 beautiful months Leslie and Herman showed up every two weeks and transformed our home.  It was heaven on earth...

Then I lost my job, and the dream was over. 

Now, being the best cleaning team in history, Leslie and Herman actually gave me one extra cleaning about 2 1/2 weeks ago, so I was able to stretch the glory just a bit longer.  Then this weekend I realized we had family from Canada coming over for dinner, and the dust was thick enough to write in, so I scurried around Sunday afternoon and made the first floor presentable.

But today was the big day.  Today was the day that I dragged out the cleaning supplies, enlisted my three-year-old side-kick and tackled some serious cleaning.  We dusted, we mopped, we vacuumed (even behind the washer and dryer for some unknown reason), we scrubbed,  and you know what?  It wasn't so bad.

To be fair, I do think I might have gotten the job done a bit more quickly without Charlie's help, but he was having a ball and entertaining me at the same time.  Who knew a vacuum was so exciting?

And now that we're almost 2 hours into today's nap (following a 3 hour nap yesterday!), I think we just might have a chance of surviving this "at home" thing after all.  (But trust me, Leslie is still on my speed dial should I ever find gainful employment!)

Olympic Moment

Charlie: Can we watch girls do bar tricks?
Daddy: Sure.  Come sit down.

Charlie squirms around a bit until the opening montage of the Fab 5 starts...

Charlie: Wow.  Those are pretty girls.
Daddy: Do you watch the tricks for the pretty girls or for the tricks?
Charlie:  For the tricks...and the pretty girls.

Bliss

There is only one thing in the world that could make Charlie's and my days at home seem stressful: five days of nothing but swimming, laughing, watching the Olympics, visiting random animals and eating my mom's cooking!

Despite a wacky stomach bug that waylaid pretty much everyone at one point or another (poor Charlie on the plane!), we had an absolutely fabulous time in Texas.  Mom and Dad not only spoiled us with home cooked meals and extremely lowkey adventures, they even banished Jason and I from the house Saturday night without Charlie -- for a yummy dinner with a fabulous view, lots of laughter and a mountain ride in a convertible.  It truly doesn't get any better!

Aunt Angie and Uncle Bill were able to adjust their work schedules a bit and spend lots of time swimming and eating with us all -- not to mention visiting the El Paso zoo and whizzing around the go kart track at Bobo's. 

I think Charlie summed up how we all felt as we boarded our second plane yesterday, "I want to go back to Texas!!"  Of course, Jason and I were able to refrain from shouting it...

Thankfully, Mom and Dad's next trip to SC is already on the calendar and we should be spending an equally relaxing week at Edisto for Thanksgiving...I should probably start cooking now!

Another Bible Study

Last night our Ladies' Bible Study covered Romans 8:28 and I had to share the notes, because I believe this is one of the most misused verses in the entire Bible.  God NEVER promises believers an easy life (nor should we use this verse to promise that to each other...)

Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

• Problem - If this is true, why do we suffer?
• Author - Paul
• Formerly Saul: "Pharisee of Pharisees" (Acts 23:6) - extreme persecutor of Christians (Acts 8:1-3)
• Saw Jesus on Road to Damascus and Believed (Acts 9)
• Completed at least 3 missionary journeys reaching as far west as Spain (Acts 13-21_
• Wrote Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus and Philemon -- letters of doctrine and application
• Context - Letter to the Romans
• Written preceding a visit there -- had been hoping to visit for quite some time (Romans 1:10)
• Outline of Letter
• Chapter 1: The Gospel & Perils of Unbelief (Key Verses 1:3-4, 19)
• Chapter 2: No one is any better off than anyone else (Key Verses 2:8-9)
• Chapter 3: All are guilty, but able to be justified by faith (Key Verses 3:10-16, 28)
• Chapter 4: OT Examples
• Chapter 5: Results of Justification (Key Verses 5:1-2)
• Chapter 6: Believers' Victory over Sin (Key Verse 6:11)
• Chapter 7: Unity with Christ and Ongoing Struggles of Believers (Key Verses 7:4-6, 25)
• Chapter 8: No Condemnation for Believers, despite struggles of Chapter 7 (Key Verses 8:1, 26-39)
• Chapter 9: God's Sovereignty (Key Verses 9:19-21)
• Chapter 10: Faith Resulting in Salvation (Key Verses 10:8-11)
• Chapter 11: Jews & Gentiles (Key Verses 11:11-12)
• Chapter 12: Service (Key Verse 12:6-13)
• Chapter 13: Submission to Authority (Key Verse 13:7)
• Chapters 14-15: Purpose of Conscience/Responsibility to One Another (Key Verses 14:13-15)
• Chapter 15: Purpose of Paul's Blunt Approach (Key Verse 15: 15-16)
• Chapter 16: Greetings & Love
• Argument of Romans 8:28
• Jesus was declared God through resurrection (1:3).
• It doesn't matter who you are (2:8-9), all are guilty and deserve death (3:10-16), but God will justify (save) anyone through faith in Jesus (3:28).
• The results of justification (salvation) are peace, hope and glory, the ability to surrender ourselves to the righteousness of God rather than to Sin (6:11) and most importantly, unity with Christ and freedom from the Law (7:4-6).
• Nevertheless, all believers (even Paul!) continue to struggle with sin (7:25), but receive no condemnation (8:1).
• Therefore, "all things work together for good to those who love God" (8:28), because He created justification to save us from our sins and unite us with Christ (Romans 1-7) and despite our inability to live up to that rightesousness (Romans 7-8), "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor lthings present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus"
• Application of "All things [working] together for good"
• Does NOT mean that believers will not suffer (Hebrews 11: 32-40)
• Does mean that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (8:18) (eternal life with God, from whom we deserve to be eternally separated)

One Week Down...

I only have a couple minutes while Charlie is contentedly drinking his juice.  I'm on the computer to look for jobs and decided I'd rather update everyone regarding our new lifestyle.

Basically, last week was fabulous!  Charlie napped like a champ, we had outings of various kinds each day (Wannamker sprinklers, grocery store, lunch with Daddy) and we learned some fun facts about Washington DC and South Carolina.  Honestly, it was much better and more fun than I'd ever imagined.

That said, I am still looking for a new job -- for a couple reasons.  One - one good week does not mean we're going to love this long term.  Two -- we are still working through our finances, i.e. exactly what do we "need" to spend each week vs. what we used to spend each week and how will paying off a floating object or two with my severance impact that spending...

Since we do have my severance to buy us some time, at this point I'm still looking for another "sweet deal" like I had before (good money from home with flexible hours).  As the year winds down, if I'm still looking, we may start relaxing our criteria and determining what lifestyle changes we can handle. 

In the meantime, though, Charlie and I just finished Table Time (our at-home replacement for Circle Time) and are about to head out to Walmart, because he has decided that since Daddy wears undershirts, he needs to wear them, too.  That's our adventure for today!

Wondering...

If I should get a sassy new pixie cut?  Or maybe a confident bob?  Or perhaps glamorous extensions?

Why, you ask?  Because based on the past 20 hours, a hairstyle defines one's personality more than I ever imagined. 

After a fun lunch with Daddy (Chipotle finally made it to Charleston!!!), Charlie and I stopped by All About Hair for a much overdo trim -- I tend to put off his haircuts because they just never turn out that well.  Charlie watched closely as Ashley chopped and combed and his blond locks fell to floor, and when she combed it up into a mohawk to work on the top his whole face lit up.  Just that morning he had asked for a mohawk and I had declined -- nothing we own ever gets it to stick up that way.

Seeing his glee, Ashley offered to "style" it for him if Mommy approved, and of course I did, so she pulled out the "glue" (sigh...just waiting for him to try this at home), and we were all set.  Charlie was happy, Ashley was charmed and I was amused.  It seemed like a win-win-win -- until post-nap that was. 

Suddenly, my sweet, albeit slightly mischevious, boy was scrunching his button nose into tough guy faces and acting like a little Hell's Angel.  Jason assures me that it's just Charlie being ornery, but after a week of "yes Ma'ams," long naps and help around the house, I'm sure it's the hair.  Thankfully we have a birthday party at the pool this morning, so we can ditch this little biker attitude.

And in all reality, we all know that I will be keeping my medium-length, side-parted, blah haircut.  In part because I'm cheap and lazy when it comes to my hair, but moreso because I'm not sure we could handle any additional sass, confidence or glamour in this family.

The old, old story...

It was no surprise last night when we heard Charlie hollering for me a mere 10 minutes after he'd gone down to bed.  It appears that his metabolism responds best to sitting down to a meal or laying down for bed -- most likely because those are the only times he's still.

Anyway, not too long ago Jason and I instituted a rule that if Charlie neglected to use the restroom prior to bed or meal, we would not read any stories when he went -- our futile effort to institute proactivity.  So, last night as I sat on the bathmat, Charlie started to tell me stories.  The first was about three little pigs who wanted some sugar...then got a tummy ache and went to the doctor, and the doctor said, "No more sugar for three little pigs!"

Then he tangented into something about firemen and somehow ended up telling me that Jesus not only lives inside him, but in his stomach.  Which begged the question, "Does he eat and drink when I do?"

Flashback 30+ years and I distinctly remember laying in my little yellow room with the froggy wall hanging and asking my mom the very same question -- with a visual image in my head of an empty inside of my body with muscle-like walls and Jesus standing in the middle. 

Suddenly aware of the power of early memories, I asked Charlie if he knew why Jesus was so important.  Shaking his head no, he said, "Yes."

So I told him, "Well buddy.  You know that God created all of us and is perfect, right?"
"Yes."
"But we all make mistakes."
"I don't make mistakes."
"Yes, Buddy, you do, and so do Mommy and Daddy and everyone else.  Those mistakes keep us away from God, and there is nothing we can do to fix it."
"Why?"
"Because He is perfect, but Jesus is God's son and God sent Him to be born and live here on earth -- and He never made a mistake -- but then He died on the cross for our mistakes."
Blank stare.
"It was kind of like Jesus didn't do anything wrong, but then He went to time out so we wouldn't be in trouble."
"Why?"
"Because He and God loved us so much, they wanted us to be able to be with them."
"Oh.  Ok."
"Well, then He came back to life and He is alive right now, so now we can be with God."
"When? Today? In Heaven?"
"Well, sort of.  God can live in you because of what Jesus did, if you believe it.  Then someday when either you die or Jesus comes back, you will go to Heaven to be with Him."
"Just me and God?  Not you and Daddy?."
"No, Buddy.  Daddy and I will be there, too, and Charlie, the day you understand and believe that with your heart and not just your head will be the very best day of your entire life."
"Ok.  I'm done now."

Clearly not the environment in which we planned to share the complete gospel with Charlie for the first time, and I suppose I'll have to apologize someday if he has the visual memory I do -- but pretty exciting to know that he's at least heard the whole story!

Island Time...

Who would have imagined what a difference 40 miles could make?  And don't get me wrong, we still love Summerville, but spending a week on Sullivan's Island was the perfect escape from all of our recent life changes.

As is my habit lately, I did a horrible job capturing the week in pictures, but to sum it up, we spent our days racing around in golf carts, lolling about in tide pools, laughing with cousins, aunts/uncles, siblings, neices/nephews and grandparents; taking fabulously long naps listening to the waves and eating wonderful meals. 

Throw in our first Charleston carriage ride, a shark on the beach and Charlie's first exposure to Justin Beiber ("Mommy, please sing Baby!!  Please, Mommy!  I don't remember it!") and you pretty much have a complete picture of our bliss.

I don't suppose newfound unemployment bodes well for moving to the island one day...?

Dear Toy Box,

June 14, 2010 I sobbed as I turned right onto Orangeburg Road from the Toy Box Daycare parking lot.  I had just abandoned my baby in a building full of strangers for the very first time, and I was brokenhearted.

July 6, 2012 I teared up as I turned right onto Orangeburg Road from the Toy Box Daycare parking lot. I had just dropped off my baby in a building full of wonderful ladies who love him for the last time, and I am heartsick.

I am trying not to question the wisdom of pulling Charlie out of  a place that he loves so much -- whether it be for good or for a while -- but it's hard.  Over the past 2 years our family has come to adore these ladies and there are no words to express how grateful we are to them.

To Mrs. Tracy and Mrs. Shelly, thank you for creating such a wonderful, fun, bright, challenging and Godly atmosphere for my baby to learn, but even moreso for hiring these spectacular women to care for him.

To  Miss Alisha, Mrs. Irene, Miss Chelsea, Mrs. Whitney, Miss Kita, Miss Brittany, Miss Brittany, Mrs. Brenda, Miss Amanda and Mrs. Jo-Jo -- and all the other ladies at the Toy Box who though you may not have been his teachers, have laughed with him, eaten his woodchip meals, helped him tie his shoes, and given him hugs  -- thank you for loving him.

And for showing that love through all of the hard work, dedication, time and effort you all put into every single day with Charlie and his friends. Thank you for changing him, for feeding him, for holding him, for correcting him and for being his beloved teachers.

We will miss you all dearly and promise to use the knowledge and tools you've given us to continue to learn and grow into a funny, bright, joyful boy.

Not again!

This year I was even worse than last year...at least last year I got one picture of Rebekah during her visit.  This year?  None!  I guess I was too busy relaxing to remember to pull out the camera.

Nevertheless, Charlie, Jason and I had a wonderful long weekend with my dear college friend, Rebekah.  We beat the heat by splashing in the harbor, cruising the rivers and basking in the pool -- not to mention watching hours of the Olympic Trials and eating way too much food (but what do you expect when our brand new bread maker arrived!?!)

Rebekah and I even spent some time roaming the residential streets of downtown Charleston, stopping to read every single historical marker we passed and leisurely browsed the outlet mall with no toddler in tow!

Overall, it was a fabulously relaxing visit -- and the timing couldn't have been better -- I almost forgot I was unemployed!

Despite failing to get any pictures of our relaxation, I did manage to catch a few shots of Charlie enjoying some new summer activities (this was the first year he stayed awake late enough to see fireworks!)

Options

What to do? What to do?

In 3 hours and 26 minutes I will officially be unemployed, but since I mailed my computer about 3 1/2 hours ago, I'm pretty well finished.

So...now what?  I gave notice at Charlie's daycare this morning -- the most amazing daycare in the whole world, by the way -- and to be honest, that was just as traumatic as losing my job.  We love that place and those wonderful ladies and will miss them all dearly.

At the same time, we put him right back on the waiting list, because if I do get another full time job, there is nowhere else we want him to be.

That said, we have no idea what we even want to happen, much less what is going to happen.  We are very blessed to have many, many people praying for us, but we don't have any idea what we all should be praying for!  I am sure that for some readers that is a shock -- but interestingly enough, I believe that many are shocked for precisely opposite reasons.

I know that many people are praying that Jason and I figure out a way and come to terms with the changes that will allow me to be a full-time stay at home mom, and I think that is a wonderful option for some people, but is it for us?  I mean, if anything, Charlie is proof positive that daycare is not the road to perdition and "daycare kids" are not ill-adjusted and unloved.

At the same time, I know many people are praying that I find another full-time job that allows Charlie to stay in daycare, and that, too, is a wonderful option for some people -- but is this God giving me the push to stay home with him for a couple years?  Because truly, for all of the "socialization" proponents, we know many families with kids who stay home and are not antisocial hellions (and neither are their moms).

Finally, there are the people that are praying that God gives Jason and me whatever solution we'd like.  These prayers are very gracious, but I'm afraid they give us too much credit -- WE HAVE NO IDEA!!

So...here is my request.  For any of you who happen to be praying for us or know people that are praying for us, please pray that God will grant us peace until He reveals His will to us, then the humility and wisdom to obey.

Thank you.

While I Wait

Patience is not my strength.  Waiting is not something I enjoy -- whether it be 3 minutes or 3 years...so how perfect that I was scheduled to lead our Ladies' Bible Study through James 5 this Monday night.  God truly has a sense of humor...

Anyway, as I was convictingly reminded, as a Christian my whole life is really nothing more than waiting for Jesus to return...but James, being so delightfully practical, doesn't just tell us to wait -- he gives us some specific instructions on what to do while we wait.  I love specific instructions!

So, for anyone else who struggles with waiting -- or really for anyone at all, since we're all actually waiting, whether we realize it or not -- here is the notes from Monday.

James 5 - While You Are Waiting

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. ² Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! ⁴ Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. ⁵ You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

⁷ Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. ⁸ You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. ⁹ Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. ¹⁰ As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

¹² But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; ¹⁵ and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

¹⁹ My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

• Thesis of the Chapter: "Life" is what believers do while we wait for the Kingdom of Heaven (James 5:7-9)
• Positive perspective of waiting (Isaiah 40:31)
• "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles.  They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not grow weary."
• What waiting really feels like (II Corinthians 4:7-10)
• "...we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persectued, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." 
• What NOT to do while you wait
• Pursue Riches ahead of Christ (5:1-6)
• Temporary (5:2)
• Can tempt us to sin (5:3a, 5)
• Can reflect wrong priorities (5:3b)
• Can lead to dishonesty (5:4)
• Can lead to unnatural death (5:6)
• Complain about each other (5:9)
• Judge (James 4:11; Matthew 7:2-6)
• "Do not speak against one another, brethren.  He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it."
• "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.  And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
• What TO do while you wait
• Be patient (5:7)
• Until harvest - Jesus comes back for us
• Strengthen your heart (5:8)
• Look to the prophets as an example (5:10-11)
• Suffering & patience bring blessing
• Always Pray (5:13-18)
• Praise when times are good (5:13a)
• Pray when times are hard (5:13b)
• Pray for each other (5:14-16)
• Context "anointing him with oil" in v. 14 refers to medical care of the time
• Power of a man "with a nature like ours" prayer (5:17-18)
• Jesus' Prayer (Mark 14:34-36)
• "And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch."  And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by.  And He was saying, "Abba! Father!  All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt."
• A prayer of despair "deeply grieved to the point of death" (14:34)
• An honest prayer for His own, personal desire (God knows anyway, so we might as well ask for what we truly want in our heart) (14:35-36)
• A prayer of trust in God (14:36)
• Watch out for one another (5:19-20)
• Opposite of complaining/judging (5:9) is to confess, pray and assist one another
• Mutual benefit of instructing/guiding one another (I Timothy 4:6)
• "In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constanly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following."