20/12/2023

Books

  I haven't written much on this blog lately. But that's not because I haven't been writing. For the last two years I've been regularly writing and publishing books on Amazon. I haven't publicized them much, so I have just made a blog page and facebook page to share them.

Blog page Emily's Books (emilysbooksnz.blogspot.com)

Facebook page Facebook

I also share devotional lessons most week on Youtube. My channel is here.( Emily van Rijn - YouTube




08/05/2023

The Things We Can't Change

 This morning we were eating breakfast before school.

"Mum, is there any way to take away Down Syndrome?" asked one of my children.

"No," I answered.

"Would you if you could?" was her next question.

I had to stop and think about that question. Would I "remove" Lydia's Down Syndrome if I could?

My conclusion was that there are some things I would definitely like to change about Lydia's Down Syndrome if I could. There are some things that I find difficult and very patience testing. But on the other hand, there are certain aspects I would not change about Lydia. Her sweetness, friendliness and the way she brings joy wherever she goes. I also wouldn't change all I've learned through having her, my growth in knowing God and the relationships that have been built.

So, removing Lydia's Down Syndrome would also remove a lot of blessing!

I share this, because although you most likely don't have a child with Down Syndrome, you have your own hard things. The things you can't change. Maybe a health problem, the sins or choices of others that have affected you, the death of a loved one, or any other thing that challenges you. Would you change it if you could? What would you miss out on if you changed it?

I love op shopping! Getting good things for a low price--bargains! But, in life, getting God's blessings doesn't come cheap. There is a price.  Knowing God and being a blessing to others will have a cost.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: Philippians 3:8

or in another words...

Everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

24/04/2023

Lift Me Up

A prayer based on Psalm 30:1a

I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up,

Lift Me Up
Lord, I'm feeling so discouraged
I'm starting to despair
My eyes are facing downward
And my mind is filled with fears.

Lord, lift me up and carry me
I want to feel your love
Lord, lift me up and hold me close
Help me see things from above
I need to feel Your nearness
I want to feel Your love
Lord, lift me up and carry me
So that I can rise above

Lord, I'm so tired and weary
Trying to do Your will
I keep taking another step
But it seems it's all uphill

Lord, I am so selfish
Focused on me
Lift me up so I can see
All the needs around me.
~Emily van Rijn~


19/04/2023

Lift Me Up

I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up,…--Psalm 30:1

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.—Psalm 3:3

As a mum, there have been many times my children have come to me to be picked up. Children usually love to be held in your arms. Even my seven year old with Down Syndrome still loves to be held. She will come to me with her hands up and say, “Cuddle?”

Sometimes we lift them up and carry them to keep them safe. To comfort them when they’re upset. To take them to a certain place. To carry them when they’re tired.

God is like a parent or adult who lifts up His children. David experienced this for himself. God raises us to a higher level. He picks us up and moves us to a different place. He comforts us.

He also can lift us up above ourselves—from being focused and preoccupied with ourselves. He lifts up our head so our eyes become focused on Him.  He lifts us up so we see things from a different perspective. He can lift our spirits when we are feeling down. He can carry us when we’re tired and weary. He can lift us above our circumstances.

Is your heart’s desire and prayer the same as Johnson Oatman Jr.? He wrote this hymn.

I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith on Canaan’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till rest I’ve found,
“Lord, lead me on to higher ground.”

24/01/2023

Hasty Judgement

 Children come out with the strangest and funniest things sometimes, don't they?
Recently, I was at a park and was keeping an eye on Lydia. A ten-year-old girl was watching her.
"Does she have a disability?" she asked.
"Yes, she has Down Syndrome," I answered.
She sweetly replied, "Oh, I used to have that too!"
A few days later, my daughter came up to me and asked if her auntie's two dogs were her cousins!
Last night, one of my children accidentally dropped a glass when they were drying the dishes. It smashed into a million pieces. I swept it up and put it in some newspaper. I found some cello tape to wrap the glass in the newspaper. I was doing this on the island in our kitchen.
My daughter, Esther, walked in, saw the smashed glass and tape and said, "Oh, you're taping the glass back together!" I laughed at the thought of trying to tape a smashed glass back together. But I realized there is something that we can learn from this.
Sometimes we look at a situation and make a hasty and wrong judgement on what someone else is doing or thinking. Sometimes our judgements are completely different from what is actually happening.
I remember one time during the first lockdown. Since my husband, Johan, was home, he would usually help us all clean up after breakfast. But one morning he was lying on our bed, looking at his phone, instead of helping. I made a hasty judgement and felt annoyed at him. What I didn't know was that he was on his phone ordering me some yeast online, which you couldn't find in the supermarkets. I didn't know he was doing something for me!
It's easy to make hasty judgements about our husband, our children, our friends and so on. Sometimes we need to ask questions instead of assuming the worst. We need to make sure we have our facts straight. We need to assume the best until we know otherwise.
Charity...thinketh no evil; 1 Corinthians 13:5

14/12/2022

Mess and Increase

 I was feeling overwhelmed with my house. My life is very busy with lots to keep up with and housework and yardwork is never ending. I was praying about this when I read this verse. It was just what I needed to hear!

Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. Proverbs 14:4

I could choose to say to no to anything extra and spend more hours keeping my home perfect, but I would miss out on so much increase. Not money, but an increase in what money can't buy-- experience,  knowing God, spiritual growth and dependence on God.

I was telling someone recently how this year I've been teaching the Bible at our school and how I've become a preschool teacher. Her response was, "Don't you have enough to do with four children?" I've been thinking about that question. Yes, I do have enough to do with four children! I could say no to everything else. And my life would be much more clean, tidy and in my control, but I would lack an increase.

Don't get me wrong, there are times we need to say no to busyness and keeping up with our home is important. It is always good to pray through these things and ask for wisdom. And maybe you can't do anything extra, especially if you have a large family, babies and toddlers or you teach your children at home. We can't do everything.

The point is, that God's will for us often includes some chaos and mess. Because that is where we are desperate for Him. That is where we have to depend on Him because we can't make it otherwise. That is where we stay on our knees. That is where we grow. That is where we find an increase.

04/12/2022

True or False?

 I have just finished making a true and false quiz for my Bible class at school tomorrow. I will say the sentence and the children will have to figure out which ones are true and which ones are false. Sometimes true and false quizzes are easy. Other times they can be quite tricky.

Jesus said that He is the truth. He also said that Satan is the Father of lies. So everything Jesus says is true. And everything that Satan says is false or twisted.

In my Bible story at school thismorning, I told the story of Zachariah and Elisabeth. The angel said, "You will have a son." Zachariah said, "How do I know what you say is true? It's impossible--we're too old." But if God says it, it's the truth. And it was the truth. He did have a son.

It would do us good to remember that sometimes life is like a true and false test. We need to figure out whether our thoughts are true or false! I often find myself thinking, "But I feel..." or "It seems..." Feelings are often different than the truth. What seems is not always what is.

God's Word is always true. It's so easy to doubt it, like Zachariah did, as it can seem impossible. But he found out, that with God nothing is impossible!