What is Discipline?

When I was twelve years old Mama bought a book of poetry by Amy Carmichael called Mountain Breezes. While reading through the collection she found and loved one called, What is discipline? Soon, we had all memorized it as a family. I cannot tell you how many times I have found myself quoting a line or phrase of this wonderful poem. At night I enjoy quoting it to myself that I might not forget it. It has, in a way, become a family reminder of our duty to God, home and each other.

This is one of my favorite verses and it happens to go right along with the poem.
"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Hebrew 12:11

WHAT IS DISCIPLINE?

"When I refuse the easy thing for love of my dear LORD,
and when I choose the harder thing for love of my dear LORD,
and do not make a fuss or speak a single grumbling word;
That is discipline.

When everything seems going wrong and yet I will not grouse,
When it is hot, and I am tired, and yet I will not grouse,
But sing a song and do my work in school and in the house;
That is discipline.

When Satan whispers, "Scamp your work"-to say to him, "I won't,"
When Satan whispers, "Slack a bit"-to say to him, "I won't,"
To rule myself and not to wait for others' "Do" and "Don't";
That is discipline.

When I look up and triumph over every sinful thing,
The things that no one knows about-the cowardly, selfish thing-
and when with heart and will I live to please my glorious King;
That is discipline.

To trample on that curious thing inside me that says "I,"
To think of others always-never,never or that "I,"
To learn to live according to my Savior's word, "Deny";
That is discipline."

~Amy Carmichael

Poems and Ponderings

What Love Have I?

What Love have I to shed abroad?
What love grows in this worthless sod,
unless The Gardener add seed,
and pluck the wayward, fleshly weed,
sprinkle His pure righteousness
covering dry sinfulness?
What love grew I alone?

What love have I to shed abroad?
What love can I shine long and broad
from an extinguished flame,
doused by my own foolish rain?
Unless my heart’s desire
be lit with God’s immortal fire.
Fanned to blaze bright with glory,
telling His eternal story.
What love shine I alone?

Alone? Not I!
My Lord did die,
grafting His own Love scarred hands
Into my barren, fruitless lands.
A love that withers not, nor fails;
touched not by winds or driving hails
now His forever yield.

And the cold and deadly flame?
My Lord has wrought a happy change.
Warmer, wider does it seek
to cheer the faint and aid the weak,
brightens home and lightens labor.
I have no love but through my Savior.
His Love He shed for me.

~Madeleine Wynn~
3/22/2010

Poems and Ponderings

My Daddy is the wisest and godliest man I know. He inspires me through his daily dying to self and inexhaustible love for us. He and Mama are both wonderful communicators, so some of the best moments of my life are spent in deep and earnest conversations with him. Growing up under my earthly father's tutelage I have learned of my heavenly Father's righteousness and mercy. Daddy has taught me theology, politics, art, science, nature and, most importantly, soul matters. We catch snatches of good talks just about everywhere: in the car, on the way to the store, cleaning his office, on special Daddy/Daughter dates, round the kitchen table and before bed. Anywhere and anytime.
This Christmas I wrote a poem explaining the joy these heart to heart talks have brought to my life.
I based the poem on a picture I bought a few weeks earlier

The Herring Net by Winslow Homer


Telling Daddy

He guides the oars of wisdom
through waters of my soul.
He, in the stern
I, eager in the hold.

We fish.
Each wish,
each dream,
each scene,
leaps from the deep,
I cannot keep
them in.
I talk to him.

I set them out,
we sift them through,
just us two.
He explaining life in Christ,
of laying down my
self and rights.
Suddenly, the waves and wind
look small.
Duty is not hard at all.
Little things I know to do
turn golden in my eye

I leave a different person
than I came.
Wiser from his wisdom,
advancing the Kingdom,
trawling an inheritance
of the happiest kind.

~Madeleine~
12/24/2010

Poems and Ponderings

I pray this from a sister's perspective.

A Mother’s Prayer

Oh, give me patience when tiny hands
Tug at me with their small demands
And give me gentle, smiling eyes;
Keep my lips from sharp replies.
Let not fatigue, confusion or noise
Obscure my vision of life’s fleeting joys
So when, years later, my house is still-
No bitter memories it’s room may fill.

-anonymous

Sometimes fatigue, ( fatigue? I am Never fatigued. Ha.) confusion, and noise (Did I say sometimes and noise in the same breath?) overcome my desire to follow my Lord's commands to joy in His service. Today has been that sorta day..........ahhhhhh.

This is when I need to review this prayer and meditate on I Thess 5:16-18

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all things for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Alleluia, Amen.

I sometimes ponder that I probably won't live here always, I hope to have a home and family of my own. I know I will miss the constant hum of six-year-old-and-under voices, the nightly and daily hugs from little arms, the interesting questions (Lizzie has at least a million stored in that brain of hers) that spill out, and all the other wonderful things that make life pop here at our house. I am so blessed to be the oldest of six children. Thank you, Lord.

Poems and Ponderings

Books Fall Open

Books fall open

you fall in,

delighted where

you've never been;

hear voices not once

heard before

reach world on world

through door on door;

find unexpected

keys to things

locked up beyond

imaginings.

What might you be,

perhaps become,

because one book

is somewhere? Some

wise delver into

wisdom, wit,

and wherewithal
has written it,

True books will venture,

dare you out,

whisper secrets,

maybe shout

across the gloom

to you in need,

who hanker for

a book to read.

David McCord

Ah, a good book and a cozy couch! What more could a girl dream of for her free time. What am I thinking, I gotta go get a book.....?

What wisdom, wit or wherewithal have you fallen into lately?

Poems and Ponderings

Heaven

I’ve set my thoughts on higher things
for soon I’ll leave this earth behind;
the Lord shall take my rotting flesh
and give to me a sinless mind.

Oh, boundless joy- no lustful snares
to hinder me upon my way.
No darkness or night I will fear
for where my Lord dwells is my day.

What makes my blessed heart to sing
and burst with gladness from the core
I will be with God the King
my Savior, Friend forevermore.

*Written by Madeleine*

2009

Poems and Ponderings

Quiet, Quiet Falls the Snow

Quiet, quiet falls the snow
as footfalls of a woodland doe.
Flying doves of winter breed
follow frost’s impromptu lead.

Joining fellow comrades’ rest
deep within my fair forest.
Lacing trees; eternal chains,
snow along our slushy lanes.

Glowing diamonds, eiderdown
blanketing the frozen ground
Rolling up my tired threshold
fleecy ice waves; quick and bold.

Cold, gray sky as in early dawn,
disappearance of brown lawn.
White of whitest, clear but deep
shifting past my warm retreat.

Piling high the garden fence
in rows of linen, piling since
something in me constant drew
to behold the changing view.

An ashen swarm lands the trees
as a clump of summer bees
divide the pollen in the flowers;
flurries make us icy bowers.

Sudden drops as whitened leaves
when in Autumn blows the breeze;
fall to ground to muted breathe,
while above the winds do seethe.

Resting, waiting, flitting, falling,
drifting, sparkling, raining, stalling
Quiet, quiet how it snows,
watching how the Winter goes.

Beauty made from God’s own hands
shaping, forming icy strands,
Thankfulness is snowing on
my mind as I am snowed upon.

*Written by Madeleine*
2/11/2010

Poems and Ponderings

Nothing is Mine

I am a nothing, a nobody;
I must forget my indefinite self,
and plead my heart for Him
so I am one with Christ and His will.
For without His Spirit, no personality
or concept will be mine.

I must come to realize that mine
and me are one in the same body;
a monotone mess of personality.
The same as every other self
that has a working, grasping will;
dark and void of Him.

But if He takes me unto Him
and makes His wishes mine;
I will find that my stubborn will
does come in accord with His body.
Christ will triumph over self,
and change my twisted personality;

to a harmonious personality.
With the righteousness that is in Him,
and will shroud my sin and self;
away that His purity might be mine.
Owing all that I am to Christ’s body;
hung on a tree by my shameless will.

So I have lost my will,
but I have found Christ’s personality,
and am entitled to shun my body
with its entices and desires, for only Him.
So the originality that is held as mine;
must be credited to the Holy God, not self.

I must learn and ascertain that myself
is a lost cause; a defaming will.
That causes what is me and mine
to look an indistinct personality.
For who is special, but Him;
and unique- The believers in body.
For He directs my body, heart and will;
Him and Him alone has given myself
a personality I cannot claim as mine.

*Written by Madeleine*

Poems and Ponderings

I love this poem, this is my hope. I pray to the Lord I might keep my thoughts pure and chaste, no matter what is happening in my life.

The Lady of the Lambs

She walks- the lady of my delight-
A shepherdess of sheep.
Her flocks are thoughts. She keeps them white;
She guards them from the steep.
She feeds them on the fragrant height,
And folds them in for sleep.

She roams maternal hill and bright;
Dark valleys safe and deep.
Her dreams are innocent at night;
The chastest stars may peep.
She walks- the lady of my delight-
A shepherdess of sheep.

She holds her little thoughts in sight,
Though gay they run and leap.
She is so circumspect and right;
She has her soul to keep.
She walks- the lady of my delight-
A shepherdess of sheep.

- Alice Meynell

Poems and Ponderings

Tucking In


Every night before I go to sleep
I go upstairs and laughing creep
Bending over snuggly beds
To kiss three sisters’ baby heads.

The first is Lou with eyes aglow
Who laughs and wiggles sweet and slow
And loudly exclaims, “a’ din, a’ din,”
“I tiss you, Adie, more a’ din!"

Then comes Bella; black eye’s mild.
A most contented, happy child
Who hugs my head and leans up to say,
“Adie, Adie, please don’t go away.”

Lizzie’s face is red with lyrics;
“Maddie it’s too dawk!” Has hysterics.
Then puts her teary, chubby cheeks down
Whispers, “I don’t like my gown.”

*Written by Madeleine*
9/10/09