Tag: Christel

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Christel Clint

Top Posts of 2019

Looking back on 2019, we launched this blog together after posting on our own blogs for a while. It’s been fun for us. We hope that what we’ve written has been a little helpful for you too.

The most-read posts of 2019 are quite different from each other. Let’s take a look:

Christel’s Top Post of 2019:

John Newton, Marie Kondo and Reflections on the 10-Year Challenge

Christel summed up the conflicts of Instragram-produced comparisons when she said:

I see this John Newton quote cycle through social media every so often. Each time I see it, my scrolling finger is forced to stop because Newton’s words resonate so deeply. They express a healthy understanding of how both sin and grace inform Christian identity.

I am not what I ought to be,

I am not what I want to be,

I am not what I hope to be in another world;

but still I am not what I once used to be,

and by the grace of God I am what I am.

For those of us who feel our “ten-year challenge” photos aren’t up to Instagram standards, all is not lost. If we have grown in godly character, the deeper lines on our face are not something to mourn. We are a decade closer to who we ought to be and want to be. By God’s grace I am what I am and His grace is enough (1 Cor. 15:10, Rom. 8:1).

You can read the rest here.

Clint’s top post of 2019 was a little different:

The Gilded Glory of Canada as a “Moral Leader”

Here is an excerpt:

The result of this immoral leadership is that Canada has the ignominy of standing in defiance of the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC). According to the website, WeNeedALaw.ca, the UNCRC preamble states, “Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth”.  

With no abortion law, Canada refuses to protect the most vulnerable people in Canada – the pre-born.

Is it cowardice or just some combination of ideology and pragmatism?

There are many reasons why Canada’s glory is merely gilded. The pastor in me thinks that the absence of any abortion law is a Canadian way of psychologizing an atonement for our sins.

By not even talking about the slaughter of the innocents, Canada can be at peace. To speak about the sins is to deny the psychological atonement that is held onto so desperately. Canada, therefore, is reconciled with itself, blotting out of its collective mind any of its sins.  But it cannot remain good.

Any such leadership is propaganda at best and tyranny at worst.

…[I] wish to thank God for his grace to Canada and his mercy. It is evident how God has blessed Canadians with people of warmth and welcome and lands of expansive beauty. How long will God withhold the application of his just verdict against our sins?

The only moral hope for Canada is in the blood of the Lamb slain for sinners like us.  In His goodness alone can we be truly good.

You can read the whole thing here.

Thank you to all of our readers, those who pray for us, and those who have shared our content through social media for the benefit of others.

May God bless you all in 2020!

Faithfully,

Christel and Clint

https://www.instagram.com/christelhumfrey/
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Canada Christel Clint Family Home & Health Marriage

What Do You Want Us To Write About?

Christel and I have been writing steadily at TheHumfreys.Com this year especially since the beginning of the summer. We appreciate all of the support that our readers have given us through liking articles on Facebook, retweeting on Twitter, or verbally encouraging us when they see us in person.

Here are the numbers:

  • nearly 5000 page views this year
  • nearly 3000 unique visitors

Most visitors come from Canada. We are, after all, a Canadian site! The second most come from the United States, followed by readers from the UK. Our fourth-highest readership is from Italy (please invite us to visit!). After that, there is an equal number of Dutch, Brazilian, and Australian readers. To all of you who took the time to read– Thank you!

As we make plans to write through to the end of 2019 and into 2020 we want to ask our readers this important question:

What do you want us to write about?

  • More bible meditations from Christel?
  • More pastor posts from Clint?
  • Theology?
  • Lifestyle?
  • Practical ethics?
  • Our life and marriage?
  • Home and health?
  • Other topics?

Please leave your comments on our Facebook page and remember to “like” the page to get the latest updates on your media feed.

Or you can contact us here: Ask Christel and Clint

Thanks for taking the time to read our articles. We write them for you!

Categories
Christel Gospel Spiritual Growth

Fixing Our Propriety Radar

My culture tells me that my words are all about myself and that I have a right to express myself. But more is required of a Christian. We need to be aware of the power of our words to affect other people.

Sometimes I wonder if my generation has lost the ability to discern what is appropriate in conversation. We often display a surprising lack of savvy concerning how to speak in a way that “fits the occasion” as it says in Ephesians 4:29.

It’s like our propriety radar got scrambled with the rise of Facebook.  


There are certain words that are private and other words that are public. I cringe to think of the times that I have said inappropriate things to a large number of people. These same things would have been appropriate if I was speaking with only one or two close friends, but they were not helpful or wise in the larger context. Private words in a public context are not modest. They are at best attention-getting and at worst injurious because others are almost always implicated in our personal lives.


Humble Words


I’ve always loved this observation by C.S. Lewis. He describes the demeanour and words of a humble person in his book Mere Christianity:

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.

Mere Christianity

According to Lewis, humble people are aware of their flaws, but they do not constantly speak of them because they are not constantly thinking about themselves. They are content with their life and eager to take an interest in others. 
Of course, we need people we can talk to when going through struggles and difficulty. People with whom we can be transparent and raw. Intimate friends, a pastor, a spouse or a counsellor can be helpful in these situations. But if the majority of our words are speaking of ourselves, we are missing the point of words. We are missing great opportunities to bless other people.

This can especially be a problem if we need other people to affirm us and approve of our choices. If we find our self-worth in other people’s opinions of us, we will always be self-absorbed in our conversations. 

This craving for approval can only be satisfied in God’s redeeming love for us. When we find our security and worth in Him our words cease to be controlled by other people’s opinions, and we are freed to take a genuine interest in others.

The Responsibility of Words

Words affect other people. They have the power to build up or to tear down. They can burn down a forest or plant new seeds of hope.

I feel like I am still learning how to use my words. It takes time and effort to learn how to bless, strengthen and build others up. Thankfully, we don’t need to be charming and witty for God to use us. For those of us who often feel inadequate and “slow of speech” like Moses, we need to remember what God told him:

 “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

Exodus 4:11

I am so thankful for treasured friends who have been gracious to me when I have spoken selfish and rash words. I am equally thankful for their generous, grace-giving words. I have often been blessed by the God-honouring words of brothers and sisters in Christ.

unsplash-logoPriscilla Du Preez

photcredit/affilate links

Categories
Christel Family Home & Health Spiritual Growth

An Invisibly Productive Day

I’ve been thinking through my priorities. I took pen to paper and made a list. Suddenly, I had an epiphany. I was struggling to feel like I was getting things done because the top priorities on my list required invisible work. This meant that if I spent the majority of my time doing the things that were most important to me, I would not see immediate results. I was beginning to see my need to embrace delayed gratification.  

Visible Work

There is something so satisfying about organizing my home, gardening, cutting my son’s hair, painting the bathroom and making a beautiful meal. This kind of work is visible. At the end of the day, there are results that are pleasing to me and to others. This is good work. Satisfying work.

But there is another kind of work that is sometimes not as immediately satisfying. This work does not always give immediate results. It requires me to be intentional and self-disciplined. The work I am speaking of is the work of relationships.

It seems like most women I know, myself included, choose to prioritize the visual kind of work. It is important for us to know that our life is a well-ordered smooth-sailing ship. Being well-organized and hard-working are good things. But here is the crunch: if our life is jam-packed full of visibly good work, what has happened to our relational work? Most likely it has been neglected.

Invisible Work

The fact is that good, healthy relationships require time, energy and effort and our visible work may have to take a backseat to it at times.

There is wisdom to leaving those crunchy Cheerios on the floor and instead spending 20 minutes of quiet, unhurried communion with my God. 

There is wisdom in an afternoon spent playing, talking and hanging out with my boys instead of cleaning the storage room.

There is wisdom in dropping a project for long enough to really see my husband, to hear what he is saying and to engage him with warmth and affection.

When I lay my head down on my pillow tonight I may have a crunchy floor, a disorganized storage room and some half-finished projects, but maybe I’ve done something of worth. Maybe I can close my eyes and thank God that I’ve had an invisibly productive day.

unsplash-logoPriscilla Du Preez

Categories
Christel Home & Health Spiritual Growth Suffering & Trials

Broken Jars and the Weight of Glory

Like you, we have often asked the question, “Why, Lord? What are you trying to teach us? What are we supposed to be learning from these trials?” But we know the answer.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us…” (2 Cor. 4:7)

“Jars of clay” is a description slightly unflattering, but very true. It seems the more I long to be invincible, the brighter my frailty is put on display.

I remember a trip with my boys when we strolled through a graveyard (I know, it’s kind of morbid). We read the gravestones and patched together pieces of lives past–war heroes, children, cowboys, mothers and more–whole families buried together. Once vibrant and alive, now turned again to dust.

Ironically, I was struck by hope because the One with “surpassing power” gives life to ashes.

When the God-Man, Jesus Christ, came into our world to redeem the lost, new life broke into our dying world. My “jar of clay” is being renewed from the inside out. I feel the pain of sin and it’s consequences, but each stroke against me corresponds to a renewal inside of me. A renewal begun and sustained by the Almighty.

I know that there is glory in my future. Glory that is weighty. Glory that is eternal. Glory that is beyond comparison. With each small affliction we are being prepared for it. As the Apostle Paul says:

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

The other night as Clint was drifting off to sleep, I suddenly had a very pressing theological question for him. (I seem to do this to him far too often…but then again I have to take advantage of the perks of being married to a pastor!) He graciously woke himself up and spoke with me about what it means for God’s glory to have weight. I wondered if God was resting too weightlessly on me. But if God’s glory truly has weight to it, it should press down on us. We should feel affected by it. This is a glory that demands our attention and fills us with delight.  It takes effort to seek God’s face, but those who behold it agree that there is no earthly comparison. And as Pastor John Piper says, “beholding is becoming.” (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18)

I don’t enjoy difficulties or love affliction, but I have confidence in God’s promises for the future. If each affliction renews and prepares me for His glory, I cannot long for an easy life. If nothing else, this difficult year has taught me something about finding pleasure and joy not through ease of life, but in the face of Jesus Christ–the only One that completely satisfies.

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Christel Gospel Marriage Spiritual Growth Suffering & Trials

Does Godliness Seem Like An Intimidating Goal?

I walk hand in hand with the man I love. Golden evening sun warms the flowing barley field, and we circle around it in contented quiet. My husband knows me well. My sensitive nature has been bruised, and I still feel the effects of it. Sometimes I wish I had thicker skin, but I’m reluctant to form calluses that shut people out. What I really want is to be able to forgive when people hurt me. But I’m weary, and it feels hard.“It’s like a muscle you have to train,” he said gently. “You just keep practicing until it becomes easier.”His comment got me thinking more about training for godliness. Each choice—no matter how small—is like flexing a muscle. The apostle Paul encouraged his spiritual son, Timothy, to “train yourself for godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7). And I wonder if training looks more ordinary than we imagine. As strange as it sounds, sometimes we need to think smaller. Our longings for extraordinary experiences can blind us to the opportunity right in front of us. Even good ambitions require little steps first. Before you climb a mountain, you have to do your push-ups. And sometimes finding the motivation to “train yourself” is harder than you imagined.

God’s Grace Is More Than a One-Time Blessing

Do athletic metaphors for spirituality make you feel deflated? Maybe you are struggling in your spiritual life and can’t imagine how you could run harder. Christians feel the pull of sin because we live in tension between what is sometimes called “the now and not yet.” Christ’s sacrifice for our sin has made us “perfect” and yet we are “being sanctified” (Heb. 10:12–14). Our position before God is holy, and yet in practice, we still struggle with sin—both our own and also the sins of others. Paul describes it by saying, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. . . . Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:19, 24).We all feel this tension of not being good enough and frustration with struggles that we can’t seem to conquer. Remember there is grace for this moment. God’s grace is not exhausted by justification but overflows into sanctification. So we can respond with Paul, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:25).

Where Do You Find Hope?

Scottish pastor, Robert Murray M’Cheyne, once said, “For every look at self, take ten looks at Christ.” In other words, however long we analyze our struggles, we need to spend that amount of time—times ten—meditating on Christ and His promises. When we read God’s Word, listen to preaching, and pray, our minds are transformed and our spirits are renewed. These disciplines feel ordinary, and even boring at times, but God uses these ordinary means of grace to do an extraordinary transformation in our hearts. Far too often our struggles blind us to the hope in front of us. Like a millionaire who acts homeless, we have a wealth of resources in Christ but can’t see past our circumstances to take hold of it. But when we look to Christ, we find hope, because in Him we have everything we need for life and godliness (  2 Peter 1:3). Does godliness seem like an intimidating goal? Do you know that there is hope in Christ when your heart feels weary?

A version of this article was posted at TrueWoman.com under the title, Spiritual Training for Weary Souls 

unsplash-logoMelissa Askew

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Anxiety Christel Gospel Spiritual Growth

You Don’t Have to Be Anxious and Troubled

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her 

(Luke 10:41).

This story of two sisters resonates with me. Like Martha, I like things done well. I’m not a laid back, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl. I may wish I was, but I have a deep-seated compulsion to cross my t’s and dot my i’s. I like my house clean, my meals balanced and my calendar organized. (Although I don’t accomplish this often!) Like Martha, I am frequently, as Jesus diagnosed, “anxious and troubled about many things”.

In Martha’s defence, she does have Jesus sitting in her living room. Jesus. This is not your average house guest. I imagine that Martha is not merely a resentful sibling; but she is sincerely distressed. She wants to please Jesus. She longs to be the perfect hostess, as defined by her family and culture.

Meanwhile, her beloved sister, Mary, was not helping. The text says that while Martha “was distracted with much serving” Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet” (v.39).

It’s not hard to understand Martha’s frustration when she asks, “Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” (v.40).

Martha’s Malady

Jesus’ response to Martha is neither scathing nor placating. Instead, he cuts straight to the heart of the issue with both compassion and frankness; “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.”

When Jesus tells Martha that “one thing is necessary”, He doesn’t mean that food and shelter are superfluous. It was not that Mary had chosen a spiritual occupation (learning from Jesus) while Martha had chosen a carnal one (serving and hospitality). John 12 records how Jesus dined with them again, and again “Martha served” while Mary anointed Jesus feet with expensive oil. Jesus was not rebuking Martha for her role in the household—service and hospitality are Christian virtues–rather, Jesus was diagnosing a spiritual malady.

Those of us who resonate with Martha like to be able to control our environment. We trust in our own ability to make life comfortable, safe and sustainable. Jesus didn’t despise Martha’s servant heart; He loved her (Jn. 11:5). But Jesus loved Martha enough to tell her that her pursuit of perfection on earth was wrong-headed. Not only is it impossible for humans to control their circumstances with God-like ability, it’s also prideful and inherently unstable. There was a better way, and Mary had chosen it.

The Good Portion

Anyone who struggles with anxiety can tell you that it’s torturous and exhausting. Jesus’ rebuke cuts through the ropes that bind Martha to false obligations of perfection. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.”

The simplicity of Jesus direction is paradigm shifting. Martha is not the linchpin upon which all other moving pieces depend. She is a valued part, but not the centre. Martha’s problem was that she had an over-inflated view of both her ability and responsibility. She was limited by humanity, but expected her work to reflect the perfection of Divinity.

Perhaps Mary should have helped Martha, but Jesus said that Mary had chosen the “good portion”. These words bring to mind numerous Old Testament passages that speak of close communion with God as the believer’s “portion” or “inheritance” (e.g. Ps. 16:5-6, 73:26, Josh.18:7). Mary took the posture of disciple and servant. She chose close fellowship with Jesus as her priority.

The irony for Martha was that she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. meanwhile, the One who actually “upholds the universe” was sitting in her living room (Heb. 1:3)! She was tore up about food, drink and hospitality standards, while the Creator, Sustainer and Savior of humanity was sitting at her table. I can’t help feeling embarrassed for Martha when I read this passage, and yet how often do I choose to fixate on temporal things while matters of eternal value fade into the background?

We may not have Jesus at our table, but distance doesn’t make a difference. Only Jesus holds the universe together by the word of his power. He dwells in us by His Spirit (1 Jn 3:24) and strengthens us for the tasks ahead (Phil. 4:13). And yes, this is good news for the Marthas among us.

For those of us who resonate with Martha’s control-anxiety, we need to constantly choose the better portion; we must prioritize time at Jesus’ feet. We may have emails to send, people to feed and responsibilities to fulfill. But when we choose fellowship with God first, we acknowledged that He is the centre of our universe. He is the linchpin that holds it all together.

When the stuff of life pulls us in twenty different directions, the good news is this: only one thing is necessary. The rest is transient. Like Martha, our role may be to serve, but when we choose to prioritize close communion with the Lord first, it allows us to relinquish our control-anxiety to Him. The day ahead may be filled with responsibilities, deadlines and scheduled events, but our hearts are not frantic. “My flesh and my heart may fail,” says the Psalmist, “but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Ps. 73:26)

This article was originally published at The Gospel Coalition Canada as Good News For the Marthas Among Us

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unsplash-logoPriscilla Du Preez

Categories
Body Image Christel Creation Home & Health Spiritual Growth

What does a Pilates Class have to do with Intelligent Design?

I remember a while ago how I had to study anatomy intensively in order to get my Pilates teacher training certification.

The intricate and complex design of the human body was a little overwhelming to comprehend. Having barely scratched the surface of the muscular and skeletal systems, I was struck by how each of the many muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones are integrated so perfectly for the human body to function.

Each detail has a reason behind it. There is a distinct purpose in the masterpiece of the human body. The study of anatomy points strongly to a Designer. I recall how the Pilates instructor said on the one hand, “We don’t really need the psoas minor anymore, it was only necessary when we walked on all fours”, yet on the other hand could say, “The way the femur attaches into the hip socket is a genius design.”

Later another student asked, “Why is the lumbar spine designed like…um…I mean…whatever you believe…what is the purpose of its limited range of motion in rotation?”

As we saw the purpose and function of everything, it was pretty difficult to talk about the human body as a mere random chance. Presupposing evolution made it hard for anyone to ask “why?” without contradicting themselves.

Psalm 139 says:

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

Psalm 139

Creation undeniably points to the glory of the Creator. What joy to know that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” in a way that transcends even our profound physical make-up. Studying anatomy has helped me appreciate again the wonder of God having “intricately woven” us in secret.

Who can comprehend the greatness of the mind of God?

Categories
Christel Marriage Puritans Spiritual Growth

The Priority of Spiritual Motherhood

discipleship
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

This is a post which appeared recently at The Gospel Coalition Canada. Here’s an excerpt:

Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) was a puritan woman and a published poet, but what fascinates me most about her is the priority she placed on spiritual motherhood. She wrote letters, proverbs and biblical advice for her children (even into adulthood). When it came to building up her children’s faith, she didn’t leave it to the experts. She took every opportunity to invest in her children’s spiritual good.

Read the rest at TGC:

The Priority of Spiritual Motherhood

Categories
Christel Gospel

Studying Mark’s Gospel: Good News for Imperfect Disciples

Credit: Steve Halama

At Calvary Grace, our women’s group has been studying the gospel of Mark. No matter how many times I’ve read it, I still find the gospel astounding.

Jesus consistently taught his disciples that his mission was to suffer many things, to be rejected and killed, and then rise again on the third day (e.g. Mk. 8:31). But his disciples didn’t know what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it (Mk. 9:32). I can’t really blame them. The whole episode that Jesus undergoes is both too horrific to contemplate and also too wonderful to comprehend. It’s horrific because the blood Jesus shed seems gory to my modern sensibilities, and the payment he made seems unbearable. And yet without blood there is no remission of sins (Heb. 9:22). This impossibly bad news is also paradoxically the best news: every sinful thought or deed that God’s children have ever done (or ever will do) is paid for in full by his “once for all” sacrifice (Heb. 10:10).

Leading up to the cross, the depth of human depravity is starkly juxtaposed with Jesus’ sacrificial love for us. The problem of sin is not whitewashed in Christianity. Even Jesus’ closest companions and star disciples fail him at every turn. The disciples sleep when they should pray. One betrays Jesus. Peter denies him. Nowhere is it implied that if people are given enough opportunity, they can eradicate their own sin problem.

Even the women who knew Jesus best–Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna and others (Lk. 24:10) who traveled with Jesus and provided for him “out of their means” (Lk. 8:2)—were momentarily paralyzed by fear when confronted with the empty tomb. These women would have heard Jesus teaching on his death and resurrection, they were eyewitnesses of the former brutality, and of his burial, but still did not understand that Jesus would rise. When confronted with the empty tomb “they said nothing to anyone for they were afraid” (Mk.16:8).

Jesus disciples were far from perfect. The fact of this is both depressing and wonderful. As I read these final pages in Mark, I’m rooting for them. I want them to do better, and yet, I relate to their imperfections. I’m afraid when I should rejoice. I’m asleep when I should be praying. I’m silent when I should be speaking. But Jesus didn’t come to save perfect people, he came to save sinners.

The religious leaders of the time accused Jesus of blasphemy because “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mk. 2:7) And yet, Jesus freely forgave sinners. Despite the unbelief of the Scribes and Pharisees, the gospel accounts all testify that Jesus is the Son of God, both fully God and fully man, and uniquely qualified to redeem humanity and provide deliverance from the weight of sin.

I’ve been a Christian for many years and I still can hardly grasp the gospel. The cost is both too great and too little. Jesus paid an inconceivably vast debt and I paid nothing at all. As the classic hymn says, “All the fitness He requireth. Is to feel your need of Him”.

Jesus came to save sinners, not those who imagine themselves spiritual superstars. When the religious leaders were angry with Jesus for eating with unworthy people (i.e. “sinners and tax collectors” (Mk. 2:16)), Jesus replied, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mk. 2:17).

This is good news for imperfect people. Yes, sin is a great problem.  But Jesus is a greater Saviour.