Manna for Moms

Just Moved!

2009-07-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

I have moved my blog to a less cute blog page, but it is multi-purposeful. I have 4 blogs so I have decided to start all over & combine them all together.

You can find me now @ http://danabailey.blogspot.com

Go over & check it out!

Family Friendly Reviews

2009-07-10T11:50:00.001-07:00

Do you know what your kids are watching or listening to? When you take them to the movies, do you know what the movie is about…I mean really about? Or are you assuming that the commercial trailers are a fairly accurate sampling of the movie?

I have found a few websites that I like to use in reviewing music my kids listen to, TV shows that watch & movies they see. I have teenagers who go to the movies with friends so I am not always sitting there with them when they see a movie now. But I want to know what they are seeing & if it is appropriate for Believers to see.

SCREEN IT! is a site that I just found and enjoy. One Million Moms calls it the “best parental resource out there” The reviews are free, but there is a membership section of the website.

Another site I often check out is Plugged In. This is a Christian site so the reviews often come from a Biblical Worldview. I appreciate that you can also get reviews of music & TV shows on Plugged In.

So what is your family seeing this summer? You have to be very choosy.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a popular movie to see, but do you know what is in it? See what Plugged In & Screen It have to say.

What about Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen? This is a big one among the teenagers. It is rated PG-13, so is it safe? Read the reviews & decide for yourself.

Plugged In

Screen It!

A few weeks ago, Scott & I went to see the movie UP, the Pixar movie that came out in May. This movie was surprisingly good. We were impressed and are planning on renting the DVD when it comes out so the kids can see it. It had a great message to the movie; In the end, our things mean nothing, but our relationships with others will mean a great deal. Plugged In had a good review that I felt gave a good picture of what the movie was all about. Read their review of UP here. Here is the review by Screen IT.

Enjoy your summer!

Linky Love Links

2009-07-04T11:07:00.001-07:00

I’ve been tagged by Lara. I don’t normally participate in tags, but this one seemed neat because it helps to share helpful links with others. If you participate, please link back to me.

Just copy paste THIS and everything below up until my Five links:

I thought it would be cool to have a meme where we post links. We can post up to five. Then we tell five more people to share their links. If we all share who tagged us, our links are sure to be seen!

They can be business links, favorite sites, affiliate links, whatever you want…

There are Five Rules:

1. MUST be clean. No R rated sites.
2. Only FIVE links.
3. MUST tell 5 people.
4. A link back to the person who tagged you
5. Lara’s Place is the meme originator. (an active link is appreciated)

-----------------------------end copy and paste-------------------------------->

My favorite links;

1. Living on a Dime

2. Split Decisionz – This is where I have found the best help on creating great blogs!

3. Selah~Pause.Ponder.Praise – great blog!

4. Moms the Word-I love to hear. Great new blog I just found.

5. Bible Gateway – Favorite online Bible study source.

I’m tagging:

1. Super_Angel

2. Paula

3. Laura Lee

4. Amy

5. Jacque

Prayer Challenge Day 28: His Self Image

2009-06-29T23:06:00.001-07:00

Chapter 28 is focusing on praying on our husband’s self image.

In today’s society self image is everything isn’t it? The message out there is that we are to believe in our selves and be true to ourselves. We are supposed to have a healthy self image and then we will be truly happy.

As my grandfather used to say, “rubbish!” We don’t not gain a healthy self image by believing in ourselves, that is what caused all the trouble to begin with. It is only we we believe in God and know who we are in Him that we can have an accurate view of who we are. We are created in His image, but Satan wants us to believe something different.

Satan want us to believe that our identity comes from what we have done. But God says our identity comes from what God has done for us.(Romans 8:31-34)

Satan says that our identity comes from what people say about us, but God says that our identity comes from what God says about you.(John 1:2, Eph 1:5)

We can become so washed over by society’s crazy message that we can fall for the lie and “lose” our identity.

If your husband is one of those who is troubled in trying to find his identity, your prayers can be a very powerful part in his journey. It will not be an over night change. These things take time. But the first steps your husband must make in becoming confident in who he is, is knowing who God is. As believers, our identity is in Christ.

Stormie had this to say;

God says our first steps are to be toward Him: seeking His face, following His laws, putting Him first and self-centered pursuits last. When we line up with Him, He leads the way and all we have to do is follow. As we look to Him, the glory of His image gets imprinted upon us. When our self image gets so wrapped up in God that we lose ourselves in the process, we’re free. We want that liberty for our husband's as well as ourselves.

You husband will never see who he really is until he sees who God really is.

Stay on your knees for your husband. Pray the Word and pray specifically. It can be life changing, for you & for your husband.

Prayer Challenge Day 27: His Obedience

2009-06-29T22:49:00.001-07:00

Dear Moms thank you for hanging in there with me as we come to the end of our 30 day challenge to pray for our husbands. It has been a blessed time as we have been in a concert of prayer for our husbands.

Today’s chapter is praying for our husbands obedience.

I have been reading a small book by Andrew Murray called, The Blessings of Obedience. It is a short book, but has been packed full of great truth concerning our obedience to God.

He says this concerning obedience…

Obedience is constant dependence on a moment-by-moment fellowship and operation of God,a hearing and seeing of what God speaks, does and shows.

The very essence of salvation is obedience to God. Christ as the Obedient One saves us as His obedient ones. Whether in His suffering on earth or in His glory in heaven, Christ’s heart is set on obedience.

Our obedience is a really big deal to God. He has made it clear that there are blessings in store for the obedient. In Deuteronomy 11:26-28 the importance of our obedience is summed up in this way…

I set before you…A blessing, if you obey…And a curse, if you will not obey.

Be careful not to pray for the blessing, but to rather to be concerned with obedience. God will take care of the blessing. We should be more concerned with how we can obey and please our God than the blessings that follow obedience.

If you love me, you will obey what I command (John 14:15)

Jesus is talking to the disciples here in John 14. The love that is used in this verse is the Greek word Agape. This is a devoted love. The same love that is used in Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.” This is the same love that Jesus asked Peter if he had for him.(John 21) It is a devoted love, not a brotherly love. Matthew Henry calls it a “sincere love”.

Why am I focusing so much on this word love? Because if you have this type of love for your God you will want to obey him. If you have this type of love for him when you don’t obey him you will be in agony over your disobedience, because you will recognize that you have been unfaithful to your God.

In Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit are listed and this agape love is the first listed as a fruit of the Spirit. You will be known by your fruit. When you know your God and you are filled with His Spirit, agape love will be a natural outpouring from you and obedience will follow.

I love what Stormie writes in chapter 27 about how to deal with disobedience in your husband. She writes;

If you clearly observe your husband walking down a wrong path, should you way something? If so, how much should you say and when is the right time to say it? The best way I’ve found to proceed is to take it to God first and weigh it on His scales. He may instruct you to just be quiet and pray. But if He does direct you to speak to your husband about the matter, there will be a far greater chance of him hearing God’s voice somewhere in your words if you’ve prayed before you speak. Praying that his eyes be opened to the truth and his heart convicted will be far more effective than you telling him what to do.

This can be a scary thing if you are considering approaching your husband about his disobedience. Remember to cover it in prayer first. Don’t let your emotions lead you. If you have a mentor you can go to, seek her advice and ask her to pray with you about what to do. As you pray for your husband’s obedience, pray about your own obedience also. The Lord has shown me many areas of disobedience in my own life as I prayed through this chapter for my husband.

Blessings in your prayers!

Prayer Challenge Day 26; His Deliverance

2009-06-26T08:35:00.001-07:00

Today’s prayer for our husband is praying for his deliverance.

Because we are created with a sin nature, we all need to be delivered from that. Most times we need deliverance from something in our past that we have held on to. Satan loves nothing more than to use our past to create shame and blame in our lives. We are held in bondage by strongholds.

Are there any strongholds that your husband is struggling with? Sometimes we may not think of them as strongholds, but if they keep us from having a close relationship with Christ, then they are strongholds.

My husband has been on a very painful spiritual journey for several years. It has been very hard for me to watch him go through this time, but I know that it is necessary so that the Lord can break the strongholds my husband had. The fruit that has come from this time of breaking the spirit is that now he truly leads our home in all ways. He has a deepening love for the Lord that he did not have before. He has an unquenchable thirst for the wisdom and knowledge of God. Though we still struggle, my husband now feels a freedom that I don’t think he thought he could ever experience. He now has an unexplainable peace and joy that our family truly benefits from.

What does your husband need deliverance from?

The prayer in our book was excellent (pg179-180), I would encourage you to use it as a guide in praying for your husband that he will find deliverance.

Part of her prayer…

LORD, You have said to call upon You in the day of trouble and You will deliver us (Ps 50:15). I call upon You know and ask that You would work deliverance in my husband’s life. Deliver him from anything that binds him. Set him free from (name a specific thing) . Deliver him quickly and be a rock of refuge and a fortress of defense to save him (Ps 31:2) Lift him away from the hands of the enemy(Ps 31:15).

Prayer Challenge day 17 - 25

2009-06-26T07:54:00.001-07:00

I am behind in my blog posts on the challenge and can’t get caught up at this time, so I am linking you to Amy’s blog. She has such wonderful insight and had blessed me through this challenge.

Day 17 – His Relationships

Day 18 – His Fatherhood

Day 19 – His Past

Day 20 – His Attitude

Day 21 – His Marriage

Day 22 – His Emotions

Day 23 – His Walk

Day 24 – His Talk

Day 25 – His Repentance

I hope to blog on these later, but just can’t right now like I want to. Today’s chapter is His Deliverance and I hope to have a post finished & up soon.

Prayer Challenge day 17 - 25

2009-06-26T07:52:00.001-07:00

I am behind in my blog posts on the challenge and can’t get caught up at this time, so I am linking you to Amy’s blog. She has such wonderful insight and had blessed me through this challenge.

Day 17 – His Relationships

Day 18 – His Fatherhood

Day 19 – His Past

Day 20 – His Attitude

Day 21 – His Marriage

Day 22 – His Emotions

Day 23 – His Walk

Day 24 – His Talk

Day 25 – His Repentance

I hope to blog on these later, but just can’t right now like I want to. Today’s chapter is His Deliverance and I hope to have a post finished & up soon.

Prayer Challenge Day 16; His Priorities

2009-06-26T07:39:00.001-07:00

Here are the thoughts of a friend of mine on praying for our husbands priorities.

Amy writes;

I just love it when Stormie gets right to the heart of the chapter in the first paragraph and this one certainly lays it all out there:

Men have many different ideas about what their priorities should be. But every wife feels she should be at the top of her husband's list --- right under God. I've found, however, that if a wife wants her husband's priorities to be in that kind of order, she has to make sure HERS are in the order as well. In other words, if you want your husband to place you as a priority over work, children, friends, and activities, you need to do the same for him. If God and spouse aren't clearly top priorities in your life, you husband will have less incentive to make them so in his. -Stormie OMartian (p.127)

To read the rest of what Amy wrote go to Dandelion Seeds.

Prayer Challenge Day 15: His Reputation

2009-06-24T06:34:00.001-07:00

Today’s chapter in The Power of a Praying Wife is focused on praying for your husband’s reputation.

I think as wives, we have a lot to do with our husband’s reputation. Proverbs 31:23 tells us,

Her husband is respected at the city gate where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

Why is her husband respected at the city gate? She is known as a woman of virtue. She knows what her role as his wife is and she carries it out very well. She is minding her own business, not hanging out at the city well gossiping about the new family in town. She is about her business caring for her family and serving others in the community. She is not her husband’s doormat, she is his companion.

1 Corinthians 11:7

…but the woman is the glory of her husband

A simplified definition of “glory” in this case is that we are to make our husbands look good. Just as we are to glorify God in all we do, we are to make God look good to others. We let them see his goodness, grace & love through us.

How are we as Biblical wives to make our husbands look good to others so to add to his reputation in a good way?

Speech – How do you talk about your husband to other people? Do you list all of his faults or do you praise him and compliment him? I know a lady who loves to tell me everything her husband does that frustrates her. I don’t remember every hearing her compliment him. How sad! Tell others how wonderful your husband is.
Home – How do you keep your home? Is it chaotic and disorganized or is it peaceful & orderly. What kind of home do you think your husband wants to come home to everyday after work? You might want to ask him.
Your appearance – How do you keep yourself? Do you dress sloppy with un-kept hair & face or do you dress nice & neat? Even worse, do you dress immodestly? Are your clothes too tight & shirts too low in the front? I served with our Jr. High girls for a short time at our church and modesty was always an issue. But I noticed that most of the girls who came to church in short skirts & low cut blouses were only dressing like their mothers. Your appearance reflects your husband and what others will think of him. What kind of reputation do you want your husband to have?

Your prayers for your husband’s reputation are important also. I like to pray that any attacks that are made towards my husbands reputation will be blocked and not successful.

Pray:

your husband will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and prompting to guide him away from snares to his reputation.
the enemy’s attempts to ruin him would be thwarted.
your husband will be faithful in meeting with God everyday so as to be prepared for what may come his way.

Thank you for sharing in this journey with me of praying for our husbands. His reputation is at stake.

Planning a SONshine Summer

2009-06-22T12:59:00.001-07:00

My friend Jody Capehart(author of a million books, excellent & very funny speaker to teachers & parents everywhere) has a blog & I wanted to share part of a post on her blog with you. It is full of practical things to do with your kids this summer & her godly wisdom is sprinkled through out.

by Jody Capehart @ Capehart Connection

When I was growing up, there were natural book ends to the summer. It began after Memorial Day and ended with Labor Day. I miss the simplistic boundaries of having 12 weeks for summer. But then I guess everything seemed simpler in the "good 'ole days" when summer did have more of those lazy, hazy days. Now the school year ends and before anyone has even poured a tall cool glass of lemonade, the frantic summer schedule begins.

Simplify Your Schedule

Select activities that are seasonal such as Vacation Bible School, swimming lessons and perhaps a summer camp if your child is that age. Look at the other activities and prayerfully consider the full impact of your choices.

As you embrace this summer, may I suggest making these a priority:

Pray. Commit the summer to the Lord. What does He want for you and your family this summer?

Read. Get a stack of good literature to read to and with your children. Set up a daily reading time every day. Yes, even with the older children, set aside a time for reading each day. Everyone grabs their favorite book, and read or you can read all together.

Slow down. We are on such a tight schedule during the school year. Use the summer to simply be with one another. Talk. Walk. Play. Enjoy one another.

PLANNING

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Remember: expectations can be enemies! We need to realize that everything we plan may not be as 'rich and meaningful' as it plays out in our mind. Have you ever planned that 'perfect family field trip', only to arrive and have your children whine for quarters to play the video games?

Let’s prioritize our priorities. Find quiet time each day for the Lord, and time to connect with our family instead of simply filling up each day with things to do.

Our personalities factor into the equation. In light of the DISC model, each personality type (and we are all unique combinations of these types) ‘brings to the summer table’ certain personality qualities that affect how we plan our summer. This is a simplistic view but perhaps you can see yourself in these personalities.

If you are a D (choleric or a lion-type), you tend to be more driving, decisive and determined to make it a great summer. You already have your plans done and you are off and running.

If you are the I (sanguine or otter), you may be inspired, interactive and interesting. You basically want to have fun with people this summer. To make plans seems boring to you because you simply want to know which people you are going to see this summer.

If you are the S (phlegmatic or golden retriever) you are the peacemaker, you can 'go with the flow' better than anyone. You are steady, stable and sweet-natured.

If you are the C (melancholy or beaver) you are the conscientious, careful and competent one who wants to plan every moment of the summer to "do it right". You are a perfectionist and since most things on planet earth don't measure up, you can get overwhelmed and 'bummed' out easily.

Each personality-type has strengths and weaknesses. No one personality type is right or wrong, we are simply different from one another.

To read the rest (because you don’t want to miss a word) go to Jody’s Blog. She has a lot more to share with you.

Prayer Challenge Day 14; Praying for His Integrity

2009-06-22T11:15:00.001-07:00

Integrity means “sound, complete, integrated.” To the extent that a person’s ethics and morality are integrated, that person has integrity. To the extent that a person’s ethics and morality are not integrated, that person lacks integrity.

I have found a few other views on a man’s integrity that I want to share with you. I hope that you are blessed & enlightened by them as I was.

R.C. Sproul says;

To be undone means to come apart at the seams, to be unraveled. To disintegrate means exactly what the word suggests, “dis integrate.” To integrate something is to put pieces together in a unified whole…. The word integrity…[suggests] a person whose life is whole or wholesome. In modern slang we say, “He’s got it all together.”

To have integrity is to be integrated, to be whole, to have it all together in a sense, to be consistent.

One Holy Passion (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1987).

Kenneth Boa Th.M.; Ph.D.; D.Phil: had this to say;

When we live our entire lives before the face of God (corem deo) and practice a constant abiding in his presence, we realize that being people who do not manifest integrity is inconsistent with the dignity and destiny we’ve been called to. We have been called to live on a higher plane than that, to “live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received” (Ephesians 4:1), because, now, Christ is in us. He wants to live his life through us (Galatians 2:20); we are not only his representatives (2 Corinthians 5:20), as members of his church we are, in some mysterious way, his body (Ephesians 1:23; Colossians 1:24).

Now, that’s impossible unless he dwells in us, but therein lies the solution. In fact, this is the genius of the Christian life. Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship. Christianity is not about rules and regulations. Instead, it is the presence and power of a person who indwells us and promises to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

I encourage you to pray that your husband would abide in Christ. When we are constantly abiding in Him, our integrity is not in question.

Pray that he will consistently seek the face of Christ through daily prayer and Bible study.

Pray that he seek want to please God & do what is right. A man can be highly valued among men, but detestable in God’s sight (Luke 16:15)

Praise the Lord that he has given you a husband who seeks to be whole and integrated with his Lord, consistent in his walk with the Lord.

Praise the Lord that your husband is by God & man as a man of integrity thus leaving a legacy of blessings for his children.

Prayer Challenge Day 13; Praying for His Trials

2009-06-22T11:12:00.001-07:00

If you started this prayer challenge the first of June, you should actually be in chapter 20, His Attitude. I am behind again because of leaving my book at my mothers house. But, I have kept up with Amy’s blog and have continued to pray for my husband.

If you are just now beginning the 30 day’s of prayer for your husband, WELCOME! I pray you are very blessed.

I’m posting today on chapter 13, Praying for his trials.

We have lived in a season of trials so long that I can barely remember a time when we were not experiencing some type of trial. God has taught us so much during this difficult season of our lives. One of the greatest lessons I have learned is that my view of God determines my response to my trials.

Knowing my God, not just about him, is what makes the difference in how I respond and conduct myself in the midst of trials. This doesn’t mean that I always respond with a joyful & thankful heart when yet another trial is laid upon our family. I still have my days when I just want it all to go away. But, I am quickly brought back by the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit and reminded that my God is Sovereign and he holds me in His hand.

Another lesson I have learned is that when I experience trials this is really an opportunity to experience my God in a way that I would have otherwise experienced. What a glorious opportunity!

C.H. Spurgeon wrote:

I write this with all reverence: God Himself cannot deliver a person who is not in trouble. Therefore, it is to some advantage to be in distress, because God can then deliver you. Even Jesus Christ, the Healer of me, cannot heal a person who is not sick. Therefore, sickness is not an adversity for us, but rather an advantageous opportunity for Christ to heal us. The point is, my reader, your adversity may prove your advantage by offering occasion for the display of divine grace.

Spurgeon on Prayer and Spiritual Warfare

Pray your husband will put his hope in God’s unfailing love ({s 147:11) not the hope of no more trials.

Pray your husband will stand firm against the attacks of the devil (Eph 6:12)

Pray your husband will be obedient in spite of trials (Ps 112:4)

Pray your husband will learn to cry out to God as David did. (Ps 55:16-18)

Here is Amy’s thoughts on this chapter. Praying His Trials

Prayer Challenge Day 12; Praying for His Protection

2009-06-22T11:10:00.001-07:00

When praying for ones protection, I have learned that there are 3 main areas to pray for protection.

Physical

Emotional

Spiritual

Praying for physical protection

Psalm 91:11 says, “For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.”

How comforting it is to know that God commands his angels concerning us. His angels are there to protect us. I love praying for the angels that the Lord has commanded to see after my husband and children. I love hearing the stories of the “near misses” my husband has experienced while driving or in other circumstances. We both know that the Lord’s protection is responsible for my husbands safety.

Praying for emotional protection

Isaiah 26:3, You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Pray protection over your husband’s mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to guard again frustration, doubt & depression. Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, your husband can experience perfect peace if his mind is steadfast on the Lord.

Praying for spiritual protection

Ephesians 6:10-12, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Pray for spiritual protection that the Holy Spirit would protect your husband from the the schemes and from personal attacks of the Devil . He is on the attack & if your husband has a close relationship with the Lord, he is at the top of the Devils list.

What a blessing it is when we can see the evidence of God’s protection in you and your husband’s life.

Prayer Challenge Day 10; Praying for His Choices

2009-06-22T11:08:00.001-07:00

Chapter 10 in The Power of a Praying Wife is about your husband’s choices.

Often as the wife, we like to think that we can help our husband make better choices. Doesn’t it feel good to us when our husband changes his mind based on something we told him? It is important to remember that ” God is the only one who can give true discernment.” (Power of a Praying Wife pg.100) I cannot be my husband’s Holy Spirit, but I can pray that the Holy Spirit will give my husband the discernment he needs to make wise choices.

Scripture is very clear in giving us a picture of what the wise man looks like versus a foolish man.

Wise Man

Listens to wise council (Proverbs 1:5)
Looks to the Lord for guidance. (Proverbs. 3:7)
Fears the Lord. (Proverbs 1:7)
Delights in reading adn studying the Word. (Psalm 1:1)
Seeks wisdom above all earthly things. (Proberbs 8:10-11)
Humbles himself and repents of his sin(2 Chronicles 7:14)

Foolish Man

hates knowledge (Proverbs 1:29-31)
dispises wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7)
Keeps the wrong kind of company (Psalm 1:1)
Listens to the council of the wicked (Psalm 1:1)
Does not delight in the Word, has no interest in it. (Psalm 1:2)
Calls evil good. (Isaiah 5:20-25)

If your husband is considered wise according to scripture, not the world, then praise the Lord daily for this gift. Pray that he will continue to trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6) , humble himself and seek the Lord in all he does. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

If your husband is not making wise choices, cover him in prayer. What a gift to him to have a wife praying on his behalf. Seek the prayers of close friends and invite them to join you in praying for your husband.

Your husband’s choices don’t just affect him, but your whole family also.

Pray patiently and faithfully. (Romans 12:12) You can’t make your husband choose wisely, but you can pray.
Pray that God will put wise, godly men in your husband’s life.
Pray that your husband will be teachable and will listen to wise council.
Pray that the Lord will break your husband’s spirit. This is really tough to do. But if you read & follow the lives of the righteous in scripture, you will read that those that God used were first broken and humbled. Paul is a great example of this (Read the book of Acts). This process is never easy and never feels good, but necessary if God is going to use us and we are going to have the wisdom needed to make wise choices.

Wise choices are made by those who know the Lord and seek to please him only. Those who seek their own good will rarely make wise choices.

Pray that your husband will seek the Lord in all he does and desire to please him above all else.

Prayer Challenge Day 11; Praying for His Health

2009-06-22T11:05:00.001-07:00

If you are just now joining us in our 30 day challenge to pray for our husbands…GREAT! Welcome & I know you will be blessed. You can also go to Dandelion Seeds where my friend Amy is blogging through this challenge also. She started it & has some excellent thoughts on it.

Today’s post is on chapter 11, His Health.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases

Psalm 103:2,3

This chapter is focused on our husband’s health. If you have a husband who does not have the greatest good health habits then I think we first must pray for him concerning this, but we also should live by example to them.

It is hard to convince my husband that he needs to cut down on soda when I drink them all day also. I think that it is too easy to see how others should change and not see how we also can change. Here are just a few things we can do ourselves that will hopefully help our husbands also.

Drink plenty of water. Put the soda and artifically flavored drinks away and drink water instead. It is amazing to me how many things I normally crave, I don’t crave when I am drinking lots of water.
Eat lot’s of raw fruit & veggies. Offer fruit for breakfast in addition to what they normally eat. Offer raw veggies through a salad or by themselves with the meal. I am always surprised and what my husband will eat & enjoy when it is offered.
Take a walk & invite him to go with you.

When all else fails, pray. NO! In addition to praying, live by example.

Concerning chronic illness and praying for healing; I have two friends in my church who have recently lost their husbands. Both women are in their late 50’s and their husbands were early 60’s. Both of these women lived with and cared for their husbands while they battled cancer. It was a difficult rod to travel, but both of these women did it with such great faith. They prayed that their husbands would be healed of the cancer, but they both knew that the healing could possible not be here on Earth, but be found in Heaven. I know that they wanted to have at least 20 more years with their husbands, but I know these women and I know that they knew that God had a plan for their husband. That plan is what they wanted and they trusted the Lord with that.

I don’t know the pain of watching my husband suffer from a chronic illness nor do I know the pain and agony of losing my husband to death. I pray that I would be found faithful to my God if I had to experience this.

I do pray that my husband would be strengthened physically so that he can continue to live an active and full life. I pray that I can help him to eat the right foods by preparing them for him and I pray that I will live by example a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

Praise the Lord that we can find healing either here on earth of in Heaven.

3-2-1 Biscuits

2009-06-10T07:54:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine brought biscuits to a meeting we had this past year & they were the best I had ever had. Up until now, my biscuits were just from a baking mix. I didn't like making them from scratch because there just seem to be too many ingredients. Not so with these 3-2-1 Biscuits. My kids love these. They are not the most healthy, but very delicious!

Recipe
3 Tablespoons of sugar
2 cups of Self Rising Flour(not all purpose)
1 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream (the not so healthy part)

Mix together, roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut. I use the top of a coffee mug because I don't have a biscuit cutter. But for your kids I bet they would like fun shapes from a cookie cutter.
Bake 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Just watch them & smell them. When they smell real good & are browning on top, they should be done.

We love putting a little butter & strawberry preserves in the middle of ours. No gravy needed!

Enjoy!

Prayer Challenge Day 9; Praying for His Purpose

2009-06-10T07:27:00.001-07:00

Today we read chapter 9 of Power of a Praying Wife and read the importance of our husbands knowing their God given purpose.

To be very honest & transparent with you, I have to admit that I really struggle with this. Up until a few years ago my husband was very confidant in what he thought God’s purpose for him was. His purpose was all wrapped up in his occupation. Then God took that away and now my husband struggles with knowing what God’s purpose for him is. I have struggled with encouraging him in this because I don’t know what his purpose is either.

Years ago, we taught our kids parts of the Westminster Catechism. The very first question is, “What is man’s chief end?” The answer is what my father taught me as a little girl.

“Man’s chief end is to glorify God.”

That just means that our purpose is the glorify God in all we do and say. That is why we are here, to show others a glimpse of what our God is like through the way we love them and relate to them and hopefully he will draw them to Him.

But what happens when the day in and day out purpose is not so clear. We are to glorify God in all we do. What are we supposed to be doing? That is where my husband and I are at right now. We continue to pray and believe that God will reveal his plan and purpose to us, but the waiting is a killer!

Stormie Omartian wrote in this chapter that whatever your husband is called to do, you are called there also. Do you support him in what he is doing?

I have seen pastor’s wives that have said, “That is his ministry”. How sad is that? She separated herself from that to do her “own thing”. If God is calling your husband into a new job or maybe a ministry, you are being called there also, support him and encourage him.

This morning I prayed Philippians 1:17-19 for my husband.

I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

The Message

I asked the Lord to show my husband clearly what his purpose for him is. I asked that my husband’s eyes would be open, focused & clear. I asked that he would help me to see it too so that I could encourage & support him in whatever it is. I prayed that my husband would have a renewed excitement for what the Lord is preparing to do. We can get so worn down in the waiting.

Dear one, I hope that you are experiencing a change in your heart towards your Lord & towards your husband as you pray for him everyday. Our God is at work among his people and he needs us to remain in constant conversation with him. He needs us on our knees as wives in intercession for our husbands. We live in scary times and our husbands need us on our knees for them.

Prayer Challenge Day 8; Praying for His Fears

2009-06-09T07:01:00.001-07:00

OK, I think I am caught up now. It took blogging two chapters in one day, but my little ones are sleeping in a bit, so I am taking advantage of the time the Lord is giving me.

Today we read chapter 8, His Fears. I love how she had us pray for our husband’s mind before we pray for his fears. Understanding the importance of a sound mind full of the truths of God’s Word is laying the foundation of understanding the danger of having a long list of fears.

The scripture tells us that there is only one righteous fear and that is the fear of the Lord(Luke 12:5). That does not mean that we are to be afraid of God as we are afraid of falling off a cliff or something else that threatens our life. Instead we are to respect and reverence the Lord and understand that He is Sovereign and in control of ALL that happens in our life. Not one things happens to us that is a surprise to him. How wonderful a truth that is to cling to.

2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that God does not give us the spirit of fear, so if we are constantly fearful and anxious we must recognize the source of our fear…Satan.

Fears are like ugly wallpaper. No matter how hard you try to cover it up, it will always be there until you replace it. How do we replace our fears? We replace our fears with the Word of God. There is no other way. No counselors or therapists or drugs or even dark chocolate. The Word of God is the only way to replace our fears. We must learn to meditate on them, memorize them and apply them to our lives.

If your husband is struggling with fears, pray that he will recognize the source of his fears. Pray that he will immerse himself in the promises of the Lord. Pray that the strongholds that are holding him in bondage will be broken.

In the back of chapter 8 there are several wonderful scriptures listed that can be prayed. Many of these are my favorites when I see fear creeping in. If you don’t have the book the scripture references are listed below.

Psalm 34:7

Psalm 34:4

Psalm 23:4

Isaiah 41:10

Psalm 27:1

2 Timothy 1:7

Prayer Challenge Day 7; Praying for His Mind

2009-06-09T06:30:00.001-07:00

Chapter 7 of The Power of a Praying Wife is all about praying for your husband’s mind.

The mind often becomes Satan’s playground. When the mind is weak and not filled with God’s truth and promises, Satan can use our circumstances to create in our minds’ frustration, doubt, depression which if left alone could result in attempted suicide.

Our thoughts are important to God, not just our actions. He knows that our actions are a result of our thoughts and obedience is never a result of negative or sinful thoughts. In Psalm 19:14, David prays to God,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The meditations of the heart are what you ponder & think on. David wanted even his thoughts to be pleasing to the Lord.

It is so important that we pray for our husband’s mind. Especially if your husband in experiencing difficult circumstances. So many of our husbands are under attack either in their job, or other ways. I have seen in our mom’s group at church how the Lord has begun a work in the hearts and minds of many of the husbands of the women who attend our group. It has been exciting, but these husbands have all battled with depression and feelings of failure because of a job loss. The “what if’s” can bring a man down to utter ruin if his mind is not on the Lord. I encouraged these moms to pray for their husbands mind because a strong mind filled with the word of God is like a life preserver in the midst of a bad storm. You may fall in the water, but you will not drown.

Pray that your husband is spiritually minded(Romans 8:6) not worldly minded. He considers every thing he does through the light of scripture.
Pray that he will learn to capture every thought that is not of God and throw it out. (2Corinthians 10:5) Remember in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God does not give us the spirit of fear, but of sound mind.(my paraphrase)
Pray that he will think on that which is excellent and praiseworthy. (Philippians 4:8)
Pray that your husband will love the Lord with all his mind.(Mark 12:30) This leaves no room for fear or doubt in his mind.

Just like Stormie reminded us, the power of praying the Word is massive in our prayer life! I can’t stress to you enough how powerful it is to pray the words of God back to Him. There is strength and authority in his words because he wrote them. His word is alive.

I want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Oswald Chambers.

"Fill you mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be easy as breathing for you to remember, my heavenly Father knows all about this! Therefore, you can rest in perfect confidence in Him."

Prayer Challenge Day 6: Praying; His Temptations

2009-06-08T12:36:00.001-07:00

This weekend was my oldest daughter’s High School graduation party, so I didn’t post anything on Saturday. I was busy getting ready for her party. So I am a day behind, but will try to get caught up.

Day 6 in our challenge to pray for our husbands we focus our prayers on temptation. When I hear something like this I often view temptations as something like what is listed in Galatians 5:19-21. This scripture is in the back of chapter 6 of our book, The Power of a Praying Wife.

Galatians 5:19-21; When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

The Message translation has very interesting view of this scripture.

A temptation is something that lures you away from something else. It is enticement, allurement. In the life of a believer, a temptation is something that will lure us away from the Lord. It will appear to be better than, more exciting than, and easier than the ways of the Lord. This is why God does not tempt us, why would he want to lure us away from him? He wants us with him always and forever.

Galatians 5:19-21 is speaking of things that happen when we choose to succumb to temptation and walk in the flesh. But I know that there are others not mentioned in the passage and the better you know your husband the more aware you are of his temptations. When you pray, be specific in these areas.

When I am stressed by my circumstances, I want to eat, preferably chocolate, but any type of junk food will do. I never crave a salad when I am stressed out. This weekend I had one of those days. While preparing for Ashley’s party, I found out that I would now have company for lunch. So, not only did I need to prepare food for 50 plus people, I had to clean my house & prepare a meal for my company. I was stressed. I wanted chocolate. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may have seen my little update, “A bit stressed..need dark chocolate”. I was convicted that it wasn’t chocolate I needed, but time with the Lord. I needed to breathe deeply in His promises, not eat chocolate.

This verse continued to come to my mind throughout the day.

For the Lord your God is living among you.
      He is a mighty savior.
   He will take delight in you with gladness.
      With his love, he will calm all your fears.
      He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Zephaniah 3:17

It helped so much to remind me that with HIS love, he will calm my fears.

Your husband may struggle with temptations that are damaging to your marriage, his life or the lives of others, or he may struggle with temptations that may seem small, but they are still temptations. They are all serious because they entice us away from the Lord and distract us from our focus on Him.

In Stormie’s prayer on page 77, she prayed that her husband would be strengthened so that he can resist temptation. You can’t resist for him or keep him from it, only he can, but only with the strength of the Lord. You can pray. But like Stormie reminded us, if your husband falls for temptation that you have prayed he would resist, don’t blame yourself. It was your husband’s decision. Love him, encourage him and let the Lord work on him in HIS time. God promises the faithful that there is no temptation that is too great and he will provide a way for one to endure it in 1 Corinthian 10:13.

Be faithful in your prayers and be encouraged that there are thousands of other wives praying for their husbands also.

Will you leave me a comment & let me know how participating in this challenge has changed your view of prayer or how it has impacted your life so far. I would love to hear from you!

Prayer Challenge, Day 5; Praying for his Affections

2009-06-05T07:15:00.001-07:00

In our readings today, we read a story about a couple who showed no affection in their marriage with the exception of sex. I personally cannot imagine what this would be like, but I think some of you readers can. The personal rejection felt can create such a deep emotional wound.

This is one area of our marriage we have never had issues with. In fact, our kids often ask us to “get a room” if we are hugging or kissing in front of them. It is never passionate affection, just good old fashioned kissing. We hold hand often, as often as we can. If Scott walks past me, he usually kisses me on the cheek, pats my shoulder or even better pinches my bottom. That really makes the kids squeal. The point is, our children understand that this type of affection is ONLY appropriate in a marriage relationship. It is part of it.

Scott & I also have an unspoken rule between the two of us. We must tell each other “I love you” at least once a day, and we much kiss at least once a day(that one is easy). It is amazing to us how many times we are going about our day & will realize late in the day we have not told each other we love them. Even when I am mad at him, I say it…because it is true!

In chapter 5, I like how each person in the story took their problem to their prayer partners. That is so strengthening to allow others to pray for you and hold you accountable. It is important that we run to the Lord in all things, but what a blessing it is when he has placed godly people in our lives who can pray for us and encourage us. If you don’t have anyone like that, ask the Lord to give you someone. He will, he knows how important the encouragement & comfort of others is to us.

If you are married to a man who struggles with giving affection, your prayers & not your complaining is what he needs. The example given by Patti and Tom is biblical. There may be some areas of your life that the Lord needs to clean up before he begins to work on your husband. Be available to this so that you can experience marriage as God created it to be.

Day 4 of Prayer Challenge; Praying for his Sexuality

2009-06-04T10:18:00.001-07:00

I have had a really hard time waking up this week. Our school is over for the summer & my mom ministry is taking a break, so I guess I settled into lazy mode. But, this morning I woke up early & was feeling so excited because I just knew I would finally get not just my prayer time in, but my Bible Study also before anyone woke up. About the time I got my coffee and sat down at my desk guess who came flying into my room at 7:30? Yes, that is right, my sweet little Sam; the wild little 2 1/2 yr old. He never wakes up this early!

Needless to say, I didn’t get my prayer time in at all. I did read the chapter though for today, Praying for his Sexuality. Stormie wastes no time in getting down to business in having us pray for the biggie’s in our husband’s life. This topic may seem uncomfortable to some of us to discuss, but it is very important to God. He wrote about it in several places in the scriptures. Read the book of Song of Solomon, it only has 8 chapters. 1 Corinthians 7 & Proverbs 5 are another good place to start. God designed your husband with needs that only you can fill. I hope that as you pray for your husband in this area that you will be available to God in meeting these needs.

I have some other resources to recommend to you today instead of a post.

Creative Counterpart by, Linda Dillow (specifically chapter 10, Creative Lover)

She writes;

Remember, special times together are important and cannot be stressed enough, but the most important thing is your attitude. Does your husband know you are available and excited about him as your lover? God gave him to you as your beloved and our friend. Let him in on the secret!

Reading Your Male; An Invitation to Understand and Influence Your Man’s Sexuality by Mary Farrar (wife of Steve Farrar)

This is a great book! I highly recommend it. Mary writes concerning understanding our husbands sexuality;

Men are encoded from conception to process their emotions in a fundamentally different way than women. And this is by God’s purposeful design. When a man’s natural propensity is combined with a healthy ability to express and identify feelings, he becomes a powerful force for good in this world. His wiring becomes an asset and a gift, enabling him to rise to his manly calling and to accomplish the tasks that God has designed him to do.

Consider the blessing of God’s innate wiring of our men:

A man’s wiring enables him to separate out his feelings.

A man’s role of protection and provision requires that he submerge his feelings.

The sex act itself an emotional expression for a man, and when he is healthy emotionally, it draws him into intimacy.

Amy, the author of this prayer challenge, has written a great post concerning today’s chapter. Read her new challenge at Dandelion Seeds and her thoughts concerning this chapter are here.

The Generous Wife has great tips daily on how to love on your husband. You can subscribe & receive these daily tips in your inbox. They are short & sweet, but very meaningful to your husband.

Today’s tip is;

I don't know what it is about baked goodies that blesses the soul, but they can make anyone's day a little nicer. So bake up and serve your husband a nice batch of warm cookies or some good bread (or whatever he likes).

Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts! James Beard

Be generous! Lori <><

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, when we pray for our husbands, our hearts are changed and we begin to view our husband in a whole new way. Your husband may notice a change in you and respond in a delightful way. Get ready. :)

Prayer Challenge Day 3; Praying for his finances

2009-06-03T08:38:00.001-07:00

Today is day 3 of our 30 day challenge of praying for our husbands. We are using the book, Power of a Praying Wife, and as I read in this book I can’t help but remember the first time I read the book and how the Lord has answered my prayers for my husband since then. I praise the Lord daily for the work he has done in my husband and for the work he continues to do. But I also cannot ignore the work that He has done in my own life since then. The Lord has his work cut out for Him and I’m so thankful that He is faithful in His work in my life. As I commit to pray for my husband, I anticipate an even deeper change to occur in my own heart.

Today, we are praying for our husband & his finances. Just as in his work, so much of what is important to our men is based on the condition of his finances. Their self worth is often based on this. God gave gave them the desire to work & provide for their families. Sadly, our society has placed so much importance on our material worth that Christians have been washed over by this & we blend right in with the world’s way of thinking and doing things. I’m not saying it is wrong to have things, but I think we have been deceived by what is a want and what is a need. There are many things that we often think we need, but in all reality, we could live with out. These things are not crucial for our survival.

If your husband seems very driven by his finances, to the point you know that his desires are not of the Lord, pray for his heart to be drawn to the Lord. Pray that his eyes will be open to the fact that his self worth is not in his money, but in his God. But DO NOT tell your husband what you think he should do with his money or changes you think he should make. Be careful to not try and be your husband’s Holy Spirit. If your husband is a believer, the Holy Spirit is perfectly capable of changing your husband’s heart & mind all by his self. :)

One thing struck me as I was praying this morning was to ask the Lord what I can actively do to use our finances in a way that honors Him.

What am I doing now that is wasteful with our money?

What am I doing that shows my husband that I appreciate the money that he does make?

Do I have a way to make money without compromising my current duties and responsibilities at home?

What am I teaching my children concerning our finances? Do you always say, “We can’t afford that.” or do you tell them, “We choose not to use our money like that.” There is a difference. Let your children know that how we use our money is important and meant to be used to God’s glory. No matter how much money we have or don’t have, we try to impress on our children that it is a gift from God and to be used with great care.

As you pray for your husband, be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as to how you can change your ways also. If your husband is careless with the finances, be on guard against becoming bitter towards him. That can deeply injure your relationship with him. Just pray for him & let the Lord take care of the rest. He created the world in 6 days, He can accomplish a great work in your husband.

Prayer Challenge Day 2; Praying for his Work

2009-06-02T08:06:00.001-07:00

If you are participating in the prayer challenge, this morning we read chapter 2 of Power of a Praying Wife on our husbands work. God created our husbands with a drive to provide for their family. For some husbands this drive is taken to the extreme and they become workaholic’s.

I have a friend whose husband can set his own hours in his job. He could be home anytime he wants to be home, yet he chooses to work late almost every night. He doesn’t see his kids much at all and though they are still very small, they are growing up quickly. There was a time when my husband worked much like this. We were farming at the time so the season did dictate his hours, but there were many times of the year when he didn’t have to work late, but did. My husband says that he realized one day how much of our children’s lives he was missing out on. He is reclaiming that time with them now that they are teenagers. It is a great thing to see the close relationship he has with our older children.

I remember the first time I read through this book & I prayed this prayer for my husband concerning his work. He had a very different view of his work than he does now. It was when he worked long hours, he did everything he could to make sure he was making enough money for our family and doing a great job at it. His work was very important to him & I felt many times that his work was more important than I was or our children. I prayed that the Lord would draw my husband close to him & show him what is really important in the kingdom of God.

Not too long after that his business began to decline. He didn’t change what he did, yet he didn’t have as many clients. There was no good reason why his business was so slow. He eventually had to let his personal assistant go. We struggled to pay our bills each month. My husband was stressed beyond the limit as he began to realize that ultimately everything is in God’s control. He brings the business, he takes away the business, not Scott.

3 years later, we are still struggling financially. My husband is now looking for any kind of work so we can pay our bills. We have reduced our expenses drastically. But the difference now is that my husband in deeply in love with his Lord & Savior. In the midst of all our difficult circumstances, my husband as grown to seek the wisdom and direction of his God. We don’t know what the Lord has in store for us. But we are joyful in our hope that it will be something fantastic.

Today, if your husband has a secure job, be thankful & praise your God daily for that. It is a rare thing to know ones job is secure. Let your husband know how thankful you are that he is able to provide for your family. Use the ‘P’ word a lot…proud. “I’m proud of you” says more to them than “I love you”.

If your husband is like mine and has a full time job of looking for a job, it is a bit harder to encourage him. Your husband is frustrated and probably dealing with depression at times. Your prayers for your husband are crucial! I often don’t know what to pray because I feel like I have already prayed it a hundred times. Ask your husband. He may be able to tell you how you can pray for him, but many times they are so frustrated with their circumstances they don’t know either. Ask the Lord how you can pray for your husband. He knows!

Some things I pray often for my husband;

protect his mind from doubt & frustration
bring godly men into his life that can encourage him like I can’t.
give him wisdom & understanding when he studies the Word.
strengthen him so that he can endure these difficult times.
give me the right words to say so that I may build him up, not tear him down.

One of the “Power Tools” given in chapter 1 was Galatians 6:9

Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

You may be praying the same prayer for a long time, but in God’s perfect timing He will answer. Be satisfied with his answer. As you pray, I suspect that something will begin to change in your heart. I experienced a renewal of my love for my husband after spending some quality time praying for him. Prayer is powerful. Your prayers for your husband won’t change him, but instead they will change you as God changes your husband. It is an amazing thing!

Pray continually

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Are You a Praying Wife?

2009-06-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

How often do you pray for your husband?

I am ashamed to admit that I do not pray for my husband enough. He should be at the top of my list everyday. He is my husband, next to God he is the most important person in my life.

My friend Amy on Facebook has challenged all of us to pray for our husbands for 30 days in a row using Stormie Omartian’s book, The Power of a Praying Wife. I have accepted her challenge & encourage you to do the same. It starts today, June 1st. But even if you do not read this post until after that date, you can start your own 30 days anytime.

The challenge is very simple. You will need the book, The Power of a Praying Wife.

This is what Amy writes to us about this challenge…

WHAT YOU'LL DO: Read a chapter a day FOR 30 DAYS, which includes a prayer. (Even if you've read this book before, you can just do the prayers and skip the reading... the point is for you to PRAY!)
FYI: Daily reminders to pray for your husband will be sent out through facebook messages to you. You don't have to discuss anything (and no "spouse bashing" will be allowed) but can share if you'd like on the wall. You can also leave links to your blog posts if you make any as well. Please spread the word to others!
THE POINT: To get wives praying for their husbands... that's it! Doesn't matter what the background, denomination, or current state your life is in... Let's get those hubbies covered in prayer and stand back and expect great things to happen to them, our marriages, and even ourselves as we petition God on their behalf!
(And might I add, that if things are really bad, that this is a great time to do this! When my marriage was falling apart and my husband and I were ready to divorce, I came across this book, and it not only changed my marriage... but it changed me as well!)

If you are going to participate, let me know. I am hoping to post daily concerning this topic. It has been a long time since I was able to blog & I’m a little out of practice, but if all goes well you should get updates from me daily if you subscribe.

Let the praying begin!

Scripture Stickies

2009-05-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

You know that I love putting my favorite scripture verses up all over my house. I usually write them out on an index card or print them out on the computer, then stick them on my mirror, by the kitchen sink & by my computer.

I just found a neat ministry that took that idea a little farther.

Scripture Stickies has these neat little packs of sticky notes with scripture verses on them. There are many varieties to choose from & you choose your Bible translation. You can also have them custom printed.

They are $3.99 a pack. You get 5 scriptures, 2 of each in each pack. Not bad!

Adding Meaning to Your Easter Celebration

2009-04-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Making Jesus the center of your family's celebration can present a challenge when images of the Easter Bunny are so prevalent. Parents must take special measures to help kids understand that Jesus is the giver of Easter gifts-His love, His sacrificial death, the salvation we have through Him-not a big rabbit who hands out candy and colored eggs.

Here are some ideas for putting the spiritual significance back into your Easter celebration.

* Put a spiritual twist on the tradition of decorating Easter eggs. Before dying the hard-boiled eggs, use crayons to write an Easter message on each egg. Because the crayon wax keeps the dye from adhering in those spots, your "Jesus is Risen" and "Jesus Died for You" messages will show through clearly.

* If your church does not celebrate Holy Week, attend Holy Week services at a church that does. Or celebrate each day as a family by reading passages of scripture that recount what each special day commemorates.

* Attend an Easter cantata presented by a church other than the one your family normally attends. This allows family members to experience a celebration of Easter that is different than that to which they are accustomed.

* As a family, choose a few craft projects that emphasis the meaning of Easter. Do an Internet search or check out books from the library for ideas. Use your completed projects to decorate your home for your family celebration.

* Celebrate the Resurrection of Christ by doing the kinds of things Jesus came to earth to do. Extend God's love to others by visiting the elderly and sick, gathering up clothing to take to a homeless shelter, or making and delivering food baskets to families in need.

* If you don't usually do so, attend a sunrise service so your family can experience a little of what Jesus' followers must have felt the morning they found the empty tomb. Afterwards, enjoy a big family breakfast in celebration of the Risen Lord.

* Do some research on how the Resurrection is celebrated in other cultures. Turn the Easter celebration into a learning experience by enjoying traditional Easter foods and activities from another country.

* Many churches make Easter crosses by attaching real flowers in some fashion to a wooden cross to symbolize the new life brought to us through Jesus' death. Make your own family Easter cross by cutting out a large cross from brown construction paper. Let the children use construction paper, markers, crayons and paint to create flowers to decorate it.

BYLINE:
Nancy Twigg is a Christian speaker and author who loves inspiring others to live more simply. Adapted from Nancy's book, Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful Holidays and Special Occasions.

Celebrating Holy Week as a Family

2009-04-06T07:00:00.001-07:00

Today(4.6.09) marks the beginning of Holy Week, which is the week before Easter. I decided years ago that we would use this week to closely examine the last week of Jesus life on Earth & the reasons for his coming. It has proven to be a wonderful time together as a family every year.

We use this Easter Study as a guide. Sometimes we add a little to it & other times we don't do what it says, only read the scriptures. There are suggested activities to do with your children & lots of links to help you dive a little deeper.

We read together as a family the Gospel account of the last days of Jesus. We let the older kids take turns reading & sometimes my husband will read it. But, letting your children read will keep them involved and focused.

After we read the scriptures we discuss to make sure they understand what just happened. Then we let the kids(my younger ones) do something to help them remember what we discussed. Many times this is acting out the passage. Mom or Dad will read as narrator as the kids act out what is going on.

The last part of our time together is focused on application. How can we apply what we have just read to our lives today? What can we learn from Jesus life or the actions of others that can cause us to love God more?

Today's reading takes you to the Temple where Jesus drives out the sellers. They were making a profit off of Passover. What can we learn from this? He tells them, "My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers."(Luke 19:46) I grew up thinking that this was only speaking of the church building, but now I believe that it is more than that. Discuss with your children what we let into our homes that could make our home into a "den of robbers". What takes us away from His Truth of mercy & grace? What about your heart & mind? What do you let into your heart & mind that draws you away from the Lord?

Read Philippians 4:8 together.

Other neat resources to use this week:

The Children's Story Book, by Catherine Vos ~ A Bible for children, written as if told by a mother to her children. Very accurate to scripture.

Suddenly One Morning, by Chuck Swindoll ~ Awesome read!!

Annie's Easter Website

How to Have a Great Garage Sale!

2009-03-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

I found this article & wanted to pass it along to you.

How to Have a Great Yard Sale or Garage Sale
By Julia Gaynor

Yard sales and garage sales are the perfect way to clear out the clutter you no longer need, as well as a great way to enjoy the outdoors and mingle with your neighbors.

Before you start dragging your unwanted items out to the front lawn though, read our step-by-step guide to holding a successful yard or garage sale.

Permit Yourself: Check with your local government to see if you need a permit to hold your yard sale. Some communities have limits on how many yard sales or garage sales can be held in a month, or how many one person can have per year, so make sure you’re in the clear before you start planning yours.

Do Your Research: Before you have a yard sale or garage sale, visit some local yard sales in your area to get a feel for what others are doing and how they’re pricing. You want to be in line with the competition, so do your homework (and you might just find some great bargains while you’re at it!)

Advertise: Definitely use online resources like www.craigslist.org as well as any online community listings sites that you’re aware of. Your local paper is another fantastic place to put an ad because yard-salers always look there when planning their yard sale route for the day!

Sineage: Try posting signs wherever you’re able to make them stick, but be warned that different communities have different rules- and different levels of enforcement. You can’t post on utility poles or trees, but some cities let you post on traffic signs. Poster board is the best material for yard sale signs, and black permanent marker should be your writing tool. Hot pink or bright orange signs are real attention-grabbers, and some people even cut their signs into the shape of arrows to help direct people to your house. Post signs at as many intersections near your house as possible, and obviously, post plenty of signs on your own house along with balloons, to attract drive-by and foot traffic. If you have items that you know will be popular (such as furniture) list those on your signs and put them out front to attract attention too.

Don’t Go it Alone: Solo yard sales are a lot of work without much of the fun, so if you can’t get someone to host a yard sale with you (multi-family yard sales are always much more effective), ask a few friends to stop by periodically to help out as your temporary sales force. That way, you won’t be the only one fielding customers during a sales rush and you’ll have someone to talk to and drink coffee with when you hit a slow period. If you can get a friend or neighbor to do a multi-family sale with you, that’s fantastic because you can also split the cost of things like advertising and the sweat equity of making and hanging signs, setup, etc.

Start With Plenty of Change: As a general rule, if you have a lot of small, low priced items, $80 or $100 is a good amount to start with. Here’s a good breakdown of what denominations to start with: Two $10 bill, four $5 bills, 25 $1 bills, 1 roll of quarters ($10), and $5 in nickels and dimes. If you have a lot of higher priced stuff, start with more money and different denominations. For instance, if you have a lot of $10 items, most people will probably give you a $20 bill and expect change, so beef up on your supply of $10 bills.

Give your Stuff a Once-Over: Go through the pockets of all clothing you plan to sell, as well as inside of books and any containers. You never know what you might find inside! Jewelry, $20 bills, credit card receipts. You don’t want to lose those!

It’s All in the Presentation: No one wants to crouch down on the ground to look at every yard sale item, so put out some folding tables with old sheets over them to display some of your items. Moving boxes placed upside-down can also work for displaying lighter items. If you’re selling battery-operate items, put batteries in them (they can be old, half-used batteries.) Get an inexpensive clothing rack for your clothes (or find one for free on freecycle.com) and use cheap metal dry cleaner hangers to avoid losing your nice hangers. Many people assume that the hangers come with the clothes – if they’re dry cleaner hangers, you can happily add them in as an “extra” item.

Sell like you Mean It: Sure, it’s not your full-time job, but if you’re excited, friendly and enthusiastic, your customers will have a much better time and just might buy a few more things and/or tell their friends to stop by later. Yard sales can be a great opportunity to get to know your neighbors or just to socialize. And the more fun you make it, the more fun you’ll have.

Bags and Newspapers: Have plastic grocery bags available to put sold items in. If selling breakables, have newspaper available to wrap fragile items. Having a calculator handy is helpful in totaling up purchases.

What’s the Right Price? A rule of thumb is to price things a third of what it cost new, within reason. If you’re trying to offload a pair of rollerblades from 10 years ago that are missing ball bearings, you’ll be lucky to give them away. Junk is junk and if you want to get rid of your junk, put it all in a box labeled “free.”

Label Everything: It might seem tedious, but it will be much more tedious in heat of the moment to have to come up with prices for everything on the spot. Also, if you sit with your possessions and rationally assign prices rather than throw out numbers in the heat of the moment, you’re more likely to come up wth fair and reasonable prices. It’s really not too difficult to do. Just get those round sticky labels and quicky label things and you’ll save yourself headaches later.

Show Full Retail Price: If you’ve got a popular item that’s fairly new, show an ad from a catalog or store flier with the item in it and it’s price and tape it to your item. It shows the buyer that spending $10 for an item that normally sells for $40 new is a good deal. Don’t overuse this trick, though. It’ll lose its effectiveness if you use it on everything.

Learn Local Pay Schedules: Learn when the major companies in your area have their paydays and schedule your yard sale for the next day. Similarly, look for when Social Security checks are mailed in your area.

Bonus Haggle Tactic: Some buyers will expect you to bargain with them. If it's early in the day and you don't want to bargain yet, say "I think it's worth that price. I may lower the price later in the day if it doesn't sell."

Celebrate! After a long, hard day of yard-saling (at 2pm, you’ll feel like it’s 6pm, we promise!) treat yourself and your team to pizza or another cheap but delicious dinner you can have delivered. Chances are, no one will want to get dressed up to go anywhere, but everyone will appreciate some hot slices of pizza to celebrate a day well spent – or saved!

The Secret to Maximizing Your Child's Development

2009-03-04T05:53:00.000-08:00

My dear sweet friend, Brenna Stull has a great post on her blog that I wanted to share with you. She is an amazing woman and is an expert in maximizing her time & energies. I have learned so much from her. She is the mother of 5 children & a pastors wife.

You need to check out her website; CoachMom & her blog; CoachMomBlog. You will be inspired. She has a wonderful book called, Coach Mom & she writes a newsletter full of tips for frazzled moms.

In her post she wrote:

Which of the following do you think is most important to child development?

A. school
B. playtime
C. the family dinner
D. story time

Catherine Snow, professor of education at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, involving 65 families over an eight year period. She found that dinnertime was of more value to child development than playtime, school, and story time. We will drive across town two times a day, five days a week, to put our children in the best school. But are we willing to take the time to plan a family dinner each night?

Go to her blog to read the rest of the story!

Have a fantastic day!!!

Make Your Own Resurrection Eggs

2009-03-03T05:58:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you have seen seen the Resurrection Eggs that Family Life Ministry has. Each plastic egg contains a little thing that represents a part of the resurrection story.

Well, I found a list at Eclectic Homeschool that shares how we can make our own. This will save you money. Though I like the eggs that Family Life offers, I don't have the extra money to spend right now.
From Eclectic Homeschool Online
Placing small tokens in plastic Easter eggs to tell the Easter story is an idea that has been around for some time. It’s currently being marketed prepackaged. For those that would rather put together their own set of Resurrection Eggs, we’ve put together a list culled from a number of different sources. That means we have more than 12 eggs, so you get to pick and choose which tokens and scriptures you want to use.

Small cracker pieces - Mark 14:22
Three dimes - Matt. 26:14-15 or Matt 27:3-4
Communion cup - Matt 26:26-28 or Matt. 26:39
Rooster (drawing, picture or a feather) - Matt. 26:33
Twine with knots in it - Matt. 27:1-2 or a piece of rope
Soap piece - Matt. 27:24-26
Small piece of leather - Mark 15:15
Red fabric - Matt. 27:28-30 or purple fabric - Mark 15:17
Thorn - Mark 15:17 or Matt. 27:29
Cross made from toothpicks - Matt. 27:31-32 or John 19:17-18
Nail - Matt. 27:31 or John 20:25
Dice - Matt. 27:35-36 or John 19:23-24
Sponge - John 19:29-30 or Matt 27:48
Crushed rock - Matt. 27:50, 51 & 54 or dirt
Sword or spear (plastic hors d’oeuvres sword, Lego sword or spear) - John 19:34
White fabric - Matt. 27:58-60
Stone - Matt. 27:65-66 or Mark 15:46
Cinnamon sticks - Mark 16:1
Bayleaf - Matt. 28: 2 & 5
Empty egg - Matt. 28:6 or Mark 16:5-6 or Luke 24:3-6 John 3:16
Cotton ball (A cloud) - Mark 16:19

Surviving a Busy Day

2009-02-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

When I went to bed last night I began praying about today. I have one appointment after another & honestly, I hate days like that. It takes me away from home all day & when I get home I feel like I have to pick up the pieces that were thrown around while I was gone. The laundry never gets done like I want it. The chores are never finished, the dinner is never ready.

So, I began yesterday preparing for today so that I can hopefully come home this evening to a better place.

First I have decided what is for lunch & set that in action already. The menu is planed out and all the ingredients are there. I will place Morgan in charge of lunch so that the little ones will eat more than dry Ramen noodles for lunch(they have done that before !!!).

I know what is for dinner also & have that already planned out so that when I do get home I can throw it together & cook it.

The kids chores are already designated ahead of time, so they already know what to do. So is their school work. So, when their Dad or I ask, "Did you finish your assignments?" they know what assignments we are talking about.

For me, I have carefully mapped out my schedule so that I am not going from one side of the city to the other. While I am on the West side, I make all my stops on that side before I have to head over to the East side for those appointments. I gave myself plenty of time in between appointments so that if one goes late there is no domino affect. Sometimes, I know that someone else makes the appointment time & you are to just show up. Even in those circumstances, try to give yourself plenty of time to get from one place to another with time to spare.

Last night I printed off all my maps or emails I needed for today. They are in my planner along with all of the times I am to meet with people. Also in my planner is my list of what I need to do, or places I need to stop in the order that I need to do them so that I don't forget anything. Does this sound like over kill? For me, it is not. I hate coming home & realizing that I have forgot to make a stop or didn't get something from the store that we needed. If I don't write it all down, I will forget! 10 babies have zapped my brain cells & I am learning how to compensate.

Ok, I have to go so I can hit the road and get my list taken care of. I'm looking forward to having coffee with a future speaker for the Mom2Mom ministry & then lunch with a friend & then my dozens of other stops. It will be a busy day, but I know it will be a great one, because

"This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice & be glad in it!"

Stop & Smell the Chocolate!

2009-01-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

This is a great new site, Stop & Smell the Chocolate. It has some of the most wonderful recipes. The site is covered in chocolate. You cannot go wrong with that! Every Friday she posts new recipes, facts, videos or whatever she comes up with about chocolate. She is a woman after my own heart!

Go check it out!!

I Challenge you to a Kiss!

2009-01-13T17:47:00.000-08:00

My friend Kristen @ We are THAT Family has a great challenge going that I thought was worth passing on. It is called S.W.A.K. She is challenging us to lay a big one on our husbands 30 days in a row, starting February 1st. We are not talking about the sweet little peck, the challenge is about the passionate, make his toes curl, kind of kiss that we forget to give them. With kids hanging off of my leg, dinner burning in the oven and the teenagers bringing in their friends I don't really feel much like kissing. And it is only once a day, so pick your time & knock his socks off!
If you want to join, you need to write a blog post about your husband & why you love being married to him & then link Kristen's blog to your site. She has a great button to add to your site.

Click on We are THAT Family to go to her site & read all about it for yourself.

My husband is Mr. Wonderful! He takes me on a date every Monday night so that we can have uninterrupted conversation and just enjoy being a couple. He holds my hand in public. He helps with the housework & laundry(especially if he has no clean underware). He is homeschooling our oldest son and takes the boys with him whenever he can so that he can talk with them & find out what is going on in their life. He loves to study the Word & then tell me all about it, so most of what I have learned about the scriptures has come from him and his wonderful insight into God's word. We have been married for 18 1/2 years & have known each other for 19 1/2 yrs. We are best friends and I thank my God everyday for giving me such a wonderful man that I truly do not deserve.

Let the kissing begin!!

1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

The Dinner Table

2009-01-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you have seen the reports like I have of how important it is for the family to have dinner together rather than eating in the car or at different times.
Below are some statistics that I found.

- The average parent spends 38.5 minutes per week in
meaningful conversation with their children. (A.C. Nielsen Co.)
- Family
dinners are more important than play, story time and other family events in the
development of vocabulary of younger children. (Harvard Research, 1996)
-
Frequent family meals are associated with a lower risk of smoking, drinking and
using marijuana; with a lower incidence of depressive symptoms and suicidal
thoughts; and with better grades in 11 to 18 year olds. (Archives of Pediatrics
and Adolescent Medicine, 2004.)
- Adolescent girls who have frequent family
meals, and a positive atmosphere during those meals, are less likely to have
eating disorders. (University of Minnesota, 2004)

Several years ago we lived in the country & we ate all our meals together because we were always together. The kids were younger so their extra activities were very minimal. But a few years ago we moved back to town & into a neighborhood. Now my kids are with friends a lot, have many other activities outside of the house and this is all making it very hard for us to eat dinner together. I remember when we first moved & for the first week or two I stayed frustrated because it was usually just me and the little ones eating dinner together.

It has taken me almost 3 years to come up with a solution to this problem. I evaluated what meals we we ate & who showed up the most. I realized that lunch was the meal that everyone was at, even my husband now that he works from home.

We homeschool, so our kids are home during lunch. Lunch is our new dinner. I don't fix a different meal, but I just make sure that everyone is at the table. This is where the most family discussion happens. It has become the most enjoyable meal of the day. We have a good time together.

On special occasions we make the table really nice. We set it & decorate for Christmas & Valentines. This year I hope to add a special Easter table to our tradition.

The table is where we talk about God's blessings in our lives. We listen to others talk about exciting things that have happened to them. It is not about naming names of those who have hurt or offended us. But we do comfort those when they share their hurts.

The table is where I try to teach manners. But that often feels like an ongoing project with no good results. I never know what they remember or learn. And rumor has it that when they are out of the house they act very respectable & mannerly.

Ok, so now that I have my dinner table problem solved, I expect my kids to become solid respectable adults because of it. Oh well, one can wish!

Raising Responsible Children in an Unresponsible World

2009-01-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

Do you think it is still possible to raise responsible children in today’s society? It may not be easy, but I do think it is possible. In fact, I think it is crucial to raise our children to become responsible adults who can function in today’s world. Unfortunately, we live in a modern society where cheating, lying and infidelity are accepted as a part of life. There is a great need for men and women of integrity today. As christian parents who home school their children, thus spending more time with them than parents who don’t home school, I believe we have the advantage. But it isn’t just an advantage we have. We also have been commanded as Christians to “make disciples”. Paul said to fathers concerning their children “to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Family discipleship, according to scripture, is the parents responsibility, not to be handed off to someone else.

In Webster’s 1828 Dictionary the definition of responsible is “the state of being accountable or answerable”. In Robin Sampson’s book, What Your Child Needs to Know When, her definition is “Governed by reason; being under the influence of reason; thinking, speaking, or acting rationally or according to the dictates of reason.” So what does that mean in a nut shell? Basically, we teach our children to think before they act and then when they act it is in a way that honors and pleases God.

So why make this important? Romans 14:12 says “So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.” That includes us parents as well. It is really hard to teach my kids to be responsible when I’m not being responsible myself, whether it is with my time, speech, actions or responses to others. So, it begins with me, the parent and my actions will always speak much louder to my children than anything I ever say to them. They must know that I am responsible for my decisions & will be held accountable for them to God.

I also think it is important because as a family you work as a team, not a group of individuals. A sports team has a lot of individuals but unless they work together in a responsible manner they won’t be a very good team. You cannot do everything for everyone 100% of the time. As mothers we would like to think that we can. Delegation is important in the health of your family. Each person should be able and willing to do his share of the work for the benefit of the family. You are a team. Team members must play their position. You are counting on them to do their job. If one of my kids slacks up on one of their jobs it affects many others around them. This is where forming good strong habits become important to raising responsible children. Charlotte Mason said this:
“The mother who takes the pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days; while she who lets their habits take care of themselves has a weary life of endless friction with the children. The mother devotes herself to the formation of one habit at a time” and to watching” over those already formed.” -Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1 page 136

Forming good strong habits is not easy & takes patience & time, but the blessings are long lasting. Like Charlotte Mason said we secure for ourselves smooth and easy days. We are still working on this in our house & will probably never fully arrive but my days are easier than they used to be. We established 3 areas of responsibilities in our house and then have worked slowly on each one.

The first area of responsibility is School. The children are responsible for their materials, book lessons and attitudes. If I give my older ones an assignment with a due date then it is their job to make sure it is ready on time. My kids each have a Rubbermaid tub in which to keep their school work in. If they lost their pencil or a workbook it is their responsibility to find it, not mine. This gets the burden off of me to try & keep up with their stuff. I don’t have time to do that anyway. Attitude is also a biggie. In our house their attitude speaks louder than their words & actions. If their attitude is wrong even though their school work is completed it doesn’t count for much. Philippians 2:5 says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

The next area of responsibility is Routine. Harry K. Wong says,
“The #1 problem in the classroom is not discipline. It is the lack of procedures and routines.” The First Days of School.
It may seem that the children are not obeying, but in reality it may because we have not given them proper guidelines or procedures for accomplishing a certain task. When I established more routine in our day my kids knew what to expect & what was expected of them. Sarah knows that she is responsible for feeding the cats in the morning & getting the baby dressed. It should happen every morning. This is her routine. Daily routines are very important in teaching responsibility to our kids.

The last area of responsibility is chores. Do you have a chore chart? Do you use it? It is a lot like your Bible. It doesn’t do any good until you read it & live it. I’ve had a very organized system for chores for years now, but it was only until the last 2 years did I really get diligent about putting it into action. I love chores for 2 reasons. First, they teach great work ethic and second it is less work for me to do. Those who are helping to make the mess are also cleaning up the mess. A great rule of thumb is to not do anything that your kids are capable of doing themselves. You might want to read that aloud to your kids if you haven’t already. ( Everyone has a very important job in our family even if it is just scooping the cats’ litter boxes. We have learned to depend on each other in this way & if anyone goofs off and gets lazy the others really let them have it. We made Colossians 3:23-24 our family motto verse. “And whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (NIV)

If you are starting new habits of responsibility there are two “T’s” to remember. The first is Training your child in their new job. Make sure they know and understand what is expected of them. Spend 10 minutes a day actually doing the job with them so that they know exactly how you want it done. Don’t forget to give plenty of praise at their efforts and success. The second is Transferring the job to them once they know what is expected. Let them know that this is their responsibility now and you will not remind them of it. Be patient and full of grace and mercy during this process. Don’t set your expectations too high of frustration levels will be very high.

I have days when I think that some of my kids will never be responsible and then I catch them doing something really good. I think it even surprises them at times. Some of my children have seen the positive consequences that naturally come with being responsible. They enjoy the blessings that come to them. Being responsible seems to be contagious also. Younger siblings see the benefits and want the same. The positive habits they are forming are not only squeezing out the bad habits but their day is much more enjoyable. As a mom I often pray that my children will have the same desire as I do to bring honor and glory to God in all they do. I am blessed bountifully as my children grow and mature into responsible individuals. It is refreshing to my soul. Psalms 25:13 says, “Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.”

Raising responsible children doesn’t happen quickly, it is a long season of giving life and love to your child while instilling in them the desire for godliness. Be patient and let God guide you on your journey. And don’t forget to praise him for the privilege of raising his children to become warriors for him. I am so excited for our future and the leaders that are rising out of the home schooling homes today. “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” Prov. 31:25 (NIV) We are a blessed people!

Below are a few resources that you may find helpful.
How to Raise a Responsible Child by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo
Peacemaking for Families by Ken Sande
The Young Peacemaker: Teaching kids to respond to conflict God’s Way by Corlette Sande
Let Us Highly Resolve: Preparing Families for the 21st Century by David and Shirley Quine

Habit Revisited by Mary Woodis (based on the “Habit” writings of Charlotte Mason)
Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
Romancing Your Child’s Heart by Monte Swan
Raising Kids Who Hunger For God by Phillips
For Instructions in Righteousness, Polished Cornerstones, and Plants Grown Up, by Doorposts
Doorposts very inexpensive posters: Stewardship Street, The Blessing Chart, If-Then Chart, The Brother Offended Checklist by the Forsters of Doorposts http://www.doorposts.net/

© Copyright 2005, Dana Bailey, All Rights Reserved

8 Reasons Menu Planning is a Bad Idea

2009-01-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

I learned a very helpful habit from my mom...Menu Planning.

When Scott & I were first married, I didn't do it. I didn't have to. But as the children began to arrive..quickly...I learned that in order to make it a whole week without going to the store, I better get organized.

I would plan out 3 meals a day with a snack for the kids & then shop according to my menu list. This also saved me money. I wasn't buying a lot of junk food that we didn't need anyway.

Well, I found this neat little article that proves my point on why I need to plan our menu's...so I thought I would share it here.
Christine @ Dine Without Wine wrote...

Have you heard about meal planning lately? Families are busy and getting busier all the time. As families work on getting organized, many home managers are turning to meal planning as a way to eliminate the evening stress in their homes.

However, meal planning is not for everyone. Here are eight reasons why meal planning just may be a terrible idea for you and your family.

1. You enjoy eating unhealthy fast-food three to five times per week.

2. You love the taste of pre-packaged preservative packed frozen convenience food.

3. Spending $200 and 2 hours at the grocery store, only to come home to discover that there is nothing to cook for dinner is one of your favorite things to do.

4. You enjoy the stress of running around like crazy at dinner time trying to figure out what to cook while your children and husband are hungry and crabby.

5. You like your food rut of spaghetti, hot dogs, pizza, repeat.

6. You have no other way to spend the extra $100 you spend each week eating out.

7. You have nothing better to do at 5 o’clock every day then to go to the grocery store. It’s enjoyable to daily spend extra money on groceries as additional items “fall” into your cart.

8. You have no desire to enjoy a home cooked meal around the dinner table with your family. You feel spending time with your family is a complete waste of time.

If you agree with the above statements please do not ever try meal planning – it is probably a terrible idea. On the other hand, if you possibly disagree with at least one of the above statements perhaps it is time to give meal planning a try!

If you would like a weekly menu plan delivered directly to your e-mail box we’d be happy to help!

Christine Steendahl Is The Founder Of Dine Without Whine – A Family Friendly Weekly Menu Planner. Eliminate Your Dinner Hour Stress And Re-Discover The Pleasure Of The Dinner Hour! For A Free Menu Visit http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com

Redecorating!

2009-01-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

I have been redecorating the blog. I'm not totally finished, but I got the main stuff done. I just love Split Decisionz. She has great templates & many are free.

But in reality, as I look at my new calendar & my super busy schedule, I'm wondering how I can "redecorate" my schedule to not be so hectic & a little more enjoyable. There are certain things that I can't get rid of. My kids & my husband remain my priorities. Then comes Mom2Mom at church, though this I put in many hours doing this, it can't come before my family. That is a hard one.
I made a list of what is in my schedule that I cannot take out.

Time with the Lord
Time with my husband
School with the kids
Down time for me
Mom2Mom
Housework

That is only 6 things, but they are intertwined and take up my whole day. If I tried to schedule out each thing into a time block schedule, it wouldn't fit in. This is where the Lord becomes real to me. When I go to him first and lay my desires and fears at his feet, my list of to-do's usually always gets done. He multiplies my time. I'm able to return phone calls, do phonics lessons & grade Algebra tests, get those 5 loads of laundry washed(I didn't say folded & put away) and still go on a date with my husband. Sometimes I can even have a nice long phone conversation with a friend (rarely). But if I don't get it all done today, I get to start all over tomorrow & pick up where I left off. I don't know how it gets done, but it does. And sometimes it doesn't get done. I have to be o'k with that.

So, I think that what really needs redecorated isn't so much my schedule, but my attitude about my schedule. Instead of getting frustrated because my whole list didn't get one, I need to look at what did get done and thank the Lord for helping me accomplish as much as I did.

Now, what needs to be taken off my list?
I rarely watch TV, but I can sit longer than I should watching a show.
I spend way too much time on the computer. That is one of those things that seems to eat up more of my time than anything else. But I love to write & communicate with others. I love to blog. I want to learn html & css code. I am learning how to use GIMP with my pictures & images. I am on facebook and twitter & that all eats my time, so I have to be real careful. So, I am trying to guard my time & use it wisely while I am on the computer & to not let it steal my day away.

How can you redecorate your time? Or is your attitude like mine that needs the makeover?

Getting Organized for the Holiday's

2008-12-22T06:48:00.000-08:00

It's 3 days before Christmas, and it's a time for many of
us to be taking care of last-minute plans for family events
and gift-giving.

How can you get organized today? Before you rush out the
door, sit down and make a list of the musts for the next
3 days.

Also allow some room for the unexpected event that may
change your plans! It could be a needed car repair or a
sick family member.

If you don't know where to start today, just ask
yourself this:

What are the Absolute Musts when it comes to your
last-minute holiday preparations?

Write down the MUSTS for each day between now
and Christmas Day (if you celebrate Christmas),
and make those your top priority!

Get those things taken care of first, without
allowing interruptions that can wait a while.

Keep it simple - focus on making your loved ones
happy, having a beautiful serene home, and being
able to be prepared for the big day.

Take the time in the evenings to gather together as a family & have devotions that help you to refocus on Christ and His gift to us.

Also - carve out some time to relax and enjoy
Christmas Day too! We don't really get to celebrate
that many Christmas Days when you think about it.
So stop and smell the chestnuts roasting...

Cleaning fairie please report in at noon.

2008-11-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

We are on break from our normal routine this next week. It is Thanksgiving week, the kids are off from school & I had to find something for them to do. So we are going to clean house! Since I became the coordinator of the Mom2Mom ministry at my church our house has definitely suffered. So, I pulled out my notebook of cleaning zones & began to make a list of what all we need to get done.

I love using Flylady's system to cleaning & keeping up with chores & evenly distributing them out.
Another place I have found some good charts to help organize chores & events is Donna Young.org

Some ways I have found to help motivate my kids to clean the house are...
~write all the jobs on slips of paper. Fold them twice & put them in a bucket of jar. Everyone draws one out & when they have finished the job they bring it to me to inspect the job. If it is satisfactory they get to draw another one out. Who ever draws out the most jobs & finishes them gets a prize.
~For quick clean up jobs, give everyone an area to clean & set the timer. Once again, who ever gets done first gets a prize.
~To get a really dirty room clean divide the room up into smaller sections. Set the timer & see how much they can get done before the timer goes off. Also, help them clean. This gives you a chance to spend some time with your child & help them.

I found some websites that I thought were helpful.

Home-Ec 101
Declutter It
Creative Homemaking
Homemaking Organized
Christian-Mommies

I have learned that one of the most important things I can do for our children is to teach them how to clean & organize. Your future daughter-in-laws & your future son-in laws will love you for it!!

Count your blessings, name them one by one.

2008-11-21T18:08:00.000-08:00

What are you grateful for? For many of us it is easy to make that list. But for others, it may not be so easy.

We have once again, experienced a very difficult month financially as my husbands' business just sits with no activity. I have my list of things that I have asked the Lord for. They are not frivilous things. They are basic. Money for the electric & phone bill. Money for groceries. Things like that. When my prayers were not being answered I began to grumble. I couldn't understand why God was not providing the money to take care of these things.

In the midst of my grumbling, He was taking care of us. Just not like I thought he would. So, I decided to make a list of how I have seen the Lord answer our prayer for provision.

1. The church had a dinner, tons of food was left over & we took enough food home to feed 12 people for 3-4 days.
2. An unknown lady brings lots of day old bread to the church for who ever wants it, I took home enough bread to fill my freezer.
3. New friends at church gave us 4 giant bags of clothes for the boys. All in excellent condition.
4. I went to a MOPS sale & was able to get enough clothes for Gracie & Sam for the whole Fall/Winter for only $125.
5. A friend gave us a 27" TV that works great.
6. A friend gave us a sofa & 2 chairs in good condition to replace the furniture we had that was falling apart.
7. Another friend gave us a big dresser & a sofa.
8. The Mom2Mom leadership group had a picnic & had tons of brisket left over, we took 2 1/2 briskets home & froze some for later.
9. Tenents moved out of a rent house & left a trampoline, that we took home. Now the kids can play in the backyard.
10. I sold grain that I had thought I would mill for flour, but decided I wouldn't use it. Made $50 & able to buy Scott a birthday gift.
11. 2 friends who were sensitive to the Spirit's leading each gave me a check that together will pay the electric bill.
12. The girl in the Starbucks drive-through window thanked me for being so nice to her, little did she know that she was a huge encouragement to me.

O'k, that gives you an idea of what all the Lord has done & I just didn't see it as his gifts to us. We still have other needs, but I know that my God is faithful & will meet all our needs according to His glorious riches.

What are your blessings? Name them one by one!

Whole Heart Mothers Conference

2008-11-20T14:32:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share with you about a conference that I think every mother should go to at least once.

Sally Clarkson is a wife, mother of 4, author, blogger, & international speaker. Her message is timeless & genuine as she shares her heart concerning God's plan for the family. Click on the links below for more information about registration. The earlier you register the cheaper the price is.

WholeHearted Mother Conferences 2009

Plan now to come to one of Sally's 2009 WholeHearted Mother Conferences. The theme this year is Smiling at the Future with Faith ~ Building Your Heart and Home on Solid Foundations. Guest speakers will include Sandra Maddox, Rachael Carman, Zan Tyler, and Sarah Clarkson. Register today!
♥ Register Online now:
January 23-24: Charlotte, NC / Church at Charlotte
February 6-7: Irvine, CA / Crowne Plaza Irvine
February 20-21: Irving, TX / Dallas Marriott Las Colinas
♥ Register by Phone: 888-488-4466 (M-Th, 9-3:30) or 719-488-4466
♥ Register by Mail: Printable (PDF) mail-in forms are available for download on each event page.
Join us for the special two-day conference designed especially for Christian mothers, now in its 11th year of ministering to moms. This year, in a time of faith-challenging uncertainty, Sally's heart is to give moms the ability to "smile at the future" like the Proverbs 31 mother. You heart will be strengthened and encouraged for the life of trust and faith to which God has called you in raising wholehearted children at home. The conference also includes inspiring guest speakers, practical workshops, inspirational worship, and more.

Running the race

2008-10-22T21:40:00.001-07:00

The other day I was on my way home from a meeting. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon so the kids were getting out of school. I noticed 2 teenage girls who were running on the median between the 2 streets. They were obviously training for a track competition.

It reminded me of the days (over 20 years ago) when I ran track in school. I was not an athlete at all, but I could run long distance. I enjoyed it & as I watched those girls run I remembered how hard it was when we would run off campus. I remember falling a few times when our coach would drop us off miles from our school & we would have to run through fields, dirt roads & finally sidewalks to get back to the school. It was hard to run where the ground was not level. If you stepped on a rock just right you could hurt yourself...and I did a few times.

I was reminded of a great verse in Acts through all of this thinking about running.

I consider my life nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24(NIV)

This is the Apostle Paul speaking & he is on his way to Jerusalem. He knew that trouble was probably awaiting him, but he knew that he had to go. His physical body meant nothing to him, he was that committed to preaching the gospel. All he wanted to do was finish the race that the Lord has set out for him to run. The ground got real rocky for him, it was never an easy race for him to run. But he understood what his purpose was, to testify to the gospel of God's grace.

How do you run your race? Do you want to quit running when the race gets difficult? Do you wish you could run on a smoother surface? Oh sweet mom, we all do. I find myself asking God, "when will this get easier?" He gently reminds me to just keep running, to keep my goal in mind and to trust him with the obstacles. It is all to His glory that I run and when I run to complete the task that my Lord has given me I can run with joy and satisfaction.

The Physical Race is how we go about in our day. How we respond to others. how we accomplish the mundane chores and errands. Do our children know what is important to us? Does our husband know that he is the most important person to us? How do you manage your day?

The Emotional Race is where we let our feeling and mind go. Do we guard our heart like Proverbs instructs us to do? What do we watch, read & listen to? It all matters.

The Spiritual Race is our relationship with our God. Do you have one? This is the most important race of all. We will not take our bodies to Heaven, but our souls will go. How much time to you spend nourishing your soul? How much time do you spend talking to your Lord? He deeply desires to speak to you & loves to hear you talk to him. do you meditate on his word, do you memorize it? The older I get the harder it is for me to memorize scripture, but I still work on it. It is such a blessing when I can remember a scripture passage that speaks directly to my need at the time.

You know when Paul went to Jerusalem, he was arrested. The Holy Spirit prepared him that prison & hardships were waiting for him, but he went anyway. I don't have the faith of Paul, but I am working toward that.

We live in very easy times in that we do not face the persecution that Paul faced or that Christians in other parts of the world face like in Orissa, India. Yes, we struggle. Our economy is failing, we are looking at the possibility of a new President that is not a godly man and I could go on. Must understand what our God given purpose is...to glorify Him by teaching his gospel to our children and others.

Run the race with perseverance the race marked out for you (Hebrews 12:1) and let God cover the obstacles with his grace & mercy.

You will be strengthened

2008-10-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

My youngest has been sick with a cough & cold for several days now. He is now waking up in the night because of drainage that is putting him into a coughing fit. He sometimes begins to cough to the point that he throws up. He will wake up around 2:30 & not go back to sleep until 5:00 or 5:30 a.m. By the time I get him back to bed I lay down hoping for a few hours of sleep before he wakes up again.

Needless to say, I am tired. I struggle with not having a short temper with my other kids. It isn't their fault that I am so tired. My early morning quiet time has disappeared because Sam keeps waking up before I can get up.

Today, I was really feeling the affects of not getting enough sleep. I found myself in the laundry room ready to completely burst out in tears this morning. My children were not getting their school work done without a fight. I had so much to do today & I didn't have the energy to do any of it. As I loaded the washer with more clothes & cried out to God.

I can't do this. Sam is keeping me up at night, I can't get up early enough to spend time in prayer or devotions, I don't want anyone around me, I just want to sleep. I'm not only physically exhausted, but spiritually dehydrated. I want so badly to have some time for myself to read your word & pray, but I just can't get it. Your word says that you will strengthen those whose hope is in you. You say you will uphold me with your righteous right hand. I need to feel your strength right now. I need you to hold me above my physical exhaustion. You are my God & I love you.

I finished loading my laundry and began preparing lunch. An argument broke out between 2 of my boys & I very calmly sent them to their separate corners. My sick little one came in & wanted to be held, so we rocked for a bit. My little girl came in & insisted that I let her play with bubbles. With a little compromise I let her blow her bubbles on our front porch with the front door open. She & I sat outside while she blew her bubbles. I walked back in & realized my exhausted feeling was gone. I no longer felt as though I would explode with emotion at the next person who confronted me. I felt an amazing peace & calm that I had not had 30 minutes earlier.

Lord God, my Holy Father, thank you for your mercy & gift of strength for today.

I don't know if my little Sam will sleep all night tonight. I hope he does. But if he doesn't, I know that my strength will come from my God & he will uphold me with his righteous right hand, because my hope & love is in Him.

Isaiah 40:10

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Teenagers ~ Welcoming Them Home

2008-07-22T05:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I wrote a post about my son and how God is showing me that I need to let go of him so that God can truly work in his life.

This morning in my quiet time my devotional took me back to that scripture with a focus on when the son returned home. I had just been praying for my son, before I opened my devotional book. This was a wonderful, confirming word to me from the Lord that not only will my son return to the Lord, but when he does it will be a great celebration & I better be celebrating too or I will miss out on a wonderful blessing.

Luke 15:17-20 says, "When he came to his senses he said, 'How many of my fathers hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him; Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son so make me one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

That is the best part of the story right there. The son expected to be punished and put with the hired men, but rather the Father threw a party for him. I'm so ready to throw a party for my son because he has come to his senses. Notice that the father doesn't take the son aside and say, Son, we must have a talk. What you did was very wrong. Blah Blah Blah." The Father knew the son knew he was wrong by his repentance. No other reprimands were needed.

This is how Jesus takes us back when we have sinned and walked away from him. He welcomes us back with open arms and a forgiving heart and this is how we should welcome our children also.

Colossians 3:13, Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Lord, I praise you & thank you for your redeeming promises from your Word. I love because you first loved me and I forgive because you first forgave me.

Teenagers ~ Letting Go So God Can Work

2008-07-21T06:43:00.001-07:00

There is a great parable that Jesus told about a son who left home. He decided, I guess, that he didn't need his father anymore so he asked for his part of the inheritance and left. Reading through that passage again (Luke 15: 11-32), I noticed the wisdom of the Father in letting his son go. It doesn't say that he tried to reason with his son, he didn't refuse to give him his part of the inheritance. He just did what the son asked and let him go.

As parents we hope that our child will follow God with his whole heart and not rebel. But many do anyway. We pray for and with the child. We teach them what the Bible says about how we should live. We try to live so that we are good examples, but some will turn away from that teaching anyway.

We have a teenage son like this. He is a believer, but he struggles so badly with his decisions. He loves danger and excitement. He reminds me a lot of Apostle Paul in the Bible. Paul fought his fleshly desires constantly. He knew what he should do, yet his flesh would win over again. God used Paul in such a giant way in the history of the church and Christianity and God knew that in order to shape Paul into becoming usable, Paul would have to suffer.

I think my son will have to suffer greatly before he truly understands the grace of God and falls deeply in love with him. As a mom, my natural reaction is to protect him from this suffering, but I have to be as the father in the parable & let my son go. That doesn't mean that I just let him do what he wants. I must still guide him in the ways of the Lord. My love for the Lord will create a natural outpouring of mercy on my son. He must still know that no matter what, we love him and we will fight for him. He still has to accept consequences for his bad decisions. Some consequences are from his parents, but most are natural consequences that God placed there.

So what do I do?

I pray. I pray like I have never prayed for a child before. I ask for guidance and wisdom in the training of my son (and all of my children). I ask that my son will get caught in his sin and found out. I ask that God make him totally miserable until he becomes desperate for God. I ask that God would place a hunger for Him in the heart of my son that will create a giant void that my son cannot get rid of without Christ. I ask that God will help me to get out of the way so that He can work in the life of my son.

I touch. When our children are little they love to be hugged. I have a son that hugs me about 10 times a day. He needs that physical touch from me. But for some reason when they get older we don't touch them as often. They still need our physical affection. If they don't like hugs just rub them on the back or hold their arm while you talk to them. Pat them on the shoulder as you walk by. Touch them in a gentle and affirming way. It makes a difference.

I listen. This is really hard for me. I'm a talker. But it is so important that we shut our mouths and just listen to them, not advise or instruct, just listen. Many times my kids, when we talk together, they figure out what they need to do by themselves through telling me what the problem is. They just have to say it all out loud with out interruption. If they need help working through something, we can do that, but I wait for the invitation from them to help. Sometimes I will interrupt if I can tell that they are working off their emotions & not about to make a wise judgement, but not very often. Listen to them. If you don't, they will find someone else who will.

I look. I have to work really hard sometimes at looking for the good things my son has done. It seems that all he does is get in trouble, but I know that he has done something good. If all I do is point out the wrong things he has done, then he just begins to feel as though he is a failure. I pray & ask God to show me the good and positive things that he has done. I know they are out there & often it takes someone else to point them out to me. Look for the good in your child and then tell them what you see. Compliment them...a lot!

I believe. I believe that God is God, not me. I trust that he really does know what he is doing in the lives of my children and I need to get out of the way and let him work. I believe that he has my children's name engraved on the palm of his hand. He has a plan for them & it is not my plan. I don't know what the plan is, I may have a little idea based on their desires and interests, but I don't know what all of it is. I must believe that he is guiding them through whatever they need to go through and experience in order to accomplish his plan. Believe that God is at work in your child's life, it will change your whole perspective.

I hope that if you have a child like I do that you will ask God to guide you and give you the wisdom you need to train and nurture them in the ways of the Lord. When we have children who disappoint us in their decisions(and they will), we really need to go back to the Lord for mercy and understanding. Many times my son has really embarrassed me. I don't want my friends to know that my child has done that! It makes me look like I'm not raising him right. If I had done things differently, then he would be different. That is pride & false shame & don't fall for it! It is of the enemy.

Our job is to seek the Lord with our whole heart, mind & soul. Follow Him and live like Him. If we are doing that according to what the Lord has commanded then we will raise our children according to God's plan. I didn't say that they would all turn out the way we want them to, I just said that we will raise them according to Gods plan. When my son was born, God knew that he would rebel. He placed in him a desire for excitement for a reason. It is there as a part of his life plan. As a parent, I have to trust the Lord to help me guide my son to learn to use that desire for God's glory not his own. Only the Lord can help me with this, I really mess things up on my own.

Lord, I ask that today you would help me to trust you with my children's life. Help me to know when to let them go.

The Greatest Love Ever! part 2

2008-07-11T06:24:00.001-07:00

Over the past year or so, I have been on a spiritual journey of realizing the greatness of God's love for me. It is so easy to say and we grew up hearing it, "God loves you.". It is on pencils, notepads, balloons, hats, posters. It is everywhere. But do we really realize just how much he loves us?

Mark 9:7, This is my son whom I love. Listen to him.

Jesus was God's son. I don't think any believer doubts that at all. Any need that God had for a child was fulfilled through his only son Jesus.

When a man and woman want a child, but cannot have children themselves they adopt. They do not feel complete until they have a child.

But God already had a child, Jesus. He didn't need anymore. He is God. He is complete, lacking nothing. He is Elohim, Creator and El Elyon, The God Most High. He needs nothing. He doesn't need us. He can function just fine with out us and his purpose would still be fulfilled, yet he created us anyway. He loves us that deeply.

He chooses us. He picks us out. He has adopted us into His Kingdom. How much greater can a love be for us than that?

1 Peter 2:5, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

We are royalty, only because he has chosen us to be so. He loves us so deeply that we cannot fathom how deep. C.H. Spurgeon said this,

Our adoption therefore, is not for His gain, but for ours; it is a matter of divine charity, arising out of the spontaneous love of God.

Father, I praise you and thank you for choosing me to one of your own. I thank you for your love for me and ask that you would teach me to love in the same way.

Longest Texan Marriage!

2008-07-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

I know that I don't normally post things like this, but I just had to post this! It has no great spiritual meaning to it, but that is o'k, this couple has over come many great odds & stayed together through them all.

NAMES: Melvin and Minnie Lou Scott | AGES: 101 and 100 | HOMETOWN: Frankston, TX | QUALIFICATIONS: Married eighty years ago on November 11, 1927 / The first of five living generations (one son, three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren)

• We married at a traveling marvel show. It was like vaudeville, in a tent. They wanted somebody to marry onstage, for the crowd, of course, and they were going to pay $25. We were gonna get married anyway, so we just got married like that. That’s how silly we were.

• With the $25 we bought our bedroom suite, our dishes, and a cabinet for the kitchen. We’re still eating out of the dishes we bought, and we’ve got the cabinet in our kitchen right now.

• We married in November, and that December we built our house. We’ve been living nearly 79 years in this same house. When we bought the lot, it was $50, and to build the house cost $1,000. We had to build on a loan because we didn’t have the money, but we made sure it was the very best lumber.

• We were making it all right until that Depression, and then you just couldn’t get any work. That was pretty rough going. Melvin had to go to Texas City, where he loaded stuff on ships to Japan for 35 cents an hour. That was the highest wage then. We just worked and did the best we could.

• Every occasion, every birthday, is a big to-do these days. It’s rare for two people to live this long together.

• We’ve outlived four doctors. Melvin has never been sick enough to go to a doctor, except for the pacemaker. He didn’t know there was anything wrong with him or think he was sick, but when they took his pulse at the hospital, it was 34. They put a pacemaker in, and it lasted six years. Then, about a month ago, they had to put a new pacemaker in because the battery was obsolete. He’s healed up just fine.

• We have biscuits and eggs and bacon just about every day. Sausage or whatever we want. Most people are on a diet or something like that. Even our son is, because he has high blood pressure. Neither one of us has stuff we can’t eat.

• We don’t know why the divorce rate is so high these days. Perhaps it’s stress. Things are so different now; there’s a lot of pressure on young couples. But you can’t just leave, like what people do now. That’s not quite necessary.

• We used to do a lot of fishing together. We would fish every day.

• Being married eighty years doesn’t seem like a big deal to us. We don’t have enough sense to think about it like that. But we don’t know anyone who has been married this long.

• We just never thought about anything else but staying married. We never did think about separating or anything just ’cause things weren’t perfect. All you can do is make the best of it.

Interview by Andrea Valdez

Photo by; O. Rufus Lovett

Texas Monthly Magazine

The Greatest Love Ever!

2008-07-09T06:13:00.001-07:00

Can you imagine a love greater than the love you have for your child? Do you think anyone else could ever love your child as much as you do? Of course not! You carried that baby in your womb for almost a year and when that baby was born you were the one who fed him and walked the hallways at night with him. but, even if you didn't do all of that. What if you adopted your child and missed out on all of the "fun stuff" in the beginning...how deep is your love for your child? I have several friends who have adopted their children and I can tell you that they do not love their children any less than I love my children. Their love is just as deep and unconditional as though they carried that baby in their womb.

May your unfailing love by my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Psalm 119:76

David was in love with his God, but he knew that his God loved him far more than he could ever love him back. David's love was a failing love. It was not unconditional. He still sinned against his God. But he knew that it was the unfailing love of God that kept him from destroying himself with his sin. It was the unfailing love that was his comfort when all seemed to turn against him.

We are much like David. We are not capable of loving anyone with the kind of love God has for us. We come very close in the way we love our children, but it is not the same perfect unfailing love our God has for us. Our sin keeps us from loving with the same magnitude that God loves.

Who will experience God's unfailing love?

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. Psalm 103:11

How long will it last?

Give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever. Psalm 118

It is because of this steadfast, unfailing love that we have salvation and can experience a new day today. We do not deserve a new day, we deserve death. Our hearts are wicked and of no good, but because of his love towards us, he allows us a new day to experience his mercy and grace.

Praise the Lord today and thank him for giving you a new day to experience his grace and mercy and everlasting, unchanging, steadfast, unfailing love.

Is Your Heart Steadfast?

2008-07-01T07:02:00.001-07:00

David wrote:

My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.

This word steadfast is to me a very spiritual word. We don't use it in our everyday conversations. What does it really mean and can my heart be described as steadfast?

First it means to be immovable, firmly fixed in place(Merriam Webster Collegiate Dict, 11th Ed) Some more meanings from the Hebrew word is prepared, established, appointed and formed or developed.

A person who is steadfast is not a wishy washy, undecided, has no idea what they doing, kind of person. They are confident in what they know and believe and they know why they believe it. If you are having heart surgery, you want a doctor who is steadfast in his knowledge of the heart and what your heart needs in order to work properly.

In this verse, heart, could also be stated as the mind The Hebrew meaning here is, inner man, mind, will, heart. Is your mind steadfast? Another reference also says,

the source of life of the inner person in various aspects, with a focus on feelings, thoughts, volition, and other areas of the inner life *

In what is our heart to be steadfast? Well, David was worshiping God for the great victories over their enemies. David had seen first hand the power of God. He was confident in the ability of God to overcome. David had felt the love and mercy of God in the forgiveness of his sins. His knowledge and understanding of God was immovable and firmly fixed in place. No one could convince him that God was a fraud. David was free to worship God with all his soul and glory because of his steadfast heart.

If we have doubts about God. If we are not fully trusting him this limits our worship. We are not free to praise him for all that He is. If we still think we can handle a particular situation better than he can, this limits our worship. It is not until we are fully and wholly surrendered to God can our heart, mind and spirit worship God the way He says to worship.

Also, when our heart is steadfast, we are prepared when adversity comes. We know that it is part of the life of a believer. But we know that the refining of our soul is necessary so that God can create in us a pure heart. We are confidant in our understanding that God gives us the strength we need.

We live in a day and time where if your heart is not steadfast, you will become confused by the false teachings that surround us. Each day we live brings us closer to the day when our Savior returns in the clouds to take us home. But in those last days, there will be many who will try to convince you of alternative ways to Christ. Be steadfast in your knowledge that there is ONLY ONE WAY! Through Jesus Christ.

Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

God is steadfast in his love and devotion to his children. Why should we not be steadfast in our love and devotion to him. I once had a very wise woman tell me when I said to her that I was trying to trust in God to handle a particular circumstance, "Why shouldn't you trust him? What has he ever done to you that he didn't promise to do? " Her words have stayed with me. My God has never let me down. He has never promised me something, but never followed through. He is steadfast.

I pray that you will examine your heart and ask God to show you where that you are not steadfast. He is constantly showing me ways in which I am not steadfast in my faith and love. I am a constant work in progress as we all are.

O Holy God, I ask that you will examine my heart and show me where I am not steadfast in you. You are my Elohim and my El Shaddai and in you are all good things. I long to worship you with all my soul and mind. A~Men.

*(Swanson, James: Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament). )

Is God in Your Schedule?

2008-06-30T08:13:00.001-07:00

One day several years ago during our Bible Study time, the kids & I were discussing Psalm 139:7-10.

“Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold me fast.”

We discussed that it doesn’t matter where we are God is always there. One of my sons said, “Yeah, like He’s right here.”, as he patted the sofa seat beside him. Then he looked down and noticed that the sofa was covered with books, pencils and paper so he began moving it aside so that there would be room for God to sit.

We all had a good laugh out of that, but I thought later, “Have I made room for Christ in my life, what needs to be moved over or out so that he can sit with me?” We get so busy with our little ones and the daily routines of life that we gradually squeeze God out. Before we know it there just isn’t time for a quiet time or prayer.

The good news is God is everywhere we are. We can call on Him any time, any where. That is a great comfort to me to know that I can call on Him anytime of day and anywhere I am when I do find myself drowning in my day. But, I know that He is blessed when I go to Him first in my day. He wants to speak His blessings & wisdom to us before any attacks are thrown at us.

5 minutes of prayer with him can make a huge difference in our day. It won’t change what happens to us in our day, but it can help to change how we will respond to it, maybe in a more God glorifying manner. A few days of praying for the short 5 minutes will quickly turn into 10 minutes & then you will turn to the scriptures & before you know it an hour has gone by! I love when that happens! If you can’t find 5 minutes in your day then you are way too busy. Someone once asked me, “How do you get to know someone?” Well, by talking to them & spending time with them of course. That is how you will get to know the Lord, but it won’t just happen. You have to set aside time for it.

As you plan out your days and weeks ahead, don’t forget to make room for God in your schedule & plans. Give yourself a specific God time in your day. Your family will love you for it! Your family will be blessed by it.

Many Seeds

2008-06-27T20:48:00.001-07:00

John 12:24
Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

This verse has been a great blessing and help to me so many times. There have been days when I was totally overwhelmed by my kids. In fact, I did not think they were blessings at the time, more like burdens.

My oldest son is a challenge to say the least. I have stayed awake at night praying for God to show me what this child needs. He has been a challenge since he learned to crawl! At 2 years old I caught him on top of my refrigerator. He has so much energy that I can not keep up with him or the trouble he causes. At the end of the day when he was younger (now he is 14) I was exhausted from of all the consequences I had to hand out to him.

God used this verse to show me that I am like that kernel of wheat that has fallen to the ground. I must die to the fact that I cannot teach my son anything without the strength of Christ. I believe that if my son is to grow to become the man God has planned him to be I must be obedient, get out of the way, and let God work. I am only an instrument in my sons’ life. My job as his mother is to seek the Lord’s guidance and be obedient in what He tells me to do. This is so hard because as a parent you want to control all that happens in our children’s life. And to an extent we are supposed to, but we cannot control what decisions they will make. We have to leave that up to the Lord. We must die to self as parents so that the Lord can use us to produce many seeds of fruit in our children. Easier said than done, I know because I am still struggling with it. I like to be in control & then I hear God say, “Hello? Who is God here?” God is so much more creative than I am. When I let him be God and listen to him when I am crying out in desperation he without fail gives me ways to deal with my children that I never would have thought of by myself. And the best part is that it works!

One particular day I was extremely upset with my son. I wanted to strangle him I was so mad.(of course I wouldn’t do that) I prayed and asked God what to do with him before I went to talk to him. The Lord told me to hug him. I said, “What? You want me to hug him? I don’t even want to look at him right now much less hug him!” But I did it anyway. My son didn’t want me to hug him but I kept my arm around him and told him that God told me to hug him. At that moment he stopped struggling and hugged me back. He told me he was sorry and he corrected his behavior. I never would have thought a hug could have been that powerful but God knew what my son needed. If I would have disciplined him on my own I would have missed a great moment with him & probably just made him even angrier.

My son and I hug almost everyday now and I see in him fruit that I know I didn’t plant, but that the Lord is helping me to nurture.

Family Garden

2008-06-27T20:37:00.001-07:00

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13

For three years, I made an attempt to plant a garden. I stress the word "attempt" because I haven't been very successful at it. I have a good friend who makes it look very natural and easy so I thought I should be able to do it also. After all, I homeschool so I should at least have a garden as a science project for my kids. What a project it turned out to be. The first year we planted corn, beans, okra, cantaloupe, & maybe a few others. Out of that planting we got a few beans and lots of okra. The corn suffered an untimely death by the hands of my son who mistook them for weeds. Everything else was eaten by the grasshoppers. The next two years we tried to plant a little more, but again we failed. Our “project” was quickly becoming, “How fast can mom kill our garden this year”. I would look out at my garden from my kitchen and wonder, "Why won't this garden do what I want it to. I plant the seeds, I hoe the weeds, I water, I do everything I know to do but still it is a flop.”

Have you ever looked at your children like this? You do everything you think that you know to do & they just won’t do what you think they should do. I love my kids and I love spending time with them, but some days....I tell them over and over and over and it seems as if they will never obey. I’ve even had days when I look at a particular child and wonder if God really meant for me to raise this child or was he supposed to go to another family that would better know what to do with him. But since God makes no mistakes then I know I am supposed to be this child’s mother. He can be my greatest struggle and my greatest joy all in the same day. The Lord is so good to remind me that if I will seek him and follow him then he will take care of the rest. If I will just love and nurture the seeds that he has given me they will bloom into beautiful plants. His timing is perfect and so is his will and plan for us. We live in a very hurried society today, we have a really hard time waiting on anything especially God, yet we still say, “God knows best." We take our requests to Him but if he doesn't answer or change that child in our timing we get anxious.

Our garden (family) will prosper when we call on Him. We will bear much fruit through Him when we seek Him with all our heart. This is one of the reasons that we are still homeschooling. Understanding that it isn’t always about academics, we want all the time and opportunities possible to love and nurture our children in the ways of the Lord. I also don’t want to miss out on seeing any new sprouts of faith or miss recognizing any weeds of sin. When it is about academics I still have to depend on the Lord for guidance. At times I wonder if one child will ever learn to read with out struggling or if another will ever remember her multiplication tables. How long can a child stay in one chapter of his math book? I think we are about to set a new record. Seeds of doubt begin to wash over me again and I begin to wonder if I am doing anything right. Are these kids really learning anything?

“Then you will call upon me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13

He even cares about how long a child can stay in the same chapter of his math book and he knows why he is still there and what he needs to get out of it. Part of my role as his mother is seeking the Lord even when it comes to math. That is part of tending the garden.

I do not plant gardens anymore, it's not my thing. But the spiritual garden that the Lord is planting in my home is sprouting. We still have weeds to pull, but by His grace I know it will be a bumper crop one of these days.

Warning! Danger Ahead!

2008-06-24T07:37:00.001-07:00

As mothers, it is perfectly natural to want to warn our children of any danger we know may be ahead of them. If we know of a way for them to avoid trouble, we let them know. It is of course up to them as they get older to heed our instruction. Either they will listen to us or they won't. And if you have more than one child, I'm sure that you have already noticed that one child seems to listen to warnings more than another.

If you knew that the building they were about to go into was to catch on fire, would you just sit by while they went inside? If you knew that the food they were about to eat was poisoned would you give it to them to eat anyway? Of course not. You would do everything in your power to keep them safe. You love your child more than you love yourself.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 Paul is warning the Timothy of dangerous people that he will meet. We are living in dangerous times, but this isn't a recent occurrence because Paul is warning Timothy.

I like how The Message by Eugene Peterson writes this passage;

1-5Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people.

Paul is clear, "Stay clear of these people". Stay away! The NIV says, "Have nothing to do with them."

I'm sure you could name at least a dozen people you know who fit the description above. We all do. Also, as mothers our worst nightmare would be for our own children to become like this. These verses describe the world we live in today. Perversity is everywhere. It is accepted by most as just the change in times.

The other night, my husband was reading to me an article about an amazing, but very sad, ruling that took place. A Canadian judge ruled that a 12-year-old girl was "excessively" punished when her father told her she could not go on a school camping trip because she had broken rules for use of the Internet. Can you believe that? You can read the whole story on Albert Mohler's blog. Now we have children taking their parents to court because they thought the parents were to harsh & the judges are taking the kids side!

Spiritual warfare is everywhere and as Christian parents we must stay alert and on guard and teach our children the same. We must not be deceived in our thinking. We live in a day and time when there are people everywhere claiming to be Christians but they are dangerous! They appear to be godly, but they are lovers of self rather than lovers of God. They are on the TV preaching, they are in the churches preaching and leading, they are your next door neighbors. Do not be deceived!

We must stand against such people. Many take the the Great Commission as their excuse to be friends with these people. You don't have to be good friends with them or look for them hoping to save them from their sin. YOU ARE NOT GOD! Only God can save them. If He chooses to save them and chooses to use you, let him orchestrate the event. Don't seek these people out hoping to teach the Gospel to them. They will not hear it or understand if God has not prepared their heart or ordained for them to accept it. Many seek these people out for very good reasons, but in turn become sucked into the sin and selfish life. If God has chosen them as His own, they will believe. Listen to the Spirit and He will direct you. How exciting it can be to witness one coming to Christ with a broken heart! But we don't have to look for those opportunities...God brings them to us.

Warn your children. Teach them the Truth of Christ and the ways of God so that when they encounter the wicked they will know to run away.

We not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power and the wonders he has done. Psalm 78:4

Learn to be still. The literal meaning for be still is cease or stop. We don't like to be still. It makes us feel as though we are not doing anything. But God tells us to be still. This is when he speaks to us most fervently and clearly.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Stay alert and on guard. Evil surrounds us and if we are not careful it will not appear to be as evil as we once thought and we will accept it. Stay alert and see it as it is..not of God! Many will claim to be of God but only a few will be truly of God. No lovers of self will enter into Heaven, only lovers of God.

Jesus answered; "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ', and will deceive many. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:4-5, 12-13

Lord Jesus, open my eyes so that I may see the evil for what it is and teach my children to stay away.

Is It Urgent or Important?

2008-06-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

I've have been convicted lately of the difference of the important versus the urgent in my everyday life. As a mother, I see most of my duties as urgent. When the dryer goes off, it is urgent that I get the clothes out & put on hangers or they will get wrinkled.

Sometimes, I know I get urgent & important confused. My children are important, not the clothes in the dryer. My husband is important, not posting to my blog.

Do you get these confused also? We are not the only ones. This is an age old problem. The disciples of Jesus also had this confused. In fact, I think Jesus spent most of his time trying to teach the disciples that it was the people and the condition of their heart that was the most important, not the Law. They were still held tightly to the law of the Pharisees. This is what they grew up with & this is all they knew. Jesus did not teach what the Pharisees had been teaching for hundreds of years. They added hundreds of rules & laws to God's law and this is what the Jew was expected to live by. It was hard for the Disciples to change their way of thinking and understand what Jesus wanted of them. He wanted them to stop looking at people through the eyes of the law, but see them through the eyes of God, with love and compassion.

In Mark 10:13-16 parents were bringing their children to Jesus for a blessing. The disciples tried to get them to go away. Children were not worthy to be with Jesus. Jesus did not agree. He understood that these precious little children were very important and he told the disciples to stop & let the children come to him. I'm sure the disciples felt that there were much more urgent matters to attend to, not children.No one knew better than Jesus how precious the souls of these children were and how innocent their faith was.

I have become more conscious of the importance of the heart of my child these last few weeks. My youngest daughter was sick with a fever last week. I so badly wanted to get my laundry done & out of the way, but she wanted me to lay down and watch cartoons with her. I set my laundry down, knowing that it would take me a long time to get all of the wrinkles out, and laid down with her until she went to sleep. This was important to her for me to lay with her while she was sick.

Issues of importance are on a vertical scale. They deal with your relationship with God first and then your relationship with others. They are self sacrificing, they are private and often invisible. It is choosing others over yourself.

Issues of urgency are on a horizontal scale. When addressed they do not enhance a relationship with others. It is putting yourself before others even though we think we are doing it for someone else. They are often simply tasks to perform. There is a time & place for the urgent; but, our world has replaced the important with the urgent. Urgent things when done are usually very visible to to others. When I cook dinner, everyone knows it because they can smell it. When I check email, the sender knows because I respond. But when I pray for that sender, know one knows but me & the Lord.

Do you see the difference? It is the things of importance that really matter. Those urgent things can wait; really, they can. What is the worst thing that will happen if you read with your little girl and don't clean up the kitchen right after dinner? You might have to scrub that pan a little harder. But the reward is that you have filled up your daughter's love tank by stopping the urgent and doing the important with her.

I have never regretted putting aside the urgent for the important. I have always looked back and wondered why I put so much importance on what I thought was urgent and regretted it. I have missed wonderful conversations with my teens because I thought I just had to get that email sent out, or missed out on baby doll tea parties because I was determined to get the whole bathroom clean.

Today, evaluate your day. What is on your list that you would consider urgent and what is there that is important. Usually the important things are not on the list, they are hidden within the list. Don't miss them! Be mindful of what important things that God is placing in your day. You will be greatly blessed for choosing the important and I think you will be amazed at how you will still get the urgent things done also.

chocolate truffles

2008-06-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

I love chocolate! It is my favorite food. I could eat it all day everyday. In fact I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t eat just a little. I have chocolate hidden in several places, so that I can slip a little bite when I’m in the mood. Plus, my kids love chocolate too, so I have to hide it or they would eat it all! Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays --yes, because of the chocolate. The stores are full of it. I still have a little left so I dug into it the other day when I was at my computer. Hershey ® made a Truffle Kiss! Oh, it is wonderful. I popped the little kiss in my mouth & sucked on it a little & then I got to the filling in the middle. Wow! That was great, so I got another one & another one & oh, you get the idea. I love Hershey Kisses ® just plain, but now there is a surprise in the middle. That made it even better.

I see God and his scripture the same way. Just reading the Bible can be comforting and inspiring by itself. But when you begin to really dig into it is when you get to the really good stuff. Just knowing about God is good, but when you really begin to know him intimately and have a close relationship then you just want more of him. Just knowing about him is not enough anymore. Just reading his Bible is not enough, now you want to know what is behind the words.
If you are just tasting God’s word, that is good. But try not to be satisfied with just tasting it. Dig into it & study it. I have learned so much about God and what he wants of me as a wife, mother, & friend by digging into his scripture. It does take time. I can hear you already. “I barely have time to get dressed, much less pour hours into Bible study everyday.” That was my excuse for years. You know what? I was just settling for “tasting God”. I was not deeply happy nor did I experience much joy in my life. It wasn’t until I began to make the time to study did I find joy and happiness that wasn’t determined by my circumstances. You will be hooked once you take your first big bite and really savor the richness and delicate flavor of God through his words to us in the scriptures.
Psalm 81:10 says, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”
Isn’t that great? He wants to fill us with whatever we need. He really wants to, but we have to open our mouth first. We have to ask for it. I love it!

Dad's Brownies

2008-05-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

I didn't write this, but have always loved the message that it tells.
~Dana

A father of some teenage children had the family rule that they could not attend PG-13 or R rated movies. His three teens wanted to see a particular popular movie that was playing at local theaters. It was rated PG-13. The teens interviewed friends and even some members of their family's church to find out what was offensive in the movie.

The teens made a list of pros and cons about the movie to use to convince their dad that they should be allowed to see it.The con's were that it contained ONLY 3 swear words, the ONLY violence was a building exploding (and you see that on TV all the time they said), and you actually did not "see" the couple in the movie having sex - it was just implied sex, off camera.

The pros were that it was a popular movie - a block buster. Everyone was seeing it. If the teens saw the movie then they would not feel left out when their friends discussed it. The movie contained a good story and plot. It had some great adventure and suspense in it. There were some fantastic special effects in this movie. The movie's stars were some of the most talented actors in Hollywood. It probably would be nominated for several awards. Many of the members of their church had even seen the movie and said it wasn't "very bad".

Therefore, since there were more pros than cons the teens said they were asking their father to reconsider his position on just this ONE movie and let them have permission to go see it. The father looked at the list and thought for a few minutes. He said he could tell his children had spent some time and thought on this request. He asked if he could have a day to think about it before making his decision. The teens were thrilled thinking; "Now we've got him! Our argument is too good! Dad can't turn us down!" So, they happily agreed to let him have a day to think about their request.

The next evening the father called in his three teenagers, who were smiling smugly, into the living room. There on the coffee table he had a plate of brownies. The teens were puzzled. The father told his children he had thought about their request and had decided that if they would eat a brownie then he would let them go to the movie. But just like the movie, the brownies had pros and cons.

The pros were that they were made with the finest chocolate and other good ingredients. They had the added special effect of yummy walnuts in them. The brownies were moist and fresh with wonderful chocolate frosting on top. He had made these fantastic brownies using an award-winning recipe. And best of all, the brownies had been made lovingly by the hand of their own father.

The brownies only had one con. The father had included a little bit of a special ingredient. The brownies also contained just a little bit of dog poop. But he had mixed the dough well - they probably would not even be able to taste the dog poop and he had baked it at 350 degrees so any bacteria or germs from the dog poop had probably been destroyed. Therefore, if any of his children could stand to eat the brownies which included just a "little bit of crap" and not be affected by it, then he knew they would also be able to see the movie with "just a little bit of smut" and not be affected.

Of course, none of the teens would eat the brownies and the smug smiles had left their faces. Only Dad was smiling smugly as they left the room. Now when his teenagers ask permission to do something he is opposed to the father just asks, "Would you like me to whip up a batch of my special brownies?"

Patient in Affliction

2008-05-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Romans 12:12,

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

In one of my previous post I wrote about what I have learned about this first part of the verse, "joyful in hope". God has also spoke to me concerning the second half of this verse, "patient in affliction". I understand what it means, but when I first read this verse to be "patient in affliction" seemed like such a far off place for me to be. I understood that as a believer, in my life I am guaranteed to be faced with affliction. How I respond to affliction shows the depth of my love for God. This was really disheartening to me to realize this because my response to affliction, trials, difficult days was not a response that pleases the Lord.
As I thought about how we should respond to affliction my thoughts turned toward 2 men in the Old Testament. First Job came into my thoughts. He is known for his patience during unbelievable circumstances.
He lost his children, his livestock, his health and yet he never cursed God. Scripture tells us that Job was "blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." He was not a bad person, he loved God and lived his life to God's glory. So when his life fell apart if anyone had a reason to say, "I don't deserve this, this is not fair! It was Job. But, he didn't do that. He knew that his God loved him deeply and even if he never gained back all that he lost he would always love his God. Do I love that deeply? Can I be as patient as Job? Can I say, "If you take it all away, I will still love you & live for you." ? I really can't honestly answer that. I would like to think that I could, but I don't know. I know that my family has lost things that we once thought were great, but now looking back, we see that they were not so great. So there was really no loss. Job experienced great loss and yet he remained patient in his affliction and God restored all that he had lost and blessed him twice as much.

Next I began to think about Joseph, found in the book of Genesis. He was the 11th son of Jacob. His brothers were very jealous of him as he held the favor of his father. They sold him into slavery where he ended up in Egypt. His father Jacob was a godly man. Though his sons were not as upright as he was, God still used them to build his Israel. But God set Joseph a part from the rest for a very special plan. After Joseph had been sold into slavery he was sent to be a servant in the house of the Captian of the guard. This was a great start for Joseph, until Potiphars wife decided that she wanted him for herself. She was a very deceptive women and had the trust of her husband. She lied to him saying that Joseph tried to take her to bed and Joseph was sent to prison. He stayed there for 2 years. Genesis 39:21 says, "while Joseph was in prison, the Lord showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes or the prison warden." It says over and over that the Lord was with Joseph...in prison.
So, I'm thinking that if I am Joseph, I would just want out of there. I don't want to have a job in prison as a prisoner. I want out of prison. But, Joseph never asked God to get him out of prison. He was there for 2 years. He had a lot of time to think about himself and his God. He was stuck here in this pagan land and his God was all that he had. He could either believe that his God would deliver him, or he could just try to believe in his self. He could be patient in his affliction or he could try to figure out a way out...his way.

The deeper in my walk with Christ I get the more aware I am of the reality that no matter the reason for the affliction, my patience and trust in the midst of it teaches me more about the greatness of my God than anything else. Learning to embrace my suffering rather than trying to run away from it brings me into a deeper understanding of the sovereignty of my God.
I am blessed when I am patient in my afflictions. I experience my God in ways that I would not if I did not choose this reponse. I am loved by the God of Job and the God of Joseph who never left them, but prospered them because of the their trust and love of Yahweh.
Father, Forgive me for my inpatience in my afflictions. Forgive me for wanting relief. Help me to keep my heart searching for your truth and hope. I want to be joyful in hope and patient in my afflictions. Thank you for your patience with me and your deep love that brings me hope every new day you allow me to experience.

Joyful in Hope

2008-05-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction & faithful in prayer". Romans
12:12

I read this verse a long time ago and while I really liked it & stuck it to my bathroom mirror to remember, I didn't completely understand the first phrase, "be joyful in hope". The rest of the verse made perfect sense to me, but this first part was a little more difficult. I felt like it would require more of me possibly than the later two statements. I understood what it would take to me patent in affliction and faithful in prayer; but joyful in hope?
I began looking up the meaning for the words joyful & hope. I really like doing this because there are so many times that I think I know what a verse means until I begin to search out the roots of the word. I found this definition of joy.

Joy; "Happiness over an unanticipated or present good."
Joy is in the root of rejoicing which is how the Geneva and the King James both translate the Greek text to say. And here is the definition of hope that I found.

Hope ; "To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future."

So, according to these two definitions I am to be happy or cheerful as I trust in and wait for the Lord to do something outstanding in my life. That sounds all good and biblical, but not very realistic to me. If my life is falling apart, how am I to be happy? How can I be happy that my life is falling apart? (My life is not falling apart by the way; I just think it is sometimes) Here is what I have come to realize about this part of the verse. God NEVER expects me be happy that I am experiencing difficulties. He's not even happy that I am experiencing them. What I am to be happy or joyful about is the fact that he is at work in my life, he is going to do something great, he is going to reveal himself to me in ways I can not even imagine. I am to be joyful in the hope of what he is about to do in my life. That sounds like a lot more fun!

It means that while I am in the midst of my boat called life and the waves are splashing up against the boat, spraying me in the face, I can look out and see him standing in the boat with me, keeping the waves from sinking my boat. He is getting ready to calm the sea, but first he wants me to trust him. That is another part of the definition of hope; "to trust in". It is very easy to say that we trust God in our lives, but when it really comes down to it, do we?

I fail at this so often. I say that I trust him to answer my prayer or to take care of something, but when I see the clock clicking away & he doesn't seem to be doing anything about it, I step in and play God again. It would be like me taking the oars in the boat and trying to row back to shore. The shore looks safer than the storm I'm in so I want to go back. And God in all of his mercy let's me go back to shore at times. He gives me what I want. And it is the same outcome every time. FAILURE! I don't trust, instead I think that I can do a better job than God! Oh my goodness, doesn't that sound wonderful? WRONG! Who am I to think that I can do a better job than the one who simply spoke me into existence...forget me; he spoke the whole universe into existence. Have you see how big it is out there & here I am thinking that I know how to handle my life better than he would.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares
the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways and my thought than your thoughts." Isaiah 55: 8,9 (NIV)

The honest fact is that none of us can even get out of bed in the morning if our God doesn't want us to. He is every aspect of every second of our day. He thinks about us more than there are grains of sand on the sea shore.

"How precious are your thoughts about me O God! They are innumerable. I can't
even count them; they outnumber the grains of the sand!" (Psalms 139:7-8)

He loves us so deeply that he gave his son to die so that we wouldn't have to. The emotions that I experience when I think about the depth of that love, that I am not even capable of, are enormous! I am engraved on the palm of his hand, he will not forget me!

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;" (Isaiah 49:16)

Why wouldn't I be joyful in hope? Why wouldn't I trust him to do a better job than I am doing with my life? Why wouldn't I be happy that he is about to do a great new thing in my life!

Isaiah 43:19, For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun!
Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to
come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert!

I found this commentary in the Matthew Henry's, and I thought was very thought provoking.

" He is honored by our hope and trust in him, especially when we rejoice in that
hope. He is served, not only by working for him, but by sitting still quietly,
when he calls us to suffer. Patience for God's sake, is true piety. Those that
rejoice in hope, are likely to be patient in tribulation. We should not be cold
in the duty of prayer, nor soon weary of it" (Matthew
Henry's)

Remembering that my life is not really about me, rather it is all about God puts this verse all in perspective. I can be joyful in my hope of his touch on my life as I am patient in my affliction and faithful in my prayers, because it is through him that all things happen.

Heavenly Father, help me to rejoice in my expectancy and trust of your working in my life. A~men!

Be Wise Toward Outsiders

2008-05-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

My door bell rang one afternoon. This was nothing new. We live in a busy neighborhood. My house has been compared to “Grand Central Station” with all of the neighborhood kids & my kids going in and out.
My son answered the door and then came and found me.
“Mom, those guys are here.”
“What guys?” I asked.
“You know, those guys who wear dark pants, white shirt & have backpacks.”
Mormon Missionaries.
“Ok, no big deal. Let’s see what they want.” I knew what they wanted.
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5,6
I thought of this verse as I made my way to our front door. On my porch were 2 very clean cut & well dressed young men. I knew I had a choice, though at the moment I didn’t really consider my choices. I just knew what I was to do.
“Hi, how are you?” I asked. They looked a little taken back, that I was not closing my door on them.
“Uh, fine, thank you. We are from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and we would like to share with you some information about Jesus Christ.” His words were very scripted and rehearsed. I listened to them and we talked. Because I had a big family I had an instant connection with one of the boys because he was also from a large family. We enjoyed casual conversation about our families and how fun it can be. But we also discussed salvation. I asked them questions, some they had answers to, some they did not.
I had a choice that day. I could either be very short with them and say, “I am a Christian and I am not interested in what you have to say.” and they shut my door with them on my front porch. Or I could talk with them, with grace, and listen to what they had to say.
I do not agree with the Mormon beliefs for a multitude of reasons. But that does not mean that I should run away from them or be rude to them. When I open my door to them, I am taking every opportunity to show the love of Jesus to them. Even if we disagree, I can still love them with the love of Jesus.
They thanked me over and over for being so kind to them. Then they said this, and it really saddened me; “You are the first Christian to ever be so kind to us.”
Moms, we have a responsibilty to our children to let them see us be wise in the way we act toward outsiders. If they see us slamming the door in someone’s face & talking unkind things about them, they will repeat it. Honestly speaking, I did not want to talk to those guys. I knew that I could not convert them. I really did not have an extra hour in my day to stand on my front porch talking with them. But as a believer, I have learned that God gives me opportunities in front of my children to honor Him. They are watching very closely! They are listening to our conversations and then repeating them to their friends.
It is a sad day when Christians are knows for their rudeness to unbelievers. But we are here, moms! We are in this day. Are we going to raise up more rude & arrogant Christians? We will if we are that way ourselves.
Years ago, I was one to slam the door on the Mormons or Jehovah Witness when they came to my house. I did not want to talk to them. But the Lord changed my heart. He showed me that my sin is no less than wrong theirs. I am no better than they are. I am just as depraved and capable of evil as they are. The difference is that I believe in the saving blood of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, there is no amount of good works that will get me there. That is how I am different from unbelievers. I am no better than they are.
Please be careful how you act toward others. Whether in the grocery store, at the park, or on your front porch. Show you kids how to be graceful and loving to others. They will copy you. They want to copy you.

Father, Help me today to be aware of opportunities that you give me to show my children how to be wise toward others.