The Real Reason

We buy a higher quality dog food for Molly. When we first got her, knowing she was an older dog (9 going on 10!), we wanted to make sure that we kept her as healthy as possible, so nutrition was one of our focuses. So she gets fed a dog food with no fillers, no preservatives, colors, etc - just protein and veggies. I discovered tonight just how thankful I am that we spend the extra for it... here's why!





P.S. This is the first time I've ever caught him doing this - its not a regular occurrence - and it definitely won't be continuing! I had a suspicion when I saw him chewing on something, so I followed him and made this discovery. He just learned how to open the dog food container ;-)

Verse 27

Proverbs 31 is the well-known verse about a virtuous woman, outlining the many activities she may do throughout her day, serving her family and husband. One verse has really stuck out to me, lately - verse 27:

"She watches over the affairs of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness."

One would think that being a stay at home and homeschooling mom, I must certainly live up to this ideal. Afterall, I am home, having the freedom to serve my husband as he needs, teaching and interacting with my children from the moment they wake up until they go to bed, managing my home as I oversee (and do!) various chores, plan and prepare meals, and so on. For a while, *I* thought I obviously live up to this, too. But lately, the Lord has revealed something to me that has deepened my understanding of this verse. Its not just about my actions - its about (like most everything important to the Lord)... my heart.

Sure, I'm getting the things done that I need to and should. But is my heart in it? Do I look for opportunities to take a little taste of the bread of idleness? Do I crave the flavor of that poisonous bread? While I am working toward the fruit of my labor, is my heart and mind really set on a crumb of selfishness, waiting for my opportunity to indulge? While my spirit longs for the meat of the Word and to serve as Christ did, does my flesh gorge on empty calories of excuses and laziness?

I confess... yes, yes, yes... In my heart of hearts, I struggle with laziness. Its not always evident in my actions (although sometimes it is!!), but in my heart, am I not diligently watching over the affairs of my household. I often just babysit, making sure the bare minimum is done. What a humiliating confession to have to make!

However, I can't help but praise God for showing me, no matter how my ego may feel. Because I know that any work He begins in me will not go unfinished. He has shown me the error of my heart and pride, and now I can go to Him for the strength and ability to put away this old, sinful nature, to become the new creation He has in store for me. And the sweetness of serving Him as He would have me, is so much better than any old moldy bread, no matter how much I thought I enjoyed the fungus.

"For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:5-11

Please Pray

There is a blog that I've been quite blessed by in my homeschooling journey, called Preschoolers and Peace. Their newest baby, just 7 weeks old, has suddenly become very ill, and our family is praying for them. I wanted to pass the word along so that others can pray, too! You can read about all the details on their blog.

New Look...

So, I drastically changed my blog look. I'm still toying with it in my head whether or not I like it. I liked the other one because of the colors (earthy browns are SO my thing!!) but I didn't like the format. I changed the template to a format I liked, but wasn't thrilled about the colors... so I did my own thing. I like simple and feminine... so, here it is. Anyway, if you stop by and read this, please let me know what you think! Yea or Nay? Honestly, I really like the idea/look of a 3 column blog, but I have no idea how to make one of my own, and Blogger doesn't seem to offer one, or maybe I just haven't seen it. WordPress does, but I don't want to change my url, sooo.... do any blog experts know how to do a custom template? Any hints or tips are much appreciated!!

Prosperity?

This video really spoke truth to me, so I wanted to share, along with some scriptures on my heart. This is not a "feel-good" message, but it is true. What a tragic and worldly mindset that has befallen so many Christians through this false teaching.

(as always, pause the playlist to the right before watching!)



"Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,"" Hebrews 13:5

"And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me" 2 Corinthians 12:9

"For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness." 1 Timothy 6:7-11

"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13

I also really enjoyed this excerpt from Serving God and Family:

...I learned that my trust in the Lord is based on taking Him at His word. My faith in the Lord is not based on the miracles and wonders He blesses my life with. My faith in the Lord is not determined by which prayers He chooses to answer and which prayers He chooses not to answer. I believe in our day this is something many people never consider. This may be why many people fall prey to the “name it claim” groups. We cannot strong arm God into giving us what we want....

Refined

I got this from Heaven in Our Homes blog, and it was too good not to share!

Refiner's Fire
Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

How to Make a Schedule, Part 2

Continuing from my earlier post, How to Make a Schedule, Part 1, now comes the time to arrange everyone's goals and responsibilities into a workable routine or time frame!

As I mentioned, this is the most challenging part for me, but also the most enjoyable. I've always enjoyed math and numbers, logic puzzles, working to figure out conclusions and so on, so this fits right in. I've sort of developed my own style for this, and its nothing special. Terri Maxwell from titus2.com suggests actually cutting out each goal/responsibility for each person into color-specific tabs of paper and physically rearranging them on a large schedule grid. This is an excellent method for those who are visual and also need to be able to physically manipulate things. I never actually followed that exact method, but the idea was a wonderful springboard for what would work for me. Instead a physical paper grid, I make an Excel sheet, with each person's name across the top, and time increments in 15 minutes down the side. Here's an example:


First, I plug in the most concrete details - sleeping and eating times. The rest of the day is worked around those things. Then I think about what are the biggest priorities. Time with the Lord, chores, and Michael coming home from work top the list, so they get worked in first and foremost. Then, I look over the list of goals and responsibilities we made up during our schedule chat, I line up what things can go together - for example, chores get done at the same time for everyone, I read aloud to everyone at the same time, we all go for our walk together. Certain activities can be "paired" - such as the older children doing quiet reading while I nurse the baby for a nap. For the most part, I pair as much of our day as possible. I include everyone in school activities whenever possible, for one, because it keeps all of the children close to me, and also because I have learned that the littles pick up on a lot, just by being there and listening in (see my post "The Littles" for an example!)

Once everything is paired up as much as possible, I deal with the individual things. Each of the boy's English/Reading needs to be done one-on-one, since they are on different levels. During my one-on-one time with the one, the other three are having "play time" together. Both Isaac and Ezra are responsible enough to manage playing with Joel and Nathan quietly in a nearby room or out on the porch or deck. Any emergencies, of course, are handled by me ;-)

As I go through plugging in our daily responsibilities, there are some that don't always fit on the schedule for that particular season of life. This is why prioritizing is so important, so you know that at least the minimum of your priorities are being attended to. For us, things like extra curricular activities and outside lessons aren't something that fits very well for us yet. Occasionally, yes, but several times a week just doesn't work, because two of my four still need 2 hour naps, which take up a lot of the day. As they grow, depending on how many more littles we're blessed with, this will change. That is an important part of scheduling, and being a mom and homeschooler in general - realizing that *everything* is not always possible, and even at times when it is, not always beneficial. There are seasons in life, and the things that you might have to sacrifice now may become available in a later season! So definitely be in prayer about what your family's priorities are!

Once I've plugged everything into the Excel sheet, I play with formatting just to have it easy to read and visually appealing - if its too cluttered or complicated, no one wants to even look at it, much less follow it! Here's an example of our current schedule - I have it printed and hanging on our corkboard (which is where we also post the chore lists) for everyone to see!


Then, once all is said and done... we begin! A new routine does require an adjustment period, but once everyone gets the hang of it, its easy to figure out what's working and what isn't. After a week or two, everyone will start to fall into the pattern of things, and the structure the day takes on begins to bring about freedom! I find schedules help me to use my time so much more efficiently, and accomplish much more than I do without one.

Finally, I'd like to say that a schedule is a fluid thing. It is not an oppressive tyrant, restricting you from any freedom. It needs to work for you, not you for it. And as your situations change, the schedule will need to be tweaked, as well. Priorities change depending on the season of life (pregnant, having a newborn, potty training, etc) so be sure to adjust as needed! Keep a feel out for when things just don't seem to be flowing well, and be sure to pray and discuss with your husband when or if changes need to be made! Also keep in mind that without self-discipline, a schedule is just a piece of paper. They don't work unless you use them! ;-)

Wordless Wednesday

"For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands."
Isaiah 55:12

How to Make a Schedule, Part 1

I've noticed that one of the biggest things homeschooling moms (and moms in general) struggle with is making a schedule. This is one area where I feel blessed to be reasonably skilled, so I thought I would share some pointers! First, I highly recommend a few resources - Managers of Their Homes by Terri Maxwell, was a major influence in my learning how to schedule. Second, the CD "24 Hours is All You Get" by Susan Bradrick is also very helpful, as well as encouraging.

First and foremost, I will say that your schedule needs to be in submission to the Lord, and your husband. So pray and discuss with your husband as your proceed. My husband hates scheduling discussions, but he understands that, as head of the home, it is imperative for his input and direction to be applied, and, thankfully, is willing to take some time to talk things over with me. This was an area I struggled in submitting to him, but the Lord is faithfully helping me turn this over more!

When we sit down to discuss, our first step is writing out what our goals for each family member is. What are necessities? Priorities? What are things that might be nice but don't take precedent? Don't forget to write down the obvious, like meals, naps, chores, and play/exercise time! They all take up part of the day, too.

Then, we figure out the amount of time needed for each thing. Should it be done daily? Weekly? Every other day? How long should it take? How long could it realistically take? I also look at the general flow of a typical day for us and see where things are struggling or going really well, and take note of those.

The part I find the most challenging, but also the most fun, is rearranging these lists into time slots that form a schedule. Let me take a minute to also say that there is a wide variety of "scheduling". Some do a minute-by-minute strictly timed schedule. Some do more of a basic routine of "first this, then this..." without any time constraints. Some fall in between.

I personally fall in between - using time as a guide to limit certain activities (math, for example, will only go 20 minutes, no matter how much or little we've accomplished), a set wake-up time to get our day started smoothly, and set naptimes as well. Of course, there are areas for wiggle room - if naps start 15 minutes late, its not the end of the world! And if Isaac's English lesson takes 10 minutes instead of 15-20, we just move on from there - that extra time won tends to be easily gobbled by other activities anyway.

So don't feel like you have to set the timer for every activity, but also don't feel like you're too rigid if you do! Let the Lord, your husband, and your personal lifestyle lead you in what ways you need to work the schedule most suitable for your family.

I will end on that note and continue with the actual arranging of things in a second post in the near future. :-)

A Great Give-Away!

Kelly over on Families Against Feminism is giving away one set of Vision Forum's newest DVD collection entitled "Reclaiming the Culture". Go over to her blog, read her review, and leave a comment to enter! The contest ends Friday, so there's only a few days! Enjoy!

Organization!

I love organizing. My home is not as organized as I would like, but I so enjoy it when I can get at least a little corner of our world a little better arranged. Here are my two most recent organization successes!

The first one was with the help of what's called a Desk Apprentice, from Staples. It hold ALL of my homeschooling books and supplies! It has so much space... my homeschooling stuff used to just be in piles or spread out on the kitchen counter - very messy and disorganized, as well as poor space usage! So the Desk Apprentice has helped me to consolidate and organize everything I need. Its big, but SO much of a better use of space and I know where everything is in a glance, now, instead of digging through piles. It holds both of my teacher's manuals, all the books needed for things like science, art, bible, our current chapter book, plus my recipe binder, pencils, erasers, rulers, scissors, etc etc etc. Its amazing!!




Yesterday, we got some Sterilite drawers to help organize our arts and crafts things. I admit, I am not naturally the most artsy person anyway, but having our arts and crafts things so disorganized made it worse, since it was so overwhelming to see or find anything for a quick, fun project. But now everything is easily accessible! I'm excited about it! The drawers go like this: crayons, markers, colored pencils, glue and scissors, paper, miscellaneous art supplies (craft sticks, glitter, stencils, etc), and the bottom drawer has paints and paintbrushes.


Now, if I can just continue to take baby steps toward the goal of organization throughout my home, it will make our everyday living much easier and enjoyable. The biggest (and hardest, it seems) step I know I need to take is major decluttering. That alone will simplify things so much more!

The World's Way

I found the following article an excellent discussion on how the Feminist movement has progressed, and how it has also crept into general Christian thought and lifestyle. Also very thought provoking were the comments that followed.

Let us always keep in mind Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." How does one become "transformed by the renewing" of the mind? Not by our own human wisdom and feelings, or the world's designs, but by delving into the Word of God - searching out His desires, His truths, and obeying Him in love and trust. John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

This is a quote I really enjoyed from the article:

As a peculiar people (1 Pet 2:9), as aliens (1 Pet 2:11), as strangers in this land (1 Pet 1:1), as pilgrims (Heb 11:13), as people who are called to be separate (1 Pet 2: 9-10) and different from the world in which we live, our lives should look different from the world. People ought to see the differences in how we live and ask, "what is the reason for the hope that is within you?" (1 Pet 3:15) But as John Piper has said, all too often, they aren't asking, because "we look like we're hoping in the same things THEY'RE hoping in!"

Read the rest here: Making Home: Society vs. The Biological Clock (aka "God's Design")

Bella

This movie is wonderful. I have recommended it to EVERYONE I know, and even people I don't know. Most people have not even heard of it! Its a beautiful story, very touching. I would say its the best movie I've seen in a very, very long time. It has none of the traditional elements that Hollywood seems to think are necessary (indecency, language and violence), which is SO refreshing, and the story line is simple but the message is so deep. Go rent it and let me know what you think!

Living the Life

"If humility is a Christian duty, then the everyday life of a Christian must show forth humility.

If we are called to care for the sick, the naked, and the imprisoned, these expressions of love must be a constant effort in our lives.

If we are to love our enemies, our daily life must demonstrate that love.

If we are called to be thankful, to be wise, to be holy, they must show forth in our lives.

If we are to be new people in Christ, then we must show our newness to the world.

If we are to follow Christ, it must be in the way we spend each day."

~William Law (1686-1761)

Wordless Wednesday

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

Runners!

Saturday night the boys ran in the local SWAT Trot race, something they've been doing every other summer since Issac was 3. They do the 1K fun run, and this was the first year they ran all by themselves, without an adult beside them. Michael and I were so proud! I was so excited that I forgot to take pictures as they were running toward us, but here's a few of them starting off and then reaching the finish line! Isaac is in the grey shirt and blue shorts, Ezra is in the orange shirt and blue shorts.




Oh, and I forgot to mention - they both got first for their age groups! Isaac's time was 4:48 and Ezra came in at 5:18.

Happy Father's Day!

I hope all dads had an excellent Father's Day, and let me say thank you! for being a dad. Despite what society might try to tell you, you are important, needed, and wanted - absolutely necessary to your children!

I couldn't decide whether to honor my wonderful husband or my wonderful dad, because both are special to me on Father's Day :-) But then I thought it would be most fitting to honor my eternal Father. During church, we sang this song, and I knew it was perfect.

How Deep the Father's Love For Us

How Deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure;
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away;
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice,
Calling out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart;
His wounds have paid my ransom

Praise God that He has allowed us to become His children, adopted through the blood of His son!!

Her Husband Praises Her

Proverbs 31:28 offers such a wonderful blessing to women who strive for Biblical womanhood: "Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her..." Last night Michael and I were listening to Voddie Baucham's sermon on Biblical Womanhood (Titus 2:3-5), and what stood out to me so much during this section was how proud Voddie is of his wife, praising her with such passion - for doing "nothing more" than being at home, raising, training, and teaching their children. What a testimony!

(Reminder - pause the playlist to the left!)




Also, a note about YouTube - I do not recommend "surfing" YouTube - it is nondiscriminatory in regards to what pops up on sidebars and at the top of their homepage, and could be a source of temptation to viewers. Michael and I have an agreement that neither of us will visit YouTube without the other present, so as to hold eachother accountable and keep eachother from temptation. Something to consider, as we are encouraged from the Word - "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes..." Psalm 101:3, and "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things" Philippians 4:8.

Aslan and Lucy

With all of the Narnia hype going on, Michael and I decided to read the entire 7 book series. What a treasure! We're both on Book 4, Prince Caspian, and so far we agree that Book 1, The Magician's Nephew, is our favorite. But last night, while reading, I got to this passage, and was moved.

"Welcome child," he said.
"Aslan," said Lucy, "you're bigger."
"That's because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."
For a time she was so happy that she did not want to speak. But Alsan spoke.
"Lucy, we must not lie here for long. You have work in hand, and much time has been lost today."
"Yes, wasn't it a shame?" said Lucy. "I saw you all right. They wouldn't believe me. They're all so-"
From somewhere deep inside Aslan's body there came the faintest suggestion of a growl.
"I'm sorry," said Lucy, who understood some of his moods. "I didn't mean to start slanging the others. But it wasn't my fault anyway, was it?"
The Lion looked straight into her eyes.
"Oh, Aslan," said Lucy, "You don't mean it was? How could I - I couldn't have left the others and come up to you alone, how could I? Don't look at me like that... oh, well, I suppose I could. Yes, and it wouldn't have been alone, I know, not if I was with you. But what would have been the good?"
Aslan said nothing.
"You mean," said Lucy rather faintly, "that it would have turned out all right - somehow? But how? Please Aslan! Am I not to know?"
"To know what would have happened, my child?" said Aslan. "No. Nobody is ever told that."
"Oh dear," said Lucy.
"But anyone can find out what will happen," said Aslan. "If you go back to the others now, and wake them up; and tell them you have seen me again; and that you must get up at once and follow me - what will happen? There is only one way of finding out."
"Do you mean that is what you want me to do?" gasped Lucy.
"Yes, little one," said Aslan.
"Will the others see you too?" asked Lucy.
"Certainly not at first," said Aslan. "Later on, it depends."
"But they won't believe me!" said Lucy.
"It doesn't matter," said Aslan.

The only thing we can do as Christians is follow Christ, and tell others of His truth. We can't hold ourselves back because of others' disbeliefs, we are afraid of what they'll think, or we don't want to stand alone. Its too easy to look around and say "But Lord, they're not...!" But He is concerned with us, individually, personally. We can only speak the truth to others and then continue on with Him, with or without them.

The Mission Field

Another little thing I found, from "A Passionate Housewife Desperate for God" blog. Sometimes I get caught up in feeling like I'm not doing something "big" enough for God - when really, all the small, things I do each day are "big" to Him - being faithful in nurturing and raising my children in the training and admonition of the Lord, to bring forth a generation of Godly men! Its easy to feel the presence of the Lord in the worshipful, spiritual times... but drawing close to Him in the boring, everyday times is even more important.

A Missionary's Vision
After marriage God called me to the mission field -
A little bundle needing all my care,
A disciple in touch with my life, obedient to all he hears.
Then came some more all in a row.
Everywhere I went, six little arrows in tow.
God had to call me again to His mission field.
I answered, "To China, to Africa, to Israel, oh where?"
His voice was clear, soft and gentle. My ministry arranged -
"My child, you are to polish our arrows,
Preparing them for My call to spread my
Words of life for other nations to see."
"Lord," I cried, "Loneliness surrounds my soul,
No other woman stands with me answering your call.
The sacrifice is great."
Women give way to another's voice, pulling them away
from their home, far from the quiver."
Once more I pleaded, "May I go too, Lord, I feel the call
To share with the lost, Life giving words,
To feed the hungry a satisfying meal."
"My child," Jesus replied, "You share with your
children salvation and truth.
Feed them meals under your roof.
Discipline them, train them and then lie down in peace,
For sacrificial love have you given to make the world right.
Arise in the morning, open My book,
Teach them into My eyes they must look."
"Yes, Lord, I replied, "But should I serve you in a more obvious way?"
"Child, my sweet child," God spoke once more.
I anointed you to do this work - the high calling of Motherhood.
To show our children the need for my love."
"Lord,", I sought out, still not fully convinced,
"Should I sew for those in thread barren clothes, a Dorcas, a Martha?"
"Sit at my feet, my child, listen to me.
Your daughter needs dresses, your sons warm shirts,
The button of your husband's coat still lies on the table.
Pick up your mantle, the rod of Aaron.
Lead my women back to their home.
"Yes, Lord." Filled and content, I took my position in God's mission field.
Hungry faces graced my bedside.
Clothed in God's mantle, children at my side,
I prepared breakfast.

----Paula Muller of Brodnax, Va

Joel's Joke

Knock-knock jokes are all the rage around here, lately. And, being that they're coming from children 7 and under, they are often repetitive and don't actually make sense. Needless to say, we adults reach our limit on knock-knock jokes after about 6 of them. This had just happened tonight, and I heard Joel talking to himself as he walked down the hall to brush his teeth: "Well, I'll just tell a joke to myself! Knock-knock? Who's there? Me!" followed by his giggles.

A Mother's Love

I noticed this on Liliana's blog and was almost in tears reading it - major conviction! But the good kind, not self-pitying condemnation, but the conviction from the Lord that leads to change. A reminder to keep my heart and eyes focused on Him, in everything.

If I speak truths from God’s Word and train my children in the Lord, but have not God’s love flowing from me to them, the words I teach are as noisy as a barking dog, a broken muffler, or a colicky baby at 2 a.m.

And if I have all manner of wisdom and knowledge in the latest child-rearing techniques, if I have an understanding of child psychology, and if I have subscriptions to every parenting magazine on the market but don’t have God’s love flowing from me, I am nothing.

If I have all the faith I could ever need, so that I could move mountains, keep the house clean, or potty-train a two year old, but do not do it in love, I am nothing.

Even if I leave behind my own dreams and ambitions to raise my children, and even if I stay up for nights on end with sick children, sleepless babies, and mountains of laundry, but complain and murmur about lack of sleep, God’s love is not in me, and I am accomplishing nothing.

A loving mother is patient enough to wait for a child who insists on tying her own shoes and buttoning her own coat.

A loving mother is kind to her children even on three hours of sleep and is never rude to them.

A loving mother is not jealous or envious of everyone else’s children nor will she boastfully exalt her own children above others.

A loving mother models true Christian behavior even when no other adults are watching.

A mother full of God’s love doesn’t seek her own rights, but demonstrates the servant hood of Christ as she serves her family.

Such a mother doesn’t resent cutting corners to live on one income, but is grateful to raise her own children.

A loving mother forgets her children’s sins as soon as the discipline is over, and never reminds them of their imperfections but encourages her children in good works.

A loving mother doesn’t look at her children’s rebelliousness as a cute phase but rejoices in seeing her offspring grow in godliness.

Only a mother with God’s love can bear the day to day tasks of managing a family with zest and joy. She is able to see the potential hidden deep within each of her children and prays that God will shine through them into a dark world. With such a vision clear in her mind, a mother can endure anything.

A loving mother’s influence will never fade away. Oh, the children may forget a spotlessly clean house, or perfectly pressed clothes, or even freshly baked cookies, but her children will always carry with them the legacy of God’s perfect love.

Though all you may see now are stacks of dirty dishes, diapers to change, noses to wipe, and wild toddlers to tame, the spirit in which you tackle these tasks is laying the foundation for your children that has eternal consequences.

There are three things your children will always remember about you:

Your faith and zeal in how you serve the Lord.
Your hope in the promises of God’s word and how you waited and watched for His return.
And the Love of God that flowed through you to others.

It is these three that will remain in their minds forever, and the greatest of these is their mother’s love.

Copyright 2000, Kimberly Eddy, www.joyfulmomma.org. Permission granted to reprint this article for non-commercial purposes so long as this line and link are included.

Wordless Wednesday

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"
Psalm 133:1

New Life!

Yesterday morning I was looking at a bean the boys and I have been growing. We started it on Monday, and after just 6 days, it has burst forth with life. Its been amazing to watch it grow and change so quickly! Psalm 139:14-15 came to my mind:

"I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;"

And I thought about how neat its been to see this bean develop, when normally we don't see all the the intricate details involved because it is hidden under ground.



Twelve hours later, my newest nephew was born! Again, the same Psalm came to mind. This new life, beautiful baby, has been growing, in the secret place, unseen for so long, and now we finally meet him! What an amazing Creator we serve, and how blessed we are for His gift of life!

Here are some pictures!

The many names of Nathan

Nathan has more nicknames than any of our other children have ever had! Here's a list of the quirky things he's called from day-to-day - the amazing thing is, he actually knows and will respond to all of them!

• Nate (obviously!)
• Natey
• Nate the Great
• Natey the Greaty
• Natey the Super Greaty
• Bo-natey (this is a take off of the "natey, natey, bo-natey, banana fanna fo-fatey, fe fi fo-matey, natey!" song)
• Bug (what I called him in utero)
• Bub
• Bugaloo
• Shugaloo
• Shugashoo

And I think there are a few more that don't come to mind at the moment! :-)

Perspective

Its so easy to get caught up in the rigors of day-to-day living. Becoming frustrated with the children or my husband, feeling discouraged in my walk with the Lord, being overwhelmed with my repetitive household responsibilities. And then I stumble across things like "Bring the Rain", and there is nothing I can do except praise the Lord for my abundant, overflowing blessings, and for the amazing faith I see portrayed in other believers. I can only pray that I can be as faithful in my small trials as they have been through their life altering ones.

God is so mighty, words cannot even be expressed.

First Wordless Wednesday - Say Cheese!

Hot Summer Evenings

OK, I know its technically not summer yet, but here in the South it feels like it! So what do we do for fun? Water fights, of course! We gave up on trying to find cool water guns that could withstand the harsh battles that ensue at our house, and we found cheap squirt bottles that work just fine!