Is Your Blogging Out Of (His) Control? Manage It (Victorious in Christ) Monday

[It was as if God chose to highlight and put an exclamation point at the end of this post this morning when He allowed posting on Blogger to be impossible for me and a whole lot of the population for many hours! ]

Blogging? Under God’s Control?

How does your family feel about your blogging?


Do you get comments from them that indicate they are slightly resentful?


Do you ever wonder if you’re spending too much time on the computer?


These are questions that have hit home for me in the past, and I wonder if they do for you, too.  Will you, along with me, take a look within and honestly examine them now (and from time to time in the future)?  Too often, for me, the answers to the above questions have been “Yes”.  I continually strive to bring this area under subjection to my Lord and Savior, even as I aim to bring all areas to Him.  If I call Him “Lord” (as every Christian must), then He has to be Lord of blogging, as well, and Lord of my computer.

If He’s not Lord of all

He’s not Lord at all

Becoming unbalanced and out of control.  It doesn’t happen all at once; it happens little by little.

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines:for our vines have tender grapes.Song of Solomon 2:15

Beware of the little foxes that destroy your fruitfulness for the Lord. This is a visual aid of what being out of His control in this area looks like:

God	#1		Blog	#1
Husband	#2	Shifting	God	#2
Children	#3	Priorities	Husband	#3
Home	#4		Children	#4
Blog	Way down the list		Home	Way down the list

This blog is His.  It's committed to Him. But that is not enough.  He entreats me to commit all aspects of blogging and time I spend on the computer: every word and image I see and post on this screen; every thought, decision, imagination, and emotion, to Him, each day.  I don’t own anything.  Everything that I have is His and given by Him.  I hereby commit it again to Him.  I lay it on His altar.  May what I write be directed by Him, and glorifying to Him.

I am seeking to keep life in balance.  That’s a difficult proposition.  It doesn’t matter what season of life I’m in, satan seems to always try to get me out of balance.  But, if, when writing to you about being a Godly Keeper at Home, and encouraging you in your role as a wife and mom, my family at any time experiences suffering because of it—imagined or real--then I must take a step back, evaluate, confess any sin, and change!

What place does blogging have in your life?

Has blogging (or Facebook or Twitter…or anything else) become an idol?

Does your husband or family feel neglected?

What will you do about it?

What Is In Your Hand?

Everyday lessons for life
From the Bible record of the feeding of the 5000 as recorded for us in Mark 6:30-44.

³⁵And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:  ³⁶Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. ³⁷He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. (emphasis mine) And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? ³⁸He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. ³⁹And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. ⁴⁰And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

 ⁴¹And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. ⁴²And they did all eat, and were filled. ⁴³And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. ⁴⁴And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

What I have is nothing, really--my talents, my abilities, my resources-- in myself, I have nothing to give.  The need, the complexity, the magnitude is so great (whatever is before me on any given day: my "things to do" list, my problems, those who I will meet and the problems they bring to me).  There is no way that what I have will make any difference or meet the need.  Satan says, "Why bother?  Why try?  What difference can it--can you--possibly make?"


He is right, if not for Christ.  When I give Jesus what is in my hand--nothing really, but I give it, nonetheless--a miracle happens.  What before would not even be enough for me--or my family--now is more than enough for all the need!


Why did Jesus instruct the disciples to find out how much food they had?  Perhaps, I think, so they would recognize their total inability within themselves to meet the need.  Now they were ready to recognize Christ at work.  Now they were humble.


He had them sit everyone down on the grass.  Did they believe, or just obey?  Then Jesus gave them back what had been in their hand before, only now it had been transformed by His Touch, His Blessing.  Before He gave it back, He broke it.  When we give ourselves and what is in our hand to Him, we must be willing to be broken.  Then, in obedience, the disciples, and we, give what is in our hand--now transformed, changed, multiplied--to all those before us, and it fills them, feeds them, nourishes them.  And we are not left depleted and empty, but filled ourselves.  There is enough for all when we bring what is in our hand to Jesus.

Child-Training: Before You Place Your Foot On The Path, Stop!

(This is number three in a row in a larger series on Child-Training.  Click to read number one, "The Proof is in the Pudding", and number two, "What's It Going To Take?")

Hugely impacted by the way we were raised, we accept or reject standards and practices, activities and pastimes, hobbies and interests, based on how our parents raised us, what "everybody" we know is doing, pride, desire to "fit in", desire to look good in others' eyes, or desire to purely please our flesh.  If, for one second, we sat down and prayed about it, presented a completely clean slate to the Lord with no presuppositions, were truly willing to do exactly what He said, and asked what He wanted us to fill our time and lives with, what difference would it make in the world?  What difference would it make in our souls?  What difference would it make in our "fruit"--in our children's lives.
I believe that satan is going through the orchards of Christians and robbing them of their fruit, making their fruit unappealing, not very sweet, and startlingly small, and we are giving up without a fight, in fact we are full participants with him. Christian parents are willing for their spiritual fruit to be paltry.  Oftentimes, they choose to be involved in things which promise physical good: strength, stamina, prowess, their physical ability to be magnified.  All through our lives, it's not going to be the obvious wickedness which satan tempts us to do which will make or break our spiritual lives and decide the outcome of our fruit.  It's the choice between the good and the best.  It's about time.

So, as we begin the spring season, heading into summer, here is my counsel to you:

Number seven in my list of "Ten Things" I would tell a young mom, as an older woman who's raised her children to adulthood:  if you want to raise Godly children:
7) Limit or Eliminate Team Sports—We had few. Teams (sports and otherwise) are a dictator over your family’s life and take over your time and schedule. They become your master. Your love for, and allegiance to, them will tempt you to compromise your convictions and to disobey God, and will constantly ask for and demand more and more of you. When our children were in grade school and junior high, I was appalled and saddened by the number of “championship” games that were scheduled on Sundays. (Later, even practices were scheduled on the Lord's Day). This caused Christian families to have to make a choice between their desire and conviction to worship God and their commitment to the team and not wanting to disappoint their child.   Being on a team (or squad, etc.) often introduces your child to foolish (if not immoral) companions, exposes your child needlessly to the world, and invites unnecessary temptations.
Let me tell you a true story to illustrate.  When our son was on a team in grade school, a boy brought a certain “magazine," well-known for its lewd and immoral pictures, to practice and was passing it around showing it to some of the boys--fortunately our son wasn’t one of those who saw the pictures.  The coach thought the whole incident very funny.  We went to all the practices and games, or we may have known nothing of it. Many a man was introduced to pornography in this very manner, and now it has destroyed his life and family.
Have you placed your foot on the path?  If not, stop.  I am very wary of  "starting down a road" and not being able to turn back.  One decision in the early years of a child's life can start you down a path, on a road, which takes you to a destination you had no intention of going to.  Have you ever been on a highway, and realized that you were going the wrong way, but couldn't get off?  No exit ramps. You end up miles and miles down the road, and often it is a very long, time-consuming task, fraught with frustration to turn around and get back on the right road, going in the right direction.  This is a very frustrating experience when driving, but in life, it has far weightier consequences.  Every choice you make, every activity you allow your child or your family to participate in, is a step on a path, a beginning of a road.  Parents start on the road of sports involvement (or it could be ballet, tae kwon do, etc., etc., etc.,) when their children are very young, not realizing where the road leads, or even thinking through the decision at all. It's very difficult (but not impossible) to discontinue participation in these activities (or get off the road), once you've placed your foot on the path.
 There's a story of a woman who won a contest, and her prize was that she would be allowed to go into a room filled with piles of money--piles of one dollar bills, ten dollar bills, twenty dollar bills, up to one hundred dollar bills--and she would be allowed to keep as much as she could collect up in 1 minute.  What would you think if she headed straight to the pile of one dollar bills? Why would that be the wrong direction to go in?  Is there anything wrong with one dollar bills? No, of course not!  The question is not always one of moral right or wrong, though sometimes that is the case, but the question is one of good, better and best!  Choosing "dollar bills" means you can't choose "hundred dollar bills".  Time is short! Choose the best. 

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (KJV)

Choose what is best.  First and foremost, decide in your heart that these children are God's, not yours, and surrender their lives, as well as your own, to the Lord.  Then, in light of eternity, ask Him what He wants all of you to do with your time and talents. Think about what kind of adult person God wants your child to be, and spend serious time in prayer about what you will add into their lives to develop them into that person.  Don't take it lightly.  Often, it seems to just "happen" that our children become totally locked into a sport or activity. It doesn't just happen--you make a choice when they are young. Often parents don't feel that they can change, once their children are a little older, but you can, if the Lord wants you to.  Really examine your reasons and motivations and weigh the benefits and consequences, and pray earnestly about if, and why, you need to have your child involved in these extracurricular activities?  What would God have you do?

Child-Training (Part 3): What's It Going To Take?

Yesterday, (in "The Proof is in the Pudding", number one of a three-part post), I spoke out against the tendency of all of us, including me, to look to and at those in the boat with us, for our leading, counsel, and "Godly wisdom" on how to raise our children, and live our lives.

Who are you following?  Whose advice are you listening to?  Jesus warned that not all who say they're a Christian, know Him:  Just because a person says it, doesn't mean it's so.  They may not know Christ.  If you say that you are a Christian, are you sure that you know Him? What should you look for?

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:

depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

(ed. note: iniquity means "doing my own will", not God's, as it says in His Word.)
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them,

I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,

and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not,

shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,

and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 

Matthew 7:21-27

A person who is a Christian, and believes that Jesus finished the work ("finished" means there's nothing left to do) in paying the penalty on the cross for his or her sins, and believes that God the Father accepted that payment, and showed it by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, and is trusting in that for his or her salvation from hell, is saved and is going to heaven someday.  But that person will have also, and must, surrender their lives to Jesus Christ as the Lord of their life.  He is Savior and Lord.  He settles for nothing less.  You can't say, well, yes, He's my Savior, but I don't want Him to control my life.  Then He's not your Savior, either.

 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus

and shalt believe in thine heart

that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;

and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10 (KJV)

When we make decisions about how we will raise our children, we often look at others' lives and what decisions they have made, and follow them.  Jesus said, before you listen to them, or follow them, look at the fruit in their lives.  Wait to see the end result, and the mature, ripened fruit--in the life of a person, before you follow their methods and counsel. In child-training, that would mean that the person has grownup children.  Listening to, and following, those whose fruit is still immature is risky, at best, and though the person may be very Godly, and their example stellar, and it may be that their fruit will end up being sweet indeed, you won't know for sure until they're grown.  There may be some little chip in the cup that will cause it to crack and break later.  Choices they are making now, habits they are forming, associations they are allowing, wrong belief systems they are making their own from the media or entertainment world, misled examples they are admiring from the real or blogging world: any or all of these may be the seeds sown, which will reap destruction in a future season. We may not understand all the reasons, but God's Word teaches young women to listen to older women.

"The aged women likewise...

⁴ That they may teach the young women to be sober,

to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵ To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

 Titus 2:3a-5 (KJV)

You're listening to someone.  No doubt you're copying somebody in your day-to-day living and thinking.  You're formulating some philosophy of child-raising.

Do it with thought and prayer. Do it Biblically.

Who you should listen to is God, in His Word.  Then, your husband.  Then, Godly older women. Whatever you do, listen to the right voices.  Your children's (and grandchildren's) faith and future depends on it! And God's reputation is at stake.

Ask, as you examine, "Is this the result, or fruit, I want in my life, for our family, in my children?" "Is it lasting fruit?" and "Is it Godly fruit?" (according to Scripture).  (Remember that no human being is perfect, so ultimately God, through His Holy Spirit and His Word, are the only things you can completely trust to lead you--and He will.  If the person you want to be like is also taking credit for the fruit, and proud, look somewhere else, because it's only by God's grace, and the work of His Holy Spirit that Godly fruit is produced.)  So, what I'm saying is, look at the fruit. And, check everything against Scripture.

It is our tendency to not look far enough down the road to see what the end result of our decisions is going to be.  That is the definition of a lack of discretion.  Discretion means: Seeing and avoiding thoughts, words and actions which could result in undesirable consequences.  Wisdom and discretion are kindred spirits.  Two peas in a pod.  The quality of a lack of discretion brings to mind the old saying, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

Why am I going on and on about this?  Because it's so serious.  It's so important, that satan is working night and day against it.  Your salvation, and your children's, and bearing fruit that lasts, was the main topic of Jesus' last words before He died, and His last instructions on earth.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. ² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. ³ Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ⁸ Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."

John 15:1-8 (KJV)

Ask God to lead you to those who you should listen to, and pray earnestly for "much fruit" in your lives. Ask Him to show you what is in your life that needs to be "pruned" away in order to be more fruitful.  Go through the areas of your life: friends, music, hobbies, books, thoughts, etc., and give them to Him.

Well, I'm giving you advice in this series, and some of you will listen, and will be willing to take the road less traveled, will be willing to be thought "weird" and different, will be willing to turn your backs on the world's ways, and even many of your friends' ways, to choose God's ways, and to bear much fruit.  You will not see the fruit now, but in obedience to God's Word, you will see it.  Trust.  You will choose not to risk the consequences of sitting on the fence, or loving the world's ways.  You will choose not to risk your children, or listen to their whines and pleas, because you see far down the road and envision a Godly result that is worth far more than the immediate good and gratification of participation in activities which "everyone" seems to be doing.  Some of them, there is nothing "wrong" with, but you will look straight ahead and never swerve in your resolve, because you're choosing that which is best.  You are who I'm writing to, praying that you will sacrifice the good, for the best.

I end with two questions:

Are you saved?  Are you doing the will of the Father, or just hearing it.  Are you fully surrendered to His will for your life?  If not, pray now and give your heart and life to Jesus Christ!

Secondly, if you are saved, are you committed to choosing His best for you and your children?

Do your thoughts, words and actions, your activities, your spending, your clothes, your hair, your home, your spare-time pursuits, show that you belong to Him, and that you are pursuing "much fruit"?  Is your fruit good?  Is it going to last?  Are you abiding in Him?

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with

so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin

which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;

who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJV)

Musings from me and Video from Francis Chan on "Being Too Popular"

I see myself as a "prophet" speaking forth the Truth at times. This week I had to speak some hard Truth.  But, I constantly struggle with my need to be loved, affirmed in what I'm doing, and reassured from those around me that I'm doing fine. I'm inclined to be too bold. To speak the Truth, alright, but not as lovingly as I perhaps should.  Sometimes I don't hear how what I said came out!  I have a faithful family who keep me in line when they're with me.  They let me know when I've said something I shouldn't have! When they aren't there, and even when they are, I need to be saturated in the Word of God, and sensitive to the Holy Spirit to guide my words.  As a blogger, I seek to edify, encourage, and build others up in Christ. I find that I must continually look to my Heavenly Father for whether I'm doing ok.  Even more than that, I ask Him continually, "What do You want me to say?"  This short video by Francis Chan really spoke to my heart this week.



Luke 6: 22, 23, 26-28--"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
23Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
26Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."
www.biblegateway.com

Sow Bountifully, Reap Bountifully

I received a gift from the Lord last night: a reward for being obedient many years ago.  One day about 10 years ago, while sitting in my home one afternoon, a very strong prompting from the Holy Spirit came over me to call a certain young woman from our church and invite her to come to a small study in my home--just her, another young mom and me.  As I remember it, I had been praying about what God wanted me to be "doing next" specifically.  When I felt this prompting of the Holy Spirit, instead of waiting, thinking and praying about it, as I normally would have done, I got up, walked to the phone and called her!  There were multiple reasons why this was so unusual!  1) I hardly knew her!  2) I didn't have any idea what the Lord wanted us to study! and 3) I told her we would start almost immediately!  The most amazing thing was that she said yes right away! The Lord had obviously prepared her heart, for she was genuinely excited!

Now, years later, I am reaping the great rewards of obedience that day! Everybody would like to have a "disciple" like her.  First, when I called her, it really was because God was answering *her* prayer!  She had been down on her knees praying for someone to disciple her, crying out to Him, right in her kitchen!  The fact is, I've learned at least as much, if not more, from her life as she has from mine!  Second, she was ready, with a capital R, to hear everything I had to share and very, very teachable.  She was so excited about growing in the Lord, and God had made her thirsty and hungry for more of Him.  Third, my friend always came with questions. And so I was not feeling that I was forcing her in a certain direction, but her questions tied in perfecly, (of course I know that it was the Lord powefully weaving all beautifully together), because the Lord was convicting her to make changes in areas which I'd never said a word about, but they were subjects that I planned to address. Her humility and sensitivity to hearing from the Lord has always been such an example to me.

When we met 10 years ago, her children were about 2 and 5 years old (our children babysat them while we had our study). She and her husband were planning to enroll them in public school.  After a short stint in the local elementary school, they brought their daughter home and they've been Homeschooling ever since. During the time their daughter was going to public school I prayed fervently for them to Homeschool every time I drove past the school which is near our house.

Last night we were privileged to have their family in our home for a meal again.  We are also blessed to have my father-in-law staying with us this week.  My friend's children are now 14 and 11 and have grown so much, in every way. When we have company, we always enjoy sharing musically, and having our guests play for us, if they're willing, so, knowing that these children play the piano and violin, and are taking a speech class, too, I had phoned my friend and asked if her children would like to share something.  I knew that Grandpa would really be blessed by hearing them, as well!  Near the end of the evening, their children favored us with a mini-program of a recitation and duets on the piano and violin, followed by a trilogy of old familiar hymns, played on the piano by our daughter.  It was such a delight!  The recitation of Pilgrim's entry through the Pearly Gates (from Pilgrim's Progress) was being prepared by this lovely 14-year-old for a contest, and she did a beautiful job.  I was especially enthralled, however, by the musical numbers they played!  They obviously both have some real natural talent! (This was a particular delight hearing just how beautifully they play, as I remembered with satisfaction that we introduced them to their amazingly gifted piano teacher, Mrs. Schloner, who was also our teacher. I know that she works with both of them on preparing their duets.)  However, it was the gorgeous tone coming out of the violin which really took me by surprise!  I hadn't heard their son play before, and it was such a pleasant surprise and pure bliss to listen to him. And he's only 11!  Watching them, I felt this was definitely one of the deep blessings of Homeschooling, and one of the rewards of discipling for me.  Homeschooling, having your children gain confidence, as these children obviously have, through speech and music lessons, is something that *perhaps* they could get through public school, but the joy of the closeness of the relationships of brother-sister, of mother-daughter, and father-son are "homegrown", requiring much time together, and being out of the world (and are "out of this world"!) and the pleasure they receive of hearing skilled music in their home daily as the children practice together, and hearing the laughter as they work and play together, becoming each other's best friends--well, there just wouldn't be time for it all if they were public-schooled.

The Lord has blessed me bountifully for the little sowing that I did.  He multiplied my meager efforts, as He always does.  I'm reminded of the verse we read this morning in family devotions:  2 Corinthians 9:6--"He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."  However, when I "sowed" (even a little) love, time, prayer, and the Word into her life, I had no idea what a bountiful harvest of blessing I would receive through the years:  her friendship, the joy from seeing her family walking with the Lord, receiving from her at times counsel in some area I needed correction in, and now I have almost a "parental pride" in her life. I'm grateful that, on that afternoon, I obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and also that she asked lots of great questions about subjects such as: how to dress modestly, how to foster close Godly relationships with her daughter, how to submit to her husband, Homeschooling questions and many, many more!  I have reaped so abundantly more than I sowed, but I am so very grateful for God's gift of a bountiful harvest of blessing.

My Heart: To Impact the World for Christ

I've always been a networker who loves making connections with people and between people, and between people and well, anything that will help them!  So, years ago, BB, Before Blogging, I would introduce you to someone who I thought you were especially gifted to disciple, help, befriend or lead to Christ. Or I would find someone to help you, if you had a need. I made sure that "Strong-and-faithful-steady-Christian-who-was-a-magnet-for-pour-lost-souls" met "Needy-soul-who-needed-to-be-saved."  Or I would introduce one of my friends to another of my good friends because I knew they would just "click".

Later, when I started Homeschooling, I began connecting Homeschoolers with resources that would benefit them, and we connected experienced Homeschoolers with Newbies, and Wannabees.  We even hosted informational desserts in our home for those interested in Homeschooling or those new at it, so they'd be able to sit and ask questions of  "seasoned" veterans.  This is definitely one of my favorite things to do! I love connecting people!

I invited women to my home to listen to teaching tapes and watch encouraging and inspirational videos which had been especially helpful to me.  I also kept a small "library" of the best-of-the-best resources (books, videos, audio tapes, etc.), the ones which had been "life-changing," and I loaned these out to women who came to my Home Studies, and to others who were asking good questions, who were yearning for something "more"--to go to the next level in their Christian walk and in obedience to Christ.

When a woman shared with me her struggle in being submissive to her husband, besides listening to her and sharing with her from the Word, I would many times send some resource home with her.  If she expressed frustration with training her children to obey, I might loan her a book, article or tape which had helped me.  The Lord taught me and discipled me using solid Biblical teaching I heard in audio sermons, and through books and through meeting people, and learning from them. I wanted to help others by getting these same wonderful resources into their hands so God could use them in their lives as He had used them in mine.  For just about any issue that a wife or mom was concerned about, there were Godly resources that I could share with her.  I kept a couple of large boxes ready to bring out when "my ladies" met, or others came to me.  This has become almost what I would call a "ministry" for me, and I love it!

Now, it's only natural that I want to do the same exact thing with every person who visits my blog!  I want to keep sharing resources with people which will help them.  And that's my motivation for being an Amazon Associate, and selling through an aStore.  I've tried really hard to make sure that the things I pick are going to help you; they're resources or items that I would loan to you, give you or encourage you to buy if you were a friend sitting with me talking in my home.  There are so many amazing resources there for you.  And I hope to add more and more.  It's just like my "large boxes" filled with books, tapes and videos which I used to bring out when people visited my home.  Since you can't come to my home, I've made a store for you.  Maybe you don't know about it or realize that I get a small commission from the sale of items from the store as long as you order through my site and it's within 24 hours.  I know that many people like to help stay-at-home moms by buying from them, when they can. This is not the main reason I put the store on my site, however. And that's why I wanted you to know my motives.  I love helping people grow in their faith and I am thrilled when I can help Homeschoolers by introducing them to an author or book which they perhaps never would have found any other way or haven't heard of yet.  I've also tried to find ways for you to save money and still get your hands on certain items, and when there were multiple choices of the same item, I've handpicked certain ones, wanting you to have the best.  That's another reason why I encourage you to buy it here, but the most important reason is that these resources are going to bless you and your family.  I want to get them into your hands because they're wonderful resources and the Lord's going to use them in your life!  They're books, and other resources which you should have in your home library, even if they don't necessarily apply to *you* or your stage of life, they will help someone you know!  I want to encourage you to be a tool in God's hands to help those in your sphere of influence. I encourage you to buy resources that you can loan out to others who you know! Also, perhaps your future sons, daughters and grandchildren will be blessed by them and if you wait to buy them, they may not be available then!  I would be so thrilled if hundreds and thousands of people were being blessed by these, well, many of these books are like old friends, they're so special to me.

It's the deepest desire of my heart that my life would impact others and bear fruit...not just a hundredfold, but a thousandfold! And, if through sharing with you something which has greatly impacted me, I can help you, perhaps encourage fruit to grow in your life, and then that can spread to all those you influence--Oh! how amazing that would be!  I hope you can see my true heart and motive, and feel my excitement over the possibilities of what God can do.  That's what I'm trying to share with you.  I hope you will look at the things in my blog and store, which I encourage you to buy, in that light. Thanks for letting me open up my heart to you.  You're extremely special to me, every one of you.

Thankful Thursday: Family, The Handprint of God

     No matter what may transpire in the middle of our lives, we start and finish with Family. Thankful Thursday it is, and I am so very thankful for the family--my husband and children, of course, but also the "concept" of the family. (Please click on this link to go to Grace Alone where Iris, our host this month has links to other thankful posts.) The handprint of God is on the family.  He thought up the idea.  He thinks families are so important that He placed His Son, Jesus, in a family on earth, with an earthly father, mother, brothers and sisters.  That was not absolutely necessary--He could have done it many other ways.  But it shows how important families are to God.  Jesus, by the way, came from a large family.  At least 7 brothers and sisters are mentioned in Matthew 13:55-56--"Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?" (italics mine) (all implies more than 2)
   God could have made the world in such a way that we walked through life as solitary beings. But in Psalm 68:6 it says that, "God setteth the solitary in families..." and again, "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation." (Ps. 68:5)  In Ephesians 3:15 Paul says, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named..." (this is a mysterious verse, after which follows some of my favorite faith-strengthening verses referring to the vastness and depth of the riches and love of God in Christ Jesus.) God calls Himself our Father and Jesus, His Son.  The relationships between family members (father, mother, brother, sister, child) in a family are to illustrate the spiritual relationships.  Other verses tell of God's promises of blessing to those who honor their father and mother (no age of the children is specified), and cursing to those who do not. We are to love our brother and do good to one another. There are many, many verses in the Bible which speak of both the earthly and the heavenly concept of Family.
     The picture of the family teaches us a spiritual truth, as well, about God's plan.  The Church is Christ's Bride.  When we become a Christian, then, we are wed to Christ.  Through our union with Him, we bear spiritual children as we share the gospel, the seed of truth, with others.  He would have us bear much fruit.  And He instructed in Genesis, "Be fruitful and multiply." It is the goal of God to reproduce through us many, many spiritual children, who would then also reproduce many children through union with Him.  He inhabits our lives and makes us fruitful.  When we share the gospel with others, we bear spiritual children as they are "born again" into faith by believing. We are to disciple them to spiritual maturation.  We are not to be barren and unfruitful in our faith.  But without "marriage" to Him, there is no spiritual fruit, no spiritual children.  One husband, Christ, one Bride, the Church, forever together.  True children living in loving relationship with the Father. It truly is a mystery, but the more I study it, the more profound the truths.  I'm grateful for the family on earth, and for God's grace in calling me to be a child of God, and part of His Eternal Family, through faith in Christ.

Thanksgiving Resources

   As promised, in these Thursdays before Thanksgiving, I will share with you resources which tell the true story of the first Thanksgiving and the pilgrims.
"Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember" by Barbara Rainey
This is a beautiful coffee-table book filled with colorful pages and details of the people and events of history. The true story of the First Thanksgiving, in both a younger child's version and adult version, for you to read on Thanksgiving, is included. In her interview with Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Barbara Rainey, author of Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember told of her passion to study and retell the true history of these courageous, Godly people we call the Pilgrims and to light a fire of remembrance and thankfulness in us today for what happened so long ago and for the Providence of God in our lives today.

Thanksgiving Activity

Here is an idea which your family can use on Thanksgiving Day which may become a tradition. It is sure to be a treasured memory.
From the Book, "Let's Make a Memory" by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson, comes this idea:
After the Thanksgiving meal has been eaten and the table cleared, place two kernels of dried Indian corn next to each person's plate. These represent the gratefulness of the Pilgrims to God on that first Thanksgiving for bringing them through the winter and all its hardships. Then pass around a little basket and as each person drops their two kernels into the basket, have them share two blessings for which they are the most thankful.

A Good Day

We had a good day today. We had one of those rare but wonderful moments which a mother savors for a long time after. It began when my husband got a call from someone wanting to buy my mother-in-law's hospital bed that we'd listed on Craigslist. But they wondered if there was any way we could deliver it to their home two hours away, and they would pay an additional $100 for this service. My husband suggested that we ask our 23-year-old son if he would be interested in taking on this task using his vehicle and receiving the payment himself. Well, he was and he did. It worked out so well that he was able to "kill two birds with one stone" so to speak, and met us on his way home in order to join our family in attending the funeral of the mother of a friend. Before joining us, upon delivering the bed, he called to say everything had gone well and the man was very pleased with the bed. Our son had put it together and set it up for the man as well.

I was thrilled and grateful to the Lord. At selling the bed--(we had specifically prayed to sell it soon), at my son's manful response to the challenge, that everything had gone well, that he obviously felt good about rising to this challenge (which had been a little outside his normal comfort zone).

I tell you all this because that night we came home and there was a phone message from the man. He thanked us--the bed was wonderful, exactly as described, he was very grateful for having it delivered......and then he said words that warmed my heart and brought a tear to this mother's eye: "You must be very proud of your son." And he went on to tell what he had done, and to thank us. These are the moments that make it all worthwhile. It was a very good day. Thank you, Lord. May You receive all the glory.