What does the Bible say about marriage, divorce, friendships, raising children, or abortion? How should we respond to circumstances in our lives, or how should we conduct ourselves? Do we know? The answers are there! The Bible says that if we seek Him, we will find Him. When questions in life come up, go to the Bible... read, search, seek!
Proverbs 3:6 says,
"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
When we feel confused about life, stop and pray - acknowledge God. Consult with Him, and then He will direct your paths.
But be prepared, God's way isn't always the easy way. It usually goes against our nature...like asking forgiveness and other things that are hard to do.
2 Timothy 2:3 says,
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
Any direction we need, can be found in Him! :)
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Christmas Letter Blues?
This is an exciting time of year to get the mail! Our family always looks forward to hearing from old friends and family and seeing all the pictures of kids that are growing way too fast. :) But have you ever had those days where you get a letter from an old friend and with excitement you grab a cup of coffee and curl up on the couch to hear all about their past year, and as you approach the end of the letter you are feeling like crawling into a hole because it seems as though everyone else has a perfect life, yet you continue to have struggles? I know I have had those days! But consider this...you get a letter from an old friend and it reads:
Dear unfaithful friends and very distant family members,
Our family (which doesn't feel like a family at all, but strangers passing in the night, as each goes his own way and does his own thing) has survived another dreadful year. My husband was fired for the 17th time and continues to gain weight as he sits lazily in front of the TV eating foods high in hydrogenated oils and corn syrup. Our unhappy children bicker and fight daily, which is undoubtedly the cause of my migraine headaches. The new baby has an uncontrollable diaper rash and spits up constantly, usually projecting it all over the room. The UPS man ran over our dog last summer. Our neighbor has cancer. My mother-in-law hates me. I have been constipated for three weeks straight and my antidepressant perscription just ran out!
Our lives are full of heartache and misery, and we are very ungrateful! Hopefully we all survive another year, so we can keep in touch.
See ya-
The Sad Family
While we do need to share each others burdens, receiving a letter like that would be most discouraging! The purpose for Christmas letters is to share with others how the Lord has blessed our lives. We need to take the time at least once a year to write down all the things that we have to be thankful for. There is a time and place for talking about our troubles, but most people would like to hear your testimony - how the Lord worked in the midst of your troubles!
When we get Christmas letters, we don't have to wonder if others are struggling too; nobody has a perfect life! We should be happy for them, knowing that we all have things to be grateful for! The Lord blesses the just and the unjust...everyone has good news that is worthy of a Christmas letter. Let's remember to rejoice with those who rejoice, and when the time is appropriate, weep with those who weep. We are all in this game of life together, nobody is exempt from the battle! But only those who follow the Lord will have victory in this life and the reward of being with the Lord for eternity!
One year I included a "P.S." at the end of our Christmas letter and said, "Just so you know, we are only telling you the good stuff.", because I wanted to remind people that our life is far from perfect. So when you read your letters this year, remember that they all have a "P.S." at the end, even if you can't see it. :)
Dear unfaithful friends and very distant family members,
Our family (which doesn't feel like a family at all, but strangers passing in the night, as each goes his own way and does his own thing) has survived another dreadful year. My husband was fired for the 17th time and continues to gain weight as he sits lazily in front of the TV eating foods high in hydrogenated oils and corn syrup. Our unhappy children bicker and fight daily, which is undoubtedly the cause of my migraine headaches. The new baby has an uncontrollable diaper rash and spits up constantly, usually projecting it all over the room. The UPS man ran over our dog last summer. Our neighbor has cancer. My mother-in-law hates me. I have been constipated for three weeks straight and my antidepressant perscription just ran out!
Our lives are full of heartache and misery, and we are very ungrateful! Hopefully we all survive another year, so we can keep in touch.
See ya-
The Sad Family
While we do need to share each others burdens, receiving a letter like that would be most discouraging! The purpose for Christmas letters is to share with others how the Lord has blessed our lives. We need to take the time at least once a year to write down all the things that we have to be thankful for. There is a time and place for talking about our troubles, but most people would like to hear your testimony - how the Lord worked in the midst of your troubles!
When we get Christmas letters, we don't have to wonder if others are struggling too; nobody has a perfect life! We should be happy for them, knowing that we all have things to be grateful for! The Lord blesses the just and the unjust...everyone has good news that is worthy of a Christmas letter. Let's remember to rejoice with those who rejoice, and when the time is appropriate, weep with those who weep. We are all in this game of life together, nobody is exempt from the battle! But only those who follow the Lord will have victory in this life and the reward of being with the Lord for eternity!
One year I included a "P.S." at the end of our Christmas letter and said, "Just so you know, we are only telling you the good stuff.", because I wanted to remind people that our life is far from perfect. So when you read your letters this year, remember that they all have a "P.S." at the end, even if you can't see it. :)
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Fastened to the Rock
There has been a song rolling around in my mind all day that has been feeding my spirit. It's called "We Have an Anchor". The first line reads:
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, When the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, will your anchor drift or firm remain?
The chorus:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul Steadfast and sure while the billows roll, Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love.
What keeps us from being swallowed up and swept away by the storms of life? What keeps us from drowning in hopelessness? How can we stay afloat when the storms of life are so fierce and unrelenting? What give us peace and joy when we are surrounded by fear?
...having our anchor fastened to the Rock that cannot move! What are you fastened to?
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, When the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, will your anchor drift or firm remain?
The chorus:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul Steadfast and sure while the billows roll, Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love.
What keeps us from being swallowed up and swept away by the storms of life? What keeps us from drowning in hopelessness? How can we stay afloat when the storms of life are so fierce and unrelenting? What give us peace and joy when we are surrounded by fear?
...having our anchor fastened to the Rock that cannot move! What are you fastened to?
Friday, December 16, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Consequences
Since we have puppies on our farm now, I signed up for a dog training e-newsletter. Every week I receive tips on how to train my dogs. The instructor often tells stories of conversations he has had with other dog owners and tells how he helps them solve their puppy problems.
What is funny, is the similarities between training dogs and training children. In his newsletter today he said,
What is funny, is the similarities between training dogs and training children. In his newsletter today he said,
"If you want your dog to continue doing a behavior, apply a positive consequence. If you want your dog to stop doing a behavior, apply a negative consequence."
A simple concept that applies to all types of training, yet it is so hard for me to remember! Often I find myself verbally reminding a child not to act a certain way (over and over again), instead of giving a consequence.
Years ago, my Mom gave me a great book called, Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel.
It's an excellent resource! One thing she recommends, and we did this years ago, was to have a "Correction Jar". In it you put slips of paper with various consequences written on them. When a child misbehaves, they get to draw from the jar. A few ideas for the jar might include a to bed early, no dessert, 20 push ups, extra chore, writing out a verse twenty times, or a monetary fine. Another good idea is to include a slip that says "Mercy" because God gives us mercy even when we deserve punishment. I think it also helps the children understand that moms do not like having to give consequences, if mom tells them that she is hoping they pick a "Mercy". :)
It's an excellent resource! One thing she recommends, and we did this years ago, was to have a "Correction Jar". In it you put slips of paper with various consequences written on them. When a child misbehaves, they get to draw from the jar. A few ideas for the jar might include a to bed early, no dessert, 20 push ups, extra chore, writing out a verse twenty times, or a monetary fine. Another good idea is to include a slip that says "Mercy" because God gives us mercy even when we deserve punishment. I think it also helps the children understand that moms do not like having to give consequences, if mom tells them that she is hoping they pick a "Mercy". :)What is funny is that my children have actually enjoyed the mystery of picking their consequence. It lightens the atmosphere, yet helps to apply needed corrections....try it! :)
No...it won't work well with puppies! :)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Lunch and a Testimony!
A few weeks ago, we had a contractor out here doing some work for us. When lunchtime came around, his first day here, we invited him in to have lunch with us. I knew nothing about this man, but he had been referred to Mike by a friend. As we ate lunch together, I found out that he was a Christian. Mike asked him to share his testimony, which he did. It was great for my boys to hear him share, since they were already enamored with him, following him all around the property watching him and asking him all kinds of questions about his work.
He went on to tell us that about five years ago, he and his wife were having a lot of marriage problems. Somehow he had found out about a video series designed to help with marriage problems. He found the DVDs on Amazon and ordered them. When they arrived in the mail, his wife saw them and was very skeptical. She did some research on the Internet and came back telling him the videos were anti-woman! Angered, she suggested that they watch the first video together. So they stayed up late and watched the first one.
Then he shared that in the middle of the night his wife woke him up. His first thought was, "Oh no! Here comes a big fight!" But to his surprise his wife told him that she agreed with everything the man said in the video. They now have a great marriage and tell everyone they can about the videos.
Mike and I smiled with delight as he shared this story with our family because we too have watch the same Love and Respect DVDs and have been blessed by them. We also have the book, but the movies are more entertaining! :)
If you have not seen the Love and Respect DVDs, and you or someone you know is struggling in their marriage, get them and watch them! Your marriage will be changed!
I do have a couple friends who own the video series and are willing to lend them out. Email me if you are interested in borrowing them. mindy@housmanfarms.com
The writers of Love and Respect have a blog, and you will find lots of helpful info there.
Love and Respect Blog
He went on to tell us that about five years ago, he and his wife were having a lot of marriage problems. Somehow he had found out about a video series designed to help with marriage problems. He found the DVDs on Amazon and ordered them. When they arrived in the mail, his wife saw them and was very skeptical. She did some research on the Internet and came back telling him the videos were anti-woman! Angered, she suggested that they watch the first video together. So they stayed up late and watched the first one.
Then he shared that in the middle of the night his wife woke him up. His first thought was, "Oh no! Here comes a big fight!" But to his surprise his wife told him that she agreed with everything the man said in the video. They now have a great marriage and tell everyone they can about the videos.
Mike and I smiled with delight as he shared this story with our family because we too have watch the same Love and Respect DVDs and have been blessed by them. We also have the book, but the movies are more entertaining! :)
I do have a couple friends who own the video series and are willing to lend them out. Email me if you are interested in borrowing them. mindy@housmanfarms.com
The writers of Love and Respect have a blog, and you will find lots of helpful info there.
Love and Respect Blog
Monday, November 28, 2011
I'm Back!
About a month ago, I was in bed thinking about how busy life was. I knew I needed to let something go. Since the computer seems to take up a lot of time, it was first on my list. I was going to take the month of October off, but then was on the computer a bit, so I took most of the month of November off too! :) So now that fall and all that goes with it are behind me, and our family has had a much needed vacation, I am excited to start blogging again. There are just some seasons when we need to take a break from certain activities.
I heard about a woman (I don't even know) who was a very active Facebook writer. The people who knew her were very concerned about her family. I guess some men even confronted her husband about it. Her neglect seemed obvious. Then one day, she had a talk with her children, and she decided that she needed to give up her writing. I have a lot of respect for a woman like that! It isn't always easy to keep our priorities straight in a culture that keep us going and going and going. But praise be to God who gives us the wisdom to know when enough is enough! :)
I heard about a woman (I don't even know) who was a very active Facebook writer. The people who knew her were very concerned about her family. I guess some men even confronted her husband about it. Her neglect seemed obvious. Then one day, she had a talk with her children, and she decided that she needed to give up her writing. I have a lot of respect for a woman like that! It isn't always easy to keep our priorities straight in a culture that keep us going and going and going. But praise be to God who gives us the wisdom to know when enough is enough! :)
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Great Video
It is so easy to just follow the crowd and believe what the majority of people believe. But when people are challenged to really think about what they believe, they often realize how wrong their thinking is. In this video, Ray Comfort does a great job challenging people!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y2KsU_dhwI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y2KsU_dhwI
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
JM Cremp
All three of my boys were born in October, so Emily has been searching for birthday gifts for her brothers. She really gets into giving! We have been excited to find a great resource for "boy" gifts! What is even more exciting is that the family that owns this business lives right here in Dassel! If you want to see the products before you buy them, they have a warehouse in Dassel where you can browse around and look, or you can even pick up your order (if you want to order online). Be sure to check this website out, they have great products!
http://www.jmcremps.com/
http://www.jmcremps.com/
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Perfection
Last week Emily and I went to a bridal shower. The bride-to-be is a special friend of Emily's. She leads a girls Bible study that Emily attends. At the shower, she shared how she came to know the Lord and how her and her finace met. It was a great story!
There was something that she said that I have been mulling around in my mind ever since. She talked about how she had wanted her fiance to be perfect. And in her mind, she had an idea of what that looked like. But then she realized that if he was perfect, she would be tempted to worship him. He would become her God, and she would not need Jesus anymore. Wow! What an amazing thought from a young lady, not even married yet!
I have been thinking about how tempting it is to long for perfection, not only in a spouse, but also in our children or even in friends. But I would never verbalize it like that....that I am longing for perfection (even though that is really what I am doing). I just have an idea of how I think someone should act or behave. But what if my husband, children and friends did everything I wanted? What if they behaved exactly as I expected? I would worship them! I would put them on a pedestal and think more highly of them than I should.
Until now, I have never really thought seriously about how detrimental it would be to my spiritual life to have a perfect, or even near perfect person in my life! So why do I desire it? As much as we long for perfect relationships, we must realize that they would draw us away from our Lord. And that thought should help us celebrate our differences and be thankful for the unmet expectations that we have. Those longings that we have can never be filled by someone else!! Praise God!!
We do have a perfect husband and friend! His name is Jesus! He will meet every need that we have! He is our one and only....He is perfect!!! :)
There was something that she said that I have been mulling around in my mind ever since. She talked about how she had wanted her fiance to be perfect. And in her mind, she had an idea of what that looked like. But then she realized that if he was perfect, she would be tempted to worship him. He would become her God, and she would not need Jesus anymore. Wow! What an amazing thought from a young lady, not even married yet!
I have been thinking about how tempting it is to long for perfection, not only in a spouse, but also in our children or even in friends. But I would never verbalize it like that....that I am longing for perfection (even though that is really what I am doing). I just have an idea of how I think someone should act or behave. But what if my husband, children and friends did everything I wanted? What if they behaved exactly as I expected? I would worship them! I would put them on a pedestal and think more highly of them than I should.
Until now, I have never really thought seriously about how detrimental it would be to my spiritual life to have a perfect, or even near perfect person in my life! So why do I desire it? As much as we long for perfect relationships, we must realize that they would draw us away from our Lord. And that thought should help us celebrate our differences and be thankful for the unmet expectations that we have. Those longings that we have can never be filled by someone else!! Praise God!!
We do have a perfect husband and friend! His name is Jesus! He will meet every need that we have! He is our one and only....He is perfect!!! :)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The Creation Museum
Last February our family went on vacation. One of the places we visited was the Creation Museum in Kentucky. It is an awesome destination for a family vacation! I have been saddened by the number of Christians that I have talked to that have never heard of the museum before. So I decided to do a post on it to help get the word out (at least to a couple people :) ). Maybe you could tell your friends about it too! ;)
Someone asked me what my favorite part of the museum was. I have to say, I was so impressed with everything! It was very well done! But there was one thing that really stuck out in my mind, one thing that impressed me the most, and that was the fact that they did not water down the truth! They were very bold and I was so moved, so thankful that they were willing to put their neck on the line to fearlessly proclaim God's Word. If you love God's Word, you will love the Creation Museum! :)
We all really enjoyed the walk through history.
One room that almost moved me to tears, was the room that showed the destruction of the church due to the rise in evolutionary teaching.
First you see into the window of a house where two brothers are hanging out. One is doing drugs and looking at pornography on his computer. His younger brother is playing a video game where he is trying to kill elderly people. In the next window, their sister is calling her friend to tell her that her pregnancy test is positive and she is planning to abort her baby. Then you see two women, their mom and a friend, talking in the next window. Actually, they are gossiping about other people in the church.
As you walk a little further you see their church. Looking into the windows, you see them all dressed up and looking pretty in their pew, listening to the sermon. The pastor is preaching against God's word, teaching that creation didn't really happen the way the Bible says it did. The foundation of the church is crumbling because of the lies of evolution.
People no longer believe the Bible and therefore their lives are train wrecks and their spiritual lives are a joke. It shows exactly what life in most American churches in like!! People living defeated lives because they refuse to believe God's Word as it is written!
On a more cheerful note, there were some great movies that we watched. We all had a good laugh watching the "Men in White" movie! Just in case you end up going there some day, I won't tell you anything about that movie because I don't want to spoil it for you. :) The planetarium was also very well done and we all really enjoyed that. We also attended lectures and had some great class time learning how to tell the difference between a human skull and a monkey skull and spent some time learning how to making sculptures.
Our family spent three days at the museum and I think that was the perfect amount of time. Although, it was cold when we went, so none of the outdoor stuff was open. You would want to allow more time for that. And if you went in the summer, the lines would be longer, therefore it would take longer to get through the museum.
All to say...I highly recommend the Creation Museum! You won't regret taking a trip there! :)
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| Man and dinosaurs together as God's Word teaches |
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| A dig site |
We all really enjoyed the walk through history.
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| The garden of Eden |
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| Adam names all the animals |
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| The Tree of Life |
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| Here you see the speaker above Mike. As you walk through, you hear the scriptures that describe what you are seeing. |
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| Behind Ben's head you can see Adam and Eve in a pool of water with water falls all around...beautiful!. The serpent is in the tree and will soon deceive Eve. |
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| Sin has entered the world..... |
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| ...and so has death, heartache, pain, and misery! |
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| Adam working the ground with Cain and Able. |
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| Noah and his sons building the ark |
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| Ark trivia |
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| Visiting Noah |
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| The ice age |
One room that almost moved me to tears, was the room that showed the destruction of the church due to the rise in evolutionary teaching.
First you see into the window of a house where two brothers are hanging out. One is doing drugs and looking at pornography on his computer. His younger brother is playing a video game where he is trying to kill elderly people. In the next window, their sister is calling her friend to tell her that her pregnancy test is positive and she is planning to abort her baby. Then you see two women, their mom and a friend, talking in the next window. Actually, they are gossiping about other people in the church.
As you walk a little further you see their church. Looking into the windows, you see them all dressed up and looking pretty in their pew, listening to the sermon. The pastor is preaching against God's word, teaching that creation didn't really happen the way the Bible says it did. The foundation of the church is crumbling because of the lies of evolution.
On a more cheerful note, there were some great movies that we watched. We all had a good laugh watching the "Men in White" movie! Just in case you end up going there some day, I won't tell you anything about that movie because I don't want to spoil it for you. :) The planetarium was also very well done and we all really enjoyed that. We also attended lectures and had some great class time learning how to tell the difference between a human skull and a monkey skull and spent some time learning how to making sculptures.
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| Look out, Emily! |
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| Our family with Ken Ham the founder of the Creation Museum |
All to say...I highly recommend the Creation Museum! You won't regret taking a trip there! :)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Jesus- our "star pitcher"
Confidence: firm belief or trust
This morning at breakfast we were reading from book called Created for Work. The chapter was called "Confidence". In this chapter the author told about his experience playing baseball as a kid. Most of the time he had a hard time hitting the ball, but one day, when they were playing against on of the best teams, he hit every ball like a pro! His coach asked, "What's happened to you?" Why, when they were up against the best, could he hit every ball? Confidence! He realized that when their star pitcher threw the ball, he wasn't afraid the ball was going to hit him. The pitcher was so good, that the ball always came straight across the plate. With every other team they played against, he feared getting hit by the ball, and therefore couldn't focus on batting. Because of the confidence he had in the star pitcher, he was able to performed at his best!
What do we put our confidence in? Often times, as a mother, I will put my confidence in myself, thinking that if I do enough things right my children will grow up to serve the Lord. But it isn't long before I loose confidence in myself! I get angry, lazy, tired, and fail to be a good example to my children. Then I get discouraged and think, "If only I could do more things right!". But even if I did everything perfectly, I don't have the power or ability to make that decision for my children. Only God can change their heart! My confidence must be in Him! When it is, I am free from fear and can perform at my best! :)
"All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God."
Anonymous
"For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep they foot from being taken."
(Proverbs 3:26)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Read and Follow!
I had the weirdest dream last night. There was this woman who was going around exposing herself to the public. As I approached her, I covered her and found out from talking to her that she called herself a Christian. Then I asked her, as my blood started to boil, "Do you know what it means to be a Christian?" I said it again to her only louder the second time. As I spoke all these inquisitive people started to gather around. Then I shouted it again, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN?!" The woman just sat there staring at me. The people that had gathered around were all wide-eyed, prodding me to tell them. Then I said, "If you are a Christian, you read God's Word and follow it! It's that simple...You read God's Word and do what it says!" Then I asked the woman, "Do you know what it means when the Bible says, "Let not your nakedness be made known?" She kinda rolled her eyes at me and said of course she knew what it meant. Then I started lecturing her again and telling her that she needed to do what God's Word said.
Suddenly I was awakened by a bad storm. The wind hit the window and both Mike and I jumped up in bed. As the wind howled, I lie there thinking about my dream. You know, there are many people who think that because they go to church, they are a Christian. Others believe that since they are nice people, who do what is right, they are Christians. And some think that all Americans are Christians...like we are all going to heaven together on some wide happy road....WRONG!
Suddenly I was awakened by a bad storm. The wind hit the window and both Mike and I jumped up in bed. As the wind howled, I lie there thinking about my dream. You know, there are many people who think that because they go to church, they are a Christian. Others believe that since they are nice people, who do what is right, they are Christians. And some think that all Americans are Christians...like we are all going to heaven together on some wide happy road....WRONG!
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matthew 7:13-14
There are men and women who stand in the pulpits of churches, calling themselves Christians and yet will tell you that the Bible is not true...or parts of the Bible are not true! Those people are worshipping a god that they have made up in their mind. They are not followers of the God of the Bible.
I am sorry, but if you do not read God's Word and follow it, you are not a Christian. Plain and simple!
Now, to help you understand the heart of what I am saying here, I must add that reading your Bible doesn't make you a Christian in and of itself. You must be born again, as you will read in God's Word. For more information on that see my page titled "Are You Good Enough to go to Heaven?"
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Is Anyone Speaking Evil About You?
"If I were fruitless, it mattered not who commended me, but if I were fruitful, I cared not who condemned."
John Bunyan
Critics are like toothaches, most of us have had one or two in our life. They can help us to see our blind spots in life, which can be a real blessing, but if we are not careful, they can be used by the enemy to breed self-pity, hopelessness and an ungodly sorrow. True conviction from the Lord will bring godly sorrow, which leads to repentance, but worldly sorrow brings death.
We think to ourselves, "This is terrible, here I call myself a Christian and there are people who don't like me! I am such a bad testimony! EVERYONE should think I am wonderful...how else will I draw people to the Lord? Boy, I have really let the Lord down, and the Christian community! I should just stop professing Christ so I don't cause people to stumble!" Hold on a minute!! Jesus said, "Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." The key word here is FALSELY! If the mean things people say about you are FALSE, then you are blessed!
When someone criticizes us, we need to ask the Lord to show us the truth in it, and then deal with making things right...like asking for forgiveness. If there is no truth in it, then we should not hang on to guilt or condemnation! Let it go! If you have a clear conscience and there is nothing between you and the Savior, rejoice!
Something to think about...If you think you are following the Lord with your whole heart, and nobody is speaking any evil against you, falsely, then you may want to check your walk! The righteousness and holiness of the Lord IS offensive to the devil and his children! Jesus was constantly offending the ungodly, yet He lived a SINLESS life....HELLO! If we would really meditate on that fact, we would not be so heartbroken when people speak bad about us for doing what is RIGHT! Jesus was perfect and they hated Him!!!
Do not let the condemnation that brings death distract you from the work the Lord has for you! Keep doing what He has shown you to do and don't second guess yourself! You are blessed! Rejoice! :)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Journaling With Your Children
Sometimes there would be a scripture verse that I wanted to share with her, other times it was just something that she did during the day that blessed me that I wanted her to know about. We wrote many thank you notes to each other and even drew some pictures. :)
Just last night, I found our journal sitting on my bed. Emily had written me a sweet note about how something I had done during the day had really blessed and encourage her. After I read her note, I started paging through the journal. The first thing I noticed was that we only had one page left! Time for a new journal! :) Tears filled my eyes as I read the rest of the notes in it and remembered all the special times that we have had together. Even years later, the notes are still such a blessing to read!
Over the years Emily and I have filled several journals. I just bought another journal today. They are such treasures!!
Emily has even started writing journals with her brothers. They are great relationship builders and they really do not require that much time...in other words, doable for busy moms! :) We all need encouragement...and it's nice to be appreciated too! :)
Start a journal today! :)
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Thought for the Day - August 9th
"Don't worry be happy!" ...remember that song? As Christian women we should be happy, not worried! Why? Because God is in control! If we trust in worldly wisdom, we are not trusting God. When we are in submission to God, we are able to acknowledge that all things are under His divine control.
Where there is worry, there is no trust!
Trust Him today!
Romans 8:28
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The Lock
This morning Ben and I left the house around 7am to go on a "coffee date". :) Ben had some shopping he wanted to do, so we stopped at Walmart before we went out for coffee. There he found a padlock that he wanted; one that has a reset button to change the code for the lock. So he bought it. I warned him that the only downside to a lock like that was that he was going to have to remember what the code was every time he changed it. I suggested that he should make sure he writes it down.
After we got home, Ben went around showing everyone his new lock. When he showed it to Mike, Mike told him that he better be careful to write down his combinations or he would forget them.
Not long after that, Ben decide to change the code on the lock and then went outside to work. When he came in later, he grabbed his lock, set the numbers for the new code, and it wouldn't open! What! He tried again. And again! Ben was totally discouraged! Here he had spent his hard earned money on a nice lock, that he now had no use for. It was locked and it was going to stay that way! :(
At lunch, He told Mike his dilemma. They tried a bunch of combinations that were similar to what Ben thought the code was, but none of them worked. Ben was sure the lock had malfunctioned! He thought maybe we should return it. :) Then Mike told him that there were only 10,000 different combinations to that lock, and that it would only take him about 5 hours to break the code. :) Ben was more discouraged than ever! He went back outside, but all he could think about all day was his lock.
That evening, after supper, everyone went out to do chores and Ben stayed in with me to help clean up. As I was clearing the table, I noticed Ben wasn't helping. He was sitting at the table, trying to open his lock. So I went over and sat down with him. I said, "Ben, do you know what we need to do? We need to pray." I said, "The Bible says that if we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us, and we need wisdom to figure out how to crack this code." So we prayed.
About two minuets later, the lock popped open! :) I figured out the code! I was so excited! I put my fist in the air and shouted triumphantly, "See Ben, God is ALWAYS the answer!" He said, "Oh, thanks so much, Mom!". I said, "Don't thank me!" :)
A few minutes later, Mike walked into the kitchen, and Ben and I were both grinning from ear to ear. We told Mike the story. So we concluded that there were two lessons to learn.
1. Write down the combination!!
2. Pray more!!
In my heart I quietly thanked the Lord for showing Himself strong to Ben. Ben will NEVER forget that...and I doubt that he will forget to write down the combination either!! :)
After we got home, Ben went around showing everyone his new lock. When he showed it to Mike, Mike told him that he better be careful to write down his combinations or he would forget them.
Not long after that, Ben decide to change the code on the lock and then went outside to work. When he came in later, he grabbed his lock, set the numbers for the new code, and it wouldn't open! What! He tried again. And again! Ben was totally discouraged! Here he had spent his hard earned money on a nice lock, that he now had no use for. It was locked and it was going to stay that way! :(
At lunch, He told Mike his dilemma. They tried a bunch of combinations that were similar to what Ben thought the code was, but none of them worked. Ben was sure the lock had malfunctioned! He thought maybe we should return it. :) Then Mike told him that there were only 10,000 different combinations to that lock, and that it would only take him about 5 hours to break the code. :) Ben was more discouraged than ever! He went back outside, but all he could think about all day was his lock.
That evening, after supper, everyone went out to do chores and Ben stayed in with me to help clean up. As I was clearing the table, I noticed Ben wasn't helping. He was sitting at the table, trying to open his lock. So I went over and sat down with him. I said, "Ben, do you know what we need to do? We need to pray." I said, "The Bible says that if we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us, and we need wisdom to figure out how to crack this code." So we prayed.
About two minuets later, the lock popped open! :) I figured out the code! I was so excited! I put my fist in the air and shouted triumphantly, "See Ben, God is ALWAYS the answer!" He said, "Oh, thanks so much, Mom!". I said, "Don't thank me!" :)
A few minutes later, Mike walked into the kitchen, and Ben and I were both grinning from ear to ear. We told Mike the story. So we concluded that there were two lessons to learn.
1. Write down the combination!!
2. Pray more!!
In my heart I quietly thanked the Lord for showing Himself strong to Ben. Ben will NEVER forget that...and I doubt that he will forget to write down the combination either!! :)
Monday, July 25, 2011
Ministry
When I was about eight years old, my parents bought a motor home. I have many great memories of camping with my family! We'd often spend weekends at my grandparents lake camping and boating. And there were other longer trips, seeing the states and the beauty of our country.
After Mike and I were married, my parents were looking to sell their camper. They didn't use it much anymore and were tired of it sitting in the driveway. So Mike and I decided to buy it! I can't tell you how excited I was to get the camper! Now my kids were going to get to experience what I did as a kid! As I knew it, camping was GREAT FUN!!
I was so excited for our first trip!! We were going to have a great time! Well, it didn't take long for me to realize that camping was work! I remember getting home from our first trip and calling my mom. I was so curious to find out if she EVER had any FUN all those years that we went camping! I had no idea the sacrifices that she had made for us kids! She had to work really hard on EVERY camping trip that we took! Wow! That was a real eye opener for me. I had to suck it up and tell myself that it was now my turn to work hard for my children. (Not that camping isn't fun, it is! But it is also a lot of work for moms.) Now I had to learn to enjoy laying down my life for someone else....ahhhh MOTHERHOOD 101!! That reminds me of my favorite quote..."Motherhood is a journey out of self-centeredness. "
My family is my ministry! I have to look at it that way because serving them is what God has called me to do. I am to be a keeper at home (according to Titus 2:5). I cook, clean, do laundry, educate my children, go camping :), and a hundred other things...Why? Because it is my ministry! :) I don't always want to get up every morning and make my family a nice breakfast, but I do it, every day, because it is how I need to serve my family. (Romans12:1) A wife and mother has many opportunities to learn to enjoy hard work and servanthood! :) There are lots of scriptures that teach us that it is our duty before the Lord, and we must do it well. We can look to our own homes and families to find our calling in Christ.
The problem is that those mundane tasks that us mothers do over and over again, day after day, run the risk of becoming meaningless, without faith in God. And after years of doing the same things over again, we can grow weary and start wondering if there are other things we should be doing instead...other ministries. Am I missing out on something? Isn't there something more exciting that God wants me to do for Him? We need to trust that God has our best interests in mind when He tell us to be keepers at home; to serve our families.
Sometimes all we need is a little adjustment in our view of things. If we view our ministry to our families as drudgery, that is what it will be, but it becomes a joy and a delight when we are doing it for the Lord.
We need hearts that are committed to work...hard work! The Bible teaches that there is profit in ALL labor! And with the Lord's blessing on your work, you can trust that it WILL BE fruitful! Our labor is not in vain! (Col. 3: 23-24)
Our ministries may look a little different depending on our husbands occupation, how many children we have, and where we live, but no matter what, as wives and mothers, we can find the Lord's work within our own homes....and lots of it!! Let's keep encouraging one another to continue to fight the fight of faith, to not grow weary in well doing, to press on in a culture that looks down upon homemakers. Don't change with every wind of doctrine! Keep on pressin' on! :)
After Mike and I were married, my parents were looking to sell their camper. They didn't use it much anymore and were tired of it sitting in the driveway. So Mike and I decided to buy it! I can't tell you how excited I was to get the camper! Now my kids were going to get to experience what I did as a kid! As I knew it, camping was GREAT FUN!!
I was so excited for our first trip!! We were going to have a great time! Well, it didn't take long for me to realize that camping was work! I remember getting home from our first trip and calling my mom. I was so curious to find out if she EVER had any FUN all those years that we went camping! I had no idea the sacrifices that she had made for us kids! She had to work really hard on EVERY camping trip that we took! Wow! That was a real eye opener for me. I had to suck it up and tell myself that it was now my turn to work hard for my children. (Not that camping isn't fun, it is! But it is also a lot of work for moms.) Now I had to learn to enjoy laying down my life for someone else....ahhhh MOTHERHOOD 101!! That reminds me of my favorite quote..."Motherhood is a journey out of self-centeredness. "
Motherhood = Ministry!
My family is my ministry! I have to look at it that way because serving them is what God has called me to do. I am to be a keeper at home (according to Titus 2:5). I cook, clean, do laundry, educate my children, go camping :), and a hundred other things...Why? Because it is my ministry! :) I don't always want to get up every morning and make my family a nice breakfast, but I do it, every day, because it is how I need to serve my family. (Romans12:1) A wife and mother has many opportunities to learn to enjoy hard work and servanthood! :) There are lots of scriptures that teach us that it is our duty before the Lord, and we must do it well. We can look to our own homes and families to find our calling in Christ.
The problem is that those mundane tasks that us mothers do over and over again, day after day, run the risk of becoming meaningless, without faith in God. And after years of doing the same things over again, we can grow weary and start wondering if there are other things we should be doing instead...other ministries. Am I missing out on something? Isn't there something more exciting that God wants me to do for Him? We need to trust that God has our best interests in mind when He tell us to be keepers at home; to serve our families.
Sometimes all we need is a little adjustment in our view of things. If we view our ministry to our families as drudgery, that is what it will be, but it becomes a joy and a delight when we are doing it for the Lord.
We need hearts that are committed to work...hard work! The Bible teaches that there is profit in ALL labor! And with the Lord's blessing on your work, you can trust that it WILL BE fruitful! Our labor is not in vain! (Col. 3: 23-24)
Our ministries may look a little different depending on our husbands occupation, how many children we have, and where we live, but no matter what, as wives and mothers, we can find the Lord's work within our own homes....and lots of it!! Let's keep encouraging one another to continue to fight the fight of faith, to not grow weary in well doing, to press on in a culture that looks down upon homemakers. Don't change with every wind of doctrine! Keep on pressin' on! :)
"Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates." Proverbs 31:30-31
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Enjoying Our Children
When my daughter was little, I remember putting her to bed one night, and looking into her eyes, I wondered if I really knew that sweet girl deep inside those eyes. It was a very crazy time in my life. I had three busy little boys running (one crawling) around, and I didn't really have time (at least I felt I didn't) to spend alone with my little girl. But I felt as though I was missing something in my relationship with Emily. So I made a decision that night to MAKE time for Emily. It was then that I started our tradition of having tea together. Back then, we had tea almost every afternoon. At first, it was something I HAD to do. Honestly, being a busy mother of little people, it felt like work, but it wasn't long before it became my favorite time of day. It became a time to relax and chat over tea and goodies and connect with my little girl. We read many books together, made pillows and dolls, and worked on various projects during our tea time. We made a habit of having tea together for years, and it became a precious time that we both enjoyed.
In the past year or so, our tea time has changed. We don't have tea together everyday any more, but now that she is older we do almost everything together. We love being together! Next to Mike, Emily is my best friend.
Our family hosts a Farmer's Market at our house every Friday, May-October, so every Thursday is "baking day". Even though it's a lot of work, Em and I both just love being together in the kitchen all day. Almost every Thursday Emily will say, "Oh Mom, don't you just love baking day?" :) We both look forward to every moment we get to spend together. Whenever the boys are going to be gone with Mike, we get a twinkle in our eyes and say, "Girl time!"
Yesterday Em and I planned for some "girl time". We went to our favorite tea shop, had lunch and tea, then spent the afternoon shopping. When we got home, we made our favorite foods, grabbed a favorite girly movie, and spent the evening in my room watching our movie, laughing, and eating chocolate. :) I wonder where our relationship would be if I had not listened to God's voice many years ago, encouraging me to get to know my little girl in a deeper way. I enjoy her so much!!
The same thing happened with my oldest son, Brandon. When he was about fifteen, a light bulb went on, and I suddenly realized that I wasn't going to have that many more years with him before he was off on his own, so I decided to start taking him out for coffee on Saturday mornings. At first we would sit and talk for a half hour or so, but it wasn't long before our coffee dates were hours long! We would talk and talk and talk....and laugh! If you know Brandon, you know he's fun to be around and likes to laugh, so we would have a great time together while we sipped our coffee. I can remember on a number of occasions Brandon would tell me that he looked forward to our Saturday mornings together. One time, a lady came up to us and started talking to us, asking us if that cool car in the parking lot was ours. Brandon and I soon realized that she thought I was his girlfriend! :) Brandon told the lady, "Believe it or not, this is my MOM!" We got a good laugh out of that one! And now that Ben is going to be twelve, I need to start taking him out for coffee! :)
Spending time with our children doesn't have to mean costly vacations or expensive outings (although those are fun at times too). Even working together can be FUN for a child if they are with an adult who enjoys them.
Recently Jonny and I spent a couple of day working in the herb garden. We were harvesting herbs, which involved cutting them and hanging them to dry. The first day we got all geared up, Jonny had his tool belt on with his scissors and rubber bands stashed inside. We worked together, side by side, for an hour or two. The next day, as we are walking out to the garden together, he cheerfully asked, "So what are we cutting today, Mom?" He was just so happy and excited to WORK! A little later, as we were walking over to our market building where we were going to hang our herbs, he grabbed my hand to hold it as we were walking and said, "I like working in the herb garden with you, Mom!"
The next morning we worked in the herb garden again. When we were finished up hanging the last of the herbs in the market building, I got the idea to make sun tea for that afternoon. So I asked Jonny if he would want to run down to the herb garden (without me) and cut some lemon balm for our tea. He looked at me and said, "I'd be lost without you, Dicky!" and then gave me a cute freckled face grin. It was so cute and made me laugh so hard! :) The quote was from a Range Rider movie. He was saying that I was his sidekick and that he wouldn't know what to do without me! :)
Children need parents who enjoy being with them. If you find yourself telling your children to "Go Away!", you might need to re-evaluate you priorities. Do we moms enjoy our children more than our girlfriends? Would we rather go out with our friends than spend time with our teenage daughter? Our time with our kids is so short! We need to spend every minute we can enjoying them! So with that in mind...I will get off this computer and find my children! :)
In the past year or so, our tea time has changed. We don't have tea together everyday any more, but now that she is older we do almost everything together. We love being together! Next to Mike, Emily is my best friend.
Our family hosts a Farmer's Market at our house every Friday, May-October, so every Thursday is "baking day". Even though it's a lot of work, Em and I both just love being together in the kitchen all day. Almost every Thursday Emily will say, "Oh Mom, don't you just love baking day?" :) We both look forward to every moment we get to spend together. Whenever the boys are going to be gone with Mike, we get a twinkle in our eyes and say, "Girl time!"
Yesterday Em and I planned for some "girl time". We went to our favorite tea shop, had lunch and tea, then spent the afternoon shopping. When we got home, we made our favorite foods, grabbed a favorite girly movie, and spent the evening in my room watching our movie, laughing, and eating chocolate. :) I wonder where our relationship would be if I had not listened to God's voice many years ago, encouraging me to get to know my little girl in a deeper way. I enjoy her so much!!
The same thing happened with my oldest son, Brandon. When he was about fifteen, a light bulb went on, and I suddenly realized that I wasn't going to have that many more years with him before he was off on his own, so I decided to start taking him out for coffee on Saturday mornings. At first we would sit and talk for a half hour or so, but it wasn't long before our coffee dates were hours long! We would talk and talk and talk....and laugh! If you know Brandon, you know he's fun to be around and likes to laugh, so we would have a great time together while we sipped our coffee. I can remember on a number of occasions Brandon would tell me that he looked forward to our Saturday mornings together. One time, a lady came up to us and started talking to us, asking us if that cool car in the parking lot was ours. Brandon and I soon realized that she thought I was his girlfriend! :) Brandon told the lady, "Believe it or not, this is my MOM!" We got a good laugh out of that one! And now that Ben is going to be twelve, I need to start taking him out for coffee! :)
Spending time with our children doesn't have to mean costly vacations or expensive outings (although those are fun at times too). Even working together can be FUN for a child if they are with an adult who enjoys them.
Recently Jonny and I spent a couple of day working in the herb garden. We were harvesting herbs, which involved cutting them and hanging them to dry. The first day we got all geared up, Jonny had his tool belt on with his scissors and rubber bands stashed inside. We worked together, side by side, for an hour or two. The next day, as we are walking out to the garden together, he cheerfully asked, "So what are we cutting today, Mom?" He was just so happy and excited to WORK! A little later, as we were walking over to our market building where we were going to hang our herbs, he grabbed my hand to hold it as we were walking and said, "I like working in the herb garden with you, Mom!"
The next morning we worked in the herb garden again. When we were finished up hanging the last of the herbs in the market building, I got the idea to make sun tea for that afternoon. So I asked Jonny if he would want to run down to the herb garden (without me) and cut some lemon balm for our tea. He looked at me and said, "I'd be lost without you, Dicky!" and then gave me a cute freckled face grin. It was so cute and made me laugh so hard! :) The quote was from a Range Rider movie. He was saying that I was his sidekick and that he wouldn't know what to do without me! :)
Children need parents who enjoy being with them. If you find yourself telling your children to "Go Away!", you might need to re-evaluate you priorities. Do we moms enjoy our children more than our girlfriends? Would we rather go out with our friends than spend time with our teenage daughter? Our time with our kids is so short! We need to spend every minute we can enjoying them! So with that in mind...I will get off this computer and find my children! :)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Busybody
Here are some definitions that I found to describe the "busybody" :
1). a person who meddles in the affairs of others
2). a busybody is someone who meddles or pries into the affairs of others. They are considered meddlesome, prying, officious, a trouble making gossips who snoop, engage in intrigue, intrude, pry, eavesdrop, snoop, stir up trouble, and engage in scandal mongering.
3). Someone who interferes with others, one who is nosy, intrusive or meddlesome.
4). An interfering old woman who bustles about self-importantly making an officious nuisance of herself, busy about other people's business.
While the dictionaries don't have anything good to say about the busybody, the Bible describes this person in an even worse light - as one who commits sin! Do we look at this act this seriously? Do we avoid it and avoid those who behave this way? We should!
The book The Fruit of Her Hands by Nancy Wilson, has some great information about the busybody.
She writes:
The Sin of Having to Know
And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. (1 Timothy 5:13)
This passage refers to the temptation younger widow encounter when they have no husband at home to provide the ballast they need to be home-centered. But certainly, other women in the Christian community are tempted to be busy-bodies as well. It may sound harmless, but Scripture ranks this sin with some of the big ones: "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters." (1 Peter 4:15).
What is a busybody? In this passage, she is a woman who delights in other people's business. Instead of being focused on her own home, her own duties, her own family, the busybody is interested in everyone else's business. A busybody is "busy" gathering and passing on information. Of course, saying these things is sinful, but knowing them may be equally sinful.
Let's back up and examine how a woman becomes a busybody. First she much learn idleness, as our text says. But how does a woman learn idleness? The image seems contradictory! I suggest that it is learned by studiously avoiding the duties God has laid out for her. The budding busybody must shirk her domestic duties for the more pleasant task of "visiting".
The woman Paul describes is wandering about the neighborhood. It is far easier to leave unfinished duties behind than step over them. The woman the busybody visits can't see her laundry pile or the dirty kitchen floor. As the busybody wanders from house to house, she is far from idle: she is busy gathering information about everyone else's affairs. Does the modern busybody wander from house to house? You bet. She goes her for coffee and there for lunch. She's charging around town, dropping in and checking up. Or she may be busy chatting over the back fence while hanging out the laundry. The news gathered at stop one is repeated with relish at stop two. This also provides her with lots of prayer requests for Bible study or prayer meeting.
Of course the modern busybody is not restrained if she doesn't have the means to wander about town. She has a more convenient method - the telephone. The modern busybody can be very "busy" on the phone for hours a day. This sort of idleness may produce weariness, but it doesn't produce the fruit God requires. A woman's God-given duties must necessarily be neglected to carry on such extensive visiting.
How does the busybody conduct her visits? She asks many questions and is a keen listener. She asks questions that are meddlesome and interfering. But she seldom gives offense because she seems so genuinely interested. No detail is insignificant for her. She delights in passing on "tasty morsels" and offers much information (about others) without waiting to be asked.
Since her head is so full of "other people's matters," much of what is fact and what is hearsay is easily blurred. Now she has become not only a busybody passing on the "news," but a gossip passing on rumors. Meanwhile, is the laundry done? Is dinner planned? Can she really afford all this time?
A few cautions come immediately to mind. First, ask yourself if you are a busybody. If you are working hard at home, faithfully doing your God-given duties, then you will have little time for such foolish behavior. Nevertheless, recall your recent conversations. Have you been too involved in "other people's matters"? Do you ask questions that are really not your business? Do you pass on information about other people's affairs? And perhaps the most revealing question: Do you delight in being the first to know and the first to tell?
Second, do you have a friend who is a busybody? Take care. You may be drawn into her bad habits. Don't listen to her repeat all the news. Excuse yourself from inappropriate conversations. Do you have a regular group you meet with to "visit" and fellowship with: a homeschool group, a sewing group, a quilting group, or a reading group? Is the conversation on topic, or is it often about other people? Perhaps you should withdraw from such a group, if it is dominated by busybodies. Busybodies will be quick to criticize the children, the schooling methods, etc. of people not in the room. They will share things freely about others that they would never say if those people were present.
Finally, if you know someone to be a busybody, keep your distance. Be careful what you tell her. Assume that everything you say will get around the community. That should motivate you to exercise discretion. Be careful what you say about your family, especially about your husband. Be sure your comments are always respectful and kind and God-honoring. That sort of news isn't nearly as much fun to pass on.
In my opinion, the worst offense of the busybody is that she destroys the Body of Christ. She brings division, distrust, and disillusionment to those who fall prey to her gossip. She destroys reputations and bring shame upon the name of Christ.
Unfortunately for her, she ends up a bitter and lonely person-one that Christians try to avoid. If you are a busybody, repent! If you know a busybody, avoid her and also pray for an opportunity to confront her with her sin, so that she may have the opportunity to repent and be restored.
1). a person who meddles in the affairs of others
2). a busybody is someone who meddles or pries into the affairs of others. They are considered meddlesome, prying, officious, a trouble making gossips who snoop, engage in intrigue, intrude, pry, eavesdrop, snoop, stir up trouble, and engage in scandal mongering.
3). Someone who interferes with others, one who is nosy, intrusive or meddlesome.
4). An interfering old woman who bustles about self-importantly making an officious nuisance of herself, busy about other people's business.
While the dictionaries don't have anything good to say about the busybody, the Bible describes this person in an even worse light - as one who commits sin! Do we look at this act this seriously? Do we avoid it and avoid those who behave this way? We should!
1 Peter 4:15
But let non of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
Murderer, thief, evildoer, BUSYBODY....WOW! Guess we need to learn to mind our own business!! God obviously doesn't see this act a just a bothersome nuisance, but He sees it as a wicked sin!
The book The Fruit of Her Hands by Nancy Wilson, has some great information about the busybody.
She writes:
The Sin of Having to Know
And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. (1 Timothy 5:13)
This passage refers to the temptation younger widow encounter when they have no husband at home to provide the ballast they need to be home-centered. But certainly, other women in the Christian community are tempted to be busy-bodies as well. It may sound harmless, but Scripture ranks this sin with some of the big ones: "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters." (1 Peter 4:15).
What is a busybody? In this passage, she is a woman who delights in other people's business. Instead of being focused on her own home, her own duties, her own family, the busybody is interested in everyone else's business. A busybody is "busy" gathering and passing on information. Of course, saying these things is sinful, but knowing them may be equally sinful.
Let's back up and examine how a woman becomes a busybody. First she much learn idleness, as our text says. But how does a woman learn idleness? The image seems contradictory! I suggest that it is learned by studiously avoiding the duties God has laid out for her. The budding busybody must shirk her domestic duties for the more pleasant task of "visiting".
The woman Paul describes is wandering about the neighborhood. It is far easier to leave unfinished duties behind than step over them. The woman the busybody visits can't see her laundry pile or the dirty kitchen floor. As the busybody wanders from house to house, she is far from idle: she is busy gathering information about everyone else's affairs. Does the modern busybody wander from house to house? You bet. She goes her for coffee and there for lunch. She's charging around town, dropping in and checking up. Or she may be busy chatting over the back fence while hanging out the laundry. The news gathered at stop one is repeated with relish at stop two. This also provides her with lots of prayer requests for Bible study or prayer meeting.
Of course the modern busybody is not restrained if she doesn't have the means to wander about town. She has a more convenient method - the telephone. The modern busybody can be very "busy" on the phone for hours a day. This sort of idleness may produce weariness, but it doesn't produce the fruit God requires. A woman's God-given duties must necessarily be neglected to carry on such extensive visiting.
How does the busybody conduct her visits? She asks many questions and is a keen listener. She asks questions that are meddlesome and interfering. But she seldom gives offense because she seems so genuinely interested. No detail is insignificant for her. She delights in passing on "tasty morsels" and offers much information (about others) without waiting to be asked.
Since her head is so full of "other people's matters," much of what is fact and what is hearsay is easily blurred. Now she has become not only a busybody passing on the "news," but a gossip passing on rumors. Meanwhile, is the laundry done? Is dinner planned? Can she really afford all this time?
A few cautions come immediately to mind. First, ask yourself if you are a busybody. If you are working hard at home, faithfully doing your God-given duties, then you will have little time for such foolish behavior. Nevertheless, recall your recent conversations. Have you been too involved in "other people's matters"? Do you ask questions that are really not your business? Do you pass on information about other people's affairs? And perhaps the most revealing question: Do you delight in being the first to know and the first to tell?
Second, do you have a friend who is a busybody? Take care. You may be drawn into her bad habits. Don't listen to her repeat all the news. Excuse yourself from inappropriate conversations. Do you have a regular group you meet with to "visit" and fellowship with: a homeschool group, a sewing group, a quilting group, or a reading group? Is the conversation on topic, or is it often about other people? Perhaps you should withdraw from such a group, if it is dominated by busybodies. Busybodies will be quick to criticize the children, the schooling methods, etc. of people not in the room. They will share things freely about others that they would never say if those people were present.
Finally, if you know someone to be a busybody, keep your distance. Be careful what you tell her. Assume that everything you say will get around the community. That should motivate you to exercise discretion. Be careful what you say about your family, especially about your husband. Be sure your comments are always respectful and kind and God-honoring. That sort of news isn't nearly as much fun to pass on.
In my opinion, the worst offense of the busybody is that she destroys the Body of Christ. She brings division, distrust, and disillusionment to those who fall prey to her gossip. She destroys reputations and bring shame upon the name of Christ.
Unfortunately for her, she ends up a bitter and lonely person-one that Christians try to avoid. If you are a busybody, repent! If you know a busybody, avoid her and also pray for an opportunity to confront her with her sin, so that she may have the opportunity to repent and be restored.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A Saying Worth Repeating!
There is a saying that came to mind today. The pastor of a church that Mike and I went to many years ago used to say it all the time. I think it bears repeating!
Sin will take you places you don't want to go,
Keep you longer than you want to stay,
And cost you more than you want to pay!
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Influence of a Woman
"Woman was the finishing grace of the creation. Woman was the completeness of man's bliss in Paradise. Woman was the cause of sin and death to our world. The world was redeemed by the Seed of the woman. Woman is the mother of the human race. She is either our companion, counselor, and comforter in the pilgrimage of life; or she is our tempter, scourge, and destroyer. Our sweetest cup of earthly happiness or our bitterest draught of sorrow is mixed and administered by her hand. She not only renders smooth or rough our path to the grave, but helps or hinders our progress to immortality. In heaven we shall bless God for her aid in assisting us to reach that blissful state; or amidst the torments of unutterable woe in another region, we shall deplore the fatality of her influence..."
John Angell James
John Angell James
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The "Sweetness" of Life!
I used to believe that being a Christian meant I would have a perfect life, free from trials, pain, persecution, and sickness.
Where is the testimony if we have a life full of peace and joy while everything is perfect? We are all happy when we get our way - there is no mystery to that! But when a person suffers great loss or goes through trials and persecutions, and in the midst of it all they are full of peace and joy, that is a testimony of God's grace!
Putting our faith and hope in Him and not being fearful while the storms of life are raging, is a witness to all watching, of a power that is unknown to the unbeliever.
I do not envy those who have to face their trials alone. The pain that is found in this life is a burden I would never want to bear by myself. Nevertheless, our need to have a peace that passes all understanding should not be our motivation in pursuing a relationship with Christ. We need Him because we are sinners - every one of us! Without His blood sacrifice to cover our sins, we will die with our sins unforgiven and spend eternity apart from Him. (See my page titled " Are You Good Enough to go to Heaven?")
For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, the trials and persecutions of this life become a catalyst that brings us into a deeper relationship with Him. While trials may be very hard to go through, there is a "sweetness" that causes us to be grateful for them because they bring us a greater awareness of His presence. And His presence is what we want.....what we long for! :)
2 Timothy 3:12
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
I Thessalonians 3:3
That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
2 Corninthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak then am I strong.
John 17:14
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Psalm 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
2 Corinthians 7:4
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
I do not envy those who have to face their trials alone. The pain that is found in this life is a burden I would never want to bear by myself. Nevertheless, our need to have a peace that passes all understanding should not be our motivation in pursuing a relationship with Christ. We need Him because we are sinners - every one of us! Without His blood sacrifice to cover our sins, we will die with our sins unforgiven and spend eternity apart from Him. (See my page titled " Are You Good Enough to go to Heaven?")
For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, the trials and persecutions of this life become a catalyst that brings us into a deeper relationship with Him. While trials may be very hard to go through, there is a "sweetness" that causes us to be grateful for them because they bring us a greater awareness of His presence. And His presence is what we want.....what we long for! :)
Proverbs 27:7
The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Walking
In Websters 1828 Dictionary the word "walk" (in scripture) is defined as: to live and act or behave; to pursue a particular course of life.
I find that I am often forgetting who I should be following and walking after. Instead I tend to follow my own plans and ideas and do not yield myself as a servant of the Lord.
Some reminders:
Eph 2:2 - we used to walk according to the course of this world
Eph 4:1- walk worthy of the vocation where with ye are called
1 Thes. 2:12- walk worthy of God, who has called you unto His kingdom and glory
Col. 1:10- walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing
Eph 4:17 - walk not as other Gentiles walk
Romans 6:4 - walk in newness of life
Jer. 10:23- it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps
1 Thes. 4:1- ye have received of us how ye ought to walk
Eph. 5:8- walk as children of the light
Isa. 2:5- walk in the light of the Lord
Isa. 30:21-this is the way, walk ye in it
Jer. 6:16 - ask where is the good way, and walk therein
1 John 2:6- walk even as He walked
Acts 9:31- walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost
Eph. 5:15- walk circumspectly
2 Cor. 5:7- walk by faith
Eph. 5:2- walk in love
1 Thes. 4:12- walk honestly toward them that are without
Prov. 13:20-if you walk with wise, you shall be wise
Mich. 6:8- walk humbly with thy God
John 8:12- walk not in darkness
Romans 8:1- walk not after the flesh
Prov. 28:26- Whoso walketh wisely, shall be delivered
Dan. 4:37- those that walk in pride He is able to abase
2 Thes. 3:6- withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly
1 John 1:6-7- if we walk in darkness we do not have fellowship with Him, if we walk in the light, we have fellowship and His blood cleanses us.
Pray for God's grace to live and behave (WALK) as He did!!
I find that I am often forgetting who I should be following and walking after. Instead I tend to follow my own plans and ideas and do not yield myself as a servant of the Lord.
Some reminders:
Eph 2:2 - we used to walk according to the course of this world
Eph 4:1- walk worthy of the vocation where with ye are called
1 Thes. 2:12- walk worthy of God, who has called you unto His kingdom and glory
Col. 1:10- walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing
Eph 4:17 - walk not as other Gentiles walk
Romans 6:4 - walk in newness of life
Jer. 10:23- it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps
1 Thes. 4:1- ye have received of us how ye ought to walk
Eph. 5:8- walk as children of the light
Isa. 2:5- walk in the light of the Lord
Isa. 30:21-this is the way, walk ye in it
Jer. 6:16 - ask where is the good way, and walk therein
1 John 2:6- walk even as He walked
Acts 9:31- walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost
Eph. 5:15- walk circumspectly
2 Cor. 5:7- walk by faith
Eph. 5:2- walk in love
1 Thes. 4:12- walk honestly toward them that are without
Prov. 13:20-if you walk with wise, you shall be wise
Mich. 6:8- walk humbly with thy God
John 8:12- walk not in darkness
Romans 8:1- walk not after the flesh
Prov. 28:26- Whoso walketh wisely, shall be delivered
Dan. 4:37- those that walk in pride He is able to abase
2 Thes. 3:6- withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly
1 John 1:6-7- if we walk in darkness we do not have fellowship with Him, if we walk in the light, we have fellowship and His blood cleanses us.
Pray for God's grace to live and behave (WALK) as He did!!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
A Thirst This World Can't Satisfy
When I first got saved, I remember days when I would look into heaven and say, "Lord, don't come yet! I have so much I want to do! ....life is so good!"
Now eighteen years later, life is still good. I am married to the most wonderful man on earth, have a great family, and feel my life is totally blessed by God, but I have gone through some things. I have experienced trials, temptations, betrayal, failures, and persecutions. There have been deep disappointments, tears of grief that have kept me awake at night, and pains that have caused me to ask, "Why?".
Now I look into heaven, grateful for such a good life, yet also knowing the hurts of life, and say, "Lord, come quickly!" I long for Him! I long for Heaven, a place where there will be no more tears or sorrow. I know now more than ever that there is no hope in this world. This world is not my home; I am just passing through, waiting for my home in eternity where I belong.
I love the phrase in this song..."What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?" Amen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ
Now eighteen years later, life is still good. I am married to the most wonderful man on earth, have a great family, and feel my life is totally blessed by God, but I have gone through some things. I have experienced trials, temptations, betrayal, failures, and persecutions. There have been deep disappointments, tears of grief that have kept me awake at night, and pains that have caused me to ask, "Why?".
Now I look into heaven, grateful for such a good life, yet also knowing the hurts of life, and say, "Lord, come quickly!" I long for Him! I long for Heaven, a place where there will be no more tears or sorrow. I know now more than ever that there is no hope in this world. This world is not my home; I am just passing through, waiting for my home in eternity where I belong.
I love the phrase in this song..."What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?" Amen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ
Friday, April 29, 2011
Experiencing God's Love
I have been dwelling on the love of God lately. It is the most powerful thing on earth! It's what brought me to salvation and what keeps me pressing on.
Our family has gone through some challenging times recently, and the body of Christ has wrapped its arms around us and loved us in a way that is hard to describe. At a time when we expected people to look down their noses at us or criticize us, we found men and women weeping with us. They called, sent letters...and more letters.
I will never forget the day when the men of our church gathered around our family. They laid their hands on us, while on their knees, and cried out to God for us. Have you ever had men pray for you like that? Our family has never felt so loved!!! I still cry whenever I think about it! At a time when we were so hurt and so vulnerable, God's love expressed through our brothers and sisters in Christ prevented us from becoming bitter, encouraged us, and has helped us to keep the faith.
In this video, this unbeliever experienced the love of God. See how it changed his life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gccio1vE41M
Our family has gone through some challenging times recently, and the body of Christ has wrapped its arms around us and loved us in a way that is hard to describe. At a time when we expected people to look down their noses at us or criticize us, we found men and women weeping with us. They called, sent letters...and more letters.
I will never forget the day when the men of our church gathered around our family. They laid their hands on us, while on their knees, and cried out to God for us. Have you ever had men pray for you like that? Our family has never felt so loved!!! I still cry whenever I think about it! At a time when we were so hurt and so vulnerable, God's love expressed through our brothers and sisters in Christ prevented us from becoming bitter, encouraged us, and has helped us to keep the faith.
In this video, this unbeliever experienced the love of God. See how it changed his life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gccio1vE41M
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Modesty
What Guys Think About Modesty (Godtube.com)
Here are some questions to consider on the topic of modesty:
Ladies, how much do we love our men and boys?
Are we so caught up in ourselves that we don't even care how our actions are effecting others?
As followers of Christ, aren't we supposed to think more highly of others than we do ourselves?
Do we find pleasure in being a source of temptation, causing others to sin?
Here are some questions to consider on the topic of modesty:
Ladies, how much do we love our men and boys?
Are we so caught up in ourselves that we don't even care how our actions are effecting others?
As followers of Christ, aren't we supposed to think more highly of others than we do ourselves?
Do we find pleasure in being a source of temptation, causing others to sin?
Some women in the church complain because the men will not stand up and be leaders, but have we ever thought about how we women may be hindering their leadership? Could it be that some men out there are swimming in a pool of defeat because of the guilt associated with their lack of control over lust, wanting victory, but finding no place for their eyes to rest from it?
Most men in this world could care less about their bondage to lust, they quite enjoy it, but as Christian women, let us not be their playground! And for those brothers who long for the freedom to be passionate for only one woman - their wife, may our company be a place of rest for them, where they can be free from the world's constant bombardment of lust before their eyes.
God created a man to passionately long for a woman, that was His design, but like everything good, Satan tries to destroy it by putting men in bondage to it. Are we women helpless to do anything for our brothers in this situation? We are not - COVER UP!
God created a man to passionately long for a woman, that was His design, but like everything good, Satan tries to destroy it by putting men in bondage to it. Are we women helpless to do anything for our brothers in this situation? We are not - COVER UP!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Memorizing Scripture
In America we take for granted the freedom of worship, but someday this freedom may be taken away from us......right here in our own country! One day Bibles may be hard to come by. Can you imagine? How would we teach our children right from wrong without God's Word? Moral relativism is a joke! The Bible is the only answer! We need to have God's Word hidden in our hearts.
Here are some ideas to help with memorizing scripture. It's the most important part of schooling our children, and there is no reason why it shouldn't be fun. :)
Here we worked on memorizing Romans Chapter 6. We drew pictures for each chapter which included a few words to help jog the memory. When we were done we put them in a folder with page protectors.
Can you guess which verse this picture represents in Proverbs chapter 10? :)
And one on Psalm 1.
Our current project is "Building on the Rock", Matthew 7: 21-29. We are making a book and will be painting pictures to represent the verses.
This is probably our favorite time in our school day. It's not just good for the kids, it helps me memorize too! :) Have fun hiding God's Word in your heart! :)
Here are some good resources if you need ideas.
Here are some ideas to help with memorizing scripture. It's the most important part of schooling our children, and there is no reason why it shouldn't be fun. :)
Here we worked on memorizing Romans Chapter 6. We drew pictures for each chapter which included a few words to help jog the memory. When we were done we put them in a folder with page protectors.
For Christmas one year, we made a bunch of these books to give as gifts. This was a fun family project. We all drew pictures to represent a Proverb. So on the 3rd day of the month you would read Proverbs chapter 3, and then holding up the picture, you would try to guess which verse in Proverbs the picture represented. The book has thirty-one pictures, one for each day of the month.
This is a picture of a poster Ben and Jonny made. They drew pictures and pasted on art to help them remember the story of the Lost Son, which is a parable in Luke 15.
More recently we have been doing lap books. If you are a homeschooling mom, you are probably familiar with lap books. They are a very fun way to learn about a subject! They turn schoolwork into an art project! Here's a picture of one we did on Psalms 24. I just printed off a bunch of clip art pictures from my computer and we added the verses...and some glitter glue - easy! :)
Here are some good resources if you need ideas.
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