Need Direction?

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! :)

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. :)

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?

Good Enough?

Click here to see if you are good enough.

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,

"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".  :)

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! :)