Emily and I were off running errands, and we needed to stop at Walmart for a couple things. Before we got there I said with excitement, "I bet the school supplies are out!" As we walked in the door, I giggled with joy when I saw the isles of note books, pencils, and glue. I love this time of year! Getting my school room organized, receiving my shipments of books from UPS, and counting down the days until we begin are some of the highlights! :)
When I was checking out, the guy said to me, "Are you excited about the school supplies?" I smiled and told him I was. He said, "Ya, the day I went back to school was my mom's favorite day of the year." My heart sank. Then I said, "Well, it is my favorite day too, but I home school my children." Then he looked at me in disbelief and said, "Oh, OK."
How sad that this is how many American women feel. They can't wait to get rid of their children. When I got home I told my children (not that they don't already know this) how much I look forward to hours of reading and studying with them. I get to spend the whole day with them! :)
Of course that doesn't mean it is always easy. Homeschooling is not perfect. And yes, there are days when I would rather leave, but those are the exception. But whether we home school or send our kids to public school, we should not make our children feel like we don't enjoy being with them. And if it is true, that we don't enjoy our children, then we need to fix that problem. One thing I love about No Greater Joy ministries is that they teach parents to love their children and enjoy being with them. If you don't have a copy of their child training book, you need to get one, or visit their website (the link is on my sidebar). Read and learn, and enjoy your children! They are a gift from God! :)
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Mother Hen
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| Mother Hen and her chicks |
Last week one of my kids heard peeping in the barn while looking for stray eggs from disobedient hens who refuse to lay in the nest boxes in the chicken coop. :) Following the sound, they discovered a nest of six little chicks in the hay loft. Here the broody hen that they thought had disappeared was hiding in the loft of the barn sitting on a nest of eggs! :) The kids were thrilled! Ordering chicks is fun, but having a hen hatch out a batch right on the farm is even better. So the children moved her to a small brooding pen in the chicken coop in order to keep her chicks safe from the cats.
Now the children have added changing mama chickens water and giving her feed to their list of morning chores. This morning at breakfast, they were telling me how protective mama hen is. Most hens are this way, but this mama is especially protective! Jonny said she was viciously scratching his rubber boots with her claws and pecking at his legs this morning. She is determined to keep her babies safe!
This reminded me of something I had read one time. In Debbie Pearls book, Created to be His Help Meet, she has a chapter on loving your children. She encourages moms to be watching out for their children.
We know the facts...one in four kids are molested...kids are kidnapped every day...and abused in many ways. So, knowing the facts, do we make careless decisions about who our children spend time with and then just pray for protection for them? God has already provided protection for your child - YOU! Would you sit out in the rain and pray for a dry place when God had already provided shelter for you? There are some things that we don't need to pray about because God has already provided the answer. Do not be lazy, mama! Watch out for your little chick; it's your job! There is no reason to be afraid, but there are many reasons to be protective and rude if necessary in order to protect your children. Debbie says,
"How many times will your little toddler wander down the hall (while you sit in a roomful of friends engrossed in a video) before some young "trustworthy" teenage boy slips silently in behind him or her and maneuvers her into the bathroom for a four-minute "session"? When the four minutes are up, your little child will emerge forever broken and diseased. You cannot pray and expect God for supernatural intervention and protection. God has already provided for her through you. You can and must pray and ask God to make you a more attentive and sober parent, that you might better protect your children. You are your babies' keeper. Please, keep them well."In our home, my daughter does not go anywhere alone with a male, other than her father and brothers. I don't care if it's a relative, a good friend, or someone that I think I can probably trust. Knowing the statistics, makes me a fool to do otherwise! It is simply a rule that we have always had, and if I have to be rude in order to enforce it, I will. God has given my daughter a mother for her protection! It is WISDOM to put these rules into practice, and a mother who overlooks the facts, hopes for the best, and says a prayer for protection as she carelessly drops her children off with whoever she can find to babysit, so she can have some time alone, is a fool! You are your children's protection, don't neglect your duty and be lazy! Watch out for your kids, pour your life into them, sacrifice your "me time" right now and be what God called you to be...a "Mother Hen"!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Victory at Target
When I was shopping the other day, I couldn't help but notice a family with small children shopping together. Their littlest one was screaming...very loud. He kept throwing a toy out of the cart and would then scream for it. Finally the dad said, "If you stop screaming, I will pick it up for you." The battle was on! :) The kid screamed all the more...louder and louder! The mother was getting very agitated. Scowling at her husband, she said, "Why is he crying!" The father, who was pushing the cart and waiting for his wife to find what she needed, explained the situation. She rolled her eyes and grumbled.
All this time, I was pretending not to notice. And I kept saying to myself, "Dad, don't give in! Don't give in!" As the kid continued to scream, the dad shouted even louder, "Stop crying and I will give it to you!" Then suddenly the kid stopped and the dad got the toy and gave it to the boy! Victory!!! :)
Then he said, "If you throw that again, I will not buy it for you. We will leave it in the store. Do you hear me? Look at me! Do you understand?" This boy knew that his father meant business, and he was learning to obey his father. This was a wise father.
As I walked past the family, I just smiled, but I wanted so badly to encourage that man and tell him what a great dad he was. He certainly wasn't getting any encouragement from his wife! But his little boy will grow up to respect him. Men need to be leaders and children need to obey their parents. It is in God's plan! And God's ways always work best!!! :)
All this time, I was pretending not to notice. And I kept saying to myself, "Dad, don't give in! Don't give in!" As the kid continued to scream, the dad shouted even louder, "Stop crying and I will give it to you!" Then suddenly the kid stopped and the dad got the toy and gave it to the boy! Victory!!! :)
Then he said, "If you throw that again, I will not buy it for you. We will leave it in the store. Do you hear me? Look at me! Do you understand?" This boy knew that his father meant business, and he was learning to obey his father. This was a wise father.
As I walked past the family, I just smiled, but I wanted so badly to encourage that man and tell him what a great dad he was. He certainly wasn't getting any encouragement from his wife! But his little boy will grow up to respect him. Men need to be leaders and children need to obey their parents. It is in God's plan! And God's ways always work best!!! :)
Friday, July 6, 2012
A Prayer For Protection
This morning as Ben was heading out to mow, he mentioned that he needed to mow the large dog pen that Princess and Captain are in. He said he hates to mow that area because there are so many bones, and as much as he tries to watch out for the bones, some usually end up getting mowed which is not good for the mower and is also very dangerous. Last time he mowed that pen, he watched a bone go sailing through the air and up and over the house! So this morning I told him, "You need to remember to pray that nobody will get hurt while you are mowing." He said he would do that.
Later I called Ben in while he was mowing that pen. I had made his favorite snack - a kefir shake! :) After he finished his shake, he headed back out to finish the pen. Then Mike and Jonny came in for their shakes. As Mike, Jonny and I were in the kitchen drinking our shakes and talking (Emily had just gone out to pick peas) suddenly there was deafening sound! It sounded like a shot gun went off in the kitchen. I immediately cried out to the Lord and hit the floor. As the three of us looked around, we realized what happened. Something came flying through the bay window in the kitchen. There was glass EVERYWHERE! We all felt glass spray our faces and arms. Jonny was closest to the window, and felt his whole head get showered in glass. I had a little burning on my chest and noticed I was bleeding a little. It was just a very small cut. We all had glass in our hair and in our clothes. Mike and Jonny were sitting on the bench at the table directly in front of the window and I was standing in the kitchen beyond the table. As Mike looked around he found a dog bone on the floor by the window. I couldn't believe it!! I thought to myself, "Ben must have prayed...he had to have prayed!"
As the bone came through the window, it hit one of the metal grids that is in between the panes and as it ricocheted off of that, it headed to the corner of the kitchen...where there was nothing and nobody! All I could do was thank the Lord!! Every surface of my kitchen and much of the living room was covered in glass pieces and yet NOBODY was hurt!!
As Ben was making another pass with the mower, he looked up and saw the window. Then he came in. I immediately grabbed him by the shoulders and said, "Ben, I gotta know, did you pray before you got on the mower?" He said, "Yes, I did." Then we hugged each other and cried. Ben was so upset about the window and the mess it had made, but I didn't care a bit. All I could think about was how the Lord had protected us all...and answered Ben's prayer!
It took Mike and I two hours with two shop vacs to clean up the glass. EVERYTHING needed to get vacuumed! My floor, rugs, furniture, piano, desk, computer, bowls, counters, pans, stove, sink, benches, chairs, and baskets were all covered with glass pieces...it was a mess!!
So what are the odds that Ben and I would have that conversation only hours before that bone came flying through the window? God used that situation to teach us all a lesson...well, maybe a few lessons. In my opinion, the cost of a broken window is nothing compared to the value of my children seeing God clearly answer a simple prayer. Ben will never forget what the Lord did for him today! None of us will! I was not the only member of my family that was teary-eyed today. We serve an awesome God!! Nothing happens by chance and everything is in His control.
The Lord tells us in His Word to pray without ceasing. And I was thinking today how at times those simple prayers for protection can seem so insignificant, but we need to resist those thoughts and pray anyway. Once we pray, we commit every situation to the Lord and trust Him for the outcome. We don't need to worry because He hears every prayer and answers according to His will. Praise God for His protection! :)
Later I called Ben in while he was mowing that pen. I had made his favorite snack - a kefir shake! :) After he finished his shake, he headed back out to finish the pen. Then Mike and Jonny came in for their shakes. As Mike, Jonny and I were in the kitchen drinking our shakes and talking (Emily had just gone out to pick peas) suddenly there was deafening sound! It sounded like a shot gun went off in the kitchen. I immediately cried out to the Lord and hit the floor. As the three of us looked around, we realized what happened. Something came flying through the bay window in the kitchen. There was glass EVERYWHERE! We all felt glass spray our faces and arms. Jonny was closest to the window, and felt his whole head get showered in glass. I had a little burning on my chest and noticed I was bleeding a little. It was just a very small cut. We all had glass in our hair and in our clothes. Mike and Jonny were sitting on the bench at the table directly in front of the window and I was standing in the kitchen beyond the table. As Mike looked around he found a dog bone on the floor by the window. I couldn't believe it!! I thought to myself, "Ben must have prayed...he had to have prayed!"
As the bone came through the window, it hit one of the metal grids that is in between the panes and as it ricocheted off of that, it headed to the corner of the kitchen...where there was nothing and nobody! All I could do was thank the Lord!! Every surface of my kitchen and much of the living room was covered in glass pieces and yet NOBODY was hurt!!
As Ben was making another pass with the mower, he looked up and saw the window. Then he came in. I immediately grabbed him by the shoulders and said, "Ben, I gotta know, did you pray before you got on the mower?" He said, "Yes, I did." Then we hugged each other and cried. Ben was so upset about the window and the mess it had made, but I didn't care a bit. All I could think about was how the Lord had protected us all...and answered Ben's prayer!
It took Mike and I two hours with two shop vacs to clean up the glass. EVERYTHING needed to get vacuumed! My floor, rugs, furniture, piano, desk, computer, bowls, counters, pans, stove, sink, benches, chairs, and baskets were all covered with glass pieces...it was a mess!!
So what are the odds that Ben and I would have that conversation only hours before that bone came flying through the window? God used that situation to teach us all a lesson...well, maybe a few lessons. In my opinion, the cost of a broken window is nothing compared to the value of my children seeing God clearly answer a simple prayer. Ben will never forget what the Lord did for him today! None of us will! I was not the only member of my family that was teary-eyed today. We serve an awesome God!! Nothing happens by chance and everything is in His control.
The Lord tells us in His Word to pray without ceasing. And I was thinking today how at times those simple prayers for protection can seem so insignificant, but we need to resist those thoughts and pray anyway. Once we pray, we commit every situation to the Lord and trust Him for the outcome. We don't need to worry because He hears every prayer and answers according to His will. Praise God for His protection! :)
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Lord, He is God!
With everything going on around the farm in the summer, it is really hard to find time to write on my blog. But today is unusual in that I actually have some time to write AND have something on my heart that I want to write about. :)
As I was reading my Bible this morning, I was getting really worked up. :) I just wanted to jump and shout...God is such an awesome God!! If you happen to be reading my blog, and you don't know the Lord, I have some questions for you...
If what you are doing in life is not working...if you are miserable much of the time...always searching for answers...unhappy with relationships...worried and fearful...why don't you turn from your ways to the One who has the answers you are looking for.
In 1 Kings chapter 18, Elijah said basically the same thing to all the people following after Baal (a false god).
Elijah continued to challenge the people. He decided to have a contest to see which God was really the true God.
We are like that...we like to continue in the same foolishness (false gods) that we started with, instead of admitting that what we are doing isn't working. We think... maybe if I just get a better psychologist, or maybe I just need a longer vacation. We think that if we just keep trying, we are sure to find the answers to life's problems in this world....somewhere. Wrong! Jesus Christ is the only answer!!
Elijah was so confident in his God that he told the people to drench the sacrifice and the wood in water...not once...not twice, but THREE times!! Then he cried out to God and asked Him to send fire to consume the offering that the people may know that He was the One True God. And the Lord did!
And what did the people do? They came to their senses and cried, "The Lord, He is the God! The Lord, He is the God!" (vs. 39)
If I were standing in front of you right now, I would grab you by the shoulder and shake you and say (loudly)...once you know His forgiveness from sin, once you see Him working in your heart, your life, your marriage, your children, you too, like me, will want to shout, "The Lord, He is the God! The Lord, He is the God" There is nothing too hard for Him and no problem that He cannot solve! You may be "soaking wet" in sin, but God's love can still burn it up! Stop wasting your life away trying to find what you are looking for in this world. This world belongs to the devil, is full of wickedness and has nothing to offer you! Jesus is what you are looking for! He loves you and has an awesome plan for your life! Repent and trust Him!
As I was reading my Bible this morning, I was getting really worked up. :) I just wanted to jump and shout...God is such an awesome God!! If you happen to be reading my blog, and you don't know the Lord, I have some questions for you...
If what you are doing in life is not working...if you are miserable much of the time...always searching for answers...unhappy with relationships...worried and fearful...why don't you turn from your ways to the One who has the answers you are looking for.
In 1 Kings chapter 18, Elijah said basically the same thing to all the people following after Baal (a false god).
"And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." 1 Kings 18:21If you are finding the peace you need by doing Yoga, practicing breathing techniques,and taking antidepressants, great! Follow that! If the love novels you are reading and the soap operas you are watching are helping your marriage, wonderful! If you are finding that month after month, year after year, your marriage just keeps getting better and better, great! If the vacations, coffee with the girls away from the kids, and a busy life, full of events, are filling you will joy unspeakable, then by all means continue on! But, I know something...they aren't enough for you! How can I know this when I don't even know who you are? I know because I know the One who made you, and He made you to need Him. There is nothing in this world that will satisfy all the desires of your heart...except Him! The "things" of this world that we put our hope in and use to replace God in our life, are all false gods.
Elijah continued to challenge the people. He decided to have a contest to see which God was really the true God.
"And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God." 1 Kings 18:24So the contest was to see which God would send fire and burn the offering. The prophets of Baal called on their god from morning until noon, but nothing happened. Then Elijah began to mock them and tell them that maybe they should cry louder. Maybe their god was on vacation, or maybe he was sleeping. So they cried louder and cut themselves, gushing blood all over, hoping to prove their god was the true god. But evening came and still nothing happened.
We are like that...we like to continue in the same foolishness (false gods) that we started with, instead of admitting that what we are doing isn't working. We think... maybe if I just get a better psychologist, or maybe I just need a longer vacation. We think that if we just keep trying, we are sure to find the answers to life's problems in this world....somewhere. Wrong! Jesus Christ is the only answer!!
Elijah was so confident in his God that he told the people to drench the sacrifice and the wood in water...not once...not twice, but THREE times!! Then he cried out to God and asked Him to send fire to consume the offering that the people may know that He was the One True God. And the Lord did!
And what did the people do? They came to their senses and cried, "The Lord, He is the God! The Lord, He is the God!" (vs. 39)
If I were standing in front of you right now, I would grab you by the shoulder and shake you and say (loudly)...once you know His forgiveness from sin, once you see Him working in your heart, your life, your marriage, your children, you too, like me, will want to shout, "The Lord, He is the God! The Lord, He is the God" There is nothing too hard for Him and no problem that He cannot solve! You may be "soaking wet" in sin, but God's love can still burn it up! Stop wasting your life away trying to find what you are looking for in this world. This world belongs to the devil, is full of wickedness and has nothing to offer you! Jesus is what you are looking for! He loves you and has an awesome plan for your life! Repent and trust Him!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
The Sugar Creek Gang
Before our boys fall asleep at night, they listen to a CD. The "Sugar Creek Gang" is one of their top picks. So for those moms who need to have a little quiet time during the day or something to listen to during a long car ride, pick up a set for your kids. You won't regret it! There are six sets - over 100 hours on 72 CD's!
You can find the CD's at the JM Cremp store in Dassel or on their website.
http://www.jmcremps.com/Sugar-Creek-Gang-Volume-1-Audio-Book/productinfo/15001/
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Teach Your Children to Yell and Tell
One in three girls and one in six boys are molested by the age of eighteen. The perpetrator is usually someone you and your children know well. Make your children aware of these evil people and teach them how to respond. If you are not sure what to tell your children, the Yell and Tell series by Debi Pearl is a helpful tool for parents. These books are written very well and help children to clearly understand what a sexual predator is. The books are fun to read and there is one for boys and one for girls. Buy them both. Buy lots! Give them away! Make others aware! Let's protect our children! Yell and Tell Books
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