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. " 

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

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! :)

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!

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.

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!

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

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. 

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.

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! 

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.

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! :)

Proverbs 27:7

The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

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!!