The Master of Messes

I like to clean.  I guess I'm kind of odd that way. :)  Ever since I was a little girl, I can remember the enjoyment I found in cleaning and organizing.  But I have to say, my house does not always look like I enjoy cleaning because I have learned that when you home school, and you have a house full of people every day, it is hard to keep up with the cleaning.  But once I do get to cleaning, I enjoy the rewards of an orderly, sparkling house. :)
This morning, while having my prayer time, I was praying about a mess, a devastating situation.  It's the kind of mess that sin makes in a life.  The mess from sin affects many people.  Lives get stained by it, hearts get broken, and it can seem like the mess will never be able to be cleaned up.  But the Master of messes spoke to my heart..."no mess is too messy for me!"  In the same way that I like to tackle a mess in my house, our Lord likes to take on our messes in life.
When it seems like we have gotten too dirty, when we have lost all hope, Jesus is there to clean us up.  There is always hope, and His love is so great that no matter what situation may arise, He is able to clean it up!
Praise God for His love!  Praise God for His hope!  Praise God that He can pull us up out of the muck and mire of life and wash us whiter than snow!!!

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. "
Psalm 51:7

Adrenal Fatigue and Temperance

It has been a long time since I have written on my blog. There have been so many things that I have wanted to write about, but I needed to let some things go, and this was an easy thing to let go. My body really needed a rest from our crazy busy summer and fall, and for me, blogging takes a lot of time. I put a lot of thought into what I write and am kinda slow. :)

We have made some big changes in our life, and I am excited to be cutting back and slowing down. Although, I am not sure if life on a farm is ever really that slow. :) Nevertheless it is always good to cut back. Americans are not very good at that. We usually get everything we want, and just continue wanting more...until we break down. We collect more and more stuff until we have so many things to manage, we are about to go crazy. Then we eat and eat and eat "rich foods" until our bodies break down with disease, and we add this event and that event to the calendar until we are so exhausted and stressed out that we cannot function anymore. Gluttony - greedy or excessive indulgence, that's our problem! Some doctors call it Adrenal fatigue, I call it gluttony.

"Adrenal fatigue is an epidemic in our country", a friend, who is a doctor, told me. Why? Because we cannot tell ourselves "No!" Sure there are physical causes like too much caffeine which can wear out the adrenal glands and cause all kinds of problems, but I think the root of the problem lies in our inability to deprive ourselves of anything.

The worst part is that we often can't fit God into our lives because they are so full of other indulgences. If we are too busy to pray and read our Bibles, then we are not doing what God wants us to do. Self- control and moderation are marks, or should be, of the Christian life. If we do not conquer ourselves, we will become a slave to self and suffer physical consequences.

"Temperance is the best medicine - for it is a preventative and a preservative, as well as a cure."
-C.H. Spurgeon

Aware of His Goodness

This afternoon customers arrived at our farm to pick up the chickens we butchered for them this morning.  One couple that came today, started coming out a few years ago.  We see them twice a year - once for chicken pick up and once for turkey pick up.  We always look forward to our visits with them.  But today was even more enjoyable for me! 

When they arrived, there weren't any other customers waiting, so there was no reason to rush.  We had a great time with them laughing and visiting as we bagged, weighed and loaded up all their chicken. (They had over 40 of them!)  As our time together was drawing to a close, a thought popped into my mind, "Ask them if they know where they will spend eternity."   I glanced at the tracts sitting on our counter, ignoring the prompting.  We talked a little more.  The thought came again, "Ask them if they know where they will spend eternity."   More thoughts came.... "They won't be interested in the things of God....but what if they were?  What if they have been talking about Him?  What if the Lord has been wooing them?  What if he wants me to be an encouragement by confirming what He is doing in their life?"  Suddenly we were thanking them for their business and saying goodbye.  Out the door they went.  "No!," I reasoned, "I have to ask them!"  So I grabbed a tract and rushed out the door. 
When I got to their car, the wife was standing facing me.  I said, "Do you know where you will spend eternity?", as I handed her the tract.  Then her husband looked at me and said very sincerely, "You are my sister, aren't you?"  And he gave me a big hug.  Then he went on to tell me that just this summer, someone witnessed to him at the State Fair, and he got saved.  He is now going to a good church and taking an evangelist course.  My eyes filled with tears.  When he got saved, his wife was in another country, visiting relatives.  He said he has been sharing with her and trying to help her understand what happened to him.  On the way out to our farm he was telling her that we were a Christian family and that we knew the Lord too.  Growing up Catholic, they had learned religion, but had never found the Savior.  I asked her to read the tract and told her that I would be praying for her.

I was blessed beyond measure by this incident in my day.  Our God is such an awesome God!  He is alive and working in the hearts of men!  He uses different events and people to help us to understand His love for us.  He wants this woman to know just how much He loves her!  And He will orchestrate all kinds of situations to show His mercy and grace to her because it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. 
Praising Him! :)

Baby Steps

This morning, after praying for a friend, I was thinking about those days when we wake up feeling like we have a mountain to climb.  Those are the days we need determination!  It reminds me of the hilarious movie, "What About Bob?".  We need to take baby steps down the hall, baby steps to get on the bus, and baby steps until four o'clock. :)    The point is, each step brings progress, and with each step in the right direction, we will find satisfaction.  We cannot focus on the mountain, or we will become overwhelmed and full of fear and worry.  Today we just need to take that one step knowing that joy will follow.

I looked up determination (in Achieving True Success) and found that it is the opposite of faintheartedness.  It is the purpose to accomplish right goals at the right time, regardless of the opposition.  Let's face it, we will have opposition in this life!  But today let's just take that one baby step in the right direction.  After many days of baby steps, we will look back and see the mountain behind us.  It will bring God glory, and fill us with courage.  Remember, the harder the fight, the more determination, and the sweeter the victory!  Take that baby step today and forget about the mountain! :)

Waiting

Waiting on God is not something that comes easily for me.  I think that maybe I am too American! :)   If I am hungry, a quick walk through the kitchen to grab a snack is all that is needed to satisfy my desire for food.  Within minutes, I can have any question I have answered, with the help of Google.  Feeling lonely?  No problem, just grab the phone or hop on Skype and that longing for someone to talk to is fulfilled. Waiting is for the birds!  We Americans have places to go, things to do, people to see...who has time for waiting?  The longer we wait, the less we get...and we want more!

Unfortunately God does not always answer us in an American way!  Although He does do that at times, as seen in many healings and deliverances, but all around God is very patient, which I am very thankful for, especially when it comes to Him being patient with me.  But when I have a prayer I want answered, I don't want God to be patient or teach me patience.  I WANT IT NOW!!!  Does that sound like a two-year-old or what?  Actually is sounds like most American adults and kids alike!

A farmer's market customer was sharing with us about his brother's cancer treatment. One of the things he was required to do was chew his food fifty times before swallowing it. So that has been my new kick. At meal time, I am reminding everyone to chew, chew, chew. Then it dawned on me, it takes patience to eat this way! I don't want to eat slowly. I want to get as much done as possible in the shortest amount of time as possible...swallow it hole and move on!!!

I often think about how disadvantaged our children are because they live in such a fast paced world.  Yes, there are many advantages too, I won't deny that, but think of how patient the old timers must have been because they had to make everything they needed to survive.  Very few things came quickly.  Waiting was part of life.  When hungry, they had to go out hunting for their food and there was plenty of waiting and patience involved in that meal.  But our children really have very little need for patience.  Yet they must know how to wait on God, or they will be tempted to seek out quick answers from the world.

Hebrews 12:1 says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, "

Who runs with patience!?!  It's get to the goal as fast as possible and do whatever it takes!  I used to run races as a kid, and I never ran with patience!  Yet that is how we are to live out this Christian life. 

Patience here means, "cheerful endurance".  Waiting should not be burdensome.  That cheerfulness is found in our faith in Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think.  It's found in the One whose Word does not return unto Him void.  It is found in our God who cannot lie.  We must trust Him, and we must wait on Him...cheerfully enduring...and teaching our children to do the same! :)

A Good Reminder About Life On Earth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=86dsfBbZfWs

Back to School

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! :)