Ritual vs Relationship

I'd like to encourage my readers in the area of prayer. Most moms, especially those with young infants and toddlers, go through discouraging times because of guilt they carry due to lack of "quiet time" or "doing devotions". Many times, we think if we've done the checklist of Christianity~ prayed 1/2 hour today, read 1 chapter today, went to church Sunday~that we're good with God. Do you see the danger of resting in your works instead of walking in a relationship with your Creator?

If you know Christ as your Savior, He needs to be your closest friend. Let me illustrate it this way~would you tell your husband that you will talk to him from 5 to 6 everyday, but then forget he exists the rest of the day. Isn't that how we treat our Savior, our closest friend, when we turn prayer into a ritual to be checked off our list? So how should we pray?

The Bible commands us to Pray Without Ceasing. Does that mean I should pray continually? I like the way one of our pastors explained it this weekend....the greek word used in this verse gives the idea of a continual cough~not that you are always coughing, but that you feel like you are going to cough at any time. So, though, I may not be praying all the time, I am ready at any moment to pray~in other words, the relationship I have with Christ is real and ongoing, just like I am talking through the day with my closest friend. I can bring anything to Him, share anything with Him, and ask His help at any given moment. He is near and close~that's where we want to live. A Ritual is life choking, but a relationship is dear and filled with comfort.

Make it your goal to live in relationship~you'll find it doesn't matter what time of day you talk to Him, but that you talk to Him because He lives within your heart and walks with you moment by moment!

Capturing Joy

Over the last several weeks, I've been contemplating on the subject of joy. Ever have days or even weeks that joy just seems to be elusive? It's easy to look at the news, the economy, and the cultural demise we are experiencing and lose the joy in our hearts. As I was reading Romans last week, verses jumped out at me that I've read before, but really hit home on this idea of joy. In Romans 1, the digression to abominable sinful lifestyles began with........unthankfulness! You can see it all around us........ungratefulness for all the Creator has provided. It's easy to see in the pagan's heart, but do you realize it can spring up as easily in our hearts as well. The same day I read through Romans I, my dear father-in-law called out of the blue that evening and said he had been troubled about all that was going on in the world around us and he just started reading the Psalms and what comfort it brought to his heart. His conclusion was that to overcome, we must have a thankful heart to the Lord! That same day in the mail, I received a copy of Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book, "Choosing Gratitude"! At this point, the Lord was driving the point home to me..........be thankful! I know what is going on in the world is bad and people are suffering at the hands of the wicked, but God is in control and He sees all and knows all. And isn't it true that the more trials you and I face, the more we are drawn to the Savior! God is so good to us and gives more than we ever deserve. We are daily in His debt for the very life we have. God doesn't owe us anything, but He gives us mercy and grace each and every day. Our joy comes from abiding in Him and realizing all He does is good! If we can live in a state of thankfulness, we will live with continual joy in our hearts! When we take our eyes off the kindness of the Lord, we begin to grumble and complain just as the children of Israel did.
Let's live this week in light of the fact that trials here will seem so small one day--live with your eyes on the goal of eternity--then your heart can be full of joy and the "big problems" in this life will seem but a trifle!

Jars of Summer

Over the last several months, the bounty of summer has been harvested and stored in jars, awaiting winter. One homemaking skill I truly enjoy is canning~I love to hear the sound of "ping" as the jars seal, but more than that to see the colors of the various God-given fruits and veggies on the shelf. I have jars of food in lots of cabinets and was running out of space so we crafted an open pantry concept at the back of the kitchen to hold more jars and I love it!!
If you've never tried canning, it's not too late--one of the easiest things to can is applesauce(which I'll be doing next week). After washing your apples, peel and core. Cut in quarters, throw in a pot with a small amount of water, cover and cook until soft. Mash(I use my potato masher), add a little honey or sugar if desired and some cinnamon. Can in your pint jars and process by covering jars with hot water, bring to a boil and boil about 20-25 minutes~it's that simple:)
There's nothing like facing winter, knowing you've got food in storage and organic food, to boot! Makes you feel like the Proverbs 31 woman........"bringing her food from afar.......laughing at the cold to come".

Teaching young men to act like old men

I am often reminded when I am out and about, how much kindness we have lost in our present culture. Kindness, in particular, of how men treat women. Now, I must concede that women in general are partially to blame here as well. We wanted equal rights and now we are treated just like the next guy on the block.
But what a blessing it is to go to the store and have an older gentleman stop and allow me into the door first or stop and allow me to cross the street. That generation of older men is dying quickly and it makes me sad to think of the void that will be left in our society when these men pass from the scene of life. They understood chivalry and I, for one delight in that!
However, there is a bright spot coming over the horizion. Godly moms and dads who are raising/have raised young men who understand the difference between a guy and gal! God's Word is clear that we were created different and Christianity elevates a woman to a place of honor. Feminism has robbed women of the delights of being cared for and cherished.
If you were to go out today and meet one of our sons in the marketplace, I am confident my sons would stop, open the door for you, and allow you to go first out of respect for you as a lady. And I know many other young men being trained to do the same thing. What a breath of fresh air!
Raise your sons, ladies, to protect, defend, and cherish a lady. Then your daughter-in-law, one day, will have a gem of a man and society will be blessed as well:)

Really, You are Blessed!

This post is just to remind you that as a mother of children, you are blessed of God. Really.....I know the culture is screaming that you are overpopulating the earth if you have more than one or two. Christians also chime in, making sure you understand you are limiting your potential to serve the Lord because these kids will take up all your time. And let's admit, even your own heart is whispering to you what does wiping noses and behinds accomplish anyway?
The only real and true answer is found in listening to the voice of the one who sends those blessings to us in the first place~
Need some affirmation? Read Psalm 127 & 128 this weekend where God talks of blessing the man/woman who fears Him with the fruit of the womb. Remember Rebekah when she went away to be the wife of Isaac? Didn't her household ask God to bless her womb abundantly as a sign of His blessing on her life. The same can be said about the union of Ruth and Boaz. In the very beginning, God commanded his children to be fruitful and fill the earth~it wasn't a sign of irresponsibility to have children, but rather a blessing to the earth and the people in it.
Somewhere along the way, we, as well as the church in general, have lost sight of the truth and embraced a lie. The truth is children are to be received with thanksgiving, realizing they are given as God's heritage to us. These are little souls, that you and I have the privilege of shaping for God's glory. Tune out the lies that rob you of life giving truth and be joyful that God has chosen to bless you!

Turning Little Worshippers into Big Worshippers

One of the joys of my life is sitting in church with my children. A joy, you say? Are you nuts?? I've heard these comments and it's not easy when they are little and yes, it is distracting until they are trained~but I can tell you-it's worth every bit of it!

It was many years ago we were challenged about discipling our children and the sharing of our faith with the next generation. Over the last 50 years or so, the stats are so clear that we are losing our children rapidly~we wanted to do all we could to prevent that. How could we best accomplish that?

Our conclusion? Spend as much time with them as possible, allowing them to see what a genuine faith looks like. Notice I didn't say a PERFECT faith, but a genuine one. Of course, we homeschool them, we try to work together as much as possible AND when we walk through the doors of the church, we want to remain together as well. If I want my children to see a genuine faith in my life, it only follows that when I assemble with God's people to worship corporately, I want them alongside me.

It brings such pleasure to my heart to see little ones watch older people worship and the wonder in their eyes as they try to sort out what mommy and daddy are doing. It is precious, I'm sure in the eyes of God, to see little ones observing the saints sing.

As I sang today........"I give my life to follow, everything I believe in, Lord I surrender"........I want my children to see their parents expressing devotion to the Savior. I want them to know that even though we sit in a pew related as a family, that individually, each of our hearts must raise itself in worship to the Creator. At this moment, I can't think of anything more beautiful!

Why Do You Do That?

Do you, like me, have those moments when time seems to stand still in your mind and you ask yourself, "Why do you do what you do?" Not only are we challenged with that question in our own thoughts, but others will ask it from us from time to time as well. Do you have an answer? I have a wonderful answer found in Colossians 3:23. "And whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men."
We can grow weary in well doing, can't we? While I thoroughly believe there is joy in this journey, there are hard days too. It's hard work to be a help meet, raise and train children, and manage a home. What will keep you going in the hard times? If there isn't a higher motive than........"this is what I'm supposed to do"......you will not persevere. My motive and yours must be to live for the glory of God...to do all things well for Christ's sake.
Because there will be days when you strive to be a submissive wife and your husband "blows" it. There will be days when you clean the same counter off five times and your child just can't seem to get those math problems right. Or Johnny messes his pants AGAIN. There will be times when you are told being at home is a thankless job and you need to "find" yourself.
You, my friend, must have a higher purpose to live for than people's view of you, even those of your family, as much as you love them. Behind EVERYTHING you do and EVERY choice you make, stands Christ. We live to please HIM~so the next time someone asks you why you home school your kids, why you choose to take a submissive role in your home, why you make your home a priority above a career, you'll have the answer. I live to please Christ, to do all things heartily unto Him. I do what I do because He calls me to it........all because of HIM!