Submission

After my post about a week ago about the book "Feminine Appeal" and discussing what it says about the beauty of submission, God allowed me to experience this first hand.

A very, very dear friend of mine gave birth to her 5th child last Saturday. It was at that time that they found out that this sweet baby has downes syndrome. While they welcome and adore him, there was naturally a time of adjustment to this news. She called me to share this with me 3 hours after his birth and was, of course, very emotional. My first instinct - let's go see her. (She lives about an hour and a half away.) My husband told me that he thought we should give them a day to adjust to the idea by themselves and then, if it's a blessing to them, go the next day. To be honest, I was very frustrated by his advice. My friend was hurting and I wanted to hug her. (Notice the focus on me - not what's best for her but what I want to do that will make me feel better.) I literally spent half the day in a daze, pacing my house, crying - not sure what I should be doing - but in lots of prayer the whole time. Finally I was able to talk with her on Sunday and found out that my husbands advice was really the best thing to do. (She was doing better and praising God that the baby had no heart defects, as some downes babies do.) My friend, of course, really wanted prayer but the baby ended up in NICU Saturday (having a hard time stabalizing his temp and eating). She was very emotional, tired, and pumping all day Saturday and, while she was thankful for the thought and prayers of those who visited, really wanted some down time to rest, pray, adjust. It turns out that listening to my husband's advice truly was the best course of action. (I'm so thankful that, while I'm very influenced by my emotions, he's steady as a rock and thinks things through.)

Update on my dear friend and her newest little one - he's still in NICU but was eating better yesterday - praise the Lord.

Flowers

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Here's a smilebox that my 3rd daughter made. She's really got a very artisitic, creative view of things (much more so than her mama). :) You know she's creative if she can make my flower bed look good in pictures. :) (For the record, I rely on her green thumb not my brown one to remember things like "plants need water".) :)

Enjoy!

Secret Believers

I wanted to share with you another book that I'm currently reading.

As I've mentioned in other posts, I've been reading Brother Andrew's books: God's Smuggler, Lightforce, and now Secret Believers.

Secret Believers is a story about what's going on now over in the middle east as Muslim's are coming to Christ. It's based on many different true stories but, as a way of protecting these people and still getting the message out to the western church, the names have been changed and it's set in an unnamed country. The events though have taken place (and, I'm sure, events just like it are taking place now).

It's truly been a convicting, eye opening book. To be honest, I easily get my eyes focused on myself and forget how blessed I am and how I need to be praying for my persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. A few quotes from Brother Andrew in the book are amazing:

"The work of the church is not survival. She exists to fulfill the Great Commission. Her work is making disciples of all nations."

And when speaking to a Christian in the middle east about reaching out in Jesus' name in a country where that's a dangerous thing to do:

"Of course, it's dangerous, but it's a lot more dangerous for all of us if we don't do it. Even in a conquering army there are casualties. Safety is not the issue when we look at the Great Commission. The purpose of the church cannot be to survive or even to thrive, but to serve. How do you serve?" (After a pause) "Sometimes servants die in the serving."

"Remember, you aren't doing this alone. The Holy Spirit is with you. He will guide you. He will raise up others in the country to work with you."

"If you obey God, He will provide all that you need to do His work."

Brother Andrew was talking to a native who had a chance to live in "safety" in England but, rather, chose to obey God to return to his country and strengthen the persecuted church there. God has not called me, at this point, to live under such circumstances. I do know, however, that He has called me to pray for my brothers and sisters in such difficult circumstances and not to focus on myself and forget them. He's called me to support them in whatever way He leads. May He give me His eyes!

He also calls me to serve Him right here where I am. How often am I silent (or self-focused)rather than taking the opportunity to be His light wherever He leads me (around my neighbors, other shoppers in Walmart, my own family!). He has such a wonderful plan for each of us and is so sweet to work in our lives. (I know He could do whatever He wants with or without me. How wonderful that my Father and Savior chooses to use me and you too - if I'll/we'll just make myself/ourselves available.)

I especially love the last quote above, "If you obey God, He will provide all that you need to do His work." As a wife and mother as I go about what God has called me to do, it's so important that I remember that He will provide me with all I need to do His work (and raising the next generation is, most assuredly, His work). May He receive all the glory!!!

Feminine Appeal

I just wanted to share with you a great book that I've just finished reading: Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney.

I first learned about this book from Nancy Leigh DeMoss' "Revive Our Hearts" program. http://www.reviveourhearts.com/ What a wonderful, encouraging program that challenges us to Biblical womanhood.

Back to the book - it's a wonderful book full of convicting, challenging words from Titus 2. It's chapters include:
1. Transformed by Titus 2
2. The Delight of Loving My Husband
3. The Blessings of Loving My Children
4. The Safety of Self-Control
5. The Pleasure of Purity
6. The Honor of Working at Home
7. The Rewards of Kindness
8. The Beauty of Submission
9. Margaret's Story

On of the last chapters was about the beauty of submission. There's a phrase she repeated twice really struck me. Mrs. Mahaney encouraged us to "trust Him to lead our husbands to lead us". She pointed out that in 1 Peter, Sarah is held out as a wonderful example of a submissive wife. I'd never really thought about how I might have reacted if I'd been Sarah as her husband, Abraham, TWICE moved to a new area and asked her to say she was his sister, which put her in danger of being taken by another man. Both times God protected her and kept her safe. The one time that Sarah didn't submit but relied on her own wisdom to "help God out", we have that fiasco with Hagar and all the negative consequences that ensued (still ensue). What Mrs. Mahaney encouraged us to do is see the beauty of submitting to our husbands and realizing that it's truly a chance to rely hard on God. Do we trust Him to lead our husbands? Are we willing to trust that God will protect us and guide us while we follow the man that God's blessed us with? We know that God can move the hearts of kings, we can certainly trust Him to guide our husbands and, thereby, protect and guide us. This was a timely, wonderful challenge to myself. May it bless you also.
A lot of food for thought. I'm so thankful that we serve such a wonderful, gracious, merciful, awesome God who loves us so much that He invites us to approach Him as His dearly loved children.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY Monday, June 8, 2009...

Outside my window...a beautiful sunny day (that promises very warm temperatures - maybe we'll make our way into the above ground pool we have set up in the backyard. What a blessing.) :)

I am thinking...I need to go shower and get dressed so I can start pancakes for breakfast.

I am thankful for...God always leading us closer to Himself (if we will seek after Him).

From the learning rooms...summer break, although I've assured my kids a page of math a day doesn't really count. :)

From the kitchen...pancakes for breakfast (chocolate chip for some of the kids, nuts for one of them, and blueberry and pecan for my youngest and myself - yum!). Suppers planned this week include (whole) chicken and rice, followed by chicken and rice soup the next night. Also, spaghetti, hamburgers and gravy, and homemade pizza.

I am wearing...p.j. - soon to change. :)

I am creating...maybe finish that dress I started for our youngest months ago! (I'm so pitiful at procrastinating. I really want to sew but get so overwhelmed. We'll see what happens.)

I am going...to drop my oldest off for her first week ministering with Child Evangelism Fellowship.

I am reading...through the Bible in a Year (back into 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles), still plugging along with the Duggar's book as a read aloud (a little here and a little there), another book by Brother Andrew - Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ .

I am hoping...for a wonderful week of enjoying the time God's given us and making good use of it. :)

I am hearing...my oldest puttering around in her bedroom. (Just got done listening to her playing "Old Rugged Cross" on the piano.) The younger 3 are still sleeping.

Around the house...laundry is done - for the moment (except towels, which will get washed today). The house could always use some cleaning. I hope to either work on decluttering in the living room, cleaning the fridge this week, and/or begin working on our front flower bed (which looks pretty pitiful right now).

One of my favorite things...spending time with my wonderful husband and girls.

A few plans for the rest of the week: getting my oldest to the drop off/pick up points for CEF, a bowling party for my 2nd to attend, possible blueberry picking, an orthodontist appointment, a play date, church, hanging out and enjoying time the Lord's provided (while also redeeming it).

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Nehemiah 8:10b

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Wishing you a wonderful week spent resting in God and relying on His strength. :)

Although Peggy over at Simple Woman's Daybook http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ is taking a summer break, you can still follow her link to click on some of her followers and see other daybooks.

Wisdom from Ecclesiastes - (As It Applies to Homeschooling)

I found a couple verses in Ecclesiastes that I believe I need to keep in mind while homeschooling my children. (Mind you, I need to keep everything in the Bible in mind in training my children, I just thought these verses had a neat application when applied to homeschooling.)

Ecclesiastes 8:17
17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.

As it applies to teaching my children, we cannot know or understand/comprehend all that's on the earth to know. Therefore, learn what God's given us the opportunity to learn and stop worrying about what we're not learning - we can't learn it all anyway. :)

Ecclesiastes 12:12
12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

Keep book learning in perspective and live life! (This doesn't mean ditch book learning - but keep it in perspective.) Wisdom comes from God - the fear of the Lord!

More Eccesiastes Thoughts - Contentment

Well, I dropped the ball on sharing some neat thoughts from Ecclesiastes last week. Thought I'd try to catch up now. (Don't you just love God's Word? I do! It's so very practical to our daily lives. How precious that He continually shares with us from His Word.) :)

Please know, I'm not sharing because I have it all figured out. I'm simply sharing with you from my journal what God used to encourage me and my prayer is that He may use it encourage one of you also.

One prominent theme that jumped out at me as I read through the book was contentment.

Ecclesiastes 2:24A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,

Ecclesiastes 3:13That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 5:18Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot.

Time and again we find, in the book of Ecclesiastes, that it's best that we eat, drink and find satisfaction in the daily lives that God has blessed us with. I think it's so easy to try to look for the next big thing. Today's Friday - yeah, the weekend's coming - a break from work. Breaks from work are great - that's why God commanded us to rest on the Sabbath. He knows we need it. However, he also told us to make in our "ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands" 1 Thessalonians 4:11. I truly believe that He's pleased if we approach the work God's given us in our daily lives as a gift from Him and strive to find satisfaction in His plans for our lives today - not just approaching it as something to get done with so we can rest. (Reminds me of Paul telling us he's learned the secret to being content in all circumstances - Philippians 4:11-12.)

Ecclesiastes 4:5-6 (New International Version)
5 The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. 6 Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

Contentment is better than covetousness - always wanting more.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (New International Version)
10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 5:12 (New International Version)
12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.

Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 (New International Version)
19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.

love of money = discontentment/never satisfied/loss of sleep

contentment/accepting where God's put us and what He's given us to do (and deciding to enjoy His plans for us at this point) - a gift of God (As I've heard it said "Don't do what you enjoy, but rather enjoy what you do.")

May God bless you all today and throughout the weekend.

Catch Up

Whew - it's been a little while since I've posted. We've had a good couple of weeks. :)

Last week -our first week of "summer" (meaning out of our regular school schedule), I was thrilled to get some jobs around the house done that have been staring me down for quite a while.

To give you a dose of reality - last July we were able to move back into our house (after the repair work from the tornado). Last week I finally unpacked a few boxes in our bedroom that had photos and such that I was having a hard time figuring out where they should belong. I also cleared out a corner of our bedroom that had kids clothes that needed to be gone through and given away or store in the attic. Little things but what a sense of accomplishment when finally doing something I've put off for months. :)

The other thing I did was take apart our ice and water dispenser to give it a thorough cleaning. It needed it for a while but I was nervous to take it apart afraid I'd break it. The good news - I didn't break it (although there was a spring I needed my oldest's analytical mind to help me figure out how it fit to get it back the way it was supposed to go). :)

This week has been our church's VBS. It was lots of fun and so wonderful to see children coming to Christ. What a joy! It ended last night; my girls are still sleeping trying to recover. :)

Also, our oldest has been at missions training for this week. The girls and I go get her this afternoon. I can't wait to talk with her and find out what all she's done and how it's gone. I can't tell you how excited we've been for her. For two years she's felt very called to the missions field and has such a heart for evangelism. We're so excited to see God working in her life and providing these opportunities to her. God has gifted each one of our children (yours and ours) and has a very important, unique plan for each one of them. What a privilege as parents to watch Him at work. :)