Proverbs 31 Re-Post

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Title Unknown

I wrote the following post in 2007. Whenever I get distracted and wander away from one of my main purposes in life (wife and mother), I re-read Proverbs 31 asking the Lord to encourage me to get back on track. Here is what I wrote:

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There are probably two types of woman when it comes to the passage of Proverbs 31:10-31 - those who avoid it like the plague, or those who read it over and over, trying to be her.

I used to be in the first group, throwing up my hands thinking she was impossible [or not applicable today], but now I'm in the latter. I read this chapter [at least] monthly [sometimes more], and meditate on it for a week at a time.

This morning as I had my quiet time with God, I decided to break this chapter apart verse by verse and listen to how the Lord would have me apply this to my life. The actual verses are in green, and my words are in black. Here goes:

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. My husband has complete trust in me. I will not harm his reputation, credit score or health, but all I do will bring him good.

"Money Changer With Wife"

13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. I will go about my day with eagerness and make careful choices.

14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. I will seek the best deal and plan ahead as I feed my family. I will get up before them so I can prepare and plan. My family will not wonder what is for breakfast/lunch/dinner, as I will provide it lovingly for them.

"Country Charm"

16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. I will not make hasty decisions, but will consider carefully before purchasing anything. Any money I make or am given will be used carefully to benefit my family.

17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. I will go about my work diligently and my body will be strong and in good health so I will be able to keep up with my work.

"Women Placing Her Wash"

18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. I will not go in debt, but bring a profit to my family. I will not run out of anything because I will be prepared.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. My hands will be busy at work.

20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. I will look for those in need and who are poor and be charitable to them.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. I will provide clothing for my family, and in times of cold weather, the clothing I provide will keep them warm.

22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. I will make my home and myself lovely.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. My husband is respected because I will not talk negatively about him to my friends, mother, father, sister, brother or anyone. My words will only build him up.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. I will work with my hands to help bring income to my family.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. I will build my character so I am a strong woman, who can be trusted. I will not worry about what tomorrow will bring.

26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. I will be wise and read the Word so I can give instruction that is true at a moment's notice.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. I will constantly be monitoring every need of my family whether it is physical, emotional or spiritual. I will not give in to my desire to sit down and do nothing when my family has needs to be met.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. 29 Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. My children and husband will praise me, thinking that of all the women in the world, to them I am the best.

"After the Christening"

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. I will fear the Lord, honoring and obeying the commands of His Word. I will give importance to this above my beauty and personality.

31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Any praise I receive from people will be because of my integrity and hard work.

This passage wasn't included in Scripture to intimidate us or send us running. Rather I believe it was given as a guideline for a Christian woman. Situations are different for all women, some are single, some have ten children, others have none. Some have babies, some have teens, and others have raised their children.

Whatever area of your life you find yourself in today, I encourage you to take some time with a piece of paper and your favorite pen, and get quiet with the Lord and have Him show you how these verses can apply to your life.

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I'm thankful that above all, I live under grace.

While grace extends forgiveness (praise be to God because I need and will always need forgiveness as I am the chiefest of sinners), according to Romans (oops!) I Corinthians, it doesn't give me liberty to sin either. To me, that means I should strive to live according to how God wants me to live, even when that road is very different than how the world is and even when that road is a lonely one.

So I'm curious how do you see Proverbs 31 fitting into today's American woman? Is it in fact applicable? I'd love to hear what you have to say :)

Children

I would gather children...

Some would gather money

Along the path of life,

Some would gather roses,

And rest from worldly strife.

But I would gather children

From among the thorns of sin,

I would seek a golden curl,

And a freckled, toothless grin.

For money cannot enter

In that land of endless day,

And roses that are gathered

Soon will wilt along the way.

But oh, the laughing children,

As I cross the sunset sea,

And the gates swing wide to heaven

I can take them in with me!

~Author Unknown~

Recently, I came across some amazing articles thanks to the blog Making Home. I have a hard time coming up with words on my own, but thanks to the many godly people who write, most times I don't have to :) The articles I will be quoting today talk about children, and they put, ever so eloquently, something I have been wrestling with in my mind ever since I became pregnant with my daughter when my son was nine months old.

Let me start quoting (and I will be bolding the things that especially spoke to me):

First is an article that appeared on Rocks In My Dryer. It was written by Jenni, a Mama of 12 children:

It is quite an honor and a bit of a worry to be speaking on behalf of large families everywhere. More than anything, my prayer is that what I say will be heard with discernment and a hefty helping of salt. I don’t want to give the impression that my opinions are some sort of collective consciousness shared by all those with a veritable tribe under their roof. That said, however, I hope at least some of it will resonate!

First, and perhaps most obviously, many people with larger families encounter negative attitudes almost daily. Snide comments from strangers, nosy questions about their private lives, or unsupportive extended family all combine to make the members of a big family feel more like a circus side-show than legitimate members of society. The announcement of a new pregnancy is very often not met with joy, but with condemnation (if you are on the receiving end of such an announcement, be the exception and offer a simple congratulations). I could compile quite a list of all the obnoxious things that have been said to those of us with a passel of young’uns, but I'd rather not go off on that tangent. You'll just have to take my word for it that for many people, there does not appear to be any sort of regulatory gizmo betwixt their brains and their mouths. Yet I persist in believing that it's really not that difficult to be kind, or at the very least, silent!

Along those same lines, it often seems that families with lots of children are viewed with a more critical eye than those with the standard two. **If a child acts up, it is of course because they come from such a large family and obviously don’t get enough attention. If their clothing is threadbare, it is because the parents must be financially strapped. If the baby has a dirty face, it is apparent that no one cares enough to clean it. Whereas a smaller family might be given the benefit of the doubt (all children throw tantrums at times, like to wear one item of clothing until it consists of three strands, and smear food upon their faces), for the larger family it becomes an opportunity to criticize.** A mother pregnant with her second child is offered sympathy as she struggles with morning sickness and fatigue, but ask a mother pregnant with her fifth if she was offered any. This makes it difficult, even in a church setting, for those parents to share any difficulties they are having. I personally struggle with painful varicose veins that are aggravated during pregnancy. However, asking for prayer has sometimes been met with the attitude that such are my “just desserts” and so why would God heal me? I suspect the same attitude crops up when rebellious children, or money woes, are the issue.

Parents of large families are not out to prove anything. We’re not vying for your admiration, we aren’t trying to win any awards, we don’t view childbearing as some sort of contest (someone asked my husband during our last pregnancy if we were trying to “beat the Duggars”), and we don’t think you’re less spiritual than we are if you have fewer than we do. We aren’t asking anyone for special treatment, but it doesn’t seem too much to ask for common courtesy. Resist the urge to count out loud as you see us go by. Don’t marvel that we do, in fact, know all of our offspring’s names (even—given a minute or two—their birthdates)! And for the love of all the little green men on Mars, don’t ask us if we know what causes that. We do. And we enjoy it, although not as often as is (oddly) assumed.

Almost as difficult to deal with, in a way, are the effusively positive attitudes. Yes, this seems like a really strange thing to say in light of the previous paragraph, but having to decline imminent canonization is not pleasant. People who squeal, gush, flatter and insist that I must be, I simply MUST BE the most patient/organized/disciplined/loving/spiritual being ever to walk the earth wear me out. I have stopped volunteering the information regarding the numbers of my offspring mostly due to these reactions. I don’t have time to field a barrage of OMG!’s from the checkout lady at Wal-Mart while my ice cream melts. Plus, I don’t think it wins me any friends in the line behind me.

Please don’t put me on a pedestal. Honestly, it’s really lonely up there. We are called to be iron sharpening iron to one another, and in order to do that we have to be able to get close to somebody. When the comments run along the lines of “You’re my hero!” and “I could NEVER do what you do! You’re a saint!” I have to wonder what, exactly, the commenters think I am doing that gives me that status. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just a woman trying to do her best with the family God has given her, and I deeply value the support of friends who don’t expect me to have all the answers. You might be surprised to learn that the average mom-to-a-gob lives her days in much the same way as you do: she gets up, sees what needs doin', and does it. One day at a time, one foot in front of the other.

On behalf of my children, I’d like to encourage people to try to focus on them as individuals. It‘s easy to let your eyes glaze over when confronted by their sheer mass, but often it seems to surprise people when they discover that my children are actually different from one another. At some point, it seems a given that any child after three or four is simply going to be a carbon copy of one of the preceding progeny. If you know children who belong to a simply humongous family, make their day by assuming they each have singular personalities. Even saying things like “Aw! You guys look all alike!” makes them feel like they are clones, or part of the Borg. Get to know them! You might be amazed at how diverse they really are.

In the end, what I’d like for you to know is probably not that much different than what anyone else would say: when in doubt, extend grace. Grace is the Melanie Wilkes to the world’s Scarlett O’Hara: it believes the best even when it doesn’t understand, and is humble enough not to insist on explanations. I don’t know of a single situation where it wouldn’t be welcome!

The next article is from the InsideCatholic.com website (although she specifically speaks to Catholics in this article, this speaks to a much greater audience than just the Catholic church). This article is written by Danielle Bean, who is a Mama to 8 children. She asks us "Pro-Lifers" if we truly are pro-life. You do realize that being pro-life encompasses SO much more than whether or not you agree or disagree with abortion, do you not? I'll just quote the article, and again, I will bold what especially spoke to me:

Last week, Simcha Fisher invited us to talk about natural family planning, and boy did we comply. More than 90 comments later, one thing is clear -- this is a topic we like to debate.

I've read many different discussions about NFP where Catholics will debate its use and its abuse, its effectiveness and its complications, its rewards and its challenges. There is a time, however, when all the debates and discussions must fall silent.

When a battle-weary mother stands alone in her bathroom looking with disbelief at two tiny pink lines on a pregnancy test, it's too late for family-planning discussions of clinical effectiveness. We've got a baby to take care of. And his mother.

This is where all our pro-life and pro-family talk needs to be put into action. This is where we need to rush to the aid and support of a family in need. Are we a pro-life Church? This is where we will find out.

"I just found out that I am pregnant with my third baby in three years," one frazzled young mother wrote to me recently, "and I dread the way my friends, my family, and even the people at my parish will respond."

Shame on us.

"I am pregnant again and I really am excited," another mother wrote to me, "I want this baby, but I am not sure I want to tell people because it seems like so many people, even faithful Catholics, just don't get why you would be excited to have your fourth baby in five years."

Shame on us.

"Soon after I announced that we were (unexpectedly) pregnant with our eighth child," an older mom once wrote me, "I came out of Mass one day and found an NFP flyer tucked under the windshield wiper of my van. I even wondered if it was our pastor who put it there."

Shame on us.

Whether we love NFP or hate it, whether we choose to use it in our marriages or not, whether we have one child or 16 children, we Catholics have no business receiving new life with anything but charity and joy. We have no business labeling our fellow Catholics, in their time of need and vulnerability, as crazy or irresponsible.

It takes courage for many Catholic couples to continue to refuse contraception, to remain open to life in their marriages, even when their circumstances are already difficult and they are hoping to avoid another pregnancy. The "99 percent effective" number people like to throw around about NFP becomes a much smaller one when translated into "user effectiveness."

The fact is, sometimes even faithful Catholics who are doing their very best to avoid pregnancy while remaining faithful to Church teaching on openness to life will find themselves pregnant.

The jokes, the judgment, and the whispered conversations about "craziness" and "irresponsibility" have no place in our parishes and in our Catholic communities.

Over the years, I've done my fair share of staring in disbelief at tiny pink lines in the bathroom. Once, a few years ago, when I told a friend of a new and unplanned pregnancy and expressed to her my ambivalent feelings, her response to me was a simple, joyful exclamation:

"God must love you so much!"

Her words startled me. Not only because most people's reactions to my latest news had been somewhat less than joyful, but also because of how true I knew those words were, deep down inside, in spite of my doubts and fears.

When God gives us babies, planned or unplanned, He gives us innumerable physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges. But He also gives us a glimpse of Himself. It's God's face we see in a helpless baby's smile. It's God's voice we hear in their needy cries, and it's God's enormous love we feel wrapped around us when we nurture them within us, when we hold their infant bodies, when we accept them as He sends them, whether it was part of "our plan" or not.

Because she said "yes" to God, Mary once found herself poor, alone, misunderstood, and pregnant. But she wasn't irresponsible -- only faithful. Even though it was hard.

Will we abandon pregnant mothers in their time of need? Will we shame them, shun them, and laugh at them behind their backs?

Or will we remind them how much God loves them, remind ourselves of the abundant, undeserved blessings He has given every one of us, and simply be grateful?

Wow! What wonderful and encouraging words by both women, I hope you agree!

I must admit I struggle with and have been judgmental in the past and asked those oh-so-private questions.

My sister-in-law has 6 children. Honestly, almost every.single.time. I see her, I ask "are you going to have any more?" or "is this it?" It wasn't until this pregnancy (and even a little when I was pregnant with my daughter) that I realized how inappropriate that question is! Seriously, this is a matter between God, a husband and a wife, and that is it. It doesn't concern your neighbors, your school district, grandparents, friends, no one!

Too often we think that if a couple just has one child, that it is their choice; and if a couple has 10, they are irresponsible. I wish I learned LONG ago, that many times, most times, in both cases we are wrong! Not that it is ours to even think about, but perhaps, just maybe, that couple who has one child is not able to have any more. Asking them if they are going to have any more children may just be pushing that knife deeper into their hearts. Or asking a couple who has many children if "this is going to be it" may be asking them to talk about something that is very private to them.

I remember after I became pregnant with my daughter, I used to say "she was a surprise." It breaks my heart to think of how many times I've said that. You see, my son was 9 months old when I became pregnant with her. I remember being embarrassed when I called my doctor and even family. Honestly, my husband and I were overflowing with joy! Yet we felt to be accepted by others, even in our church and family, we had to say this.

To know her, is to know she was not "unplanned." Look at her! Yes, I had fear - I had experienced postpartum depression with my son, and was just starting to feel better. In my selfishness, I didn't want to take the chance of going through that journey again. But, of course, the Lord used the pregnancy with my daughter to bring about much healing from that depression. I would never have guessed that the Lord would use another baby to bring healing, but as always, the Lord's ways are always right and perfect, and far better than mine (thank you Jesus!).

Speaking of selfishness, if I had stopped having children once I felt I was starting to take on more than I could handle, then I would have turned my first son in! (I say this completely sarcastically). I felt more overwhelmed and out-of-control with him, than I do with three and one on the way now. That is not because I have become a super-mom by any stretch of the imagination (ANY stretch!). In fact, it is quite the opposite. It is by dying to myself throughout the day, every day; it is by leaning on God through prayer and reading His Word; and it is through absolute surrender that this or any other matter in life can be handled.

Once I stopped looking for the breaks and for some "me" time; once I slowed down and stayed home most of the time; once I stopped looking to sleep in all the time (I have to say here that my dear, dear husband lets me sleep in on Saturdays, and lately Sundays too - thank you honey!); once I stopped getting aggravated when my kids tried to bother me when I was trying to do something (notice the I's and me's here?) - THAT is when I started thinking "hey, wait a minute, as I lean on God, I CAN do all things THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." Imagine that! Again, thank you Jesus! I don't get this right every day, I wish I did. Thankfully through God, any day can be redeemed, even if I've messed up for the majority of that day.

Getting back to the topic at hand, when I became pregnant with this baby, our fourth, people asked and continue to ask, "were you trying" with their eyes rolling back in their heads and looking at me like I'm a freak. Think with me folks what "trying" means. That really is a matter I would bet most women don't feel comfortable talking about (at least I don't and I hope other women don't!). It is a private matter!

A mother of many children warned me that once you are pregnant with your 4th, it no longer is a joyous thing. People assume it was a mistake, and that you will do everything to not have any more. Sad to say, she is right. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect anyone to gush over me whatsoever, I didn't expect that with any of my children; but as the writer of the first article said, at least give the common courtesy of being silent. You know that saying that your mom taught you "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

When I was in hard labor with my daughter, and being wheeled up to the maternity ward, the gentlemen pushing the wheelchair asked my husband when he would be getting his vasectomy. Throughout the course of her birth, the anesthesiologist and my doctor asked the same thing. How sad. How really, truly sad. People continue to ask us this.

In closing,
I think its time that we (on both sides of this issue) stop worrying and asking about others matters. Period.

Its not our business if someone wants as many children as God gives them; also, it is not ours to judge if someone has one or no children. You never know how God is dealing with their hearts, if that person is letting God deal with them at all. It is simply between a husband and wife and God and for us to get involved at all, is just not right. In fact, the Bible talks about being a busybody:

I Timothy 5:13 says

"And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house;

and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies,

speaking things which they ought not."

As with any matter of self, it takes a lot of work, and only with the power of Jesus Christ, can we change old habits of getting involved in others' matters. So its with that, I close, and pray, that I can lay this at the feet of Jesus, and just enjoy others and their children, thanking God, once again, for all of His beautiful blessings.

When the Lord Calls You to Move

Acts 17:26 (NIV) - From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

Two years ago this fall, the Lord led us to move. We moved from my husband's childhood home area (actually, the literal land - we subdivided a parcel from his mother, and built a home, pictured above.)

Nothing, but an impression from the Lord, prompted us to move, really. Yes, there were things that prompted us to pray about it - finances being the main thing. As I've written before, our oldest son has asthma, and because we did not have prescription coverage (meds were to the tune of $200-300/month!), our budget was in the red every month! And it wasn't in the red because we were tithing either. That was simply out of the question. Other than that, we lived by loving family, my husband had a wonderful job, we attended a good church, and we all had dear friends.

Over the years, at different times, my husband would want to move, then I would - but never at the same time. My husband didn't want to up and move us without us being on the same page, and I respect him greatly for that. I too didn't want to push him, during the times I felt I wanted to move. It was something we kept in prayer for several years. There was no real clear YES or NO from the Lord. Then one weekend, the same exact afternoon, the Lord impressed upon both our hearts, quite heavily, that it was time to move.

It didn't make sense, the housing market was already terrible. The real estate signs went up around us, but were not coming down, as nothing was selling. The next week when we met with our realtor, he said, had we put our house on the market just six months before, we could have listed, and most likely received, at least $50,000-75,000 more. Gulp.

Although we had fear at times, and many gave advice to not move then, but to wait (their reasons being that it was foolish because the housing market was so terrible and we would be loosing money), we just took the next step anyway, trusting in the Lord, and we put our house on the market, listing it at the lower price our realtor suggested.

Let me rewind a little - a headhunter had been pursuing my husband, to the point of annoyance :) After a few years, my husband had to finally ask him to leave him alone, and Brian did so at my husband's request. That was about six months before we were readying the house to put on the market. My husband remembered Brian, and called him back, saying he was ready to see what was out there. My husband gave him the area where to look (he gave him a WIDE area about a 5 hour radius really) - and don't you know, there was a job opening in the exact area where we were hoping to be.

In a matter of two weeks, our house sold (full asking price, I might add), and my husband had the job (the salary was an increase from where he left - because the cost of living here is considerably less than where we left, it was as if he received a raise). Our Lord took care of us, and blessed our act of obedience, far more than we were even hoping.

There were bumps along the way. Our initial contract fell through. We had literally just dropped our children off with my sister so we could go home to pack without the children under foot. We had just left our home inspection for this home, and were so excited! Then our realtor called with that awful news. This was a Friday, and my husband was set to start his new job on Monday. We felt sick. He already was committed to his new job, here, three hours away. That weekend was a blur. Honestly I don't even remember if we actually packed. The tears flowing on Sunday evening as my husband left were heavy, and our hearts were broken. We started doubting the choices we made. After praying, and literally begging to God, my husband said goodbye to me and the children, with heavy tears by all of us (the kids too, that was SO hard). Honestly it felt as if we were saying good bye forever.

The housing market was worse than it had been just a month before. There was no way our house would ever sell. EVER.

One-half hour after my husband left, on a Sunday night, after 8 p.m., our realtor called again. He had a new offer. I told him, he better not be joking, because we weren't in that kind of mood. He was serious praise the Lord! Thank God for cell phones, as I was able to call my husband. I'm not certain, but I think it made the drive, and him starting his new job the next morning, much easier, it certainly did for me.

It wasn't easy or perfect from there on out. I had to say goodbye to my husband during the week for a while. I had a 4 year old, 2 year old (who turned 2 when Daddy was away), and a 6 month old. But with the Lord it was possible, and we learned to lean heavy on the Him. I learned an important lesson that has helped me - while with the Lord all things are possible, its not always comfortable - its possible.

It was difficult to leave family and friends. With family though, you know you will see them again, but with friends, you just never know. I had moved before. Where we lived was not my childhood home area. I knew the reality of moving, and that despite your best intentions, you don't always keep in touch. I remember a very dear friend of mine, who is a missionary in Central Asia, told me that I would be surprised at who kept in touch and who didn't. Boy were those words of truth. There are some I was certain I would always keep in touch with, that I haven't heard much, if anything, from. No one is to blame, their life continued as did ours. Yet others, who I didn't even realize I made much of an impression, have kept in contact. What a blessing. And yet again, there are others, that years can go by, and when you meet up again, its like no time has passed at all, and you just pick up where you left off. To me, its those people that are the greatest blessing. No guilt, just pure friendship. Its not even that you e-mail or call much at all, but its just that you are kindred spirits, like family, and you just understand the busy-ness and different seasons of life and love eachother through it all.

And here we are, nearly two years later! We actually made all the contracts in October and November, but didn't actually move until December 22 :) That was interesting, our house was in shambles, boxes everywhere, but we quickly made neat our family room, put up a Christmas tree, and put up some Christmas lights outside. I'm so glad we took the little time to do that :)

The Lord has been good to us, and we sure have learned much since we've moved here. For one, I have learned the absolute importance of having my heart at home. Period. I was so busy where I used to live. I was always going to this and that at church, going here and there visiting friends, and honestly, my family came last. That was a sin I believe. Moving forced me into being home and being busy here, not everywhere else. My family and I have only benefited from that. I wish I learned that lesson long, long ago.

I'm including another picture to show our new roof - see above to see the difference!

It feels so good to have the house buttoned up before winter!

Acts 17:26 (NIV) - From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

Going back to this verse, there have been times, where we think we should have taken our time and looked around the whole area. There are certainly cheaper places to live even 10 minutes from here. But in seeking the Lord in this process, He opened the door for this exact home, and we believe that with our whole hearts.

We used to be totally involved and immersed with Christian families. This was a blessing, no doubt, but it also took my focus off of the hurting world around me. As we were visiting churches, our neighborhood and community reached out to us first. They are not Christians. I was able to get to know what average Americans worry about and struggle with without God. I feel sad for the many years where I was overly busy with Christian friends alone, and didn't have any time left over to reach out to the hurting world around me, friends and family alike.

So, we KNOW, WE KNOW, God has us here at this exact place, even if its for the one family next door. I have not had any earth-shattering theological conversations with them, but our prayer is that God would use our life as a witness, and open doors to conversations. God has already answered our prayers in that respect and we look forward to seeing where God leads as the years go by.

Thankfully, in the two years we've lived here, we have found a wonderful church home. There are many differences from where we came. Not that any are better than the other, but the Lord again, watched out for us, and led us to where we need to be. Because we are more surrounded by non-Christians, we need our church family more than ever to help us turn our focus back on God to make it through our days. What a blessing this has been. The preaching and teaching is nothing but straight out of God's Word. Many do not come from a Christian upbringing, so their walk with the Lord is serious and so much appreciated. They do not take their eternal life for granted, as I had for so many years. They do not forget from where they came. Every single week people are asking Christ to be their Savior, with nothing but the gospel being presented to them straight out of the Bible. Not the latest Christian best sellers, no fancy programs, just the simple Gospel and truths from His Word. Again, its right where we need to be, thank you Jesus. We have grown in Christ more than any other time in our life, and its not because we're involved in more Bible studies, or programs at church. In fact, its the opposite. Its been truly and simply sweet with all glory going to God alone.

I don't know where God has you today. It may have nothing to do with moving, but maybe my story here can help you see that sometimes you need to pray for several years about something. Maybe it is to listen and obey the Lord's impression (make real sure it is perfectly in line with Scripture - God will never lead anyone to do anything contrary to His Word). Perhaps it is to follow the Lord's leading to make your heart be at home. Only you can seek the Lord when it comes to you. It takes getting your life very quiet sometimes in order to hear Him. When it came to this move, I had been forced to be at home more than ever in my life. I had recently had my daughter - she is only 17 months younger than her brother. It was then, when I had nothing to do but be at home, that I began really hearing the Lord. That is still how it is. It takes turning off the TV, getting up before my family (I fail at this often!), and just "being still, and knowing that He is God" (I paraphrased Psalm 46:10) when I hear Him the most. Its always worth the sacrifice.

I pray this week we can in fact be still and know that He is God and look for nothing else.

I also pray that we can take joy out of the simplest of things, like my boys did this weekend with the leaves. There is MUCH to be learned from these little friends of mine :) (and boy do they have the greatest Daddy :) Last fall and this, he just keeps one big leaf pile so there is always one to jump in :) What a great man he is :) )

...whatsoever ye do...

My precious little girl this summer doing one of her favorite things, playing with our bunny "Angel Kisses"

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
I Corinthians 10:31

Question: What is the chief end of man?
Answer: To glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

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I've been inspired down into the deepest part of my soul to glorify God in ALL I do. "Whether I eat, or drink, or whatsoever [I] do..." Even as a Christian, God is easily removed from my day, except I purpose that He be intricately weaved into absolutely everything.

I want to glorify God in the simple things, but also in the not-so-simple.

I want to glorify God as I go about my day by
serving my family,
doing laundry,
preparing a meal, or
being nice to the person who calls the wrong number, for the umpteenth time,
or who calls the right number, but is trying to market anything to me {sigh}.

I want to make my life one where I focus on all the blessings.
Sometimes these blessings, are what I think of blessings....
good.
Sometimes these blessings, are not what I think of blessings....
hard, painful, difficult, trying....

It is a blessing to be so needed by my husband, my children.
Even if it is in the middle of the night. Even when I'm physically exhausted.
It is a blessing when the money is tight, when a loved one is sick,
when my patience is really, really tried,
and I can't take it any more, because

"...the trial of [my] faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whom having not seen, [I] love; in Whom, though now [I] see Him not, yet believing, [I] rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." I Peter 1:7-8

I've been richly inspired by my favorite blog Eyes of Wonder. Apart from God's Word, never before have I read such beauty through words. Its not her, but its her life fully devoted to God, and glorifying Him that inspires me so. But its not this alone, more specifically, its her last few posts that have connected some dots in my soul. Even more specifically, it is the amazing teaching at our church that I've sat under for the last year and a half. It is all this but more, that has, although times are in a sense harder today, made my perspective different. It is a focus that is on Christ and in "....learn[ing] of [Him]" (this is the KEY). I am learning that He is "meek and lowly in heart: and [I] shall find rest unto [my] soul. For [His] yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light." (Matthew 11:30). It is a sacrifice, that is true, but I'm learning that more than water and food, more than even sleep, I need to be immersed in Christ. This is done through daily Bible reading and prayer, and not by showing up at church once a week. It is simply that. Yes, it is being in Christ, moment by moment, every.single.day.of.my.life, that is important.

This has been a shift in thinking for me. As an American, even a Christian American, I often think that if we were financially stable, if we were in perfect health, if we were witty and popular and had many friends, than we would be happy. But as I read God's Word, over and over and over again, I am reminded that it is in fact the opposite of all these things where the righteous most often are, and are content and find joy. I'm doing nothing wrong (necessarily) if we struggle financially, if we or our loved ones are sick, if we are quiet and awkward, even if we are just struggling with being happy.

Christ was not popular and did not have many friends. Paul struggled his whole life with a "thorn in his flesh" (some have suggested it could have been migraines. After experiencing major headaches for the first half of this pregnancy, I have a new understanding of people who struggle with this). Job lost everything - his possessions (which I can cling so hard to), his loved ones (oh, I can't even imagine), everything. The list of Biblical examples goes on.

Next week in Sunday school, we will begin to learn from the book of I Samuel. Our teacher asked us to begin reading it. Can you imagine longing for a child so much, yet the Lord did not open your womb. Yes, there are many who know this pain today. Can you imagine how hard it would be that your husband's other wife kept getting pregnant, over and over again? Yet the Lord was faithful, and blessed Hannah with the birth of her son Samuel. Hannah promised to give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and she kept her promise. After Samuel was weaned, Hannah literally gave him to the Lord, by sending him to live with the priest Eli. What? I wouldn't be surprised if Hannah was hoping the Lord wouldn't take her literally and choose a different way. Yet through this journey, Hannah and Elkanah eventually had 5 more children! Referring back to Eyes of Wonder, Jewels reminded me in her recent post, that often the journey the Lord brings me on, is nothing I would ever chose to travel, yet once I am there, I can see His hand in it the whole time. Once I am there, I wouldn't change where I am, from where I was.

It is with all this mind, that I will be changing the "tone" of my blog. In it, I will still update on my family. But, as Jewels does, I hope to bring glory to God with a focus on the simple things, but also in everything.

So, I begin by sharing with you one of our favorite days from this summer. It was simple. The place wasn't too crowded because of that very reason. Nothing hugely entertaining when compared to today's standard of entertainment, but it was beautiful. This was one of the day trips we took during our most delightful vacation in August. The place was a fairy-tale themed children's park, one that hasn't been updated, ever :) Fun was had by us all!

One of my favorite pictures from this summer. Oh to capture the giggles of these boys (hubby included ;) ) Really look at the picture, and I bet you can hear their belly laughs! Can you hear it? I agree with our Pastor who said, "I don't think the gates of hell have ever heard the laugh of a child."
And after such a tiring day, some couldn't help but to fall into a slumber. What a full day for which we are thankful to God.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.

May we be as little children today. Innocent, and not overladen with the cares of this world. As our children do not worry about the next thing, knowing Mommy and Daddy will just take care of it, may we too not worry about tomorrow, knowing our Lord and our Father, will take that much more care of us, His children.

Finding His blessings in it all,

Jen

A Lovely Easter

Easter was lovely, despite having a few kids with boogery noses. After the kids quickly looked at their little gifts, we all got ready to leave by 7:30 a.m. Turns out we didn't need to leave so early as the 8:00 a.m. service wasn't all that crowded. The boys stayed in church with us, and I learned a valuable lesson. I thought they were being so antsy, and being that it was an Easter service, the Gospel was presented (actually, our Pastor presents the Gospel every week), I was heartbroken thinking that many would not be able to pay attention, and hear these life-saving words! I learned that it has nothing to do with me - when its God's time - its God's time, and 2 antsy boys won't stop Him! At least 5 people were saved just during this not-heavily-attended service. Praise the Lord!

We celebrated the resurrection of our Savior with our church family. Our Pastor spoke from Luke 18:31-34, where Jesus took his 12 disciples and explained that He would be mocked, spit upon, beaten, put to death and then rise again on the third day. But that (v. 34) they didn't get it - it went right over their head! These were Jesus' disciples who walked physically with Him and who knew about the Old Testament prophecies that said this would happen! Pastor asked us to think about those things which Jesus wants us to do, yet we don't get it. Boy, I can think of many things - its sobering. I'm convicted to pray and dig in the Word, and do what it takes to get it. He went on to say that after Jesus rose from the dead, and returned to His disciples - that they did get it, and many died martyrs' deaths because they would not keep silent about their Lord. Wow. They certainly did get it.

We then went to my parent's to celebrate our Savior's resurrection with them and my brother and his family. It was fun, and the food was delicious! We had ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, asparagus, baked brussel sprouts (yum!), followed by carrot cake. It was delicious, Mom! After dinner, we were all pretty tired, so we watched Polar Express - what you think that an odd movie for Easter? Well, its C's favorite movie, and that is just what we do when we go to Grammie and Grampie's! I tear up through the whole movie - because whenever C and I cuddle, he loves to hum the Josh Groban/Polar Express song to me.


Here's a few pictures of us - yup, the boys matched and so did M and I. I made M's dress, and used some of the fabric I had left to make a skirt for myself. It was fun to match with my daughter - the boys match nearly every Sunday - a little tradition Daddy and O started when O was about 2. I plan on making a bunch of jumpers for M for summer, and I think I'll get a nice skirt pattern and make a bunch of skirts with the same material from M's jumpers. Anyway, enough blabbing, here's the pictures:

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. It was a blessing to not have the computer to distract me from all that Christmas is supposed to be about. I have pictures that I will upload soon, but for now I wanted to pop in to share something I learned this Christmas.

Since I became an adult, perhaps even a teenager, I've been searching for that warm fuzzy feeling at Christmas. No matter what holiday tradition I tried to incorporate it was just missing. Sure, I'd fake it till I made it, but inside, I was, well, kind of empty. What makes this the most sad, is that I am a Christian, and in my mind, very much understood the meaning of Christmas. But until this Christmas, I'm not sure what I knew in my mind ever made it to my heart.

As I was moping around, sometimes hiding it, sometimes not :( , it hit me. THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME! The real meaning of Christmas still remains whether or not I have the warm fuzzies. The real meaning of Christmas is that God sent His Son, Jesus, to be born, of a virgin woman, in order to face a horrible death. Why did He do this? Because He loves me, He loves you. God sent His Son to die to pay the penalty for our sins. In a few months, we will celebrate on Easter, because Jesus did not remain in the grave. No, He was victorious over death, and could not be kept there in the tomb. Jesus is alive today, and we can have life through Him. Having life, eternal life, starts by believing this in your heart, and then confessing it with your mouth. Friend, if you haven't ever done this, please don't let this new year go by another day without praying a prayer similar to this:

"Dear Lord. I am so sorry for the sin in my life. I believe in You, and believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die for my sins so that I can have eternal life. Please Lord come into my heart, my life, and be my Savior. In Jesus' name Amen." Really, it can be as easy as that. As it says in Romans 10:9 says if you believe this in your heart, you will be saved. If you said this prayer, I would love to pray for you, so please leave me a comment so I can do that!

Ironically, once I surrendered my feelings (which like most people can be all over the place sometimes), I was able to get the warmth peace that I've been searching for for all these years. But it came AFTER I realized it has nothing to do with me at all.

Because of Christ, this Christmas (and I hope all Christmases to come) was truly wonderful!

Things I'm Learning

No matter how tempting it is to leave a pot soaking in the sink at night, there hasn't been one morning that I'm glad I made that decision - not ever. In fact, I get quite irritable when I do! It feels FABULOUS though when I take the time to put in some elbow grease the night before, scrub that stubborn pot, and wake up to a lovely, clean kitchen!