Creative Expression Assignment

The week before last, I gave my daughter an assignment to make up a song about anything that she wanted. That's pretty much all the instruction I gave her, and here is what she made. **For anyone posting comments who knows our family personally, please refrain from using Daughter's actual name.


"Jesus and God"
To the tune of: "Jesus Loves Me"

I love God and He loves me
He loves me and I love Him
I love Him and some day I'll
Go to heaven to be with Him

And I love Him so much
And I will love it so much
I will play the drums with Him
And jump on clouds - what fun!

And I'll do the trumpets, too
And I'll see the animals
I will see his butterflies
I'll see the lions and they'll be nice

I will play the bells with him
I will see the flamingos
The first thing I will do up there
Is go to His throne room.


God has been written all over this little one's heart! It does make my heart glad! (3 John 1:4)
Also see Proverbs 7:3, Deuteronomy 6:6 and Deuteronomy 11:18 (among others).

Little Words...

Two mornings ago, I was mowing our yard. It takes about an hour and a half to mow our almost-half-acre lot with a push mower. I was about two-thirds of the way done when I thought about getting to cross it off my to-do list. Then I thought about where it was written on my list. Such a small word - Mow - right there, nestled among the many other tasks I have written down at this time. Such a small word, but it was a big job and took more time than would many of the listed items whose titles are comprised of many more letters.

My next train of thought led me to Christ. Did he have anything big on his to-do list that was such a small word? Yes, he did: D-I-E. Another small three-letter word, but one that took a lot from him. It took his life. It took his resolve and commitment to follow his Father's will, even though he knew how horrible it would be. It took more time than it took him to heal or bless many of the people he impacted through his ministry (the whole process, that is, from arrest to trial to beatings to the cross...). His healings and blessings sometimes took as little as a word or a touch. You know, he could have stopped it at any time - but he didn't. And because he didn't, what a HUGE impact the workings of that small three-letter word in his life has been in the lives of so many countless others. This was God's plan. This is what it was all for. WE are what it was all for.

The smallest things that we can do for people sometimes may have a great impact. Just notice someone, smile at them, say 'hello,' recognize them as a person who has value. I remember a time when I stopped to talk to a gentleman who was homeless sitting outside of our church building. I actually talked to him on two occasions. The second time, he said, "Most people walk right by and never say anything to me." All I did was say hello, shake his hand, and ask him if he was interested in coming inside.

Be willing to rearrange your schedule and make some sacrifices of your time, comfort level, and own wants for someone else today. You have the opportunity to be blessed more than you can imagine and any sacrifices you make will be worth it. If God leads you to say or do something - say or do it! He won't let go of you until you do - or until you drown the voice of the Holy Spirit. Don't let it be the latter in your life.

God loves you, more than you can ever imagine. May you feel His great love for you today and may you share that love with someone else.

My New Job

I have a new job! I've been in it for about 2 1/2 weeks now (and did a test-run February through mid-July). It is one in which I get to work from different locations. I can work at home in my pajamas, at the library, while visiting family, while camping - just about wherever and whenever I choose to work, I can. It will be a challenging position, dealing with learning new information, gathering needed resources, brainstorming creative ways to present information, schedule conflicts and other people's agendas sometimes taking precedence over mine, but I'm still looking forward to it. My main co-worker on the job is a 4 1/2 year old, though...After four years as a full-time wife and mama, I have added the position of home educator!

This is not a decision I made lightly. About five years ago - maybe even just four - I would have told you I would have never considered home-schooling my children. Then, a couple years ago, my thoughts on the issue began to change. I began meeting some people who home-school and learning their reasons, methods, etc. I've seen and heard about how it works in their families. I began growing in my walk with Jesus and seeing the world around me in a different way. Then, less than a year ago, when I was considering how our family would choose to educate our children, I began getting answers.

Below are some of my reasons and considerations regarding my decision to home-school our children. Please keep in mind that these are my own convictions and I do not try to impress them on anyone else. I believe God has a plan to use us all to spread his Word and love, but that can look very differently for different people.

1.       Because the Holy Spirit told me to. God revealed it to me most vividly through a Bible study, Sunday school lesson and the prompting to read the book of James late one night. The verses and discussion that came to me within the span of about a week and a half led to a confidence that this is God’s will for our family.

2.       Build a strong foundation of God’s truths – Biblical, Christian worldview

a.       Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

                                                               i.      Not rude, ugly, indecent, unseemly, unbecoming, crude, obscene.

b.      James 5:20 - remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

3.       God wants parents to teach their children.

a.      Deuteronomy 4:9 - Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

b.      Deuteronomy 6:5-9 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

                                                               i.      It would be difficult to impress these on our children throughout all our activities (sit, walk, lie down, get up) if they are away from us for 8-10+ hours at least 5 days a week.

c.       Deuteronomy 11:18-21 - Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

                                                               i.      Same as above point.

d.      Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

4.       Allow children to mature some spiritually before bombarding them with outside temptations and influences.

a.       2 Timothy 3:1-7 – But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

                                                               i.      I do not want the effects of such individuals in my home.

                                                             ii.      In verse 5, we are warned to avoid people like this (“Have nothing to do with them.”)

                                                            iii.      I do not want my children to be like them.

                                                           iv.      I want my children to be able to learn AND acknowledge the truth.

1.       In the public schools, the students are “always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” because the public school system does not allow any teaching about God.

2.       We CAN teach knowledge of the truth of God within our home.

b.      Beth Moore “The destructiveness of indecency comes from the mind’s tendency to replay events, words, or pictures. If we experience and replay those events often enough, we lose our sensitivity. Then the indecency appears in us. Agape is never obscene. If we participate in the indecent or obscene, we cripple our ability to exercise agape.” (Living Beyond Yourself study)

c.       James 1:27 - Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

d.      James 4:4 - You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

e.      James 5:20 - remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

                                                               i.      We need to keep our children away from many sins and save them from eternal death.

f.        Deuteronomy 7:26 - Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

                                                               i.      What kind of things would be detestable to us? Crude language and behavior, promiscuity, disobedience, disrespect – to name a few.

5.       Flexibility in lessons, methods, schedules

a.       Lessons outside, more/different trips, schedule can look different day-by-day

6.       Stress value of family and relationships.

a.       Opportunities to possibly spend more time with family and friends.

b.      Home-schooling may allow us more time and opportunity to serve others.

                                                               i.      James 1:27 - Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

                                                             ii.      Isaiah 1:17 - learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

7.       What about socialization?

a.       Plenty of opportunities – Sunday school, children’s choir, once-a-month class with Austin Nature and Science Center, class with co-op once a week (starting next year), group of home-schoolers with weekly park play-dates, additional play-dates, Bible study class while Mama is attending a Bible study, MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers).

8.       What if I don’t know what I’m doing?

a.       Ezekiel 36:27 - And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

                                                               i.      We can go through an experience as if we are familiar with it because it is the Spirit of Christ working in us and He is familiar with it (thought from Beth Moore’s Living Beyond Yourself study).

b.      Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

                                                               i.      I might be nervous, but I can do it with God’s help and the Spirit’s guidance.

c.       Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

                                                               i.      God will guide me. 

9.       What if people disagree with me?

a.       2 Timothy 3:12 – In fact all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

                                                               i.      No, people will not agree with our decision to home-school, among other decisions, but if we’re following God’s lead for our lives, then we will have persecutions to endure.

b.      We have a good, strong support network of families who are home-schooling their children.

10.       But it’s going to be hard!

a.      2 Timothy 3:14-17 - But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

                                                               i.      I need to stay firm and continue in what I believe the Lord is leading me to do.

                                                             ii.      Use Scriptures to teach

                                                            iii.      Verse 17 – so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1.       I am going to be using Scripture throughout my children’s education so they can be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

b.      Easy does not necessarily mean good. Hard does not necessarily mean bad. Home-schooling would be hard – much harder than just putting them in public school. That would be easy. (Thought I had during Beth Moore Living Beyond Yourself study)

c.       Whenever I’ve considered not home-schooling, a grief washed over me from head-to-toe. I was grieving the Holy Spirit by just considering not following his lead.

You know, as I've thought about it lately, my previous work as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in the school system prepared me for this position. I got to see in different classrooms and see the activities they did with the kids. I have incorporated some of those into our home environment and love having that information to draw from. As an SLP, I tended to work in small groups with children. I prefer this much more than I would a whole classroom of students. I worked mostly with 1-4 students at a time, from ages 3 to 18. How neat that I will get to work with small groups, just like I prefer, by educating my children. Plus, all the skills I learned to work with different children for different speech and language issues - I get to use them with my children and to help others.

Also, ever since I was in high school, I believed that I was supposed to raise children to know Jesus - whether they were my children or somebody else's children. I always took that view when I worked with students at the schools and now I have my own children. Any job I ever remember considering to have ever since I was little has dealt with working with children.



If you are interested in researching home-schooling more, I'd recommend that you check out www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com. Erica has such a wealth of experience and resources to share.

Heaven!

This morning, I was reading in Isaiah and the descriptions of heaven in Isaiah 33 and 35 made my heart rejoice so much. I wanted to share the excerpts with you. I hope they bring much joy to your heart.

Isaiah 33:15-24

He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil - this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him. Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: "Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?" You will see those arrogant people no more, those people of an obscure speech, with their strange, incomprehensible tongue. Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will nevver be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken. There the LORD will be our Mighty One, It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us. Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder. No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill"; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

Isaiah 35 (My Bible titles this section The Joy of the Redeemed.)

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a dear, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. /In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Time-Out!

My son really doesn’t like time-outs. Which is good – that’s the purpose right? He sits there saying/crying, “Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama!...” I was thinking about it last week, that the separation from Mama during the time-out seems to be the greatest punishment for him. Then, this made me think about how sin separates us from God.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden (eating the forbidden fruit), they were sent out of the Garden. When they left, they experienced a separation from the communion they had previously with God. I mean, they used to WALK in the garden WITH Him! Talking directly with Him! WOW!

When Jesus was on the cross during the ninth hour, “Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ – which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). The sins of the world on his shoulders separated Jesus from his Father God.

Here are a few more verses about sin separating us from God: Isaiah 59:1-2, Jeremiah 5:25, Ezekiel 39:23-24, Micah 3:4, Habakkuk 1:13.

So, our giving time-outs to our children for their sins is providing them with a separation from their parents, which is a small reflection of the separation we experience from God when we sin.

Now, a few thoughts on discipline. We are expected to discipline and train up our children. If we put aside discipline, we are not helping our children at all – and making life miserable for ourselves and others. I’m not sure time-outs are the best. I've read in the Bible about using a rod... I do believe that different methods work better for different circumstances and children - but I believe they must be something that will cause the child not to want to do whatever the sin was again. Some people are against punishment, but God isn’t! Some people think only positive reinforcement should ever be given. Such was mentioned to me recently, but I said that I wanted my children to recognize their sin and feel sorrow over it. This is what God expects from his children – for us to recognize our sin and confess it. We should have godly sorrow over our sin so that we desire to repent, turning away from the sin.

Here are some verses I found regarding discipline: Proverbs 3:19-20, 12:1, 13:24, 19:18-19, 22:6, 22:15, 23:13-14, 27:5-6, 28:23 and Proverbs 29:15, 17, 19, and 21. James 5:20 can be applied also.

What I got from these verses is how important discipline is. Just talking about the issue is not enough (there has to be a consequence) and sticking to the consequences is also very important. We are responsible for teaching our children what sin is and that they need to avoid it, in order to save them from death and teach them about God. If we truly love our children, we will be intentional and consistent in disciplining them.

Here are another couple verses that I thought were important to consider: Proverbs 12:18 and 15:1. These verses remind me of having the correct attitude when disciplining. We should not discipline our children out of anger or through our own other emotions (tired, frustrated, stressed, etc.). We should be calm and in control when meting out discipline.

Another thought I had before posting this: I use Bible verses when disciplining my children. I want them to know that I am not punishing them just because I don't like something they did, but because it is something that God doesn't like, that it is sin that is being punished. Some of the verses used most often are Ephesians 4:32 ("Be kind and compassionate to one another...") and Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1 and 6:2 (honor/obey your mother and father). We also discipline for tantrums, but I haven't looked up verses for that yet (until just now when I was thinking about it and have found these few as starting points - Ephesians 4:31 and Philippians 2:14-15. (I guess that will be my next Bible search.)

We talk about how their behavior would not please God and how it affects them and others. We often talk about appropriate behavior and other solutions they could have tried instead of disobeying/being unkind/throwing a tantrum. We always end the time-out time with specific apologies (ex., "I'm sorry for disobeying."), the disciplining parent saying 'I love you,' and hugs and kisses. OH!- and they don't get out of time-out after only the minutes-per-age. If they are still throwing a tantrum after the time is up, they stay there until they have gained control and calmed down, being able to talk. Otherwise, they won't be able to talk to or hear the parent anyway!

I looked back over previous posts and saw that I posted another one regarding disciplining and training up our children back in March (title: Train Up a Child) that you might want to review also.


May God bless you as you go through your day and week. May He show you how your sins are separating you from Him and may you be brought to a desire for repentance. I pray that you have a chance to read the verses listed and they are helpful to you as you consider disciplining children and God's discipline of us.

Making Judgments (Should We Judge?)

There are so many who say today that we should not judge, lest we be judged ourselves. There is some truth in that statement, but when you turn to the Bible, there are times when judgments are important and necessary.

Don't Judge
- Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
- John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him [Jesus], he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
- James 4:11-12 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?
- Job 31:15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

We all sin. We have no right to look down on others, condemning their sins while ignoring our own. We may not all be guilty of the same sins, but we are all guilty of some sin, and all sin is equal to God.


Judge
- Romans 12:3 for by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
- Romans 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
- 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?
- Galatians 6:3-5 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
- James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." 
          I remember a time in high school when my mother told me, "If you hang around skunks, you will smell like a skunk."

Some of the verses found and listed above deal with judging one's own self. There is an emphasis on HONESTLY checking ourselves before we even attempt to check anyone else. Then, there are verses about judging right from wrong, good from bad. We have to judge circumstance and people also.

A Little of Both? Let's Consider...
- 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."  (For the quoted portion at the end, my Bible references Deut. 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21, 24; 24:7, in which the same words are used.)
          We are not called to judge those outside the church, but ARE called to judge those within the church. We are told to gently restore our Christian brothers and sisters (Galatians 6:1, 1 Timothy 5:1-2). I found more verses and information about restoring our Christian brothers and sisters at http://www.spiritualfoundations.com/Galatians/Chapter22Gal.htm.
- Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.
          Are we showing true love to a person if we ignore the wrong they do and allow them to continue down a path of ruin?
- Romans 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
          This sounds like a call to not judge. To live in peace and have everyone "feel good" would lead one to be tolerant and accepting of others, right? Think again about the term edification, which means to build up, to instruct or improve in a moral, spiritual, emotional, or intellectual sense (definition check from dictionary.com, dictionary.reference.com, thefreedictionary.com, en.wiktionary.org, and merriam-webster.com). So to edify someone would really require a judgment about their status morally, spiritually, emotionally, and/or intellectually in order to help instruct, improve, and build them up.
- Matthew 7:3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (The same message is presented in Luke 6:41-42.)
          Notice that this verse does not say that we ignore the sin in our brother's lives (speck in their eye). Rather, it says to remove our own sin BEFORE we address their sin, so we can see clearly.
- Leviticus 19:17 Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. 
          That last verse reminded me of Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.
          We are not to hate each other, but we are called to rebuke, discipline each other. We have to judge what is right and wrong in order to determine what needs to be addressed. Discipline involves instruction and improvement, not just punishment and doling out consequences.

We need to speak truth into each others' lives. Matthew 5:13-16 calls us to be salt and light to the world. We have to show God's love to others and lead them to Him through truth. Gentleness is called for sometimes, but so is blunt honesty.

My personal belief: Judgment is necessary. We have courts that judge right and wrong. God will have ultimate judgment on us all. We need to judge our own selves, situations and circumstances, and others around us (to an extent), our brothers and sisters in Christ more than those living according to the world. We are called to love, not to be tolerant and accepting everyone else's ways and beliefs as equal to our own. We should love each person as a wonderful creation of God, valuable to Him and, if we belong to God, then we should view them as He does. BUT, we should not love, ignore or accept their sinful ways. Deuteronomy 7:26 comes to mind: Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction. We should utterly abhor and detest sin, as God does.

One last verse and a challenge for you:
- Romans 14:16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.

          The challenge: Do you even know what you consider good, or have you just followed what family, friends, and/or society has dictated for you? Maybe it's what your church has dictated for you. Consider whether you have personal convictions or are just following someone else's beliefs. (A book you might want to read is Beyond Belief to Convictions by Josh McDowell. I haven't yet read it myself, but it comes highly recommended by a very trusted mentor.)

Mother's Day

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. We planned to visit my mother and my husband's mother some today, but our plans changes due to a sick child. I started thinking about what many women want for Mother's Day. I would think many responses would be along the lines of: a day to just rest, to take a nap, breakfast in bed, for the rest of the family to do fix dinner/do the chores, time to read a book in peace, a girls' afternoon, etc. Nothing that costs much, just some rest.

Then, I thought about me personally. Yes, all those above ideas sound nice. I think I always want to spend a fun, yet quieter day with my family, possibly a little break to read a book and/or nap in the hammock, but I'm really not too picky. Quieter day, meaning fewer chores and things that "have" to get done, fewer responsibilities than just loving on and being loved by my family.

So, this year we have a sick child. Last year, I don't remember what happened for sure, but I seem to remember that it was not a break from motherly responsibilities. Maybe it was a sick kid; maybe it was tough behavior to discipline; I just don't remember, but it doesn't matter.

You know, I think I actually prefer it this way, though. What better to do on Mother's Day than the very thing that makes me a mother, the very reasons that Mother's Day is celebrated? I love caring for my husband and children. I'm glad to know that I am able to fix dinner, wash dishes, put things away, bathing kids, teach them, etc. I think it is a blessing and a reminder of my purpose with my family.

Here are some Bible verses that I found related to this:

• Proverbs 31:27-28 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 
• Psalm 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
• Proverbs 17:6 Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. 
• Titus 2:4-5 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. 
• Deuteronomy 6:5-9 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 
• Deuteronomy 11:18-21 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. 
• Proverbs 22:16 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

I don't take my responsibilities as a mother lightly. I believe God has spoken to me clearly about what he wants me to do in regards to raising my children - through the Bible and through some mentors.

Here is a good website article I found this morning while thinking about this topic: www.gotquestions.org/mothers_Christian.html. I love that it breaks down into seven commands for Christian mothers - availability, involvement, teaching, training, discipline, nurture, modeling with integrity.

Here are a couple articles by Rachel Jankovic that a dear friend shared with me yesterday.
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-application 

 I just looked a little more and here is one that really touches my heart and makes me say "Yes, that's me! That's what I'm doing!"

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-as-a-mission-field

And, to close, here are two more verses about what I want for my children:

• Proverbs 23:15-16 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
• 3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Happy Mother's Day tomorrow to all the mothers out there. I pray that you are aware of many of your blessings and that those around you are aware of blessings you bring to their lives as well. May you have joy.

Change of Plans

My list of things I want to get done just seems to get longer and longer right now. I guess it is just one of those seasons for me. This morning, I wrote down a few specific things from the longer list on a shorter list of activities I wanted to focus on getting done today. I also have a couple little lists of things I want to do with each child. We had Bible study at church this morning and then were going to join the other moms and children for lunch on the church playground before heading back home. We got everything all loaded up in the truck - when it wouldn't start...

"Okay," I thought. "This is all okay. Maybe God just wants me to stay here and get some of this other stuff done. That sure will be nice." Well, there is an exercise time tied to the Bible study we're doing right now, and since I was going to have to miss that, too, I thought the kids and I would take a walk around the neighborhood this morning. We got all loaded up with Son in the stroller and Daughter on her scooter - when it started to drizzle...

"Okay," I thought. "Maybe God really wants me to stay at home and get some other things done."


I choose to trust in God's goodness and that He is making a way for certain things to be accomplished today. I don't know what He has in store, but I choose to trust. I am praying almost constantly now for direction and wisdom about my priorities for this day.

Daughter and I played a game of LIFE and then I got to work on one of the items on my list. Son is pretending to listen to music with some earphones and an old laptop while Daughter is coloring in a coloring book. Everyone seems pretty content right now. We might try a walk again later. I know we will all want to be outside some later if the weather allows.

I'm praising God that things didn't go the way I planned today because I believe He has another plan in store. I still don't know what all He will reveal to us today, but I believe it will be good.

Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

Battling a Tough Week

We recently had a tough week. It might have really been more that I had a tough week, but some of it involved my children and husband - so I think we've all come through a tough week.

It all started last Sunday (3/25/12). I received an e-mail that my dad's cousin has a brain tumor that has grown and radiation was ordered to start ASAP. Also, I'd been asked to consider taking over the lead with a ministry at church and had a meeting with a church staff member the next week. Then, there was the family wedding coming up the next weekend and some stress some other family members were having regarding the preparations, etc. I sent out my prayer requests to some friends and one e-mailed back that it looked like I was going to have a tough week and that she was praying for me. I hadn't even thought about the week being overly tough, but I determined right then that I was going to do my best not to feel overwhelmed or get down on myself during the week. I was not going to let Satan's lies get to me. He wasn't going to steal my joy this time!

Monday, the kids had an Easter egg hunt and party at church. At the end of the time, I checked my phone and found out that one of my grandfathers was in the hospital because he had a heart attack that morning. During the week, on Wednesday, the kids got sick. I think Daughter just had allergies, but Son ended up with pretty serious bronchitis - serious enough that the doctor was considering chest x-rays and a hospital stay over the weekend. Praise God that neither of those things had to happen. He and I did have to miss the family wedding, though, and we were running on poor sleep from him waking up throughout the night. Also during the week, we found about a family member of a friend and the friend of a family member, both of whom are having major complications with their pregnancies. That seemed to hit me hard as major prayer needs. With all that was going on and how tired I was, I did not feel like I was getting many things on my "to-do" list done. I tend to be a "Martha" type of person in the whole Mary-Martha way of seeing things, so this had great potential to bother me. Along with that and a messy house, my quiet times slipped away. I couldn't seem to beat Son awake early enough to do them and managed to find plenty of other things to occupy my time during the days that I didn't get to it. Add on that I was tired and needed my sleep also.

I admit that all this did get to me some, but it did not steal my joy. I managed to not get overly discouraged. Things that helped:

• Remembering Philippians 2:14-15, which says "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe."
• Songs called to mind, like "The Joy of the Lord is My Strength" and "Give Me Jesus." (I felt like I had songs to encourage me and lead me to continue worshiping God playing through my mind all week.)
•  A message from Anne Graham Lotz that my husband's mother sent to me via e-mail in April 2010. It has meant a lot to me ever since and I'm going to share it here. This is from Anne's e-mail devotionals "The Joy of My Heart" (April 30, 2010):

 Jesus Revealed in Us

Those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves 

to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4:19 NIV

If our kids always behave

and our boss is always pleased

and our home is always orderly

and our bodies always feel good

and we are patient and kind and thoughtful and happy and loving,

others shrug because they are capable of being that way too.

On the other hand,

if we have a splitting headache,

the kids are screaming,

the phone is ringing,

the supper is burning,

yet we are still patient, kind, thoughtful, happy, and loving,

the world sits up and takes notice.

The world knows that kind of behavior is not natural.

It's supernatural.

And others see Jesus revealed in us.

I sure want to be like that! There are days when I do well with it, but, of course, then there are those where I really do poorly. It's motivation for me, though.

You know, we made it through the tough week. We are physically on the mend and getting better sleep again. I am getting back into my Bible studies and verses. I've gotten to exercise again this week (another thing not happening last week). My grandfather is still doing okay. We didn't get to visit him because of our illnesses, but my father kept us updated. I don't have a current update on my dad's cousin, but that will be a longer process. The family member of a friend with pregnancy issues is doing better. The friend of a family member with pregnancy issues is supposed to be delivering her baby by c-section today. Continued prayers are needed for their family, though. My leadership for the church ministry started this week and is going well so far. We have seen prayers answered and I did not lose my joy. Praise God!

I'm praying that you find strength and perseverance when you go through a tough week! Continue to search for God's blessings and find ways to praise Him in the midst of your storms.

I just realized as I typed that last part that our Sunday School class was sharing daily blessings in our lives with each other throughout the tough week. Hmm, I don't think Satan liked that too much! :-)

Blessings to you all!

The Greatest Commandments

I get stressed when my house isn't clean. I am frustrated by the piles of papers that stack up, especially in the kitchen. I'd love to have the house so that I didn't have to worry about it as much, without the clutter.

I know a clean house is not as important as all my talking and thoughts about it may make it seem sometimes, but I justify that a clean house is nicer for the people who live here in it as well as those who come to visit. I don't want my family to live in chaos. I want to have a home that exudes peace and comfort for all who come within.

So, if a clean house is not really a priority I should be as focused on, what should I be focusing on? How about loving God and loving people. Hmm, that could entail a lot, but let's just start with that.

Matthew 22:36-40 - "Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied:" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.; This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Mark 12:28-31 - One of the teachers of the law came and hear them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

As I just typed those last two verses, the next two were called to my mind.
Colossians 3:17 - And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Matthew 7:12 - So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.


Worrying about a clean house is not very helpful in loving God or loving people - at least not to the extent of some other activities. I mean peace and comfort at home for my family and all who visit here is a way to show love to them, I think, but there is even more to life, especially a life with Christ. The Bible speaks about the fruitlessness of worry in Matthew 6:25-34 and Luke 12:22-34.

The Bible also gives us some ideas about what is important as we work toward loving people. There are multiple verses about taking care of the poor, widows and orphans, and about the care and concern that God has for them. Here are some of the verses I found related to the commandment to love people. I pray that you will have the opportunity and motivation to take a look at them. There are so, so, so many more verses about loving people that I did not compile for this post, but would love for you to share in the comments if you have some you know.

• Exodus 22:21-24, Deuteronomy 10:17-19, Deuteronomy 14:29, Deuteronomy 24:17-22, Deuteronomy 27:19, Job 29:12-16, Job 31:16-22, Psalm 68:5-6, Psalm 82:3-4, Psalm 146:9, Proverbs 23:10, Proverbs 31:8-9, Isaiah 1:17, Isaiah 10:1-2, Jeremiah 5:28, Jeremiah 7:6, Jeremiah 22:3, Hosea 14:3, Zechariah 7:10, Malachi 3:5, Matthew 18:5, Hebrews 13:2, James 1:27, James 2:5, James 2:16

God created us all and put His very own breath inside us. The way we treat others is a reflection of how we view God. As we do to others, we do to Jesus. (Matthew 25:25-40 [and continue on to verse 46 if you want the flip-side]).

We are called to be the hands of Christ. In John 13:15-17, we are told to follow Jesus' example. In Luke 22:24-26, we are told that the greatest should be like the least, those who rule like those who serve. We need to reach out to others and say to Jesus, "Here am I. Send me!" just as Isaiah did (Isaiah 6:8).

So, my house if far from "clean" but I choose to be at peace with it as we love and serve others. Our children are learning from what we do with them and it will affect the priorities they set, too.

Let's go forth loving God and loving people!

Train Up a Child

A few weeks ago, I started feeling like my husband was being too harsh and heavy-handed with disciplining the children. I thought he was having little patience and understanding with them. When I thought about it, I started realizing (which I really already knew to an extent) that I was the one who was actually being too lax on discipline. Maybe we both need to move some toward a middle ground, but I've been convicted to change on my end of the spectrum.

Even before we had children, my husband and I would talk about being strict parents who held their children to high standards. Definitely standards appropriate to their age and developmental levels, but higher behavior standards than what some in the world would hold their children. We had both worked in the schools and could see the effects of different levels of discipline and expectations.

Here are some verses that I'm turning to for strength and encouragement when I strive to be more consistent and immediate with my disciplining of our children.

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Deuteronomy 4:9 Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 Love the LORD your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit, at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Proverbs 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

James 5:19-20 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

 Esther 1:22 ...every man should be ruler over his own household.

Proverbs 28:2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

Proverbs 22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from home.

Proverbs 23:13-14 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod or correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul. 

Proverbs 29:19 A servant cannot be corrected by mere words; though he understands, he will not respond.

Proverbs 10:4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

James 5:8 You too, be patient and stand firm, for the Lord's coming is near.

 Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. The keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Philippians 2:14-16 Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

- Discipline does not mean punishment, as many people think. It means training and instruction. (Prov. 22:6)

- I discipline my children because I love them, because I love and follow the Lord and want them to also. (Deut. 4:9, 6:5-9, 11:18-21)

- Many verses in the Bible refer to the rod of discipline (Prov. 13:24, 22:15, 23:13-14, 29:15), which appears to indicate being okay with spanking. I do believe spanking can be okay, if done appropriately, not out of anger or as abusive behavior. We rarely use it, though - and if we do it is more like a light swat to the bottom with our hand - but I do think it can have it's place. We typically use time-outs or removal of privileges or rewards.

- What I do as I raise my children should ultimately be for the Lord - not for myself, my children, my husband, or other people. (Colossians 3:17, 23-24)

- If we do not teach our children about God and discipline them in His ways, if they do not accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior and decide to have a relationship with Him, they will not receive the rewards of heaven and will suffer the second death. I do not want this for my children. I do not want to be a willing party to their death. (James 5:19-20, Prov. 19:18, Prov. 23:13-14)

- Our roles as parents is to rule with wisdom and understanding, so we can guide our children effectively in the right ways. (Esther 1:22, Prov. 28:2)

- There must be consequences for wrong behavior. Just saying "no" or "please stop that" or "we don't hit people," etc. will not motivate our children to respond. There has to be a suffering, albeit as small as removal from others while they sit in time-out for a couple minutes and the requirement to say "I'm sorry" to the affected party (parties), for them to appreciate and desire correct behavior. (Prov. 29:19)

- I have to stand firm and not waiver in my commitment to raise my children with godly correction and discipline. I can't be lazy with it and avoid discipline because it's "hard," "takes more effort," or "might cause conflict." If I stick to it and am not lazy in disciplining my children, it will pay off in the end. God can strengthen me to stand firm. (Prov. 10:4, James 5:8, Joshua 1:9, Galatians 6:9, Philippians 4:13, 2 Timothy 3:14-17)

-And a few things that I remind my children about: Hebrews 13:17, 1 Timothy 4:12, Philippians 2:14-16

When my husband and I discipline, we talk about what sin was committed and why we see the need to discipline. We talk about how God wants us to behave and why. I often refer to Bible verses during this time, too. Again, I'll put another plug here for the Remember Me application for Android phones. I'm sure the I-phone has similar alternatives, but I have 35 verses that I've memorized (or am actively working on right now) and it has really been helpful and a comfort to me to recall these throughout daily situations and conversations.

I pray that God will continue to direct my commitment as I train up my children for Him. I have felt that it was my life's purpose to train up children for Christ ever since I was in high school - whether they are my natural-born children or other children with whom I have contact. 

I also pray for the readers of this post and the people with whom they may share the verses, etc. I pray that it may be an encouragement to all as we raise up a generation committed to God.

 

Shaking the World

I felt like I received great insight about Proverbs 30:21-23 while reading my Bible this morning and I wanted to share it. Before I did, however, I checked with some Bible commentaries (on biblecc.com) to see if anyone else discussed it the way it was revealed to me and I was surprised to find that very little was similar to what I believe I was shown this morning.

Here is the passage: Under two things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food, an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress.

Other Bible commentaries pointed out that the person in each example is in a position in which they shouldn't be. For example, Barnes' Notes on the Bible says that "each has its examples of power and prosperity misused because they fall to the lot of those who have no training for them, and are therefore in the wrong place."

Barnes' Notes on the Bible also pointed out that the four things are divided equally by gender - two male and two female. I found this an interesting observation.

The Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament says earth itself, and not its inhabitants, "feels oppressed as by an insufferable burden" and "the arrangement of society is shattered."

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible and the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary briefly mention Genesis 16:4 the situation with Hagar being in the place of her mistress, Sarah, and "she began to despise her mistress" (quoted section from Genesis 16:4).

Still, none of what I found from multiple commentaries came close to what came to me this morning and actually had some of it backward from what I got from these verses. I think some of what I discovered is just the way I try to find connections and parallels between the stories God has given us, and some of it has been influenced by The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones where "every story whispers his name." It connects the story of Jesus, God's ultimate story and plan, through many other stories in the Bible, throughout the Old Testament.

Here is what I got this morning. Verse 21: Under two things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up. The things described in the next couple verses are going to be things that shake the whole earth and the way things are seen and done, like what the Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament said (which, by the way, I loved that they included many of the Hebrew words in their discussion). You know, when Jesus died on the cross, that shook the whole world (Matthew 27:15, Luke 23:44-45). In the Jesus Storybook Bible, it describes it in this way: "Even though it was midday, a dreadful darkness covered the face of the world. The sun could not shine. The earth trembled and quaked. The great mountains shook. Rocks split in two. Until it seems that the whole world would break. That creation itself would tear apart." Jesus dying on the cross was definitely an event that caused the earth to tremble, which leads me into the next verse.

The first part of verse 22 says a servant who becomes a king. Is this not what Jesus did? Isn't it possible that this could refer to Jesus? While here on earth, he did what he could to serve people, regardless of their position, nationality, gender, etc. Read John 13:3-17 where Jesus served his disciples by washing their feet, one of the lowliest servant jobs there was. And where is Jesus now? Reigning with his Father in heaven. The King of the Jews, the Lion of Judah, King of kings and Lord of lords.

The second part of verse 22 says a fool full of food. Do you remember the story of Esau and Jacob in Genesis 25? Esau gave up his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a bowl of stew (verses 29 through 34). One meal. Just one. He was full of food, but he lost so much in place of that. Now, notice verses 22 and 23 in Genesis 25: The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two people from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. Hmm, I have a feeling Rebecca liked Jacob better than Esau because she had a word from the Lord saying that Esau (the older) would some day serve Jacob (the younger). But that is off-topic.

The first part of verse 23 says an unloved woman who is married. This made me think of Leah (Genesis 29 and 30). Jacob loved Rachel. He had no intention to marry Leah but was tricked by her father to marry her before Rachel. Genesis 29:30 says he loved Rachel more than Leah. Verses 31-34 talk about Leah being unloved. Here is a fantastic passage from the Jesus Storybook Bible about Leah:

          "No one loves me, " Leah said. "I'm too ugly."
          But God didn't think she was ugly. And when he saw that Leah was not loved and that no one wanted her, God chose her - to love her specially, to give her a very important job. One day, God was going to rescue the whole world - through Leah's family.
          ...
          And you'll never guess what job God gave Leah. You see, when God looked at Leah, he saw a princess. And sure enough, that's exactly what she became. One of Leah's children's children's children would be a prince - the Prince of Heaven - God's Son.
          This Prince would love God's people. They wouldn't need to be beautiful for him to love them. He would love them with all of his heart. And they would be beautiful because he loved them.
          Like Leah.

The last part of verse 23 says a maidservant who displaces her mistress. This is where I recalled Hagar, the maidservant of Sarai/Sarah, Abram/Abraham's wife. In Genesis 15, God promises offspring to Abram. He and Sarai took the situation into their own hands, rather than waiting on God's timing. Sarah, in effect, displaced herself by sending Abram to Hagar and telling him to sleep with her. Hagar's son Ishmael is the beginning of nations, as is Isaac. These nations will always war. Consider the next passages. Genesis 16:12 says (referring to Ishmael) He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers. Genesis 17:18-21 says And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing?" Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." It is not something I myself have studied, but I have heard that Muslims believe that Ishmael is the son Abraham almost sacrificed, not Isaac. Could they be the "descendants" or "nations" of Ishmael? Think of the middle-eastern countries constantly battling and the current problems between Christians and radical Muslims. Sounds like nations at war, just as God said it would be between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac.

So, in an effort to bring this all together: Jesus dying on the cross and going from servant to king; Esau turning his birthright over to Jacob, Leah being the unloved wife (and ancestor of Jesus), and Hagar bearing Ishmael - all of these events in history caused the course of the world to change. God's ultimate plan has not changed and he will continue to fulfill the revelation and prophesies until the end of time as we know it. The choices of human beings have altered some of the circumstances of this life, have brought some consequences that we all have to deal with that God did not choose for us himself. Due to our free choice, humans brought them on ourselves. But they have shaken the world. The earth has trembled.