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.

Little Messages

I know I have a problem with worrying about what other people think of me. I can be very sensitive to what other people say. I can even be sensitive to what I perceive them to think, sometimes. I always knew it could possibly be a problem with my children, especially my daughter. My husband has known that also. She and I haven't been getting along the best the last couple of days. She says I'm always grumpy and shouting at her. I don't think that's true, but I still felt hurt about it and played the day's events over and over.

Yesterday, I felt angry about a specific event and felt like the cause of my anger was her. I didn't honestly believe she was the cause because she is only four and was behaving like a normal four-year-old would be expected to behave - but I still felt hurt. I remembered a recent portion of the Beth Moore study I'm currently doing about imagining yourself holding the issue out on your open hand, fingers laid open so you can't hold onto it anymore, and hand it over to God. I mentally tried to do this with my anger and I prayed for God to just take it. A few minutes later, my daughter came in and helped me change the sheets on the bed. It felt just like God had sent her in there as a way to help me get over the anger. Think of that! The very person that I felt angry with was the one who God used to help me work through it!

Today, I wasn't having any issue with my daughter, but I was thinking about how I needed to be stronger with my convictions and not so upset by what others think of me. I was driving home from grocery shopping. I noticed a dove sitting on the power line over an intersection. It caught my interest because it was a white dove. I realized there weren't any other birds around, either, just this one white dove. I don't remember every seeing white doves before (except in magic shows). The doves I usually see are mourning doves. Anyhow, it seemed significant to me. It was as if God was reminding me that He was with me.

This evening, I was putting my daughter to bed and she said she wanted to pray for us to have a better day tomorrow because I was really grumpy all day today and shouted at her a lot. She was at a pre-school program until 2:00 today and played outside until around 4:00. We went inside when my daughter had to go to the bathroom, and then we stayed inside when both children began crying when things didn't go their ways (i.e., arguing over who got to flush the toilet - really?!). I didn't even shout at them then. A repair guy came around 4:30 and stayed until at least 5:30. The kids ran around playing chase, wrestling, and hide-n-seek, painted with water on the back porch, and seemed to have great fun. I never shouted, only periodically reminding them to be careful and for my daughter to be careful pulling my son to the ground when they were wrestling. Point? I didn't shout. We made homemade pizzas for dinner. My son was pretty fussy because he didn't get a nap today, but I don't remember reacting in any way other than sighing and telling him that Mama wanted to eat, too, and he should feed himself. Anyhow, here I am trying to justify myself to myself and all of you. Not needed, is it? I lied down next to my daughter for the routine three songs at bedtime. I felt hurt. I prayed for help because, again, I knew I shouldn't be so strongly affected by the words of my young daughter. It was then that I noticed that the raised panels on her bedroom door form a perfect cross. In fact, every door in our house (except the back door) has the same raised panels that show the form of a cross. What a wonderful reminder it was that I need to keep my focus on Jesus and that He will help me through this area of my weakness.

A few times lately, I have gotten upset by what I perceived others thought about some other decisions I've made for me and my family. Yes, as I recall these times, I think they were all perceived and nothing directly spoken. My thoughts were along the lines of, "Fine. I'll just give up. I'll do things their way and everyone will be happier. I'll just go ahead and _____ instead. I'll be fine. It's not about me anyway." So, whenever I've thought this, I had a sickening feeling inside and felt like sobbing, like my whole being was grieving. If I went along with the thought process above, I believe I would be turning away from what God has currently revealed as His purpose and plan for my life. Just something as small as my thought process was grieving to the Holy Spirit in me.

I really want to be stronger. I want to not crumble so easily when disappointments come my way, or by what others think or what I perceive them to think.

Thank you, God, for your reminders that you are with me and at work in my life. I know that you care for and love me. What happens in my life matters to you.


Verses: Joshua 1:9, 2 Timothy 3:14-15, Colossians 3:23-24, Deuteronomy 4:9, Ezekiel 36:27, Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:6, James 5:8, Isaiah 64:8, 2 Timothy 3:12, Galatians 6:9, Psalm 46:10, Colossians 3:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Romans 12:2, Jeremiah 29:11, Hebrews 11:1, Philippians 4:13, 1 Timothy 4:12, Romans 8:28, Proverbs 19:21, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, Matthew 10:29-31, Isaiah 40:31, 1 Peter 1:7, 1 John 4:4, Matthew 6:25-34, Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8, 2 Chronicles 19:11, Job 31:4, Job 33:14, Psalm 9:9-10, Psalm 18:1-2, Psalm 27:1-5, Psalm 33:13-15, Psalm 54:4