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!