Baby Steps ...

Sometimes...
When you have SO many BIG goals...
And you don't know where to start...
When you feel so scared to fail...

Sometimes...
All you have to do is cry out to the Lord...
All you have to do is start...
All you have to do is have a little faith...

Sometimes...
all you have to do is get in and get your feet wet!

I lost 5 pounds this week!
Thank you Lord for giving me the strength to do this!
Help me to continue to take baby steps until I meet this goal!
Blessings to all of you who are trying to do what the world will deem "to over whelming"
With the help and strength from the Lord,
YOU CAN DO IT!

Building a library for your children

WE LOVE BOOKS!!!

We buy A LOT of books!

Few things top climbing into bed and reading a good book, a book that leaves you feeling uplifted, and with new information to think about!

OR...climbing into bed, or in our case piling on the couch and reading out loud to the kids.

But, up until a few months ago I never really thought about the concept of building a library for our children.

YES! Any type of reading is wonderful. But, the Lord began to show me how I could utilize this reading time to:
-Strengthen their faith
-Give them something to think about.
-Instill and strengthen Godly character in them.
-Spark creativity in them.

So we began...

We have a "library room" in our home where we keep all of our books, so I started to go through them and got rid of most of the books dealing with things that were either "fluff" books or books dealing with issues that like evolution. (NOTE: if this offends you, I am sorry, but please do not post. I will no longer respond to negative posts. It is not a productive use of my time. :) )

Why did I do this?
I did this because while i still want our children to enjoy books that are purely for entertainment, we feel the more productive use of their time is to read something that will further instill the values we are giving them. And the books dealing with evolution, we got rid of (except for some) because we want our children to learn about creation. We kept come so that they could learn about what "evolutionists" believe so that they would know how to answer any questions should they ever be asked. We want our children to own their beliefs and convictions and to be able to stand up for them.

What did we fill their library with?
Let me just say, that creating a wonderful library for your children may take TIME! We are still in the beginning stages. But step by step by step, it is so worth it! We began by buying a bunch of wonderful books at homeschool conventions and Vision Forum. We also have been blessed with friends who love good books. He says that "older the copyright, the better". Recently we bought a series from them that they were selling called"Childhood of Famous Americans" These are books that are no longer published! They are so wonderful! They are the childhood biographies of famous Americans!

Books we love:

-Life of faith series
-How God used a thunderstorm series
-Childhood of Famous Americans
-Lamplighter Books
-G.A. Henty Books
-Any biography

Everyone has different interests. Our children love history, so we focus on that a lot!If you do not, find what you like and slowly buy books for your "library". You do not need to have a "library room". All you need is a few shelves for books.

Note: if you want to buy older books that are out of print, make sure you research a bit their value, as there are a lot of people out there that will try to over price them when selling them.

The LORD looks at the Heart!

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7

Today was the day we started delivering "Meals on Wheels". We started out the morning SO excited at the possibility that the children and I would be serving the Lord together! it was so exciting just thinking about it. The children drew pictures for those we would be delivering meals to, got all dressed up, and off we headed to our church to pick the meals up.

As we entered to get the meals, I was just thanking the Lord for this opportunity. Meal delivery is normally from 10:30 am-1:30 pm. It was 10:40 when we picked the meals up.

"No biggie" I thought, as I grabbed the meals and gently placed them into the warming bag.

I grabbed the meals and the clip board and I noticed that there were 2 sets of directions. One for Route 1 and one for Route 2.

"I will take them both, just in case", I thought. And off I headed to the car.

We got into the car, excitement bursting at this point, and I let our eldest read me the directions.

We got the the first home with out a bump in our step.

MEAL ONE DELIVERED!!!! The children were soooo excited! So proud! So eager to continue on!

We turned to the next set of directions and were a bit puzzled! We could not find the house address.

For the next 2 hours we drove around "trying to find our way" to our next home. we delivered a few meals here and there. I was praying the whole tie for the Lord to show me where to go.

"Why didn't you just use your cell phone?" you might ask.

Well, my cell phone just so happened to not be working today!

Finally at around 12:30, I stopped at a pay phone, and called the coordinator of this program at our church.

What she said next made me feel like I was a complete airhead!

Apparently there are 2 routes stationed out of our church. I was only supposed to deliver route 1. Without knowing it, I had taken route 1 and 2 directions, route papers, and food!!!!!!

She asked me to come back to the church. She was a very gracious woman! She could see how bad I felt, and tried everything she could to make me feel better!

But I still felt awful!

SHE HAD CALLED A BACK UP TO COME AND DELIVER THE "LOST" MEALS!!!!!

She told me that she would make a route map "just for me" and that she would even go with me next week to make sure we knew where we were going! She was SO sweet!

Sheepishly, I returned all of the food into the warmer, and the kids and I headed on our way!

Promising the children that it would be better next week, the Lord let me know how pleased he was with us!

HE brought me to the scripture about how he looks at the heart!

NO MATTER how silly and "un-together" I may have looked to the people at church. My Lord was pleased with what we had done today!

The moral of the story is that no matter what we do in life, if our hearts are not in it for the glory of the Lord...HE knows it.

HE knew were not delivering these meals to bring glory to ourselves!
HE knew we were not doing this half-heatedly!
HE knew the joy that we were feeling to be able to do this for him!

We may have this pretty little plan of what the outcome of our activities, lives, or circumstances SHOULD be!
But the Lord, LOOKS AT THE HEART!
...and his outcome may be far different from ours!

Translation:
Your house may not always be in order....BUT do you clean it to glorify GOD
Your homeschool may not always be what YOU want it to be...BUT do you teach your children because you want them to learn what GOD wants them to learn???
You may not have money to buy the best clothing...BUT do you dress to HONOR the LORD and your husband?
You may not drive the nicest car...BUT do you thank the Lord for it and take care of it???
You may feel completely OVERWHELMED in life...BUT do you live life to please the LORD or MAN?

Why do we do the things we do?

"Bear Bottom" ...Had To Share...

I normally do not show "indecent" photos :) , but this one was too cute to pass up!

The baby was climbing a little fence today during our Christmas Photo Shoot, and her little "bear bottom" was showing!

SO CUTE!!!!!!!

The Gift of Hospitality

Hospitality

1. Cordial and generous reception of or disposition toward guests.
2. An instance of cordial and generous treatment of guests.


I was privileged to host a baby shower for my dear dear Friend today! She is pregnant with her fifth blessing..a little boy! We gathered together today to thank the Lord for this baby and to celebrate the wonderful life this little boy will have in the Lord! We have a mother/daughter group, so we thought this would be an excellent opportunity to combine our group with the baby shower. The girls learned why we throw baby showers, how to make a diaper cake, how to make easy dishes to entertain, and all about the fun games we play during a baby shower!






I absolutely love opening the doors of our home to guests! One of my favorite things is to host a baby shower!!! To me, there is nothing like gathering together to collectively celebrate the impending arrival of a new life!!! I know that it is customary for some to only throw a baby shower for a first baby only, but I believe ALL children should be celebrated as individuals! So it is very common to see me hosting a shower for momma's with more than the average number of children. :) :)
Hospitality is very important to me. Not only is it commanded in the Bible:

"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:1,2

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." 1 Peter 4:9


"Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth." 3 John 5-8

"Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:13


Sadly, hospitality is disappearing. We live in a world that trades good old fashioned hospitality!

I will be starting a series on hospitality! I am also going to have a bunch of really neat giveaways! But before I do...I would like to ask if anyone has any specific questions they would like addressed. If you have a question in the area of hospitality please leave a comment or email me.

Blessings to you!

Do it ON PURPOSE

Lately is has been really easy to allow discouragement to settle in when things like laundry, waking up on time, eating right, etc. have been hard to conquer. I guess at times I "expected" to "feel" ready or for everything to be perfectly lined up for this to happen.

Do you ever feel like thins???

Are you waiting for things to "feel" right before giving your all to your weight loss efforts?
Are you waiting for things to "feel" right before putting your all into homeschooling?
Are you waiting for it to "feel" right before honoring your husband?
Are you waiting for things to "feel right" before putting a schedule together for your family?
Are you waiting for things to "feel" right before setting and living on a budget?

WRONG!!!!!

What are we waiting for??? This dangerous mind set does nothing but waste our time. Time is not a luxury we have to waste when the time that we have been given in is not really our time in the first place!!!!! No atmosphere for change will ever be fully ready for it! We have to DO IT ON PURPOSE!!! We have to plow through the emotions and fear of failure and JUST GET IT DONE! Maybe at times we will fall again! But making a conscious effort to pick ourselves back up is the next step!!!!!

Secondly, when we stay "stuck in this rut", what are we showing our children? i for one do not want to set this example for them! So I do it on purpose! It could be really discouraging to see the weight I have to lose. But in reality I have to lose it!!!!

So what do I do?

I do it on purpose. I watch what I eat..even when I feel like it is too hard. Even when I feel like I do not have enough time to stop and measure things.

Currently my husband is traveling A LOT for work. It could be really discouraging to look at the amount that I have to do and then add in being sad that he is gone. It could bring me down that tomorrow I have to get a wisdom tooth removed (that years ago when I had my bottom wisdom teeth removed my dentist said I could keep :( ) and I will be by myself with the kids after. But I am determined to make the beat of it!!!!

How did I do this???

I explained to the kids what was going to happen.
Yesterday we went to the grocery store and I let them pick out soft foods for me for the next few days .
I made the best of it

Life will never deal perfect circumstances out to us. It is the plan of the enemy that we stay stuck in the rut of discouragement, fear, and a whole list of other negative emotions! You've heard that saying

"turn that frown upside down"

Again, SO TRUE!!!

Turn the fear into faith
Turn that Sadness into happiness
Turn that Sleepiness into Energy
Turn that anger into love and self composure
Turn that weight loss goal into triumph
Turn that computer addiction ( ;) ) into self control
Turn that mountain of laundry into beautifully folded piles of clothes/

WE CAN DO IT!!

If Momma Ain't Happy...

Ain't nobody happy!



(pardon the improper English)

Ever heard that saying???

It was not until my own little run in with this that I realized it is actually true!!!!

"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1

No where in the Bible does it speak of a man tearing his house down with his own hands.
But all through out the Bible, you see examples of what a contentious woman is...

A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike;

Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

There are many more like this!

Oh how it hurts to say this! How profound a statement this is! But alas ladies, it is true!
Yes, our husbands are the heads of our home! But we set the mood for our home! If we are frustrated and full of bitterness, the attitude of our home will be full of,,,you guessed it... frustration and bitterness! It must be our fervent desrie and effort to display and adorn ourselves with that sweet and gentle spirit that the Lord wants us to have. Our homes should be like a (pardon the term) bubble of the presence of the Lord. We, our husbands, and anyone else who steps foot in our home should feel that ahhhh sigh of relief feeling upon entering our home. It shold be a place of
-love
-laughter
-comfort
-joy
-protection
-rejuvenation
-encouragement
-strength
-refuge
-complete surrender to the Lord
-accountability

How can this be accomplished??? God in his infinite mercy knew what we ladies would be up against. In his word, he left us many wonderful examples!

May I present to you...

The Proverbs 31 woman!

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

Yes, in society today it is considered mundane to be "just" a wife, but the Lord says we are worth more than rubies!

11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.


12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.


14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

WOW. What shoes to fill! Now some may not share this conviction, but I feel an awesome privelage and responsibility to become like the Proverbs 31 woman. Not just for my family, but to bring the Lord glory!
There have been noticible time that things have been rough for us. when I remain hopeful and calm, my husband walked a little taller, and my kids were more cheerful and confident.
And then (yes unfortunatley), there were the times that I have allowed myself to go by feelings indtead of faith! it was amazing to see how the joy melted away from our family. My husband felt heavy and down and the children were...well let's just say NOT THEMSELVES!

I read a really neat article from The Advance Training Institute on the "Seven Basic Needs of Our Husbands"


A man needs a wife who is loyal and supportive.
A man needs a wife who honors his leadership.
A man needs a wife who develops inward and outward beauty.
A man needs a wife who will make appeals, not demands.
A man needs a wife who understands his need for time alone with God.
A man needs a grateful wife.
A man needs a wife who will be praised by others.

SO TRUE!!!!!!!