Mr. Monday!

On this beautiful Mr. Monday, I want to talk about commitment. Marrying our Mr. was probably one of the biggest commitments we ever made. God's Word says that when two people get married, they become one. Getting married is committing to putting the marriage above ourselves. As wives, we are committing to be our husbands helper forever, as long as we both shall live. That's a HUGE commitment.

Sometimes, once we get into the marriage, we realize that we don't exactly care for all of the ways he needs us to help him.Washing clothes might not be our strong suit, but it's not his either, and as his helper it falls to us. Or maybe he needs help managing the finances, or he might just need encouragement when he gets down. The different ways we help our Mr.'s are endless. Each Mr. needs something different. He might need your help to win a battle with sin, he might need your help replacing the kitchen sink, I don't know what your Mr. needs help with, but I know he needs your help.

Regardless of our feelings, when we committed to our marriage, we committed to helping our Mr.'s, through thick and think, rich and poor, happiness and sorrow, we promised him that we would be there. Are you honoring that commitment to your husband, or are you complaining about being expected to the things that you don't like to do? I know I lose sight of that commitment sometimes.

The bottom line is that I love my Mr., and I know you love yours too. Maybe we should commit to being happy about the commitments we have made. Let's try it for a week, shall we? For the next week I challenge you to be thankful and joyous about helping your Mr. No matter what you are helping him with, be it laundry, dishes, finances, a bad attitude or a different sin that he has, be thankful for him and the opportunity to walk through life together, for better or for worse.

30 Days of Thankfulness

Sonya, over at Becoming a Strong Woman of God, is hosting blog challenge during the month of November:

-The challenge:
to be thankful for every gift that the Lord has given you, and to teach your children simple ways to be thankful.
-The goal:
to learn to be thankful for the smallest things and see God all around us as we move through each day.
-The hope:
what is learned and observed during this challenge will have a lasting effect on our thankfulness.

Would you consider joining us on this journey? Hop on over to Sonya's blog:

Contentment

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ~ Philippians 4:12

This Scripture has been on my heart for several days now. What stands out to me the most is that Paul didn't just instantly become content, he had to learn to be content. I think that God is teaching me this, and I must admit that it's not an easy lesson. While I do know what it is to be in need and what it is to have plenty, and I even know the secret of being content. The secret is thankfulness. The secret is choosing to be content, even if situations aren't ideal. It's choosing to be thankful for what you have, instead of wishing things were different.

What does that look like to me? It means:
...being thankful for our pets, even though I don't like caring for them. It's choosing to be thankful for my husband who loves animals, instead of upset about the hair on the rug, the poop in the litter box and the algae in the fish tank.
...being thankful that my children are creative when they make a big mess, instead of feeling putout by it.
...being thankful God made the seasons, even when I have to go out early in the morning and shovel the sidewalk and clean off the car.
...being thankful for my family when I have to clean up the living room, again. It means choosing to be thankful for hungry people when I have to cook dinner, wash the dishes, and go grocery shopping (my least favorite thing to do).
...being thankful for little legs that run and play when I have to mend another pair of pants with holes in the knees.
...being thankful for food to eat, instead of grumbling about the mess in the kitchen, or spilled milk on the floor.
...being thankful for the time with my children when homeschooling them, instead of upset with their poor attitudes about learning.
...being thankful for a house full of love, even when I can't remember the last time I had a full nights sleep, a moment to myself, or a shower without someone banging on the door.

This list could go on and on, but I think you get the point. What does learning to be content look like in your life?

Christians and Halloween?

When I logged onto my computer today there were tons of posts about Christians and Halloween. Some people are extremely against it (with good reasoning) and others are extremely for it (again with good reasoning). Instead of writing a post about my personal beliefs, I just wanted to share some of the articles that I have run across this year. Please remember while reading these articles (if you so choose) that God is the true judge. Both sides are well supported and backed up with Scripture, so the most important thing is for you not to sin by doing something that violates your beliefs, but walk the path God has laid out for you.

God Questions

Christian Answers

My Deodorant is Giving Out

Princess Party Girl

Rightthinker

Stay-At-Home Daughter

I ask that whatever your decision about Halloween, you make it in effort to glorify Christ. Make your decision after prayer, and then do it all for the glory of God.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
~1 Corinthians 10:31

My Anti-Santaism: The beginning

This is the second post in my Anti-Santaism series. Just as a reminder, a new post will be added to the series every Friday between now and Christmas. Last week I introduced the series, you can read that post here. This week, I wanted to take some time to tell you about when it all started.



My Anti-Santaism began when I was 14. You see, I was one of those kids that believed in Santa with every fiber of their being. When all of the other children's hope in him faded away, I held on. After all, the movies all said that he was real, even if parents and older kids didn't believe. I thought that it was special that I could still believe when others lost their faith. I thought Santa would be pleased by my faith in him and maybe, just maybe, I would get to meet him. He might even take me to the North Pole in his sleigh. I was sure I would be rewarded for my faith in him.

The harsh reality? Santa isn't real.

When did I find this out? Just before Christmas one year. I was shopping with my sister and one of her friend, and on the way out of the store and back to the car the topic of Santa came up. I proudly announced that Santa was most defiantly real, even if they didn't believe in him. They responded by laughing at me and saying they couldn't believe I was so stupid and childish to still believe in that. But it didn't stop there. They continued poking fun at me for quite some time, and I spent the ride home in the back of the car trying to hide my tears. My mom wouldn't have lied to me, would she? Surly all this time it wasn't her like they were saying. Just the year before I had received a letter from Santa in my stocking, that wasn't from my mom!

That was the day I decided. That was the day I made the choice that I would NEVER lie to my children. I knew that no loving parent could ever be the cause of the treatment that I received that day. Especially not just for their own enjoyment. I remember wondering what kind of a mom could lie to her kids? It was just so inconceivable to me. I still loved my mom (and my sister), but I was wounded.

I was the brunt of jokes that entire Christmas season. My sister told everyone we met that I still believed in Santa, and they would join in with her to laugh at me. I would try to deny it, even though I wasn’t sure what to think anymore, but they didn’t believe me or simply didn’t care. It is probably one of the most painful childhood memories that I have; more painful than being made fun of for having only one eye, and even more painful than being sexually abused by my stepfather.

That was the beginning of my Anti-Santaism. For those of you who were expecting something that was related to my faith in Christ, I have to tell you that it started out having nothing to do with religion. Back then I knew of Christ, but I didn’t know Him. I was raised in church, and I'm sure I must have known that Christmas was about the birth of Christ? But Christ wasn't important to me. He loved everyone, God was good and that was the extent of it. Santa, now he was the reason for the season. Every image of Christmas was about him. Every Christmas card held his photo, and on Christmas eve we watched him on the news. And it was all a lie. My Anti-Santaism came from the hurt that I felt that day. The hurt that I knew I could NEVER wish on any other child, especially not my own.

Mr. Monday!

So, I have been slacking on my Mr. Monday posts. Not because I love Mr. Amazing any less, but for some reasons finding time to turn the computer on on Monday's is becoming difficult for me. I should start pre-writing them... Yeah, that would be good. But for now, I thought I would just go ahead and write this week's post.

I have been thinking all day about how much I am amazed by Mr. Amazing (hints the name). He worked the closing shift last night, didn't get to bed until after 11, then got up at 5am to go back to work. Why would anyone do that? Why would they drag themselves out of bed when they are dog tired? The answer is simple. Love.

He doesn't do it because he loves his job. He doesn't do it because he loves money. He does it because he loves our family and wants to provide for us. That amazes me. It amazes me how much he sacrifices for us. It amazes me that day after day, week after week, year after year, he gets up and goes to work, no matter what. He goes when he is sick (unless he can't stand up or something), he goes when he is tired, he goes when I forget to make him something to eat, he goes when I forget to wash his clothes. He just goes. He gets up and puts forth the effort to take care of our family, no matter how much his family fails him.

The Proverbs 31 woman has come up several times in the past few days. What I'm realizing is that I am ever so thankful for God's grace, because I fall so short of that. I am far from the perfect wife, yet there my husband is. Standing strong, loving me despite my faults.

Sometimes it's easy to focus on ourselves, on all of our needs that aren't being met. But if you ever take a step back and look at things from the other point of view, it gives you an amazing since of gratitude. Instead of looking at all of the things you have to put up with, think about all of the things that you make your husband put up with. If your anything like me, I bet you will want to give him a great big hug and tell him how truly amazing you think he is.

Blog Party!

Just an FYI:



Oh, and happy Sunday! :D

NaNoWriMo Help!

November is fast approaching, and I must admit that I don't have a clue what I am going to write my novel about this year. Last year I had an idea in September, and it burned in my head all through October. Practically drove me nuts that I couldn't write it down, then in November I had to start at the beginning all over again. So this year, I have put off coming up with my plot, and now that it's a week away, I have nothing! :(

Here are my thoughts: I wanted to do a modern-day Bible story, but am really struggling with coming up with a good scenario. So thought of doing a novel about a modern day St. Nicholas, but my only problem is that he was Catholic, and I don't know too much about the Catholic religion. I'm sure I could learn, but that might take a while and would require a ton of research! So here are my options:

A) Write about the Catholic St. Nicholas and lead him to Christ at the end of the story. Do the research, and get over the time requirements...

B) Alter the story enough that he is raised in a Christian home instead of a Catholic one.

C) Pick an actual Bible story like Esther, Ruth or Martha and Mary (just a few random examples) and make it a modern-day story?

D) Take one of Jesus' parables and write about it in a modern setting.

I'd love your input! I only have a few day's left before I wanted to have the teaser paragraph written and I don't even know what to write about :( Thoughts anyone?

Servant, Wife, Mother

It's funny how easily priorities get mixed up. As a mom of young kids, it's essential to take care of your children. However, I have also found, that if you put your children first in your life, life seems to get completely out of hand, and quick. It seems like every time I look around and see my life in utter chaos, it's because my priorities are mixed up. I'm either thinking about myself too much, or trying to be the perfect parent.

On day's like that, it's good to come back to my target priorities. First and foremost, I need to be a servant of Christ. If my walk with God isn't right, nothing will be. I can't be a good mother, or a good wife, or even a good person if I'm neglecting my heavenly Father.

Likewise, I can't be a good mother to my children if I'm not being a good wife to my husband. My children see the way that my husband and I interact, they see the way that we treat one another. Not only do they mimic that behavior towards each, and us, they will also mimic that behavior in their own marriages years down the road.

Next comes my children. I have no business volunteering for ministry work, if I have not taken care of my children. Someone once said that the biggest mission field you can ever serve in, is your own home. Think about it. If I raise my children to love and honor Christ, then they will go out into the world and share that with others. I can reach more people by properly raising the four of them, then I ever could on my own.

After those three things are in there proper places, then I can use what is left to serve Christ outside of my home. I can use the love that God has given me to serve my community. You might have noticed that I left myself out of that equation. I did that on purpose. The Bible says that we are to die to ourselves. Everything that I do should be for the glory of Christ. Not for myself. The best thing I can do for myself, is to grow closer to God. To give more of myself up, to live for Him.

Christmas Series Intro

Once again, the Christmas season is fast approaching. It seems like it comes earlier and earlier each and every year. The stores have already begun bringing out their decorations, and the great Santa debate has already been brought up. Anyone who has been following my blog for more than a year knows exactly how I feel about Santa. But for those of you who don’t, I doubt that you will be surprised to find out that “Santa” doesn’t visit our home.



While I tire of the debate, I am actually glad that it was brought up early this year. You see, I am Anti-Santa. I don’t look down on anyone who chooses to include Santa in their Christmas celebration. I do, however, feel very strongly about not having him in ours, and I am often taken aback by how far people go to defend Santa. If they start the conversation, and I attempt to share my side, I am often verbally attacked, insulted, and accused of many things that I believe are unfair. While I always try to take this with a grain of salt and move on, it is weary.

As always, the question arises within me, how far is too far to go with my Anti-Santaism?

-I’m not judging others. That is God’s job, not mine.

-I’m not telling others how to celebrate. That is a decision each family must make for themselves.

So what am I doing?

- I am stating my beliefs, and why I believe the way that I do. And I am doing so on my blog.

-I am telling my children (and whoever reads my blog) the truth about St. Nicolas, and refusing to lie about Santa.

-I am encouraging my children to obey God and will not ever encourage them to lie, not even to protect a lie that you told your children.

-I am seeking a way to co-exist with the people of this world, to be in it, but not of it. I am seeking away to love my brothers and sisters in Christ, and yet lovingly disagree with them during the Christmas season.

-I even asked the kids Christian choir teacher (a free program that I signed them up for) if she was planning on teaching secular Christmas songs. If she was, I was planning on pulling my children out for the Christmas season. I want my children to sing their praises to God, and God alone (more on this in another post).

Is that taking it too far? Is it going to far to not allow Santa into my home, not even in a snow globe? That's your call to make. It is becoming a tradition to post an Anti-Santaism series each Christmas. Many of the posts are re-written from the year before. I add things, take things out, and re-word them. I have decided to give you all prior warning this year. Each Friday between now and Christmas I will add a new post in my Anti-Santaism series.

I would love your feedback (as long as it is gently worded in accordance with Eph. 4:29). I want to learn how other Christians handle the Christmas season, and the whole Santa thing. But I do not want to argue. I will do my best to word my posts with love and respect, but I must admit that each year it is my Christian family that hurts me the most. They are the ones that attack me for my beliefs. Everyone else in my life, my birth family, my non-Christian friends and neighbors, they all accept my beliefs for what they are. It is my Christian family that is always outraged by it. So please, know that I am not attacking your beliefs, just stating my own. If your beliefs differ, I would love to hear about how, as long as you are simply sharing your beliefs in love, not attacking me.

Tired

I'm tired. My mom says it is a side effect from being a mom that she is just now getting over. She says that it will only get worse as my children grow, and wont subside until well after they are married and living a minimum of 30 miles away. This does not instill much confidence in me. However, the Bible tells me that God will refresh the weary, and satisfy the faint (Jer. 31:25). That gives me hope. Even when I almost fall asleep while the speech therapist is here working with my children, I know that God gives me just the amount of strength that I need to get through each day. He gives me the strength I need to accomplish the tasks that He has set out for me to do. I'm thankful for that.

The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. ~ Isaiah 50:4

You can read more Thankful Thursday posts over at Lynn's blog, Spiritually Unequal Marriage

Diligence

A while back I was reading this fabulous book that contained a quote from Mary Fish's father, that has really just stuck with me. "Are you idle, my child?" he would ask her. I must admit that I am idle much more than I wish I was. Lately, I have been learning how to be more diligent with my time. I want to take each moment captive for Christ's work. This has drastically changed the way that I live. I'm only using the computer in the evenings (if at all) each day. This has freed up my time to get more cleaning done. I have spent more time being a mom (and less time being an author/editor). My priorities were mixed up. I've got them straighter now, although I am still working on it. This has helped me learn to do everything better. I have been able to focus on the task at hand, instead of feeling torn in a million directions. I actually feel like I'm getting more done then before, just not as frequently, if that makes since.

While I don't always get to check my e-mail everyday, no one has died because they had to weight over 24 hours to hear back from me. I have also put a t.v. in my office so that if the kids need to be near me while I'm working, they can sit quietly and watch a movie (I have headphones so I can listen to something if I need to, or turn on some music to drown out the t.v. so I can concentrate).

We have started a more set routine for school. While we still don't have access to our school room, we are working on being more diligent anyway (instead of making excuses). We don't play until the school day is done, and then I make sure that I spend some time with the kids doing non-school things each day. Even if I just force myself to sit down and watch a movie with them, it makes them happy. Yesterday we rearranged the boys room, and made it easier for them to keep clean (and set consequences for if they didn't). The girls room is next, but probably not until late next week. :)

I know we still have a long way to go before I can say that my life is back in order, but for now the kids are happier, I am happier, and my house is cleaner. It's great! I love moving in the right direction!

Bad blogger me

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a bad blogger. I haven't blogged consistently for months. Here's my excuse: I'm a stay at home, work at home, homeschooling mom, housewife, AND there are still two guys living in my basement. Yes, you remember, the two that asked to stay for a couple of nights back in JULY. Yeah, them. We have asked them to leave several times, but they still haven't found a place to live. This is killing our electric bill, toilet paper expenses, and homeschooling (as they are sleeping in our school room). :( Me no likey! I do like them, they are great guys and I can't wait to get the one guys little boy back into my arms. But I'm ready to have my house back. I use to have a good day laid out. I would get up, spend my quiet time with God, go to the basement to start laundry and work out, then shower and get the kids up. I can't workout upstairs, because you can't jump upstairs. It shakes things. It would also wake up everyone in the house. I do not feel that I should be going down to do laundry while two men, neither of which is my husband are asleep... It's just not right.

Mr. Amazing is being transferred to a new store...again. At this store it sounds like he will have more of a chance to promote, but he's not getting his hopes up. I'm still trying to convince him to move to Texas so I can be neighbors with his mom. :D Okay, that's not the ONLY reason that we are talking about moving to Texas, and it is both of us, not just me. We're prayerfully considering it together, and waiting on God to direct us.

Oh, let's see... Homeschooling. It's not going the way I want it to. The kids (and I) are learning tons, but it's stressful and un-organized. I think I could organize it better, but I want to be back in our school room, and hopefully will be soon, so organizing it has to wait until then, or I will waste a ton of time organizing it twice!

Work is going pretty good. I really enjoy it, I just wish I had more time to get things done. I also have a ton of devotions floating around in my head, but can't find the time to write them down either... I have to prioritize... I have one book on my list to edit. Well, technically 2, but I haven't been sent the 2nd one yet.

Our family has had severe colds for the past week. Alexa and I came down with them on Wednesday, Followed by Kainen and Mr. Amazing on Thursday night, and then Ella Friday. Today Ty's nose has started to run. :( I took the kids to the doctor on Friday, Kainen just has a cold, Alexa has a double ear infection, and Ella has fluid behind one ear. :( I'm feeling tons better than I was on Thursday when Ella cut a chunk of her hair off (although I'm still not 100%).

Today, I cut the kids hair. Ella's hair is really short. I'm not as skilled at cutting hair with scissors as I am with clippers. I mean let's face it, it's a ton easier to buzz hair than it is to cut straight lines on a child that won't sit still... But, I think it turned out pretty good:

I almost cried when I cut it. I loved her hair. :( But, God is teaching me that I can't put her glory in her hair, anymore than I can mine. Hair is part of our external appearance and has nothing to do with our eternal salvation (which I really already knew, but obviously I valued it too much).

Anyway, I'm sure that there is more, but the kids don't think they can leave me alone long enough to write an entire sentence, so I'm just gonna go ahead and post this. Sigh.