Re-dedication

A friend of mine's favorite devotional book is Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, and she was excited to share when it went on sale at the end of January. Based on her high recommendation of it (that I've been hearing for years now), I took advantage of the opportunity to get it for the temporary low price. And I have to admit, I knew nothing about this book other than it was a devotional book that she loved... that's it. Now that I've started reading it, it's one of those devotional books that's written as if God is speaking directly to you - I normally chafe at those, but this one is different. It might be because I took the time to read Sarah's introduction, or it might be that her words are just the first truly inspired ones I have ever read, I'm not sure. She acknowledges that Scripture is far more inspired than these devotions, that she believes were from God speaking to her during her quiet times - and so far, I think she's right on target. The three that I've read so far have touched me exactly where I needed them. God is definitely using them in my life! They're short, simple, and cut right to the core.

God has used them to show me that during 2012 I drifted. I let life get in the way of my relationship with Him. He wasn't my number 1. It's not that I didn't want Him to be, I just struggled with priorities. I struggled with making the eternally important a priority over the earthly important - when if I would have taken the time to think about it, the two should be the same. I'm ashamed to admit that I pushed ministry aside for money - and we all know that you can't serve both God and money. I've been stressed to the max about everything on my to-do list. I have clients wanting to know when I'm going to complete their jobs, I'm surrounded by boxes from my move, and my family wants me to stop working and spend time with them. So what was today's devotion about? Being refreshed by God's peace because He is our burden-bearer. I don't know if that's a lesson that you needed at the start of this new year, but it's most certainly one that I needed.

I don't know how I'm going to get my life in order, it's a little too much to comprehend at the moment, but God knows. So today I'm laying my burdens at His feet. There's a lot of them, but He can handle them much better than I can, and I'm going to bask in His peace. In the secret of His quiet place, I'll wait for Him. I'm re-dedicating my life to Christ. I'm surrendering my goals, my priorities, and myself to Him, and Him alone.

 

Looking Forward

I know a lot of people use the end of the year to reflect on the past year, but I'm refusing to do that. Instead, I'm choosing to look forward. It doesn't matter what I did or didn't do during 2012. It doesn't matter what regrets I might have, or what successes I achieved. What matters is what's yet to come. Where will I go from here. Where will you go?

2013 is going to be a good year for me - a great year. Why? Because I'm trusting God to make it so. Of course I know there will be challenges and probably some heart ache - that's life. Jesus didn't promise us a life of ease, but told us that we would have trouble in this world (John 16:33). But He also says that He came so that we could have life - and have it to the full (John 10:10).

As I'm looking ahead to the coming year, I can't help but think of the things I want to do, and yet, this year I sense God telling me not my will, but His be done. I don't know where this year will take me, but as long as I keep my eyes on Christ, I know it will be worth it.

I do want to leave you with a few things that I'm looking forward to this year:
The launch of my newest book - "A Year of Book Marketing" is tomorrow and Mr. Monday is returning!

So for this first Mr. Monday post, I wanted to start a list of reason's that I'm thankful for my Mr. I invite you do join me as well if you want. You can link up at the bottom of this post. I'm planning on this being a series, where the last Monday of every month you can link up with new reasons you're thankful for your Mr. until we reach 100 :) Ready? Go.

10 Reasons I'm Thankful For Mr. Amazing:

1. He loves me - I know, it's a selfish reason, but he does and I'm thankful for that!
2. He doesn't smoke - We just moved to Texas, and I don't know why, but it seems like 90% of the guys here smoke! *Little known secret, when we first started dating, I smoked, Mr. Amazing never has. I quit when I got pregnant with the girls. I guess reason #3 would be that:
3. He loves me despite my imperfections (such as past habits mentioned above) - I know I already said I was thankful that he loves me, but loving me despite my imperfections really is different. His love doesn't try to change me, he loves me just the way I am. And I'm thankful for that.
4. He works hard to support our family - he really does. It isn't easy getting up every single day and leaving the house to slave away for people you don't care about. My first husband chose not to do so, and I'm thankful that Mr. Amazing isn't like that.
5. He's the perfect snuggle partner - I know, it's mushy, but it's true. My favorite time of day is snuggling with him in the morning, and I'm thankful for that time - with his old job he had to leave for work at 2 am and we didn't have that. So this is nice.
6. He's a great dad - he is. He helps the boys with their homework and teaches the girls new things all the time. He takes them for bike rides and blows bubbles so they can pop them. He's just all around awesome - I mean Amazing. ;)
7. He's thankful for me - I know, that sounds selfish too, but he is - and I love it. He isn't one of those guys that wonder's what his wife does all day. He knows I work hard and he's thankful for it. He's thankful for my love, and he's thankful for what I do with the kids. So I'm thankful for his thankfulness.
8. He's willing to help - Again, a little selfish. He helped me complete a work project this month that I was behind on, and he constantly offers to help with other things, or asks what he can do to help me out - not because he thinks I'm slacking, but because he knows it's not easy being me. He works hard all day, and is still willing to help out when he gets home. Go ahead, admit it, you're jealous.
9. He pushes me to be better myself - he might not think that I'm thankful for this, but I am. He knows I like to stay in my comfort zone and pushes me to expand my horizons - and when I'm doing so...
10. He encourages me - when I'm scared of doing something new, or feel like I'm failing at, well, everything, he encourages me and lets me know that he's there to support me and thinks I'm doing a fabulous job. :)

It's hard to stop at 10, but that's the first round. I can't wait to write more next month! What reasons are you thankful for your Mr.? List a few in the comments or write your own blog and link up below...

The Accidental Pharisee: Book Review

The Accidental Pharisee - We're all guilty of it in one way or another at one time or another. I know I am. But what is the accidental pharisee (other than a book by Larry Osborne, of course)?

It's judging other people because they aren't at the same point in life as you. It's that simple. We all grow at different rates, and God works in us in His time not ours, but where does that leave those who are a step down from us on the ladder of holiness? That's what really drove home for me in this book. Mr. Osborne did is an amazing writer, and I almost read this entire book in one sitting - I just had to stop because it was so convicting! It couldn't have came at a better time either. God most certainly used this book in my life, and I think it will do great things for Christ.

The Accidental Pharisee by Larry Osborne is a book that every Christian needs to read!

Here's what the author had to say about it:

 

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. You can read what other people had to say at: http://crossfocusedreviews.com/2012/10/accidental-pharisees-blog-tour/

News vs Gossip

I recently started reading the local paper. I was originally studying advertising to help improve my marketing skills, but the habit seemed to stick. I actually just finished reading this weeks paper, there wasn't really anything interesting in it, but I still flipped through it, kind of like Facebook... The whole think reminded me of something I thought of earlier today. We live in a news saturated culture. We hear it on the radio, or told by our friends of all these things that are going on in the world around us. But my question is, how much of that qualifies as gossip?

What is the defining line between news and gossip? Is there one?

Gossip is defined as idle talk about the private or personal affairs of others.

So that Victoria's Secret model who gave up her modeling career because of her Christian convictions - qualifies as gossip.

Who's suing who over lost property due to the controlled burn that quickly became un-controlled - yep, that's gossip too.

We live in a gossip saturated world. So much so, that we don't even recognize it most of the time anymore - or at least I don't. Do you?

What's Your Passion?

A while back I decided to subscribe to my own devotions via - I know that kind of sounds silly, but I started writing them 3 years ago, and I just wanted to go back through and check for formatting or spelling errors now that I had distanced myself from them some. Not to toot my own horn, but on occasion it seems like I really need to hear the message that I wrote - I surprise myself. One of those occasions happened last week, and I just wanted to take a moment to share the devotion with you. It was written with teen girls in mind, but it definitely applies to our lives as well.

Just so you know, Teen Girl Devotionals are brought to you by www.FindYourTrueBeauty.com, and you or a teen in your life can sign up to receive them for free at http://www.findyourtruebeauty.com/devos - Anyway, here's the devotion:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 

There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

~1 Corinthians 12:4-6

I just love the fact that God gave each and every one of us unique personalities. Some of us are movie buffs, others get more into books, video games, or sports - and that's okay. That is how God created us. He created us with passions, talents and interests. He created us for different things, and with different passions. That came to my mind today while I was reading an article a friend shared on their blog. It was about how we are all passionate about different things, how we get excited about different events, books, or whatever, but the one thing that should remain the same, is our passion for our Savior. You see, even though we were all created uniquely for the glory of God, and God gave us all our own personalities and interests, we were still all created for the glory of God. We serve Him in different ways, but as Christians, we should still have a desire for Him, and for serving Him.

I guess that the point is that while God created us to be passionate people, there is an issue if that passion stops when we come before our creator. When we get totally psyched about the new outfit we just got or the new chick flick that is coming out, but we drag our feet when we have to get up early in the morning for church. When we can't wait to read our new book, or play that new video game, but we don't have the energy left to read God's Word.

God created passionate people. He sent Jesus so that we could live life to the full (John 10:10)! God wants us to be the people that He created us to be - to express ourselves. But as Jesus took the time to remind us, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Our passions reflect what is in our hearts. If we aren't as passionate about our Savior as we are about our shoes, we might need to take some time to reevaluate our hearts...

Reflection:

Are you more passionate about worldly things, or about the Creator of the world?

Application Step:

Spend sometime today thinking about our awesome God. Remember that He is the creator of the world. Without Him, your favorite pastime wouldn't even exist. Thank Him for the opportunity to express yourself, and for all of the wonderful things He has brought into your life.

Prayer:

Father God, I love you so much! Please help me to express the love that I have for you, just as much, no, more than the love that I have for the things you have created. Help me to show others that you truly are more important than my boyfriend, my favorite shoes, and everything else in my life, Lord. Help me to honor you, God. Thank you for allowing me to express myself, but help me to do so in a way that is pleasing to you. I want you to be the overflow of my heart. I want to be more passionate for you, than for anything else. Thank you for everything you do for me - especially for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins. It is in His name that I pray today. Amen.

I'm linking up with Word-Filled Wednesday over at Internet Cafe Devotions. 

Check it out for more Word-Filled posts by visiting: http://internetcafedevotions.com/

Self Love

"Greater love has no man then this, that he lay down his life for his friends." 

~ John 15:13

I've been reading through "A Gospel Primer" by Milton Vincent, and I came across the following quote about the above verse that I just loved:

"...the deeper I go into the gospel, the more I experience the truth of His claim and thereby know how far His love for me surpasses even my own."

But Mr. Vincent didn't stop there. He went on to say:

"His astonishing love for me renders self-absorption moot and frees me up to move on to causes and interests far greater than myself."

Have you ever thought about it that way before. This has by far been one of the most impactful segments of the book for me. We live in a world that tells us that before we can love others, we have to learn to love ourselves. But that's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that if we want to truly love (ourselves or others) that we must first love Him. When we truly love God with all of our hearts, that the love that He has for us (and others) will trickle down to us, and will be expressed through us.

Fancy Shoes

Mr. Amazing had Friday off last week, and as always we planned to spend the day together running errands and just enjoying each others company. So as I always do on his days off, I spent a little bit more time getting ready in the morning. My choice for clothing was one of the outfits that he loves the most, a cute denim skirt and a neat top that I got off a clearance rack, and I completed the outfit with some really cute high-heeled sandals. I should note that these are some of the cutest shoes that I own, and this is the only outfit that they really go with. So, my husband loved it, it was modest yet stylish, and great for the shopping and stuff that we were planning to do.

And off we went. We ran most of our errands and then the girls asked if we could go to a play ground. Being the parents that we are, we of course said yes. We found a nearby park that had lots of equiptment. There were a few other moms their with their kiddos, but that just provides playmates for the girls so we weren't concerned. Ella needed to go potty. On the way to the bathroom, one of the other moms called over her shoulder to me "Mom's got cute shoes, but their not park shoes. You definitely can't play in the sand in those baby's." I was a bit speechless, but just smiled at her and kept walking - I did have a little girl in need of a potty after all. I tried to blow it off, but the comment just didn't sit right with me. On the way back over to the equipment, my dearest Ella took off running to her dad. I wasn't in a hurry, but was enjoying the warm weather and the break from my daughters over enthusiastic chatter when the same mom looked over and said, "Yeah, you can't even run in them." Then she turned to her own little boy and said loudly, "She can't even run after her daughter because she has fancy shoes on."

The comment hurt. Part of me wanted to say that I could if I wanted to. In fact, I had ran earlier that day just for fun as we were going into a store because my daughter wanted me to. I just didn't feel like it at the time. But I didn't. I just smiled and kept walking. I reached Mr. Amazing and our little girls, just as Alexa decided that she wanted to go over to where Ella and I had been (to the toddler portion of the equipment), so I went back with her. It was then that I noticed that every other mom that was there was in sweats. Not that that was a bad thing, but obviously there was a huge difference in the way that we looked. I started to wonder if that's what caused the comments from the lady in the pink sweats. I was the only one who had done anything other then throw my hair into a pony tail that morning. Of course I did this because my Mr. was home, but it obviously made me stick out. I was also the mom at the park that was accompanied by her husband. Being that it was a Friday, I'm certain that this was because all of their husbands have these glamorous 9-5 jobs and they work Monday - Friday each week and get the weekends off. That's not a luxury that we have in my home, but that's okay.

Anyway! The pink sweats lady's comments left me feeling uncomfortable, like I was less of a mom because I wasn't wearing park clothing. I almost felt the need to stand up and give a speech explaining to everyone there that we weren't really planning on going to the park that day, and that this was pretty much the closest thing that I would have to a date with my husband for a couple of months and that I dressed for him. But that would have been silly. I didn't need to justify myself to them. I was doing what God had called me to do. To be a wife, and to honor my husband. I'm not less of a mom because I took my daughter's to the park when I wasn't wearing park shoes. If anything, I'm more of a mom for not telling them no because I was wearing inappropriate shoes. But the real take-a-way that I believe God showed me through all of this, is that when we honor Him, when we live our lives for Christ, we should stick out. I don't know the spiritual state of any of the moms that were at the park, but the clothing choices left me with a great analogy. Just like I stuck out in my denim skirt and fancy shoes, so the believer should stick out when they are among a group of non-believers. Sticking out might make us uncomfortable at times, and people might make comments, but we have to lead the life that God has called us to live, especially when we stand out.

2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

~ 2 Timothy 4:2

I was writing down the above verse earlier, and just as I got to the last part about doing it all with great patience and careful instruction my daughter, who had been doing a lot of playing instead of finishing her supper, knocked over her glass of water. Well, I didn't have great patience, and it certainly wasn't careful instruction that I snapped at her... It's ironic how things like that work. I was writing the verse down because it was so powerful to me, and I really wanted to work at applying it to my life, but even before I finished penning it down, I had already abandoned the message. 

God's Word has so much to say about patience and gentleness, I'm pretty sure that that's because of the fact that sinful human nature is the exact opposite. But the Bible does lead me to believe that it is possible.  So today, I want to ask you: How do you keep your cool? How do you develop great patience and respond with careful instruction instead of with harsh reactions?

Earlier this week I mentioned that I got some new books in the mail, one being "Uprooting Anger" by Robert D. Jones. I'm hoping that that helps with both of those things, because patience seems to be the opposite of angry reactions... 

Any thoughts?

Mr. Monday: Remember When...

I honestly believe that one of the best things you can do for your marriage is to remember. Not the bad things that have happened, but what it was like when you were first dating. Do you remember back when you longed to be the one in his arms? When you would drop everything just to answer the phone when he called. Back when he had your undivided attention, even when he wasn't around?

After being married for 5 years, life happens, and our attention is stretched to it's limits. It seems like somewhere along the way the infatuation fades, and we become more self centered. Instead of feeling blissful every time our Mr.'s look our way, we get irritated when we have to abandon the project we are working on to go and do something for us. Why is that?

I love looking back to the way it use to be, not because it's not that way anymore, but because it helps me to be that way again. When I remember that having my husband is not a right that I have, but a privilege, it puts things in a different perspective. It helps me to remember that I still want to be the one in his arms. I still want to be the one that he calls everyday, the one that he smiles at and thinks of on and off throughout the day. And I still want him to be the same for me. Why? Because I still love him. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else, and I don't even want to try. Mr. Amazing still amazes me each and every day.

Listen! My lover! 

   Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains,    bounding over the hills. 
   Look! There he stands behind our wall, 
gazing through the windows, 
   peering through the lattice. 
 My lover spoke and said to me, 
   “Arise, my darling, 
   my beautiful one, and come with me. 
 See! The winter is past; 
   the rains are over and gone. 
 Flowers appear on the earth; 
   the season of singing has come, 
the cooing of doves 
   is heard in our land. 
 The fig tree forms its early fruit; 
   the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. 
Arise, come, my darling; 
   my beautiful one, come with me.”

 My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. 

~ Song of Songs  2:8-13

Tangible Faith

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 

Colossians 1:3-4

God has been teaching me a lot lately about tangible faith. Faith that you can see. Faith that reaches out and touches those around you. I'm not talking about whitewashed pharisee faith, I'm talking about New Testament faith. What's the difference? One is self centered, showing others how good you are, the other is Christ centered and focused on showing His love to everyone you come in contact with. One is based on glorifying yourself, the other is based on glorifying God. 

There are several mentions of this New Testament faith in the Bible. Those Scriptures have been helping me to get a better picture of what kind of faith God wants us to have - faith that He considers pure (James 1:27). One such example is in Acts: 

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Now that is visible, tangible faith! But this wasn't the only New Testament church that lived like this. They were everywhere. In the letter Paul wrote to the Colossians, he told them that he had HEARD of their faith and love for ALL the saints. I can't imagine that he means anything other then what was spoken of in Acts. But do you know of any churches that have faith and love like that today?

I don't.

I know a lot of churches where people are very friendly on Sunday morning, and even during weekly planned activities, but none where they extend that same friendliness during the week with random acts of kindness. Very few people call just to see how their church family is doing, and even fewer call more then their selected social group.

So if someone reported on you or your churches faith and love, what would they say? Would they speak of your love for ALL the saints, or would they say that you had an awesome worship service and gave lots of money to missionaries? Which would you rather that they said? Do you have work to do? I sure do.

A Winner and A Challenge

The winner of the Miami Vineyard Live CD, chosen with the random number generator at Random.org is Kristie! If you didn't win and are still hoping for a copy, Write at Home Mom is also giving away a copy of this CD and her contest is open until Monday. Oh! And be sure to check back here on Friday for a new giveaway :)



Now!

I have a challenge for you.

The challenge is simple, it's just "Remember the Gospel".

What that means is that when people put you down, when they tell you that you aren't good enough, when they tell you that you are a failure. Remember the Gospel. Remember that they are right. Remember that that is why Jesus came. He came because we aren't good enough, we aren't perfect. He knew we would fail, that's why He came. He came so that we could be forgiven when we fail.

So when people tell you that you aren't good enough, that you're a failure, tell them that they are 100% right. That you aren't good enough, and that you know that you fail. And then tell them about Jesus. Tell them that it's okay, because Jesus came so that you could be forgiven. And you are forgiven. If you have accepted Him as your personal Savior, He has forgiven you for not being good enough, for failing, and for missing the mark. And His is the only opinion that matters in eternity.

Just remember the Gospel and you'll be okay.

Living in a Martha World

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

~Luke 10:40

Tucked away in the book of Luke (at the end of chapter 10), is a short story of a family that welcomed Jesus into their home. It’s the story of Mary and Martha. In the story we find Martha hard at work, while Mary sits at the feet of our Savior. Reasonably, Martha is upset. She is being left to do all the work by herself, and she gets edgy. I can hardly blame her for that, I probably would to. However, when I was reading this story the other day, something completely different caught my attention.

Yes, Martha was busy working, and she thought that Mary should be too. Does that sound familiar? We live in a Martha world. We are told that we should be busy doing, not sitting at the feet of our Savior. Sure, Christians are suppose to read their Bible, but even the Christian world bombards us with the idea that if we aren’t busy serving, then we aren’t doing what we should be. If we aren’t cooking meals for families that need them, or cleaning the church building, or teaching Sunday school or Bible study, then we are looked down on.

Yet, in the story of Mary and Martha, Jesus chided Martha saying: “…but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:42. Taking the time to sit quietly and pray or read God’s Word, that’s better than doing all the other things that Christians do. Yes, those things are good, and even required, but without the Word of God, they are all meaningless.  Why? Because “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4. We need the Word of God, more than we need to teach Sunday school, more than we need to clean the church, and more than we need to sign up to bring food to a fellowship gathering. After all, we are saved by grace through faith—and this not from ourselves, but it is the gift of God— Ephesians 2:8.

Bad Vibrations

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good...

~Genesis 50:20

Joseph spoke the above words after he had been through a lot. His brothers were worried that he would hold a grudge against them, because let's face it, he had every right to by human standards. However, he looked past the bad vibrations, past the hurt, the pain, the wrong doings, and he saw what God did through all of those bad things. 

Last Friday I had a bad day, to say the least! I was behind on my work and trying to get caught up when it happened. My cat knocked over a vase that I had sitting on my desk, soaking everything: my research, notes, to do list, keyboard, mouse, computer, laptop, spare printer paper, 3 of my notebooks, my work binder, a book, all of my notepads, me and the clothes that I was wearing... I could go on, but you get the point. 

As I sat there lividly looking at the water and desperately dabbing at the electronics, the words of Joseph flew to my mind. I had just read them the night before (because I'm already a week behind in my Bible reading plan for the year), and they just resounded in my heart. "God intended it for good." I don't know what good can come out of wet electronics and ruined papers, but God didn't call me to understand, He called me to trust. 

So as sat there sopping up the mess, I fought the urge to focus on all that was lost; the urge to focus on the things of this world. I had to shift my focus on how much greater God was then anything I could ever put on paper. My computer wasn't ruined. The water missed the power strip by an inch or two, so nothing fried. Yes, I lost some notes due to water damage, but it wasn't the end of the world. God is still God, and I am still not. 

I guess that the whole experience was humbling. It forced me to slow down and meditate on the reason that I do the things that I do. It made me look at the importance of material objects (replaceable or not), and really just refreshed my perspective. On a day when I was overwhelmed and beating myself up about being behind, I would have never guessed that a disaster like that would be the thing that improved my attitude, but if I had to guess, I bet God did.

Mr. Monday: A Rose by any other name...

"I am a rose of Sharon, 

   a lily of the valleys."

   

"Like a lily among thorns 

   is my darling among the maidens."

~ Song of Songs 2:1-2

Mr. Amazing brought me a rose last weekend. It was his day off and he took the twins on a milk run while I made breakfast. After a little while the door bell rang. I went to answer it and found one of the sweetest little four year olds in the world standing there holding a beautiful long-stemmed rose. She said "Flower for you, Mommy." It was pretty much the cutest thing ever. She gave me the rose and a kiss, then went into the house. She was followed up the stairs by the other sweetest little four year old who proclaimed: "Mommy! That's you flower!" and then gave me another kiss. It was great. Mr. Amazing followed behind them laden down with groceries. He really is amazing :)

I use to not like getting flowers. I was one of those women that saw them as temporary treasures that eventually died, and when you give them as a picture of love, that isn't very encouraging. However, I love the above verses that Solomon wrote. The maiden says: "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys." and her husband responds "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens." Now that's a great picture of love represented by a rose. 

I encourage you, the next time your Mr. buys you flowers, think about these verses. Remember that he is doing it because to him, you are more precious then anyone else in the world. Like a lily (or rose) among thorns. 

What Are You Teaching?

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

~Psalm 34:11

This verse is one that I know well, but recently when I was reading it, God used it to convict me. He made me stop and think about the question this verse asks:

Am I teaching my children to fear the Lord, or am I teaching them how to be sinful human beings?

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that question? I honestly don't think that I have. I have thought about the answer off and on. How I fail to teach them, or how I think I have done well. But never just the question itself. 


Such a powerful question, has multiple answers. Yes, I read my kids the Bible. They love going to church. We pray before meals, and before bed each night. But teaching them about God, isn't the same as teaching them the fear of the Lord. Not even close. One is head knowledge, the other comes from the heart. What is my heart telling them? 


Defiantly a powerful thought to meditate on.

Mr. Monday:

This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands.

~1 Peter 3:5

Mr. Amazing hates this verse. He is a strong believer that men and women were created equal, and that saying that as wives we should accept their authority speaks to the contrary. I lovingly disagree with that sentiment.

You see, as a Christian woman, I look at it as a picture of our relationship with Christ. When I am trying to rule over my husband, I am not being submissive to Christ. It isn't about being greater than or less than. Christ said whoever is the least now will be the greatest then (Mark 10:31). I know that God created us all in His image. That we are all equal, we are just created differently, with different roles. For me, living under the authority of my husband isn't about feeling like a lesser person than him. It's about submitting to a righteous God, who is the Greatest. 

I won't say that I am the perfect wife at living under my husbands authority. I am still a sinful human, and there are definitely things that I am stubborn about. But that's the best part. God knew that we would do that. It was included in the curse. But that's why Jesus came. He knew that we wouldn't be the perfect wives. He knew that we would need a Savior. I am so thankful for Him!  






~Special announcement:
For today only, you can download a free Kindle copy of my book, "Teen Devotionals... For Girls!" at Amazon.com. Check it out here.

Christmas Conclusion

This is the final post in my Anti-Santaism series that started on October 21st. Here are the links to all of the previous posts if you missed them, or want them for your reference:

Series Introduction
The Beginning
Santa the Counterfeit Christ
What Santa Teaches
The Christmas Idol
Two Masters
Distraction
Saint Nicolas
Christmas Alternatives

I have pondered about a good way to conclude this series, and I the only real way to do that is to share the miracle of Christ. You see, I wrote this series simply to share my beliefs with you. However, I did not write it to judge you, your decisions, or to convert you to my beliefs. I simply wanted to share. I know that not all Christians celebrate Christ's birth, and some of them do so at a different time of year, and that's okay with me. Everyone has their own walk with God that they have to focus on. I can't walk yours, and you can't walk mine. God works in each of us on the things that He deems important. We cannot earn our way into heaven by the way we celebrate (or don't celebrate) Christ's birth. For the whole reason that Christ was born was because we are not capable of earning our Salvation. He came so that we could have the forgiveness that we could never possibly receive apart from the grace of God.

Because our inadequacy, God sent His one and only Son into the world. God incarnate came to us humbly on a cold, quiet night. The King of Israel was not born in a palace, but in a manger for there was no room available for Him. This precious baby, sleeping in a manger, was not visited by his closest relatives. He wasn't welcomed into the world with any of the things that we would normally bless a newborn baby with. No, His first visitors were shepherds, strangers to His family. While Kings did come from a faraway land to bestow gifts upon Him, soldiers were also sent to kill Him. So He lived in exile for a time.

When this precious baby boy grew up, He lived a life of scorn. All He wanted was to show us the way, but the religious leaders planned to kill Him. We sent Him to the cross with our unbelief, with our sin. Yet hanging there, moments from death, He prayed for our forgiveness, for that is the reason He came. He was born that night so long ago, to die for us. For me, and for you. That was His purpose. He came, so that we may be forgiven. His whole purpose here on this earth was to redeem our fallen souls. He came to earth so that we would not have to spend eternity in hell.

This is the reason that for me to celebrate anything else on the day set aside to as the day of His birth, would be wrong. He was born to die. How could I brush that off so that my children can have 'fun' with a lie? Where ever you are this Christmas season, I hope that you remember our Savior, the reason He was born, and the life that He lived for you.

Merry Christmas

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?

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.