Okay - time for a little brag session!
This is my 2 year old Amanda. What a blessing she is! She is quickly becoming "Mommy's little helper." She loves to help empty the dishwasher, "fold" laundry (okay, so that's maybe not quite so helpful!) and clean up her toys. She is our resident parrot copying everything anyone says.
One of the things about Amanda that blesses Dave and I is her love to worship. During our family prayer time before bed, she dances and sings with all of her heart. Her favorite songs right now are "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord" and "Jesus, Thank You." Wha
t joy it brings us to hear her singing at the top of her lungs, " The Faver's wraff compweetwy satified, Jesus sank You" and "My hot will choose to say Lord, bwessed be Your name!"
At night when I tuck her into bed I always sing her two bedtime songs. "Baby's Boat", which is a lullaby that I learned from my mom, and "Prince of Peace" - a song that my brother and Laurie wrote. (Great song Todd and Laurie!) When I sing the line, For Your Spirit I am a dwelling place, she always asks me, "I a dwelling place, Mommy?" My prayer for this little angel is that one day she will be a dwelling place!
Friday, February 17, 2006
One of my Cuties
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Individual Bents
For as long as I can remember, the verse from Proverbs, "Train up a child in the way he should go..." Has been a part of my life. It was often one of the reasons that my parents would give me for disciplining me. (Yes, I needed discipline!) It was also one of the memory verses that I learned as a child. I learned all about the necessity of one day training my own children to follow after God, and now I am practicing the wisdom of this verse in my daily life as a mother.
Before I was married, one of the gifts that I received from my parents was an amplified version of the Bible. I have sat under many teachings given by my mother, and she would often turn to this version to help us get a better, more in depth understanding of what God is trying to show us.
Proverbs 22:6 is a perfect example of using the amplified Bible to get a better perspective on a verse that holds wonderful truths for parents who are seeking to raise Godly children. In the NIV, the verse says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." What a wonderful promise this is! Now read what it says in the Amplified version. "Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it."
Our children are each so different! They like different foods, different colors, different activities and different songs. They each have different areas in their lives that they excel in and different areas that they need to work on. They each have individual gifts or "bents".
This is something that we need to consider when we are "training" our children. One way of discipline may be a good thing for one of your children while it may actually be a hindrance to the training of a different child. For example: One of my children has a very stubborn spirit, while another one of my children has a very sensitive spirit. If I were to reprimand the stubborn child in the same manner that I did the sensitive child, they would basically ignore me and most likely laugh instead of cry, and I would have no effect on the will of this child. Likewise, if I were to reprimand the sensitive one as I would the stubborn, I could very likely break their spirit instead of their will.
Our children have been gifted with their own individual personalities, and it is our job as parents to discover what each child's gifting is. When we have discovered these, then we need to ask God to give us wisdom in helping our children develop these giftings to use for His glory.
While some of these giftings may seem more like a curse at the moment, be assured that God will develop it into a wonderful gift that He will use.
My son Mark has a tendency to be stubborn and his will is not easily broken. At first, it was a struggle to see how God could possibly use this stubbornness for His glory, but as Mark has gotten older, I see this stubbornness developing into perseverance! (It's a slow process, but I definitely see a difference!)
Another example is my daughter Christiana. Is there such a thing as a spirit of goofiness? If she were to attend a "regular" school, I am sure that she would quickly become the class clown! She is capable of turning any situation into a comedy and has a generally fun loving personality. I can see her using this gifting to bring joy to many people, including a 91 year old woman who lives near my parents and is very lonely.
I could tell you about each of my children's giftings (perhaps one day I will) but these are two extremes that I thought would make a good point of "individual bents." I would love to hear about the bents that you have discovered in your own children!
Before I was married, one of the gifts that I received from my parents was an amplified version of the Bible. I have sat under many teachings given by my mother, and she would often turn to this version to help us get a better, more in depth understanding of what God is trying to show us.
Proverbs 22:6 is a perfect example of using the amplified Bible to get a better perspective on a verse that holds wonderful truths for parents who are seeking to raise Godly children. In the NIV, the verse says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." What a wonderful promise this is! Now read what it says in the Amplified version. "Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it."
Our children are each so different! They like different foods, different colors, different activities and different songs. They each have different areas in their lives that they excel in and different areas that they need to work on. They each have individual gifts or "bents".
This is something that we need to consider when we are "training" our children. One way of discipline may be a good thing for one of your children while it may actually be a hindrance to the training of a different child. For example: One of my children has a very stubborn spirit, while another one of my children has a very sensitive spirit. If I were to reprimand the stubborn child in the same manner that I did the sensitive child, they would basically ignore me and most likely laugh instead of cry, and I would have no effect on the will of this child. Likewise, if I were to reprimand the sensitive one as I would the stubborn, I could very likely break their spirit instead of their will.
Our children have been gifted with their own individual personalities, and it is our job as parents to discover what each child's gifting is. When we have discovered these, then we need to ask God to give us wisdom in helping our children develop these giftings to use for His glory.
While some of these giftings may seem more like a curse at the moment, be assured that God will develop it into a wonderful gift that He will use.
My son Mark has a tendency to be stubborn and his will is not easily broken. At first, it was a struggle to see how God could possibly use this stubbornness for His glory, but as Mark has gotten older, I see this stubbornness developing into perseverance! (It's a slow process, but I definitely see a difference!)
Another example is my daughter Christiana. Is there such a thing as a spirit of goofiness? If she were to attend a "regular" school, I am sure that she would quickly become the class clown! She is capable of turning any situation into a comedy and has a generally fun loving personality. I can see her using this gifting to bring joy to many people, including a 91 year old woman who lives near my parents and is very lonely.
I could tell you about each of my children's giftings (perhaps one day I will) but these are two extremes that I thought would make a good point of "individual bents." I would love to hear about the bents that you have discovered in your own children!
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
More Titus
Do you ever find yourself caught in one of those moments where you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that if you didn't have the help of the Holy Spirit, you would absolutely explode in anger? Like, when your three year old grabs the new super size ketchup out of the pantry (even though the old one isn't empty) and then proceeds to drop it on the floor because its too heavy and ketchup begins to quickly seep out of the giant crack in the bottle? Or maybe your kids have emptied all the toy bins in the basement just a day after you've brought order to that particular hurricane zone. Oh yeah, let's not forget the bleach incident - "Mom, I think I spilled a little bleach while I was doing the laundry, but don't worry, it was just over my light wash." Okay, let me ask you what I asked him, are jeans really considered lights? Well, now his are!
I must admit that even with the help of the Holy Spirit, I don't usually react in a completely calm way, but neither do I explode like I know I am thoroughly capable of doing!
In Titus 2, another one of those seven characteristics of a godly woman is to be self controlled. The only way that I know of for a mother to be self controlled is to rely on the Holy Spirit to help her! I know I can't do it by myself.
Being self controlled involves much more that just controlling your anger though. What about over indulging when you feel overwhelmed with all that being a mom involves? "It's been such a hard day. I deserve a pint of Ben and Jerry's." Or what about controlling our shopping habits? "I can pay off that new outfit I bought in just a few weeks. I needed to feel good about the way I look." How about giving in to P.M.S. or other emotional downfalls caused by hormones? Are we not supposed to be filled with the Spirit at all times?
We as women tend to blame our wrong attitudes or our irrational display of emotions on being women. How come we try and excuse these things instead of crying out to God to help us overcome them? If we have given our lives to Jesus, then we need to allow Him to work in our lives to help us to continually live out the "gentle and quiet spirit" that He desires us to have.
Elisabeth Elliot once said, "We cannot give ourselves to God, and keep our bodies for ourselves."
How true this is! Our bodies are the dwelling place of God Almighty. How I long to make it a desirable place for Him to be!
I must admit that even with the help of the Holy Spirit, I don't usually react in a completely calm way, but neither do I explode like I know I am thoroughly capable of doing!
In Titus 2, another one of those seven characteristics of a godly woman is to be self controlled. The only way that I know of for a mother to be self controlled is to rely on the Holy Spirit to help her! I know I can't do it by myself.
Being self controlled involves much more that just controlling your anger though. What about over indulging when you feel overwhelmed with all that being a mom involves? "It's been such a hard day. I deserve a pint of Ben and Jerry's." Or what about controlling our shopping habits? "I can pay off that new outfit I bought in just a few weeks. I needed to feel good about the way I look." How about giving in to P.M.S. or other emotional downfalls caused by hormones? Are we not supposed to be filled with the Spirit at all times?
We as women tend to blame our wrong attitudes or our irrational display of emotions on being women. How come we try and excuse these things instead of crying out to God to help us overcome them? If we have given our lives to Jesus, then we need to allow Him to work in our lives to help us to continually live out the "gentle and quiet spirit" that He desires us to have.
Elisabeth Elliot once said, "We cannot give ourselves to God, and keep our bodies for ourselves."
How true this is! Our bodies are the dwelling place of God Almighty. How I long to make it a desirable place for Him to be!
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Godly Women
Titus talks about 7 things that we as godly women are to learn.
The first thing that we should learn is to love our husbands. Thanks to my mom's teachings on the godly woman, I've picked up a bit of Greek. The Greek found here are the words phileo (beloved friend) and andros (man).
We should encourage our husbands without being critical or judgmental. We should be willing to pray with him and for him. We must come along side him in whatever place God calls him to and be helpful to him in whatever way we can.
Next, we are to learn to love our children. There are many things that we can do to put this into practice. -Attentive listening
- Enthusiastic encouragement
- Physical affection
- Verbal commendation on character qualities
- Spending time with them and giving them undivided attention
- Faithful intercession for our children
Remember, we are training our kids to be warriors for Christ!
These are only two of the seven things that we as women are to be working on in our lives, but already I feel convicted in both of these areas. I need to pray more for my husband and my children. I need to be faithful in showing my love for them both physically and spiritually.
The first thing that we should learn is to love our husbands. Thanks to my mom's teachings on the godly woman, I've picked up a bit of Greek. The Greek found here are the words phileo (beloved friend) and andros (man).
We should encourage our husbands without being critical or judgmental. We should be willing to pray with him and for him. We must come along side him in whatever place God calls him to and be helpful to him in whatever way we can.
Next, we are to learn to love our children. There are many things that we can do to put this into practice. -Attentive listening
- Enthusiastic encouragement
- Physical affection
- Verbal commendation on character qualities
- Spending time with them and giving them undivided attention
- Faithful intercession for our children
Remember, we are training our kids to be warriors for Christ!
These are only two of the seven things that we as women are to be working on in our lives, but already I feel convicted in both of these areas. I need to pray more for my husband and my children. I need to be faithful in showing my love for them both physically and spiritually.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Living Verses
I think that when teaching our children Bible verses, we parents tend to go for the verses that will benefit us more than our children. For example, one of the first verses that most kids learn is Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Or maybe its the next verse in Ephesians that says, "Honor your father and mother..."
We teach our kids the verses about being thankful, trusting in God, doing everything without complaining and arguing, and to do everything as unto the Lord.
These are great verses to teach our children, and I think we should teach them these things. However, what about the verses that we as parents should learn that would benefit our children?
Here's a few verses that I think we as parents should have memorized and that we should be living out daily for and to our children.
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (particularly our kids!)
"Be joyful always."
"Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness..."
"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
"Father's, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
These are just a handful of the Scriptures that we as parents should be putting to daily use. We are the example that our children have to look up to. Most of the bad habits or behaviors that our children pick up in their earlier years are from watching their parents fail in those same areas.
So many times I have started to rebuke one of my kids for a wrong attitude or action and then realized that this was the very thing that I had said or done, or that they are reacting in the same way or with the same attitude that I had portrayed. We cannot take the responsibility of parenting lightly!
Neither should we, however, throw our hands up in despair as we face this job of raising kids for the glory of God. He has seen fit to give us this responsibility, therefore, He has made us capable of carrying out this God given task.
I think that some times I can get caught up in wanting my children to always make the right choices. I have to keep reminding myself that my kids are in training so they probably will make mistakes and will make them often! That's why God has me training them! I need to be careful not to get frustrated with them, but to patiently correct them over and over again. I also need to remember that they are constantly watching my example and I need to make sure that my life is a living example of what I pray that one day they will become.
Here is one more verse that I think we should have memorized. This is in the amplified version. Colossians 3:21 "Fathers, Do not provoke or irritate or fret your children - do not be hard on them or harass them; lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated; do not break their spirit."
We teach our kids the verses about being thankful, trusting in God, doing everything without complaining and arguing, and to do everything as unto the Lord.
These are great verses to teach our children, and I think we should teach them these things. However, what about the verses that we as parents should learn that would benefit our children?
Here's a few verses that I think we as parents should have memorized and that we should be living out daily for and to our children.
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (particularly our kids!)
"Be joyful always."
"Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness..."
"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
"Father's, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
These are just a handful of the Scriptures that we as parents should be putting to daily use. We are the example that our children have to look up to. Most of the bad habits or behaviors that our children pick up in their earlier years are from watching their parents fail in those same areas.
So many times I have started to rebuke one of my kids for a wrong attitude or action and then realized that this was the very thing that I had said or done, or that they are reacting in the same way or with the same attitude that I had portrayed. We cannot take the responsibility of parenting lightly!
Neither should we, however, throw our hands up in despair as we face this job of raising kids for the glory of God. He has seen fit to give us this responsibility, therefore, He has made us capable of carrying out this God given task.
I think that some times I can get caught up in wanting my children to always make the right choices. I have to keep reminding myself that my kids are in training so they probably will make mistakes and will make them often! That's why God has me training them! I need to be careful not to get frustrated with them, but to patiently correct them over and over again. I also need to remember that they are constantly watching my example and I need to make sure that my life is a living example of what I pray that one day they will become.
Here is one more verse that I think we should have memorized. This is in the amplified version. Colossians 3:21 "Fathers, Do not provoke or irritate or fret your children - do not be hard on them or harass them; lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated; do not break their spirit."
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Puzzles
The other day my daughter, Julia and I started a 500 piece puzzle. We have a rectangular piece of plywood that we work on so that we can put the puzzle away from little hands while we are not working on it.
This particular puzzle was of a farm, complete with a beautiful barn, silo, fence and even a herd of scattered cows. We had completed the outline of the puzzle and then gotten the barn, fence and cows done. All that was left was the sky. Most definitely the hardest part of the puzzle since all the pieces were the same cloudy blue color!
We had put the puzzle on the counter in our dining room during quiet time with the hope of finishing it later that afternoon. Everyone was in there rooms and I was engrossed in a book that my mom had passed on. Matt came down and asked if he could get a drink. I said ok, barely lifting my eyes from the page. (I tend to get my nose in a book and become somewhat less than attentive to the world around me!)
After quiet time was over, I heard Julia exclaim, "Oh no! What happened to our puzzle?" Immediately I knew what had happened. Matt must have gotten more that just a drink of water earlier. He has a knack for getting into things, and I guess that he couldn't stand just seeing that puzzle just sitting there!
I told Julia that I was sorry and that I would speak to Matt when he woke up. Then I tried to persuade her to just put the puzzle away. After all we did finish most of it, right? Her response keeps coming back to me over and over again. "But Mom, we didn't get to see the whole picture yet! It's so pretty when you get to see it all finished."
How many times have I been content to only see most of the picture? I feel like I am content sometimes to get a glimpse of the finished project without waiting to fill in those missing pieces that will make it complete.
How often do I do this with my family? Sometimes the things are unimportant such as not cleaning up all the way after dinner - hey, I cooked it didn't I? - or not putting the clean clothes away when they are finished - hey, I washed and folded them, right?
What about the important things? Do I leave them unfinished? Am I content to not take action every single time that one of my kids is out of line? Will this really effect the "main picture" of their lives? Am I content to just listen to my husband pray for the family or am I joining with him in praying for the souls of our precious children?
Those few handfuls of missing pieces could be the very pieces that make my life or the lives of my husband or children complete! Sometimes the things that we see as unimportant are the very things that God intends to use to further His kingdom! These could seem like small things like taking one of your kids shopping with you even though you can do it faster by yourself, just so you can have a chance to talk one on one with that particular child or choosing to play a game with your kids instead of watching TV or reading a book.
Don't get me wrong - time invested in your children is not a small thing! I am just trying to look at it like the pieces of a puzzle. Each piece is so small, yet, without those little pieces, the picture is not complete!
I don't want to get the puzzle most of the way done, only to stop at the hard part - when all the pieces are the same color. I want to persevere until I can see the beauty of the finished work of art. After all, are our lives not a work of art created by our wonderful, loving Savior?
God, help me not to be content to just get a glimpse of Your finished work before seeing the completed picture!
This particular puzzle was of a farm, complete with a beautiful barn, silo, fence and even a herd of scattered cows. We had completed the outline of the puzzle and then gotten the barn, fence and cows done. All that was left was the sky. Most definitely the hardest part of the puzzle since all the pieces were the same cloudy blue color!
We had put the puzzle on the counter in our dining room during quiet time with the hope of finishing it later that afternoon. Everyone was in there rooms and I was engrossed in a book that my mom had passed on. Matt came down and asked if he could get a drink. I said ok, barely lifting my eyes from the page. (I tend to get my nose in a book and become somewhat less than attentive to the world around me!)
After quiet time was over, I heard Julia exclaim, "Oh no! What happened to our puzzle?" Immediately I knew what had happened. Matt must have gotten more that just a drink of water earlier. He has a knack for getting into things, and I guess that he couldn't stand just seeing that puzzle just sitting there!
I told Julia that I was sorry and that I would speak to Matt when he woke up. Then I tried to persuade her to just put the puzzle away. After all we did finish most of it, right? Her response keeps coming back to me over and over again. "But Mom, we didn't get to see the whole picture yet! It's so pretty when you get to see it all finished."
How many times have I been content to only see most of the picture? I feel like I am content sometimes to get a glimpse of the finished project without waiting to fill in those missing pieces that will make it complete.
How often do I do this with my family? Sometimes the things are unimportant such as not cleaning up all the way after dinner - hey, I cooked it didn't I? - or not putting the clean clothes away when they are finished - hey, I washed and folded them, right?
What about the important things? Do I leave them unfinished? Am I content to not take action every single time that one of my kids is out of line? Will this really effect the "main picture" of their lives? Am I content to just listen to my husband pray for the family or am I joining with him in praying for the souls of our precious children?
Those few handfuls of missing pieces could be the very pieces that make my life or the lives of my husband or children complete! Sometimes the things that we see as unimportant are the very things that God intends to use to further His kingdom! These could seem like small things like taking one of your kids shopping with you even though you can do it faster by yourself, just so you can have a chance to talk one on one with that particular child or choosing to play a game with your kids instead of watching TV or reading a book.
Don't get me wrong - time invested in your children is not a small thing! I am just trying to look at it like the pieces of a puzzle. Each piece is so small, yet, without those little pieces, the picture is not complete!
I don't want to get the puzzle most of the way done, only to stop at the hard part - when all the pieces are the same color. I want to persevere until I can see the beauty of the finished work of art. After all, are our lives not a work of art created by our wonderful, loving Savior?
God, help me not to be content to just get a glimpse of Your finished work before seeing the completed picture!
Friday, January 13, 2006
Why All the Arrows??
Some of you that don't know me very well probably have wondered at some point or another why my husband and I have so many children. It is a question that we often have to answer since, by the world's standards, we have a few more children than the average family.
I have always wanted a big family. I remember playing with my sister, and we would "play" our life as we dreamed it would one day be. I always had 8 - 10 kids, named them all and even had a plan for a set of twins somewhere along the line!
I met Dave when we were both 15 and were married by the age of 19 after Dave joined the USAF. We moved to NC and within a couple of months were pregnant with our first child. She was, I must say, a little bit of a surprise, but very welcome! We were so excited! I was the first in my family to be married and this would be the first grandchild on either side. Everyone was ecstatic. Julia was born a month before our first anniversary, and by the time she was 4 months old, we were hoping for a second child.
God blessed us right away and ten days after Julia turned 1, James was born. Again, we were thrilled to have another child and marveled at the goodness of God in our lives.
When Jim was a few months old, we got the awful news that Dave would have to spend his final year of duty in Korea. This would be an unaccompanied tour which basically meant that he had to leave his family behind. Let me tell you, this rocked our world! Here we are with two children under two, we own a house in North Carolina, our families live in Maryland, and Dave has to leave for an entire year!
My parents were gracious and asked the kids and I to come and live with them while Dave was gone. We put our house on the market and packed our things and moved back to Maryland before Dave had to leave.
While Dave was gone, he missed Julia's 2nd birthday, Jim's first words, first steps and first birthday. We didn't get to talk on the phone very much, but there were a constant flow of e-mails back and forth between us.
This was a trying time to say the least, but we look back on it now and can see how God used this situation for His glory in both of our lives. The kids and I even got to spend 3 months in Korea! We were able to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and celebrate with Dave on his birthday before having to come home. These are wonderful memories.
Dave was able to walk out of the USAF and into a wonderful job in which he is still employed today. Now that Dave had a good job and we had a place to live, we were ready for another child. Nine months after returning from Korea, we gave birth to our 3rd child. We named her Christiana.
Up until this time we had pretty much taken the "ordering of our children" into our own hands. While we have never liked the idea of birth control pills, there are other means out there to "control" pregnancies, and we felt free to use them. So whenever we felt ready for another child, we simply stopped using contraception.
Sometime after Christiana was born, however, God made us both aware of the fact that we were not trusting Him to order our lives. Sure, we trusted Him with our lives and trusted Him to provide for our needs, but we were not trusting Him to provide us with the blessings that He wanted to give us.
In the Bible, God makes it clear that He opens and closes the womb. Who then are we to try and "close" our wombs? The argument here might be, "If God wants me pregnant, then won't he just cause the contraception to not work?" I don' t think so. I think that when you say, "I am not ready to have a child, therefore I am going to take every precaution not to get pregnant," you are basically refusing the blessing that God wants to give you.
Let me ask you something. If someone were to offer you a check for any amount of money simply because they felt compelled to bless you in that way, would you refuse it? I don't think so! First of all, you would not like to offend them by refusing their gift, and secondly, who doesn't like to receive gifts from other people?
Well, I believe that children are a gift directly from the hand of God. In Psalm 127 it says that children are a blessing from the Lord. Who are we to refuse His blessings?
It also says in Psalm 127 that children are "like arrows in the hand of a warrior. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." We are all involved in a spiritual battle. What warrior would go out to battle without making sure he had as much ammunition (in this case, as many arrows) as he could carry?
I am not saying that everyone should have a dozen kids. Some of you may have a smaller "quiver" than others. I am simply saying that God has given us the opportunity to receive these "arrows" directly from His hand. How can we say no to this gift that He has offered us?
After realizing all these things, Dave and I have given this area completely over to the will of God, and rejoice with every new blessing He sees fit to give us. What an awesome responsibility He as entrusted us with! We are raising the next generation of warriors for Christ! May God grant us wisdom in doing so!
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
Psalm 127:3-5
I have always wanted a big family. I remember playing with my sister, and we would "play" our life as we dreamed it would one day be. I always had 8 - 10 kids, named them all and even had a plan for a set of twins somewhere along the line!
I met Dave when we were both 15 and were married by the age of 19 after Dave joined the USAF. We moved to NC and within a couple of months were pregnant with our first child. She was, I must say, a little bit of a surprise, but very welcome! We were so excited! I was the first in my family to be married and this would be the first grandchild on either side. Everyone was ecstatic. Julia was born a month before our first anniversary, and by the time she was 4 months old, we were hoping for a second child.
God blessed us right away and ten days after Julia turned 1, James was born. Again, we were thrilled to have another child and marveled at the goodness of God in our lives.
When Jim was a few months old, we got the awful news that Dave would have to spend his final year of duty in Korea. This would be an unaccompanied tour which basically meant that he had to leave his family behind. Let me tell you, this rocked our world! Here we are with two children under two, we own a house in North Carolina, our families live in Maryland, and Dave has to leave for an entire year!
My parents were gracious and asked the kids and I to come and live with them while Dave was gone. We put our house on the market and packed our things and moved back to Maryland before Dave had to leave.
While Dave was gone, he missed Julia's 2nd birthday, Jim's first words, first steps and first birthday. We didn't get to talk on the phone very much, but there were a constant flow of e-mails back and forth between us.
This was a trying time to say the least, but we look back on it now and can see how God used this situation for His glory in both of our lives. The kids and I even got to spend 3 months in Korea! We were able to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and celebrate with Dave on his birthday before having to come home. These are wonderful memories.
Dave was able to walk out of the USAF and into a wonderful job in which he is still employed today. Now that Dave had a good job and we had a place to live, we were ready for another child. Nine months after returning from Korea, we gave birth to our 3rd child. We named her Christiana.
Up until this time we had pretty much taken the "ordering of our children" into our own hands. While we have never liked the idea of birth control pills, there are other means out there to "control" pregnancies, and we felt free to use them. So whenever we felt ready for another child, we simply stopped using contraception.
Sometime after Christiana was born, however, God made us both aware of the fact that we were not trusting Him to order our lives. Sure, we trusted Him with our lives and trusted Him to provide for our needs, but we were not trusting Him to provide us with the blessings that He wanted to give us.
In the Bible, God makes it clear that He opens and closes the womb. Who then are we to try and "close" our wombs? The argument here might be, "If God wants me pregnant, then won't he just cause the contraception to not work?" I don' t think so. I think that when you say, "I am not ready to have a child, therefore I am going to take every precaution not to get pregnant," you are basically refusing the blessing that God wants to give you.
Let me ask you something. If someone were to offer you a check for any amount of money simply because they felt compelled to bless you in that way, would you refuse it? I don't think so! First of all, you would not like to offend them by refusing their gift, and secondly, who doesn't like to receive gifts from other people?
Well, I believe that children are a gift directly from the hand of God. In Psalm 127 it says that children are a blessing from the Lord. Who are we to refuse His blessings?
It also says in Psalm 127 that children are "like arrows in the hand of a warrior. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." We are all involved in a spiritual battle. What warrior would go out to battle without making sure he had as much ammunition (in this case, as many arrows) as he could carry?
I am not saying that everyone should have a dozen kids. Some of you may have a smaller "quiver" than others. I am simply saying that God has given us the opportunity to receive these "arrows" directly from His hand. How can we say no to this gift that He has offered us?
After realizing all these things, Dave and I have given this area completely over to the will of God, and rejoice with every new blessing He sees fit to give us. What an awesome responsibility He as entrusted us with! We are raising the next generation of warriors for Christ! May God grant us wisdom in doing so!
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
Psalm 127:3-5
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Refreshing Friendships
As a full time wife and home schooling mom, I find that I have very little time to get bored with the trivial things of a "normal" lifestyle. Things like keeping a clean house, cooking wholesome meals, (by the way, have they decided whether ketchup is a vegetable yet or not?) making sure the dog gets fed, and going grocery shopping just to name a few!
A n ideal day at my house goes somewhat as follows:
Everyone out of bed at 7 am and do your morning chores before coming down to breakfast at 7:15. (morning chores include making your bed, putting toys, books, etc. Away, and making sure there are no clothes on the floor) Mom fixes everyone breakfast - usually a bagel or cereal - then we sit down and eat with Dave before he leaves for work. After eating, we have our family devotions and prayer, then everyone kisses Daddy goodbye and gets dressed before starting school.
We have our math lessons first, since, as the day progresses, the minds seems to get duller! While the older kids are doing this, the younger kids get to watch an educational DVD. Our latest find is the Leapfrog series. The first one is The Letter Factory and the second is The Talking Words Factory. (Anyone with preschool age children looking for good teaching movies - this is a must! Matthew, my 3 year old, has mastered beginning sounds, knows his vowels, and is already learning to spell small words!)
After math is Spelling and Art or Typing (depending on the day) followed by English. After English, the older kids go practice their instruments and I have school with the two little boys before fixing everyone's lunch.
After lunch, everyone has to take a "quiet time". The younger kids nap, and the older kids either read quietly or they may listen to music with their headphones on, so as not to disturb anyone else. This is my quiet time as well! Time where I can sit and get alone with God as well as checking my e-mail and of course blogging!
After quiet time the older kids finish up their schooling with History. Once we are finished with the History book, this will be our time for Science. After History, the kids have to complete their chores before they are allowed any computer time. I am usually working on whatever cleaning project I have to get done as well as making preparations for dinner.
Have you noticed that I didn't mention laundry in our schedule anywhere? I guess that is one of those normal things that I forgot about! I do manage to wash our clothes somewhere in the midst of our busy schedule! (Actually, the older kids are doing their share of laundry these days! I am now responsible for washing the clothes of only 5 people!)
After dinner is cleaned up, I am either bathing children, finishing laundry or some other project I am working on while the kids enjoy the rest of their evening playing together. If there is enough time before family worship and prayer, I read a chapter out loud from the series of books called The Archives of Anthropos. These are great books that I enjoyed reading with my family growing up. We are currently reading the 3rd book in the series. This is a great alternative to sitting in front of the television!
Also, throughout my day, I am tending to the various needs of my two year old and my 5 month old. Feeding every 3 hours or so, changing diapers, fixing bottles, etc.
Before putting the kids in bed, we have a time of singing and prayer together. We try and learn a new song every couple of weeks, and usually sing this one every night for at least a week so that the kids can learn the words. It is such a blessing to have our kids singing with us in church as opposed to standing there listening to us!
You are probably wondering why I am bothering to bore you with the details of a day in the life of the Tritts, right? I assure you, this is not to serve as a reminder of the similar lives most of you reading this probably live! Rather, this is to serve as a reminder that we as wives and mothers need to have a break from our very busy lives every once in a while!
This last Saturday, my husband gave me a wonderful treat. He sent me out with my friends and told me to enjoy the day however I wanted! I was able to have uninterrupted conversation with my friends while eating a bowl of fried jalapenos, shared more wholesome conversation over a cup of tea at Starbucks, and then proceeded to go to several stores where I could look at breakable objects without the fear of someone knocking them off the shelf! I was gone the entire afternoon - all the way up until dinner time! I felt sooo refreshed after spending this time with my friends. They were such an encouragement to me and I felt totally ready to come back to my life of "serene chaos" as the Dugger Family calls their family life.
I am confident of my calling to be a wife and a mother of many, but I believe that in the midst of our callings, God gives us these times of refreshing so that we may approach our callings with renewed vigor and anticipation of what God can do in and through us as we serve Him.
So, the next time you feel the need to be refreshed, call up a friend or two and go spend some time being renewed and refreshed so that you can serve God more effectively in whatever calling He has for your life!
A n ideal day at my house goes somewhat as follows:
Everyone out of bed at 7 am and do your morning chores before coming down to breakfast at 7:15. (morning chores include making your bed, putting toys, books, etc. Away, and making sure there are no clothes on the floor) Mom fixes everyone breakfast - usually a bagel or cereal - then we sit down and eat with Dave before he leaves for work. After eating, we have our family devotions and prayer, then everyone kisses Daddy goodbye and gets dressed before starting school.
We have our math lessons first, since, as the day progresses, the minds seems to get duller! While the older kids are doing this, the younger kids get to watch an educational DVD. Our latest find is the Leapfrog series. The first one is The Letter Factory and the second is The Talking Words Factory. (Anyone with preschool age children looking for good teaching movies - this is a must! Matthew, my 3 year old, has mastered beginning sounds, knows his vowels, and is already learning to spell small words!)
After math is Spelling and Art or Typing (depending on the day) followed by English. After English, the older kids go practice their instruments and I have school with the two little boys before fixing everyone's lunch.
After lunch, everyone has to take a "quiet time". The younger kids nap, and the older kids either read quietly or they may listen to music with their headphones on, so as not to disturb anyone else. This is my quiet time as well! Time where I can sit and get alone with God as well as checking my e-mail and of course blogging!
After quiet time the older kids finish up their schooling with History. Once we are finished with the History book, this will be our time for Science. After History, the kids have to complete their chores before they are allowed any computer time. I am usually working on whatever cleaning project I have to get done as well as making preparations for dinner.
Have you noticed that I didn't mention laundry in our schedule anywhere? I guess that is one of those normal things that I forgot about! I do manage to wash our clothes somewhere in the midst of our busy schedule! (Actually, the older kids are doing their share of laundry these days! I am now responsible for washing the clothes of only 5 people!)
After dinner is cleaned up, I am either bathing children, finishing laundry or some other project I am working on while the kids enjoy the rest of their evening playing together. If there is enough time before family worship and prayer, I read a chapter out loud from the series of books called The Archives of Anthropos. These are great books that I enjoyed reading with my family growing up. We are currently reading the 3rd book in the series. This is a great alternative to sitting in front of the television!
Also, throughout my day, I am tending to the various needs of my two year old and my 5 month old. Feeding every 3 hours or so, changing diapers, fixing bottles, etc.
Before putting the kids in bed, we have a time of singing and prayer together. We try and learn a new song every couple of weeks, and usually sing this one every night for at least a week so that the kids can learn the words. It is such a blessing to have our kids singing with us in church as opposed to standing there listening to us!
You are probably wondering why I am bothering to bore you with the details of a day in the life of the Tritts, right? I assure you, this is not to serve as a reminder of the similar lives most of you reading this probably live! Rather, this is to serve as a reminder that we as wives and mothers need to have a break from our very busy lives every once in a while!
This last Saturday, my husband gave me a wonderful treat. He sent me out with my friends and told me to enjoy the day however I wanted! I was able to have uninterrupted conversation with my friends while eating a bowl of fried jalapenos, shared more wholesome conversation over a cup of tea at Starbucks, and then proceeded to go to several stores where I could look at breakable objects without the fear of someone knocking them off the shelf! I was gone the entire afternoon - all the way up until dinner time! I felt sooo refreshed after spending this time with my friends. They were such an encouragement to me and I felt totally ready to come back to my life of "serene chaos" as the Dugger Family calls their family life.
I am confident of my calling to be a wife and a mother of many, but I believe that in the midst of our callings, God gives us these times of refreshing so that we may approach our callings with renewed vigor and anticipation of what God can do in and through us as we serve Him.
So, the next time you feel the need to be refreshed, call up a friend or two and go spend some time being renewed and refreshed so that you can serve God more effectively in whatever calling He has for your life!
Friday, January 06, 2006
Heroes
Long ago, heroes were thought of as those who died for something that they believed in, or someone who was a great warrior and brought peace to many nations. For instance, look at the life of Alexander the Great.
After inheriting his father's kingdom at the age of 20, his goal was to expand his empire as far east as possible. He immediately began conquering the nations starting with the city of Tyre. He then pushed through Palestine, Syria, Iran, and Afghanistan. He also conquered Egypt (or, depending on your perspective, "liberated" Egypt from the Persians). Battle after battle was fought until all of Persia and most of the known lands belonged to Alexander.
Another example of heroes long ago would be the Christians that were martyred during the reign of Nero. Nero hated the Christians because they refused to worship the Roman rulers who were often regarded by their nations as gods. This horrible ruler made it a crime to be a Christian, and anyone who would not renounce their faith would be executed. These executions were often made into a sport or an entertainment that thousands of people would watch. Many heroes of the faith gave their lives for their belief in the one true God.
(I found it interesting that Constantine, the man who became ruler after Nero, declared it a crime NOT to be a Christian. Maybe he became a hero to the Christians living during his reign, but this was the beginning of a weakening in the Christian faith. Think about it. Either claim Christ as Lord or be persecuted. It would stand to reason that those who really didn't believe would claim to be a Christian to avoid being persecuted or possibly killed. This led to weak faith and false teachings. No wonder there is such a need for revival.)
Through the years the term of hero has kept it's status as an object of extreme admiration and devotion, but it seems like the heroes of our time our heroes of our imagination or heroes that are just ordinary people with high ideals and important titles.
Take the heroes of our children today. Instead of admiring people like Abraham or the Apostle Paul, our sons sit in front of the television hoping to be able to imitate the actions of Spider Man or Batman. Maybe they dream of becoming a Ninja like Michelangelo or Donatello, or be able to crash through buildings like Mr. Incredible. Our daughters dream of being as beautiful as Cinderella or Barbie. Maybe one day they will be able to sing and dance on stage like Brittany Spears. (I'm not really up on the modern entertainment...Is she still around??)
What about the people that the adults of today look up to? Just as Nero had the coliseum to enjoy watching the gladiators so long ago, so we have stadiums to enjoy watching our "heroes" perform today. We have concerts where various artists perform amidst the roar of the crowds. (Dare I mention the mosh pits present even within the so called "Christian" concerts?) What about the sports industry? Football, baseball, soccer - each one filled with athletes that so many look up to.
Do I think that having a hero is wrong? No. Not by any means. Having the right hero is the problem we face today. Are the heroes that we allow our children to imitate supporting our desire for them to imitate Christ in all things? Our the heroes that our children dream of one day being just like condoning sinful behavior in any way?
I like watching movies with my kids like Spider Man and Star Wars, but if we let them watch these movies over and over again to the point that their minds are filled with the passion to be just like these ""heroes", has it become anything less than idol worship?
I think that the kind of heroes I want for my children are not those beings with supernatural abilities, but normal human beings with an ambition to follow a supernatural God. Is there anything wrong with hoping that your kids see their dad or mom as a hero? Absolutely not! I can only hope and pray that my children see me as enough of a "hero" that they want to follow in my footsteps. I must continually pray that my life will be an example of godliness for my kids to imitate.
Speaking of her own daughter, Beverly LaHaye writes in her book Understanding Your Child's temperament, "I knew it was my responsibility to protect her from following other role models that would be contrary to what God wanted her to be, because children will look for heroes."
After inheriting his father's kingdom at the age of 20, his goal was to expand his empire as far east as possible. He immediately began conquering the nations starting with the city of Tyre. He then pushed through Palestine, Syria, Iran, and Afghanistan. He also conquered Egypt (or, depending on your perspective, "liberated" Egypt from the Persians). Battle after battle was fought until all of Persia and most of the known lands belonged to Alexander.
Another example of heroes long ago would be the Christians that were martyred during the reign of Nero. Nero hated the Christians because they refused to worship the Roman rulers who were often regarded by their nations as gods. This horrible ruler made it a crime to be a Christian, and anyone who would not renounce their faith would be executed. These executions were often made into a sport or an entertainment that thousands of people would watch. Many heroes of the faith gave their lives for their belief in the one true God.
(I found it interesting that Constantine, the man who became ruler after Nero, declared it a crime NOT to be a Christian. Maybe he became a hero to the Christians living during his reign, but this was the beginning of a weakening in the Christian faith. Think about it. Either claim Christ as Lord or be persecuted. It would stand to reason that those who really didn't believe would claim to be a Christian to avoid being persecuted or possibly killed. This led to weak faith and false teachings. No wonder there is such a need for revival.)
Through the years the term of hero has kept it's status as an object of extreme admiration and devotion, but it seems like the heroes of our time our heroes of our imagination or heroes that are just ordinary people with high ideals and important titles.
Take the heroes of our children today. Instead of admiring people like Abraham or the Apostle Paul, our sons sit in front of the television hoping to be able to imitate the actions of Spider Man or Batman. Maybe they dream of becoming a Ninja like Michelangelo or Donatello, or be able to crash through buildings like Mr. Incredible. Our daughters dream of being as beautiful as Cinderella or Barbie. Maybe one day they will be able to sing and dance on stage like Brittany Spears. (I'm not really up on the modern entertainment...Is she still around??)
What about the people that the adults of today look up to? Just as Nero had the coliseum to enjoy watching the gladiators so long ago, so we have stadiums to enjoy watching our "heroes" perform today. We have concerts where various artists perform amidst the roar of the crowds. (Dare I mention the mosh pits present even within the so called "Christian" concerts?) What about the sports industry? Football, baseball, soccer - each one filled with athletes that so many look up to.
Do I think that having a hero is wrong? No. Not by any means. Having the right hero is the problem we face today. Are the heroes that we allow our children to imitate supporting our desire for them to imitate Christ in all things? Our the heroes that our children dream of one day being just like condoning sinful behavior in any way?
I like watching movies with my kids like Spider Man and Star Wars, but if we let them watch these movies over and over again to the point that their minds are filled with the passion to be just like these ""heroes", has it become anything less than idol worship?
I think that the kind of heroes I want for my children are not those beings with supernatural abilities, but normal human beings with an ambition to follow a supernatural God. Is there anything wrong with hoping that your kids see their dad or mom as a hero? Absolutely not! I can only hope and pray that my children see me as enough of a "hero" that they want to follow in my footsteps. I must continually pray that my life will be an example of godliness for my kids to imitate.
Speaking of her own daughter, Beverly LaHaye writes in her book Understanding Your Child's temperament, "I knew it was my responsibility to protect her from following other role models that would be contrary to what God wanted her to be, because children will look for heroes."
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Happy New Year
I must say that as January 1st was approaching I was both anticipating and dreading the coming of a new year. I admit that I was not really looking forward to starting school up again. I love teaching my kids, but I have been enjoying the break from our daily routine. It's a funny thing though - now that we have started up again, I am thrilled to get the kids back on their normal schedule! I am having a hard time putting my finger on just exactly what I needed a break from! Life is so much easier when your kids have a normal daily routine.
Far more than dreading the new year, I was excited about it for a multitude of reasons, among them was the anticipation of seeing what God would have for our family throughout this year. As most of you know, my husband Dave is running for Harford County Sheriff this year. You can visit his websight at www.trittforsheriff.com I am sure that this will bring many changes for our family, whether he wins the election or not. Dave will be extremely busy trying to run a campaign as well as continuing his full time job. We covet your prayers throughout this time. We both believe that God has lead Dave into this and that He will prove Himself faithful, however, we know it will be a struggle to maintain a healthy family life in the midst of everything else he must do.
While Dave is determined to include his family as much as possible in his campaigning, we know that there will be events that will not be appropriate for children to attend, as well as business dealings that Dave will have to take care of without us. Our family will also be forced into the "public lime-light" so to speak. I imagine that this will bring some negative repercussions along with it. Our desire throughout the whole thing is that God will be glorified and that His will will be done for our family. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
As Dave and I approached the New Year, we decided to address each of our children and give them a character quality to work on throughout 2006. I found a really great websight that lists a bunch of qualities as well as their definitions: www.characterqualities.com We prayed about each one and chose a different quality for each child according to his or her individual needs, then we sat down with each child on January 1st, and presented this quality to them, explained what exactly it means, and then prayed over them asking God to help them develop this particular quality. We are in the process now of printing out each quality and it's definition so that our kids can have these hanging up in their rooms as a constant reminder. We are excited to see how God will work in each of our children's lives.
We pray that God will bless you all as this New Year begins, and that you will keep Him the center of your lives, your marriages, and your families.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Far more than dreading the new year, I was excited about it for a multitude of reasons, among them was the anticipation of seeing what God would have for our family throughout this year. As most of you know, my husband Dave is running for Harford County Sheriff this year. You can visit his websight at www.trittforsheriff.com I am sure that this will bring many changes for our family, whether he wins the election or not. Dave will be extremely busy trying to run a campaign as well as continuing his full time job. We covet your prayers throughout this time. We both believe that God has lead Dave into this and that He will prove Himself faithful, however, we know it will be a struggle to maintain a healthy family life in the midst of everything else he must do.
While Dave is determined to include his family as much as possible in his campaigning, we know that there will be events that will not be appropriate for children to attend, as well as business dealings that Dave will have to take care of without us. Our family will also be forced into the "public lime-light" so to speak. I imagine that this will bring some negative repercussions along with it. Our desire throughout the whole thing is that God will be glorified and that His will will be done for our family. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
As Dave and I approached the New Year, we decided to address each of our children and give them a character quality to work on throughout 2006. I found a really great websight that lists a bunch of qualities as well as their definitions: www.characterqualities.com We prayed about each one and chose a different quality for each child according to his or her individual needs, then we sat down with each child on January 1st, and presented this quality to them, explained what exactly it means, and then prayed over them asking God to help them develop this particular quality. We are in the process now of printing out each quality and it's definition so that our kids can have these hanging up in their rooms as a constant reminder. We are excited to see how God will work in each of our children's lives.
We pray that God will bless you all as this New Year begins, and that you will keep Him the center of your lives, your marriages, and your families.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Our Tree Adventure
I can't believe it's already New Year's Eve! This year seemed to fly by.
I was taking down all of our Christmas decorations today (much to the disappointment of my husband who doesn't want to take down anything until WAY after the new year) and I began to remenisce about this year's "Christmas Tree Adventure". Maybe you would like to hear it!
About six or seven years ago we started the tradition of going to a tree farm with the kids the day after Thanksgiving, picking out a tree and chopping it down. This year was not going to be any different. So we thought!
Our little adventure began as soon as we got the the farm. For the last two years we bought a Canaan Fir - very hardy - but this year they didn't have any over three feet tall. We were looking for something a bit bigger, so we decided to go with the Douglas Fir, also very hardy. We walked through the rows of trees looking carefully at each one. Some were too tall, others not tall enough. Some to fat, some too skinny. We finally narrowed it down to two trees...each on the opposite side of the farm! We must have walked back and forth between the two trees at least four or five times! Some of the kids liked the teardrop shaped tree and some liked the one that was really full. Which one would we get?
Have you ever tried to make a fair decision between two things with eight kids all voting different ways? I think maybe we uncovered some heart issues on this particular day...but that's a different story! Anyway, we decided to flip a coin. The "full" tree wins! Let's chop it down and go home!
After Dave cuts our prize tree down, we all trapse back to the "shed" to make our purchase. Now to load up our tree. We have a 15 passenger van, and last year with the back seat taken out we could fit the tree inside the van. Ummm...yeah, this tree seems a bit bigger than last year. It doesn't fit in the van.
Good thing we came prepared! We stuck a blanket in the back just in case something like this happened! Let's put the tree on top of the van and get going! The only thing the farm had for fastening the trees on was some old baling twine. This is the kind of rope that is made up of little strings all twisted together to form one thicker string. Oh well, I guess you gotta work with what you have, right? Dave tied the tree down and fastened the twine to anything he could find inside the van that was secure enough. The bottom of seats, seat belts, etc. Twice during this process the twine snapped. Not good.
The tree was finally fastened to the roof and we were on our way! As we pulled out of the driveway, Dave asked me to check the tree occasionally to make sure it wasn't slipping. No problem! I could handle this job. No sooner had he made the request than we heard strings snapping. Not the entire twine, but the little strings that made up the twine. "Uh, honey, the tree is sliding."
The tree was still attatched, but Dave decided that we had better play it safe and take all the back roads so that we could go slow enough that the wind wouldn't lift the tree off the roof. Good idea! We manage to make it about a mile from home when Julia cries out, "Daddy, Daddy! You are going to run over our Christmas Tree!"
Sure enough, the tree had slid off of the roof and was hanging on the side of the van...barely! The only thing that was holding it up was one solitary piece of twine that had managed somehow not to break. Dave said for me to cut the twine as he lifted the tree to give me some slack. That would have been fine except the only thing I had to cut it with was my set of keys!
I finally got the twine cut, but now we had another problem. There wasn't enough twine left to refasten the tree to the roof.
Dave opens the back of the van, shoves the tree in trunk first, and proceeds to stradle the tree. He tied the doors as far shut as they would go and then asks me to drive the rest of the way home with him riding our Christmas tree!
Some story, huh? But wait - it's not over! When it was time to take the tree inside and set it up, we came across another "little" problem. We couldn't get it in the door! You are probably thinking that we bought this enormous tree, right? Well, it wasn't any taller than our tree last year, it just was really, really "full" Okay, so it was a big, fat tree!
You know those little netting gizmos they have at tree places that they shove the trees through to put nets on them before you take them home? Well, this is the method that Dave used to get our tree through our front door. He turned the tree around and shoved it through the door trunk first. (I think maybe our tree lost a bit of that "full" look after coming in the doorway so abruptly!)
Our tree managed to dominate our living room for the rest of the Christmas season. Filled with lights and trimmed with all the kids decorations, it was quite a sight to behold. Very...festive. It will be nice to get some of the space back in our living room once it's gone, but for all the trouble our tree gave us, I'm kind of going to miss it.
I was taking down all of our Christmas decorations today (much to the disappointment of my husband who doesn't want to take down anything until WAY after the new year) and I began to remenisce about this year's "Christmas Tree Adventure". Maybe you would like to hear it!
About six or seven years ago we started the tradition of going to a tree farm with the kids the day after Thanksgiving, picking out a tree and chopping it down. This year was not going to be any different. So we thought!
Our little adventure began as soon as we got the the farm. For the last two years we bought a Canaan Fir - very hardy - but this year they didn't have any over three feet tall. We were looking for something a bit bigger, so we decided to go with the Douglas Fir, also very hardy. We walked through the rows of trees looking carefully at each one. Some were too tall, others not tall enough. Some to fat, some too skinny. We finally narrowed it down to two trees...each on the opposite side of the farm! We must have walked back and forth between the two trees at least four or five times! Some of the kids liked the teardrop shaped tree and some liked the one that was really full. Which one would we get?
Have you ever tried to make a fair decision between two things with eight kids all voting different ways? I think maybe we uncovered some heart issues on this particular day...but that's a different story! Anyway, we decided to flip a coin. The "full" tree wins! Let's chop it down and go home!
After Dave cuts our prize tree down, we all trapse back to the "shed" to make our purchase. Now to load up our tree. We have a 15 passenger van, and last year with the back seat taken out we could fit the tree inside the van. Ummm...yeah, this tree seems a bit bigger than last year. It doesn't fit in the van.
Good thing we came prepared! We stuck a blanket in the back just in case something like this happened! Let's put the tree on top of the van and get going! The only thing the farm had for fastening the trees on was some old baling twine. This is the kind of rope that is made up of little strings all twisted together to form one thicker string. Oh well, I guess you gotta work with what you have, right? Dave tied the tree down and fastened the twine to anything he could find inside the van that was secure enough. The bottom of seats, seat belts, etc. Twice during this process the twine snapped. Not good.
The tree was finally fastened to the roof and we were on our way! As we pulled out of the driveway, Dave asked me to check the tree occasionally to make sure it wasn't slipping. No problem! I could handle this job. No sooner had he made the request than we heard strings snapping. Not the entire twine, but the little strings that made up the twine. "Uh, honey, the tree is sliding."
The tree was still attatched, but Dave decided that we had better play it safe and take all the back roads so that we could go slow enough that the wind wouldn't lift the tree off the roof. Good idea! We manage to make it about a mile from home when Julia cries out, "Daddy, Daddy! You are going to run over our Christmas Tree!"
Sure enough, the tree had slid off of the roof and was hanging on the side of the van...barely! The only thing that was holding it up was one solitary piece of twine that had managed somehow not to break. Dave said for me to cut the twine as he lifted the tree to give me some slack. That would have been fine except the only thing I had to cut it with was my set of keys!
I finally got the twine cut, but now we had another problem. There wasn't enough twine left to refasten the tree to the roof.
Dave opens the back of the van, shoves the tree in trunk first, and proceeds to stradle the tree. He tied the doors as far shut as they would go and then asks me to drive the rest of the way home with him riding our Christmas tree!
Some story, huh? But wait - it's not over! When it was time to take the tree inside and set it up, we came across another "little" problem. We couldn't get it in the door! You are probably thinking that we bought this enormous tree, right? Well, it wasn't any taller than our tree last year, it just was really, really "full" Okay, so it was a big, fat tree!
You know those little netting gizmos they have at tree places that they shove the trees through to put nets on them before you take them home? Well, this is the method that Dave used to get our tree through our front door. He turned the tree around and shoved it through the door trunk first. (I think maybe our tree lost a bit of that "full" look after coming in the doorway so abruptly!)
Our tree managed to dominate our living room for the rest of the Christmas season. Filled with lights and trimmed with all the kids decorations, it was quite a sight to behold. Very...festive. It will be nice to get some of the space back in our living room once it's gone, but for all the trouble our tree gave us, I'm kind of going to miss it.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Wearing Masks
The other night I was doing some last minute preparations for company that we were having over. Dinner was coming along nicely and the house was looking pretty good. The tree lights were plugged in, the candles turned on in the windows and the kids were all playing nicely together.
Then it happened. A door slammed and I heard a blood curdling scream. Someone had gotten hurt. Nathan was crying, "My ear! My ear!"
I was in the bathroom wiping off the sink and told Nathan to come in so I could see what happened. He was still crying and there was blood pouring from his ear. I hollered, "What happened?" No response. I hollered louder, "Somebody tell me what happened, and somebody else get me some paper towels. Nathan is bleeding!" I heard a few, "I don't knows" and then I tried one more time. "Does anyone know what happened??? Paper towels!!!! Come on guys!"
Well, finally someone came up with the answer. "We were playing in the dark, so we don't know what happened...We couldn't see anything."
We finally concluded that Nathan had slipped and fallen into the closet door, neatly slicing the bottom of his ear lobe. I took him to Patient First and they said he would be okay without stitches. Hurray!
Meanwhile, Julia gets an A+ for getting dinner on that night! I had already put meat balls and spaghetti sauce in the crock pot, but she had to take care of cooking the noodles and the garlic bread. She managed very nicely with a little help from Dad! Way to go Julia!
I've been thinking about that incident quite a bit lately. If that had happened somewhere other than inside my home, or if our company had already arrived, would I have reacted differently? I think I would have.
I often find that I keep my reactions to my children in check when I know that others are watching. I am sure that if I were elsewhere when Nathan got hurt, my reaction would have been more like this. "Hey, kids! Could someone please tell me what happened to Nathan?" (this would, of course, be spoken in a nice calm voice) "Are you sure no one knows? Okay, well, I need some paper towels because Nathan is bleeding pretty badly. Thank you!"
When I told Dave about what I had been pondering, he came up with this response. "Doesn't hypocrite mean mask? I'm not saying that you are, of course!" Well Dave, if the shoe fits!
How many other times have I reacted in such an ungodly manner towards my kids? This is just a continuation of my other thought about pleasing men and pleasing God, I guess. I truly believe that my children are a blessing and a precious gift that Dave and I have received directly from God's hands. Why then do I so often treat them as anything less than precious?
I believe that the person you are in your home is the person that God sees when He looks at your heart. Remember, man looks at the outward appearance, which I believe many of us attempt to cover up by reacting differently than we would at home.
I'm not saying you should lose your temper at your kids outside the home as well as in your homes! I am encouraging you as well as myself to work on having loving responses towards your kids inside your home even when no one is watching! This is what is going to make a positive impression on your kids. When you act differently when you are being observed, your kids will see you as a hypocrite - definitely not a positive impression! We are to be living examples of Christ to our kids in our everyday lives... Not just when others are watching!
My word to moms: Take off our masks and throw them away!
Then it happened. A door slammed and I heard a blood curdling scream. Someone had gotten hurt. Nathan was crying, "My ear! My ear!"
I was in the bathroom wiping off the sink and told Nathan to come in so I could see what happened. He was still crying and there was blood pouring from his ear. I hollered, "What happened?" No response. I hollered louder, "Somebody tell me what happened, and somebody else get me some paper towels. Nathan is bleeding!" I heard a few, "I don't knows" and then I tried one more time. "Does anyone know what happened??? Paper towels!!!! Come on guys!"
Well, finally someone came up with the answer. "We were playing in the dark, so we don't know what happened...We couldn't see anything."
We finally concluded that Nathan had slipped and fallen into the closet door, neatly slicing the bottom of his ear lobe. I took him to Patient First and they said he would be okay without stitches. Hurray!
Meanwhile, Julia gets an A+ for getting dinner on that night! I had already put meat balls and spaghetti sauce in the crock pot, but she had to take care of cooking the noodles and the garlic bread. She managed very nicely with a little help from Dad! Way to go Julia!
I've been thinking about that incident quite a bit lately. If that had happened somewhere other than inside my home, or if our company had already arrived, would I have reacted differently? I think I would have.
I often find that I keep my reactions to my children in check when I know that others are watching. I am sure that if I were elsewhere when Nathan got hurt, my reaction would have been more like this. "Hey, kids! Could someone please tell me what happened to Nathan?" (this would, of course, be spoken in a nice calm voice) "Are you sure no one knows? Okay, well, I need some paper towels because Nathan is bleeding pretty badly. Thank you!"
When I told Dave about what I had been pondering, he came up with this response. "Doesn't hypocrite mean mask? I'm not saying that you are, of course!" Well Dave, if the shoe fits!
How many other times have I reacted in such an ungodly manner towards my kids? This is just a continuation of my other thought about pleasing men and pleasing God, I guess. I truly believe that my children are a blessing and a precious gift that Dave and I have received directly from God's hands. Why then do I so often treat them as anything less than precious?
I believe that the person you are in your home is the person that God sees when He looks at your heart. Remember, man looks at the outward appearance, which I believe many of us attempt to cover up by reacting differently than we would at home.
I'm not saying you should lose your temper at your kids outside the home as well as in your homes! I am encouraging you as well as myself to work on having loving responses towards your kids inside your home even when no one is watching! This is what is going to make a positive impression on your kids. When you act differently when you are being observed, your kids will see you as a hypocrite - definitely not a positive impression! We are to be living examples of Christ to our kids in our everyday lives... Not just when others are watching!
My word to moms: Take off our masks and throw them away!
Friday, December 09, 2005
Grocery shopping with...eight?
Yeah, that's right. I decided to make a Giant run with all the kids. Mom said I should go home and leave a couple with my Dad who, at the time was painting Christiana's new bedroom. I had spent the afternoon at my mom's house helping her with her Christmas tree and listening to my kids practice for the Live Nativity at Beachmont next weekend. I realized that I really needed to pick up a couple of things at Giant because we were having friends over for dinner. I also needed the ingredients for a birthday cake for Chrissy and Amanda. I should have listened to Mom!
With the up coming snow storm, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to go out in the morning before Dave left for work, and I was too tired to go home and then go back out again! It was also nearing dinner time and I needed to be able to feed the kids when we got to the house.
I must have made an interesting picture to those unfortunate enough to witness this little fiasco. I realize that it's a scene all by itself to see me go into the store with all 8 kids. I mean, who in their right mind would attempt that?
The first major problem arose when they didn't have any of those special "big carts". You know, the ones that look like trucks and you can seat at least 3 kids in them? I love those carts! It makes shopping so much easier! Anyway, they didn't have one, so I was trying to make it with a regular cart.
As soon as we made it to the doorway, Matt decided he didn't want to ride on the end of the cart and without any warning jumps off of the cart. Totally unprepared for this little ejection, I begin to run over him! Oops! I tell him to get back on, and certain that he had obeyed quickly, I begin walking, only to run over him again! This happened 2 or 3 more times, and then once we finally got our act together, Nathan walked in front of the cart and I knocked him down as well!
All this took place in the doorway, and the poor soul behind us finally had enough and decided to squeeze around us.
Well, we made it inside the store, and to my joy we found a cart extension! In case you don't know what that is, it's basically a bench on wheels that you can hook to a regular shopping cart by placing the back wheels into holders on the front of the extension. This would give me two extra seats! Hurray! It seems as if my troubles had been solved! Yeah, right! No such luck. Once I was able to get the thing hooked up, I found, to my dismay, that the thing didn't work. Well, back to the regular shopping cart!
I told Jim to grab a basket, since Alyssa was in the back of the cart and Amanda was in the front. He could easily carry the few things that we needed. Naturally, everyone else wanted a basket too, and before I knew it, my kids had pretty much emptied the supply of baskets that were set out. They weren't too thrilled when I told them that they had to put them all back!
We managed to make it down the first isle without incident. Whew! Things were looking up! HA! Think again. Matt couldn't hold on to the end of the cart any more, so he switched places with Nathan. That was okay, except he walked around the store with his head turned around! He must have bumped into three or four people and then he managed to walk right into a stand holding a at least 30 DVDs!
Yep....The stand fell spilling DVDs everywhere. Not only did the stand fall, it almost hit this poor old unsuspecting man! The guy jumped as the stand crashed inches from him, turned around and looks, and then mutters, "What a mess" and walks away.
By this point, I was beyond embarrassment. Me and my little "troop" was center stage amidst the frenzied shopping of those worried about the upcoming storm. All the way through the rest of the store I could hear the whispered comments of those who were watching. Not the comments that are usually made to my face such as, "Are those all your kids?" or, "Wow! Do you run a day care?" No, these were the comments that you aren't supposed to hear, but they were spoken just loud enough to reach my ears. "Man, look at that troop of kids!" "Man, that's a lot of kids!" "Oh, my word!" etc. etc. etc.
If they have cameras throughout Giant like they do in most stores, I imagine the employees might be watching the "Shopping With Eight" re-run for weeks to come. I hope they get more of a laugh out of it than I did!
We did finally make it to the check out, and besides Matt spilling most of the contents of the basket, we headed out of the store with out any more incidents. My comment to the kids when we got to the van, amongst other things was, "This is not going to happen again for a very long time!"
I sure hope I'm right!!!
With the up coming snow storm, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to go out in the morning before Dave left for work, and I was too tired to go home and then go back out again! It was also nearing dinner time and I needed to be able to feed the kids when we got to the house.
I must have made an interesting picture to those unfortunate enough to witness this little fiasco. I realize that it's a scene all by itself to see me go into the store with all 8 kids. I mean, who in their right mind would attempt that?
The first major problem arose when they didn't have any of those special "big carts". You know, the ones that look like trucks and you can seat at least 3 kids in them? I love those carts! It makes shopping so much easier! Anyway, they didn't have one, so I was trying to make it with a regular cart.
As soon as we made it to the doorway, Matt decided he didn't want to ride on the end of the cart and without any warning jumps off of the cart. Totally unprepared for this little ejection, I begin to run over him! Oops! I tell him to get back on, and certain that he had obeyed quickly, I begin walking, only to run over him again! This happened 2 or 3 more times, and then once we finally got our act together, Nathan walked in front of the cart and I knocked him down as well!
All this took place in the doorway, and the poor soul behind us finally had enough and decided to squeeze around us.
Well, we made it inside the store, and to my joy we found a cart extension! In case you don't know what that is, it's basically a bench on wheels that you can hook to a regular shopping cart by placing the back wheels into holders on the front of the extension. This would give me two extra seats! Hurray! It seems as if my troubles had been solved! Yeah, right! No such luck. Once I was able to get the thing hooked up, I found, to my dismay, that the thing didn't work. Well, back to the regular shopping cart!
I told Jim to grab a basket, since Alyssa was in the back of the cart and Amanda was in the front. He could easily carry the few things that we needed. Naturally, everyone else wanted a basket too, and before I knew it, my kids had pretty much emptied the supply of baskets that were set out. They weren't too thrilled when I told them that they had to put them all back!
We managed to make it down the first isle without incident. Whew! Things were looking up! HA! Think again. Matt couldn't hold on to the end of the cart any more, so he switched places with Nathan. That was okay, except he walked around the store with his head turned around! He must have bumped into three or four people and then he managed to walk right into a stand holding a at least 30 DVDs!
Yep....The stand fell spilling DVDs everywhere. Not only did the stand fall, it almost hit this poor old unsuspecting man! The guy jumped as the stand crashed inches from him, turned around and looks, and then mutters, "What a mess" and walks away.
By this point, I was beyond embarrassment. Me and my little "troop" was center stage amidst the frenzied shopping of those worried about the upcoming storm. All the way through the rest of the store I could hear the whispered comments of those who were watching. Not the comments that are usually made to my face such as, "Are those all your kids?" or, "Wow! Do you run a day care?" No, these were the comments that you aren't supposed to hear, but they were spoken just loud enough to reach my ears. "Man, look at that troop of kids!" "Man, that's a lot of kids!" "Oh, my word!" etc. etc. etc.
If they have cameras throughout Giant like they do in most stores, I imagine the employees might be watching the "Shopping With Eight" re-run for weeks to come. I hope they get more of a laugh out of it than I did!
We did finally make it to the check out, and besides Matt spilling most of the contents of the basket, we headed out of the store with out any more incidents. My comment to the kids when we got to the van, amongst other things was, "This is not going to happen again for a very long time!"
I sure hope I'm right!!!
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Men Pleaser - God Pleaser
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of God." Galatians 1:10
This verse made me step back and really examine my life. How many areas of my life am I really trying to please men? Am I serving God in all areas of my life, or are there areas that I am really seeking the approval of men?
For instance, is the way I dress totally about pleasing God, or do I dress with the thought of "this is so unfashionable - I wouldn't want my friends to see me in this!" or maybe "this outfit is so cute! I can't wait for my friends to see it!". Instead, my thoughts should be something like this. "Am I drawing attention away from my face at all? My countenance is what reflects what's inside, therefore I need to not wear anything that would draw attention to my body. Is my shirt to tight, short, low etc.? Is my skirt to short? Is anything I have on too revealing?"
Another area that I need to make sure I am not trying to please men is in the way I spend my time. First of all, am I faithfully spending time daily with my heavenly Father? Am I doing it privately, with in my "prayer closet", or am I having quiet time surrounded by men so that they can see how Spiritual I am, therefore, pleasing men?
How about the way I spend my free time? Do I entertain myself with movies or TV shows that are wholesome and pleasing to God, or do I watch things because my friends recommended it? "You should see this movie! It was sooo funny! It only had a few bad words in it." Does God really want us to subject ourselves to hearing even just a few bad words, especially if they are words that degrade His person in any way or take His precious name in vain? How about the music and book industry? Do I sing along with all the secular songs, or do I fill my mind with music that is praising to God? Do the books I read make me dwell on spiritual things or help me to better my walk with Christ?
These are some of the more obvious areas that constantly need checking on, but what about some of the not so obvious areas? Is the way I respond to my husband a way that I can please man? I think it is. When you are entertaining guests in your home, do you find yourself trying to present the relationship with your spouse in a different light than it really is? For example, when your husband does or says something in front of your guests that just the other day you responded in anger to him or complained to him about, do you respond differently- even lovingly- because people are watching?
When you are without your husband and some of your friends start talking about the problems that they have with their husbands and the things they do that are so annoying, do you join in and gossip with them about your husband? This is not pleasing to God! This is another way that we can please men. God wants wives to honor and respect their husbands even when our husbands aren't around!
How about the area of raising my kids? Do I seek to please men in any way in this area? Am I more patient in public with my children than I am in private, giving men a false representation of myself so that they will think more highly of me? Do I lower any of the standards that I have set for them just so they can have fun with their friends? Do I let them watch things that fill their minds with things that would draw them away from God in any way?
I am sure that if I spent more time dwelling on this I could come up with even more not so obvious areas of my life that need examining. I desire to be a servant of God. I need to examine every aspect of my life - the obvious and not so obvious - and make sure that I am not trying to please men in any way!
This verse made me step back and really examine my life. How many areas of my life am I really trying to please men? Am I serving God in all areas of my life, or are there areas that I am really seeking the approval of men?
For instance, is the way I dress totally about pleasing God, or do I dress with the thought of "this is so unfashionable - I wouldn't want my friends to see me in this!" or maybe "this outfit is so cute! I can't wait for my friends to see it!". Instead, my thoughts should be something like this. "Am I drawing attention away from my face at all? My countenance is what reflects what's inside, therefore I need to not wear anything that would draw attention to my body. Is my shirt to tight, short, low etc.? Is my skirt to short? Is anything I have on too revealing?"
Another area that I need to make sure I am not trying to please men is in the way I spend my time. First of all, am I faithfully spending time daily with my heavenly Father? Am I doing it privately, with in my "prayer closet", or am I having quiet time surrounded by men so that they can see how Spiritual I am, therefore, pleasing men?
How about the way I spend my free time? Do I entertain myself with movies or TV shows that are wholesome and pleasing to God, or do I watch things because my friends recommended it? "You should see this movie! It was sooo funny! It only had a few bad words in it." Does God really want us to subject ourselves to hearing even just a few bad words, especially if they are words that degrade His person in any way or take His precious name in vain? How about the music and book industry? Do I sing along with all the secular songs, or do I fill my mind with music that is praising to God? Do the books I read make me dwell on spiritual things or help me to better my walk with Christ?
These are some of the more obvious areas that constantly need checking on, but what about some of the not so obvious areas? Is the way I respond to my husband a way that I can please man? I think it is. When you are entertaining guests in your home, do you find yourself trying to present the relationship with your spouse in a different light than it really is? For example, when your husband does or says something in front of your guests that just the other day you responded in anger to him or complained to him about, do you respond differently- even lovingly- because people are watching?
When you are without your husband and some of your friends start talking about the problems that they have with their husbands and the things they do that are so annoying, do you join in and gossip with them about your husband? This is not pleasing to God! This is another way that we can please men. God wants wives to honor and respect their husbands even when our husbands aren't around!
How about the area of raising my kids? Do I seek to please men in any way in this area? Am I more patient in public with my children than I am in private, giving men a false representation of myself so that they will think more highly of me? Do I lower any of the standards that I have set for them just so they can have fun with their friends? Do I let them watch things that fill their minds with things that would draw them away from God in any way?
I am sure that if I spent more time dwelling on this I could come up with even more not so obvious areas of my life that need examining. I desire to be a servant of God. I need to examine every aspect of my life - the obvious and not so obvious - and make sure that I am not trying to please men in any way!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Being Thankful
During our bedtime prayers with the kids tonight, we were talking about being thankful. Instead of the usual routine of each one praying, we decided to be thankful in a different way. We went through the alphabet and each person had to say something that he was thankful for or thank God for one of His attributes.
I thought I would share what our kids found to be thankful for.
God is Almighty. God is Beautiful. God is our Creator. God is Divine. God is Eternal. Thankful for Food. Thankful for Gramps and Grammy. Thankful for our Home. God is Independent. Thankful for Jesus. God is the King of Kings. He is Lord. God is Magnificent. Thankful for Nathan. God is Omnipotent. God is Powerful. God is Quick to hear our prayers. God is Righteous. Thankful for His Steadfast love. Thankful for the Truth. God is Understanding. God is Victorious. Thankful for Water. EXceeding great and precious promises. (yeah, mom and dad helped with that one) Thankful for the Yellow sun. Thankful for the Zoo where we can see God's creatures.
The holiday we celebrate called Thanksgiving, should not simply be a day filled with traditions, feasting, and spending time with loved ones. This day is a wonderful time to be thankful for the many blessings God has given us. But why should we only be thankful one day of the year? We should begin each day with a time of thanksgiving. Isn't our every breath a gift from God? Then shouldn't every breath we take be filled with prayers of thanksgiving?
I want to share a tradition with you that my family had when I was growing up, and still practices today. Usually when we think of the first Thanksgiving, we think of the pilgrims and Indians and all the food they shared. We like to remember the year before that time. A year where food was so scarce that the food had to be rationed out. Only 5 kernels of corn per person. When our family gathers around the table to eat, we first pass out 5 kernels of corn to each person, and then we pass a basket around to collect the corn, one kernel at a time. Each time the basket passes by, you drop one kernel in and say something that you are thankful for. The basket is passed around until each person has used up all of their kernels.
These time have been so rich for our family! Tears are shed as we realize just how much we have to be thankful for! I would encourage you to try this in your own homes. Don't just have one person be thankful right before you eat. Let each person be thankful again and again!
Here is just a small list of the many things I have to be thankful for:
My salvation. My husband. My 8 children. My extended family. My health. My home. My heritage. My needs met above and beyond what is necessary for living. The gift of music. God's Word. Many wonderful friends.
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."
Psalm 100:4-5
I thought I would share what our kids found to be thankful for.
God is Almighty. God is Beautiful. God is our Creator. God is Divine. God is Eternal. Thankful for Food. Thankful for Gramps and Grammy. Thankful for our Home. God is Independent. Thankful for Jesus. God is the King of Kings. He is Lord. God is Magnificent. Thankful for Nathan. God is Omnipotent. God is Powerful. God is Quick to hear our prayers. God is Righteous. Thankful for His Steadfast love. Thankful for the Truth. God is Understanding. God is Victorious. Thankful for Water. EXceeding great and precious promises. (yeah, mom and dad helped with that one) Thankful for the Yellow sun. Thankful for the Zoo where we can see God's creatures.
The holiday we celebrate called Thanksgiving, should not simply be a day filled with traditions, feasting, and spending time with loved ones. This day is a wonderful time to be thankful for the many blessings God has given us. But why should we only be thankful one day of the year? We should begin each day with a time of thanksgiving. Isn't our every breath a gift from God? Then shouldn't every breath we take be filled with prayers of thanksgiving?
I want to share a tradition with you that my family had when I was growing up, and still practices today. Usually when we think of the first Thanksgiving, we think of the pilgrims and Indians and all the food they shared. We like to remember the year before that time. A year where food was so scarce that the food had to be rationed out. Only 5 kernels of corn per person. When our family gathers around the table to eat, we first pass out 5 kernels of corn to each person, and then we pass a basket around to collect the corn, one kernel at a time. Each time the basket passes by, you drop one kernel in and say something that you are thankful for. The basket is passed around until each person has used up all of their kernels.
These time have been so rich for our family! Tears are shed as we realize just how much we have to be thankful for! I would encourage you to try this in your own homes. Don't just have one person be thankful right before you eat. Let each person be thankful again and again!
Here is just a small list of the many things I have to be thankful for:
My salvation. My husband. My 8 children. My extended family. My health. My home. My heritage. My needs met above and beyond what is necessary for living. The gift of music. God's Word. Many wonderful friends.
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."
Psalm 100:4-5
Monday, November 21, 2005
An Interesting Twist to Pizza Night
If you like pizza, you might just like this recipe for Pizza Meatloaf.
Ingredients:
8 oz. (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar (14 oz) pizza sauce
2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 375.
Reserve 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/2 cup of pizza sauce.
In large bowl mix all ingredients except reserved cheese and sauce.
In 13x9 pan shape meat mixture into 9x5 loaf. Bake for 30 minutes.
Pour reserved sauce over loaf and cook for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle reserved cheese over loaf and cook 10 more minutes.
Serve hot or cold.
(makes 8 servings)
Ingredients:
8 oz. (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar (14 oz) pizza sauce
2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 375.
Reserve 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/2 cup of pizza sauce.
In large bowl mix all ingredients except reserved cheese and sauce.
In 13x9 pan shape meat mixture into 9x5 loaf. Bake for 30 minutes.
Pour reserved sauce over loaf and cook for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle reserved cheese over loaf and cook 10 more minutes.
Serve hot or cold.
(makes 8 servings)
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Simplicity
I have thought in the past that I lived a fairly simple life. Lately I have started to realize that this is far from true! My life is anything but simple.
People have such a tendency to hold on to things. We save everything from old magazines and expired coupons to clothing that has a sentimental value. (And probably doesn't fit anymore!)We find birthday cards from people we don't see or hear from anymore stuck in the back of the desk. How about books that have pages missing or puzzles and games whose pieces have been missing for several months or maybe even years? Did I mention the endless supply of happy meal toys? Life becomes so complex, not to mention messy, when we hold on to so many worthless things.
Ever since I moved to this house almost 5 years ago, I have been throwing away things. I started by having all of our boxes put in the garage. (except for the necessary items we needed for living such as clothes, dishes etc.) I went through the boxes one by one purposing to throw away or give away at least half of what was in the box. For the past two Novembers, I have gone through the toy room and given away at least 1/3 of the toys. (The kids have so many that they never play with!) I also have been going through our clothes. Anything that doesn't get worn, no matter how nice it is, gets sent to Good Will. Now I am going through each room with 3 bags. One for trash, one for Good Will, and one to be put away in its proper place.
I have a long way to go still, but slowly I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. My goal is to have a peaceful house without a lot of clutter. I want my family to be able to enjoy living here instead of trying to ignore the mess that rears it's head so often.
Something I need to remind my family and myself of time and time again is that We can't take it with us! The only things that we need to hold onto are those things that hold eternal value! Things like building relationships within our family. Cutting out the movies to play a game with our spouse instead. Or building our knowledge by reading God's Word and other wholesome books.
I want to lead a simple life. A life that has one purpose ~ To glorify God in all that I do.
People have such a tendency to hold on to things. We save everything from old magazines and expired coupons to clothing that has a sentimental value. (And probably doesn't fit anymore!)We find birthday cards from people we don't see or hear from anymore stuck in the back of the desk. How about books that have pages missing or puzzles and games whose pieces have been missing for several months or maybe even years? Did I mention the endless supply of happy meal toys? Life becomes so complex, not to mention messy, when we hold on to so many worthless things.
Ever since I moved to this house almost 5 years ago, I have been throwing away things. I started by having all of our boxes put in the garage. (except for the necessary items we needed for living such as clothes, dishes etc.) I went through the boxes one by one purposing to throw away or give away at least half of what was in the box. For the past two Novembers, I have gone through the toy room and given away at least 1/3 of the toys. (The kids have so many that they never play with!) I also have been going through our clothes. Anything that doesn't get worn, no matter how nice it is, gets sent to Good Will. Now I am going through each room with 3 bags. One for trash, one for Good Will, and one to be put away in its proper place.
I have a long way to go still, but slowly I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. My goal is to have a peaceful house without a lot of clutter. I want my family to be able to enjoy living here instead of trying to ignore the mess that rears it's head so often.
Something I need to remind my family and myself of time and time again is that We can't take it with us! The only things that we need to hold onto are those things that hold eternal value! Things like building relationships within our family. Cutting out the movies to play a game with our spouse instead. Or building our knowledge by reading God's Word and other wholesome books.
I want to lead a simple life. A life that has one purpose ~ To glorify God in all that I do.
Friday, November 04, 2005
A word about cleaning
I have a magnet on my refrigerator that says, "I cleaned my house yesterday...You should have seen it!" This fits my description perfectly! I will work really hard to clean certain rooms in our house, and several hours later it's trashed again!
If we are having friends over, I get all the kids to help and we rush around picking up toys and putting cushions back on the couch. (My boys are always taking them off to build houses and forts) I'll tell them, "Make sure everything is off the floor so that I can vacuum". I'll come back in and everything will be off the floor...and on the couch! After having them put the toys in their proper place, one of us will run the vacuum through and then we will move on to the next room.
The problem with this is that after the room is clean, one of the younger kids will walk into the room and think, "Wow! Look at all this space that I can play with my turtles on!" I'll walk in behind them and inevitably there are Ninja Turtles everywhere! All over my nice clean room!
Yeah, I know, welcome to the world of parenting, right? It's been this way ever since I started having kids who were old enough to walk. The more kids we have the worse it gets. I may has well get used to the fact that my house is never really going to be clean until the kids are gone!
Our lives are so much like my house! The Lord is constantly helping us to clean the temples of our hearts where His Holy Spirit lives. He uncovers the dirt and grime of sin areas we may have and helps us to get rid of them. As soon as we have gotten rid of one sin in our lives, we start to have problems somewhere else! We should be grateful that God has such patience with us.
My kids are no different. Their hearts are full of sin area that need to be "cleaned up" by the Holy Spirit. I need to be careful to not be so focused on the external clean up jobs such as my house that will never really be clean. I need to be more concerned about the spiritual condition of my kids hearts. I need to be concerned about their character. While a clean house is a nice thing to have, I would much rather have kids with clean hearts. I need to encourage them to memorize Bible verses. I need to spend time with them individually learning about the things that are going on in their lives. I need to spend quality time praying for each of them and their different struggles.
I know that I can't live my kids lives for them. I can't make the decision to have them follow God, but I can speak into their lives while they are young and point them in the right direction. I can live my life as an example to them of what a godly person should be like. Sure, I'll make mistakes in my life, but I can use those mistakes to teach my kids valuable lessons about God's mercy and forgiveness.
It makes a big impression on your kids when they see their mom or their dad humble themselves in front of them and ask forgiveness for something that they did wrong. They probably think that they are the ones always messing up. They are the ones that are constantly being corrected. We need to show them that we as parents do mess up and that just as we "correct" areas in their lives, God is constantly correcting sin areas in our lives. What a humbling experience it is to go to your kids and ask them to forgive you for not setting a godly example!
So, I need to get my priorities straight! I need to realize what is more important. Working to clean a house that will never really be clean, or working to point my kids in the right direction which will have eternal value?
If we are having friends over, I get all the kids to help and we rush around picking up toys and putting cushions back on the couch. (My boys are always taking them off to build houses and forts) I'll tell them, "Make sure everything is off the floor so that I can vacuum". I'll come back in and everything will be off the floor...and on the couch! After having them put the toys in their proper place, one of us will run the vacuum through and then we will move on to the next room.
The problem with this is that after the room is clean, one of the younger kids will walk into the room and think, "Wow! Look at all this space that I can play with my turtles on!" I'll walk in behind them and inevitably there are Ninja Turtles everywhere! All over my nice clean room!
Yeah, I know, welcome to the world of parenting, right? It's been this way ever since I started having kids who were old enough to walk. The more kids we have the worse it gets. I may has well get used to the fact that my house is never really going to be clean until the kids are gone!
Our lives are so much like my house! The Lord is constantly helping us to clean the temples of our hearts where His Holy Spirit lives. He uncovers the dirt and grime of sin areas we may have and helps us to get rid of them. As soon as we have gotten rid of one sin in our lives, we start to have problems somewhere else! We should be grateful that God has such patience with us.
My kids are no different. Their hearts are full of sin area that need to be "cleaned up" by the Holy Spirit. I need to be careful to not be so focused on the external clean up jobs such as my house that will never really be clean. I need to be more concerned about the spiritual condition of my kids hearts. I need to be concerned about their character. While a clean house is a nice thing to have, I would much rather have kids with clean hearts. I need to encourage them to memorize Bible verses. I need to spend time with them individually learning about the things that are going on in their lives. I need to spend quality time praying for each of them and their different struggles.
I know that I can't live my kids lives for them. I can't make the decision to have them follow God, but I can speak into their lives while they are young and point them in the right direction. I can live my life as an example to them of what a godly person should be like. Sure, I'll make mistakes in my life, but I can use those mistakes to teach my kids valuable lessons about God's mercy and forgiveness.
It makes a big impression on your kids when they see their mom or their dad humble themselves in front of them and ask forgiveness for something that they did wrong. They probably think that they are the ones always messing up. They are the ones that are constantly being corrected. We need to show them that we as parents do mess up and that just as we "correct" areas in their lives, God is constantly correcting sin areas in our lives. What a humbling experience it is to go to your kids and ask them to forgive you for not setting a godly example!
So, I need to get my priorities straight! I need to realize what is more important. Working to clean a house that will never really be clean, or working to point my kids in the right direction which will have eternal value?
Monday, October 31, 2005
My Brother
I was thinking a lot about my brother today. While millions of people are out celebrating halloween, my family has a different reason to celebrate. 21 years ago today, my brother Russ was adopted into our family.
His is an interesting story. It would take forever for me to write it down, but I can try and make a long story short.
22 years ago, a young woman tried 4 times to have her baby aborted. 4 times something or someone stood in her way. God intervened each time she attempted to end her child's life. This child was my brother.
Russ came to live with us along with his biological mother and sisters. His birth mother realized that she couldn't handle a third child, and asked if my parents would consider adopting Russ. After much prayer and talking with my 2 other sibling and myself, they said that they would love to keep him.
Over the years, Russ developed a love and a wonderful talent for music, particularly singing. We always knew when he was nearby, because we could hear him singing at the top of his lungs. (That hasn't changed over the years!) His favorite songs to sing used to be those written by Keith Green. Now he writes his own songs.
Russ always knew he was adopted. He knew that he was supposed to have been aborted and that God spared his life. He was always willing to share his testimony with anyone that wanted to listen. He knew that God had a special calling on his life. He eventually even learned who gave him birth. This information didn't change his feeling about our parents. They were his parents - no one else. It didn't matter who gave birth to him, what mattered was the love that my family gave to him. WE were his family.
Russ' story is such a perfect picture of how we are adopted into God's family. It doesn't matter who was a part of our past, once we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, He is our family. He is our Father and we are His children.
I thank God that my parents said yes to that young woman who wanted them to raise her baby. Russ is a special part of our family and I have no doubt that God is going to use him greatly to further His kingdom.
His is an interesting story. It would take forever for me to write it down, but I can try and make a long story short.
22 years ago, a young woman tried 4 times to have her baby aborted. 4 times something or someone stood in her way. God intervened each time she attempted to end her child's life. This child was my brother.
Russ came to live with us along with his biological mother and sisters. His birth mother realized that she couldn't handle a third child, and asked if my parents would consider adopting Russ. After much prayer and talking with my 2 other sibling and myself, they said that they would love to keep him.
Over the years, Russ developed a love and a wonderful talent for music, particularly singing. We always knew when he was nearby, because we could hear him singing at the top of his lungs. (That hasn't changed over the years!) His favorite songs to sing used to be those written by Keith Green. Now he writes his own songs.
Russ always knew he was adopted. He knew that he was supposed to have been aborted and that God spared his life. He was always willing to share his testimony with anyone that wanted to listen. He knew that God had a special calling on his life. He eventually even learned who gave him birth. This information didn't change his feeling about our parents. They were his parents - no one else. It didn't matter who gave birth to him, what mattered was the love that my family gave to him. WE were his family.
Russ' story is such a perfect picture of how we are adopted into God's family. It doesn't matter who was a part of our past, once we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, He is our family. He is our Father and we are His children.
I thank God that my parents said yes to that young woman who wanted them to raise her baby. Russ is a special part of our family and I have no doubt that God is going to use him greatly to further His kingdom.
Faith for What I Can't See
My husband and I have been married for 12 years and have been raising children for 11 of those years. Within those 11 years, we have had 8 children, making them all under the age of 11.
Some would think that having so many children would make a house full of chaos. Others would say that we are just one big, happy family and that we all get along all the time! Well, neither opinion would be accurate.
Our house is usually fairly peaceful. On the other hand, our family is not without its problems!We have our share of disagreements, arguments and struggles just like any other family. Dave and I are committed to raising and training our kids for the glory of God, and therefore must constantly be addressing certain problems that our kids may have.
For instance, when one of children is approaching the "terrible twos", we need to address the problem of throwing tantrums and learning to obey the first time. Or when one our kids begins to show problems in the area of selfishness, we need to deal with that. Often it takes weeks or months to overcome certain "problem areas".
Since the kids are all so close in age (11, 10, almost 8, 6, 5, 3, almost 2, and 3 months), it seems like just as we finish going through some "phase" with one child, another one is just coming into the same "phase". (I use that word lightly - a phase is really just a certain sin surfacing within one of my children) Rarely do I have two children going through the same "phase" at the same time, but all of them seem have some sort of problem that we need to deal with! However, lately it seems like my kids are all having the same problem! The more we deal with it, the worse it seems to get. Some days it seems like we'll never get through this!
Today I read the verse in Hebrew 11 that says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." I have read this verse many times, but today it took new meaning for me. This is not only referring to having faith in God whom we cannot see, but also to those things that you trust God to help you with...like raising your kids! I can have faith that God will get my kids through this latest "phase". He has commanded parents to raise and train their children in the way they should go, so I can have faith that He will help us to get through whatever hardship we may be facing in this area. I may not be able to see the end result right away, but I can be certain of what I can't see because I have faith that it will happen!
Some would think that having so many children would make a house full of chaos. Others would say that we are just one big, happy family and that we all get along all the time! Well, neither opinion would be accurate.
Our house is usually fairly peaceful. On the other hand, our family is not without its problems!We have our share of disagreements, arguments and struggles just like any other family. Dave and I are committed to raising and training our kids for the glory of God, and therefore must constantly be addressing certain problems that our kids may have.
For instance, when one of children is approaching the "terrible twos", we need to address the problem of throwing tantrums and learning to obey the first time. Or when one our kids begins to show problems in the area of selfishness, we need to deal with that. Often it takes weeks or months to overcome certain "problem areas".
Since the kids are all so close in age (11, 10, almost 8, 6, 5, 3, almost 2, and 3 months), it seems like just as we finish going through some "phase" with one child, another one is just coming into the same "phase". (I use that word lightly - a phase is really just a certain sin surfacing within one of my children) Rarely do I have two children going through the same "phase" at the same time, but all of them seem have some sort of problem that we need to deal with! However, lately it seems like my kids are all having the same problem! The more we deal with it, the worse it seems to get. Some days it seems like we'll never get through this!
Today I read the verse in Hebrew 11 that says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." I have read this verse many times, but today it took new meaning for me. This is not only referring to having faith in God whom we cannot see, but also to those things that you trust God to help you with...like raising your kids! I can have faith that God will get my kids through this latest "phase". He has commanded parents to raise and train their children in the way they should go, so I can have faith that He will help us to get through whatever hardship we may be facing in this area. I may not be able to see the end result right away, but I can be certain of what I can't see because I have faith that it will happen!
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
The Insane Mother
I am convinced that all mothers must be insane! No one could possibly do all the things that we mothers do and still be sane! First of all, we don't ever get enough sleep. Especially when you have little ones. The sleep that we do get is often interrupted by kids having to use the bathroom, kids having bad dreams, kids wetting the bed, or kids getting sick!
And then there is Mom's Cafe. Are we running a restaurant or what? Not only are we expected to make 3 meals a day, we have to clean up from those meals. I won't even bother mentioning the many requests for snacks!
And then there is the laundry. Load after load after load. I have news for you: IT NEVER EVER ENDS! As soon as you think you've gotten to the bottom of the hamper there is another pile of dirty duds to replace the one you just washed.
A far as keeping the house clean, well, you may as well hire a maid! Oh yeah - we are the maid! If you have any kids under the age of 5 or so, you will notice that they follow you around the house as you clean. As soon as you pick up one mess and move on to the next, their right behind you making the mess you just cleaned up even messier than it was in the first place!
Okay, so far I've made us out to be sleepless maids who do laundry, cook and clean as well as being full time babysitters. Have I mentioned getting the family ready to go somewhere? Not only do you have to get yourself ready, you have to get all your kids and your husband ready as well as getting out the door and to wherever you are going to on time!
Do you feel like a failure yet? So often I feel so inadequate! I've heard it said that the wife sets the tone of the home. Do I really want the tone of my home to be that of insanity? I don't think so! How can I possibly set the tone of my home to be that of peace and soundness of mind? I CAN"T. It is impossible for me to do this. Only with God's help can I have peace in my home and in my family. If I start off my day spending time with God, I find that my day runs smoothly. I may still have some problems - that comes with raising kids. If they never had problems, then God wouldn't have given us the job of training them!
In Proverbs 31, it says that the godly woman gets enough spiritual food for herself and her house. If I don't start my day getting spiritual nourishment, then I won't have anything to give to my family. If I don't ask God for help before I start my day, then won't have the energy to run my house efficiently. God is my strength! If I rely on Him, then He will help me to accomplish great things - even something as great as being a mother.
And then there is Mom's Cafe. Are we running a restaurant or what? Not only are we expected to make 3 meals a day, we have to clean up from those meals. I won't even bother mentioning the many requests for snacks!
And then there is the laundry. Load after load after load. I have news for you: IT NEVER EVER ENDS! As soon as you think you've gotten to the bottom of the hamper there is another pile of dirty duds to replace the one you just washed.
A far as keeping the house clean, well, you may as well hire a maid! Oh yeah - we are the maid! If you have any kids under the age of 5 or so, you will notice that they follow you around the house as you clean. As soon as you pick up one mess and move on to the next, their right behind you making the mess you just cleaned up even messier than it was in the first place!
Okay, so far I've made us out to be sleepless maids who do laundry, cook and clean as well as being full time babysitters. Have I mentioned getting the family ready to go somewhere? Not only do you have to get yourself ready, you have to get all your kids and your husband ready as well as getting out the door and to wherever you are going to on time!
Do you feel like a failure yet? So often I feel so inadequate! I've heard it said that the wife sets the tone of the home. Do I really want the tone of my home to be that of insanity? I don't think so! How can I possibly set the tone of my home to be that of peace and soundness of mind? I CAN"T. It is impossible for me to do this. Only with God's help can I have peace in my home and in my family. If I start off my day spending time with God, I find that my day runs smoothly. I may still have some problems - that comes with raising kids. If they never had problems, then God wouldn't have given us the job of training them!
In Proverbs 31, it says that the godly woman gets enough spiritual food for herself and her house. If I don't start my day getting spiritual nourishment, then I won't have anything to give to my family. If I don't ask God for help before I start my day, then won't have the energy to run my house efficiently. God is my strength! If I rely on Him, then He will help me to accomplish great things - even something as great as being a mother.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Beautiful Pearls
The other day my parents went to Pennsylvania to do some shopping and to get away and spend some time together. While they were out they went to this neat little family restaurant in Quarryville called C.R. Lapp's.
My dad loves oysters. At Thanksgiving one of his favorite things to eat is oyster stuffing. At this restaurant he discovered some of the best oyster chowder. (You'll have to take his word for it - I can't stand oysters!) While enjoying his chowder he found a pearl. Not a very big one, but it was a genuine pearl that came from one of the misfortunate oysters that ended up in his chowder.
My mom was telling my daughter Christiana about this incident, and I began to see a wonderful example to pass on to my children. The neat thing about pearls is how they come to be beautiful. An oyster gets a tiny foreign object like a grain of sand inside of it's shell. This sand is a constant irritation to the oyster but instead of getting rid of the it, the oyster begins to coat it with the substance that makes this grain of sand into a pearl. The oyster learns to except this sand for what it is and makes it into a valuable asset to itself. A beautiful pearl!
My kids have a little trouble getting along with each other. They are constantly irritating each other and looking for ways to annoy one another. They need to learn to see each other as an oyster sees a grain of sand. They need to learn to accept each other for who they are. The very thing that annoys them now, may one day turn into a beautiful quality in that person. For example: stubbornness may one day turn into perseverance. A bossy sibling may turn into a good leader.
This is a good lesson for us moms. We shouldn't always be correcting our kids for the things they do wrong. We need to look for the good qualities that we see in them and encourage them in these areas. One day they might just be a beautiful pearl!
My dad loves oysters. At Thanksgiving one of his favorite things to eat is oyster stuffing. At this restaurant he discovered some of the best oyster chowder. (You'll have to take his word for it - I can't stand oysters!) While enjoying his chowder he found a pearl. Not a very big one, but it was a genuine pearl that came from one of the misfortunate oysters that ended up in his chowder.
My mom was telling my daughter Christiana about this incident, and I began to see a wonderful example to pass on to my children. The neat thing about pearls is how they come to be beautiful. An oyster gets a tiny foreign object like a grain of sand inside of it's shell. This sand is a constant irritation to the oyster but instead of getting rid of the it, the oyster begins to coat it with the substance that makes this grain of sand into a pearl. The oyster learns to except this sand for what it is and makes it into a valuable asset to itself. A beautiful pearl!
My kids have a little trouble getting along with each other. They are constantly irritating each other and looking for ways to annoy one another. They need to learn to see each other as an oyster sees a grain of sand. They need to learn to accept each other for who they are. The very thing that annoys them now, may one day turn into a beautiful quality in that person. For example: stubbornness may one day turn into perseverance. A bossy sibling may turn into a good leader.
This is a good lesson for us moms. We shouldn't always be correcting our kids for the things they do wrong. We need to look for the good qualities that we see in them and encourage them in these areas. One day they might just be a beautiful pearl!
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Unknown children
Just recently I was reminded of some children that I should be praying for. No one asked me to pray for these children. I was prompted by the prayer of someone else who was praying for my daughter Alyssa.
I don't know where these children are. I don't know who these children are. I don't know how old they are. I don't know their parents. I don't know even know their names!
The only thing I do know about these children is that I need to be faithful in praying for them because one day they will be married to my own children!
I don't know where these children are. I don't know who these children are. I don't know how old they are. I don't know their parents. I don't know even know their names!
The only thing I do know about these children is that I need to be faithful in praying for them because one day they will be married to my own children!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Individual Kids
I discovered something today about my son Nathan who is almost 5. He appears to be left-handed. You would think that as his mother I would already know this, but I didn't.
Last year my mom was helping me out by teaching Nathan some preschool basics. At the beginning of the year she asked me what hand he wrote with and I told her I thought it was probably his right hand, since that was the one he seemed to do everything with. After making sure he knew all of his letters, mom began to teach him to write the letters. This is when the complications started. Nathan couldn't seem to hold his pencil correctly. He would grasp it in his fist instead of his fingers. Mom even purchased special finger grip guides that would help him to know where to place his fingers. It only helped a little. Finally, she made some headway by letting him write on the big wipe board.
This year I am teaching Nathan kindergarten. He is doing very well. However, he still struggles with his writing. Today we had to cut some pictures out and choose which ones started with the letter "c" and glue them in his book. Nathan's right hand (the one he was cutting with) began to get tired so he switched to his left hand. He was cutting straighter than he did with his right hand! I then decided to do a quick experiment with him. I had him write his name with his left hand. It came out just as well as when he would write it with his right hand. I tried the same thing with his numbers. Again, he did very well!
This whole time I had believed that Nathan was right handed. Was it because I had just assumed that because both Dave and I as well as all of his siblings so far were right handed? Was it because I wanted him to be right handed because it was easier to teach something that I already knew how to do?
Then this thought struck me. Am I molding my kids in a certain way because it's easier to do everything the same way with each child? Am I missing out on important abilities or needs that each child has as an individual? How can I better serve my children and meet their individual needs? It is only by grace that I will be able to do this. Thank God that His grace is sufficient for me and that His power is made perfect in my weakness!
I know this won't be the last mistake like this that I make, but I pray that I will be diligent to seek out the needs of each of my child individually. Each one is such a precious gift from God!
Last year my mom was helping me out by teaching Nathan some preschool basics. At the beginning of the year she asked me what hand he wrote with and I told her I thought it was probably his right hand, since that was the one he seemed to do everything with. After making sure he knew all of his letters, mom began to teach him to write the letters. This is when the complications started. Nathan couldn't seem to hold his pencil correctly. He would grasp it in his fist instead of his fingers. Mom even purchased special finger grip guides that would help him to know where to place his fingers. It only helped a little. Finally, she made some headway by letting him write on the big wipe board.
This year I am teaching Nathan kindergarten. He is doing very well. However, he still struggles with his writing. Today we had to cut some pictures out and choose which ones started with the letter "c" and glue them in his book. Nathan's right hand (the one he was cutting with) began to get tired so he switched to his left hand. He was cutting straighter than he did with his right hand! I then decided to do a quick experiment with him. I had him write his name with his left hand. It came out just as well as when he would write it with his right hand. I tried the same thing with his numbers. Again, he did very well!
This whole time I had believed that Nathan was right handed. Was it because I had just assumed that because both Dave and I as well as all of his siblings so far were right handed? Was it because I wanted him to be right handed because it was easier to teach something that I already knew how to do?
Then this thought struck me. Am I molding my kids in a certain way because it's easier to do everything the same way with each child? Am I missing out on important abilities or needs that each child has as an individual? How can I better serve my children and meet their individual needs? It is only by grace that I will be able to do this. Thank God that His grace is sufficient for me and that His power is made perfect in my weakness!
I know this won't be the last mistake like this that I make, but I pray that I will be diligent to seek out the needs of each of my child individually. Each one is such a precious gift from God!
Monday, October 17, 2005
A Mother's Tears
When the knowledge of my little one's presence first awakened in me a mother's heart,
The tears that fell were just the first of many that would fall from a mother's eyes.
Though most of the tears that fell were tears of joy and gladness,
Some were tears of wonder that God would choose me for such a noble calling!
When the time had come for my little one to enter this world,
The tears that fell were not the last that would fall from this mother's eyes.
These were the tears of pain and of anguish that only a mother can bear.
For these pains were to bring new life into this world and into my awaiting arms!
When I first saw your little hands, your little feet, and your face so fair,
The tears I cried were tears of joy that I at last could hold you close in my arms!
My tears were tears of thankfulness that God had brought you to me.
These were also the tears of a mother asking humbly for God's help to raise this little child.
When you would awaken me with cries of hunger in the wee hours of the morning,
Sometimes tears of frustration would fall from these mother's eyes.
I could not see how I would ever feel rested again. Would you never learn to sleep all night?
Then I would remember how patient God is with me and would cry out for His mercy.
While you are learning the many lessons that life has to offer,
The tears that fall from these mother's eyes will number many!
I will cry out continually to my God to save your little soul!
Surely He will not fail to see the tears that fall from this mother's eyes!
The tears that fell were just the first of many that would fall from a mother's eyes.
Though most of the tears that fell were tears of joy and gladness,
Some were tears of wonder that God would choose me for such a noble calling!
When the time had come for my little one to enter this world,
The tears that fell were not the last that would fall from this mother's eyes.
These were the tears of pain and of anguish that only a mother can bear.
For these pains were to bring new life into this world and into my awaiting arms!
When I first saw your little hands, your little feet, and your face so fair,
The tears I cried were tears of joy that I at last could hold you close in my arms!
My tears were tears of thankfulness that God had brought you to me.
These were also the tears of a mother asking humbly for God's help to raise this little child.
When you would awaken me with cries of hunger in the wee hours of the morning,
Sometimes tears of frustration would fall from these mother's eyes.
I could not see how I would ever feel rested again. Would you never learn to sleep all night?
Then I would remember how patient God is with me and would cry out for His mercy.
While you are learning the many lessons that life has to offer,
The tears that fall from these mother's eyes will number many!
I will cry out continually to my God to save your little soul!
Surely He will not fail to see the tears that fall from this mother's eyes!
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Outcastes
I home school my children, and we have been studying the country of India in Old World History. We learned about the Aryans and the Dravidians, the people who occupied ancient India. The Aryans looked down on the Dravidian people, and did not care to associate with them. They felt that they were better than them.
This is when they developed the "caste system". This was a system meant to keep people apart from each other. There were four main castes. The highest cast was for the Brahmin, or priests. The second caste was for princes and warriors. The third caste was for merchants and landowners. The last and lowest caste was for farmers, laborers, and servants.
The way this system worked, was that once you were born into a caste, you could never move up to another caste. For instance, if you were the son of a farmer, you could never become a merchant or landowner, you had to be a farmer for your whole life, and your sons and grandsons had to be farmers as well. (This is one of the reasons that Hinduism was so widely accepted. Hindus believe in reincarnation. If you lived your life well, in your next life you could be born into a higher caste.)
If you dishonored your caste in some way you were excluded from your caste forever...An outcaste. No one could associate with the outcastes or "untouchables". They were looked down upon, even by the lowest caste members. These outcastes were the most eager of the Indian people to receive the Gospel. It brought hope to the hopeless!
In reading about these outcastes, I was reminded of how we are much like these ancient Indian people. We often see ourselves as better than those who have not received Christ. We see ourselves as children of the King, and anyone who hasn't received the gift of salvation is just an outcaste. They are not worth associating with.
This is not being Christ minded. As children of God, we need to remember, that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us", and that He "did not come to call the righteous, but sinners". We need to pray for those who have not found Christ. For it is His desire that none should perish, but that everyone would come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Here is a sobering thought for the mother. Until our children come to know Christ as their personal Savior, they are the same as the "outcastes" we so often look down upon. The difference is, that we spend most of our daily lives pouring ourselves into "training them in the way they should go". We are called by God to do this. Yes, but we are also called by God to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel"!
God, give us a love for those who are lost!
This is when they developed the "caste system". This was a system meant to keep people apart from each other. There were four main castes. The highest cast was for the Brahmin, or priests. The second caste was for princes and warriors. The third caste was for merchants and landowners. The last and lowest caste was for farmers, laborers, and servants.
The way this system worked, was that once you were born into a caste, you could never move up to another caste. For instance, if you were the son of a farmer, you could never become a merchant or landowner, you had to be a farmer for your whole life, and your sons and grandsons had to be farmers as well. (This is one of the reasons that Hinduism was so widely accepted. Hindus believe in reincarnation. If you lived your life well, in your next life you could be born into a higher caste.)
If you dishonored your caste in some way you were excluded from your caste forever...An outcaste. No one could associate with the outcastes or "untouchables". They were looked down upon, even by the lowest caste members. These outcastes were the most eager of the Indian people to receive the Gospel. It brought hope to the hopeless!
In reading about these outcastes, I was reminded of how we are much like these ancient Indian people. We often see ourselves as better than those who have not received Christ. We see ourselves as children of the King, and anyone who hasn't received the gift of salvation is just an outcaste. They are not worth associating with.
This is not being Christ minded. As children of God, we need to remember, that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us", and that He "did not come to call the righteous, but sinners". We need to pray for those who have not found Christ. For it is His desire that none should perish, but that everyone would come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Here is a sobering thought for the mother. Until our children come to know Christ as their personal Savior, they are the same as the "outcastes" we so often look down upon. The difference is, that we spend most of our daily lives pouring ourselves into "training them in the way they should go". We are called by God to do this. Yes, but we are also called by God to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel"!
God, give us a love for those who are lost!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
A Noble Crown
"A wife of noble character is her husband's crown..." Proverbs 12:4
I looked up the word noble, and it means a : possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties b : very good or excellent. God wants me to be excellent in all that I do. Everything I do as a wife should be excellent. Everything that I do as a mom should be excellent. Everything that I do as a person should be excellent. This does not mean that I can be adequate, acceptable, or just satisfactory, I need to go above and beyond the expectations of the world and even of my husband. Just because we have been married for 12 years doesn't mean that he should just except me as I am with all my faults. My desire should be to love, honor and obey him, just like I vowed to do on our wedding day..."til death do us part".
God has brought the two of us together. We were made for each other! What an exciting thought! I was made just for Dave, and he was made for me. I am glad to say that not only is he my husband, but he is also my friend.
I may love being a mother, but I need to remember that first I was a wife, and before I know it, my kids will be married and once again it will be just Dave and I. I must constantly be working on making my marriage the best that it can be.
God wants me to be a crown for my husband. All the crowns that I have seen have made the wearer of the crown look regal and important. I want this for my husband! I want him to prosper in all that he does. What better way than to be a crown for him?
I looked up the word noble, and it means a : possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties b : very good or excellent. God wants me to be excellent in all that I do. Everything I do as a wife should be excellent. Everything that I do as a mom should be excellent. Everything that I do as a person should be excellent. This does not mean that I can be adequate, acceptable, or just satisfactory, I need to go above and beyond the expectations of the world and even of my husband. Just because we have been married for 12 years doesn't mean that he should just except me as I am with all my faults. My desire should be to love, honor and obey him, just like I vowed to do on our wedding day..."til death do us part".
God has brought the two of us together. We were made for each other! What an exciting thought! I was made just for Dave, and he was made for me. I am glad to say that not only is he my husband, but he is also my friend.
I may love being a mother, but I need to remember that first I was a wife, and before I know it, my kids will be married and once again it will be just Dave and I. I must constantly be working on making my marriage the best that it can be.
God wants me to be a crown for my husband. All the crowns that I have seen have made the wearer of the crown look regal and important. I want this for my husband! I want him to prosper in all that he does. What better way than to be a crown for him?
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
The Master's Hands
THE WORKROOM
Before long He asked, "Do you have a workroom in your house?"
Out in the garage of the home of my heart I had a workbench and some equipment, but I was not doing much with it. Once in a while I would play around at making a few little gadgets, but I wasn't producing anything substantial.
I took Him out there.
He looked over the workbench and the few talents and skill that I had. He said, "This is fairly well furnished. What are you producing with your life for the kingdom of God?" He looked at one or two of the little toys that I had thrown together on the bench and He held one up to me. ? "Is this the sort of thing you are doing for others in your Christian life?"
I felt terrible! "Lord, that's the best I can do. I know it isn't much. I'm ashamed to say that with my awkwardness and limited ability, I don't think I'll ever do much more."
"Would you like to do better?" He asked.
"You know I would!" I replied.
"Well, first remember what I taught you: 'Apart from Me you can do nothing' (Jn 15:5).
"Come, relax in me and let my Spirit work through you. I know you are unskilled, clumsy and awkward, but the Spirit is the Master-worker. If He controls your heart and your hands, He will work through you. Now turn around." Then putting His great strong arms under mine He picked up the tools and began to work through me. "Relax. You are still too tense. Let go - let Me do the work!"
It amazes me what His skilled hands can do through mine if I only trust Him and let Him have His way. I am far from satisfied with the product that is being turned out. I still get in His way at times. There's much more that I need to learn. But I do know that whatever has been produced for God has been through Him and the power of His Spirit in me.
Don't be discouraged because you cannot do much for God. It's not our ability but our availability that's important. Give what you are to Christ. Be sensitive and responsive to what He wants to do. Trust Him. He will surprise you with what He can do through you!
Excerpt from "My Heart - Christ's Home
Robert Boyd Munger
Monday, October 10, 2005
Overwhelmed with God's Goodness
On Tuesday at about 1 o'clock, I found out that our family was going on a little trip to Virginia...The next morning! We would be gone until late Friday night, so I needed to pack bags for everyone. This is no small feat for our family of 10, I can assure you. Before I could even begin packing, I needed to do the laundry. Again, not really a small task for such a large family! I knew what needed to be done, so I began frantically gathering all the clothes in the house. I started the first load, and after that... I got almost nothing done for about 2 hours.
Earlier that morning I had taken our youngest for a check-up and she had gotten her first round of immunizations. She was not happy. For the rest of the day all she wanted was be held, and even then she was very fussy. Every time she would fall asleep, I would think, Yes! I can finally put her down and get some work done! As soon as I would shift her in my arms, she would wake up and start crying again. How frustrating!
Well, she did finally fall into a deep sleep, and I began folding the clothes that were clean, and sorting out everyone's clothes to be packed, and then realized that I needed to start dinner.
Just as I think that I am getting on top of the situation, my husband calls. He reminds me that he has a county council meeting that night, and "Oh, by the way, did you take the dog over to your parent's house so they can keep her while we are gone?"
I think that you could have wiped me up off of the floor at that point. I was so frustrated and overwhelmed! Here it was, 7:00 and the kids were hungry, the baby was fussy, the clothes were not packed, the dog had to be delivered to my parents, and we were supposed to leave early the next morning!
I called my mom to make sure they were prepared for the dog, and I expressed my frustrations over the phone. She said that she would pray for me. That's when I should have stopped what I was doing and turned the whole thing over to God. Well, I didn't. Not until I managed to get my family fed, kiss my husband goodbye, and then throw all the kids and the dog into the van to deliver the dog to my parents.
Why did it take me so long to realize, that nothing would be accomplished in my own strength? Nothing ever can get done like that! Why did I wallow in my self pity instead of basking in the strength of Jesus Christ which is made perfect in my weakness? Why should I ever be overwhelmed with anything other than the goodness of my Savior?
Once I turned the situation over to God, thing went incredibly smooth. I got home from my parent's, got the kids in bed, finished the laundry, packed the bags, set everything that needed to be loaded into the van by the front door, and was sitting on the couch feeding the baby and eating a bowl of ice cream by the time Dave got home!
God is so good! Time and time again I lose sight of the wonderful truth that He wants me to depend on Him to be my strength. He wants me to realize that I am weak, but that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!
Well, our family had a wonderful time in Virginia. We visited Langley AFB where Dave had a service call, went to VA Beach, visited a lighthouse in Fort Story, and even got to go to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg!
Thank you Lord, for your faithfulness!
Earlier that morning I had taken our youngest for a check-up and she had gotten her first round of immunizations. She was not happy. For the rest of the day all she wanted was be held, and even then she was very fussy. Every time she would fall asleep, I would think, Yes! I can finally put her down and get some work done! As soon as I would shift her in my arms, she would wake up and start crying again. How frustrating!
Well, she did finally fall into a deep sleep, and I began folding the clothes that were clean, and sorting out everyone's clothes to be packed, and then realized that I needed to start dinner.
Just as I think that I am getting on top of the situation, my husband calls. He reminds me that he has a county council meeting that night, and "Oh, by the way, did you take the dog over to your parent's house so they can keep her while we are gone?"
I think that you could have wiped me up off of the floor at that point. I was so frustrated and overwhelmed! Here it was, 7:00 and the kids were hungry, the baby was fussy, the clothes were not packed, the dog had to be delivered to my parents, and we were supposed to leave early the next morning!
I called my mom to make sure they were prepared for the dog, and I expressed my frustrations over the phone. She said that she would pray for me. That's when I should have stopped what I was doing and turned the whole thing over to God. Well, I didn't. Not until I managed to get my family fed, kiss my husband goodbye, and then throw all the kids and the dog into the van to deliver the dog to my parents.
Why did it take me so long to realize, that nothing would be accomplished in my own strength? Nothing ever can get done like that! Why did I wallow in my self pity instead of basking in the strength of Jesus Christ which is made perfect in my weakness? Why should I ever be overwhelmed with anything other than the goodness of my Savior?
Once I turned the situation over to God, thing went incredibly smooth. I got home from my parent's, got the kids in bed, finished the laundry, packed the bags, set everything that needed to be loaded into the van by the front door, and was sitting on the couch feeding the baby and eating a bowl of ice cream by the time Dave got home!
God is so good! Time and time again I lose sight of the wonderful truth that He wants me to depend on Him to be my strength. He wants me to realize that I am weak, but that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!
Well, our family had a wonderful time in Virginia. We visited Langley AFB where Dave had a service call, went to VA Beach, visited a lighthouse in Fort Story, and even got to go to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg!
Thank you Lord, for your faithfulness!
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Always watching
I can't count the amount of times I have reprimanded one of my children for doing something that they thought I hadn't seen! The car is a great place for this. I will hear a bit of ruckus in the back seat and know from past experience exactly what is going on and who is causing the trouble! After the reprimand, the look of surprise that I get is quite amusing. I often respond to that look with "You didn't know that I was watching, did you?".
Equally as many times, someone will come to me with a complaint of "he hit me!", or maybe, "she took my toy!". My response to this? "What did you do to them?" Usually they were the source of the problem and the tattletale will be the one to get in trouble!
I Peter 3:8-12 says, "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
I need to remember throughout the course of my day that my every action is being watched, my every thought is being read, my every word is being listened to by the Unseen Guest in my house...the Lord Jesus. Are my actions a reflection of God's presence in my life? Are my thoughts pleasing to Him? Are my words seasoned with the richness of His Word?
I can also remember that God is listening to my prayers throughout the day. I can rest in the assurance that if I am covered in prayer, the Holy Spirit will help me to guard my actions, thoughts and words.
Equally as many times, someone will come to me with a complaint of "he hit me!", or maybe, "she took my toy!". My response to this? "What did you do to them?" Usually they were the source of the problem and the tattletale will be the one to get in trouble!
I Peter 3:8-12 says, "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
I need to remember throughout the course of my day that my every action is being watched, my every thought is being read, my every word is being listened to by the Unseen Guest in my house...the Lord Jesus. Are my actions a reflection of God's presence in my life? Are my thoughts pleasing to Him? Are my words seasoned with the richness of His Word?
I can also remember that God is listening to my prayers throughout the day. I can rest in the assurance that if I am covered in prayer, the Holy Spirit will help me to guard my actions, thoughts and words.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Diet of the Inner Self
Why do we as women, think so constantly about our weight, as well as the rest of our outward appearance? Honestly, I think it's not so much to please our husbands ~ we've already caught them ~ it's because of what other women think of us. Do they see me as fat? Are my clothes stylish enough? Should I get my hair cut differently? There is no end to the list of questions when we are so conscious of our looks. This is not where our concern should be.
In 1 Peter 3, it talk about the inner adornment of a woman. "...The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." This gentle and quiet spirit is what our inner self should be clothed with.
So how do we trim all the excess "waste" from our inner self? First, we must have the proper nourishment. The Word of God is the Spiritual food that our bodies must have. We should not fill upon the junk that the world offers through television, movies, music, and other forms of entertainment. This will just add to the "fat" that is already there! We must also engage in Spiritual activities such as prayer, serving others, going to church, worship through song, etc.
Just like any other diet, this will take much discipline. Sometimes we may even go through withdrawal when we go without the things that we normally indulge in. With God's help, it can be done!
You can't be successful in your Spiritual weight loss without the stylish clothes that go along with trimming down! Colossians 3 says to "clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." The perfect ensemble for any occasion!
Don't leave the physical diet behind just because you know that it's what's on the inside that counts. We should be mindful of our outward appearance. Just remember where our priorities lie!
In 1 Peter 3, it talk about the inner adornment of a woman. "...The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." This gentle and quiet spirit is what our inner self should be clothed with.
So how do we trim all the excess "waste" from our inner self? First, we must have the proper nourishment. The Word of God is the Spiritual food that our bodies must have. We should not fill upon the junk that the world offers through television, movies, music, and other forms of entertainment. This will just add to the "fat" that is already there! We must also engage in Spiritual activities such as prayer, serving others, going to church, worship through song, etc.
Just like any other diet, this will take much discipline. Sometimes we may even go through withdrawal when we go without the things that we normally indulge in. With God's help, it can be done!
You can't be successful in your Spiritual weight loss without the stylish clothes that go along with trimming down! Colossians 3 says to "clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." The perfect ensemble for any occasion!
Don't leave the physical diet behind just because you know that it's what's on the inside that counts. We should be mindful of our outward appearance. Just remember where our priorities lie!
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