Women Making a Difference | Belinda Cruz: Missionary to Spain

Today, I want to introduce you to someone very special to me. Her name is Belinda, and she is my cousin (my Aunt Ruth's daughter). She is beautiful, intelligent (master's degree and is a licensed minister), and has always had a true heart for serving others. This year, Belinda is planning to head out to the mission field. 

Spain, to be exact.

I thought it would be wonderful to hear her story and for her to get to share her heart with us.

1. How long have you had the call to go to the mission field?

 

My call to full time ministry came first and then my call to missions, all during my last year in high school and throughout my college years. My plans were to become an international lawyer. I was a history/government major.

While serving as a camp counselor in a Christian summer youth camp, I received the call to full time ministry. I responded to the altar call during evening chapel service, committing my life entirely to His service, whatever that meant or whatever that looked like. I thought that I could use my future career, international law, as my ministry. But God had other plans for my life.

 

My missions call came a year or so later, while watching a missions update video during Sunday evening service. I started to cry for no apparent reason at all. The more I tried to stop crying, the harder I cried. I realized it was God. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, a ‘knowing’ that this is what God wanted for my life.  

I immediately acted on the prompting and took a short term missions trip for 2 months to El Salvador. When I returned home, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is what God was calling me to do. But human nature being fickle and – let’s be honest – disobedient, I tried to bargain with God regarding law school, even telling Him that I’d use my career to help missionaries. 

Another year or so passed, and  God got my attention again while I was sitting for the LSAT’s. The entire exam the Holy Spirit repeatedly told me, “You are not supposed to be here.” Leaving the exam, I finally died to my desire and submitted to His will. Soon after that encounter, I set out to prepare for full-time ministry, was accepted into a graduate ministry program at a seminary, and moved within weeks to Springfield, MO.

2. Why Spain?

I honestly thought that I would return to Latin America, specifically to El Salvador where I did my first missions trip. I had a heart for Hispanic peoples. In college I took Spanish courses and learned about the indigenous cultures, the countries, their histories, and their contributions to the world. The courses were primarily on the Latin American world and its Spanish language. There never was much emphasis on Spain itself, only its role in conquest. 

 

In seminary, one of my course pre-requisites was a practicum.  At that time, I had become extremely interested in Jews, Muslims and Gypsies. That was God’s doing.  Because of my interests, Spain was the natural place to do my practicum. In Spain, you find all three groups!  

I didn’t ever want my ‘natural desire’ to dominate what God’s Spirit desires, so I prayed about it and decided that if the Spain practicum didn’t open up, I would take the opportunity that God presented. It was a lesson on hearing and ”staying put” in your faith. Not wavering in what God was telling me. 

I learned that God also puts desires in your heart! There was an opportunity to work with a missionary doing Muslim ministry, but the Spain door had not closed yet. So I held on, and God did open the door to help a missionary couple in Zamora, Spain. The money was raised, and I was off to Spain.

Why Spain? Yes, the country is a beautiful place, but that didn’t decide it for me. It definitely wasn’t my 3 months practicum in Spain. My taste of what the missionaries encountered on a daily basis was small.  Being a missionary has it’s challenges. However, I cannot ignore or deny God called me. Bottom line, there are people in Spain, 98% to be exact, who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There are many who practice religious traditions, but we know that religious observances do not and cannot replace a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  There is no other way to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

Relationship is not about observation; relationship is about intimacy. With God’s help, that is what I and other missionaries set our hearts to do. Introduce people to a God who loves them, sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to die for them so they can have eternal life, and offers them an intimate relationship with Him right now.

 

3. When do you plan on leaving for the mission field?

 

I am projected to be in Spain by September. Once I receive my funds, I will be able to leave for Spain. I have two budgets to raise – pledges and cash. Many have given one-time gifts that have gone toward my cash budget. Right now, I have approximately 20% of my required monthly pledges. But I believe God to provide the 80% that is outstanding by September.

 

Faith is more than just hoping for a good outcome. Faith believes God will keep his promise, when your circumstances, lack of resources, people and the enemy himself try to take your focus off of God’s promise to you. Faith expectantly looks for the answer, the deliverance, the healing, the 'whatever’ you need and is promised to you by God. 

4. What will be the focus of your mission?

My focus will be church planting. I will be mentored by a couple who are currently church planting, helping them in whatever way I am asked and led to help. In fact, I was placed with the SAME missionaries that I did my practicum with in seminary – all God!  After my term with them, I plan to come back to the US and become a fully appointed missionary, raise funds for a 4 year term and plant a church myself.

5. You have always been pretty independent. Does being on another continent an ocean away from your family make you nervous in any way?

It doesn’t really make me nervous to be away from ‘home.’  Over the years I have been blessed to travel to countries in South America, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Europe. Every time I felt ‘safe’ and more at home than in the USA. Strange, right? God is always with me. I will miss family and friends.

6. What can we do here in the states that will help you in Spain?

Pray for me.  

Actively believe God with me for (and these are just a few):

·         Resources/Finances

·         People to support me on a monthly basis – need 80% more pledges

·         Good health

·         Unity with missionary and other believers

·         Relationships with Spaniards

·         Develop good friends

·         Favor in the community

·         Opportunities to share the love of Christ

·         God to do the miraculous in people’s live I meet and touch

·         Protection physically and spiritually

·         Strength

·         My relationship with God would become deeper and stronger

·         Future church planting team members

 

Prayerfully consider supporting me on a monthly basis.  If God prompts you to support me and the work, you can make your commitment and pledge by typing my name Belinda Cruz in the search box through the following the link: https://giving.ag.org 

Archives | Children Are a Gift

Original post can be found here.
 

Children are gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is His reward. Psalm 127:3
 
Children are a blessing.  

They bring a level of joy to a family that could otherwise not be felt.  

They are insurance that there will never be a dull moment with them around.  

They bring the constant sound of laughter and joy.  

They are evidence of God's goodness and grace.

They are the new generation.  

They are the ones that will carry the family name and line into the next generation.  

They are friends with each other which ensures that the family closeness will continue.  

They get excited to see each other.  

They run off to the playroom to play will dolls and dollhouses, books, and computer games. The older ones read to the younger ones. The older ones carry the little ones and encourage growth and development in them.  

They are all ages and sizes, but that doesn't matter because they are family.

And they have already made our family proud.

Disney on a Dime

Last year after throwing a "small" family get together for Ian's birthday, Brian and I looked at our receipts and said to each other, "We are halfway to Disney. For Addie's birthday, let's just go!"

So we did!

Now, the thought of Disney naturally comes with a huge "cha-ching!" sound effect. So I am going to share with you how we were able to take a 4 day vacation to Orlando without going into debt or having credit card bills to dread next month.

Look into resident discounts.

As Florida residents, we are eligible for the 3- or 4-day pass (good through June 6, 2014). I didn't just take that discount as being our only option, though. Because we are AAA members, I looked on their website. Not only do they offer the same Florida resident discounts, but they were $160 cheaper than if we had just purchased our tickets through Disney!

We purchased the 4-day passes for Brian, Addie, and me (which brought the tickets down to about $45 per day), but because Ian is only 2, he was free. Bonus! We only used two of our days this time around, so we still have two more days that we can enjoy at "the happiest place on earth."

Hotels. Lots of choices.

We decided that we would take our $160 savings from our ticket purchase and use that as our hotel budget. We looked at the Disney hotels first and checked out their Florida resident discounts. At the rate they were charging, we would only be able to stay 2 nights and that would be slightly over our designated hotel budget.

We then went on Kayak.com and searched for hotels in the Kissimmee area (where Disney is actually located) and requested 3-5 star hotels in our search.

We found a great hotel for (drum roll please) $25 per night and it was 1 mile outside of Disney! We were able to stay for 4 nights and we stayed under budget. (Note: We stayed at the Maingate Lakeside Resort. We received the price mentioned because we booked our stay through an online comparison site for a weekend in February which is off season. Typically, hotel prices are cheaper during the off season- which is another great way to keep costs down! The closer you get to the regular vacation season, the higher the price will be.)

Food. Avoid eating at the parks.

Before we even left for our trip, I packed tons of snack foods. Granola bars, gummies, different types of chips, a few candy items, cookies, water bottles, and juice pouches. These foods were designed to feed us throughout our day at the park.

On both mornings, we went to Cracker Barrel and, using gift cards that we had, we ate a huge breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, COFFEE, and milk. In the parks, we ate from our snack stash. (I went onto their website before we went on our trip, and Disney DOES allow its patrons to bring their own snacks and drinks into the parks.)

On our 2nd day at Disney (Magic Kingdom), because we were planning to stay until closing, we stopped at 4 o'clock and picked up one of the huge turkey legs they sell for $10. We all ate from it, were fully satisfied, and went back to our snacks.

In the evening, after we left the parks, we used gift cards that we had been saving to different restaurants for our dinner. There is nothing like sitting down to Red Lobster or Olive Garden after a day at the parks and knowing you don't have to pay for it out of your own pocket.

Determine how much you are willing to spend before going on your trip.

Because we were going for Addie's birthday, a few of our relatives had given Addie some money to buy whatever she wanted at Disney. We were also prepared to purchase a little trinket for Ian so he would not feel left out. We decided before hand how much we were willing to spend before we ever left our house.

Try not to make purchases at Disney itself.

For our day at the Magic Kingdom, we wanted to wear matching t-shirts (Brian was actually on board with this idea!). We opted to go to one of the many shops around the Kissimmee/Orlando area that sold t-shirts, and purchased ours there instead of purchasing our shirts at Disney itself.

Because Addie had been given some money to buy something from Disney for her birthday, we had her wait until the last day of our trip when we went to Downtown Disney. Our reason for that was, after you come off of each ride at the parks you have to walk through a little shop selling items pertaining to the characters on the ride you were on. If she purchased something while coming off of the Winnie the Pooh ride and later saw something she liked after meeting the princesses, she would have had no money left.

At Downtown Disney, she was able to see everything being offered in one huge store and could decide with no regrets what she wanted.

Take your own photos.

Our kids love the Disney characters (even if they haven't seen some of the movies), so we took a lot of character photos. What you may not realize, though, is that although there is a photographer there ready to take your photo with his high tech, fancy-schmancy camera (that can make coffee and do your laundry), you can give your own camera to the attendant standing next to him and they will use your device as well.

We now have many wonderful photos of our whole family that we did not have to purchase from Disney's kiosk because we passed off our camera. These photos not only show us posing as a family, but also show us being the family we really are when no one is posing.

The most important thing about taking a trip to Disney is to plan for it. It is doable on a budget. It does take some work and effort on your part, but your smiles will last after the trip is over as you remember your trip through pictures and not bills.

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Ready to hear about the big Travel Effect Giveaway????

One winner will be blessed to receive:

3 nights stay at Casa del Rey in Hobe Sound Beach, and a chance to meet Jen-value -$450

2 nights stay for a family of 4 plus Breakfast at Sun Tower Hotel Suites in Fort Lauterdale - value $500.

Geo Matters Maps & Geography Bundle TBA ~$150.

Wonder Maps from Bright Ideas Press - value $49.95.

Apple Core one year subscription- value $55.

Words With Wings One Year Subscription from Word Traveling - value $59.

Guest Posting | He Safely Trusts in Her

Do you remember the devotional for moms I reviewed a while back by Katie Hornor? Katie has recently had a sweet baby girl, so I am over at her blog today guest posting for her.

In the spirit of new babies and midnight feedings, I am sharing a story and lesson that I learned during those times of midnight wake up calls. The post is entitled He Safely Trusts in Her (click here). I hope you can come visit over there for a bit.

Review | God First Loved Us: A Valentine's Devotional Journal for Kids

This post does contain affiliate links.

Having a devotional time as a family is very important to us, so I am always on the lookout for family devotionals that are age appropriate for Addie and Ian.

God First Loved Us: A Valentine's Devotional Journal for Kids by Heather Brown From Upside Down Homeschooling has fit the bill in what we look for in devotionals, but also goes beyond our normal expectation.

The devotional is intended to be used from February 1st through February 14th to teach children that true love is about much more than hearts and candy- it is all about Jesus laying His life down for us because He loved us.


 
Each day is set up around one main Bible verse and the HEARTS™ acronym:



H– Handwriting practice {writing the verse of the day}
E– Exploring Scripture
A– Act {art, puzzles, journaling, service projects, crafts and more}
R– Reflect {a quiet time for reflection with prompts to get them thinking}
T– Talk to God {prayer time with prompts}
S– Share {telling others, service projects, baking, good deeds and more}

In the place of Addie's usual handwriting lesson, I am using the chosen verse of the day and the lined paper from the packet. There are two versions of each journaling and handwriting practice pages, one with dotted handwriting lines for younger children and one with normal lines for older children.

During the time of reflection,  there is an activity for children to participate in to really "bring home" the lesson they learned that day. From coloring sheets to baking cookies, each activity has been thought out and planned in order to make this devotional more than just "another" lesson.

Teaching our children God's Word is so important to the development of their faith, and now there are so many resources at our disposal to make that time easier to have.

Family Dinner | A Challenge

Family dinner.

Nowadays, it sounds like a luxury for a family to be able to sit down at the table together in order to have family dinner.

Between soccer practice, baseball season, dance class, piano lessons, play dates, and a whole host of other activities and distractions, families are not sitting at the table together as often.

What are the benefits of family dinner?

• teen substance abuse is lower
• healthier eating habits are developed
• teen girls are less likely to contemplate suicide
• it can be a prevention measure to childhood obesity
• adolescents are emotionally healthier

These benefits alone seems well worth the effort of meal planning and designating a time for the family together around the table a few times a week.

Why do we do it?

• Because we enjoy our time together around the table.
• Because our children are learning proper table manners.
• Because our children are learning how to take the time to sit and eat with us and engage in conversation.
• Because our table has seen lots of laughter and messes.
• Because Brian and I grew up having family dinner, and we want to pass along this great tradition to our own children.

I am joining bloggers across the nation in encouraging families to sit down together to enjoy a family dinner.

It is a time together that you will not regret.

Studies for my post came from here and here.

Today, I Am Mom

Typically I have my blog posts done about a week ahead of time, and each day I work to keep myself ahead of the game. This has served me well this week as our entire family became sick with a virus.

Rather than keeping up with my blogging schedule, helping in Awana, keeping up with everything here at home, or rushing off to co-op, I was simply me, Suzette- a wife who had to care for her sick husband, a woman who had to call in reinforcements so I could sleep an entire day away in order to recuperate from fevers and chills as quickly as possible, and a mommy who sat with my two feverish little ones on the couch and cuddled while watching A Bug's Life, Cars 2, Doc McStuffins, and Little House on the Prairie.
 

Health-wise this week has been rough.

As a family, this week has been beautiful.

I have seen my husband work just as hard as ever despite how sick he has felt because he did not want to let us or his customers down.

I have seen Addie watch out for and care for her little brother when I was unable to move.

I have seen my cousin reach out to lend a hand by watching my children for about 24 hours despite the risk of bringing the "bug" into her own home.

I have seen, for myself, how good removing everything from our schedule is and just cuddling two children who don't feel well.

I have seen our two year old learn empathy and caring as he sincerely asks every person who coughs or sneezes, "Are you okay?"

I have also learned that a bowl of strawberries and watermelon should not be the lunch of choice for a child who does not realize she is about to have an upset stomach.

Next week, I'll work on getting myself at least a week ahead of schedule on here, getting my laundry pile back down to a reasonable size, making all of the meals that were on my meal plan for this week, getting a couple of school days in, and.....

.....sitting back and enjoying Thanksgiving.

 This week has definitely taught me that it is okay to sit back and enjoy right now. 

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If you haven't, don't forget to enter to win the giveaway I posted about on Wednesday.

Our Time Away

This past weekend we had the joy of leaving town for a couple of days, and going to Georgia to visit a junior high/high school youth group friend of mine and her sweet family. It was such a wonderful time for us as a family.

I have put together a Smilebox of our time away. I have timed it so that everything should fall within the time frame of the accompanying song, which means that the pictures may change while you are reading the captions. You can pause the slideshow and go through it manually if you prefer.

As for the phrase "word of the year" that you will read in the caption of the last photo, here are a couple of examples of what that is referring to (this post, this post, and this post.)

Make your own free slideshow design

The Heart of a Homemaker | Love Their Children

Two weeks ago we looked at 1 Corinthians 13 from the perspective of loving our husbands. This week we will look at it from the perspective of applying it to our children.

I'm climbing up on my soapbox now, so it might be a good idea to duck for a minute.

Can we all make a pact not to put children down to their parents as in, "I'll bet you can't wait for naptime....", "They know which buttons to push.....", "Mom, you know they are supposed to make you pull your hair out..." and so on.

Children are not born with this innate desire to sabotage their parents' lives. In fact, children did not even chose to be here in the first place.  

Children are born with a sin nature (just like their parents were), and it is our job as parents to teach them to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Children are what we as parents allow them to be. The Bible refers to children as a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3 NASB).

If God, who is the ultimate giver of good gifts considers children to be a gift, then shouldn't we as well?

Okay.... I'm done.....

Now, regardless of how the rest of the world views children, let us look at how we can love our children according to 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is.....

patient- when you are answering the tenth round of "whys" that started when they asked why the sky is blue.

kind- when you are dealing with an injured child, whether physically or emotionally, and looks for a way to help heal the wound with as little pain as possible. It hurts, and telling them it doesn't invalidates their feelings to whatever his injured their hearts or knees.

does not envy- someone else of what they have made their children appear to be like on Facebook or Twitter. Children, everyone's children, are children. Everyone has to work with their children on something, whether it be fears, attitudes, behaviors, or problems. Be thankful for the child you have been given!

does not boast- to your child about someone else's child and what they are able to do. That is a great way to destroy your child's self-esteem and cause resentment towards a child that has done nothing to deserve it.

not proud- of what you were like as child and compare your child to that. You were what your parents put into you. If you want your child to be more like that, then do what your parents did for you. (Oh, wait! Did you say you were going to parent differently than your parents did? Then don't complain.)

not rude- it is so easy to be rude to those closest to us- especially our children. Because they are small, some people consider them to be insignificant. They are not. Jesus said that if we wanted to enter into the kingdom of heaven then we needed to become as a child. That is pretty significant! I, sarcastically, love when parents treat their children rudely and then are appalled when their children repeat the behavior in public. Our children can either learn grace and tact from us or rudeness. Which will it be?

self seeking- do we parent the way we do because we love our children or because we want to look good in front of others? Using our children to promote ourselves, our parenting, and our greatness will leave them feeling used and not loved.

not easily angered- it goes back to patience. How long is your fuse, Mom? I am generally a patient person with a fairly long fuse. However, I know that my fuse is shorter on days that I am more tired. Sometimes, I can't do anything about the amount of sleep I get at night, but sometimes just reminding myself that my children are 5 and four-days-from-being 2, and, as awesome as I think they are, they are going to act their age. It does help.


keeps no record of wrong- reminding your child of a mistake they made last week, last month, a year ago, two years ago, or a decade ago does not benefit your child in any way. All you will do is remind them that they will never be good enough in your eyes, and one they blow it, their is no real forgiveness. Many times, that is when they just continue into a downward spiral. They have no hope of ever being forgiven. As parents, we need to visually show them what God's forgiveness looks like. He said that He has taken our sins and put them as far away from Him as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) and has promised to remember our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12). If God, who is Holy and Righteous and Good has chosen to forgive us in this way, who are we, who needed a Savior, to remind our children of their short comings?

does not delight in evil- When you refuse to correct your child for improper behavior, you are not showing love to that child (Proverbs 13:24). Do not be one of those parents who use the familiar phrase, "Not my child!" Yes, your child is human and made a mistake. Correct him, love him, and move on.

rejoices in the truth- when your child comes to you with the truth of a situation, even if it is not what you wanted to hear, rejoice in the fact that they told they truth and had the confidence in you to speak the truth freely. They need to know that they can approach you with anything and everything. One day their safety could depend on it.

always protects- your child from those who speak harmfully towards them, bullies, and the internet. Moms, there are too many tragedies in the news with children taking their own lives because they could not handle the bullying. The heartbroken parents are always left saying, "If I had only known...." Be involved. Know your kid's passwords and user names. If you chose to allow them to have a social media account, be the first friend on their list and then monitor everything that goes through. You are protecting the child that you love.

always trusts- that your child will take what you have taught them from God's Word and will use it when making decisions when you are not around.

always hopes- that God has great things in store for them and then prays accordingly. Remember, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

always preservers- even when you look at the world around you and you fear what may lie ahead, never give up teaching your children about the Lord and His love for them. When it seems that you have taught the same lesson about obedience for the 100th straight day, don't give up. It may finally sink in on day 101.

love never fails- and your children will know that you love them without you having to say it...

....but you will say it because "I love you" coming from a mother is the most beautiful sound in the world.

The Heart of a Homemaker | Love Their Children

The original post was posted on August 17, 2009 and can be found here.

"...to love their children..."

Once again, this phrase in the verse from Titus 2:3-5 seems a bit obvious, but after thinking about it I realized just how amazing our God is that He had the apostle Paul add this little phrase.

I don't know what type of home you came from, but I came from one where my mother was the ultimate example of a woman who loved the Lord first, then her husband and children. She would do anything for us, and she was willing to give up anything necessary for our well being.

She went back to work soon after I was born for a couple of weeks, but then chose to stay home with me and then my sister, Faye. She felt that her place was at home, instead of out in the workplace, caring for her children and making the home a place of refuge and relaxation for my father when he came home from work.

I can't tell you how many hugs, kisses, and "I love you" phrases I received growing up because they were as numerous as the stars in the sky (however, now I wish I could get a few more).

My mother took her time to teach us God's Word everyday, up to the day that I got married, and then after that she would ask me if she could share something with me from God's Word (the answer was always yes).

She and Dad had Children's Appreciation Day once a year (we never knew when that would be). On the first Children's Appreciation Day, she told us that we were having special guests for dinner. Faye and I tried guessing who it could be as Mom set out her best plates and glasses. We were told to dress up so that we looked nice when the guests arrived. When Dad came home from work, Mom pulled out handmade crowns and put them on our heads. She told Faye and me that we were the special guests, and I promptly burst into tears from feeling so special.

My mother home schooled my sister and I, and we both went on to college (I graduated with honor, my sister graduated as valedictorian- number 1 in her class). Funny thing is, my mother did not have a college degree when she was teaching us. She earned it through a correspondence course as she was homeschooling us. Her degree was in Christian counseling not education, but anyone who had her as a teacher or counselor could tell you that what she had was a gift, not earned from a piece of paper.

She would come into my room when it was time for bed, and she and I would sit and talk about anything and everything that was on my mind and in my heart. When I got married, I would call her all the time, and she would drop everything to just chat about everything and nothing, just to talk to me. Up until her death, she was still putting the needs of her children above her own, making sure that I had everything that I needed to bring my baby home from the hospital. I really miss being able to pick up the phone and hearing her on the other end.
 

That is how I learned to be a mother to my children.

I have given countless kisses and hugs for absolutely no reason (and they have begun giving them right back for no reason, too), teaching then, and having devotions. We talk all the time. I love that I can actually carry an intelligent conversation with Addie- sometimes she is just too smart! Even Ian is learning to have conversations with us and we understand his "language."

For me, loving my children comes naturally because I have seen what a mother is and does and how she is to love my whole life. I had an amazing example, and my mother had an amazing example in her own mother.

However, not everyone has had an example to follow. We all come from different backgrounds, circumstances, places, cultures, and homes. Some mothers treated their children as if they were an inconvenience or punishment, while others treated them as the gift that God describes them to be. Some mothers treated their children as unimportant or less than human, while others treated them as a reward from God.

Although I am sure that most mothers love their children (how could they not?), they may not know how to show that love. Why? Because it may not have been shown to them. The phrase "Do as I say, not as I do" does not hold true in any situation. It is more of a "Monkey see, monkey do"- not that I believe we are monkeys under any circumstance! As we have seen and experienced, so we do and follow.

As you spend time with your children, teaching and training them, remember that the way you love and treat them is the way they will love and treat your grandchildren. Remember that everything you do with and for your children will set an example for your children to follow.

I know of women who had abusive mothers but decided long before they became mothers themselves that they would treat their children differently than they were treated. Their daughters are now loving mothers to their children because of the example of their mothers, who chose to make a conscious effort to love their children according to God's Word and not according to the poor example that they saw.

Next week, we will look at 1 Corinthians 13 in relation to our children (like we did with our husbands) to see how loving our children really looks when we follow what God says in His Word.

That Is When God Stepped In (Part Two)

1 Peter 1:6-7 "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"

On Friday, I began the story of a test that my husband and I were facing.

When compared to the testings that others may be facing, ours may not seem like such a huge deal. But no matter the size of the test, God is growing us, shaping us, and strengthening us so that we can develop into the man or woman God wants us to become. 

Tests are a tool to show us where we need growth and where we are doing okay. As a former classroom teacher and now homeschool mommy, I recorded the grades to the tests my students would take in order to see if there was progress in my students.  

In all honesty, I'm not sure how I did on this test of ours. Sometimes I wish I could get a little peek at God's "grade book" to see if I passed the course or if I need to retake the test. I really dislike retaking tests!

On Wednesday night, Brian came to me and asked if we could pray together about what was happening. Although our car situation had been handled, we still had a potentially expensive air conditioning problem to face in the morning. 

On Thursday morning, Brian and I decided that we would fast until lunch time and ask God to break through our situation and give us wisdom, guidance, and grace about what our next step should be. After breakfast, I put on a Superbook episode for the kids (their current favorite show) and went into my bedroom to pray.

In the back of my mind, I thought about a piece of property that we had purchased 8 years ago that we have had on the market for some time now. We have had an interested buyer but the timing was never right for them to follow through with the purchase. If we could only sell it, at least that would give us a healthy cushion and relieve the stress of this air conditioner. I mentioned it to God......

Brian called me while I was homeschooling later that morning and asked, "Hey, you know our property? Why don't we re-approach the interested party and offer them a one time deal?" 

In the meantime, my father-in-law had contacted a gentleman in the area who owns an air conditioning repair/installation company to see if he could have one of his guys check on our air conditioner (which if you remember had leaked water into our return air vent and subsequently through the wall into our office soaking one quarter of the carpet).

Before lunchtime, we received a call from the other party interested in our property that they would jump on our offer. We are now in the process of dealing with contracts, title companies, and praising God for this relief.

At 2 p.m., the air conditioning guys arrived and after cleaning out our drain pipe, inspecting every inch of our inside and outside unit, and crawling into our return air vent, they discovered that our problem was a faulty sensor not alerting our system to turn itself off when the drain pipe backs up. They then told us that our unit was good for another 3-4 years and our total bill was going to come to $175- not the $2500 the other company quoted us. 

God has stepped in to my life on so many occasions and yet sometimes I forget to just wait for Him to make an entrance.

I panic, start trying to find ways to get a solution, cry, get so distracted that I let my children get off the normal routine of our day, and I forget that God has been so good to me so many times in the past.

I don't know what my grade was on this test. I do know that I didn't get an A or even a B. It is so easy to look at characters in the Bible like Abraham and tell them to trust God, He will fulfill His promises to you. But Abraham was walking through a test just like we do in our everyday lives. 

Abraham's story and all of the other accounts in the Bible, are a reminder to us that God will fulfill His promises to us just as He did to those in His Word. Our stories have yet to be completed. And when they are, what a testimony they will be!

The Heart of a Homemaker |

The original post was posted August 12. 2009 and can be found here.

"...that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands..."

Why do young women need to be encouraged to love their husbands? Doesn't that just come naturally?

Let's think about this for a moment.

We met our husbands, fell in love, and got married. According to all of the fairy tales we read and saw in movies, we are supposed to live happily ever after! However, the fairy tales don't tell us what life was like for the princess and prince once they reached the palace. They don't tell us how the princess managed the laundry, children, cooking, and being the princess that the prince needed her to be. It doesn't tell us how hard the prince had to work to provide for his family or how tired he was when he came home from working so hard.

The fairy tales always stop at the wedding but never take us into the marriage.

Why?

Because that is where the fairy tale ends and reality begins.

God tells the older women to encourage the younger women to love their husbands.

What does the word encourage mean? According to dictionary.com, encourage means to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence; to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc.; to promote, advance, prosper.

I am always encouraged by women who have been married for many years who love their husbands for who they are without criticism and sarcasm.

In my own family, I had my parents who were married 3 months short of 35 years before Mom passed away, my parents-in-law who celebrated their 44th anniversary last month, and many aunts and uncles who also have marriages that have lasted over 40 years. When they begin passing their wisdom to me, I get so excited to hear what they have to say. Why? Because they have proven that they know what love for their husband is, and it is not that squishy, fuzzy, fluttering feeling. It is enduring, time tested, and loyal. 

Love, according to the Bible, is an action not a feeling (probably because the feelings of love are unreliable). True love requires that we do something for someone else without expecting to receive anything in return. 1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter, and it tells us what love is. Love is...

• patient- when your husband doesn't follow the procedures that you usually use- whether it is with the dishes, dressing the children, changing diapers, or making you lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Just thank God that your husband is lending a hand.

• kind- instead of criticizing your husband's faults, compliment him on his strengths. How would you like to constantly have your faults thrown at you?


• does not envy- someone else for what their husband is able to provide for them. Thank God for the hard working man that He has blessed you with, and let your husband know how proud of him you are.


• does not boast- to your husband how much you were able to accomplish in your day. Believe it or not, he will actually feel like you don't think he did much with his day (I have learned this from experience).


• not proud- of how you do things. If you are constantly telling your husband of how much better you are at doing things around the house than he is, don't be surprised if he stops trying to help. You have already told him that he can't do it right.


• not rude- just because you are married doesn't mean you can lose your lady-likeness. You caught him, yeah, but you want to keep him. Be a lady at all times. Yes, be real, but don't lose your charm. If you would be embarrassed to do something rude in public, show that same kind of respect to your husband.


• not self seeking- don't look for what you can get out of your marriage. Look for ways to serve your husband. By doing little things that he likes or has asked for, he will know, without you telling him, that you are trying to serve him.


• not easily angered- about every little thing. Save your irritation for things that really matter, not socks left on the bathroom floor. And when you see the socks, thank God that you have a husband that can leave socks around.


• keeps no record of wrong- if God has put our sins as far from Him as the east is from the west, shouldn't we do the same for our husbands? Some wives are constantly bringing up past wrongs. If that is the case, why should the husband change his ways if he is never going to be forgiven of past mistakes? If there is a series of problems that are just not being corrected, then seek counseling from a Biblical counselor.


• does not delight in evil- we are not to encourage wrong behavior in our husbands. Joking and teasing about it will not help. Acting as if the wrong behavior is out of his control only enables him. Speak to him in kindness, and seek Biblical counseling if necessary.


• rejoices in the truth- when our husbands open up to us and share their hearts, we need to make them feel that we are trustworthy with their feelings. Our response will encourage them to continue sharing their hearts in truth with us. And if what he tells you needs to be held in confidence between you and your husband, then keep the confidence. He will never be able to share his feelings openly with you again if he thinks that you are going to run to your mother or closest girlfriend with his heart.


• always protects- our marriage from intruders. Whether that be people, television, computers, books, magazines, we need to be on the alert. Not from a standpoint that assumes that our husbands are the ones that need the protection, but for ourselves. Growing up, my mother did not allow us to read romance novels (even Christian ones) because she did not want us getting a flawed view of love or having ideas put in our heads prematurely. How many women (and I mean married women) read romance novels and then become dissatisfied with their husbands, marriages, and life because it is not playing out like the fiction they just read? We as women need to guard our hearts and homes. The "keeper of the home" is the "protector of the home" and guards what comes into the dwelling of her most precious ones.


• always trusts- her husband and assumes the best in him. If he has given her reason to distrust him, then they will need to work through their issues, and he will need to go above and beyond in showing her that he can be trusted. She, on the other hand, needs to make an effort in extending trust to him. I am not saying that it will be easy, but with God's help all things are possible.


• always hopes- isn't it wonderful being able to grow old (not that we want to think that far ahead just yet) with someone? Do you have hopes and dreams that you share? Maybe, they are dreams that are short term, maybe they are long term. Either way, having those dreams gives you and your spouse something to work towards together, keeps you going during the hard times, and gives you something to rejoice over when you reach them. If you don't have dreams, I would encourage you to take a walk or sit down with your husband and find out what his dreams are for himself, for you as a couple, and for your family.


• perseveres- it is so easy to get tired, give up, and quit. But don't! Press on, keep going, push forward! It will be so worth it to be able to look back after a long, fulfilling life together and see how much you have grown as woman, how much your husband has grown as a man, and how much you have grown together. But to grow together, you need to grow closer to the Lord. A pastor I heard once put it this way: your relationship with your spouse and God is like a triangle. God is at the top point and you are each the bottom points. The closer you get to God in your relationship with Him, the closer you will get to each other. And that is such a wonderful place to be.


• never fails- Love never stops functioning or operating. It is always working. Let us always look for ways to love our husbands. When we decide that we have done enough in our marriage, that is when we fail. Remember back to the early days of wedded bliss when you looked for new recipes to wow your husband with, looked in the paper for local events to do just so you could be together, looked for clothes in the color you knew your husband liked you in, and looked for ways to make an ordinary day extraordinary. He is the same man you married, and you are the same woman. Don't let time and familiarity deaden the joy you use to have. Allow time and familiarity to work to your advantage. You know him better now than you did when you first got married, so use that knowledge to make sure that your actions of love never stop operating or functioning.

If you have not yet heard the song or the story behind the song "Sweet Lorraine" which is #9 on the iTunes Top Ten charts. This is the story of a husband and wife who were married for 73 years (apparently they dated for 2 years). Please take the time listen to the story (it is a little over 9 minutes long- the song begins at the 6 minute mark). Brian and I sat together and cried while watching and listening. This couple embodies the kind of love we have talked about today. It takes the kind of love God describes to have a marriage like the one Fred and Lorraine shared.

Daddy's Way Is Just As Good

A few weeks ago I was sick.

Really sick.

Head cold and migraine sick.

So sick that I curled up on the couch in the fetal position because that was the only way for me to get comfortable.

That's when Brian took over.

He took over dinner and cleaned up the kitchen for me after dinner and got the kids ready for bed.

As he was putting the kids to bed, I heard my five year old say, "That's not how Mommy does it."

I called back, not having moved from my spot, "Daddy's way is just as good."

As moms, we have our way of doing things. We have certain routines, methods, rituals, and ways that we allow to direct how specific times in our day run.

That is a good thing.

But it is equally important that our children realize that there is another way to do the same things we do with them.

Daddy's way.

There are going to be times that Mommy will not be able to take care of her normal duties, and when that time comes it is important that Mommy does her part to let Daddy do it his way.

Why?

Daddy's way is usually more spontaneous.

There is usually a method to our madness. There has to be for us to get through our day and accomplish all of the tasks on our list. When Daddy steps in, he just does what he wants to get the job done. Our kids need to see that spontaneity is a good thing.

Daddy's way is usually more fun.

While we may stand over them to make sure their teeth get brushed, Daddy will turn it into a game. Our kids need to see that the world does not have to be serious all of the time.

Daddy's way shows them that there is always another way to do the same thing.

Many times our children can fall into the rut of how "Mommy does it." They need to see that there is another way to complete the same task. They will learn one day that there is more than one way to arrive at the right answer for a math problem. Why not teach them the concept now?

When we acknowledge to our children that Daddy's way is just as good as Mommy's way, we will see our husbands have a more willing heart about helping us. He probably wants to help, but as a man, he does not want to be made to feel unmanly because he doesn't do something the way you might.

Let him do it his way.

And be sure to tell your children that Daddy's way is just as good.