What I Learned From My Daughter's Child-Like Faith

Yesterday the weather was perfect. The air was cool but not cold. The sky was clear. Both kids had taken good naps.  I decided that we would go outside for a while before Daddy came home from work.

First they played with the whiffle ball and t-ball sets.

Then the bubbles came out.

I don't know how long we played with the bubbles, but it was during that time that I learned a beautiful lesson from my daughter.

She aimed her little bubble making contraption up to the sky and said, "Fly away, bubbles! Make Jesus happy!"

There were so many thoughts that went through my head simultaneously. But all I did was smile.

I was overwhelmed that Addie had found a way to worship God during her outside playtime.

Isn't worship a way for us to bring joy to our Savior? As I saw the sincerity of her heart, I know that her act of worship was far more pleasing to God than when I sing along in worship and wonder if my voice sounds okay, when I am too self-conscious to raise my hands when I feel the desire to do so, and when I wipe away a tear because I don't want anyone to see it.

I was overwhelmed by the love she had for Jesus in the middle of her playtime with Brother. 

Isn't that what we want? For our children to think about their Savior throughout their day. When they are playing, eating, at school, resting, doing whatever they find fun..... we want them to think of Him and to include Him in every moment of their lives. Not just the "churchy" or "pious" moments. Every moment.

I was overwhelmed by the beauty of her heart that wanted to share with Jesus the very thing that she was enjoying at that moment.

Children do not have very much. At. All. But they are so willing to share whatever they do have. Bubbles are here for a moment and then gone. Addie wanted her bubbles to fly away to Jesus to make Him happy. She didn't care that she wouldn't see them again. Ever. She wanted Jesus to be happy.

I think He was.

I was overwhelmed with the feeling to keep quiet.

As parents, we often feel the need to step in and correct a "wrong" idea. We know as adults that bubbles will not fly up to heaven, and that it takes more than bubbles to make Jesus happy.

Or does it?

Matthew 18:2-5 says, "And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me."

Wow! 

He would rather have my daughter's simple bubbles than my elaborate prayers with huge, long words that make me sound smarter than I am.

He would rather have my daughter's thoughtful consideration of what would make him happy than my desire to follow a list of do's and don'ts to please Him.

He would rather have her humble gift of bubbles than my "good works" done with wrong intentions.

Verses 6 and 7 continue "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

We do not always have to be "the adult" and point out the "folly" of our children's child-like moments. By doing that we can crush their hearts, wound their spirits, and push them away from the God we are trying to teach them to worship the "right" way. 

Maybe we should take the time to remember what it was like to love God when we were children.... before we cared what others thought.

I think today, I may go outside and blow bubbles with my kids.

And I hope mine will reach Heaven....

......and make Jesus happy.

I've linked up at Women of Worship, The Life of Faith,

Archives | Simplicity

This post contains affiliate links.
 
Original post found here. 
 
"God made man simple; man's complex problems are of his own devising." Ecclesiastes 7:30 JB

In 2010, the word i chose to focus on was simple or simplify. In some ways to simplify and declutter (which was my word for 2009) work hand in hand so maybe I was just building on that thought.

As I was talking to my Aunt Ruth on the phone, I had mentioned that I wanted to simplify things in my everyday life that I can sometimes make so complicated. She mentioned that she had a book at her house (Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster) that I could read and look through that talked about simplifying.

 After reading the chapter on "The Discipline of Simplicity", I thought I would share the major points with you, look back at the posts from that year, and look at how I worked this into my own life.

So many times we think that by getting rid of things we will make our lives more simple, however, simplicity begins in the heart and is evidenced by outward actions.

Christ was not complicated at all.

He said come as you are, not come with all you have. If we come as we are, we will stand before him with nothing in our hands. So many times we carry around physical, emotional, and even spiritual baggage that weighs us down and keeps us from living a restful, stress-free life. When we realize that He is all we need to truly be satisfied, that is when we have reached what true simplicity is all about.

As part of an upcoming (review) series on this blog, I will be taking the following ten points from the chapter and delving into them in greater depth. I will also be applying these principles to my life and noting the changes that come from choosing the discipline of simplicity.

1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them. (parks, libraries, beaches)
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
7. Look with healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes.
8. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech.
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God. 

I hope you enjoy this "look back" series as much as I look forward to the review.

Nehemiah | How Are They Doing?

Before reading today's post, I would recommend reading Nehemiah 1:1-4. This is where the rest of the post comes from.

Have you ever asked about someone that you knew but had not heard from in a long time, and the news you heard was not good?

divorce
sickness
health issues
loss of their job
home in foreclosure


What if someone were to ask about you?

Would the news be good or not so good?

When Nehemiah saw his brother who had just returned from Judah, he asked questions concerning the remnant who had escaped the exile and about Jerusalem.

And the news was not good.

The people and city were in great distress and reproach- life had been hard and/or they were making wrong choices that had led them down a sinful path.

The wall of Jerusalem was broken down and had left them completely defenseless.

The gates were burned with fire- anyone could come in or out. There was no way to control what entered the city.

Rather than have

....a brain storming session- to discuss among themselves the ways Jerusalem could fix itself....

....a chatting session- to rehash all of the mistakes Jerusalem had made and to tell each other how Jerusalem could have avoided its current state...

....a round table discussion- to point out all of the ways that Jerusalem had blown it....

...a gossip session- to give themselves a pat on the back on how well they were living their lives compared to those in Jerusalem.....

....a meeting of the minds- where solutions that would come to no end could be discussed in hypothetical situations.....

Nehemiah prayed for Jerusalem and its inhabitants.

He sat down and cried.

He mourned and fasted and prayed.....

....to the God of Heaven.

Determine to be a Nehemiah to the people in your life who are having a rough time.

Cry for them.

Fast for them.

Pray for them.

And then do what Nehemiah did next.....

Take action!

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.

The Prayer of Jabez | Conclusion

"...and God granted him what he requested."

We have come to the end of our series on the prayer of Jabez, and how fitting that this phrase is the end of the verse.

We see that God honored the requests for blessing, increase, protection, and limited pain.

We have been praying this prayer over here in our little corner of the world, and we have seen God provide, bless, and protect.

Do you remember how we began this series by talking about personalizing this verse? Well, this is how I end this prayer during my prayer time. "And God granted her (Suzette) what she requested."

And He has.

 He has been faithful.

I hope that you have been praying Jabez's prayer along with us. As you see God's blessings pour out on you and your family, be sure to keep track of them.

I noticed that for us, as we began praying this verse, we became more aware of the blessings that God was giving us.

 As the blessings, increase, and protection come your way, be sure to make your children aware of them. Nothing is more faith building for a child to see than that the God that they serve did not only work in the pages of the Bible, but He also is at work in their lives as well.

Even if your children are small, talking to them now about God's Hand at work in their lives will make a huge impact as they grow.

May the Lord continue to bless you.

Archives | A Lesson From Addie

Ecclesiastes 3:7- "...a time to be silent and a time to speak."

Sometimes you need to get away from your normal circumstances in order to see things in someone that you are always around that you never saw before. One weekend, back in 2009, gave us a whole new look into Addie's personality at the time.

We had been able to take a trip to Disney for my birthday. As we would go on the different rides at Disney, she would only stare and take everything in. It wasn't until after we had moved on to the next thing that she would start squealing, giggling, and talking.

As we passed rides we had already ridden, like Dumbo, or the characters we had already taken pictures with, like Tigger, she would point and squeal with excitement. There were even times when she would just burst into giggles, and we had no idea why.

We discovered (actually, Brian figured it out first) that Addie was waiting to express her feelings until after she had seen and experienced an event. After it was over and she had had a moment to process everything, she finally expressed her feelings (this does not necessarily hold true today).

It was almost as if she was having a delayed reaction.

I see now that it wasn't. It is a well thought out response to a situation.

Once again, God taught me a lesson using my toddler. I need to hold my response to a situation until I have had a chance to process all of the information. As in the verse above, silence is first and then the chance to speak. God had a reason for putting certain words in the Bible in the order that He did.

Lord, help me to be silent, and then give me the words that I should speak.

The Prayer of Jabez | That I May Not Cause Pain

The original post can be found here.
 
"...that it might not pain me..." 1 Chronicles 4:10  

Depending on the version that you read, the translation is different. Some say "that it may not pain me" and some say, "that I might not cause pain." Both are powerful.

We all know the sting first hand of pain, whether it be physical or emotional. However, many times without realizing it or thinking about it, we can be the cause of someone else's pain.

Who me? Never! Why, we are perfect! 

If anything, it is somehow the other person's fault for taking us the wrong way! We all have these conversations with ourselves in our minds when we know that some one is upset with us. And while sometimes that may be true, it is not accurate 100% of the time.

The name Jabez means "pain; sorrow". We discussed in this post the importance of the meaning of names.

The Bible says that Jabez's mother bore him in pain and then named him Jabez. After having that label on him since birth, he was asking God to keep him from causing any more pain.

"That I might not cause pain" admits that we are human and as humans we have the capability to make mistakes which cause pain. By asking God to keep us from causing pain, we are asking Him to help us be mindful of those around us, their sensitivties, needs, and situations so that we are not responsibile for causing pain in their lives.

Matthew 18:7 says, "Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!"

We want to be sure that we are not the cause of offense or hurt in someone's life.


"That it may not pain me" is asking God to protect us from the same pain that we do not want to inflict on others. And although no one wants to experience pain in any way, we understand that pain can happen, but we are asking God to keep the pain from being a permanent throb.

Lord, as a stay-at-home wife and mother, I am limited to the interactions that I have. Help me not to cause pain to the ones that see me the most and who I love the most.

The Prayer of Jabez | Keep Me from Harm

The original post can be found here.
 
"...and that Thou would keep me from harm (evil)..." 1 Chronicles 4:10


Every day, just by putting on the news, we are hit with the tragedies around us. Yet, God has the ability to "protect us from danger, accidents and evil men" as my mother used to pray every time she got into her car to go out.

Now before I go on, please understand that I am not saying that by praying this phrase you are putting some kind of spell or magic bubble around you. We live in an evil world, but we serve a mighty and powerful God who can protect us.


As a little girl, I will never forget the time that my sister (2) and I (7) were sitting in our living room watching Sesame Street when my mother came running into the house to get us. She had been outside, and saw many of our neighbors looking up into the sky. She went over to them and asked what they were looking at.

"There is a tornado up there, and it looks like it is coming this way," one of them said. 

Why they were all standing there watching it, I have no idea.....

That is when my mother came running into the house, grabbed my sister and me, and took us next door to my Little Grandma's house (Addie's namesake).

Two of my aunts, who are prayer warriors, were visiting with my Grandma. The four women began praying for God's protection upon us as we were in the possible path of this tornado (not nearly the magnitude of a midwestern tornado, but it could still bring damage and serious injury). After a few minutes, mom checked out the window and saw that the neighbors were still outside. She went out to see what was going on- even though we wanted her to stay inside with us- fearless woman that she was!.

"It is amazing!" one of them said. "It looks like the tornado is now moving away from us!"

We found out later that the same tornado touched down a few miles away, removing the roof shingles off of a house.

God's hand kept us from harm that day.

Bruce Wilkerson, author of The Prayer of Jabez book and series, tells of a time when, after a particularly draining weekend of speaking engagements, either he or another pastor got on a plane to come home. His seat was in the center of the row and the men on either side of him were reading magazines or books of a vile nature. He closed his eyes and prayed that God would keep him from evil.

Without explanation, both passengers closed their books almost simultaneously and did not reopen them for the remainder of the flight.

God had kept him from evil.

Sometimes God's method of keeping us from harm or evil is to take us Home.

Although that is not what those of us who are left here want, it can be best for the one taken. When a loved one goes in for surgery, we pray for God to be the surgeons and to bring the loved one through.

In His sovereignty, God can answer with a yes or no, but either way He is still keeping harm or evil from us.

Almost six years ago the answer we received after Mom's triple bypass surgery was, "No, I know what is best even though you do not understand it."

I have learned (sometimes after much questioning) regardless of what the final outcome is, I need to ask the Lord to keep me/us from harm/evil. He will answer in the way that He sees best. I can ask, believing that He will answer the way I am hoping, but knowing that His answer is what is best.

That involves trust on my part, and for someone that prefers to be in control it is not always easy, but I am learning day by day to surrender my control to Him.

God Always Has a Plan

Ezra 1:1-4

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

Have you ever been in the midst of turmoil? In a situation that you cannot see your way out of regardless of how much "thinking" you try to do?

The children of Israel, because of years of sin and unfaithfulness to God, had been attacked, pillaged, plundered, and exiled from the land that God had given them.

They were miserable, ruled by tyranny, and waiting for some relief for their situation. But it did not seem that any would come.

Meanwhile......


In Persia, there was a bad king who was in power over the Persians, a nomadic group of shepherds. One night he had a dream that his baby grandson would grow up to overthrow him and take his power from him.

The king, Astyges, ordered his servant, Harpagus, to take the baby to the mountains and have him killed. Harpagus did as he was told and took the baby to the mountains but could not follow through with the rest of the request. He saw a shepherd and ordered him to kill the child under threat of punishment. The shepherd took the baby and left Harpagus' sight. He brought the baby to his barren wife and credited the gods of the Persians for giving them this child. He then took a goat, killed it, and covered his hands with the blood. He returned to Harpagus and told him the deed had been done.

The shepherd and his wife raised the child as their own. The child grew and was stronger and taller than the other children in their band.

One day the grown boy and his father went into the marketplace to sell their sheep. The king, Astyges, saw the young man and recognized him as being the grandson had ordered killed. Astyges went to Harpagus and confronted him. He tried to have Harpagus and his family killed, but Harpagus managed to escape. He fled to the mountain and found the young shepherd, who had been named Cyrus by his adoptive parents, and explained who he really was and offered his services if Cyrus wanted to overthrow his grandfather, which he did.

Cyrus was known as a good, fair, and honest king. He became the ruler of much of the known ancient world. And he not only allowed the Israelites to return to their land, but he made sure they had the supplies necessary to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem.

I don't know what you are going through right now, what kind of exile you are in, or what prayer request you have that is taking a long time to answer.

God's plan is the works.

Moses was floating down the river in a basket while the children of Israel were waiting to be freed from slavery.

Cyrus had to grow up before he could be the answer to the prayers of God's people.

Your answer is in the works.

It will come.

God always has a plan.

And His plan always has perfect timing.

The Prayer of Jabez | Your Hand Part 2

"And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand." Genesis 39: 2-3

Having God's hand upon us also makes others stop and take notice that what we are capable of doing and accomplishing is because of His hand. It is important for us to direct the glory to Him as well.

Think of Joseph in the Old Testament. God's hand upon his life was very evident. His employer (master) saw the hand of God on him. Everything he did prospered because God's hand was upon him.

Have you known anyone that it just seemed like everything went their way? Could it really have been that (if that person was a believer) the hand of God was upon him/her? My mother was one of those people. Anything she did or tried prospered. But she was a woman who constantly sought after the heart of God.

As part of my daily prayer time, I ask for God to keep His hand, hedge, and shield of protection over our family. I also pray this specifically over Brian being that he spends a lot of time on the road driving between jobs. I cannot tell you how many times God has protected him from accidents.

For example, on his way home from work a few years ago, God alerted him to a rig that had a canoe on it. The bungy cord holding the canoe down was loosening. Brian said he didn't know what caused him to look over at the canoe except that it was God. When he saw the canoe starting to lift, he purposely managed to get into the middle of the two lane road, between the canoe rig and the other vehicles behind him, and slow down. The drivers behind him were pretty upset until the canoe became airborne. It did not hit his vehicle or any of the other vehicles, but it did land a few feet in front of him.

Years ago, my parents were taking my grandmother to a bus station before the sun came up so she could travel back to her home in south Florida. As my dad was driving, he suddenly saw the reflectors on the side of a flatbed truck sticking out into the road. It had large metal rods of some kind protruding into my father's lane. His only option was to continue driving forward or swerve into the left lane, but the vehicles in that lane were blocking him in (he was driving at the speed limit but was going too fast to stop in time). My parents and grandmother thought they were going to die that day. My father reached his hand over to shield my mother in some way, and they literally all closed their eyes. As they approached the rods, they heard a swoosh, and that was it. They all looked at each other not knowing what to think. The only explanation they had was that the hand of God had protected them.

Does the hand of God only offer protection? Absolutely not!

The hand of God also provides for us in times of need. Sometimes we need to take God's hand and walk with Him right to our need in a physical way. It isn't that He doesn't know our need, but He wants us to make more of an effort than just expecting Him to jump when we call.

When Brian and I first bought the house we are presently in, we had not yet sold our old house. We had tried selling it on our own for a few months, and then put it on the market with a realtor in October of '06. Houses were not selling because the market had just started its decline. We were paying two of everything (electric, garbage, mortgage, etc.). We were both working so the income wasn't a problem, but we really needed our old house to be sold for our own peace of mind (okay, so I wouldn't panic!), financial comfort, and because we wanted to start saving for a baby. My parents, sister, Brian and I decided to fast over our home. That was in the beginning of February '07. By Wednesday of that week, we had an offer on our home, and on February 28, 2007, we closed on the sale. Our house had been on the market for only 8 months, which in that market was a short time. That was just one of the many times that we have seen the hand of God at work in our lives.

I encourage you to reach out and take God's hand. Ask Him to spend some time with you, invite Him to your happy moments to steady you. Take His hand and tell Him you love Him. Take His hand for protection. Take His hand directly to your needs and wants. Take His hand when you need comfort. Take His hand when you are tired so He can hold you. His hand is open and waiting.

Archives | Are You Sleeping?

Have you heard the song While You Were Sleeping by Casting Crowns?

It is one of those songs that reaches into the heart and touches a nerve because of the message in the words. For me, it is one of those songs that I never get tired of listening to.

The premise of the song is this: What world and eternity changing events happened while the people of Israel were spiritually sleeping, and will we be spiritually sleeping when the most time changing event in history (the rapture of the church) takes place?

Right now it truly seems that our country is in a spiritual coma. 

We accept any and every spiritual idea as being equal to God's Word in order not to offend any groups, meanwhile, Christians are quickly losing their rights to voice their beliefs.

Laws are being made in different states to control what pastors say from their pulpits in order not to offend any groups, and symbols that depict the Christian heritage of this country are being taken down or hidden behind the religious symbols of other groups.

Despite what any person chooses to say or believe, America began as a Christian nation. History cannot be changed to fit the political sway of our country in the present or to please those we feel threatened by. 

One day (soon I hope), the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout (it sounds like He is going to be excited to get us!), with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ will rise first (that would be Mom and a host of others that we love who have gone on before us). Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds (what a reunion that will be!) to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

The question is: Are you awake or asleep? As Jesus told Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane, "...are you sleeping? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is week." (Mark 14:37b-38)

What Are Your Goals for 2014

C.S. Lewis said, "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream..."

Where there is no vision, the people perish... (Proverbs 29:18a KJV)

We are a week and a half into the new year. 

Are you still as gung ho on your resolutions as you were on January 1st or have you fizzled out? 

Have you written out some goals for you and/or your family? 

Remember, goals take time to reach. They do not happen overnight.

Goals require a plan and action. Goals are only ideas until you set a plan in motion.

Goals need to be attainable. If your goals are too hard are too high to reach, you will give up before you have even started.

Brian and I set some goals for ourselves

1. Eat better. We are not doing a complete overhaul of our eating habits in one shot. We are eating the same kinds of meals, but we are eliminating snacks and "extras" throughout the day. 

2. Pray together in the evening. This is something we used to do when we first got married, but life, exhuastion, and the birth of our chldren squeezed it out of the schedule. We are putting it back in.

3. Have a joint devotional a few times a week. We have our own devotions, but there is nothing like having time in the Word with your spouse. 

4. Exercise. I am enjoying my exercise time. I originally planned on exercising 3 times a week, but I am enjoying that time so much that it has become a daily thing for me.

Have you set goals for yourself or as a couple? I would love to hear what they are! Leave them in the comments or share them on our Facebook page.

Shop Amazon - New Year, New You in Books

30 Day Mom Challenge

Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.


If you follow our Facebook page, you have seen that I am working on the 30 Day Mom Challenge. 

Yes, it is a challenge.

A challenge in that it is definitely not easy.

Not easy to realize that Day 2 was going to be a little harder than you imagined, because that was the day no one wanted to cooperate. Life is just easier when we all cooperate.

Day 3 was easy. We hug each other all the time!

Day 4 was a little harder. A friend commented that her son still sleeps in a crib, so unless she grew a giraffe neck, that would be a challenge. When I stopped laughing, I realized Ian sleeps in a crib, too!

Day 6 got started pretty well. We had the batter going for our banana bread (baking a favorite food), and then because of a series of unfortunate events, our mix ended up all over the kitchen floor. Nothing was baked that day.

And then along came Day 8. Calculate how many weekends are left until your child graduates from high school. Just thinking about this one makes me cry.

Why?

Because motherhood is a challenge. Not just for 30 days, but all the time.

Because we have good days and bad days.

Because God has given us these gifts that are to be loved and cherished and then set free.

Because we look at our children in awe of who they are and then in disbelief at what they just did or said.

Because we love our children like no one in the world can.

Because as much as our job is to train them to grow into a young man and woman for God, we don't really want them to grow up.


Because as much as they yell "Mom!" we still love hearing our name called.

Because I would rather live with the "not knowing" how long I have with them than count down every weekend until they graduate.

Because all of those toys we get tired of picking up will all be gone one day, our homes will finally be clean, but empty.

Because one day they will grow up and leave, and these moments that we have with them now will be gone and lost if we don't take advantage of them while they are ours.


Because I love my children.

Like no one else does.

The Prayer of Jabez | Your Hand Part 1

"...and that Thy hand might be with me..." 1 Chronicles 4:10

When God's hand is upon you there is no power on earth that can stand in your way. God's hand offers guidance, love, protection, a shield, comfort, care, and hope.

Have you ever thought of God's hand being ever present and ready to be tugged on at any moment?

If you are a mother (or father), you know what it is like to have your child grab your hand. When my Addie or Ian grabs my hand, it fills me with love and that protective feeling, but it also sends me a message. That message can be:

• I'm taking your hand because I want you to steady me as I twirl around. I'm so happy, but I know that if twirl without holding your hand I'll lose my balance, fall, and my happiness will be gone.


• I'm taking your hand because I want to spend time with you.


• I'm taking your hand and pulling you close because I feel like giving you a sudden squeeze of love.


• I'm taking your hand and hiding behind you because I'm nervous, and I know you'll keep me safe.


• I'm taking your hand and showing you what I want. It is in a place I can't reach, but you can.
  


• I'm taking your hand and showing you what I need. You are strong enough to open the door to the refrigerator to get me the milk that is necessary for my health, growth, and development- or just because I'm thirsty.


• I'm taking your hand and trying to climb up your leg so you will hold me. I'm sad right now because I have gotten corrected, fallen and hurt myself, or didn't get my way, and I need you to hold me, comfort me, and show me that everything will be all right.
• I'm taking your hand so you can hold me because I'm too tired to walk on my own.

Do any of these sound familiar to you in the different ways you have of reaching over and taking a hold of God's hand? Doesn't it just fill your heart with love for a God who is so personal that He is always there with His hand?

Don't be afraid to reach out and take a hold of your Father's hand.

You can find the original posting from 2010 here.

Archives | Our First Dance

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4b- There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven- ...A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Do you have a photo that means a lot to you because it tells a very important part of your story? A photo that candidly captures a significant moment that you shared with your spouse and the photographer never knew how precious the photo would be? 

We do.

It is a photo of  Brian and me having our "first dance" at a friend's wedding.

The moment was so special to us because we had not gotten to have a first dance at our wedding. It was the only regret I have of our otherwise perfect day.

Because my father was a staff member at our church, the pastor did not think it would be appropriate for us to have any type of dancing at our reception, which was being held at an off site location.

In honor of his request, we did not dance at our reception, but I had always felt "cheated" out of that special moment with my husband and then my father (father/daughter dance).

In March of 2009, our friends Allison and Bruce were married, and Brian and I decided ahead of time that we would have our "first dance" at their reception.

I can't tell you how giddy I felt and how badly I wanted the meal to be over with so I could dance with my husband. When the couples dance came up, Brian and I went to the floor, and it was everything I dreamed it would be.

The photographer took an candid shot of us, and the couple sent it to us with their thank you card (they found out that it was "our first dance" and the bride mentioned that in her card, which I still have).

I love the moment that this picture captures.

It shows us just enjoying each others company.

So many times we flippantly say that God is a God of second chances, but we do not always realize that those chances are not only in fixing a past wrong in our lives, but they also include giving us a second shot at enjoying a missed moment.  

Lord, I will always be thankful for the second chance to have our first dance. 

You can find the original post from 2009 here.

Expanding My Borders {For Real}

“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!" 1 Chronicles 4:10a. (NIV)

This blog originally began sometime in 2008 when I first became a stay-at-home mom with our newborn Addie (pictured as a now almost 6 year old). 

In June 2009 I made the move to Blogger from Yahoo 360 (Yahoo's attempt at hosting a blog service). 

I was very small (and still am when compared to others who make a living off of their blogs), but God has begun growing the blog into something I had never imagined and growing me in ways I never thought possible. 

Do you remember my post on the Prayer of Jabez- Expand My Borders? I prayed and God has expanded.

I used to get between 45-70 views per day. As of late, The Joy of Homemaking has seen between 135-215 views per day with one day even reaching 318! That may not seen like a lot to some, but when I imagine a group of 135-215 women in a room I am humbled that God would allow me to reach them with encouragement to keep going as a woman, wife, and/or mother.

God is also expanding my borders to not only include "The Joy of Homemaking" but other blogs as well. Beginning this month, I will be a monthly contributor to two other blogs (Frugal Homeschooling Family and One Roll at a Time) as well continuing to blog here at my own blog and reviewing three times a month at Christian Children's Book Review.

On those days when I am posting elsewhere, I will give you a link here or on our Facebook page that will redirect you to the place you can find me.

Brian and I have also been talking about possibly changing the "look" of the blog and giving the blog a little upgrade love. Something I am looking forward to very much!

However, as the borders have expanded, I am constantly reminding myself that this is not my blog. It is God's for Him to use as He sees best. Toby Mac's song, "Steal My Show," has become my theme song for this blog.

For those of you who have been with me since my Yahoo days, thank you for your love and support for the last five years. For those who have joined us along the way, thank you for choosing to spend a part of your day here with me and my family. I am truly honored. For those of you who are new, my prayer is that each day when you leave this site, you leave encouraged to be the woman that God wants you to be.

It's a new year here on The Joy of Homemaking..... and I am still praying that He expands our borders!

The Prayer of Jabez | Expand My Borders

"...expand my borders..." 2 Chronicles 4:10

This is the third post in the Jabez series (see the original posts here and here).

I really love this phrase of the verse.

Have you ever considered what your borders are? I am not talking about borders in a negative sense. Think of "borders" in terms of a fence that is keeping your property contained. If you were a farmer, your fence would contain your home, land, crops, animals. By asking God to expand your borders in this example, you are asking God to take what is inside the fence and increase it so much that you have to move your fences out in order to contain the growth happening on the inside of the fence.



Look at everything around you and think about them containing borders. For me, my borders are, but are not limited to:

• family
• home
• influence
• blog
• pantry
• bank account

I am going to look at just a few of these items listed and explain what I mean by expanding my borders.


Family- Right now, a picture of my family looks like the photo above. Although we are pretty sure this is what our family will look like permanently (Brian asked me the other day if we could handle one more HUGE personality in our family!), I am leaving room for God to make the ultimate decision.

Home- Back when we were living in our first home (lovingly called our "little house"), Brian and I began praying the Prayer of Jabez. Within a year, we owned a 1/2 acre of property, and in another 2 years, we owned the half acre that we now live on. Altogether, for about 6 months, we owned 1 1/4 acres of land and two houses. God saw us through the finances and has provided for us in so many ways. We were able to sell both the "little house" and the other 1/2 acre of land which have blessed us financially.

Influence/blog- As a stay-at-home wife and mother, my influence may seem limited and at one time could have been limited to only my family (which is NOT a bad thing). When I was a teacher, I was able to influence over one hundred children. Because of the internet, God has allowed me to continue reaching out to others for His kingdom through this blog. I am always praying that God allows my influence in my family to always come first (which is why I blog when the kids are napping and when Brian and I are just hanging out in the office together each doing our own thing), and then for Him to allow me to continue to be an influence to others.

These are just a few examples of how I have asked God to expand our borders. I'm sure you can think of the borders in your life and how you want them expanded.

Ask God to expand your borders.

Be ready to do some work, though.

Expanded borders mean more responsibility.

Expanded borders mean that God sees that you are being faithful in the little things and is entrusting you with greater things.

Are you ready?

The Prayer of Jabez | Bless Me Indeed

"...Oh, that You would bless me indeed..." 2 Chronicles 4:10

Last week we began looking at the prayer of Jabez. Today I want to focus on the phrase of blessing.

First, we need to recognize where our blessings come from.

In this prayer, Jabez is asking God to bless him. So many times today, you hear people say that they were able to accomplish something because they believed in themselves. However, every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Light.

When we recognize Who our blessings are coming from, we will forget the "box" we tend to put God in. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. His blessings are not dictated by our earthly economy.

But Jabez did not just ask God to bless him. He wanted to be blessed indeed. According to dictionary.com, indeed means in fact; in reality; in truth; truly (used for emphasis, to confirm and amplify a previous statement, to indicate a concession or admission, or, interrogatively, to obtain confirmation)

Jabez is asking to be blessed in reality.

He is confirming and amplifying his previous statement. He is asking to be blessed without a question mark at the end of his request (maybe God will answer, maybe He won't). He is believing that he will receive the blessing he is asking for.

So many times we ask for God's blessing. But do we really know or grasp what we are asking for? Are we just throwing a blanket statement out there in hopes to cover all of our bases? Are we afraid to ask for specific blessings, so we generalize our request?

Unfortunately, we live in a culture and time, where faith has taken a backseat to our thinking that we have the ability to fix our own problems and situations.

However, I believe that I can come boldly to the throne of grace and make my requests and supplications, and that God can and will answer them. Will He always answer with a "Yes"? No.

Addie and Ian sometimes ask for things, but for their own good, I answer with a no. But they still ask because they feel the freedom to ask and they know that I love them. I can still ask knowing that God knows what is best for me. I also believe that if I ask my requests according to His Word and will, He will answer my requests to give me what is best for me.

So, how do I pray this line of the verse? I do not pray each of these things every day (although I try to), but here is a list of things that I have brought to the Lord under this phrase of the verse.

For Brian I ask that You bless him with:

• spiritual growth
• health
• strength to continue working
• bless his company with an over abundance of work so that they will be overwhelmed and not know how to handle the work load (has actually happened)
• long life

For Addie, bless her with:

• salvation at an early age (has happened)
• spiritual growth
• health
• an obedient spirit
• an incredible mind (has answered and continues to do so)
• a teachable spirit
• having all of her needs met
• a godly husband (one day in the future, but I can pray now)

For Ian, bless him with:

• salvation at an early age
• health
• an obedient spirit
• an incredible mind
• a teachable spirit
• having all of his needs met (we have been blessed by people constantly giving us clothing for him)
• a godly wife (again, praying for the future)

For me, bless me with:

• spiritual growth
• the words that you want me to use
• health
• ideas and creativity
• bless the work of my hands
• the desire to do the jobs that are not my favorite to do
• the courage to step out into the unknown to see what Your will for me is

Bless our:

• marriage
• home
• family
• communication skills
• finances

I have seen God work in so many ways, sometimes before I even have a chance to ask, and my specific requests have remained a secret between me and God.

God does bless.

I have evidence in my home of His blessings.

So what are you going to ask God to bless for you this week?

How Can This Be?

On Monday, we looked at Zacharias and how his questioning of God's plan caused stern consequences for him.

Today we will be looking at a second person who shows up 5 verses later who also questioned God's plan but was shown grace and understanding.

Mary was a young girl, not yet married, but engaged to a young man named Joseph. We also know that she was a girl of high moral character. Let's look at her story.

And he {Gabriel} came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (Luke 1:28-30 LEB)

This part makes me chuckle a bit. Gabriel approaches Mary in a friendly way (I can only imagine how excited he was at meeting the girl who would be the mother of his Lord and having the privilege of being the one to give her the news), yet her expression caused him to explain himself a bit more clearly.  My paraphrase, "Oh, oh, it's okay! Don't be scared! You have made God very happy!" 

Wow! Let's just think about that for a moment. 

Can you even imagine what it would be like for God to send a messenger out of heaven to let you know He is pleased with you and that you have found His favor?  

Then came the message, And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This one will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:31-33 LEB)

This is when the question came up right to the forefront of Mary's mind.

A baby?

I'm not married. I can't have a baby. 

No, really! I can't have a baby. 

Under the set of circumstances I am living in right now, it is humanly impossible for me to have a baby.

And then she verbalized her question. And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had relations with a man?” (Luke 1:34 LEB)

Now here is the difference between the kind of question that Zacharias asked and the one Mary asked.

God had already set a precident of giving children to the barren, but He had never caused a virgin to have a baby.

Mary had questions, and God, being the kind and merciful one that he is, was willing to answer her questions, to show grace to her questions, and to let her know that He was in the process of another miracle with someone she was close to and could share this time with.

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth—she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:35-37 LEB)

In Mary's time, being unwed and pregnant meant shame, her fiancce had the right to divorce her, and she could be stoned. Yet her response shows her trust in God's plan for her life.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38 NIV)

How willing are we to do what God wants us to do when it seems like things might get tough around us?

Do we question God's ability when we have seen Him work in the past?

Do we ask questions due to uncertainty but obey willingly because we trust God's plan for our lives?

I would love to be able to that I obey willingly, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. 

I question... even when I have seen Him work in my life in the past.

I ask "how"... because I like seeing the whole plan laid out in front of me instead of trusting that He not only knows how everything will turn out, but He sees the entire picture of my life, not just the small part of the road I happen to be traveling on at the time.

Mary has taught me an invaluable lesson. I can ask the questions as long as I am willing to follow His directions in complete faith that God is in control of the plan.

The Prayer of Jabez | Inroducing a New Series

Lord willing, on Thursday, we will have part 2 of our lesson that we began yesterday.

However, after a few months of having a devotional series on Tuesdays, I kind of liked having that "routine."

Today, we are going to begin a series on the prayer of Jabez that I wrote a few years ago. It should take us about seven to eight weeks to get through.

Today, we will begin with an introduction. Today's post will explain self application when praying with Scripture as your basis.

I pray that as you begin to pray the Scriptures you will see God move in your life and situation.