The Abundant Heart

I Am A...Guardian

2012-01-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Ditching the Dish and Directing TV in Our Home

In Titus 2:5 Paul admonishes women to be "keepers at home." I have found that the word "keeper" in this passage comes from the Greek word "oikouros." "Oikouros" is a compound word derived from the words "oikos" meaning home, household, family, and "ouros" meaning guard, guardian, watcher. This gives me a fuller understanding of all that it means to be a keeper of the home. I am not only to work at home, being a homemaker; I am also to be my family's guardian, standing as a tightly woven sieve, filtering through all that enters my home.

As a mother, I am with my child (soon to be children) nearly every hour of the day. Since I am a mother to little ones, it is quite simple to guard them from most negative outside influences. I choose where they go, who watches them and when, and I am able to screen what comes into the home. However, one way that negative and unbiblical influences can seep in without notice is through television...yes even those "sweet, harmless" children's shows.

In our home, TV is already a minimal part of our day. And I realize that in many homes the TV becomes little more than a humdrum of background noise. But even then, I believe our children pick up on many negatives that shows (and commercials) have to offer. When sassy, disrespectful tones, boisterous women exposing too much skin, and men playing the part of the fool become part of what is poured into our children's minds and hearts throughout the day, how can we expect these thoughts, words, and actions not to spring forth out of them?
For the past two years our family has used satellite TV. And while there are some clean, educational shows the channels have to offer, it is difficult to constantly sift through them, allowing what is edifying and purging what is not. As my husband and I discussed the use of television in our home, we realized that as our children grow older, it would only become more difficult to monitor the shows and content to which they were being exposed.

I also know my weakness to sit down after lunch and enjoy an hour (or more, I hate to admit) of "A Baby Story" and similar shows. This clearly distracts me from being diligent to complete tasks around the house and robs me of time I could have used more wisely. Along with that is the temptation to be drawn into a show that is anything but biblical and uplifting as I scan through the channels.

Because of these and other reasons, my husband and I decided to do something radical...Well, by today's standards, at least! We decided to get rid of our satellite TV service! Shocking, I know! :) And may I say that I am actually excited! The temptation to waste time in front of the television will basically be removed. Staring at a screen will no longer be considered "spending time together" or "family time." I will be kindly forced to creatively set up ways to keep my children involved while I'm busy about the laundry or cooking, which will be much better for them in the long run. Yes, I am very excited indeed!

We may invest in Netflix or Redbox, or something of the like. This will allow us to more closely monitor what is coming into our home, and thus, our minds. This will also give our children opportunities to practice self-control with regards to what they choose to watch as they grow older. (Which is much more easily done while choosing a movie through these methods rather than stumbling across a show which entices the flesh and then having to resist.) Another tool we plan on taking advantage of is Plugged In Online. On this website, we can look up and teach our children (at older ages) to look up a Christian review of many movies before even renting them.

Hopefully this transition will go smoothly. I should probably prepare myself for some withdrawal symptoms from not seeing "A Baby Story" and possibly some balking from my hubby during the World Series and NFL Playoffs! Overall my husband and I are ready to ditch the Dish and really start directing our TV.

How about you? What are methods you use to guard your family from negative television influences?

Jessica

Who Am I?

2012-01-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

In the back of my December 2011 issue of Above Rubies, I saw an advertisement for a Nancy Campbell teaching DVD titled "Who Am I?" The answer to the proposed question fascinated me as I thought of the many responsibilities and blessings that encompass my title of "Stay at Home Mom."

"I am a....

Nurturer

Life-giver

Leader

Generation Builder

Manager of my Home

Feeder

Educator

Teacher

Child Trainer

Discipler

Guardian

Flourishing Vine"

...and may I add...

Help Meet

I love this list! It makes me take a step back and realize how important my role truly is. It also makes me question: Am I doing all that I can to fulfill each of these aspects of motherhood?

Over the next several weeks I will try to post about each of these biblical traits.

New Home and New Baby (Preparation Phase)

2012-01-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

Butterflies are fluttering in my stomach today, as the realization of buying our new house is sinking in! We have had a wonderful 6 months living with my family, but my husband and I are so excited to return to a domain of our own and to transform a new house into a delightful home for our growing family!

The home is beautiful and move-in ready, but I love adding a little personal touch, so in just a few short weeks we'll be painting. I love putting soft, bright colors on the walls and watching a room transform! But, this time, I suppose, I'll have to remove myself from the fumes, leave the painting up to my family and friends and just enjoy the end result. These are my doctor's orders and I'm sure our sweet little bundle of joy will be greatful!

And speaking of that sweet little bundle, I'm getting all of my thoughts together for her bedroom. I purchased a lovely cottage chic bedding set, found a small vintage lamp in my in-laws' basement that will be a perfect match, and am gathering many other ideas on Pinterest! There is just something so creatively exhillerating about decorating a room for a daughter. Now, that's not to say I'm not excited about Levi's Big-Boy Room! The airplane theme is in the works. I was inspired by the (somewhat large) model airplane my husband built when he was younger. It's red and white and will be hanging from the ceiling. Levi's new, handed-down twin bed will be painted red for a punch of color and will be complete with vintage airplane sheets that his nana found on sale at a discount store. I am getting so antsy about decorating not only the children's rooms, but the entire house, including creating a haven of delight in our master bedroom! (I feel like my nesting urges are kicking in early!)

I'm overjoyed to be a mommy to a baby girl (Lyla, due May 1) and a baby boy (Levi, who will be about 17 months old at the arrival of his sister)! This pregnancy is passing by very quickly, so I'm already trying to prepare myself for the crazy/sweet first few weeks with a newborn.

This time, since I'll also be caring for Levi, I know I'll have to be very diligent to stay organized. I've created a ten week menu plan, complete with a grocery list that corresponds to each week's menu plan recipes. (I'm hoping to post more on this menu plan later.) Each week I have included a meal to freeze, in hopes that I will have stocked a little over a week's worth of meals by the time Lyla arrives. Also, by contiuing to freeze meals weekly, I'll have a back up for those future days with two littles, that are just too hectic for cooking.

One more thing I'm trying investigate: Ways to keep my 17 month old entertained while nursing my newborn...especially for those first couple of weeks when nursing sessions tend to last longer. I would appreciate ANY tips you have! What has worked in your experience?

Jessica

Christmas Traditions and Decor

2011-11-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

Today as it was snowing, I thought it to be the perfect time to share some of our Christmas traditions and decorations! Especially at Christmas time, we love to make our home a bright and beautiful place! Each year (even when we're not all in the same house) we all get together to choose our Christmas tree. It's a wonderful way to begin the Christmas season. The search for the "perfect" evergreen begins at a local tree farm. We search rows and rows before we choose the perfect specimen, while the boys intermittenly throw football. This year was particularly fun because Levi was able to enjoy the experience with the rest of us! I just love making family memories! On the hayride to our favorite spot!

Daddy showing Levi the needles and pinecones

Levi found his favorite tree!

Brittney and me standing by while the tree is cut down

Papi with the tree!

When we return home, we set up the Christmas tree and the ladies begin decorating while the men put up Christmas lights outside. I love how Christmas decorations create a beautiful glow in our home.

We love to use a lot of red in our tree to sybolize the blood of Jesus

Nana's Advent Calendar! Each date is made of a canning lid, scrapbook paper, and stickers.

On the back side of each date is one of the names of Jesus. We'll flip the date each day.

This is the "fun" area, Levi's favorite place to be!

Levi made a handprint ornament for each grandparent and great-grandparent!

While the snow was falling and I was snapping pictures, the finches came to visit!

What are some of your favorite ways to represent Christ in your Christmas decorations?

Teach Me Tuesdays

Advent Calendars and Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas

2011-11-23T15:59:00.000-08:00

My family and I have been exploring ways to keep Christ the center of our Christmas celebration. Now that I have a child (soon to be children) of my own, I have been trying to be especially deliberate in placing the Christmas "magnifying glass" where it is meant to be.

As a child, it can be difficult to remove the gift fog that seems to blur the birth of our Savior. One thing my husband and I have decided to do to lift this fog is to give our children only three gifts at Christmas. This year, our son will be receiving a small play center, a set of Bible-based children's books, and a puzzle-type-thing that has several different latches. Starting next year, when he is two, Levi will choose three of his own toys to give to a child in need, assuming we can find a family in our community who will accept used toys. If not, he will donate his toys to a missions thrift shop nearby.

Another way we are deliberately keeping Christ in Christmas is by following an Advent Calendar, leading up to the day we celebrate His birth. I have made two calendars, and my mom will soon be completing one as well. (I'll try to post her completed project soon).

I found instructions to the first calendar on this site.

It's made of 24 matchboxes hot-glued together, with touches of scrapbook paper and sticker embellishments. I am very pleased with the quaint, wintry look of it, but I'm not sure if it will hold up through years of being packed away, since the matchboxes aren't very durable. I picked up the second calendar at Hobby Lobby in the Christmas craft section. It was plain cardboard, so I also bought red and green paint, white number stickers, and Christmas theme stickers. Everything was 50% off and I love how cute this turned out, especially for the low cost!

This will be the Advent Calendar we use with our kiddos. In each box, I placed either a name of Jesus, prophecy scriptures, or Gospel verses about Jesus' birth. Each day that has a name of Jesus in the box we will share a way that Jesus exemplifies that aspect of His being. For example, for Lamb of God, we will explain why Jesus is called the Lamb of God. For each day that has a scripture in the box we will look up the verse, read it, and discuss it.I am so excited to incorporate these ideas into our Christmas traditions to help us remember that Jesus is the true reason for celebration!

How about you? Are there any traditions your family has developed to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas?

Teach Me Tuesdays

Blueberry Muffins

2011-11-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love to bake this time of year...probably too much! This evening I threw together some blueberry muffins from a Betty Crocker recipe I'd never used. The results are quite tasty and will be a nice breakfast for us at home in the morning, and also for the men who frequently eat on their way to work!

Recipe
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. cooking oil
3/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pan or use paper baking cups. In medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Fold in berries. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full with mixture. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on wire rack. Serve warm with butter or margarine.

Next time, to add some extra flavor, I think I'll exchange the milk for buttermilk and oil for butter.
Hopefully we'll have enough left over for breakfast!

Jessica

We Are Thankful: Our Thankful Tree

2011-11-09T16:43:00.000-08:00

While it is true that we should ceaslessly give thanks to the LORD throughout the year, it is wonderful to set time aside to refocus and reflect on everything for which we have to be thankful. This year for Thanksgiving (and the weeks leading up to it), we decided to do something special to highlight the many reasons we are greatful to God.

Enter "The Thankful Tree."

Yesterday, while the temperature was much warmer than today's delightful 50 degrees, we found two branches that had the perfect height, width, and overall appearance. This was surprinsingly more difficult than we anticipated! We brought in our branches and placed them in a vase weighed down with small stones. Scrapbook paper leftover from homemade wedding invitations was great for our "thankful notes." We simply cut it into squares, hole punched the top, and tied the ribbon through. Now all that's left to do is decorate each branch with thanks.

Our number one reason to be always thankful was the first on the tree: Perfect salvation through Jesus Christ

I'm excited to see all the things for which my family is thankful appear on the tree!

In our home, Thanksgiving is one of our most cherished holidays! (Especially for my Dad--also known as Papi) And since we're ALL together in the same house this year, we took great joy in decorating! Our favorite decor pieces are the floral arrangements that we used at my wedding almost two years ago. Yes, I will have been married to the man of my dreams for two years on November 28!

Oh, and I just love flipping this calendar over to the next month to see the beautiful scenery! Although we don't typically have Novembers that look like this in southern Indiana, it makes me smile with anticipation for the months ahead!

"Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods... Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker." -Psalm 95:1-3, 6

A Smoky Mountain Summer

2011-10-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Imagine the heat of a Tennessee summer evening tingling your skin; the rolling hills yawning with each swoop and stretch; and the insects singing a sweet summer symphony, their unassuming lullaby soothing to the soul. This is just a glimmer of what Tennessee was to hold for me, only a glimpse of the rich nourishment that was to come from this shower of blessings.

On June 18th I began my trek to the Smoky Mountain Christian Village in Sevierville, Tennessee. What this six week adventure was to hold, I had yet to discover. After about a six hour drive, I arrived at my cozy summer home. It was upon my arrival that I met the young woman who would come to be such an encouragement to me, a true lady after God's own heart: Jacquelyn.

Jacquelyn is not your typical, run-of-the-mill woman. She is feisty, inquisitive, and oh so entertaining. Her spunk and passion are contagious and she makes your heart smile. (You should check out her blog: beneathakansansky.blogspot.com)

The Lord continued to bless me with priceless friendships. Andrew and Hunter were the maintenance crew additions for the summer, and what godly men they were! They had such zeal and love for the Lord that you couldn't help but feel the fervor emminating from them. Abbie and Ruthie, two darling Kansan recruits, were like a beam of sunshine in a grey sky. They added so much pizzaz to our little quartet of femininity. I would be working side by side with those two young ladies for my main duty of the summer: kitchen staff.

We were responsible for providing meals for week-long camps for two weeks. Now, I've cooked for ten people, maybe even 12; but that is no comparison to fifty. There was quite a bit of stress and a few messes made, but the additional help we received was wonderful! The camp director, Brock Shinkle, and his wife Annie have two little girls, a little boy, and just added another little man last week. Their two daughters, Emma and Elsie, were such a big help through the weeks. They were so willing to lend a hand and always wanted to know what they could help with.

Miss Elsie

The rest of the summer staff also assisted us in our mealtime duties. I know we were SO thankful for the extra hands!

While we had many responsibilities through the week, we always made time for a little fun. Jacquelyn, in all her brilliance, planned a tea party for all the girls. It was so fun and so cute! We had an exquisite tablescape and all kinds of delicious finger foods.

Ruthie and her moustache cup :)

Emma and Elsie all dolled up for the tea party!

We also had a fun friend to add to our entertainment: Waldo. Waldo was our Japanese transportation adventure, through which I learned to drive a manual for the first time! He was our trusty truck to take us to and fro about the campus and also aided in a pretty epic water balloon fight.

Through the duration of my stay at my home away from home, the Lord opened these droopy eyes to so many vibrant truths. The girls and I did a study on the book of Ruth. We worked through the beginning of the wonderful book "Lady In Waiting." (I highly, and I mean highly, recommend this book for any single woman of any age.) God opened my eyes to idols I had hidden in my heart and renewed my spirit within me. The encouragement I received from all of my fellow servants and the friendships I gained are priceless.

A scripture I have learned to cling to is 1 Corinthians 7:27, 32-35: "Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife... But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction."

My heart's desire is to have a family of my own, but I was made aware through my study of Ruth that my singleness is a blessed time, not a cursed one. God has entrusted me with this time to whole-heartedly serve Him. I have opportunities now that I will not have as a married woman and I want to be a good and faithful steward of my time. Jesus needs to be, has to be, my primary focus and the only God in my life. No man can fill that part of me and now is the time to really solidly establish Christ as the center of my life.

Words seem much too empty in comparison to the fullness I received in my six weeks in Tennessee. In its majestic mountains, its trees so tall and protective, its simplicity, calm and soothing. God is an artist of works refined, an author of words sublime, and a Father of love divine. Behold, what manner of love the Father has given unto us! This love was only deepened and magnified in my short but life-long adventure. My mission to the mountains. My Smoky Mountain Summer.

~Brittney

We Will Never Be the Same

2011-10-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Lord of All

2011-08-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

This week has been a reminder that the God I serve really is Lord of All. I am humbled daily that the King of Kings chooses to bless me...me, an undeserving servant with gifts greater than I could ever imagine.

Wonderful Blessing #1: Three weeks ago, my hubby put our house up for sale by listing it on a website. He is quite the visionary and keeps me ready and waiting for new adventures. Neither one of us thought that it would get much interest, much less an offer. However, yesterday, we officially sold our sweet, red farmhouse. It took a mere three weeks from listing to closing for this process to be completed. What's more, the profit we were blessed to receive will be most helpful in putting a down payment on our home-to-be, wherever that home-to-be may be. We are so excited to see where the Lord takes us from here and what he has in store. I am so abundantly thankful to my amazing husband for following the prompting of the wonderful Counselor, and I pray that we are sensitive to his timing as we search for our next residence.

Wonderful Blessing #2: My parents have graciously opened their home to us for an undetermined amount of time while we house/land hunt. This week we will be moving in, which will be like a trip down memory lane, because we are staying in the room my sister and I used to share. My sister has moved from her room into what used to be the office/homeschool room, and the office moved to what used to be the dining room. Everyone has been so accommodating and hospitable through this transition. We are happy to be together and (Mom and I especially) are excited to be refining our creative homemaking skills together...(sewing projects, experimental bread and cinnamon roll recipes, and the like) We like to think of our soon-to-be full house as an "Incubator for Sanctification." And a full house it will be: My sister, who is commuting to a nearby college, by brothers, who are both homeschooled, my mom (Nana), my dad (Poppy), my loving husband, and our baby boy, who is nine months old...Which brings me to...

Wonderful Blessing #3: Just a few short hours before we closed on our house, I was surprised and overjoyed to find that the Lord is blessing us with another gift, a precious baby, due in late April. The joy that fills my heart is indescribable! I had this wonderful plan to tell my husband in a cute, creative way (which I had to come up with quickly on my own, because the ideas I looked up on the Internet were not so creative.) I left the house and headed for a card store where I bought a Daddy-to-be card. I put it in the envelope and wrote our address on the front, with a made up return address (in handwriting that looked nothing like my own)and headed home to stick it in the mailbox for him to find when he got home. That's when he called me, wondering where I was...Yes, he had beaten me to the house. Shortly after I hung up the phone, I remembered that I had left the pregnancy test in the bathroom! I called back, trying to think of a way to keep him out of the bathroom until I got home. Ring, Ring, "Hi, Honey. Do you have something you want to tell me???" my husband questioned. "Ummmmm, like what?" I replied, trying to hold in the news that was about to burst at the seams. "Honnnneyyyy..." Yep, again I was too late! But all I could do was giggle like a little school girl! Hubby asked, " Are you being serious or are you joking?" I told him I was serious and that there is no way (that I'm aware of)to fake a pregnancy test. I also told him that I had just called to keep him away from the bathroom and away from that pregnancy test. When I arrived at home, I still gave Hubby the card and he gave me a sweet hug and two kisses (one for me and one for the baby) When the surprise of it all had worn off a bit, Hubby told me that it wasn't the pregnancy test that he found. He opened the computer to check an email from the realtor and what popped up but a web page that said "Creative Ways to Tell your Husband You're Pregnant." Oops! I guess this was as creative a way as any...or at least as surprising! Needless to say, I will do a better job of covering my tracks next time! :) But any faint disappointment I may have had from my plan being for naught, was swept away with the elation we are feeling!

So there you have it, three wonderful blessings packed into three wonderful days. A brilliant husband who loves me fully and introduces me to new adventures, a sweet baby boy to love and to train, a gracious family who is a great example of hospitality, and a chance to live out the faith I have in the One who writes my days, not knowing what is written in the next chapter, or even on the next page. I am so grateful to my God for providing, and even going above and beyond what I need. Yes, my God is a magnificent Savior, Redeemer, King of Kings, and Lord of All.

Jessica

Biblical Womanhood

2011-08-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

Is my behavior reverent today?

Meditating on the Cross

2011-08-09T06:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I read God's word, I feel overwhelmed with love and encouragement. Other times I'm struck with conviction that burns in my gut. Just when I think I am reading too deeply into a passage, or I am more concerned with man's judgement than that of my Father, the Lord faithfully shows me the weaknesses in my heart.

My flesh is far too easily swayed by this sinful world in which we live. The enemy cleverly and craftily uses the culture to seduce me into believing there is no black and white, only grey. That lie would be easy to swallow if it weren't for God's Word.

There is a delicate balance between being in the world but not of the world; loving my neighbor without shrouding that love in social tolerance. My heart's greatest desire is to love my Lord through obedience to His Word. Many times He draws out of me a love so deeply laden with passion and zeal for His testimonies, and I struggle to contain it. I pray that living out the love I have for my Savior, however pathetic my attemps, brings Him glory and draws others to Him. But there is still a longing to speak truth in love to my sons and daughters, brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as the lost. However, I know my words must come from a humble heart, and sometimes my passion and zeal begin to override humility. I am so grateful that Jesus is my navigator through these mine fields. If I continue to trust His sovereign voice, He will be able to use me in ways I am not able to foresee.

As I seek to daily die to self and live for Christ, the Holy Spirit empowers me to fight the battle that rages on within my flesh. The battle that tells me to keep silent; to speak an unfit word; to fear persecution; to fear being labeled judgemental and legalistic. But, Praise be to God for the encouragement and strength that only comes from Him. He provided the remedy to the disease of this world, the way to overcome sin. Jesus died on the cross, rose from the grave, took His place in Heaven and draws us, His followers, away from the world's allure and into His arms.

Sinful man lives in a corrupt world rescued by a perfect Savior. That is what I must keep in perspective. That is what must motivate my heart into action. C.J. Mahaney beautifully draws the scope of this issue into focus in this excerpt from the book Worldliness, "Meditate on the cross. Consider the wonders of the Savior who died for sinners and rose victorious over sin and death. Dwell where the cries of Clavary are louder than the clamor of the world."

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

2011-07-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful post to encourage mothers!
"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD. The fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will die—and trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death.

Run to the Cross
But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

Hands Full of Good Things
When my little girl told me, “Your hands are full!” I was so thankful that she already knew what my answer would be. It was the same one that I always gave: “Yes they are—full of good things!”

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross. There is more joy and more life and more laughter on the other side of death than you can possibly carry alone.

To continue reading click the link:

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

Divided: Is Modern Youth Ministry Multiplying or Dividing the Church?

2011-07-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

Counter-Cultural, Controversial, Challenging, Life-Changing

To watch DIVIDED the movie, now for free, click HERE

God Gives the Increase

2011-07-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

"So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor." -1 Corinthians 3:7-8

Funny how an ordinary little thing like canning Green Beans spurs me to ponder something deeper and much more significant than the art of canning. I love that the Scriptures are filled with metaphors which compare the simplest of things to the most extraordinary of truths, drawing our attention constantly to the power of the LORD. Yes, we can plant the beans and water the beans, but without God, all of our labor would be for naught because He is the one who provides the growth. Without that growth there would still be only a seed under the soil. Amazingly, we benefit from the reward of fresh, delicious Green Beans though we can take no credit for the harvest.
It is the same way when we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We may plant the Gospel Seed. We may water the seed. But it is God who gives the increase and grows deep-rooted faith in the "soil" of the heart. It is good to be obedient in the sharing of the Good News, but just as with the green beans, we can take no credit for the growth in a person's life. Still, each one receives an award according to his labor. I cannot fathom, that we, undeserving servants, should receive an award more than what we have already received by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus. How grateful I am to my wonderful Savior for the ordinary and the extraordinary things in life!

Our cans were filled with Green Beans!

We filled the cans with water, leaving 1" of space at the top.

With three quarts of water in the bottom of the canner, we put on the lid and turned the heat to high. When the steam escaped steadily for ten minutes, we put our pressure regulator on top, with ten pounds of pressure for 25 minutes.

When the canner depressurized and cooled on its own, we removed the lid and took out the jars. (I just love the smell that escapes from the canner! The aroma of freshly canned Green Beans is such a summertime smell!)

Our final product!

Oh the Delights of a Family Roadtrip!

2011-07-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

Six hours. Six people. One minivan. We are spending the first day of our holiday weekend in this incubator for sanctification. Skies are blue and the sun is illuminating the mountaintop trees as we cross the Tennessee line on our trek to the Smoky Mountains. Soon we will arrive at Smoky Mountain Christian Village, greeted by a woodsy lodge and a sweetly missed sister. Adventure and relaxation await and many memories are ready to be made. Oh the delights of a family Roadtrip!

Kristina and Jessica (from the backseat)

A Simple Sigh

2011-05-04T11:23:00.001-07:00

I had just brought a heaping basketful of laundry up to my bedroom to be folded, stacked, and put away. I tipped the basket over, letting the laundry tumble onto my bed, forming the dreaded "Clothes Mountain." I was reminding myself how much I despise doing laundry, or more specifically, putting away laundry. My shoulders were slumped, and I was feeling downright sorry for myself. And then I heard it... All of my sinful thoughts were released in a whispery breath being forced out of my mouth. That quiet sigh might as well have been hooked up to surround sound for the way it echoed in my mind. Isn't it amazing how God uses even a small, seemingly insignificant sound escaping our lips to bring to light the sin in our life? . A simple sigh can uncover a heart of discontentment, anger, bitterness, impatience, pride, disrespect, etc... This sigh exposed an attitude unbecoming of a godly homemaker. When I evaluate my circumstance, I see that I have no reason to allow my heart to fill with these feelings. But I do have every reason to be thankful: I have an abundance of clothing; I have a washer and dryer to assist me in cleaning my clothing, I have a husband who is supportive and encouraging of my role as a homemaker; I am a woman undeserving of God's grace, but am continually showered with it. I pray that God will make each sigh stand out in my mind and use them to remind me of my heart attitude. Although it can be uncomfortable to see my sin exposed, I am thankful that I belong to a God who is sanctifying me day by day.

Jessica

Gardening

2011-05-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Today we gardened. We broke up our fallow ground. How sweet to see God's word being personified in our very lives! What a blessing to work with one's hands, to see the fruit of your labors.
I thought today of the many purposes and uses of a garden. If anger creeps in, tend to the hoeing. For by doing so you are able to work out your frustration while also being productive.
A garden in a beautiful and bountiful blessing indeed! How silly that we should overlook the Lord's provisions and not take advantage of such opportunities.

-Brittney

Becoming Levi's Mom: My Altered Identity

2011-04-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

"Forget being called 'Jessica'; From now on you'll just be Levi's Mom."

"When you have a child you lose your identity."

These are comments women have made to me, and sadly, this attitude about children seems to be the popular one. Somewhere along the road of raising children, mothers no longer see them as a gift, a heritage from the Lord. In light of this, let me address the previous comments, respectively.

"Forget being called 'Jessica'; From now on you'll just be Levi's Mom."

Jessica. I like my name, I do. But these seven letters do not define me. They don't reveal anything about my life or my heart or what I love. I don't swell up with pride when someone calls my name. I do, however, remember my heart filling with joy the first time that someone introduced me as "Joey's wife," and I still feel special when I'm referred to in this way. I'm sure I will feel similarly when someone recognizes me as Levi's Mom. Both of these titles define a part of who I am, my life, my heart, and what I love.

Even God is referred to by His attributes: Almighty, Anointed One, Teacher, Comforter, Bridegroom, Lamb of God, Son of God, Son of Man, Emmanuel, Father. These names add to our understanding of Him, they don't take away a part of who He is.

Maybe a better comment to make would be this: "Forget being called 'Jessica'; Now you get to be known as Levi's Mom."

"When you have a child, you lose your identity."

I disagree. First of all, my identity is found in Christ Jesus. He is the One who chiefly defines who I am. Secondly, by having a child I don't lose my identity at all, it just changes. I am going to be defined by something: my job, where I live, places I spend my time, the people with whom I surround myself, what I do, what I don't do, etc... I personally would rather be defined by my calling to be a wife and mother and everything that comes with it. This is the "job" that God has given me to fulfill. Through it the Lord has blessed me with a home, many things to occupy my time and people to spend time with. It affects what I do and what I don't do. This identity is beautiful because it is the one God has given me.

A better comment to make would be this: "When you have a child, God expands your identity."

Mothers, let's enjoy our children and view them as the gift that they truly are!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3

What Guys Think About Modesty

2011-04-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

2011-02-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

"The highest house of congress is the domestic circle; the rocking-chair in the nursery is higher than a throne." -T. DeWitt Talmage

Quality Without Quantity?

2011-02-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

"There is no such thing as quality time [with your children] as an entity separate from quantity time. You can never know when a moment of angst or curiosity will hit your child, and you have to be responsive to that moment or feeling in your special way. Quality moments occur only when there is quantity time for them to spontaneously occur." -Dr. Laura Schlessinger

A Work So Noble

2011-01-23T14:36:00.001-08:00

"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse into the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life...she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers and she would commit to no other's hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." JR Miller

As I read this, I wonder, what in this life can compare to the feeling of spending each day with my sweet baby? What is worth sacrificing the time I am able spend cuddling him, talking to him, helping him learn and grow, enjoying his smile, learning what each facial expression means, and loving on him as he begins to love back? The answer: Nothing. Nothing is worthy of that sacrifice. Not money, or a career; not a bigger home or more expensive clothing; not the empty satisfaction that comes from placing other duties above the calling to be a keeper at home.

The fact is, God has given me an immense responsibility in the raising and training of my son. How I choose to do this will directly affect the man he becomes. If I am home with my child, I have the best opportunity to ensure that he is being trained in the way God is leading me (through His word) to train him. I consider it a joy to be given this noble work and am thankful that God has laid out the best plan to accomplish all that was entrusted to me when my son, Levi Joseph, was placed in my arms.

Jessica

2010-12-14T18:57:00.001-08:00

Grace

2010-11-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

Indescribable grace fills this heart until it is bubbling over. His grace saturates and illuminates the life of this unworthy sinner. And the words won't come. No mere words to pour out this uncontainable joy and gratitude and thanksgiving. Just tears of bliss trail down my face. These tears are my offering, my praise to the Giver of life. I pray that these tears express the words I cannot speak.

Levi Joseph

gift from God ...
healthy...
beautiful...
precious son of my beloved daughter

"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged..." Proverbs 17:6

Three Questions

2010-10-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Lamb of God

2010-10-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Promises with Patience

2010-10-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

Patience. It brings such blessings in life, yet living it out can be a struggle to achieve. We aren't the first to face the challenges patience brings. Sarah wanted a child so badly, but she began to doubt that God would fill this void in her heart. Because of the doubt, she decied to take matters into her own hands. Making a dire compromise, she caused herself more heartache. Through her mistake we learn a vital lesson. God's best comes in God's time, not ours!

The Lord has a plan and purpose for our lives, and we trust that He is attentive to each detail. We rest in the promise that He will give us the desires of our heart. Of course, those desires will be met according to His sovereign plan. Being the carnal creatures we are, we would like to know the timeline He has lain out. Our lives revolve around time. From birth to death, wake to sleep, we tend to get wrapped up in clocks and calendars. We like an element of predictability in the spontaneity of life.

Sometimes, after we have prayed that the Lord will grant us the desires of heart, we begin to think He isn't listening. I'm guilty of stumbling into this state of mind. But like Sarah, I've learned that God is listening, He does care, and He has a perfect plan for each of us. That's what I want, His best. I trust in His promises. I pray for great patience.

Autumn is Whispering

2010-09-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, the leaves are green, though not as crisp in color as I observed a few weeks past. As I sit this evening, gazing out my closed windows I can almost hear the leaves rustling as wind caresses each tree. Long shadows are cast on the already browning grass. I picture the sun setting, dipping below tall trees and finally disappearing behind the dried stalks of corn.

It is all too delightful to let what my eyes drink in quench all five senses. I pick myself up and, one by one, I open each window in my red farmhouse. The breeze of this 73 degree evening embraces me as a companion at the end of a long absence, greeting me with refreshing familiarity. I notice the air smells not of summer anymore, but that leafy, early fall scent floats in and soothes me as I inhale deeply.

Though this autumnal visit may be brief for now, it's as if autumn is whispering, I'll soon return to bring you breezy days and cool nights, scents of burning leaves and mulled cider, and the beauty of colorful trees, rustling, all exclaiming the majesty of the LORD.

Jessica

The Heart Revealed

2010-08-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

"...for out the the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." -Matthew 12:34

“It’s not so much what you say

As the manner in which you say it;

It’s not so much the language you use

As the tone in which you convey it;

"Come here!" I sharply said,

And the child cowered and wept.

“Come here”, I said –

He looked and smiled

And straight to my lap he crept.

Words may be mild and fair

And the tone may pierce like a dart;

Words may be soft as the summer air

But the tone may break my heart;

For words come from the mind

Grow by study and art –

But tone leaps from the inner self

Revealing the state of the heart.

Whether you know it or not,

Whether you mean or care,

Gentleness, kindness, love and hate,

Envy, anger, are there.

Then, would you quarrels avoid

And peace and love rejoice?

Keep anger not only out of your words –

Keep it out of your voice.”

~Author Unknown

An Honorable Task

2010-08-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

Sunlight filters through the window. As I peer out with sleepy eyes, I find glistening dew at the end of long shadows cast across summer grass. This new day is covered with the fingerprints of our magnificent Creator. His continued blessings rise with the sun this morning. Today school begins. The promise of learning is untied as the scroll of loosely structured days filled with wisdom and knowledge starts to unfold.

There is an element of excitement in the predictability of it all. The smell of new books will fill the air. Pencils will leave their mark on fresh pages. Blankets will cover a patch of grass where stories and poems will be read.

Of all the knowledge gained in math and science and history and art, I pray that I put the greatest emphasis on the One from whom true knowledge comes. We take no credit in our intellectual ability, yet how easily pride seeps into the heart. The intricacies of this world are profound, but how easily our wonderment wanes.

If I teach my children to see God's handiwork in every aspect of their lives, they have the tools to truly succeed. If they use their academic skills to glorify their Maker, their lives will have direction and purpose. My highest calling is to lead my children to Him with a pure heart. Only God can equip me for such an honorable task.

"Boast no more so very proudly, do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and with Him actions are weighed." 1 Samuel 2:3

Blackberry Summer

2010-07-07T10:58:00.001-07:00

"And God said, 'See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.'"

~Genesis 1:29

How sweet to truly "taste and see that the Lord is good!" And furthermore, to have the opportunity in your own backyard! Each year our property brings forth an abundance of berries, and not just any berry-- blackberries. The richness they supply in both color and flavor is a testament to the supreme artistry of the Creator.

The delightful berries!

My mom, sister, and I travelled about the property seeking out our delicious little morsels. And boy did we find them! With the help of our blackberry-loving dog, Josie (who trotted ahead of us to the next patch of ripe blackberries), we were able to end victorious with a full bucket.

Me, Brittney, just beginning to pick.

Now, picking blackberries is a careful kind of business. One must be ever so gentle in the retrieval. If grabbed too tightly, the ripened berries may turn to mush. If grabbed too hastily, one is almost sure to be stuck by a thorn.

Mom, picking a delicious, ripe blackberry.

The summer sun was warm on our backs and the sweet symphony of nature was like a warm plate of cobbler: sweet to the senses and soothing to the soul. The vast blue sky was like glassy waters. It was as if one could be immersed in its refreshing clarity. For a short moment it was as if time stood still; as if the world had been stilled in its motion and it was just...us. Just this moment in the flourish of God's creation. O, how deep the Father's love for us!

Jessica, holding our bucket-full at the end of the picking spree.

We continued our trek along the winding path, seeking shade at every opportunity. After much seeking, finding, and picking we returned to the house to begin the tastier part of our journey :)

Bringing the berries, sugar, and fruit pectin to a boil.

Jessica and I cooked down the berries on the stove until they reached a more tender, juicy state. (On more than one occasion we had to stop ourselves from premature taste-tests.) Then we transferred the berries to a big pot and invited sugar and fruit pectin to the party. After the delicious concoction arrived at a boil...

Filling up our jam jars.

We poured them into the previously boiled jars. It looked so good!!! This part resulted in a slightly sticky mess.

Sealing the lids.

After screwing on the lids, we boiled the jars with the jam in them to help the lids seal. Again, we needed a big pot.

Scrumptious blackberry jam!

And...voila! Blackberry jam! (Which was quite delectable if I do say so myself)

On this day, many memories were made that cannot be captured in a picture or paragraph. The three of us-my sister, my mother, and I- have our very own snapshots and recollections of that special day.

Psalm 23:6 says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

The day of the blackberries was one of absolute goodness and mercy. There was goodness in the sweet time we were able to spend together. There was goodness in the love that was shared that day. There was goodness in the bond that was strengthened among the three of us. But most of all, there was mercy. Mercy in all that God allowed that day: a time of fellowship, a time of laughter, but above all, a time to simply feel the immeasurable wave of blessings that the good Lord showers upon us every day. Oh, that every day would feel like a blackberry summer.

~Brittney

A Beautiful Trip Around the Sun

2010-06-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

I thought about my life today and how quickly everything has changed. Just last summer I had gotten engaged to a wonderful man, was busy planning a beautiful wedding, and only dreaming of and praying for what God might bring me in my married life. Fast forward twelve months to today. I have been married for almost seven months (to a wonderful man), I am sixteen weeks pregnant with a beautiful baby, and only dreaming of and praying for what God might do through this child's life. I am so thankful for this gift and will sing continuous praise to the One who not only gives life on this earth, but life for eternity.

Jessica

To Whom are We Submitting - Part 2

2010-04-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Ignoring the blessings in life on a day like this seems impossible. I am sitting in front of my computer, but just inches beyond that I see a white rocking chair beckoning me to enjoy this spring day. Its gentle nod assures me that my senses will be filled with a warm breeze, bird’s song, swaying branches and fragrant blossoms. My thoughts flash back to a year ago, and years before that, when I was sitting at a desk in a room with no windows. Every spare moment was spent making lists: lists to remind myself of things to discuss with my husband and children; lists of things to do at home every evening and weekend. I daydreamed about cleaning ceiling fans, organizing closets, grocery shopping, tilling the garden, planting flowers, and of course that was all followed by looming fretfulness. Not only did I wonder when and how I would get it all accomplished, I wondered how I would share any quality time with my family…and my Savior. A quick prayer here and there, and a peek at scripture over lunch was a shameful attempt at showing love for my Lord.

I had ventured off the path. Yes, I kept it in sight, but I wasn’t traveling the trail blazed specifically for me as a child of God, wife, and mother. In my heart, I knew I was not honoring God, therefore, I was dishonoring Him (it seems so obvious now!). It wasn’t that I felt the need to work outside the home. I thought it was a contribution to my family. It’s what is expected of a 21st century woman. It took me a while to fully accept that I was contributing to my family according to the world’s standards, not God’s. Thankfully, He left my spirit unsettled. He also led my husband and me to some wonderful people whom believe fully in God’s inerrant word. They illuminated scriptures we had read many times before, but didn’t accept at face value, specifically Titus 2:3-5.

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. “

Those words stung me! ”workers at home”…”subject to their own husbands”…”the word of God will not be dishonored” The words of the Almighty burned my heart with an undeniable conviction which produced a pliable lump of clay for Him to continue shaping. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me. He had been speaking to me for quite some time, but I wasn’t listening to Him. There is a difference between hearing something and listening. I hear many sounds, but until I deliberately listen I do not know what they are. My husband can say something to me. I hear him, but if I am distracted and not listening I don’t know what he is trying to say. Listening to the Lord requires putting aside the distractions in our lives and focusing on Him, only Him. I was allowing a film to develop on the windows of my heart and mind. Light could shine through, but it certainly was not clear.

Understand that I take full responsibility for my rebellion against God’s Word. But what I am about to say is crucial. This struggle with working outside the home went on for years. I spoke to many other Christians (and cried to some) about my unsettled feelings regarding working outside the home. I was very open about my concern with disobedience toward God. Repeatedly, I was assured that the Lord was in no way pleased or displeased with my choice of lifestyle. In fact, I was encouraged to remain working because I could impact so many other lives through my position in a public school. Depending far too much on others’ interpretation of Scripture, as well as my own sinful pride, I did not allow the Holy Spirit full reign in my heart to disclose the truth to me. This is an area in which I would urge anyone to be extremely cautious. Be ever so sensitive to convictions the Lord impresses on the heart; whether it be yours or someone else’s.

Liberty comes through the Spirit of the Lord. However, I am not to abuse that liberty for selfish fulfillment. Excuses can always be conjured up to justify our choices to keep one foot on the path while we deliberately let the other trail through the weeds. Counsel from others often feels good to the flesh, but not the spirit. However, discernment is vital in this human state. God’s Word in inerrant; it is the standard for our lives. He has presented the quintessence for which I am to strive as a godly woman. My testimony is exposed in how much of myself I am willing to relinquish to His will. Even the unbeliever can recognize when a professing Christian woman is not submissive to God’s Word or her husband. My unwillingness to submit can prove a stumbling block to my sisters in Christ. Pure scriptural truth must be illuminated if any of us are to practice full capitulation in sincere love and obedience.

Tranquility lies in a submissive heart. Blessings pour into marriages and families living to glorify the living God. Be encouraged…our Creator designed us, as women, for a specific purpose. Trust in His precepts.

Springtime and New Life

2010-04-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand." -Psalm 139:13-18

At the precise moment that my heart was yearning to see those beautiful buds on the trees, Cherry Blossom blooms, and all other signs of new life that come to my Midwestern home in the springtime, the Lord placed in me a sign of new life incomparable to any other. On March 23rd I discovered that God had been secretly forming a child in my womb, seeing his (or her) substance, being yet unformed, and fashioning his days, when as yet there were none.

How thankful I am to my God for giving me this gift, this miracle. I pray that this baby is formed into a strong, healthy, newborn babe who will be placed in my arms to nurse and coddle to my heart's content. I also pray as Jeremiah 1:5 says, that even before my child is born, he is sanctified, set apart for a holy purpose. How delighted I am to have this new life growing inside of me, being sustained and nurtured by my own body and by the immeasurable love of my Lord. Marvelous are His works; I will praise His beautiful name!

~Jessica

My Content Heart was Born in the Kitchen

2010-03-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

"...for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." -Philippians 4:11

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have."
-Hebrews 13:5

"A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked." -Psalm 37:16

"Now godliness with contentment is great gain." -1 Timothy 6:6

About six months before my husband and I began our life together as man and wife, he began preparing for our future by tearing apart the house he purchased. I mean literally, tearing apart, plaster, lathe, ceilings, floors, everything, down to the studs. All that was left of our future home was a skeleton and, of course, endless possibilities (at least as many as our budget would allow). My wonderful, creative, engineer, husband, reworked the whole layout of our quaint, 1904 farmhouse and opened up the floor plan beautifully! The master bedroom became the living room; the large living room became a bathroom and a second bedroom; the second bedroom became the kitchen, the kitchen became the master bedroom; and the laundry room became the master bathroom/closet. The only room in our whole house that remained in its original location was the dining room, and even it was modified.

Now that the background of our undertaking has been revealed, it may come as no surprise that "Mission Home" is not presently complete. Our house is quite livable, however and is even filled with many amenities that have only been seen as "necessary" in my own naive generation. But there was one aspect of the house, that before the wedding, I thought would not be near completion, and I would terribly long for- a kitchen. You see, I love to cook and I love to be in the kitchen, so knowing that I may not have an oven or a sink or a refrigerator or kitchen cabinets or a microwave for at least a year was somewhat disappointing, actually quite disappointing. No home cooked meals to eat with my hubby? No baking bread? No experimenting with new recipes? No kitchen? But still, I made the decision to be content with what I was given.

Our current kitchen setup

Well, we serve a God who cares for every aspect of our lives, and do you know what He did? He provided. Maybe not in any ways we may have anticipated, but the Lord provided all the same. A month before we were married, my husband attended a cabinet auction and brought home two cabinets (for five dollars a piece) that we were able to set up in the corner of our kitchen. Not long after that, a pastor friend and his wife told us that they were preparing to sell a large refrigerator, two pantry cabinets, and a counter top at a very affordable price. So in went the refrigerator, the pantry, and the counter top. A few weeks after the wedding, we bought (an extremely discounted) brand new, gas stove. It came out of a home my father-in-law had sold to an elderly lady who preferred to cook with an electric stove. This may have been the most exciting addition to our kitchen! Now we had everything except a kitchen sink, so we washed our dishes in the laundry tub that was serving as our bathroom sink until we could afford a "real" bathroom sink. When we did save up to by the "real" sink, we were able to move the laundry tub to the kitchen. Not only did we acquire all of this, but for Christmas, my husband's sisters gave us a microwave. Our kitchen had actually become a kitchen! Everything seemed so complete and I was so satisfied! So imagine my excitement a week ago when a friend of the family gave my husband and I cabinets and counter tops and when my husband's co-worker gave us a real kitchen sink! We were able to use two of the cabinets and the counter top (which had the perfect sized rectangular cutout) to set up our sink!

The new sink and cabinets

Do we have the perfect, Country Living, Better Homes and Gardens kitchen? No. But we do have a stove which allows me to prepare my husband's favorite foods, a refrigerator to store the ingredients and leftovers, counter tops on which to work (and experiment), a wonderful sink where I can clean up my messes, and plenty of space to store all of our dishes! It is perfect for us because it is what God provided! I will be fully satisfied with it because what the Lord has given us has magnified His name and demonstrated His love and power. In His awesome provision, God even made sure to provide the newest extra cabinets, leaving unused space for me to store the baby bottles that I just found out I will be needing in about nine months! Yes, we serve a very knowing, powerful, present, loving God!

~Jessica

To Whom are We Submitting - Part 1

2010-03-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

God’s creation sings His song for all to hear. How is it that we are prone to miss the music? Are our minds so cluttered with a constant buzz preventing His message from penetrating our hearts? We are presented with plenty of options to fill our time and thoughts, but not all are of any true worth. Options require a choice. Often, it is those very things we choose that crowd out what is most important. The world tells us how our time should be spent if it is to have value. However, the world contradicts what God says. We cannot serve two masters. No matter how we justify our choices, make excuses for our busy schedules, or defend our lack of attentiveness toward our husbands and children, too often our circumstances are of our own making.

Are we seeking the Lord’s will in the major decisions, as well as the details of our lives? Even the most trivial aspects (in our opinion) belong to Him. We profess to pray for His will to be done in our lives, but are we willing to follow when He answers in black and white on the pages of scripture? I see so many women working outside of the home, filling up their time with a career. Then they add another function, even a worthy ministry, to their already busy schedules. Add in their husband and children, and their time and energy are spent. Actually, it is usually the husband and children that get the tail end of their time and energy. Their goals may be well meaning, but the outcome is of little quality. Most importantly, do these goals we have set line up with what God has called us to do? If we are completely honest with ourselves, the answer will most likely be no. Through His wisdom and mercy, the Lord very clearly defines the role of a godly woman. It is our pride and selfish ambition that casts a fog over His words, along with swallowing the lie the world has fed us. I look around at women adding to their plate trying to feel full, but overwhelmed with stress because, in actuality, there is no more room on their plate. At the end of the day, the grumbling of stress is there, but they still find themselves empty. They cannot be full, truly full, outside of God’s will.

The majority of my adult life has been spent giving the “best” part of my day to those beyond my domain. My heart’s desire has always been to be home where I am available to my husband and children. But, in all my early years I was told that was not an acceptable path to travel. True success, I was told, comes from going to college, getting a job, spending money on material things, having a family (not managing it – others would help me do that), and balancing all of these facets for the world to see. I was fed the lie, and I swallowed it. But it left me feeling empty.

Then the Lord revealed to me why the vacancy in my heart remained. I was following what the world said, not my Creator. He put such a strong conviction in my heart to be obedient to His word. It was a transition that took much prayer from me and for me, but the blessings He has showered on my family and me through our submission are immeasurable. Our lifestyle has slightly shifted and sacrifices have been made, but those things are miniscule in comparison to the contentment found in walking the path He set before us.

My choices impact each member of my household. I want my family to know I treasure them above all other earthly blessings. I want my husband to know I love, honor, and respect his leadership. I want the Lord to use me to cast a light across the deceptions of the world so my children can carry that light with them. I want the King of kings to be glorified through joyful service in my domain.

We grow closer to the Lord when we fully trust Him in all our ways, leaning not on our own understanding, acknowledging Him in all we do, and allowing Him to direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). There is no better place to be than within the boundaries set by our Creator. It is there that His song penetrates our hearts with the fullness only He can sing into us.

Kristina

Gentleness

2010-03-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

Gentleness – calm, kind, loving, patient, amiable. This is the wife and mother I strive to be. Not lacking spirit, only lacking anger, bitterness, and exasperation. The Word clearly tells us:

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”1 Peter 3:3-4

My husband and children are precious gifts from the Lord. What a wonderful opportunity to serve my Savior. It is my desire to use my relationships with them as a crucible. I pray that the Lord would refine my heart; polish it to reflect His love.

Kristina

Every Wife's First Duty

2010-03-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

"That they may teach the younger women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." -Titus 2:4-5

"In one of his Epistles St. Paul gives the counsel that young wives should be 'workers at home,' signifying that home is the sphere of the wife's duties, and that she is to find her chief work there.

There is widest opportunity in the most fitting service for every woman whose heart God has touched to be a ministering angel to those who need sympathy or help. There are many who are free to serve in public charities, in caring for the poor, for the sick..., for the orphaned and the aged...

But it should be understood that for every wife the first duty is the making and keeping of her own home. Her first and best work should be done there, and till it is well done she has no right to go outside to take up other duties. She is to be a 'worker at home.' She must look upon her home as the one spot on earth for which she alone is responsible and which she must cultivate well for God if she never does anything outside. For her the Father's business is not attending... missionary meetings, and mothers' meetings, ...or even teaching a Sunday-school class, until she has made her own home all that her wisest thought and best skill can make it. There have been wives who in their zeal for Christ's work outside have neglected Christ's work inside their own doors. They have had eyes and hearts for human need and human sorrow in the broad fields lying far out, but neither eye nor heart for the work of love lain about their own feet. The result has been...that while they were winning a place in the hearts of the poor or the sick or the orphan, they were losing their rightful place in the hearts of their own household. Let it be remembered that Christ's work in the home is the first that He gives to every wife, and that no amount of consecrated activities in other spheres will atone in this world or the next for neglect or failure there." -JR Miller

After I read this passage in JR Miller's THE FAMILY, I was overwhelmed, to be honest. It caused me to reevaluate myself and my definition of "a keeper at home." You see, being a keeper at home is more than just keeping a good house, as the Message translation would have us believe. Are clean floors and tidy rooms a part of the equation? Of course. But being a keeper of the home is so much more that that. It is serving my husband, promoting peaceful attitudes, making sure that every facet of my family's living is cared for. It is guarding with a tightly woven filter all that enters the door. It is turning my home, in every aspect, into an atmosphere where Christ's love is expressed to the extent that His aroma spills through every crack and crevice of my home.

To accomplish these tasks and be a "keeper at home," I must first and foremost be at home. If God said that my life's work was to create for Him a beautiful painting, would I only work on it in the evenings after I came home from my "real" job, or on the weekends when my schedule was not so busy? Would I place my painting in another's hands, trusting that they could fulfill God's desire for me to complete it? Of course not! I would pour every ounce of my being into that painting. If the skill did not come easily to me, I would study and practice. I would be ever searching the painting for some flaw to correct, some detail to make it all the more beautiful. I would never stop trying to perfect the painting I was making for my King; it would be my life's work.

But God, in His infinite wisdom did not create me to be a painter, He created my to be a keeper at home. I realize that I cannot realistically spend every waking hour within the walls of my house, but I also realize that I must commit the majority (the first and best) of my time, thought, energy, skill and work to my home and the family therein.

Keeping my home is at the core of my being. How could it not be when it is the first work the Lord gives to every wife? If I forsake my duty as a homemaker by committing my first and best to other noble works, I forsake the very path that the Creator has purposefully lain before my feet. If I forsake my duty as a keeper at home, I blaspheme the word of God. May we all strive to give our first and best to the work God has given us to accomplish.

The True Wife Part III

2010-02-22T13:24:00.000-08:00

"Every true wife makes her husband's interests her own. While he lives for her, carrying her image in his heart and toiling for her all the days, she thinks only of what will do him good. when burdens press upon him she tries to lighten them by sympathy, by cheer, by the inspiration of love. She enters with zest and enthusiasm into all his plans. She is never a weight to drag him down; she is strength in his heart to help him ever to do nobler and better things."

JR Miller

As a new wife, there are many things I am still learning about my husband. As I mentioned in my first post, my continual goal is to write down things that I know my husband appreciates and try my best to always do those things for him. For instance, I discovered that my husband thoroughly enjoys a cold glass of freshly brewed iced tea. And although I haven't the slightest craving for tea, it is my aim to please my husband by preparing and serving it to his delight. I also learned that my husband feels great satisfaction when we work together on projects, namely projects that take place in the garage. It can be a bit tempting to brush off this desire of his when I know that a multitude of my own projects await me within the walls of our house. But then I remind myself that helping my husband is what I was made to do. If brewing him tea helps meet his needs, then I will brew. If postponing a household task helps meet his needs, then I will postpone. After all, I was created to be his help meet, to help meet his needs.

It is an awesome realization to know that I alone am the woman that God created to be my husbands helper, that He created in me attributes that no other woman can offer my dearest. It is my calling and responsibility to apply these God-given traits to my marriage, thus becoming strength in my husband's heart and helping him ever do nobler and better things. And how blessed I am to have a husband who values my opinions, compliments my strengths, forgives my weaknesses, appreciates my seemingly insignificant tasks, and invites my flawed, inexpert help. What a marvelous man is mine! May I never be a weight to drag him down.

The True Wife: Part II

2010-02-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

"The true wife needs to be no mere poet's dream, no artist's picture, and no ethereal lady too fine for use, but a woman healthful, strong, practical, industrious, with a hand for life's common duties, yet crowned with that beauty which a high and noble purpose gives to a soul." -JR Miller

This quote from JR Miller embodies the Proverbs 31 Woman. She is healthful and strong, girding herself with strength and strengthening her arms (v. 17). She is practical, rising while it is yet night(v. 15), clothing her family with scarlet(v. 21). She is industrious, buying a field and planting a vineyard from her profits (v. 16), not letting her lamp go out at night (v. 18). She has a hand for life's common duties, stretching out her hands to the distaff and holding the spindle(v. 19), willingly working with her own hands (v. 13). And she is, of course, crowned with beauty. Not only is she clothed in fine linen and purple (v. 22), but, "Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her, 'Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.'"

In verse 30 of Proverbs 31, King Lemuel writes, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." While I would be the last woman to say that looking outwardly beautiful for your husband isn't important (for it is very important, indeed), I see clearly that this scripture admonishes women to focus first on those God honoring tasks which supply, protect, and edify her household. It is not merely her beauty that causes a woman to be praised by her children and husband, but her attitude, her spirit, her sacrifice. Every work of a woman should benefit her household and build it up. And even this must not be a self-gradifying act, but one that comes from a pure heart ready and willing to serve the King. It is only when a woman's guiding ambition is to be pleasing to Him, that she is "crowned with that beauty which a high and noble purpose gives to a soul."

The True Wife: Part I

2010-02-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

"The true wife clings and leans, but she also helps and inspires. Her husband feels the mighty inspiration of her love in all his life. Toil is easier, burdens are lighter, and battles are less fierce because of the face that waits in the quiet of the home, because of the heart that beats in loving sympathy, because of the voice that speaks its words of cheer and encouragement when the day's work is done." -JR Miller

As a wife it is so important to focus on truly helping and inspiring my husband. Do I truly make his toil easier, his burdens lighter, and his battles less fierce? It is my goal to begin a journal, writing down all the actions I know my husband appreciates. Whether it be getting the mail every day or greeting him at the door with a kiss when he comes home from work, I want to remember all of the seemingly small, but vastly important things for the future and start now habits that will please him forever. By the grace of God, I pray that as the years of my new marriage come to pass, I will become more and more sensitive to my husband's needs and make my home a place of true comfort, peace, joy, and love; a haven of rest for my dearest.

Jessica