I Am A...Guardian

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?

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)

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

Lord of All

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

Becoming Levi's Mom: My Altered Identity

"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

A Work So Noble

"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

An Honorable Task

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

A Beautiful Trip Around the Sun

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

Springtime and New Life

"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