Blessed with 6

New Blog Name

2008-07-11T12:22:00.003-04:00

This will be my last blog post on this site, "blessed with 6".

I felt the Lord encouraging me to change my blog name to: Truth 4 the journey.

If you are visiting my site, feel free to browse my back posts. Then, click on truth THIS and you'll pop over to my new site.

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you will return.

My new URL is: http://truth4thejourney.blogspot.com

Tomorrow

2008-07-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Summer has turned out to be action packed this year. Between vacation and swim team I don't know that we've had even one day of nothing to do. Every Wednesday night we have a swim meet from 5-10 or 11pm. These meets are great! Everyone is there cheering on the kids while they try to swim there personal best for the season.

The challenging part is what do I do with my two youngest daughters. The parents have to work at the meets, so watching them myself isn't an option. Their Dad doesn't always get there until the meet is under way, so he can't watch them. This is where grandparents come into play. I am blessed to have their grandparents living in the same town! (Mine actually live on the same street.)

Thankfully my parents have agreed to let the two youngest children spend the night with them on Wednesday nights. This has been a treat that they look forward to each week.

On Tuesday of this week, my three year old started talking about spending the night with her Nanny and PaPa. I told her she could go to their house tomorrow night. To that she replied, "Mommy, I don't like tomorrow." My six year old hearing this said, "why don't you like tomorrow?" To that, my three year old stated, "because I don't know tomorrow, I only know today."

This was adorable and we've told her grandparents the cute story. I had to wonder, didn't the Bible address this same issue:

Matthew 6:34 (CEV) Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.

James 4:13-15 (GNB) Now listen to me, you that say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money." You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears. What you should say is this: "If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that."

We all get caught up in the worries of tomorrow. For me it's been thoughts like: "Will my articles get published", or "will anyone want to accept my book proposals". These are just the more recent thoughts about tomorrow that can cause me to stress a bit. Thankfully, God used my three year old daughter to remind me that today is the only day I need to even think about.

I hope you too can be encouraged by these words of wisdom. If we put our focus on today, we will be so much more productive and we can live at peace, knowing it's all in His hands. :)

Is it Beneficial?

2008-07-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful to me, but not all things profit. All things are lawful to me, but not all things build up.

We've had a vegetable garden for several years now. Some of our favorite things to plant are: Tomatoes, watermelon, squash, and green beans.

Last year we noticed that there were several volunteer watermelon plants just growing in random places within the garden boundaries. Feeling generous, we decided to just let them grow where they were. What we didn't think about, was the fact that I would no longer be able to run my tiller down the rows to plow under weeds because they were growing everywhere. We continued to justify it by thinking we could hand weed our large garden, NOT--

By August, our garden was overtaken by weeds and we couldn't even get in there to harvest those volunteer watermelons!

There are a lot of good things out there, but not all things are beneficial.

As you take the time to plan activities for you and your children, prayerfully consider if the activity is beneficial for your family at this time. Don't make the same mistake we made by letting our favorite plant grow where it wasn't supposed to grow.

Watermelon plants are more than welcome in our garden, but only in the designated place. This was a hard object lesson, but one we won't soon forget.

Trust Me

2008-07-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

It was a particularly hot day, Grandma had decided to have her four year old granddaughter, Stacey, over for a visit. They thought cooling off in her pool would be a great idea! After putting their suits on they lathered up with a good SPF sun protecting lotion. Stacey seemed to prance to the pool in anticipation. She carefully put on her water wings, since she didn't know how to swim. With a refreshing splash, they were in the water.

Stacey held on to Grandma's arms with a very tight grip. Grandma realized that her granddaughter was frightened so she began to reassure her that it would be ok. She promised her that nothing bad would happen to her. They both gently kicked and moved around in the pool. Stacey's grip didn't seem to be letting up. Grandma knew that something had to happen if Stacey was going to learn to trust her.

She decided to pry Stacey's hands from around her own arms. She spoke gently and softly, "Stacey, I would not allow you to drown." Stacey replied, "I know Grandma". "Stacey, don't you trust me?" she prodded. Stacey, still holding on tight replied, "yes, I do trust you, but I still SCARED!" With that Grandma held her close and the two floated together the rest of the afternoon.

I can relate to Stacey. There have been times in my life when I've held on too tightly. Times when He was saying to me, "Sonya, don't you trust me?" and my response, "Yes Lord, but I'm still scared!"

Saying we trust someone and learning to step out in faith are two very different things. Consider how Peter experienced this very thing in Matthew 14:

Matthew 14:29-31 "Come!" answered Jesus. So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he was afraid and started to sink down in the water. "Save me, Lord!" he cried. At once Jesus reached out and grabbed hold of him and said, "What little faith you have! Why did you doubt?"

I think Peter was thinking, "Lord, I trust you, but I'm scared!"

What is it that you are afraid to do today? Is there a calling that has you unnerved and holding on for dear life? If so, pray and then, like Peter, step out of the boat knowing that God is with you and He won't let you drown.

Vacation?

2008-07-04T06:00:00.004-04:00

We are leaving Massanutten Resort today to travel home. The view up on this mountain is breathtaking. Pictures cannot do it justice!

As the mother of six children I'd like to point out that vacations don't mean a break for mom! For years I would go with the wrong expectation and I would end up discouraged and depressed. Over the years I have grown (thanks be to God). I now know that vacations are a time to spend together.

This vacation came with its own set of issues. It all started on Tuesday night when I got sick! I spent half of the night in the bathroom and I awoke feeling achy and out of sorts. Wednesday was the day we had planned to go to the indoor/outdoor water park. That said, I got up and we went to the water park! As a mother we make these sacrifices. You know, in the end I had a good time. I didn't stay as long as the rest of my family but I made memories while I was there.

Being a mother is a very hard job, it's also the most rewarding job of all. I am thankful for these vacations, issues and all. I hope that if you are a mother and planning a vacation this summer that you will have the right expectations. Remember that vacation isn't about a break for mom, but time together as a family. Then go and make good memories! Enjoy your family while you have them with you.

Proverbs 31:18 She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Vacation in the Mountains

2008-07-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

My family and I are vacationing in the mountains of Virginia this week. It is absolutely gorgeous here!

Here are some of the highlights of my trip.

On the way up here we saw an accident involving a motorcycle and a black bear! The man on the motorcycle seemed ok, but the bear didn't appear to have made it! This is the kind of thing that you could only see in the mountains!

Bubble time in the jaccuzzi, a must during the rainy times.

We spent a lot of time swimming in the various pools and also playing hours of games as a family. Since we don't have cable TV back home, the kids (and my spouse) really indulged in the TV while we were here - I hope they don't have TV withdrawals when we get home!

Fishing together brought lots of smiles. Here is a picture of Daniel fishing and Ashley with her very first fish!

The mountains are a very peaceful and enjoyable place to be. Here is a picture of the mountians that I took while on a morning walk! Only God Almighty could create such a dramatic and beautiful scene!

Psa 65:6 The mountains are established by Your strength, banded together with might,

Sunday @ She Speaks

2008-06-30T06:00:00.004-04:00

What an amazing weekend it was for me! (This is a picture of my writers on-line support group)

I had a fabulous time meeting other bloggie friends, hanging out with my special friend, Kelly, and soaking up all that God had for me.

The final session on Sunday was a general session called, "What have they got that I don't Got?" This was given by Micca Campbell.

She is a fabulous speaker and I enjoyed it very much. The main point I walked away with was this, Courage is not the absence of fear, it's pushing through your fear. I hope to post this point in my bathroom, too!

After this last session we broke up and the writers/speakers/leaders separated into our groups for a lasting connections time. It was a time to exchange blog addresses, and say, "good bye". (This is a picture of me and Robin)

One little treat was that Glynnis Whitwer decided to have us create on-line writing support groups! How fun! I was placed with 7 other ladies (Robin is one of them!) and I am very excited about this opportunity.

The other opportunity that I had was to sign up for conference calls. They will begin the end of July and go into the fall. I am so excited about these as they will allow for Q & A sessions at the end of the calls. :)

I think that every woman who is called to write/speak/or lead should attend at least once! Praise God for His goodness.

She Speaks Part 3

2008-06-27T06:00:00.005-04:00

I've saved the best for last!

Renee Swope spoke at the last Saturday session called, "Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt". (Renee and I are pictured above)

She focused on the doubt filled, fear driven, Gideon. God, overlooking his fears and doubts, saw him as a mighty warrior and took him on a journey which required total faith and ended in victory for Gideon and God.

She taught that in the shadow of doubts we have fear, but in the shadow of the cross we find God's Truths.

After the teaching, she had everyone take out a piece of paper and write down any doubts or fears that they had. I wrote a few on the paper. Then I walked to the front of the room and laid the paper at the foot of the cross.

Approaching the cross, I knelt down and closed my eyes to pray, SUDDENLY---

I had a vision of my past life as a child in grade school. In the vision, we went outside for P.E. and the team captains had to choose whom they wanted on their teams. Not only did they overlook me, but not being very athletic, they fought over who had to take me on their team.

I just sat there weeping. I couldn't believe the pain. I had not thought about this event for many, many years. God knew I needed a healing.

To help me deal with my fears of submitting my articles for publication, God lovingly reminded me of my painful past. You see, I was rejected by man, but HANDPICKED BY GOD!!! Praise God for this weekend! God did not overlook me.

Armed with the confidence that He has called me into this ministry, I can rest assured that He will publish my work when and where He wants to.

What a freeing time for me! I opened my eyes and looked around, God is so amazing. He loves us so much that He is willing to show us where we are bound, and then He sets us FREE! I left that paper there, at the foot of the cross. I left and just praised God for releasing me from the pain and fear associated with my past.

As I left, I picked up a paper with a promise (they were pre-written and prayed over) it said, "Called", and the scripture was Isaiah 43:10 "You are my witness," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He."

If you have been called by God but there is something holding you back, pray and ask Him to show you why you are bound and pray that He will set you free.

She Speaks Part 2

2008-06-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

Can you believe that we are still in Saturday's sessions! This was a convention that was packed FULL of information.

Session #4 on Saturday was called "How to Write a Book" by Lysa TerKeurst. This was very informative!! She is so much fun to watch! She used a pineapple and actually cut it up in the class to help us remember her pineapple Principle. She then gave us a lot of "P" points to remember which were great. For example, she said that we have to partner up with others, God has not intended us to go it alone. She had so much to say but ended it with Pursue Excellence. This is great advise and I will be reviewing these notes in the weeks to come!

Then it was off to Session #5 this was called "Book Proposals that Get Noticed" by LaRae Weikert. She works for Harvest House Publishers. She had so much helpful information to share with us that I am going to hold on to it until God gives me a book to write! Thankfully we have the notes to refer back to at any time!

Session #6 was called "The Ultimate Blogging Q & A" this was put on by our own top bloggers, boomama, bigmama, and rocksinmydryer. This session was practical info on things like, how do you change your blog name, etc.

On a readers note, I will be changing my blog name to "truth 4 the journey" very soon. I'll either learn how to redirect you all to my new URL or I'll have a post up telling you how to get to my new blog location..... But that isn't going to happen this week. I'm working on it!

Session #7 was called "Writers Coffee House" and it was great! My favorite part was when Suzie Eller (T. Suzanne Eller) talked to us. She is a published author and speaker and just a down to earth pleasant woman and mother and wife! Her love of God was contagious!

Ok, I've saved the best for last, be sure to check back tomorrow to hear about the vision that God gave me!

Saturday @ She Speaks Part 1

2008-06-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Saturday @ She Speaks was so full and exciting! It all started at 8:15am (this was after breakfast!) and it didn't end until 10pm that evening.

The first thing we did was to have a general session taught by Karen Ehman on Embracing your Little and your Lot. Here are a few of the important things that I learned at this session:

1) Comparison Kills Contentment. (I think I should post that truth on my bathroom mirror!)

2) The grass in NOT greener on the other side, the grass is greener where you water, fertilize and pull the weeds! I loved this one! :)

3) Lastly it's God's job to grow your ministry and your job to learn how to obey God and be content where He has you.

The second session that I attented was called, "The Pathway to Publication", by Susanne Scheppmann. I was so glad that I attended this session. The main point to remember from this one is that I need to keep writing and keep submitting. There were also a lot of practical things I took away.

The third session was called "Magazine Writing 101, Honing your Writing Skills". That was a critical class for me with many practical tips and tools to help me become a better writer. I learned the difference between being an active writer and a passive writer. And lots of other important things. I will need to review my notes some more to really glean everything that I can from this session.

I hope this is giving you a picture of what this conference is like. If you are a writer I highly recomend She Speaks!! More to come later!

Friday at She Speaks

2008-06-24T06:00:00.002-04:00

Lysa TerKeurst and Me!

Wow, Friday at She Speaks, where to begin!

I'll start with the first general session. It was given by Lysa TerKeurst and I was really blessed. I don't want to give it away if you ever hear her speak, so I'll just tell you what I came away with.

First of all, She gave a stellar description of her first writers conference, and how she had the wrong expectations. I think we could all relate. Then she said by the end that she felt like she was rejected by man, but handpicked by God. That is exactly how I felt this weekend, as a matter of fact, my whole adult life! So this was exactly what I needed to hear.

She then went on to point out that David, in the Bible, was also overlooked by man but handpicked by God. It was a sweet time and I will NOT forget those words as I receive the occasional rejection letter from a publisher or magazine! I will not give up and I will be sure to keep writing and submitting because God has called me to do this.

The next session I went to was called, "Blogging: What Works and What Doesn't." This was put on by 3 top bloggers, Boomama, Rocks in my dryer, and Bigmama. They were very cute and helpful and I will probably be redirecting you all to a new blog name at some point in the near future because of their advice. No worries for now, though. :)

The last session of the night was a writers critique group. This was invaluable because I brought an article and shared it with 2 other writers who read it and then gave me feedback. Praise God for the honesty and help of these 2 ladies, I now know I can make this article the way it needs to be. The other cool thing was that Glynnis Whitwer, who headed this up, decided to create online critique groups for the writers who were interested! So, more to come on this, but I am in a group now. :)

I'm Home!

2008-06-23T16:24:00.004-04:00

Hello All!

I want to thank you for your prayers while I was away at the She Speaks Conference. It was a life changing experience!

(Kelly and Sonya.)

My good friend Kelly and I drove down to North Carolina late Thursday evening. The main issue we had was a warning sign in her car that indicated low tire pressure. We stopped at the very next exit, and were blessed by a full service station that was still open and working on vehicles at 7pm! They plugged the hole in the tire and we were off again. We arrived at the Embassy Suites hotel around 11pm. The room was lovely and we called it a night.

Friday was really great as we had breakfast with our special friend and encourager Bonita from Streams of Living Water. We talked and talked until almost noon. Then it was a quick lunch and down to the Bloggers reception.

Then the sessions started and we weren't up to our rooms until 10pm! Saturday was also packed from 8:15 until 10pm. You certainly don't sleep much at these events.

Sunday we were up and checked out by 9 and then the service started at 9:30 and ran until noon. After a quick lunch we were on our way home.

I didn't remember my camera so I am waiting for a few friends to e-mail me pictures then I'll post them.

I will blog about some more events over the next few days. Can you believe this is the first time I've gotten onto the Internet since last Thursday!!

Well, this is getting long and I've got a pile of laundry as tall as me to tackle! I'll talk to you all soon!

Sweet Nothings

2008-06-16T06:00:00.003-04:00

I am very excited that in less than a week I am leaving to go to the She Speaks Conference in North Carolina. What a great opportunity this will be for me to learn and grow in the area of writing for God.

Back in April God lovingly called me to start this blog and begin writing for Him. He directed my path to go to She Speaks and beyond all of this I am not certain where this road will lead. Will He call me to write a book, a devotional, articles for magazines? These are all mysteries to me right now. But I believe that He will begin to clarify my calling when I attend the conference.

The fact that I'm even going to the conference is a miracle. When I looked into it they said it was full, so I put my name on the waiting list, and by sheer miracle I got in! There are 500 women attending and probably a large number on the waiting list. I love when God clears the path like this because you can follow Him with ease.

Up until about a week ago I have been confident in this new calling and I've been happy to write blog posts and potential articles for magazines. Until the enemy started whispering in my ear. He said things like, "why are you doing this?", "you are a nobody so who would want to publish your articles/book ideas?", "you can't afford to go to the conference, what if it's for nothing". I like to call these things sweet nothings, because that is exactly what they are, nothing but LIES!

I've seen on several other She Speaks attendees blogs that they, too have had these sweet nothings whispered into their ears. Thanks be to God for His Word. We are told to test everything against the Word of God. So, when I did this I found out that they were all lies. Let's take a look at what the Bible has to say:

Psalm 138:8(MKJVa) Jehovah will perfect His work in me; Your mercy, O Jehovah, endures forever;

Jeremiah 29:11(MSG) I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out--plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Deuteronomy 31:6(MSG) Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you."

Now these aren't sweet nothings, these are the promises of God concerning you and me!

Please pray for me this week, and the other 499 ladies and staff of She Speaks. Pray that we will only listen to His promises and that we will have peace about the conference. Pray for our safety and the safety of our families as we travel. Prayer is so important, thank you for sowing into my life in this way.

This will be the last post from me until Monday (after the conference)as I have multiple details to take care of before I leave on Thursday. I know God is at work and I'm looking forward to coming home and blogging all about His goodness.

Feedback

2008-06-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

I am having so much fun writing this blog. It is amazing how therapeutic writing can be. You are able to really sort through the emotions and lessons that God is trying to show you in your life. But it's also addictive, surfing the net to read other christian blogs and then there's the comments on my blog. This is all very time consuming.

Since I'm new at this my husband and I are still in the discovery stages of setting the proper boundaries for me on computing. I do feel a little like a blogger junkie! Because I desire to spend so much of my "spare" time checking to see if anyone has left me a comment, and to check to see if my bloggie friends have posted something new I can read and be blessed by. My husband told me that I've become a feedback junkie. When he said that we both laughed, but it struck a cord with me.

I took it to the Lord in prayer and He showed me that I have become addicted to seeing feedback on my blog. It feels good, it's uplifting and encouraging. The problem is that I need to make sure I'm not writing for the feedback, but out of obedience to God. I need to learn to be content with the fact that I'm doing what God has called me to do and I've done it to the best of my ability.

I am glad that God has again lovingly shown me an area that needs improvement in my life. And I want to warn you fellow bloggers not to become a feedback junkie! I was able to release this and what a freeing feeling. I no longer feel compelled to "check on my blog" but within my boundaries I can blog and be encouraged by feedback, as long as I'm no relying on it to confirm that I am following God's lead.

This can be taken to other areas of our lives, as well. Why are you serving in your church, in your community? If you've become a feedback junkie in the area of service, give it to God and stay focused on being a servant and nothing more.

Cardboard Testimonies

2008-06-12T09:15:00.002-04:00

This is a you tube video I viewed on another She Speaks blog. It is so powerful that I had to share it with you. Just click on This Link and it will take you to the video that will bless you!!

Have a blessed day.

Encouragement

2008-06-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

How many times in our lives are we faced with something disappointing? I think if I had a dollar for each disappointing moment in my life I'd be a rich lady! I realize that we all face disappointments in our lives. Sometimes they are huge and other times they are over small things, but they are always there.

How do I handle disappointment? Until recently, I did not handle this emotion very well. I would get upset, angry and even pout! This is a bit embarrassing to admit, but it's true. Having 6 children who have learned to imitate me in this area made me realize the need to change.

How do you change a 41 year old habit? You transform yourself through God's Word. I have been devouring God's word lately. In reading through it, I have come to realize that He is truly in control of EVERY DETAIL of my life. So, if I have expectations that something will work out a certain way and it gets changed, I need to be confident enough in God's purpose for my life to just accept it.

I want to give you a snippet into my life one recent Saturday to show you how I was better able to handle disappointment.

I woke up early to go to the annual used curriculum/book sale in our area. We all look forward to this event each year. As I left the house, I noted how messy things were in the den, toys were everywhere. Since I left my husband at home with the younger 3 I just assumed he would have them clean up their mess. I got home to find the house in the same condition that it was in earlier, and my kids were all in their P.J.'s at 11:30am!! My son had a baseball game at 1:00pm so this was problematic.

Ok ladies, here's where I had a choice to make. I could allow myself to get upset with my spouse, or I could trust God and let it roll off of my back. I am so grateful that He allowed me to let it go. We were able to get it cleaned up together and still see the last part of my son's baseball game. The important thing here is that I didn't hurt my relationship with my husband. In giving it some thought, I realized that I had not verbalized to him my expectation that the toys would be cleaned up before I came home, he had done nothing wrong. In the past I would have gotten upset and hurt our relationship, God is good.

I have had several opportunities for disappointment to throw me for a loop this week, but through the Holy Spirit's prompting I have been able to change my reaction and let it go. Here's the verse that has helped me in this:

Philippians 4:11-13 And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.

Now I am looking to God to help me change my children's reaction to disappointment. I believe that in time, by setting the right example they will also begin to change. As women we seem to struggle with our emotions, God's word is what we need to keep us emotionally healthy.

Sabbath Update

2008-06-09T06:00:00.003-04:00

Hello all,

How was your weekend? Did you rest on Sunday?

I have to tell you that this was very difficult for me. On Thursday I left to go to our annual homeschool convention. I stayed in a hotel from Thursday through Saturday. This is a very busy time for me and I am going non-stop during this conference. First I must shop, shop, shop at all of the booths selling curriculum until I've purchased everything we will need for the upcoming school year. Next, there's visiting with all of the precious Mom's that I've known over the years (it's like a family reunion). And of course there are the sessions, I find that they are always helpful, all in all this is a draining but necessary couple of days.

I woke up on Saturday not feeling the best, I was probably just exhausted. So, I came home in the afternoon and just went to bed. I wasn't planning on being so very tired but that's just the way I felt. I stayed in bed until dinner and I went right back to bed afterwards. This brought me to Sunday.

I've heard it said that a picture is worth 1,000 words so I wanted to show you a picture of my 6 year olds room. This is what it looked like on Sunday morning. Ok Ladies, this was a real moral dilemma at first, should we clean it because life is happier when it's clean, or should I let it go. After discussing it with my husband, we decided to let it go (until tomorrow). Now, I hope you're homes weren't this out of control, but I tell you, I'm enjoying the rest today. I even took another nap! Today we rest, but tomorrow we clean!

The scripture that helped me not have guilt about the mess was this one:

Exodus 34:21 Do your work in six days and rest on the seventh day, even during the seasons for plowing and harvesting.

I have come to realize that during the time to plow and harvest it must have been very tempting to go ahead and work on the Sabbath because they weren't finished with their work, but they weren't allowed to! The punishment for working on the Sabbath was DEATH! God takes this very seriously and so should we, whether in times of plowing or harvest, no excuses just rest. I have come to realize that we should plan on getting as much of our work done in six days as possible, but, if we aren't finished we still need to lay it down for 1 day and honor God with rest.

If you tried to rest on Sunday, leave a comment to tell us how it went!

Time with the kids

2008-06-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

I have mentioned before that I love to bake, being in the kitchen is just fun for me. I remember when my kids started asking me if they could bake with Mom. This was unexpected and I wasn't sure if I would like to "share" my kitchen with other people! My precious mother had been cooking with them for some time and she encouraged me to let them help. I decided to try it out and I've loved it ever since!

My 2nd born had an idea for a new twist on pancakes and we made her raspberry chocolate chip pancakes, mmmm, mmm, good! Of course, sampling the chocolate chips was the best part for the kdis!

If you haven't tried cooking with your kids lately, give it a whirl. It's not very often you get contentment like this afterward.

Box of Joy

2008-06-06T06:00:00.003-04:00

I have been posting on some heavy topics this week so I wanted to end on a lite note. I would like to share a story from my past with you.

There was one day, a few years back, when I was really struggling. I had been upset by circumstances and I was in a really bad mood. My oldest daughter who was 5 at the time, gave me a little gift wrapped box.

I wasn't sure what this was all about since it wasn't my birthday and I surely didn't deserve a gift that day. So, I opened it and found that it was EMPTY! I asked her what was supposed to be in it and she said, "I filled it with joy, Mommy!" To that I began to laugh and cry all at the same time. What a precious gift this was to me. I kept that box for several years and I would open it once in a while just to remember the wonderful day that my daughter gave me a box filled with joy.

I hope you all have a joyful weekend! Don't forget to rest on Sunday!

This Little Light of Mine

2008-06-04T06:00:00.007-04:00

We have all heard the words to this song: This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.... The part I am going to focus on today is: Don't let Satan blow it out.

I had the strangest experience on Sunday. We had set out to go to church and after getting there I remembered that I had forgotten a meal that I was supposed to bring for a friend who had had surgery. I ended up leaving my family there and then driving home and back during the service (we live 30 min. away so it was an hour drive). I have to say that I enjoyed my hour drive, because I was able to spend a solid hour with the Lord, one-on-one time. With six children this doesn't happen too often.

The day progressed and we went to the pool for the afternoon as a family. Sounds perfect, doesn't it. What I didn't know was that the enemy was planning an attack on our family that very evening. After we got home from the pool I began making dinner, and my husband started replacing the front door lock (the other one was in need of repair). I noticed that tension was building between 2 of my children and I had to correct them several times, this caused my tension level to rise.

All of a sudden a terrible wind blew up. A storm was approaching. We have chickens so I immediately sent 3 of my children outside to throw them into their hutch for safety. The rest of the kids and I went onto our deck to close the umbrella's and bring in the wet towels. It was a violent wind that seemed to come from nowhere.

While I was securing the umbrella's my daughter accidentally knocked over a glass vase and it smashed into a million pieces! Meanwhile inside, another child knocked over my favorite glass tea lamp and it smashed into a million pieces. At the same time, my dog threw up all over the carpet!!! Now, I have had my buttons pushed before, but never quite with this magnitude. If you had been there you would have felt the tension and seen the problems! I blew it. I yelled at everyone and then just sobbed. I cried and cried some more. How could I have lost my cool over such unimportant things? I felt so ashamed. So angry at myself. I thought God had been changing me, where was the changed woman now?

I was ready to give up this blog last night. I was so ashamed at my behavior that I said I couldn't write anymore. How could I tell people I was changing when I had regressed to this point in one night? Thankfully God gave me a loving husband. He encouraged me and told me that I had changed. He said that I had been such a joy to be around lately, and God had done amazing things in my life. He also said that I blew it last night, but so what. He told me that God had forgiven me, the kids had forgiven me and I needed to just get over it. The real problem was forgiving myself. That's where the Word of God came in.

Romans 8:1(KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

This is a powerful verse. If God isn't condemning me, I shouldn't either. I'd asked God and my family to forgive me so now I had to let myself off the hook. This wasn't easy for me to do, but with God's help I was able to let go.

I went over to my very special friend's blog on Monday. Her post titled "Part of that World" talked about not letting Satan blow out our lights. That is exactly what he tried to do on Sunday night. He blew hard and it almost worked, but God is bigger and stronger and God gave us the victory!

Work

2008-06-02T06:00:00.002-04:00

Exodus 20:9-11 (KJV)
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

We have all heard this verse before, it's one of the ten commandments. This one was even set up during creation(see Gen. 2:3). Knowing this we should all be enjoying our Sabbath's each week as God has directed us to do. He is actually telling us to rest, so what is the problem? I have struggled with breaking this commandment my whole adult life. How is it so difficult for me to just rest on Sunday. Well, I believe that the root of my problem is lack of planning during the week. Don't get me wrong I have an extremely busy schedule but I don't value this enough to plan ahead for rest. Until now....

I am going to make a change in my life. One thing I have recently learned is that work was created before the fall of mankind. I had always considered work to be part of the punishment for sin. But this is a false belief. God put Adam in charge of the garden of Eden and he was to tend to it. Now, after sin the ground began to grow weeds and he would have to eat bread by the sweat of his brow. Armed with this new realization that we need to work (it's part of God's perfect will for our lives) I am going to take care of everything considered work on the six days leading up to Sunday.

We could spend hours debating what work is, so let's not go there. Instead I want to challenge you to pray and ask God to show you what work is in your life and then commit this week to getting it all done in six day. I will write a post on Sunday (or Monday) to let you know how it goes. God even instructed them that during the harvest they were to rest on the Sabbath, so no excuses! Just do it! I hope you will leave me a comment and tell me if you are up for this challenge, then come back on Monday and we will share how we did. :)

A Virtuous Woman

2008-05-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

Who can find a woman of virtue? For her value is far above rubies.The heart of her husband trusts safely in her, so that he shall have no need of plunder.She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.She seeks wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands.She is like the merchants' ships; she brings her food from afar.She also rises while it is still night, and gives food to her household, and a share to her young women.She considers a field, and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.She binds her loins with strength, and makes her arms strong.She sees that her merchandise is good; her lamp does not go out by night.She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.She makes herself coverings; her clothing is silk and purple.Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.She makes fine linen and sells it, and delivers girdles to the merchants.Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.Her sons rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Proverbs 31:1-28 MKJV

How do these verses make you feel? I remember being a young Mother and feeling completely overwhelmed and inadequate when I read these verses. I was adjusting to life as a stay at home mother of young children. How could I consider running a business or making my own clothes or even planning our meals for the day, let alone a week? It seemed impossible, and yet it haunted me because it was in the Bible. I found that I had to "table" this passage for many years, and yet, it was always in the back of my mind just out of reach.

In going through our Crown Financial Ministries study, we were looking at this passage today. My first reaction was anger, remembering how it used to make me feel so inadequate. But then the Lord showed me something, He had been transforming me day after day to become a woman of virtue. As I read through the passage again with an open heart, I saw that indeed I was in there, God had truly worked in an amazing way in my life! How did this happen?

The key was Titus 2:3-5 Let the aged women likewise be in reverent behavior, not slanderers, not enslaved by much wine, teachers of good; that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, subject to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be blasphemed.

Over the years God has placed Titus 2 women in my life and I have been learning by their example. The most important mentor has been my mother. She has modeled everything that Titus 2 describes, and more! I have had several mentors in my life and they have all encouraged Biblical growth in me.

God knew that we wouldn't just "know" how to be a virtuous woman, and that's why He lovingly gave us the older women to be our mentor's. (A mentor is someone who models the thing you are trying to learn.)

I want to encourage you today to pray and if Prov. 31 seems out of reach, then ask God to give you a mentor. Or, if you are seeing the fruit of this passage in your life, pray and ask God to give you a younger woman to mentor. We must remain proactive and either be learning or teaching in order to keep God's principles going for the next generation.

A Warm Welcome

2008-05-29T07:59:00.004-04:00

If you are visiting my site as a She Speaks Attendee then I want to welcome you today. I am looking forward to meeting you in June and sharing stories of how God is moving in our lives. This should be a good opportunity to encourage each other.

Although we haven't met, you're in my prayers (the other 499 attendees!).

For now, grab a cup of coffee and stay a while. If you like a certain post, I'd love to hear about it!

Recipe for Speech

2008-05-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things to do is to bake. I enjoy it so much that I have even purchased a grinding machine to grind my own grains for the freshest ingredients. My children also enjoy being in the kitchen with me, cooking with Mom. It's a special time together and also a great learning experience.

One thing that I have learned is that a recipe is only as good as it's total ingredients. Every Easter we make Resurrection cookies (forgotten cookies). One thing we do is taste each ingredient as we are putting it into the recipe. Let me tell you that some things, like vinegar and baking soda, are not very good by themselves. The kids usually question how they will benefit the recipe. I tell them that all of the ingredients are important even if some are bitter by themselves. It's always exciting at the end when we wake up and open the oven to find scrumptious white fluffy cookies that taste delicious.

During my devotions this week, I looked up this verse: Col. 4:6(MKJV) Let your speech be always with grace, having been seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Here is another translation: Col. 4:6(MSG) Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

I believe that this is an important recipe from God's Word for our speech. Our speech needs to be with grace (always bringing out the best in others), and seasoned with salt (interesting not condescending). Just as my cookie recipe doesn't taste good with only one ingredient, our speech also needs to contain several elements in order to produce the delicious results that God desires. I believe this next verse really sums up what He intends for our speech with one another.

Hebrews 10:24-25 Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.

I do believe that the day of the Lord is approaching, so let's remember God's recipe for our speech and encourage each other daily.

Game Face

2008-05-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

It was Saturday morning, we were very tired because Friday night was a late night filled with fun activities. The kids played at grandma's and Tim and I went to the movies to see the new Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. Things weren't going well between us. I think the more people you have living in your home, we have 8, the more likely you are to have disagreements and annoyances between them. Factor in sleepiness and it's a recipe for disaster. At one point, we were all bickering amongst ourselves when the phone rang. My husband reached over picked up the receiver and in his most pleasant tone said, "hello". Well, to that I burst out laughing. You see, I've done that on more than one occasion myself. At my house we call it "putting on your game face".

It served a good purpose to break the bad mood in our house and we talked about how we can treat our own family with such disrespect sometimes and yet always treat the strangers in our lives with grace. Why is it like this? Does it have to be like this?

The answer to the first question is: James 4:1(CEV) Why do you fight and argue with each other? Isn't it because you are full of selfish desires that fight to control your body?

The answer to the second question is "no". Romans 12:10-18(CEV) Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home. Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people.Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others,
and do your best to live at peace with everyone.

Based on these verses, we have some work to do in our house. We also should be praying for honor and peace in our home on a daily basis. I've always thought that you are only as good as you treat your loved ones. How are you treating yours? let's all work today to make peace with everyone, remembering to ask God for His help!

Giving

2008-05-24T06:51:00.003-04:00

My husband and I are still going through the 10 week Crown Financial Course to learn what the Bible says about money. We just finished with week 6. We were studying about giving this week. We have always been givers. From the beginning of our marriage, 15 years ago, we have always given our tithes and offerings.

There have been times in the early days when we were struggling financially and didn't have the money to give. During those times we gave anyway and trusted God. I am here to tell you that He was always there to provide for our needs. Glory to God!

Something has happened over the years. Giving our tithes has just become routine, habit. I write the check along with all of the other bills and then I don't even think about it again.

I was moved by one of the scriptures that I looked up:

2Corinthians 9:7-8 You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly. And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause.

The thing that struck me with this verse is the part about not giving out of duty. I had to do a heart check. I love to give, but do I just write the tithe check out of duty. With God it is always about the heart. I had to confess that I had been giving out of duty/habit and that I wanted to start to think about my tithe each time and have a grateful/joyful attitude about it.

I talked it over with my husband. He has always prayed over our tithe checks before giving them on Sunday, so this wasn't his issue at all. I am glad it came up, though. We decided to make it a family affair. Now, before giving our tithe check to church, we get together as a family and we all pray and thank God for providing for all of our needs! It is so freeing when God reveals an area in our lives that needs to be changed. We are always being refined and I am so grateful for the process!

I hope that before you give your next tithe check, you take the time to thank God for your income and the ability to tithe. If tithing isn't something you are already doing I encourage you to look up some key scriptures and be open to what God might be saying to you. Remember, it's all about the heart.

Confessions of a Mother

2008-05-23T06:00:00.008-04:00

Early to bed, early to rise. What a novel idea, but not a reality in my house. With 6 children to homeschool I find myself burning the midnight oil. If I want to spend time with the Lord alone, I must get up by 6am. Spending that time with Him is critical if I want to be full of the spirit for all He has planned for me that day. So, by 2pm the caffeine from my morning coffee has warn off and I'm tired. A lot of days I'll just get through without feeling tired, but today I was exhausted.

School was finished and the sun was out, I decided the kids could all go outside to play while I took a brief nap. I announced to them that Mommy was going to be in bed, please do not disturb me. They seemed to have acknowledged that. Ahhh, there I was melting into my down pillow, snuggled into my warm blanket, ready to snooze away. Suddenly the phone rang. Ok, it was an important call and once taken care of it was back to resting. The phone rang 2 more times!! Why don't I learn to take the phone off of the hook? Now I was sure I could finally rest. Then it happened, my son came into my room. I felt myself getting angry. So many distractions and I was so tired. I wish that I had handled it better, but I didn't. Without even opening my eyes I just said,(in a not so nice tone) "What do you want, can't you see that I'm trying to sleep?" To that my sweet 7 year old son said, "I just wanted to bring you this daisy I found outside. I think it's the last one in the whole yard and I knew you'd like it." OUCH! How could I have lost it with someone who just wanted to bring me joy?

Thankfully, children are very forgiving (they must have learned this from their Heavenly father). I thanked him for the beautiful gift and he went back outside. At this point I got up to write my blog.

I have to remember that when I allow anything to come before people then it's considered an idol and it's a sin. In the future, I'll try to remember that distractions will come, and there's no reason to allow myself to become angry. Some might even be precious memories just waiting to happen.

Dear God, please forgive me for allowing my own fleshly desires to take precedence over being kind and loving to my own children. Please teach me to be ready to show love at all times. Amen.

Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit is better than he who takes a city.

All of His Majesty

2008-05-22T06:00:00.003-04:00

I was driving home from the grocery store this evening, just enjoying some time with God. Suddenly the clouds parted to reveal a magnificent sight! I pulled over to take these pictures. I didn't even realize that there was an American Flag in the middle of the shot! It really made me think of God pouring out His presence on our country! Enjoy!

1 Chronicles 29:11(GNB) You are great and powerful, glorious, splendid, and majestic. Everything in heaven and earth is yours, and you are king, supreme ruler over all.

Psalm 68:34 Proclaim God's power; his majesty is over Israel, his might is in the skies.

Psalm 145:5 They will speak of your glory and majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

Longevity

2008-05-21T06:00:00.002-04:00

I just got an e-mail from a friend that was titled, "how long will you live?" All I had to do was click on this link and I would be taken to an insurance agency's website. Once there I would take a test to determine my life span. They claim to have done this for so long that they have found certain lifestyle decisions that contribute to either living long, or not. This is actually a fun little test. According to this company, I'll live to be 95 years old. While I won't put a tremendous amount of weight into this I do think they have some good ideas on living healthy to live longer in these mortal bodies.

I have to tell you that this made me stop and think about our spiritual lives. If we can see how bad habits cause our life spans to be shorter than there would be similar consequences for having bad spiritual habits, too. So, I've made up my own spiritual life span test for you to take below:

1) Are you reading your Bible daily (Most Days can be a yes)?
2) Are you spending quality time praying to God daily?
3) Are you worshipping the Lord daily?
4) Are you meditating on the Word of God all the time?
5) Are you sharing His love with those around you?
6) Are you part of a church or fellowship and do you attend regularly?
7) Are there Christians in your life who can mentor/support you in difficult times?
8) Do you trust God with your life, no matter what you are going through?
9) Are you harboring unforgiveness in your heart toward anyone in your life?

Hopefully you answered "yes" to 1-8 and "no" to number 9. If so, than you are living a healthy spiritual life and you are passionate about God and His kingdom, good job! If you cannot answer "yes" to some of these (1-8) and you answered "yes" to #9 then you need to make some changes in your spiritual life. You are not passionate about God and you are probably experiencing a longing that you cannot fill. He is the only thing that will satisfy you in your life! So, either be encouraged, or make some immediate changes in your spiritual lives today! I want to see all of you alive in the spirit and living well.

3John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

Pecking Order

2008-05-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever noticed that the way you feel strongly influences your attitude? That's partly because we're women, and women tend to wear their emotions on their sleeves. So what happens in your family when you're in a bad mood?

Well, I happen to know that in my house if Mom is in a bad mood, everyone gets irritable. With 6 children and a husband, that's a lot of bad attitudes. The other thing I have discovered is that if I purpose in my heart to change my mood, the mood of the house seems to change. It's called the pecking order.

Here's how it works: Mom fusses at Brittany, who then fusses at Stephanie, who then fusses at Valerie who then fusses at.... I think you see the picture. Even if you only have 1 child it is important that we understand the power we have over the tone of our houses.

Let's see whtat the Bible has to say:

Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son ruins his father, and a quarreling woman is like constantly dripping water.

Proverbs 31:10 "Who can find a wife with a strong character? She is worth far more than jewels.

Ok, which wife would you rather be? The quarreling woman or the one with strong character? I like the latter one! But this is easier said than done. We must really press into the Lord and purpose in our hearts to have good attitudes every day.

My oldest sister once told me that happiness is a decision, not a feeling. That has made a dramatic impact on my life. She's right. That's why Paul can say to count it all joy when trials come. I used to struggle with this verse but if he knew that having a possitive attitude was a decision, and leaning on God would give us peace in all things, than he would be able to make that statement with confidence.

So, what kind of mood are you in today? If it's not a good one, make the decision to change and then spend some time worshiping the Father who is the author of good moods!

Our Garden

2008-05-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today was the big gardening day at our house. Each one of my children wanted to have their very own row in our vegetable garden. After breakfast, we put on our work clothes and picked up our tools and gloves and we were outside hoeing, and digging, and planting for several hours! It was hot and we were dirty before it was all complete. As we were cleaning up our tools, my 6 year old said, "Planting a garden is a lot of work, Mom." To that I responded, "If you think planting is hard work, wait until the weeds come, then the bugs!"

I think it's interesting how God uses gardening as an analogy for salvation and our lives in Christ (sowing seeds, watering them, etc.). So I find it curious that while we fully expect weeds and bugs to plague our vegetable gardens, we are surprised when trials and tribulations show up in our personal lives!

Knowing that weeds and bugs are going to come we have an action plan to deal with them. First off, we plan to spend lots of time watering and weeding the garden. Secondly, when the bugs arrive, we will be visiting our extension agency to find out which organic bug killers will work the best on the specific bugs we will get.

So how can we be prepared in our personal lives for the trials and tribulations that will pop up from time to time? We can put on our armour.

Ephesians 6:13-18 GNB says:

So put on God's armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy's attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground. So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace. At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One. And accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you. Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people.

Know it all

2008-05-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

I was wondering if you’ve ever heard any of the following questions in your home:

Mom, where’s my math book?

Mom, I can’t find my gameboy!

Mom, someone took the book that I was reading!

Mom, what happened to the channel changer?

Honey, where are my car keys?

I have heard all of these questions, and loads more over the years as a wife and mother. Somehow I have been labeled as a “know it all”. How did this happen? When did they decide that I had supernatural powers and I would just “know” where things were? It’s not true I don’t have a sixth sense. I’ve just learned to pay attention. If I notice an item out of place I make a mental note because I know that sooner or later someone is going to ask me that question, “Mom, where is my…?”

We have had times in our lives when even I couldn’t locate an important item. When this has happened we’ve called on God. He is my “know it all”. When we remember to take the time to ask Him where an item is, He will usually lead us to it. Why is that? Because God knows everything.

Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

If the God of the universe has taken the time to number the hairs on our head, we can be sure that He can help us find our lost items. After all, He saw where we lost them. If you’re desperately looking for something today, take the time to ask the real “know it all” and let Him lead you to it.

Not My Job!

2008-05-14T09:18:00.003-04:00

It was a challenging weekend in our home. Our 6 children had been treating one another poorly and I knew when I woke up that Monday morning that we would need an extended Bible time to work on some character issues.

It was a very chilly morning for May and I was preparing to get into the shower when I heard my dog . He was outside crying and barking to tell us that he was cold and wanted to come in. I peeked my head out of the bathroom and asked my 6 year old to send a message to the older girls that the dog needed to be let in (I was sure they heard him, too). After a few minutes I could still hear him crying and barking, as a matter of fact, I was sure the neighbors could also hear him. So by now I was irritated and had to actually leave the bathroom to find out why my girls had not obeyed me. I discovered that both of my girls were fixing themselves something to eat in the kitchen and they had decided to let him in after they had eaten breakfast. To that I firmly told one of them to GO LET THE DOG IN! As my daughter walked by me she said, “not my job”. Well, I have to admit that the hair on the back of my neck stood on end!! I immediately retreated to the bathroom to send up an S.O.S. to God. I was frantically trying to think of any parable that might fit this situation, but to no avail. Then, God brought to my mind the parable of the Good Samaritan.

A short while later we all sat down for our family devotions. I opened my Bible to Luke chapter 10 and read the parable like this: (Scripture taken from International Standard Version, words in parentheses are my own).

Luke 10:25 - 37
Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. He asked, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus told him, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live." But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" After careful consideration, Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of bandits. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. By chance, a priest was traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he went by on the other side. (and said, “not my job”.) Similarly, a Levite came to that place. When he saw the man, he also went by on the other side. (Saying, “not my job”.) But as he was traveling along, a amaritan came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he was moved with compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. If you spend more than that, I'll repay you when I come back.'"Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the bandits?" He said, "The one who showed mercy to him." Jesus told him, "Go and do what he did."

I stopped and asked the kids to tell me whose job it was to help the injured man. They unanimously said that all three should have stopped to help him. We then talked about how Jesus, the king of the Universe, had washed the disciples’ feet. Jesus had come to serve, not to be served and we should likewise serve others. By the end they had agreed that there was no job that was beneath them. We had true repentance and were able to turn the day around! Praise God for the power of His Word.

Not by works, but by Grace

2008-05-12T09:39:00.002-04:00

I have had the most amazing month. God has been speaking into my life to give me new direction. I'd love to spend a few minutes sharing my experience with you.

It was a Sunday in April. I hadn't been feeling well, so my big Sister came over to check on me. We began talking about God and really got excited about the conversation when she stopped and said, "I feel like God wants me to tell you something". I was all ears! She said, "He is going to take you down a new path in your life, and it is the very thing that He has created you to do." She went on to say, "you will be going down a new road and the doors will be wide open, so walk through them, and you will probably find yourself saying, 'what was that all about'". I was excited but had no idea where this was going.

Within a week or so, God had spoken to my heart to start a blog. I was obedient and had a lot of fun in the process. Then another friend encouraged me to get in touch with a precious christian writer(She also home schools her children). This writer spoke into my life in an amazing way, she said that I should think about writing a devotional with my friend, or at least consider some kind of publication of my writings. This was one of those, "what was that all about" moments because in my entire life, I had never thought about writing! Then I had people continually tell me I was really gifted at writing - let me assure you this is all God!!

I then asked my new writer friend what my next step should be and she said I needed to go to a Christian Writers Conference. I knew my friend was already going to the She Speaks conference in June. (This is a conference put on by the Proverbs31 Ministry.) I went to the website to find that it was a popular conference that had been booked up for a while. Nonetheless, I put my name on the waiting list and prayed about it. I really felt God giving me a peace. Well, Saturday, I received an e-mail saying they had an opening if I wanted to go. It also stated that I needed to respond quickly as the waiting list was long. I couldn't believe it! I knew my name was near the bottom of the waiting list, so how did I get in, GOD! I knew that God had intervened and I was supposed to go to the conference. Thankfully my husband is a wonderful Man of God and is fully behind my new direction!

This is a very exciting time for me. I have been married for 15 years and I am homeschooling my 6 children ages 2-12. How can I have time to write, or blog, or go to a writers conference? Only by the Grace of God. I have told some people what God was doing in my life and their first response is usually, you deserve it, or you must have worked hard to get here. I am here to tell you that none of that rings true.

Gal 2:16 But we know that God accepts only those who have faith in Jesus Christ. No one can please God by simply obeying the Law. So we put our faith in Christ Jesus, and God accepted us because of our faith.

Rom 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.

These verses tell us that the only way to please God is to have faith. Now if you've been reading my posts before you've probably read my post titled "Who's Faith is it Anyway?". In this post I talk about how God gave me my own faith to stand on. I do believe that this was the reason He could now bring me into this new ministry for Him. You need faith to serve God. You need faith to please God.

I encourage you to look at your own faith, study the Scriptures to make sure you are holding on to His faith (not someone else's). And then stand back and see what God will do in your life! I believe He will use each one of you mightily.

Luke 10:2 And he said unto them, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.

Have you ever wondered why there are so few laborers? I know so many people who are doing good works for God, so why aren't they considered laborers? I have to wonder if it's because they are lacking true faith and instead are basing their service on works. What do you think?

8 in 2008

2008-05-12T09:13:00.002-04:00

Good Morning!

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Well, I've been giving this 8 in 2008 a lot of thought. I've come up with 8 goals I'd like to commit to for 2008 and here they are:

1) Lose 10 lbs.
2) Pay off our remaining credit cards/car loan.
3) Write and submit an article for possible publication.
4) Memorize Scripture.
5) Implement a regular time of worship with the kids.
6) Implement a regular time of bible study with the kids.
7) Look for opportunities to share the love of God with others.
8) Exercise 2-3 times per week.

There they are. When you write them down and know you'll have to give account for them on the 8th of each month it's very thought provoking. If you haven't gotten on board with this I encourage you to join in! Check back in on the 8th to see how well I'm doing at meeting these goals. :)

Mother's Day

2008-05-10T08:11:00.002-04:00

I wanted to tell you a little bit about my mother. She is an amazing woman. If you've ever read Proverbs 31 then you've probably heard about my mom. One of the things that comes to mind when I think about her is her ability to garden. She has an amazingly green thumb. (I did not inherit this trait!) She has such a large garden that she can give fresh organic produce to all of her 4 children's families to enjoy and she usually has enough left over to freeze.

Not only can she grow good fruit in her garden but she has grown some fantastic fruit in the lives she has touched. She has a husband and 4 children, 16 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. All love the Lord! That is the kind of legacy we all need to strive for. She has learned how to love with a God like love, unconditional. If you ever need her to help out (with 6 kids I'm probably one of the most needy in the group) she will be there, changing her own plans to serve you. A true servants heart!

She has been my best friend for my whole life. She is a good listener, gives great advice and is so much fun to shop with. She is always encouraging and compassionate. She will tell it like it is, and she is concerned with the total well being of each family member.

My favorite story to tell is of a day when I was in high school and I had a friend over for dinner. Back then my mom would dim the lights at supper to "hide" the brown (whole wheat) noodles she was serving because back then it wasn't "hip" to eat healthful. So after eating a variety of foods that were out of my friends comfort zone we woke up to have breakfast. As my mom pulled out the brown eggs my friend said, "are we having whole wheat eggs, too?" LOL!! I love you Mom!

My mom has a precious relationship with the Lord. She has her quiet times regularly and it shows by the fruit in her life. If you ever have a biblical question she will gladly take the time to discuss it with you. Her faith is grounded in the Word of God and there is never any disputing the things that He has placed in her heart!

Mom, you are an amazing Woman of Faith, Mother, Grandmother, Great grandmother, gardener, seamstress, chef, nutritionist, nurse, and friend. I have always wanted to be like you. Thank you for your devotion to God and to parenting and health! What precious fruit you have to show for your life! May I be as blessed to bear the kind of fruits that you have. I love you!

PS. I want to encourage you, if your mom isn't like this, you become a woman of faith. You can be the Mom that God intended for you to be. Just make a decision and become devoted to God and reading His word and praying. God is the one who brings about the good fruit!

Proverbs 31:24-29 She makes fine linen and sells it, and delivers girdles to the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her sons rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.

8 in 2008

2008-05-09T13:10:00.005-04:00

A fun twist on intentional living in 2008.

What a fun idea. I just learned about a link to a very exciting event. Check this out and join in! It's about setting goals and actually being accountable to them. I'm going to be praying about my 8 in 2008 and I'll post it by Monday!

Who's Faith is it Anyway?

2008-05-09T11:50:00.003-04:00

I've been a christian all of my life. I was raised in a pentecostal/evangelical home and I don't know of a time when I didn't believe in Jesus. There were times in the "wilderness" but I never stopped believing in Him.

Faith on the other hand is something a little different for me. I have always thought of myself as a woman of faith and I would say that others would have agreed with that statement. However, all of this seemed to be challenged when I was 38 years old. That was a year in the fire for my family. We had a death in the family that left behind a young widow and child and another teen in the family go through a year of pain with her fight to beat cancer (praise God she is cancer free today). We then had our family's matriarch come down with an extremely painful ailment. All of this really challenged my faith. As a matter of fact, I'm sad to say that all of this left me in a very desolate place for about 6 months. I remember telling my husband that I believed that Christ died for my sins but after that I didn't know what I believed.

Thankfully, God doesn't leave us in our desert places forever. And, just as with the Israelites, He brought me out of the desert and into His promised land. How did He do that? Well, He started me on a process of searching out the truths in the Bible for myself. Why did I believe what I believed? This has been an incredible journey for me and I do have a very different faith from the one I was taught all of my life.

I used to put a lot of faith in my church to "fill me up" and I've come to realize that it's solely MY responsibility to receive manna from heaven daily as I grow in my relationship with God. I used to think that there was "big faith" and "little faith" but I have not seen that anywhere in the Bible. As a matter of fact the scripture that comes to mind is:

Matthew 17:20 ...For truly I say to you, If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Move from here to there. And it shall move. And nothing shall be impossible to you.

It seems to me that moving mountains would be "big faith" but Jesus calls this faith as small as a mustard seed. This is proof that there is only 1 kind of faith and that is faith in God. This was very encouraging to me. This showed me that if I truly had faith in God for something and it didn't come to pass, that it was not my lack of faith that caused the undesirable outcome it was simply God overriding my will for His.

Isaiah 55:8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways, says Jehovah.

This verse sings to my soul. Our ways and thoughts are NOT His ways and thoughts. If you've developed a faith because of others teachings alone than you need to study yourselves to find out why you believe what you believe. Having someone else's faith won't do any good when you're going through the fire. Take it from someone who has been burned. Thankfully, God takes our burned bodies and grows fresh new skin where the old burn was! He is the ultimate healer.

2Timothy 2:15 Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

Distractions

2008-05-06T15:50:00.002-04:00

Today was an interesting day at my house. I decided to have a teacher work day. I sent all of my kids outside to play so that I could focus on decluttering my office and hopefully a few other areas of the house. I could also call this a mental health day for mom! The clutter in my office has been weighing heavy on my mind for weeks now.

The morning seemed to go well and then I even convinced my 9 year old girls to make everyone lunch. I stopped to eat with them and then sent them all back outside. I did have a fleeting thought that I should be putting my 2 1/2 year old, Tiffany, down for a nap. However, she was having so much fun playing fort outside with her siblings that I let the thought slide, focusing again on my now half clean office.

About 30 minutes later my oldest daughter brought Tiffany into the house screaming and crying. She was seemingly inconsolable with no apparent cause for the upset. So I knew this was a case for mom alone. I sent my oldest daughter back outside and took Tiffany upstairs for a drink of water. That wasn't going to solve this problem. I then laid her in bed and tried to sing to her, still crying. It was at this point that I realized the only solution was to take her into the living room and rock her. I was not happy about this as I was busy and didn't want to stop and rock my child!

I sat rocking her for about 20 minutes. During this time the house was dead quiet and I sat gazing out the picture window at the fantastic trees which are an amazing array of shades of green. I started to realize how small I really am in this world and how only the great I AM could ever use me to make a difference in the world. I began to meditate on Him and realized how thankful I was for the unexpected break in my hectic day.

This is the verse that the Lord brought to my mind: Mark 10:13 And they brought children to Him, so that He should touch them. And His disciples rebuked those bringing them.
Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw, He was much displeased and said to them, Allow the little children to come to Me and do not hinder them. For of such is the kingdom of God.

I had always known that Jesus allowed the children to come to him and be a distraction in His day but I never really thought about why. As I sat rocking and meditating on my Lord I had the thought that maybe, just maybe, that children coming to us isn't a distraction but a time for a much needed break from our daily work. Taking the time to rock your child, or read a book to them, or even counsel them isn't really a distraction. I believe it's God's way of letting us have a break.

The next time you are busy in your day and your child comes to you in need, take the time to help them and remember that maybe this is your opportunity for a much needed break.

Gardening

2008-05-05T12:31:00.002-04:00

Do you like to garden? (I am referring to vegetable gardening.) Well, I've lived in a rural area for the past 9 years and I've had a vegetable garden each year. This has been an extremely busy spring for me and for the first time in nine years I decided not to garden, until my kids started pressuring me. "We love to garden", they said. "We'll take care of it", they added. After talking with my husband and having him encourage me as well I decided to start our 9th vegetable garden.

I've gone out and purchased all of the plants/seeds that we will need and I've talked with my children about their responsibility with the garden this year. Now comes the fun part, plowing and planting. It's just good clean fun, until about mid August.... that's when things can get out of control and the weeds/bugs can easily outnumber the fruits/vegetables that are in the garden.

Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he may have enough to finish it;

What a wise verse of scripture this is. When starting out, the soil is perfect and weed/bug free. But to count the cost is to realistically say, "there will be bugs and weeds and this will require a good amount of work to even get a harvest". I am trying to teach this to my kids as a good object lesson. You see, they are so excited about having their own row in our garden but I would imagine, come August, they are going to be complaining about their row and the work that will be involved.

This reminds me of the Israelites who begged to get out of Egypt, but never counted the cost of living in the dessert. What are you praying for today? Have you counted the cost? Have you considered what it will look like in the future? It is interesting to look at the verse just before Luke 14:28:

Luke 14:27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, he cannot be My disciple.

We must bear our cross. God knew the cost of following Him. He knew that at the point of salvation the soil would be pure and weed/bug free, but He also knew that after a season the bugs/weeds would appear and we'd have to be prepared for some real hard work to even get a harvest in our lives. So, whatever it is that you are praying for in your lives.... consider the cost and be prepared to bear your cross when the weeds/bugs come into your life. Then you can expect to have a bountiful harvest!

Happy Gardening!

Dying to Self

2008-05-01T11:44:00.003-04:00

So did the title of this message make you cringe, or did you think, "I can do that"?? Well, I was one who always thought, "I can die to self, for God." As a matter of fact, I was sure that I constantly died to self for God. Until last night, that is.....

So here we are on our journey to Financial Freedom and I know that this will require me to die to self in some areas relating to finances. I actually think now that we're on week 4 of our study that I am fully dead to self in this area. But, last night we had to make up a budget. A spending budget. We are doing this to ensure that we can pay off any consumer debts, both personal and business, that we may have. All in the name of obedience to God's word. Well, we came to the part of the budget that would require me to "cut back" on some spending. Now, I was fully prepared to put off most major purchases in order to become debt free. But when my husband decided that I should stop eating out, something inside of me SNAPPED! I started crying and continued into the wee hours of the morning. If you know me you know that I am not very outwardly emotional so this was way out of character for me.

Being that my husband is of the male species he wasn't very compassionate about it nor did he see my side of things at all! So there I was by myself crying over not eating out for a few months. I'll have to admit that this has sent me soul searching. Why would such a small thing have had the power to upset me SO MUCH?????

I think that first of all, I didn't realize the power position I had given money in my life. With 6 kids to tend to 24/7 I had also been drawing a huge amount of comfort from occasionally eating out. I called it, "getting a break for mom". Eating out is one of my favorite things to do. So when you put something on that kind of a pedastool in your life you're actually making it an idol. So there it was, I had made eating out an idol in my life and I never even realized it. Well, God is so precious to me. I am thankful that He will be faithful to point out idols in our lives. Since this was an idol I was unknowingly breaking a commandment, thou shalt have no other gods before me. OUCH!

So, I feel like I'm in mourning a little today. I even spoke with a few close friends this morning, just looking for sympathy. Now my prayer is that I will be able to truly lay this idol on the altar. After all, there really should NOT be anything more comforting in my life than drawing near to God. So, as I am becoming even more structured in my days (planning for all meals) I am ever more aware of God's precious comfort and presence in my life. He is teaching me to lean fully on Him when I need a break. Finding comfort in Him is the place where I want to be. Again, it's totally FREE (fat free and financially free!).

So, if you're thinking that you don't have any idols in your life, pray and ask God to show you where they are. You will probably be blown away at the idols that you never knew existed. Being free in God is a truly fulfilling place to be. So for now I'll take my comfort in His presence, until the next change surfaces. Hopefully I'll be better prepared to handle it.

Financial Freedom Part 2

2008-04-29T13:58:00.004-04:00

Did you know that there are more than 2,300 scriptures in the Bible that deal with the area of finances?? That is an amazing fact. When I read this in our study book (http://www.crown.org/) I was absolutely shocked. You see, growing up in church the ONLY time I ever remember a sermon dealing with finances was when the pastor was teaching us to give our first 10% to the church. This has been the most transforming thought in our study of financial freedom so far. I've learned that God not only wants to direct our first 10% but He wants to direct the other 90% as well, and He's provided plenty of scriptures to guide us in this.

My whole life as a child of God I have thought that if I gave my 10% to the church and also gave additional offerings that I was good to go. I have been living my life in the dark! How could this be? I am a child of the Living God and I've gone to church for 41 years. Well, this is proof that we cannot expect to learn everything that is in God's word from our church. It's really about having a personal and growing relationship with our heavenly Father.

So, how does God view debt? Well, there are so many verses of scripture that address this I would encourage you to look them up! But to write this blog I'll list a few of my favorites:
Deu 15:4 ...For Jehovah shall greatly bless you in the land which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, Deu 15:5 only if you carefully listen to the voice of Jehovah your God to be careful to do all these comandments which I command you today. Deu 15:6 For Jehovah your God blesses you as He promised you. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.

That is such a powerful verse. It shows me that I must obey God's commands and listen to His voice. When is the last time you purposefully tried to listen to His voice? I used to do this frequently but over the years I've allowed my life to be so busy that I stopped taking the time to listen to God. This is an area that God has awakened in me again and it feels so good to be in active relationship with Him again! I encourage you to ask God to talk to you today regarding the area of finances. Ask Him if you should make a purchase or not. You'll be amazed at how He might answer! But answer, He will.

Some more verses that were good to read: Pro 22:7 The poor are ruled by the rich, and those who borrow are slaves of moneylenders.
1Co 7:23 God paid a great price for you. So don't become slaves of anyone else.
Phi 4:19 And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Wow, this was an eye opener for me. I certainly don't want to be ruled over by anyone else and realizing the powerful way God purchased my life, through the death and ressurection of His only son, Jesus, I am compelled to not want to get into debt. I don't have a right to get into debt. The money isn't mine at all, it was bought with a price that I cannot repay. But what freedom is in these verses. I am free to live without debt. I am free to have Him meet all of my needs. I am free to serve the one true Living God.

So, instead of feeling like I am accountable for the 12% or so of money that I lovingly give to God's works in the kingdom, I now realize that I am accountable for 100% of the money I have been given. It's not mine, it's God's. Now, when we pray about a purchase and God say's "no" then I can freely say "no" to that purchase without guilt or regret, and most importantly - NO DEBT!

I hope that God will encourage you to listen to His voice and look in His word to find out how He can handle your finances in a way that only leads to Financial Freedom.

Joh 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!

Praying for all who read this blog today! Love Sonya

Half full or half empty

2008-04-25T11:28:00.004-04:00

Ok, I've always hated that analogy. I am a literal person and in my mind I wanted more detail, like did it start out full but you drank some, or did you just pour the last 1/2 of a glass of milk left in the container?? Just one of the quirky ways my mind operates!

This is all important, though. I awoke this morning to have a serious conversation with my hubby about an important decision we are trying to make in our lives. (At least I view it as important.) After 20 minutes with no common ground we stopped discussing it, realizing that he had to leave for work and I needed to get to my devotional time before the kids woke up. When I sat down for my devotion I had to admit being irritated at this man I am married to! I was nitpicking in my mind of how this and that are irritating to me about him. The Lord quickly intervened (he is so timely!) and brought to my mind the scripture in Tit 2:3 Let the aged women likewise be in reverent behavior, not slanderers, not enslaved by much wine, teachers of good; Tit 2:4 that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children. How did this verse play in here? Well, the fact that we have to be taught to love our husbands and children. So, I started to think of when Jesus was here on earth and I had a few ideas:

First, I envisioned my husband was one of the desciples and I was part of the crowd when Jesus was teaching them. About the time when we all became hungary and Jesus realized that the desciples didn't have any food for the crowd, I got mad at my husband for not thinking ahead and bringing ample food for all! Well, we all know that this is NOT how Jesus handled things. No, he showed unconditional love and instead of pointing out the desciple's faults He took the matter to His Father who blessed the food of one small boy and a miracle was performed.

Next, my husband was Thomas and I was hanging out with him when Jesus appeared, I was of course in awe at seeing Him and my husband was doubting! I wanted to chastise him for having the nerve to have doubted Jesus, the Messiah! But we know that this too was not how Jesus actually handled things. No, instead of pointing out his faults, Jesus lovingly allowed him to put his hand into his side and see that it was really Him. I believe that God was showing me that I have become very critical of my husband and how that is NOT unconditional love. I was then reminded of 1Co 13:4 Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or 1Co 13:5 rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. 1Co 13:6 Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. 1Co 13:7 Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. 1Co 13:8 Love never fails!

Wow! I had unknowingly allowed the enemy of my soul to slowly, over time, cause me to lose site of this verse in my marriage. I had not been looking at the BILLIONS of good things that I love about my husband, I had focused on the very few negative things that I was dealing with today.

I am so glad that when we stray off of the path, God is always there to gently, lovingly lead us back. I am glad to say that I am purposely going to think on the good things about my husband and that is going to help me have unconditional love for him.

The most profound thing to me is that God hasn't "resolved" anything for me, He has just given me a different perspective on my husband. That has made all the difference in the world. That issue we were discussing really isn't so meaningful to me now. Just being able to spend time with my hubby this evening is what I'm focussing on.

Financial Freedom Part 1

2008-04-23T17:52:00.000-04:00

This has been an interesting journey I've been on. Let me give you a little background: First I was raised in an upper middle class family and I was the youngest of 4. My husband likes to say that I grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth. Ok, I was given anything I wanted but my parents gave me much love and a relationship with the almighty God as well, so I am not complaining! To contrast, my hubby was not raised wealthy at all and he has a much better appreciation of money than I do.

We have decided to start in a group called Crown Financial Ministries to help us with this area and to hopefully learn to help others. This is the beginning of week 3. I was not real excited about this class as I knew this would mean certain change in my life. ( I take dying to self very seriously!) But after much prayer I realized that the money isn't even mine it's God's and it's time I learn how to handle it His way.

Well, armed with this new information, the kids and I headed out to our favorite clothing store to buy my very tall 9 year old a shirt that was actually long enough to cover her midrift. As we parked the van I surprised the kids by telling them we all needed to pray before going into the store. They were glad to join in and we asked God to give Mom wisdom in knowing how to buy frugally and also in what to buy since this was His money we were spending. (We had $50 to spend). In the past I would have not thought twice about buying lots of clothes and putting them on the charge card. Today, we were using cash that had been assigned to the need. As it turned out, the store was having a buy 1 get 1 free sale! My daughter was able to get 2 shirts and 2 pairs of capri's for $50!!! I was so blown away at God's care. He knew about the sale and our need and led us there at the right time to meet our every need.

My husband was obviously pleased with us and couldn't stop smiling at dinner. Finally, I am starting to realize how much God wants to direct our every step.... especially in the area of finance.