Bible Readings for a Baby Shower

 I went to a baby shower a year or so ago where the woman hosting did some encouraging Bible readings and songs.  It was wonderful and I kept thinking, "why have I never seen this done before?!?!"  I recently had the opportunity of sharing some readings at a baby shower myself and the other women had a similar reaction to mine.  I hope these thoughts will be an encouragement to you today. 

Thank you for joining us as we celebrate ___________ becoming a mother, and her child, a gift from the Lord.  I wanted to read a little from the Bible and talk about this new little soul that will be joining us soon.  There is so much encouragement, wisdom and knowledge to be found in the scriptures, and when it comes to becoming a parent, I think those of us who have experienced it will heartily agree that we desperately need God’s encouragement, wisdom and knowledge as we take on such a responsibility. 

James 1:5 - God gives wisdom liberally and without reproach to all who ask

Charles Dickens - “It is no small thing, when they, who are so fresh from God, love us. ”

Babies are more than just cute and cuddly little dolls

They are created in God’s image - Genesis 1:27 - “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

They have been created for God’s own glory - Isaiah 43:7 - “Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”


Jeremiah 1:5 - “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”

Our children are SOULS that belong to God that we give right back to Him.
In 1 Samuel when Hannah prayed for a child, she made a vow to the Lord and promised, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant... but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life...”  Hannah gave Samuel to God to serve in the temple, but the reality for us, is that our children are a heritage from the Lord, and as their parents, we must devote them to God.

And isn’t it so with all of our blessings from God?
All of the are things that we have are things that He created.  They belong to God and we are entrusted with their care for a time.

As a parent, it is our job to diligently teach our children about God.
Deut. 6:1-9 - "These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, ² so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. ³ Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

We do this by reading the Bible to them, and sharing God’s teachings
Isaiah 28:9-10 - “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

And it is never too early to start -
“Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.  On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.”  (Psalm 22:9)

We also do this by the way we live.  With babies and young children especially, it is our job to reflect God for them while they come to understand God for themselves.  I believe this is the most challenging part of being a parent - accurately reflecting the character of God for my children in the way I behave and the words I say.  Having God’s word written all over MY heart first, so I can know and understand God as I teach my children.  And this is so important because it is from their parents that children first learn trust, obedience, love, honor, and respect... all things they will need to know in order to choose to follow God. 

It might take a while for the weight this awesome responsibility to really sink in.  And very soon you will realize that you have messed up.  Because we all mess up this job of parenting.  You will grieve for your mistakes, but I hope in that moment you will realize that we can’t perfectly parent our CHILD’s way into heaven.  As much as we want it and try our hardest to do the job well, God allows each person the choice to love Him or reject Him.  

And so we pray for you, Stacy, as you take on this weighty responsibility with this little soul.  But we also pray for this baby boy, that he will have a heart for the Lord.  We pray that he will choose to love, obey, trust, and honor God.  Ultimately, this is THE ONLY THING.  Of all of the “great things” this little baby boy may do one day in this world, the only thing that really matters is that he has eternity in his heart and that he chooses to  follow the Lord.  We pray that he will have a heart like David who said in Psalm 119:30-33 -
"I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.
I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame!
I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!"

Jesus gave His life for you and for me, and also for this baby boy.  Enjoy these days of purity and perfect innocence. Just as Mary did with baby Jesus, treasure the things that he does in your heart, but be thankful that God has made a way for him to be with Him some day.  The rest of us here today do not bear the same weight of responsibility as a parent, but we are here to encourage you and help you and your baby boy along the way. 

Sing - “I Need Thee Every Hour” and “Because He Lives”

Malachi 2:15 says, talking about a husband and wife, “Did He not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?  And what was the one God seeking?  Godly offspring.”

Psalm 127:3 - “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord”

Jesus loved little children. In Matthew 19 he welcomed and blessed them saying, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 

This baby is a good and perfect gift from the Lord, and we thank God for His goodness, mercy, and love in sending such a gift.  We praise God for the gift of motherhood because as it says in Psalm 113:9 - "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.  Praise the Lord!"

Pin It

Simple Gifts

This blog might step on some toes.  It definitely would have stepped on mine a few years ago, so take it with a big old handful of salt and use what is relevant for you.  Differing opinions will not bother me, you have my word!

Simple.  Everyone wants simple. 

But simple does not make very much money, does it?  And money is what makes the world go 'round. 

Specifically in regards to homeschooling and teaching Bible (and we ALL do it - remember, you are your child's first teacher even if you send your child to public school), I've been drawn more and more to simple. 

Full confession:  I have a bachelors in music education, taught children's Bible classes since I was 16, and I was a music and pre-school teacher before I became a stay at home mom.  I LOVED making beautiful bulletin boards, handwork, decorating my classroom, etc...  I poured a lot of time, work and much to my husband's chagrin, money, into teaching other people's children.  And if I am being completely honest with myself, most of that work was not for my students.  It was for me.  Much of it really didn't enhance the actual learning of the students very much.  (There are a few exceptions, but sadly, very few.) 

I like coloring, cutting, pasting, laminating and making things pretty.  So there. 

And I still do!  But as a homeschooling mom, I don't get very much by way of daily prep time for that kind of thing.  And because of the situation in our local church where my kids are the only children that attend our small, just-getting-started group right now, I am their perpetual Bible class teacher.  This has caused me to re-evaluate just what is important and just what really enhances their learning and what is just... fluff.  Pretty fluff.  But still fluff. 

My time is valuable.  Their learning is important.  I have needed to be more discerning to make the most out of what we have.

All those adorable Pinteresty things for homeschooling and Bible class... how many of those projects are really only for the teacher/mom?  Be honest.  And there is nothing really wrong with that.  But I just don't have that kind of time any more.

I need to sleep and take my vitamins.  I need to get outside with my children.  I need to read them piles of books and cook them healthy food.  My husband needs lovin' time.  I need to wash the dishes and do laundry.  A couple of times a week, I really just need to get a shower. 

I'm a thirty-something-year-old mama and I need to keep things simple. 

And simple works.  It really does. 

We don't do crafts in Bible class.  We have a simple timeline posted on a wall.  We have a bookshelf with Bibles and a stack of white copy paper on it.  I have the ESV Family Bible and a set of Betty Lukens felts for a visual aids.  If we didn't have that, a whiteboard and some markers would do.  We have a box of crayons.  And my boys are learning at a tremendous rate!

This is our simple Bible class "program" for two boys, ages 5 and 3:

• We pray
• Sometimes we sing Bible songs that go with the lesson.  Nothing complicated though.
• We go through the Bible and read a Bible story.  We work in chronological order.  
• We find our Bible story in our simple timeline.
• Sometimes we look at things on maps if it is relevant to the story.
• We review the story with the felts.
• The boys "narrate" the story back to me as they draw key events with crayons on the plain paper.  

Most people would say our classroom is bare.  But it is simple.  It is without distraction.  Preparing a lesson every week is practically no work for me, which is important since I have been teaching without a break for about 3 years and don't expect to stop any time soon.  (Just FYI - I only teach on Sundays.  Midweek we meet with the adult class, since we do so much Bible teaching at home also.)  Simple only seems to enhance their learning.

And it is the same for homeschooling.  Mostly it is about the books, and when it comes to Bible, it is about THE Book.  We don't spend a lot and we don't need a lot.  But you won't be able to find this sort of thing at a convention or in a catalog. 

Your most valuable resources are things you already have:  your Bible and your mind

Pin It

Snapshots of our School Days

Big Little turned five this past fall and while we have been homeschooling him since the day he was born, we've been slowly working towards a little more structure in our day.  I do not believe all five year olds need this kind of structure, but our son really seems to crave it, and thrives with the mental stimulation that he is getting.  Starting at the beginning of January, I adopted the above "routine" and we are all just about used it it by now.  We are aiming for "doing school" three or four days a week at this point and I am actually amazed how much we get done and in how little time! So I will share some of what we are doing, but please know that this is just what works for our family and do not hold it up as some kind of standard.  As you will see in the pictures, the boys are still learning mostly through play and I believe this is as it should be.

If your are interested in more information, I use Ambleside Online year 0 and we follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy. 

Some of our learning looks fairly traditional.  Note the look of concentration as he does copywork.

Biggie got to the letter "d" and wrote it the way you would write a half note - he didn't do the downstroke to the bottom of the line. I pointed that out and he answered, "Oh I never do that part. It's just a spot of bother."

Some of it is disguised as play.  (See the letters made out of legos?)

Some looks like "work".  (Trying out parsnips for the first time in our soup!)

sorting out lowercase and capital letters while Little Littles plays along

And we do lots and lots of reading.  And apparently, playing with string.  :)

Notes -
We are working through the Singapore Math level A book and we both like it very much.  We supplement with sorting buttons, working with an abacus, and various other math games.

For piano, I used to teach beginning piano, so I am just doing little 10 minute sessions with him using the Jane Smisor Bastien "Very Young Pianist" series, which I really, really love.  It uses wonderful illustrations, teaches the basics of music and it is simple and not cluttered with overly flashy cartoony stuff.

Science and Art and such very much follow our interests and whims... painting with watercolors, practicing with scissors, bird watching, etc...  As the weather warms up, we will be spending more time outside doing nature study.


And in between all of this, you will find me running laundry to the washing machine, folding it, working on a grocery list while the boys paint, etc...  Work, play, and school are all woven together into a rich and vibrant life.  It is a lifestyle that we feel blessed to live.

Pin It

Big Littles Gets His Wish

We've had flurries and a few flakes, but no ground cover to speak of... nothing snowball worthy.  Big Littles has been dreaming of snow for weeks.  Thanks to facebook friendships, we've seen pictures of people living north, south, east, and west of us all getting snow, but nothing here.  It's actually been too warm here most days and we've had lots of rain instead.  Big Littles announced one day that he was going to pray to God that we would have snow on Christmas.

I took a deep breath.  That was a tall order.  But I told him to pray anyway.  God would hear him, and if it was God's will it would happen.

On occasion I gave him further explanation and told him that sometimes God has other plans that need to happen for other people and that sometimes when God says "no" it has nothing to do with us.  But I also said that God loves to bless the people that love and obey Him, and we could pray that God would bless us with snow on Christmas. 

So for weeks he has prayed that we would have snow on Christmas.  And I just kind of held my breath and hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed because the weather forecast was not looking very cooperative.

Yesterday, after not saying anything about it for about a week, Biggie confidently announced that we would indeed have snow on Christmas.  I asked him how he knew that and he said, "I've been praying to God about it."  I smiled and gave him a few more encouraging words, but honestly, he had the faith to move mountains and I had almost none that this was going to happen.

So when we woke up this morning and Preacher Man looked out the window and announced that we were going to have a white Christmas, I almost didn't believe him!  And the next moment, I thought of the joy this was going to bring to my son and how this one blessing from God would do so much for his growing faith (and I must admit, mine), and I thanked God for this wonderful gift.

Indeed, it was the best gift of all today.   Sometimes God just blows me away.  I am humbled and thankful that He would be mindful of my young son... and me. 

Luke 18:15-17 - "And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
 

The long-anticipated snowball fight!

 Pin It

Alpha Omega

Isaiah 64:8 - "But now, O Lord, You are our Father;
    We are the clay, and You are our potter;
    We are all the work of Your hand."

Just like sand blowing across a canyon, life shapes us.  I also believe that when we are willing to be molded, God shapes us, and He is the Master Artist when it comes to creating a vessel for His glory. 

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how God has been molding me, particularly when it comes to my need to relinquish control.  

Just before the birth of my first child, my midwife warned me about the need to relinquish control.  Almost every day, she came face to face with life and its beginning.  The birth of a baby, but also the birth of a mother.  Occasionally, she witnessed the end of life as well.  Seeing the nature of life's beginning and end, she knew very well that we have no control over such things.

Still, I fought for control of my child.  When he was born, he was taken from me.  He was kept in NICU for six days without good cause.  Many of the earliest parenting decisions I had intended to make were taken from me.  I was not even allowed to see my child for more than 10 minutes until the day after he was born, and I was not allowed to be with him or hold him when I wanted.  Thank the Lord he was just fine and we were able to bring home a perfectly healthy boy after those six days.  But I had nightmares about the experience for the next two years.  I dreamed that he was back in NICU, attached to wires, and that I was not allowed to hold him.  I dreamed that when we were allowed to bring him home, there were doctors chasing us down in the parking lot demanding that we bring him back.

I have a friend that had undergone a similar experience with her third child just months before.  She made encouraging comments to me about this being a good lesson for her in understanding the need to relinquish control.  But I clung to control more than ever.  This was MY child.  I would protect him with all of my might.

It is so ironic to me that we have two beautiful unplanned children.  You see, we tried to control when we had children and took those matters into our own hands.  Two times, God showed us that He had better plans.  The third child that we prayed about and asked God for months to conceive was lost before he was ever born.  It was then that I finally began to understand that when it comes to life and death, we have no control, it is only God. 

And so we turned our hearts to God and have made the commitment to give Him all control over the lives brought forth in the Holy Covenant of our marriage. This is not a realm we wish to control anymore.  We do not bind this choice upon others, it is simply where God has brought us and we seek to glorify Him with a family devoted to Him.

So God has blessed us with a new life in our family... a little one that should arrive some time in June.  The moment I told my husband the news, he thanked God and immediately said a prayer dedicating this child back to the Lord.  We are finally beginning to understand - these children are gifts from the Lord.  They are not our own.  He has lent them to us and entrusted them to our care for a time so we can bring them up in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord".  The time may be long or it may be very short.  We have no guarantees.  Even the two children that have been born to us already may not live through tomorrow.  For that matter, we may not live through tomorrow.  God alone holds the power over life and death, and thankfully, He, in His grace, has offered us a way to be with Him when we die.

Until now, I had not been able to face this thought, and even now, it is deeply painful, but I can finally say, with tearful joy, that I have a child in heaven, gazing upon the beauty of the Lord. 

God is good.  Always.

Lord, come quickly.


From Revelation 21 -
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
^"And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son." 
"And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Pin It

Prayers that Inspire

Every night, either Preacher Man or I pray with our boys as we tuck them into their beds.  It is a precious time with a final kiss of their forehead and one last cuddle before saying "Goodnight".

I stumbled onto a way of praying that has just captured the heart of my little boys.  It instantly calms, soothes, and inspires them. 

Our bedtime prayer goes something like this:
"Thank you God for my boy _______.  He is such a blessing.  Help him to be a man after Your own heart like David.  Help him to be wise like Solomon.  Help him to be strong like Samson.  Help him to be bold like Paul.  Help him to be faithful like Abraham.  Help him to be an encourager like Barnabus.  Help him to grow to be like Your Son, Jesus, and to have a heart that loves your law and wants to obey it.  Bless ________ and help him sleep well so tomorrow he can do everything he can to bring You glory.  In Jesus name, Amen."

And I change it up with different Bible characters, of course.  I'm amazed by the peace that comes over them while I am praying with them in this way.  I can tell that they are inspired to grow up to be like these Mighty Men of the Bible.  I hope they will always keep this vision on their hearts.

I just wanted to share something that I stumbled upon that has been so inspirational to my boys.  To God be the glory!

Pin It

Loss

I just announced on Friday that we were expecting our third child. 
I am sorry to share such sad news, but I hope you can all pray for us as we grieve.  I had a miscarriage Sunday morning and we lost our baby at about 7 weeks.  We loved this little gift from God, and are just sad to give it back over to God so very soon.  Preacher Man buried the baby for us and we are mourning our loss.  It is hard, but we hold on to each other and our faith in the Lord and we know He takes care of each of us.

"The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."
~ Job 1:21

Pin It

The Spirit is Willing...

But my poor, tired body needs naps!

We are very excited to announce that we are expecting our third little blessing! Our children are gifts from God and He chose them for us. We did not earn them, they are given out of God's grace. He is good and so are ALL of His wonderful gifts!

With this new blessing, comes a very tired mama! I have so many posts half written in my head, and I just don't have the time or energy to get them typed out right now. "Quiet Time" is when I have done most of my writing and right now a daily nap is absolutely imperative if I am going to make it through the day. I had hoped I could at least keep up with my Building Character series, but I'm now three days behind writing the next post, and those studies take me at least two days to write out... I'm afraid I'm just in over my head right now!

I'm going to take the next couple of weeks off so I can focus on growing this little baby and taking care of the rest of my blessings. When I come back from the first trimester fog, I plan to pick up with the next part of the "Building Character" series, and I hope to talk a little bit about homeschooling since it has been on my mind so much lately.

Thank you for sharing in our joy and for your patience with me!


Pin It

Spiritual Food for Moms Part 1

When you become a mother, you go through a massive transformation.  The physical changes are obvious, but there is just as much change going on in your mind and in your life.  It is a test of your spiritual strength and because so much in your life has changed, you will need to find new ways to feed your soul the spiritual nourishment it needs.  It's ok if it takes you a while to get on your feet.  I'll be honest, it took me 2 1/2 years (mostly because it took me that long to see the problem).  Keep trying.  Seek and you shall find.  And I hope that what I write here will be an encouragement to you to diligently seek out a rich and fulfilling relationship with God even when your body, time, and strength are in demand like never before.

Part 1 - At Home
In part two, I plan to cover getting spiritual food while assembling with Christians, but if you have been overly dependent upon feeding your soul in the assembly and have not been using your time at home, then you may start feeling as dry as a desert in a short time.  This is a time in your life, where you will need to get most of your sustenance on your own at home.  Try to look at it as an opportunity to build your faith in a new and necessary way.

     1.  Make peace with interruptions. 
This was one of the hardest things for me to learn.  As a mother, your life will have constant interruption.  The more you cling to a certain time as being "my time", the more you will just get angry and frustrated when you are interrupted and cultivating this anger in your heart will only eat away at your soul and the relationships you have with the people you love the most.  Just accept that your life will be interrupted now.  You can get good nutrition by eating small frequent meals throughout the day, so learn to look at your spiritual life the same way.  Instead of depending on a feast of an hour of quiet time to read and pray, feed your soul throughout the day in small doses.  This way when the baby needs holding all day because of a growth spurt or teething or just because it is a baby and that is what they do, you won't feel spiritually starved and irritable because the baby interrupted your plans.  And when you do get an hour of uninterrupted time, you can TAKE A NAP!  (And don't feel guilty for taking that nap!  God knows you need sleep!)
 
     2.  Develop your prayer life.
Prayer is the way that we communicate with our Lord and at this time in your life, you need God's guidance and wisdom more than ever.  Prayer is a good indicator of where we are spiritually.  If you are feeling spiritually low, chances are you have not been in the habit of praying and communing with God lately.  Pray all the time in snippets if that is all you get.  Start the day with prayer.  Pray while you are washing dishes, nursing your baby, rocking your baby to sleep... pray all day long!

I have seen my faith grow in leaps and bounds just by doing two things with the way I pray.  First, I am no longer afraid to make bold requests.  Ask big and God will move mountains!  Second, make your requests very specific.  No detail is too insignificant for God.  Are you stressed about needing some more time with your husband?  Figuring out why your baby seems to be crying in pain?  Wondering how you are going to keep praying when you are so scatterbrained and exhausted?  Pray about those specific things.  Do what you can on your end, but then turn it over to God and watch Him work in your life.  And then thank Him for how He does it.  

     3.  Stay connected with the Word  -
If prayer is the way you talk to God, His Word is the main way He talks to you.  You need His voice in your heart now more than ever, and yet, sitting down and reading your Bible seems so impossible sometimes.  You might have to get creative, but you can find a way!  My life changed for the better when I discovered the ESV Bible online has a "Listen" function.   I set up my laptop so I can listen to a chapter at a time.  I don't have any of these other devices, but I know moms that have the Bible on CD or on their iPad or reader.  Even if you don't have these things, you can print out or photocopy chapters of the Bible at a time.  I recommend writing verses on notecards and putting them around the house - this is great for memory work and meditation.  Think small bites throughout the day.  You may not feel like you have the brain power to tackle Romans or Isaiah right now, but you can benefit tremendously by reading Deuteronomy, the Psalms, Proverbs, a gospel, or a short epistle.  For a while, I worked on reading Psalm 119 every day.  Reading about David's love for God's law was rich food for my soul.  Pick something small to read, and read it over and over again.

I do not remember where I read this, but one mom used her child's interruptions while she was reading to help them grow to love God's word.  When a child came to her while she was reading, she would invite the child to sit with her and she would read aloud and talk about what she was reading with them.  When they got antsy, they wriggled away.  Let the words of God work in your soul AND your child. 

     4.  Teach your children and grow with them.
I do not mean that you need to sign up to teach your child's Bible class at church.  I mean, teach your children at home!   Even if you have an infant, talk to your baby about who God is and all of the great things He has done.  Go for a walk or just a simple backyard explore and show your tiny baby the marvelous things God created - trees, flowers, grass, sunshine, wind...  Read Bible stories to them from the Bible.  Read the Psalms and Proverbs to them.  You have been given the task of teaching your child to know and love God.  You will not have a better opportunity to teach a soul the gospel than you do with the children that you love and nurture from their first day of life.  Talk to your baby and more than anything, talk to your baby about God.  This is ultimately for the child's benefit, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised how much it helps you grow.

     5.  Sing hymns.
Colossians 3:16 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Don't be self-conscious.  Sing!  Your baby doesn't care what you sound like.  He will be soothed hearing your voice and how much better if it is a song for the Lord?  Sing your favorite hymns, make up your own, sing while you give the baby a bath, or while your rock your baby to sleep.  If you need to print out some lyrics, do, but don't worry about perfection, just sing!  Sing with thankfulness to the Lord and use this time to worship Him.  An older mother once encouraged me with the words, "You are doing holy work".  Every mother is doing holy work and singing helps me find joy in the work. 

I hope this has been an encouragement to you.  I really, really know how hard this can be.  Don't let the burden of guilt immobilize you, just what you can do and each day try to do a little better.  Pray to the Lord for strength and wisdom.  He can give you a spiritual feast in a time that was once famine.  Ask and it shall be given...
 
Pin It

Potty Training

 Please pray for us.

 Pray that I will keep the faith!

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." -  Hebrews 11:1

 
This child will use the toilet independently before he leaves home.  He will.  

His older brother is finally there, and I thought he never would either.

And this is meant for laughs, but still...
Pray for us!!

Pin It

Beep... Beep... Beep...

Does this look familiar?

I was amazed the first time I saw Big Littles do this.  He was barely more than a year old.  His little brother picked it up even earlier by observation.  Seems like some things are just innate in little boys and I am continually amazed by how God made them.

I mentioned how my boys would lay on the ground to drive their cars and tractors to my Dad and he said, "Oh yeah, of course!  It makes them look bigger that way!"  I really had no idea!

Did you know that days old infant boys stare longer at a slowly twirling mobile and infant girls stare longer at a person's smiling face?

"Male and female, He created them... and indeed it was very good"  
Genesis 1:27; 31

Pin It

Christian Feminism: Believing the Lie

My excuses for not writing this post:

• I really don't have time to do this today.  
• I will surely hurt someone's feelings.
• I will make people angry and this could end up hurting my family. 
• I have a headache.   
• In fact, I wrote this post a week and a half ago and I'm just now putting it up.  I almost chickened out.

But some things are too important to keep quiet about, and in my heart, I know that this is one of those things.  Please hear my heart and learn from my blind and sinful attitude in times past.

I have always been a bit of a dreamer, an idealist, a visionary.  From the time I was a child, I was fed a lie:

"You can do anything you set your mind to do.  You can have it all."

So I took that lie and ran with it.  I was strongly deluded.  I was a Christian feminist with a drive for success - a career woman.  I, of course, did not think I was a Christian feminist, and would have been offended had someone called me one.  But that is what I was.  My heart pursued the vain glory that this world has to offer.  And I thought I was just fine because I had obeyed the gospel and thought I was serving God.  But God did not truly have my heart... my whole heart.  And my dear sisters, I know that I am not the only woman that has been so deluded.  It has taken me years to come around and to find God's path for me again, and as I searched for His truth, I thought to myself, "Why did no one tell me?  Why did no one warn me?"

But there were moments where people DID try to tell me and warn me.  I remember a huge blow up with my parents over paying for college.  They had agreed to pay for half of my schooling, imagining that I would just spend two years at a Christian school.  I was so angry and upset when I realized this because I had great plans for a four year degree and perhaps even beyond, with a career after that.  Oh I had originally planned a degree that could be useful as a stay at home mother, but hearing voices all through college, "You have such talent, you must use it..."  "Don't waste your God-given gifts..."  Those were the voices I was listening to.  I believed I could have it all.  And I had great plans.

Proverbs 16:9 - The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

I remember when I was engaged to my husband and nearly lost him because of my own foolish plans.  I really don't know why he put up with me back then.  I showed all the signs of being a pain-in-the-neck, unsubmissive wife.  (And I was for several years.)  I remember when we had been married a few years and my Granny gently warned me that if I waited too long to have children, things might not work out in the way I was hoping.  But I did not listen to these words of caution.  I was riding a train taking me to places where I thought I would "make a difference", trying to drag the Lord along with me.  And I am thankful that He helped me realize my great sin.  There were moments where it was as though God Himself was gently saying to me, "Is it hard for you to kick against the goads?"

Perhaps you once rode that same train.  Many Christian women do.  Perhaps you still are.  One of these days, like me, you may come to yourself and realize that it is time to jump off because that train is going the way of our mainstream culture, not the way of Christ.   

It will be a a leap.  A BIG leap.

It means more than just staying at home.  It means having your heart in the home and being happy to be there.  It means making a slow investment each and every day in the souls of the people around you and not seeing a return on your investment for many, many years.  It means sacrificing all of yourself, laying down your life to be a servant - a servant of Christ, your husband, and your children.  It means dying to self.  It is not a glamorous life.  But is is a life filled with blessings from the Lord and FREEDOM, (Romans 8:21) the freedom that only comes from being in the center of God's will. 


It would be better if you have the wisdom to never get on that train in the first place.  It would be better to have a vision for God's will for your life all along.  I do hope that you can search the scriptures and find God's way so you can become a LIBERATED woman... liberated in Christ.

Galatians 5:1 - Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 

Proverbs 16:3 - Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Because this is THE thing... the ONLY thing:

Ecclesiastes 12:13 - The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  

Nothing else matters.


This post is my way-too-long commentary on a series Serena has been running on her blog.  I highly recommend reading it because she just says what is in the scriptures.  
Help Wanted:  Mothers Needed
What Does the Bible Say About Having Kids?
Life Is Short, Discover What Really Matters
So Many Choices, So Little Time
What Does the Bible Say About the Assault on Women?
Does Feminism Really Lead to Freedom?


I also highly recommend Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacey McDonald.  

Linking up with:

Pin It

Building Character: Getting Started

If you are interested in following along with our Character Quality studies, we'd love to have you join us!  In this post, I'm going to explain the system I have come up with that is working for us at this moment in time, but please feel free to adapt any of this for your own preferences or needs.  We have a pre-school child and a toddler, so I teach to their level, but any of this can be easily adapted.  As I said, I think I'm learning more than anyone, so this study doesn't have to be just for your kids!

We are adding a new character quality each week and I am adapting character qualities from this list.  I'm simplifying some of the language for my Littles and I also added the Fruits of the Spirit.  There are 52 qualities in all, so by the end, I hope to have an entire year's worth of studies.

We have been having a daily "Bible Time" after breakfast cleanup is finished.  I keep it between 10-15 minutes.  We pull out a blanket for the floor and clear the area of distracting books and toys for this time.  The Littles have the choice of sitting on the blanket or on the bottom stair just behind the blanket.  I don't insist that they sit perfectly still, but I do train them to stay in one place or the other.  (This is good practice for sitting in Bible classes and assemblies with other Christians both in our home and in our meeting place.)  Other than the blanket, I keep a Bible handy for each of us, and that is all we need as far as materials go.

Right now, the daily Bible Time routine goes something like this:

• Recite Deuteronomy 6:5-6 with hand motions
• Sing "We Are Part of the Family" from a collection of wonderful Bible songs called, Each Little Dewdrop
  (The CD is for sale here - we especially like it because it features children singing)
•  The body of the lesson happens here***
• I ask, "How did God create you?"  answer - "In His image" (Genesis 1:27)
• "Why did God create you and all things?" answer - "For His own Glory!" (Isaiah 43:7)  Then we sing the song I wrote to illustrate this:  For His Own Glory
• And lastly ask, "How will you bring Him glory today?"
• Then we all sing "Jesus Loves Me" - one verse or many

*** For the body of the lesson, I do different things on different days:
Monday - Introduce the character quality for the week and we talk about the definition, and the corresponding Bible verse
Tuesday - we do a Bible story and I try to tie in something with our weekly character quality
Wednesday - Review our Bible class lesson from Sunday
Thursday - Review the Bible story from Tuesday and our weekly character quality
Friday - Review our Bible class lesson from Sunday

 I am printing out an extra large index card for each character quality that looks like this:



As you see, the character quality is in large, bold letters on the left, while the opposite quality is in small letters on the right.  (The opposite qualities are every bit as valuable, I am finding!)  Next comes the definition, and finally, a corresponding Bible verse.  I plan to laminate these when I am finished, as we would like to continue this yearly cycle.  I like hand writing them out, but you can certainly make use of your printer.  I would suggest printing on card stock for the sake of durability.

At one end of our dining table, we put up a white board/bulletin board combo.  On the white board, we intend to keep a prayer list... still working on that one.  I tack up the character quality card of the week on the cork section.  Big Littles asked to keep "love" up there, so we did, at least for now.  This makes it handy to review our character quality, definitions, and Bible verses at meal times. 



 So that's basically what we do.  It's simple, really.  The hardest part is building the habit into our days... but the Littles are very helpful with that one!  They are quick to remind us when we forget!  :)

Do you have any special routines for some kind of Bible Time at your house?  I'm always open for new ideas!

Character Quality Studies posted so far:
Love
Joyfulness 
Peaceable
Patience
Kindness

Pin It

Building Character

Do you want to know how to have a great marriage?  How to do a great job raising your kids?  How to run your household well?  How to effectively reach others with the gospel? 

The answer to all of these is the same:  Have the right character. 

I have come to realize more and more that so many of life's problems would not be problems if I only had the proper character... the character of Jesus.  I can't change other people.  I can't force people to do what is right, no, not even my children.  I can only control one person and that is me.  So while I started out planning a study with my Littles on building character traits, I am the one who will benefit the most.  I'm sure of that.  Because after a challenging morning with a sad and distressing phone call, I sat down with my Littles for our Bible time and I brought out the character quality of the week:

Joyfulness - "Pouring out a happy spirit when my soul is in fellowship with the Lord"

God works in amazing ways.

So if you would like to follow along with our character studies, we'd love to have you join us.  I plan to post on our character quality of the week every Tuesday.  I am adapting character qualities from this list.  I'm simplifying some of the language for my Littles and I also added the Fruits of the Spirit.  Some were included already, but not all, and since Big Littles has had them memorized since he was two, I wanted to start with them.  Adding the rest of the Fruits of the Spirit brings the total up to 52, which just seems almost too perfect making it a complete year of studies. 

Come build with us!  :)

Pin It

Mothers of Faith

 

"Bless the hands that never tire in their loving care of me."

From  Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field

2 Timothy 1:5 -
"When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also."

One of the greatest ways my mother blessed me was by teaching me about God from infancy.  In her songs, in her stories, in her prayers, she opened my heart up to the Lord and I am forever grateful.  My mother-in-law did the same for her son, and he became a man after God's own heart.  What a blessing and a gift to have such a husband and spiritual leader for our family.  

And now my Littles are blessed by the faith of their grandmothers as well.  As I was taught by my mother, so I teach them, and this genuine faith is something they can see and hear from both of the precious women they call "Nanna".   What a heritage!  What a blessing!  Thank you, Lord, for mothers of faith.

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.  They have clung to me all my life."  ~Abraham Lincoln

Linking up with the Modest Mom -

Pin It

Curiosity

I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother
to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Big Littles has an intense personality and burning curiosity is the driving force for him. Apparently, the fairy godmother accidentally dropped the entire carton of curiosity sprinkles upon our firstborn child when she visited. I keep telling myself that one day this will be a positive thing if we can channel it for good. Still, when I am at my wits end dealing with this tumultuous force of curiosity in a preschooler, I am reminded of the wise words of a dear friend:

"Eleanor Roosevelt had nannies."

~The Deputy Headmistress

Pin It

Nursing, As Seen in the Bible

I have never even heard a Ladies' Class where we discussed what the Bible says about nursing babies, which is why I appreciate this article so much. The Bible has many scriptures that can be so encouraging to mothers, so I hope this article will encourage you.

We see in Titus 2 that older women are to teach younger women how to love their children. One way to love our children is to nurse them as seen in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 - "But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her children." In Isaiah 28:9-10 we are to teach knowledge to "those who are just taken from the breast", "order on order", "line upon line", and "a little here, a little there" and are commanded in Proverbs 22:6 to "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 



In addition to nourishing our children emotionally, and with God's word, we are to nourish them physically. God designed our bodies in an amazing way. Psalm 139:14 - "I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well." God gave women breasts. It is a part of his design. He gave them to us to entice and satisfy our husbands as we see in the Song of Solomon. He also gave them to us to nourish and comfort our babies. Isaiah 66:11-13, “that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance…” “and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” I find this verse incredibly beautiful. The warmth of a mother's arms and body, being cradled in her arms, her soothing smell and voice, and the warmth of milk all give the comfort that babies need. 



Nursing a baby is a beautiful thing, and we can thank God for the gift of the ability to do so. God causes infants to long for milk (1 Peter 2:2), but God has also designed a benefit for women. Nursing produces a cocktail of hormones that is released during breastfeeding that causes women to fall in love with their babies. This is not necessarily seen in the Bible, but has been studied scientifically in addition to the observation of women since creation and it is one of the "Blessings of the breast" (Genesis 49:25). One of the most compelling things that happens during breastfeeding is seen in Psalm 22:9 - "Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother's breasts." The bond and the trust that results is so strong, that it is not easily broken. Isaiah 49:15 - "Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you." 



Some nursing mothers in the Bible - Sarah nursed in her old age (Genesis 21:7-8) , Hannah (1 Samuel 1:23-24), Moses' mother Jochebed (Exodus 2:9), Mary the mother of Jesus (Luke 11:27)



The last verse that I found was a rather sad and unpleasant one, but it is in the Bible nonetheless, so I will share it. Lamentations 4:3-4 - "Even jackels offer the breast, they nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness. The tongue of the infant cleaves to the roof of its mouth because of its thirst; the little ones ask for bread, but no one breaks it for them..." From this verse we can learn that infants nurse not only for food, but also for thirst, and that it is "cruel" (this is God's term here) to deny a hungry/thirsty child.

Breast milk is a living substance that varies in composition at every feeding (another part of God's marvelous design), but is generally about 90% water. Infants need milk for more than just food. From these scriptures, we can see that breast milk provides for their comfort, their thirst, their emotional needs (trust), and that it is God's gift.


~ By Heather Bunting


Pin It

"Oh Be Careful Little Eyes..."

Psalm 119:36-38 -
Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.
Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.

Can you tell that I have edited this book?

I can hardly tell myself and I am the one that did it!

This subject is debatable, I'm sure, but Preacher Man and I feel it is important to help our children learn from a very young age that we ought not to look at worthless things, including pictures of unclothed people, and in this case, "fairies". We ruthlessly take a sharpie to anything deemed inappropriate that we feel is still worth keeping. In this instance though, the pictures were so lovely and ethereal, Saint George and the Dragon won a Caldecott afterall, and I didn't want to end up calling more attention to what were rather subtly unclothed fairies. The book sat on my desk for several weeks until I remembered my silver paint pen! You can hardly see where I painted clothes on the fairies, and most are very subtle in the border.

Anyway, just wanted to be an encouragement to others. If something just doesn't sit right with you, don't be afraid to pitch it altogether, or take the liberty of editing for the sake of your children. This extends to books that we feel send the wrong message (and there are so, so many out there!) or language that we don't appreciate. You may have to take the long way around in the mall (or just avoid it altogether) or be protective of their eyes in the check out line at the supermarket. You may think a pre-school child is too young to notice such things, but believe me, they are not! They are sharp and often, I am the one that doesn't notice such things! And no matter how much you try, you won't be able to shield them forever, and lots of talks will need to take place to adequately equip these little souls to take on the world. Protect them, yes, but don't fail to arm them!

What are some ways you help your children learn to be careful with their eyes?

Pin It

Four Kinds of Books

I had a formula for reading, and also a very definite explanation of the difference in categories of books. My formula was to read something out of three classifications of books each evening whenever possible. The first would be something from a variety of children's stories, classics, fairy stories, and so forth; then I would read something with a Christian message; and then finish with a Bible story - or, as they grew older, with the Bible itself.

It seemed to me that this served as a real preparation for sleep, and a gentle cutting off from the activity of the day, as well as opening the way for questions and conversation about serious things. Prayers together at the end meant that the children prayed first, and then I prayed - and often the child would be asleep before I stopped praying. If not, I often sang a few hymns - the same ones each night.

I tried to explain the different kinds of books like this: "There are four kinds of books. First, fairy stories, which are make-believe and couldn't happen, but which are fun to think about and pretend are true. There are a lot of happy fairy stories, with animals that talk, or people only thumb high. Secondly, there are stories which could be true, which are just made up by the person writing; stories of little boys and girls, people doing things that people really do do, but not stories about people who really did live and who really did the things that are told about. Thirdly, there are stories about people who really did live and who did really do the things that are told about. These are called 'biographies', or true life stories. There are lots of people whose lives are interesting and different from ours, and who you'd enjoy hearing about.

Fourthly, there is another book which is quite different from anything else. It is the Bible. The Bible is God speaking to man, God speaking to us, telling us true things that happened in the past, telling us things that happened before any man lived, telling us things about the future. But the Bible doesn't tell us only history and things that are going to happen, it also tells us how to know God, and how to become one of His children so that we can have eternal life. It tells us how to live, and helps us to know what to do. The Bible gives us comfort when we are sad, and strength when we are weak. Yes, the Bible is different from any other book in the whole world, and it is important to realize this - and also important to read it over and over again.

From The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer

Wise words, and a most important reminder this time of year. How are we presenting the story of Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty the Snowman? Do we make it clear that these are fairy stories? Do we make it even more clear that the story of Noah, Baby Moses in the Basket, Jonah, Daniel in the lions den, and the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are REAL? Do we make it clear to our children that the Bible is a holy message from God?

Pin It

Wandering in the Wilderness of Motherhood

Many prominent characters in the Bible who were mighty men of God went through a period in their lives where they were isolated and alone. Is this just a coincidence? I think not. It seems that God used those times as an opportunity to test these men and increase their faith and reliance upon Him. These times of testing may very well have prepared these men for their great challenges to come.

Here are a few quick examples:
Abraham - leaving his homeland to go to a new land
Moses - spent 40 years as a shepherd in the wilderness
David - spent years in the wilderness running from Saul
John the Baptist - lived in the wilderness
Jesus - the ultimate example when he endured 40 days of temptation in the wilderness

I'm sure you can think of others.

All of these men have something else in common. The wilderness. Their time of trial and testing came in the wilderness.

Do long days at home with little ones and working to meet their continual needs feel like living in the wilderness to you? Sometimes I feel that way. Most days, I feel alone. Most days, my body is physically pushed to the limit. Most nights, my sleep is poor and interrupted. Most days, my patience is tested to the breaking point. The terrain is rough too - there is a constant battle against mounds of laundry, dishes stacked to the sky, and there are toys, shoes and socks strewn EVERYWHERE! It's a wild, wild world, I tell you! And I KNOW that I have it easier than many of you ladies out there!

Some women deal with their time of trial in the wilderness (i.e. - life with only littles) by trying to escape as often as possible with "Me time". Some women try to just plough through it as quickly as possible by having their desired number of children in a very short amount of time so they can just get it over and done with and move beyond the diaper days.

May I suggest a different way?

Allow yourself to be "saved through childbearing". (2 Timothy 3:15) USE this time of trial to work on your character, sanctify and purify yourself, and above all, make yourself more like Christ. Work every single day to continue in "faith, love, and holiness, with self-control". If we are willing to submit ourselves to God and say, "not my will, but thine", God will have an opportunity to work in us as He has never done before.

Every day that we are living life with Littles we face The Tempter head on. The Tempter tests us through bowls of oatmeal dumped on the floor, dealing with dirty diapers in the middle of your meal, asking you to jump up to fetch something for the dining table so many times that you wonder why you bother sitting to eat, and by making every square inch of each child and high chair smeared with more food than you remembered putting in their bowls!

It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

Another day, your baby has a fever and needs to be held non-stop, your toddler has 5 potty accidents in one day, your husband is out of town for the week, so you have to do the best you can all by yourself. You feel alone and start having a pity party for yourself. Worse, you say, "God are you even here? Do you see what I am going through?" (see Exodus 17:7)

It is written again, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." (Matthew 4:7)

The Tempter challenges us yet again by conspiring to prevent tired and cranky children from falling asleep and getting a good nap. You have been there right? The phone rings and it is a telemarketer, next UPS delivery rings the doorbell, and finally, just as those sweet eyelids flutter finally flutter closed, the blinds fall down from the windows with a crash. Your afternoon quiet time you meant to spend with The Word is ruined. Will you put God aside for today and just spend time with the TV and Facebook?

Away with you, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve." (Matthew 4:10)

Remind yourself, it is all about sanctification and purification. It is a part of the refining process.

James 4:7-8 -

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-25 -
(adaptation)

Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
Give thanks in all circumstances.
Hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He who calls you is faithful.

Sisters, pray for us.

Pin It

This post was inspired by a wonderful message from a very impressive young man named Dan Koen. I'm sure he did not have motherhood in mind as he spoke, but that is where my thoughts automatically went, and I wanted to share them with some other mothers out there who may be working through the same type of thoughts.