New Stuff

New Stuff HERE and HERE.(with a giveaway!)

Enjoy!

UP For Discussion

(Photo)

A few weeks ago, I had put some questions on here regarding Romans 8: 31-39. I have been doing an interesting thing while studying scripture, and that is to really take to heart and study the questions and answers put forth by the writers of books…especially Paul, as he seems to ask a lot of questions. I’m sure he wasn’t just asking for the fun of it;  he really wanted the intended audience to meditate on these things, to know the truth of them in their hearts.

So with that, here’s my “take” on Romans 8:31-39

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The QUESTIONS

The Answers to the Questions (And the great declaration of VICTORY!)

*What shall we say then?

God is on our Side.

*If God is for us, who can be against us?

No one. They can allude to it, but nothing can bring them against us.

*He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Since He has given us THE MOST important gift, it stands to reason that He will give us all the marvelous (although lesser) things mentioned in Scripture. Christ and the attending blessings are ours for the taking.

*Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?

No one! I have been justified through and by Christ—and He will not charge those whom He died to pardon.

*Who is He that condemns?

The only one capable of lasting, eternal condemnation is Christ.

*What can separate me from the love of Christ–who can do this?

Nothing:

Not:

• Tribulation
• Distress
• Persecution
• Famine
• Nakedness
• Peril
• Sword
• Death
• Life
• Angels
• Principalities
• Powers
• Things present
• Things to come
• Height
• Depth
• ANY created thing.

Praise the LORD, Who gives salvation to the weary, brokenhearted, contrite sinner, and lavishes His goodness upon them.

Praise the Lord!

New Patterns

(Picture from HERE)

I’m setting up my life for some new patterns…..

**New Prayer Patterns

**New knitting patterns

**New reading Pattern

**New school Patterns

**New workout patterns

Bear with me as I rearrange and click things into place. I’ll be back soon.

Dug Down Deep–Joshua Harris

Review is UP! Click here to read more!

ENJOY!

Sunday Morning

 

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
         

Because the LORD has anointed me
     

    To bring good news to the afflicted;
        

 He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

         To proclaim liberty to captives

         And freedom to prisoners; 
    

To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD

         And the day of vengeance of our God;

         To comfort all who mourn, 
    

To grant those who mourn in Zion,
         

Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
      

   The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
         

The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting

         So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
        

 The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:1-3

I’m going to miss this…..

I have a guest author here today–even though she didn’t sign up to be.

I love My Charming Kids blog. I love the spirit that Jennifer brings with her in all her posts, tweets, facebook  updates and newspaper articles. I love the joy she has for her life (and it hasn’t been easy up to this point! Click here to read Stellan’s story)…..And her latest post really struck something in my heart. Let me explain.

I really enjoy having the kids home 24/7 homeschooling. I do.

It’s just that some days, well, I envy those moms who “get” to drop their kids off at 8am and have a WHOLE DAY to themselves.

I cannot imagine. I cannot remember what that was like.

And I”m not a “go to lunch with my friends, go shopping, watch soap operas” kind of girl. I just can’t imagine having 8 hours to CLEAN HOUSE uninterrupted, or be able to keep the kitchen clean for longer than 30 minutes.  Or to be able to read a book cover to cover in ONE sitting. Or to be able to sit down, with a cup of coffee and a knitting pattern, and make more than a 3-row dent in it before needing to GET up and do something ELSE.

 OR OR OR. You get the picture.

And while I appreciate the fact that my husband works SO HARD to allow me to stay home with the kids, there are days when I’m jealous that he gets to leave and go “be important” and talk to grownups and not clean up dog pee or have to help answer (6x-7y)=(4x+17y) (that’s not a real math problem. Don’t try to solve it.)

But then I remember that my job IS IMPORTANT, and I am doing the work of the Lord here–raising up kids to honor, glorify and praise His Name–and to be witnesses to the world of His Love and Faithfulness.

So if that includes math and spelling and Bible studies and answering questions ad nauseum and barf and sickness and craziness and being in the car 50% of my day and dishes and laundry and reading and praying, well, then I consider myself lucky–and I want to savor every moment of this–because I’m going to miss it when it’s over.

So, with no further rambling ado, here’s Jennifer’s post:

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I’m gonna miss this

“How do you do it? How do you stay so calm with four young children?”

Part of it is just how God made me, I think. I am pretty calm with my children. And, honestly, often I stay calm even in the midst of chaos because, frankly, it’s better than the alternative. A shrieking, freaking out mama is not going to make an already stressful situation any better. So, for the most part, I stay calm and try to be in the moment with my children.

But how do I do it?

There is one little bit of inspiration that literally descended upon me almost two years ago, while I was holding Nuggey in the bathroom, that has completely revolutionized my parenting. When I keep this truth in mind, I find it as easy as apple pie to stay calm in the midst of toddler chaos.

I remember that I’m gonna miss this.

It was dark, during the end of bathtime, and Prince Charming was gone. I was doing dinner, baths and bedtime myself those days, as my husband worked late. It had been, undoubtedly, a long day with the kids. Big Mac was three, Nuggey was one and a half and Small Fry was a baby. It is as clear as day still, this memory.

I was sitting on the toilet, drying MckNugget off after his bath. Small Fry, unable to roll, was sprawled on the floor of the bathroom on some towels, wearing nothing but a diaper and a grimace. Big Mac was still in the tub. He was squawking to get out and Small Fry was bellyaching for attention. But I slowly wrapped Nuggey up in his towel, determined to stay calm, and cuddled him in terrycloth. I slowly rocked him back and forth in my arms and sang Rock-a-bye Baby to my second born.

As I wrapped up the song, I prepared to sit Nuggey up and attend to the chaos that was the other children. After all, there were baths to finish, teeth to brush, diapers to put on, jammies to find and beds to tuck children into. But as he sensed me about to right him, Nuggey tossed his wet head back in my arms and looked up at me. “Uh-gain!”

So I sang Rock-a-bye Baby one more time, but I told him it would be the last. Yet when I finished, he begged again for more.

I didn’t want to do more. I didn’t want to sing to him one more time. I was tired. Tired of children, tired of singing, tired of the day. I just wanted it to be over. But then suddenly, as if fairy dust was sprinkled from the heavens right onto my tired head, the entire reality of my future set in.

I’m gonna miss this.

I looked down at little Nuggey, his damp eyelashes long and dark batting at me, his tiny bottom cradled in my hand, his soft, chubby legs thrown over my arm, his body entirely dependent on mine as I held him in my lap, and I could see the future. Nuggey, a grown boy, sporting a football jersey and facial hair, walked out of the bathroom. It was going to happen, and soon. And while I knew there would be joys with that time in my life, when our young children are teenagers and beyond, it struck me like a ton of bricks.

When that time comes, I’m gonna miss this.

When Nuggey comes home from college, barely speaks a word to me and hibernates in his bedroom all summer, I’m gonna miss this. As my mind fast forwarded to the future, I knew that at that moment, I would give anything for 20 year old Nuggey to be a toddler again, just for one more hour, so I could rock him and sing while I stroked his wet head.

And here, years earlier, I was being given my wish. I was able to rock Nuggey, a nearly helpless babe in arms, one more time.

Given a new perspective from which to see, I sang Rock-a-bye Baby as many times as Nuggey would let me that night. Eventually Small Fry found her hands and started admiring them, and Big Mac grabbed a new tub toy. And I relished that time with my son in my arms, knowing that soon enough he would be all grown, and my arms would ache to hold him like a baby again.

I’m gonna miss this.

My mind cannot help but wander to those parents who have lost children. What on earth would they not give to hold their children again, even for a moment. I bet they would not complain about having to sing Rock-a-bye Baby one more time. Rather, they would probably give their right arm to sing it ten million times until their voice was hoarse and their eyelids closed in slumber.

And women with empty wombs who long and pray and ache for children? What honor am I doing them if I take for granted the fact that I have children, young children who are begging me to cuddle them, sing to them. I will love those women who long for a baby by loving my babies and not taking them for granted.

So, I determined right there and then in the bathroom to try to be ever thankful for the moments I do have with my children. I will not wish away their young years, always hoping to get more laundry done or other children dried off. I will relish each kiss, hug and song. I will leave their childhood behind with no regrets, no “I love you” unsaid, no cheek unkissed, no request to “Cuddle wif’ me!” turned down. Even as the macaroni flies and the Sharpie stains my table, even when there are midnight wailers and globs of Desitin under my fingernails, I know…

…I know I’m gonna miss this.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

‘People are screaming ‘Jesus, Jesus’ and running in all directions’ (headline)

Please call on the name of Jesus for these people in Haiti. Pray for peace, help, and security, especially for the children there. There are many many orphans in Haiti.

The Male Factor (Book Review)

Review is up! CLICK HERE!

Comment on that page to be entered to win your very own copy!

6 Questions

Questions to meditate on today…..

*What shall we say then?

*If God is for us, who can be against us?

*He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

*Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?

*Who is He that condemns?

*What can seperate me from the love of Chrst–who can do this?

**You can find these questions in Romans 8:31-39.

oh—The answers are there too!

Discussion soon….

Book Review–The One Day Way–Up for discussion and GIVEAWAY!

((STICKY until Friday January 8th!)) Scroll down to see any new posts…..

CLICK HERE to read the review and to comment–I’m giving away one copy of the book to a randomly selected reader on Friday Jan. 8!