Monday, July 29, 2013

The Lord Provides


The Lord supplies our every need. Hence, we do not need to worry about anything, because He is always providing our needs. (Matthew 6:31-21Philippians 4:19)

Something happened to us today that really, truly, brought this fact to light.

My kids and I went out for a little walk this morning. It was a beautiful sunny day when we left home, not even a cloud in the sky, as my little boy pointed out to me. He loves the outdoors, as does my daughter, who sits so quietly and happily in her stroller as I push her along.

We ended going a little distance and went shopping. We took our time, had a bite to eat, and relaxed at a coffee shop for a bit. My two darlings have the greatest relationship, even at their very young ages, always laughing and communicating with each other. So sitting down for a while was not an issue and proved to be quite relaxing and kinda fun for all of us.

When we were about to leave the shopping place, it was pouring rain. But we had to get going because it was time for my two little ones to have a nap, so I thought that if we walked really fast, we wouldn’t get that wet. When we left the building, the rain had slowed to a slight drizzle: nothing that would soak us.

So I continued across the parking lot, eager to get home, praying that the rain would not come down on us half-way home, seeing as none of us had a raincoat. That, and we were dressed for a summer day! Just as we were about exit the parking lot, a lady pulled up beside us in a mini-van. Curious, I looked over at her with a tentative smile.

“Do you need a ride?” She asked.

I stopped dead in my tracks, a little stunned. Never has a stranger offered me a ride.

“Well, we are only going down the street from here, about a five minute drive,” I replied, something along those lines. As I spoke to her, I was a bit hesitant. You need to be careful with who you trust these days.

“Well come on in! I’ll let you handle the logistics,” she said.

I decided to go for it (once I assessed the lady and her caravan) and determined it all safe. After thanking her profusely over and over again, we all piled into her van, and she drove us home safely. And of course, once we were home, we all thanked her again… and again. I offered her money, to which she responded, “I would not take that! I’m happy to know that you are all home safe, without pneumonia.”

There are a few bottom lines to this story.

One: there are still decent, generous, friendly, willing-to-help people left in this world. Thank the Lord for that!

Two: the Lord provides for us. I had not expected in a hundred years for someone to pull over and offer us a ride out of the goodness of their heart. I definitely was in need of a ride! With my son complaining of sore feet and the little rain drops on his face…

PS, About 10 minutes after walking in the door, the rain started to pour again.

God Bless!

Friday, July 26, 2013

What Would You Do For God? (Version for Women)



Would you stop swearing? Stop drinking excessively or altogether? Stop watching junk on TV? Stop listening to garbage music? Read the Bible everyday? Would you glorify God in all that you do?

Would you wear a head covering? Change your worldly wardrobe, and dress modestly? Embrace a chaste, discreet, loving demeanor? Accept and incorporate into your life God’s design for a woman, despite what western culture says about it? 

Would you submit to your husband? Change your daily duties from a full-time, high-paying career and work in your home instead? Be subjected to only your husband? Live joyously, separate from the world, and not look back?

Would you let your husband take the lead, and lovingly, willingly, gracefully follow him? Would you obey him, as long as his ways were not against Scripture? (It takes a real Godly woman to do so!)

Would you raise your children up in the Lord? Teach them about the Bible? Warn them against the wiles of Satan? Lift them up, encourage them, teach them, love them, mother them, discipline them, and show them the ways of the Lord?

Would you limit or completely cut the time you spend with old, secular, non-believer friends? Would you evangelize to them? Pray for them? Share the Gospel? Would you make Christian friends for you and your children?

Would you pray unceasingly? Constantly ask for the Lord’s guidance and help? Refer to His Word daily? Make daily changes in your life in order to strive for God’s standard? Meet and have fellowship with other Christians regularly? Spend some of your time doing the work of the Lord?

If you came across something you didn’t like, and didn’t want to obey in Scripture, what would you do? Do you make excuses as to why these “things” don’t need to be obeyed? Do you find a preacher that teaches the things you like to hear?

How far would you go for God? What would you do for Him? Would you obey Him, or not?

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Complete Self-Control (In Reference to Anger)


Everyone has their grouchy days. It just so happens that yesterday morning, I had a particularly grouchy one. When these nasty grouchy days arise, I can’t be told anything, especially if it’s something I don’t like. Most of the time, it has to do with correction. Despite my best efforts to be calm, cool, and collected, I sometimes lose it... like yesterday morning.

Needless to say, after I had my spat/venting session, I felt embarrassed and instantly regretted how far I had gone. Not only about the volume and tone of my voice, but about the things I said and how quick I was to anger. Of course, my husband forgives my hot-tempered moments quickly, but that that doesn’t change the fact that I still need to find it within myself to gain complete self-control - no matter what kind of mood I might be in.

The Bible refers to self-control in many different ways, but the bottom line is, everyone has to have it (2 Timothy 1:7, Titus 1:8), and it’s also one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Again, like many fruitful qualities to “acquire”, it does not happen overnight, it cannot be obtained by trying to be self-controlled on your own, and as always, prayer and constant reading of The Word are a must.

In heated moments, I try to take a few breaths, relax, remove myself from the situation altogether. I try to think that I am not of the world anymore, that I am a child of God. Children of God do not lose their composure, are loving and self-controlled (Titus 2:11-14). And as a woman, I work towards and want to be like the woman described in Proverbs 31. But still, we are all in a fallen state and all fall short of the glory of God (this, however, is not a ploy to set us up for further failures). Because of this reason and other reasons combined, I (and others like me) still sometimes lose that composure and self-control.

The point I’m trying to make here is that complete self-control is a spiritual trait/fruit that all Christians must possess. As difficult as it may be for some to obtain (like me, for example), it’s something that absolutely needs to be worked at. Self-control in itself is, especially for those striving for God’s standard, freeing and fruitful. Nothing good can happen in a situation where someone has no self-control (Proverbs 25:28). 

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Loving In All Circumstances


I love lots of people. I love the people close to me like my husband, my children, my family and friends. Then I love other people, like the stranger who walks past me on the street, condescendingly eyeing my head covering, the lady who cuts in front of me in line at the grocery store, the old man in the car in front of me going 20 clicks when the speed limit clearly states 60.

Yes, I do have difficulty loving some people. I would be lying if I said I didn’t!

That genuine, sincere love in my heart is not there for some as it is for others. It’s a work in constant progress, and I’m a thousand times better at loving people compared to a few years (even a few months) ago - glory be to God! “One does not simply” (I thought of that Boromir meme when I wrote that!) wake up one morning, and decide to love their neighbor as themselves. We can’t do it on our own. It’s impossible. It is a heart change that happens over time, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

If or when someone wrongs or disrespects you, how do you react? Out of anger? Out of hate? Out of means to hurt or disrespect? Out of impulse or misjudgment? Hopefully none of these things, if you are actively striving for God’s standard! Your actions should be out of love, as to clearly demonstrate and outwardly display what is right according to God (Romans 12:9-21). Even if you are wronged by someone who hates you - you should love them. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Do good to them, and pray for them (Luke 6:27-36).

The Gospel is clear: turn away from your sin, accept and believe Jesus Christ, get baptized, live a life in obedience to God. One of the major and most basic “rules” that are required to be a Christian is: to love. Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8-10). Things done out of love, in love, with love (that is, the love as defined in the Bible, John 13:34) is the only way!

If we can remember one of the most important things in Christianity, “to love”, even when it’s difficult or seemingly impossible to, the rest easily falls into place. If we consistently pray for our hearts to be changed, to love in all circumstances and not just when it’s convenient or easy for us, how gloriously could we live out our Christian lives?

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

God is Good


Today is a joyous day for our family! But really, let’s be honest here, everyday is joyous for our family, all because we know the Lord and see how good He is. We see the work that He has done in our lives. 

But today we are particularly joyous.

God’s plan for all of us is better than any plan than we may have ever had ourselves. (Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 20:24.) This was clearly evident to us over this last month, during which time our family underwent quite a bit of both family and work related stresses.

Thank the good Lord that He has alleviated these stresses!

I’m not going to go into much detail, but I will say that over time, every single piece of an intricate puzzle fell perfectly into place. The intricate puzzle, with tons of detail and different precision cuts, being the answer to our prayers.

At first we thought that certain things were not in the Lord’s Will. But after each piece started to fall in place, we came to the realization that yes: these certain things were in the Lord’s Will. It was the timing of these things that we were trying to take a hold of ourselves, with our own will.

So after much stress, prayer, trust in the Lord, patience, and hope, our prayers were answered. Answered like a slow release pill. And with that, another journey begins.

Forgive my vagueness; I do not want to go into any personal details on here. I just wanted to make this one very important thing known…

a God is good  a
(1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 100:5 - and lots of other Psalms) 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Flexing My Designer Skills!

(Or lack thereof)...

Lately I have been working on the aesthetics of my blog. You may or may not have noticed. I'd like to point out that I don't have a whole lot of graphic design or HTML coding background. Though I am working on building that knowledge base everyday. And, with all the new things I'm learning, well - I use my blog as my guinea pig.

At a point in the near future, I would like to share my learning spots (which are a wide array of other blogs, books, and places) so that if you would like to delve into the graphic design/HTML code bag of tricks, it's readily available to you... on Christian Missus!

So! With my newfound knowledge, I'm tweaking things here and there, and will continue to tweak until I have my artistic vision in place.

So please, bear with all the changes that are happening here. That, and my newbie graphic design skills. I'm getting there! Sort of.

Thank you, dear friends!

Sunday, July 7, 2013

The Beginner's Bible Review


When tackling Bible teaching, I don’t always use the family Bible as my sole teaching resource. After a few attempts of using the Bible alone for Bible class, I found that I needed the entire learning experience to be more fun, interactive, and easier for my tot. I tried a few different things, but my favourite external resource is a line of kids Bible books called “The Beginner’s Bible”.

I should thank my mother-in-law again for giving my son a book from her church called, “David and Goliath” which introduced me to The Beginner’s Bible series. This was my son’s first Bible-oriented book, and he loved it! Even to this day, almost two years later, he still wants us to read it to him.
           
Since then, I’ve purchased (and made lots of use out of) the Beginner’s Bible Kid-sized Devotions, Toddler Bible, The Very First Easter, The Very First Christmas, and the iPad App. After visiting their website, I found that there are lots of different products to choose from, and other free resources on there, like printable colouring and activity pages. Bonus! 
           
David and Goliath”, though not as in-depth as the version written in the Bible, is basic, easy to understand, simply illustrated, and age-appropriate for toddlers.
           
The Beginner’s Bible for Toddlers” is an amazing introduction to the Bible for small children. My son has heard it over and over again, and wants to hear it still - and we’ve had it for over a year! Although it may not have all the stories that some parents may want in an introduction story Bible, I feel it is beyond sufficient. And I think you can choose the difference between getting cardboard pages or paper pages. I chose the block pages and the book is in still great condition for my next baby.
           
Kid-Sized Devotionals” is a cute little book with 384 pages, filled with thought provoking messages and scripture to read out loud. The book has lots of pictures to keep kids interested, and is enjoyable to open and get into each day. In my house, we try to make devotion time right before bed, as a part of bedtime routine.
           
The Very First Easter” proves to be an outstanding selection for, in my opinion, toddlers, early readers, and children younger than ten years of age - perhaps even older. It demonstrates the true meaning and underlying message of Easter with ease and clarity, all the while providing the Bible references, should the parent/reader feel they needed to expand on a subject. In fact, Bible references are quoted everywhere throughout the Beginner’s Bible series, so that helps a lot.
           
The Very First Christmas” is also a great selection for early readers and toddlers. It is a great tool for teaching the birth of Christ simply and effectively. And the book itself is cheap! From Christian Book this book, and The Very First Easter, are $1.50 each. With that kind of price they prove to be fantastic little gifts and/or handouts.
           
Last and definitely not least, “The Beginner’s Bible App for iPad” is impressive, and well worth the money! You get the first few chapters in Genesis for free, but after that you need to pay. Check out the App store for prices, as I can’t remember the total cost, but I do know it wasn’t expensive. The app is very interactive and kid-friendly, and includes animations, puzzles, games, and coloring pages throughout. You can choose to have the app read out loud, or you can mute it and read yourself. My munchkin adores this App! He always asks to learn about Jesus. I highly recommend it to all.

Overall Review

- Illustrations are simple, catchy, and fun. The characters are illustrated the same throughout all the books, making it easier to remember who’s who.
- Perfect beginners Bible learning tool for the early childhood years.
- Some stories may be vague.
- Highly recommended for homeschoolers or parents who are teaching Biblical things at home.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Setting Out to Accomplish


Category 1: The Natural Worker Bee
These women are natural worker bees who wake up early, get the day going with ease, and just work, work, work, all day long, until the second they go to bed. Either with or without caffeine, they just work and get their jobs done. They seem to have no need for pre-planning or scheduling; they already know everything that is about to happen, and work accordingly.

Category 2: The Non-Natural Worker Bee
These women are just not natural worker bees. It’s hard to get going in the morning, and hard to keep going during the day. Sometimes, if not all the time, they need caffeine and some motivation and/or incentive, pre-planning, and even strict scheduling. It’s hard to stay focused and hard to get things accomplished. Extra prayer on this matter may also be required.



I admit that I am in Category number 2. I am fully aware that I need to take extra steps each day to make myself into more like Category number 1. How I pray and pray that I be more like a natural worker bee.

I find myself a little out of focus and in the habit of procrastinating. Ugh! I’m the kind of person who thinks, “What a beautiful day out today; I wonder what Heaven will be like; what’s going to happen tomorrow; what’s for dinner next week…” When I catch myself in those dreamy thoughts, I say to myself, “Focus!”

So, I’m going to share some of the ways that I try to make myself into an efficient worker woman, how I force my mind to “set out to accomplish” first thing in the morning, and not laze around in bed fighting the urge to stay in my PJ’s. If you categorize yourself as Category number 2 as well, you might want to try what I try at home, maybe you’ll find that my strategies work for you too!


The Schedule
Scheduling what needs to be done in a day, I find, is a fantastic way to lay everything out on the table. Some people make a schedule fit into a monthly format, whereas I make mine to fit into a daily format. What I mean by this is I make my schedule to fit into a “what needs to be done per day” list.

I start it off with “Monday”, or whatever day it is, and make a list of things that are going to happen, going from the most basic things like, “Wake Up, Get Dressed, Personal Hygiene” to more specific things like, “Review Shapes and Patterns, Marinate Chicken, Windex Windows”. I do sometimes find myself making a big list, with basic things, homemaking things, and homeschooling things. Or I make separate lists for each.

Depending on how energetic I feel, I’ll either make a few daily schedules at once, or I’ll make it the night before, or on the morning of. I like to use Microsoft Word to draft them, that way I can save them and re-use the existing format. But I’ve heard of ladies using dry-erase boards or chalkboards to draw up their schedules. Whatever works best for you!



The Journal
I keep a daily journal, and a prayer journal (or list). I don’t use my computer for either of these things - I use my computer enough, without having to add journal entries and such.

I love stationary. Things like cute notebooks, fancy pens, stickers and colorful paperclips. And so having a handwritten journal and prayer list feels more personal and almost in-depth when I use my pretty books and pens. It sounds a bit dorky, but it’s true.

I take the time to write out what I accomplished, what I could have done better, what I did great, where I slacked off, my feelings and thoughts, what could have happened, etc. I find it keeps my mind on track for the next day, and my thoughts in order.



The Hop
I don’t wake up to an alarm clock, at least not an electric one that sits on my nightstand. My kids are my alarm clock. The second I hear one of their voices, I hop out of bed, and get into my daily routine. The schedule I draw out helps me keep my daily tasks in check, because it’s all too easy for me to say, “Nah, I don’t need to do this today”. Like working out, for example!

When I see my kiddos first thing in the morning, I have a visual reminder of one of the reasons why I stay at home. Besides the fact that the Bible says I should work at home, seeing my darlings puts extra meaning into why I do what I do.

Why should I waste their childhood by sitting around and letting the day go by without accomplishing anything useful? Why turn the TV on for them when I could be spending my time with them? I’m here to teach them, to raise them up, to demonstrate to them how a Christian home works, to school them, to give their lives a Christian foundation. If I am not motivated enough to get things done around my home, how will they ever find it within themselves to be motivated later in their lives? With all these things in mind, I put my inhibitions aside and hop to it.



So, as much as I may not be a natural worker bee, I try my hardest to be a worker bee in general. I work towards being that busy woman, getting all these different things done with ease.

Outside of these three things I utilize to help me almost on a daily basis, I ask God to help me. I pray a lot about my natural tendencies, that they may be influenced and made to mirror the Proverbs 31 woman. That I may be all that God has made me to be, according to His Will. That I may set out to accomplish what needs to be accomplished in a day, and even more still. 

Distractions? Take them Away!


Stay-at-home Mommy’s have a hard job to do, but no matter what our hectic days bring, our job is the most rewarding of all jobs. One of the issues I have as a homeschooler/homemaker is getting distracted.

Ah, yes. When a quiet or lazy moment occurs, in come the distractions. And my biggest distraction is the Internet.

As a newbie blogger and Twitterer, passionate creative writer and Pinterest junkie, my laptop seems to always call my name. If and when there’s a free moment, I will sneak a peek at my email, or continue drafting a blog post, or pin a few harmless pins. I make it a point to only open my trusty MacBook screen when my kids are napping, playing, or are consumed in another activity where they don’t need my undivided attention. Better not to open the screen at all when there are other things to do. Otherwise, I’d have ten posts per day on this blog. Perhaps even a novel or two written already! *wink!*

If you feel as if you have a particular hobby, or other “thing” that keeps you away from doing your Mommy jobs, keep them away. Or at least, limit them. The majority of our time should not be taken up by distractions, but by honing in on priorities and keeping focus on the tasks at hand.

Our job is very important! We are raising our kids and running our homes, a task that should not be brushed off, put aside or taken lightly. This is especially true in a Christian household, where our duty is not only to manifest the Biblical womanly role to the best of our abilities (in order to substantiate the proper biblical roles to our children, who will grow up to embody this doctrine), but to also live a life not striving for the worldly standard but for God’s.

Distraction is Satan’s middle name. Well, not really. But it could be!

The bottom line here is to limit or completely abolish the distractions that take you away from your job. My laptop time is scheduled for when the kids are taking a nap, or are in bed for the night. And, with that schedule put in place, my daily tasks and overall objectives for the day are fulfilled. 

Monday, July 1, 2013

Division


Picture this: a group of people who you consider to be close to you, perhaps some good friends. One of your good friends is akin to “the leader of the pack”, the one who seems to be on top of the food chain. The one no one else wants to mess with, lest this person gets angry or upset.

Messing with, meaning: disagreeing with, saying something the wrong way. Anything that can rub this person the wrong way, no matter how insignificant this thing may be.

You are not a Christian yet. You are living like the heathen, living and conversing with these people.

As a whole, besides the dysfunctional system they all have going with the leader of the pack, your group of close friends do not really get along. On the outside they may appear as if they do, but taking a closer look at them, you see they are friends because they feel that they have to be. 

They’re either fighting about something, or not voicing their disagreements or their true opinions. This in turns sums them all up as living a fake happiness. None of them are willing to stir the pot by saying what’s on their mind. Their heads are all wrapped around meaningless worldly pursuits. They try to fill the emptiness inside them with unsatisfying fillers, never truly feeling whole.

Over time, the leader of the pack has lead them all down a road of lies and fallacies, and has on many occasions shown her true deceitful colours. Somehow she still has them all believing a sort of “master deception”. Knowing of her deceitfulness, her constant lies and embellishments, they foolishly continue follow her and bow at her feet. They do absolutely nothing to change how things are going.

You play along with this for a bit, fully aware that there is something wrong, that following this faulty system is to your peril. But you yourself do not want to get the leader upset.

After some time, you then become a Bible-believing Christian, ready to give up your way of life, and live to please God and not man. 

Your friends do not like this. Not a single one.

The leader of the pack laughs and pokes fun at you, mocks you and belittles your beliefs. She tries to coax you into sin, to leave the faith, to entice you to come back to your old way of living. After many tries, the leader gets sick of trying to get you back. Now, she also hates your way of life.

Amazingly, this entire group of Godless people, having never really agreed on anything wholeheartedly, finally found harmony and agreed on one thing: hating Christianity. Hating you. Hating Christ.

At that moment, you think: Christ really did come to divide.

Matthew 10:34-36
Luke 12:51

Tee-hee!

How do you make a Goldfish old?


...


Take away the G :)