Autumn, Pumpkins, and God's Creation

To me, autumn is the most picturesque, tranquil, most alluring time of year. Just witnessing the red, orange, and yellow leaves cascading down from a tree branch, and then landing onto a bed of their crunchy counterparts just makes my heart sing. What a creation! Whoever thinks that such a thing is a product of chance is beyond me.

Another thing I love about autumn is… drum roll please… PUMPKINS! No other woman gets more excited about pumpkins than THIS WOMAN! I’m telling you, I purchased a few small ones, orange and white, and even a bagful of mini ones, back in late September, very early October. I roasted pumpkin seeds, had a few McDonald’s pumpkin latte’s, made pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, made pumpkin cheesecake - twice! I’ve been eyeing a few pumpkin pie recipes, and even a pumpkin ice cream recipe. I’ve even been debating a pumpkin facial, but that’s probably just the wonders of marketers and advertisers at work in my mind.

I could also tell you about my squash obsession, but I won’t, *wink*! But, pumpkins do make me more excited.

I also purchased a book from Christian Books for the kids called The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs. What a wonderful book to highlight the glory of God’s creation during the fall season, and instead glorify Him and His Word, rather than following the way of the worldly-minded and their primary focus at this time of year: everything Halloween.

(That is for another post closer to the day. I’m just getting all my research done beforehand.)

I just wanted to share something our family did on Thanksgiving weekend, something I think we will keep as a family tradition for the coming years. We went to a pumpkin patch! It was actually a farmers market, a really big one. There were animals, hayrides, a corn maze, games, and of course, a huge field of pumpkins. Not just orange pumpkins, but pink ones, white ones, bumpy ones, tall ones, and just plain weird ones. All of us went and just had the greatest time.

I highly recommend a trip to the pumpkin patch for a family looking for innocent, wholesome fun. It is so easy to glorify, praise, and thank our Creator for just everything at such a place. And of course, it’s perfect for you if you have a love and appreciation for fall, and a slight pumpkin fancy. But seriously, seeing as how much fun all of us had, I felt I had to share it with all of my dear readers, so that they too may have their own pumpkin patch experience!

With Love in Christ

Diamonds Aren't Forever

If you live in the West, you are probably aware of what makes the world go round: money, money, money. Stuff, stuff, stuff, and more stuff. Everywhere you look, there’s money and STUFF. If someone has a lot of money, they might have a big house, maybe a nice car, perhaps a thing of jewelry or two, and possibly plenty of stamps on their passports. Also known as: stuff. If someone has not as much money, well, their list of possessions (or "things") might not be as extensive or as expensive. Of course, this is a broad generalization and I do not mean to sound stereotypical or judgmental!

It’s quite obvious that a lot of people in our Western culture are looking for the next “thing”, like the newest version of the iPhone, the highest-end TV, that cute lampshade at Homesense (even though the one at home is just fine). I’ll admit openly to everyone reading this that I have these inner urges! ... Especially the Homesense thing.

Why are we so compelled to go after the next “thing”?

Regardless of why, there is a bigger picture here. It doesn’t matter how many “things” we waste our money on. It doesn’t matter how many “things” we fill our houses (another “thing”) up with. It doesn’t matter how much these “things” cost. (Well, it kind of does matter, but this post isn’t about debt and why it’s against Scripture. And why it’s just plain smart not to be in any kind of debt at all. Anyhow, I’ll save that for another day.) After all is said and done, it really doesn’t matter if or when we end up having all these “things”. When we look past this life and turn our focal point to the end-all bottom line: no matter how much we spend, no matter how much we buy, no matter how much we have material wise, we can’t bring it with us where we’re going. These “things” just do not matter, plain and simple.

Why store up our treasures here? We know the earth is going to pass away (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33 - That’s written in three Gospels!). We know we are going to die. (The reason behind this can be found in the very beginning, in the book of Genesis.) We [should] know that storing up treasures on earth is foolish (1 Timothy 6:17-19). (A good example of what is written there can be found in Matthew 19 and Luke 18.)

Perhaps it is time, if you feel as if your focus is not where it should be, to persevere in the faith and shift the attitude of your heart. It’s time to think about our priorities, and think about the long term of things. Keeping our minds and hearts focused on God and living a life pleasing to Him will make everything fall into place (Colossians 3:2, Matthew 6:33, 2 Timothy 2:15). 

And one more thing! Something simple to say in our minds or even out loud, on the spot, when we have that urge to buy some useless or unneeded"thing". Just remember, diamonds really aren't forever - neither is that "thing" we're about to buy - we can't take these "things" with us where we're going!

Congregation Conundrum

I wrote everyone a small update yesterday, and included a little sneak-peak about what I was going to post today. The main part I’m referring to was the part where I said, “It’s about finding a church”. Now, what I really meant to say was congregation. All true believers of Jesus Christ are part of His body - the church - and we usually meet in a church building and henceforth become a congregation (Romans 12:5, Colossians 1:24). When we’re looking for a church, really, we’re looking for a congregation to meet with - and what a difficult feat it is.

Let me explain.

We are actively trying to become a member of a congregation, and finding one has been our one of our main priorities for a while. Our Sunday gatherings currently involve my husband and I (as well as another believer), meeting in our home. Unfortunately this brother in Christ can no longer meet with us at this time, so we are on the hunt for a group of true believers to meet with once a week. The purpose of such a meeting is to uplift, encourage, learn of the Word of God, pray, break bread, and worship the Lord. Of course, there are other reasons why Christians meet together besides the fact that it is commanded in Scripture to do so regularly (Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:25).

So far, the hunt has been disappointing and downright saddening. Out of all the congregations in and around the area, there are very few that adhere to the Word of God, as written in the Bible, by itself. Meaning, no manmade doctrines added. It’s astonishing how far some people are off the mark! I said in an earlier post, I think it was yesterday, about liberal Christians creating wiggle room with Scripture. It’s like this, in a nutshell: Satan says, in response to what God has said: “Did God really say?” And we say, “I guess He didn’t!” And go about things our own way, the way we think things should be done, based on our human opinion and our feelings. This really rings true when you read a few different statements of beliefs. That, or when you look at how Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit! (Genesis 3:1).

I do have to say it’s a good thing that the majority of these places have websites that include their statement of beliefs. Otherwise, there would be many Sunday morning trial and error church trips. (Aka, a lot of stress!)

Of course, the one foolproof way to find a congregation is to measure it up with the Bible, preferably the King James Version. If the pastor of your congregation teaches that it’s okay to live in unrepentant sin all week long, as long as you ask for forgiveness on Sundays, it does not measure up to the Word of God (Hebrews 10:26-31***, Luke 13:3, Revelation 3:19, etc., etc., etc.). If your pastor is a woman (1 Timothy 2:12, Titus 2:5) or condones and/or encourages homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9), your congregation ultimately does not measure up to the Word of God. Does your pastor say, “God is love, you do not need to obey these old writings. It’s all cultural,” or something along those lines, RUN AWAY! (John 14:15, John 15:10, 1 John 2:3, etc.) There are a lot of different scenarios I can write down here. Bottom line, plain and simple: measure absolutely everything against the Word of God! Nothing added or subtracted.

That being said, if you cannot find a church that teaches what is written in the Bible (and trust me, this seems to be extremely hard to find!) there is absolutely nothing wrong with meeting in your home, with your husband or wife, children, and/or other believers that are spot-on with what God has commanded. A lot of times, this is what people used to do back in the day, and what people still do today, such as some Mennonite groups and Amish groups, or any other Christian looking to get away from mainstream “popular” Christianity.

I feel that there is more to write about when it comes to the congregation conundrum - perhaps at a later time. Until then, I urge all my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to take a look at the congregation they’re in! Are you part of a group or movement that goes against what God has said? Are you being taught false doctrines? My prayers are with you all.

With love in Christ

Way Behind...

Hey Everyone!

Can you believe that I haven't updated Christian Missus since the 29th of July??? I can't!

Believe me when I say this: we have been busy, busy bees! Finally, now that things around here are calm again, I have the time and patience to come on here and write. I do apologize for not updating more often!

That being said, I'll just give a small update about what's been happening between the end of July and now. We are still strong in our faith, arguably stronger, as we have seen how richly the Lord has blessed us in every way possible. We see His fingerprint on our everyday lives. It's positively amazing.

Perseverance is something that my husband and I have come to know quite well, as living the Christian life according to the Bible can bring more raised eyebrows and trials more than, let's say, living as a liberal Christian who makes compromises and invents wiggle room with the Bible. As hard as some times may be, we are called to be separate from the world, and we've been doing just that. Not in a literal sense, as in, living in the middle of the woods, away from every living soul. Just carrying and presenting ourselves differently. Not participating in some of the worldly things that would not give God glory, or doing things that would not please God. And in this day and age, it's better to swing to the right than to the left when your a professing Christian. The bottom line is will I please God or please man?

Homeschooling is going very well with my little boy, even more so after this summer. My intention is not to brag or boast, but I have to say, he really has a strong, intelligent mind and genuinely likes to learn. We bought a cubby bookshelf and have half of it filled with school supplies, books, and the like. Everyday, a few times a day, we crack at those school books and get a good amount of learning time in. I've been honing in on his learning styles, and have been catering to them with a newfound pleasure. Why hasn't anyone told me that teaching your own children is so rewarding and just plain... GREAT?

Even my little girl hangs around while we're learning! That's a blessing in itself, just because she gets into everything the second my back is turned. The joys of homeschooling while a baby/toddler is crawling around. More on that in another post sometime soon. I have a few tips on how to keep little ones occupied and out of trouble during learning times with older kids!

In the meantime, I have another post in the works, and will probably get it up on here tomorrow. It's about finding a church. Really, if you're looking for solid, true to the word of God pastor who teaches alongside the Bible and nothing else, you can't just walk into any old church and expect to have anything other than false teachings spoon-fed to you! Anyhow, that's for tomorrow.

Again, please accept my apology and stick around for regular updates!

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 6:31-21, Philippians 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!

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?

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). 

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?