“Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). A daily time in God’s Word was my lifeline while our children were young. I know that even fifteen minutes of Bible reading and prayer can be incredibly challenging when the house is brimming with energetic children and sweet babies that interrupt normal nighttime sleep schedules. But it is worth fighting for! Mothering is a demanding […]
Read More →Archive for June, 2011
Trying to Cover Sin
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov 28:13, ESV). It’s easy to cover over a sin (at least if it’s our sin and not someone else’s). We naturally want to cover sin instead of acknowledging it and repenting of it. Read what Matthew Henry says about this proverb: Here is, 1. The folly of indulging sin, of palliating and […]
Read More →Choosing to Love
“Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him […]
Read More →Ever Feel Like a Referee?
One day, many years ago, I woke up to the fact that I was encouraging my children to gossip. You might recognize the symptoms: “Maaah-meee! Ruthie’s not sharing!” “Maaah-mee! Benny just poked me!” “Maaah-mee! Suzy’s making faces at me!” One child would become annoyed with another child. Instead of exercising patience and overlooking small offenses or calmly talking to the person who might be seriously provoking him, he was hurrying […]
Read More →Thanks, Daddy!
“…The glory of children are their fathers” (Proverbs 17:6). Daddy was not a man to draw a lot of attention to himself. We had to work to even get him to tell us stories about his life, and most of those stories revolved around his family and friends, not himself. His focus was usually on others. What could he learn about this person he was talking to? What could he […]
Read More →God Blesses Obedience
“And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep” (Deuteronomy […]
Read More →More on Sundays!
I hope at least a few of you had a better Sunday morning this past week! Our family actually got to church early last Sunday! My heart was much better prepared for worship. This Sunday is a real challenge! Besides being ready for church, we also are getting ready for our church’s annual family camp. Sunday evening we head to the beach for a week of teaching, fellowship, and fun. […]
Read More →Time for a Treasure Hunt!
The Hidden Art of Homemaking, by Edith Schaeffer, is a book that profoundly influenced my thinking and actions while our children were young. I love Mrs. Schaeffer’s infectious creativity, and the joy she took in making the lives of others more beautiful. One of Mrs. Schaeffer’s ideas that I grabbed hold of was the “Treasure Hunt Meal.” We had so much fun with these meals! I can hardly wait until […]
Read More →Preparing for a Day of Rest, Part 5: Saturday and Sunday!
It’s Saturday! You probably have a busy day ahead of you. Tackle as many of your Saturday tasks as you can early in the day. Some tasks need to be done at the end of the day, so it’s nice to get the other ones done early and out of the way. Remember, tomorrow morning is going to be a lot easier because of what you have been doing all […]
Read More →Preparing for a Day of Rest, Part 4
It’s Friday! What’s on your list today? Here are some ideas to consider: Pack your Sunday diaper bag. Include diapers, clean clothes, wipes, and snacks. If you can manage it, a special diaper bag that is only for Sunday is really nice to have. You can stock it ahead, and know that everything is still in it. It can be prepared ahead, put in the closet near the door, and […]
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