I can identify with Martha. How about you? Take a minute to read this short account of Martha and her sister from Luke 10:38-42. Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him […]
Read More →Author: Pam
He Delights in Us — Now
Motherhood’s a challenge. How many mothers can say when they finally fall into bed, that they’ve made it through the day without sinning? Our patience wears thin with those who keep needing us. We snap at someone who has asked the same question too many times . We feel sorry for ourselves when no one seems to notice what we do, or when they undo what we did. We look […]
Read More →More on Whining and Complaining
“Do all things without murmurings and disputings.” (Philippians 2:14) We’ve talked about us complaining. We’ve talked about our children complaining. Let’s talk about what we and our children are going to put on if we’re going to put off complaining. Here’s a short lesson to do with your children. Read Philippians 2:14 together. Discuss what murmurings and disputings are. Give some examples from your own life. In what ways are you tempted to murmur and dispute? Write a word to describe each […]
Read More →Courtship, Part 5: What If They Don’t Want Courtship?
What do you do if you see the wisdom of courtship, but your children don’t? In earlier posts, we’ve talked about some reasons for considering courtship and some of the potential pitfalls of courtship. We’ve also talked about how we can start to prepare our children while they are young for trusting us in this area when they reach their teen years. Today let’s talk about what to do when they think courtship is […]
Read More →What to Do with a Whiner
Children tend to whine and complain. (Ever notice that? 😉 ) Since we have been commanded to “do all things without murmuring or complaining”, we need to help our children overcome this sin. One place we can look for ideas on how to deal with a whiner is in the Old Testament. The Israelites seemed to specialize in grumbling! What can we learn from observing God’s dealings with His whining […]
Read More →What Am I Doing When I Complain?
“Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.” (Exodus 16:8, ESV) I have to confess. I complain. People aren’t perfect, and for some silly reason I often seem to think they should be. The circumstances of my life aren’t perfect either. They’re tainted by the effects of sin in the world. But still I find myself thinking that my life should be peaceful and challenge-free. When people and […]
Read More →My Not-So-Quiet Time
Is it hard for you to find a few minutes in the day to nourish yourself in God’s Word? If you have young children, you probably can’t even hide in the bathroom to read a few verses, because who says you get to go to the bathroom by yourself when you have little ones? Getting up earlier than everyone else never seems to work out all that well either. Somehow […]
Read More →Just a Glimpse
Have you ever had this happen? You’re singing a song — a song you’ve sung for years — and all at once a phrase stands out to you in a whole new way? That happened to me during our daughter’s wedding. We were singing Amazing Grace. How many hundreds of times have I sung the rich lyrics of that hymn in my sixty years of basking in God’s amazing grace? During […]
Read More →God Is Faithful
My oldest child turned thirty on Sunday. Wow. I found this letter in his baby book. I wrote it over thirty years ago, while we were waiting for him to arrive, before we knew if he was Daniel or Katie Beth. Reading through the letter, I was once again amazed at God’s faithfulness and grace. He has answered these prayers. His hand has been on my son, sustaining his life, […]
Read More →It’s True.
Everybody says it. Not very many of us believe it while we’re actually in the trenches. But it’s true. The years go by way too fast! Make the years, the days, the minutes count. You can’t go back and do it again. (Photography by Sweet Life Photography, Portland, Oregon) More pictures to come! 🙂
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