Sep. 25, 2007 - Is Your Mama Home?

One of my biggest crusades these days is to get women to think about HOME.  I don't get a lot of chances to get on the soapbox on this issue because there are so many who think they are required to volunteer outside the home in some way and if I even vaguely mention "my ministry at home" I instantly feel the tension in the coversation rise, so I usually drop it.  In a previous post, I wrote about how I am a recovering "woman in ministry."  Well, I've written a few posts on this topic if you're interested.:-) 

I pray that we all eventually arrive at the same conclusion that one of my favorite bloggers, at Chatty's Fence Post did in her latest post, Musings on Gluttony.
Here's an excerpt:
Hilda takes several hours out of her week to help others do what her family waits to see accomplished in their lives.  She helps others plan their school lessons while her children flounder in their own books because mom hasn't had the discipline or taken the time to actually ensure that their lessons are completed.  Or maybe she spends two hours a week teaching new moms how to train their children while her own run wild at home.  She may teach whole grain baking to eager crowds while her own family gets burgers from Mc Donalds.

Ever know anyone like that?????

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Aug. 6, 2007 - God's High Calling for Women

God’s High Calling for Women from Pulpit Magazine: http://sfpulpit.com Posted: 06 Aug 2007 02:01 AM CDT The following is adapted from the Grace Church elders’ distinctive on “The Role of Women.” Although women have traditionally fulfilled supportive roles in serving the church and gained their greatest joy and sense of accomplishment from being wives and mothers, the feminist movement has successfully influenced many women to abandon these divinely ordained roles. Unfortunately, this movement has made headway even in the church, creating chaos and confusion regarding the role of women both in ministry and in the home. Only in Scripture can God’s intended design for women be found. The Old Testament and Women In the creation account of Genesis 1, God’s first word on the subject of men and women is that they were equally created in the image of God (v. 27). Neither received more of the image of God than the other. So the Bible begins with the equality of the sexes. As persons, as spiritual beings standing before God, men and women are absolutely equal. In Genesis 2, there is a more detailed account of the creation of the two equal human beings that reveals differences in their God-given functions and responsibilities. God did not create the man and the woman at the same time, but rather He created Adam first and Eve later for the specific purpose of being Adam’s helper. Eve was equal to Adam, but she was given the role and duty of submitting to him. Although the word “helper” carries very positive connotations — even being used of God Himself as the helper of Israel (Deut. 33:7; Ps. 33:20) — it still describes someone in a relationship of service to another. The responsibility of wives to submit to their husbands, then, was part of the plan from creation, even before the curse. The first books of the Bible establish both the equality of men and women and also the support role of the wife (see Exod. 21:15, 17, 28–31; Num. 5:19–20, 29; 6:2; 30:1–16). Throughout the Old Testament, women were active in the religious life of Israel, but generally they were not leaders. Women like Deborah (Judges 4) were clearly the exception and not the rule. There was no woman with an ongoing prophetic ministry. No woman was a priest. No queen ever ruled Israel. No woman wrote an Old Testament (or New Testament) book. Isaiah 3:12 indicates that God allowed women to rule as part of His judgment on the sinning nation. Jesus and Women In the midst of the Greek, Roman, and Jewish cultures, which viewed women almost on the level of possessions, Jesus showed love and respect for women. Though Jewish rabbis did not teach women and the Jewish Talmud said it was better to burn the Torah than to teach it to a woman, Jesus never took the position that women, by their very nature, could not understand spiritual or theological truth. He not only included them in His audiences but also used illustrations and images that would be familiar to them (Matt. 13:33; 22:1–2; 24:41; Luke 15:8–10) and specifically applied His teaching to them (Matt. 10:34ff.). To the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), He revealed that He was the Messiah and discussed with her topics such as eternal life and the nature of true worship. He also taught Mary and, when admonished by Martha, pointed out the priority of learning spiritual truth even over “womanly” responsibilities like serving guests in one’s home (Luke 10:38). Although men in Jesus’ day normally would not allow women to count change into their hands for fear of physical contact, Jesus touched women to heal them and allowed women to touch Him (Luke 13:10ff.; Mark 5:25ff.). Jesus even allowed a small group of women to travel with Him and His disciples (Luke 8:1–3), an unprecedented happening at that time. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene and sent her to announce His resurrection to the disciples (John 20:1–18), despite the fact that women were not allowed to be witnesses in Jewish courts because they were considered liars. In Jesus’ treatment of women, He raised their station of life and He showed them compassion and respect in a way they had never known. This demonstrated their equality. At the same time, however, Jesus still did not exalt women to a place of leadership over men. The Epistles and Women In the Epistles, the two principles of equality and submission for women exist side by side. Galatians 3:28 points to the equality, indicating that the way of salvation is the same for both men and women and that they are members of equal standing in the body of Christ. It does not, however, eradicate all differences in responsibilities for men and women, for this passage does not cover every aspect of God’s design for male and female. In addition, there are many other passages that make distinctions between what God desires of men and what He desires of women, especially within family and within the church. The Family While Christian marriage is to involve mutual love and submission between two believers (Eph. 5:21), four passages in the New Testament expressly give to wives the responsibility to submit to their husbands (Eph. 5:22; Col. 3:18; Titus 2:5; 1 Pet. 3:1). This voluntary submission of one equal to another is an expression of love for God and a desire to follow His design as revealed in His Word. It is never pictured as demeaning or in any way diminishing the wife’s equality. Rather the husband is called to love his wife sacrificially as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25) and to serve as the leader in a relationship of two equals. While husbands and fathers have been given the primary responsibility for the leadership of their children (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; 1 Tim. 3:4–5), wives and mothers are urged to be “workers at home” (Titus 2:5), meaning managers of the household. Their home and their children are to be their priority, in contrast to the world’s emphasis today on careers and fulltime jobs for women outside the home. The Church From the very beginning, women fulfilled a vital role in the Christian church (Acts 1:12–14; 9:36–42; 16:13–15; 17:1–4, 10–12; 18:1–2, 18, 24–28; Rom. 16; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim. 1:5; 4:19), but not one of leadership. The apostles were all men; the chief missionary activity was done by men; the writing of the New Testament was the work of men; and leadership in the churches was entrusted to men. Although the Apostle Paul respected women and worked side by side with them for the furtherance of the gospel (Rom. 16; Phil. 4:3), he appointed no female elders or pastors. In his letters, he urged that men were to be the leaders in the church and that women were not to teach or exercise authority over men (1 Tim. 2:12). Therefore, although women are spiritual equals with men and the ministry of women is essential to the body of Christ, women are excluded from leadership over men in the church. Men and women stand as equals before God, both bearing the image of God Himself. However, without making one inferior to the other, God calls upon both men and women to fulfill the roles and responsibilities specifically designed for them, a pattern that can be seen even in the Godhead (1 Cor. 11:3). In fulfilling the divinely given roles taught in the New Testament, women are able to realize their full potential because they are following the plan of their own Creator and Designer. Only in obedience to Him and His design will women truly be able, in the fullest sense, to give glory to God.

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Aug. 3, 2007 - India Short on Women

It breaks my heart to think that anyone would not welcome ANY child to their home.  But I guess there are people in countries like China and India, that have turned their backs on God and follow the devil's ways.  Satan seeks to devour and destroy God's creation, especially people.  The orphanages in China are over-crowded with baby girls, and even worse, in my opinion, is India.  The women in India are persecuted if they do not deliver baby boys.  Abortion abounds as families are desperate for ONLY boys.  And now India is short on women which brings about men  (usually brothers) sharing a wife and s-x trafficking.  Go HERE to see a slide show about how India's families are being affected by this attack from Satan.

Can you imagine how broken down the Indian women are?  As a Mother who is currently carrying a baby girl due December 14th, I can't even IMAGINE showing up at a clinic to have her aborted.  The stress and pressure that these women must feel to take such drastic measures!  And then to not only do it once, but over and over again.  The death and destruction of their own children just HAS to affect them mentally and spiritually in such a huge way that we here in the U.S. can never imagine.  God bless them. 

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May. 5, 2007 - Women in Bible Study

My husband and three older kids are camping this weekend.  I sure do miss them.  It's too quiet around here, but Third Son is definitely keeping me busy.  :-)

I had the chance to catch-up with a friend that I haven't seen enough of in the last year.  Some friendships never fade, and for that, I am so grateful.  We had a great evening together.  At one point, she asked, "Do you ever feel as if you wish you could get involved in a Bible Study?"

I used to do a Woman's Bible Study regularly.  I thought I needed the time away from the kids.  I thought it made me a better mom.  I think what it really did was make me long for more and more time away from my family because I was getting to have "real" conversations with adults.  Isn't that the goal of every mother?  To have "real" conversations? 

Since I no longer attend Women's Bible Studies, God has been doing some teaching of His own.  He has turned my heart toward home like never before, and attending a Bible Study doesn't hold the draw for me that it once did.  God constantly challenges, HUMBLES and teaches me through my daily life with my husband and children in ways that I could never receive at a Women's Bible Study.

It has been hard.  There are times when I do feel like an island.  I don't really know many others that think as I do.  I guess they're all at home with their husbands and children, which is why we never meet.  ;-)  I have been so thankful for the blogging community!  I have come across a few blogs that really encourage me in this area.

Well, this first one isn't really a blog, but a great article on Women in Ministry.  I am a recovering "woman in ministry."

JacqueDixonSoulRestES

Christine Miller

Maxwell Family Blog

Susan

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Dec. 31, 2006 - Just for Little Ol' Me

There are days around here when I have to remind myself that I asked - okay, BEGGED God to give me the opportunity to be a stay-at-home-mom.  I really harassed God about it, too. 

So when I go into a Christian bookstore and see a book that lists page after page of ideas for things for me to do that will give me some "ME time" I just get worked up.  Or listening to Christian radio the other day and being sweetly reminded by one of the speakers to "make time for just YOU."  Ugh.  I can't stand it! 

For one thing, I am a fallen, sinful woman.  It is easy for me to focus on myself.  It is easy to find hobbies with which to occupy myself.  Even if I didn't have enough imagination to come up with a hobby to fill my time with, I'm sure I could find something on t.v. to watch.  The last thing I need is for someone to give me ideas about how I can take the focus off what I'm supposed to be doing.  (Man, do I sound like a huge grouch, or what???)

Well, grouch or not, what I NEED as a Mom is encouragement to make my husband, kids and home the focus of my life!  I already struggle with wanting to get to my knitting or scrapbooking when I have a million other things to do without hearing the modern-day mantra, "Make time for just YOU."  God never tells us Moms to make time for our hobbies.  Not when we have responsibilities to take care of that He has given us!  The Proverbs 31 woman was not praised for her skill in cross stich or decoupage.  The Titus 2 woman is encouraged to be "busy at home...so that no one will malign the word of God (5).  I love what the notes in my Bible say about this passage....

"This is the purpose of godly conduct - to eliminate any reproach on Scripture.  For a person to be convinced God can save from sin, one needs to see someone who lives a holy life.  When Christians claim to believe God's Word but do not obey it, the Word is dishonored.  Many have mocked God and His truth because of the sinful behavior of those who claim to be Christians."

When we Christians sound just like the world in regard to the role of motherhood - that it's something that we need to get away from, even for a short while - we aren't convincing any non-Christian to revere God's word when it says,

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.  Happy is the man who has a quiver full of them."  Psalm 127:3-5

And we certainly aren't making it any easier for the daughters and sons we are raising to revere parenthood when we complain in front of them to other adults that "the kids are driving me crazy" or "I just need some time away!"  Like Paul wrote in Philippians, we are given a task to do by God, and we can't spend our time wondering what else we can do besides that task. Paul wrote in 3:13-14, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." 

Paul is specifically talking about becoming holy with this passage, but I think it can be applied here since we can never become more holy by making outside interests more important than the job He has given us to do while we're here.  I have to constantly pray and ask God to give me His vision for my role here at home as a wife and mother.  I can't keep the focus without Him, and I certainly couldn't be happy in my role without His encouragement.

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Dec. 20, 2006 - Boring Women

I bought a refrigerator magnet when I was in college that said, "Boring Women Have Immaculate Homes."  I was VERY proud of that magnet for many years and thought it was very funny.

I don't think it's a cute magnet anymore and this week I finally threw it away.  What exactly is so boring about a woman who wants to do all she can to care for her family by providing a clean place for them to live?  True, I don't spend as much time as I would like visiting with friends, volunteering outside the home, and my life as a hobbyist-anything is practically non-existent.  Does that mean I'm boring?  If it does, then too bad.  ;-) 

Back when I was a new mom, oh so many years ago, I remember hearing James Dobson say, "If you're bored as a mother, then you're not doing it right."  Eeeek!  I have never been able to forget that, so anytime I start to feel the "I'm bored" attitude creep in, I have to check myself!  After all, am I doing the mommy-thang for ME or for my husband and kids?  If I'm bored with my duties, then there's a problem with me, not the daily duties that I have. 

A little further on that train of thought......same thing applies to my attitude towards the kids.  If I'm at the end of my rope and just "can't go on" because the kids have pushed every button I have, is it really the kid's problem, or my own?  Here's how I've come to view it:

1) I'm the adult.  I should have things under control enough to realize that in training my children that not every day will be smooth sailing, and I just MIGHT have to revisit the same issues a few times.  HA!  It's all part of the discipling/training process.

2) If I'm throwing a fit because the kids are throwing fits and misbehaving all day, then maybe the kids are learning their behavioral habits from me.  If I have a bad attitude towards the kids, then it's MY problem, not the kids.  If I can remember that, then all is well, because then I am constantly on my knees to God about my kids and about myself, and I can usually handle most of what comes my way in a calm, cool, and collected manner.  It makes all the difference!

My home is not immaculate, but I'm not ashamed to say that I strive for that worthy goal!  As mothers and wives, it is a privilege to care for our husbands and children and let them know even in mundane ways such as cleaning a toilet that they are important, worthwhile investments of my time.  I pray and beg God that one day my children and husband will arise and call me blessed (Proverbs 31:27-28)!  They will never do that if I spend my time in self-serving pursuits.

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