From Cindy Rushton's Desk(TOP!)!

A Special Gift for You!

Let Go of the Deadly D: Depression!

While You Have the Time, Take the Time by Crystal Paine

Teatime Thoughts...Dessert for the Soul

Ready for a BIG Treat? Truly Worship God with Elisabeth Rushton

Strength by Elisabeth Rushton

Fun and Easy Ideas for Making Your Quiet Times Great!

Fun and Easy Ideas for Making
Your Quiet Times Great!
with Cindy Rushton



Ready for another podcast to add to your I-pod??? Needing a bit of Mom-to-Mom encouragement? This is one that I pray will inspire you and fire you up!

In this podcast, Cindy Rushton will share some tips to help make your Quiet Times fresh and spiced up. If you are needing some fresh ideas for ministering to God’s heart, this show is a MUST!

While You Have the Time, Take the Time by Crystal Paine

A Handmaiden of the Lord by Crystal Paine

A Handmaiden of the Lord

by Crystal Paine

“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Biblical account of Mary. The Bible does not tell us a lot about her, but from her simple declaration, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord,” we can learn volumes.

I’m sure you know the account quite well. In Luke 1, Mary had just been visited by an angel and told that she was to be the mother of Jesus. Although this was incredible news, it also spelled public shame and rejection for her. As a virgin girl espoused to marry the carpenter Joseph, who would believe that the Holy Ghost had visited her and caused her to be with child? Does that sound like an explanation for an out of wedlock pregnancy that would be readily accepted? I doubt it; especially in Mary’s time.

In spite of the knowledge of what this might mean, Mary demonstrated her sweet acceptance of the Lord’s commands by calling herself a “handmaid of the Lord.” The Greek word for “handmaid” found here means, “a female slave, bondmaid.” By referring to herself as the Lord’s handmaid, Mary was signifying her humble willingness to do whatever God asked of her–even if it meant public shame and rejection. She was offering herself up as the servant of the Lord. Although only God knows why Mary was chosen to be the mother of Christ, I would venture to guess one reason was because of Mary’s humble selflessness and servant-like spirit.

There is much we can learn from Mary’s example of servanthood. As young women, the majority of you will someday be wives and mothers. What better time to prepare yourselves for this than right now? What is it that a wife and mother spends most of her time doing? She serves others. You can prepare for your future home and marriage today by learning to joyfully serve and sacrifice where God has placed you. Even if you do not ever get married, spending your youth serving others will leave you with no regrets.

By learning servanthood, you are not only following in Mary’s footsteps, but you are also imitating Christ. As Philippians 2:7 says, Christ “…made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” Scripture is replete with verses on servanthood. One of my favorites is Matthew 20:27, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant…” This same sentiment is repeated in Matthew 23:11, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Most people want to do great things for God. What people often overlook is that God calls servants the “greatest.” Learning to be a servant is the greatest thing you can do with your life. It doesn’t take a lot of money or talent, but the rewards will be immense.

Listen to Mom-to-Mom Radio Show to get to know Crystal even better!

http://momtomomradioshow.com/blog/?p=36

Your Greatest Weapon by Crystal Paine

by Crystal Paine

Being a wife, mother, and homemaker is not a very highly esteemed profession in our current culture. I’ve even been told that to be “just” a wife and mom is to live with “half your brain tied behind your back.” For some reason, our society finds it completely acceptable to be a teacher or a nanny for other people’s children, but to teach or care for your own children full time is not a “real” job.

Why is this? I believe that it is directly related to the feministic propaganda our society has been indoctrinated with.

I used to think that feminism was a dying force – something of the hippie generation that was going down in flames. Then I started blogging (a form of online journaling) on subjects like Biblical womanhood and submission: The feminists started coming out of the woodwork in droves.

Never mind what I used to think. Feminism is alive and well and creeping into every sphere of our existence. It is influencing our view of children, family, men, and marriage. It is in the workplace, the schools, and even most churches.

Self-proclaimed feminists often come to me and try to “set the record straight.” They think that I have it all wrong when I decry the evils of feminism. I'm sure these are well-meaning people, but their sugarcoated message that feminism is "all about choice" is dead wrong. While feminism has afforded women a few new choices in the last 30 years - like the so-called "right" to murder babies before birth or to divorce husbands for no reason - feminism, at its root, is nothing about choice.

No matter what feminists say, their attitude says only one thing - feminism is about selfishness. It's about me doing what I want to do, how I want to do it, when I want to do it, and nobody better tell me differently. It's about irresponsibility - I want the freedom to not be bound by marriage, to sleep with multiple partners, and to use birth control or morning-after pills or abortion so I never have to worry about the consequences of my actions. And ultimately, it's about a sad, lonely life searching for fulfillment in things outside of Christ, marriage, motherhood, and home. Feminism never takes into account the future or future generations. Feminism lives only for me, myself, and I in the present.

This attitude of selfishness is permeating the very core of our culture and it is destroying individuals, marriages, families, children, churches, and this nation, in the name of "equality" and "choice”.

A prevalent myth says that between the ages of ten and twenty, all children will be selfish, self-serving, irresponsible, independent, and disrespectful creatures. I have heard Christian parents say with an awful foreboding look, "I have teenagers." Having teenagers is supposed to evoke sympathy.

I used to wonder how on earth a parent could feel like that. But when I took a good look at the modern-day teenagers, I realized why parents feel this way. Most teenagers really are selfish, self-serving moochers. Granted, parents should never allow this from their children, much less expect it, but I don’t believe it is entirely the parents’ fault. Today’s teens are being indoctrinated by all sides – by the media, books, movies, and music - to believe and live as if “It’s all about me.”

A few months ago, we were out shopping at a clothing store and I saw a t-shirt in the teen department that made me want to weep. It read:

Parents For Sale

Slightly Damaged

Buy One, Get One Free

This t-shirt is supposed to be funny? There is nothing amusing about it, but it does speak of the sad state of affairs in our culture – this attitude of ingratitude and disrespect is predominant among most modern teenagers.

In this age of self-centered individualism, many children no longer see themselves as contributors. They are free-loaders - expecting their parents to pay for everything, provide them allowances, buy their first cars, pay for their gas, give them credit cards, pay for their cell phones, and even pay for their college tuition. And then, after everything their parents have done, these teens have a very disrespectful, uncaring, ungrateful attitude towards their parents, as evidenced by this sad shirt.

Does it have to be this way? I shout a resounding, “No!”

As young women of God, you cannot stand idly by while these humanistic philosophies corrode and corrupt our culture. But what can you do?

I believe that one of the greatest weapons we have to fight this war on Biblical Truth is to live selflessly.

As Christians, we should be seeking to imitate Christ. He lived a life poured out for others. He came not to do His own will, but the will of His Heavenly Father.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:3-8).

How contrary this is to the world's thinking! As Elisabeth Elliott has often said, “Our whole life should be lived following Christ's example: ‘My life, for yours.’”

I urge you to consider how you are spending your life. Are you truly using each day as if it were your last? Examine how you spend your time. Are you selfish or selfless? How much of your day is spent on YOU and how much of it is spent serving others? You only have one life to live. Don't settle for anything less than God's best.

I received the following note from my mom a few days ago:

Here's a quote for you today, dear daughter. I found it in the little Peace Be On Your Home book by Tenneva Jordan, "A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." Each day God gives us innumerable opportunities to die to self. May we uphold one another in prayer that He may increase and we decrease. Love, Mom

Despite popular opinion, or what the feminists may want us to believe, being a daughter, sister, wife, and/or mother is the greatest profession any woman could have. A woman who stands behind her man (be that a husband or a father), and seeks to make him successful, is so much more powerful than any woman who stands on her own. A woman who devotes the bulk of her time and energy to motherhood or caring for and loving little children, is shaping the next generation. All the glitter, wealth, fame, and academic achievements in this world cannot compare to these noble callings.

Don’t buy into the lie that says that you have to “be somebody” or “do something,” or that you have to put your own personal ambitions before anything or anyone else. Instead, fight for Truth, live Truth, love Truth... in your hearts, in your homes, in your neighborhoods, and to the ends of the earth. Show by your life - your love for the Lord, for your authority, and for your home - that there is a better way. It's not about “choice,” it's about a relationship with the Lord; a life poured out in selfless service for the glory of God.

-Excerpted from Handmaidens of the Lord by Crystal Paine. To order a copy, visit: www.BiblicalWomanhood.com/handmaidens.htm

Listen to Mom-to-Mom Radio Show to get to know Crystal even better!

http://momtomomradioshow.com/blog/?p=36

Promise Yourself

Promise Yourself
Forwarded from a friend

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

Fostering Hearts by Karla Costner

Fun and Easy Ideas for Making Your Quiet Times Great!

Ready to TREAT Mom? by Cindy Rushton

"Mother's Day!" by Elisabeth Rushton