Posted in Family Life

We don't hear much about callings anymore (unless we're talking about a "call to the ministry").  We certainly don't hear motherhood referred to as a calling.  And yet, it is the highest and most noble calling a woman can aspire to.  Motherhood is arguably the most influential profession there is.  The impact of dedicated, self-sacrificial motherhood on subsequent generations is tremendous.  What profession has more far-reaching affect on the future than that of motherhood?

Those of us who are mothers know the work involved in motherhood.  We also know the rewards that are gained in pouring out our own lives for our families.  We know the joys in bearing and raising children.  Christian mothers know the glory in serving God by bringing up children in the nuture and admonition of the Lord.

Motherhood is a blessed opportunity to minister to the Body of Christ right in our very own homes.  It is a beautiful way of serving the Lord as we serve our families.

Bearing and raising children is an important work.  There is great nobility in motherhood.  Mothers do something no one else on earth can do.

"Only a woman can carry in her body an eternal being which bears the very image of God. Only she is the recipient of the miracle of life. Only a woman can conceive and nurture this life using her own flesh and blood, and then deliver a living soul into the world. God has bestowed upon her alone a genuine miracle — the creation of life, and the fusing of an eternal soul with mortal flesh. This fact alone establishes the glory of motherhood.

Despite the most creative plans of humanist scientists and lawmakers to redefine the sexes, no man will ever conceive and give birth to a child. The fruitful womb is a holy gift given by God to women alone. This is one reason why the office of wife and mother is the highest calling to which a woman can aspire."

                                                                                                  ~Doug Phillips

Let us celebrate the high calling of motherhood.  It is a blessed gift from the Heavenly Father.

Posted in Just for Fun

They are so cool.

Posted in Encouragement

This past weekend, we had the blessing of having a visit from some very dear friends, the Linders, who live in New Hampshire.  Fellowship with likeminded believers is a gift of the Lord, one I have realized the rarity of in recent years.  Deep, meaningful friendships that uplift and spur one another toward righteousness are hard to come by in today's culture.  Praise be to the Lord when we find friends who lift our thoughts to Him and encourage us in this journey of life.

Posted in Homeschooling

Attend any event at which several homeschooling mothers gather, and the topic of curriculum will surely come up at some point in the conversation.

"What are you using for Math this year?"  "Oh, I used that, but I didn't like that.  This other program worked much better."  "Have you seen the new spelling program in all the homeschooling catalogs lately?"  "I just ordered it.  I can't wait till it comes and I can try it out."  "Do you use textbooks or unit studies for history?"  "Do you know of a good fourth grade science curriculum?"

Comparing notes on the tools of the trade is the natural tendency among homeschooling moms.  And for the most part, I think is a very productive activity.  I have found a couple of good products that way.  However, I think the unfortunate result of some of these discussions is discontent or a feeling of competition or even inadequacy.  We homeschooling moms are an insecure lot.  Most of us are plagued by what I call "Homeschooling Mommy Guilt."  We tend to compare ourselves with ourselves (or worse yet, with the "experts" in the public schools), and find ourselves falling short of our own expectations.  We often try to make up for our perceived inadequacies by searching for the perfect curriculum.  We think if only we could find just the right spelling program, our child could win the National Spelling Bee.  Or that the perfect writing program will help our child write the next great American novel.  Or that the Latin program we chose will bring out the hidden genius in our kids, and they will all become doctors, lawyers, and great orators (all at the same time, of course).

Aside from unrealistic expectations, I think the real danger is in all this comparing causing us to become discontent.  Let's face it, most curriculum isn't cheap, and since few of us are alloted the $8,000 (or more) per child per year that the public schools receive, and most homeschooling families operate on one income, we often have to pinch our pennies when it comes to what we choose for school books.  Often, when I have discussed curriculum in the past, I have found myself wishiing I could afford what some other family is using.  I used to wander around at homeschool conventions, longing for unlimited funds (and bookshelf space) to buy whatever caught my fancy.  Realistically, however, I am aware that even in twelve years of schooling, my children could never complete all the excellent curriculum available today.

I once heard a homeschool conference speaker refer to her problem with "curriculum buying disorder".  Many times, we buy something for homeschooling, believing it is the answer to all our homeschooling problems, and then find out that it just wasn't a good fit for our family and all the money we spent on it was wasted.  Often, we go through several different programs before we finally find one we really like.  While some trial and error is necessary in this area, I am finding that the longer I homeschool, the better I am at being able to gauge (before I buy) whether a certain product is right for my children or not.

It is fun to page through homeschool catalogs, dreaming of all the great things you could do with all those wonderful products.  There is a certain relief, though, in finding what works and sticking with it.  I've finally found a math program I really like, I've found a history curriculum I absolutely love (and that I can use with all of my children at the same time) that incorporates language arts and other liberal arts studies.  I've also found my favorite kindergarten program, which I have used successfully with 2 of my children so far.  The library is my best resource for science as I use nature study in the early years.  And I have found that the very best homeschool purchases have been good quality living books, ones that my children will treasure for years to come.  A home library made up of living books is the wisest homeschool investment we can possibly make.  And it doesn't take any special teacher training to snuggle up on the couch and enjoy a good book together.

Posted in Just for Fun

Helping in the kitchen can be very rewarding.

Posted in Church Life

" We grew up thinking that the church is a building; God's Word says the church is His people.  We grew up thinking that church activities occur mainly on Sunday morning or Wednesday evening, forgetting that a man talking with his neighbor is a church activity, or a mother going shopping with her daughter is a church activity.  We grew up thinking that God somehow lives in these buildings, but His Word says that He lives in our hearts.  We grew up thinking that the room where God's people assemble to worship is the sanctuary, when the Bible teaches us that our hearts are His sanctuary."
                               ~Eric Wallace, Uniting Church and Home

"The dichotomy between Christian and humanist thinking is so vast that, as Christians, we must examine our reasoning, by taking the 'desert island challenge.'  We must ask ourselves questions such as, 'With the Bible alone to guide you, would you conclude that it was acceptable to send your children to government schools to be trained by those who do not fear the Lord, and thus have no knowledge (Psalm 7)?'  Or, 'If all you had was the Bible, would it be normative for mothers to be the spiritual leaders of their homes?'  Or even, 'If all you had was the Bible to guide your path, does scripture teach you to separate children from their parents in the worship service of the local church?'"
                               ~Doug Phillips, Introduction to How God Wants Us to Worship Him

"If we are to change the world, we must first change the church.  Currently there is no distinguishable difference between the way our culture views marriage and family and the way we do in the church.  We do not have to change every congregation into a family-integrated church, but we do have to promote a biblical view of marriage and family.  We must do this by holding marriage in high esteem, welcoming and celebrating children, and placing a premium on family."
                               ~Voddie Baucham, Family Driven Faith

Posted in Spiritual Life

Several years ago, my husband and I made the conscious choice to limit outside-of-the-home activities.  At the time, our sons were involved in music lessons, martial arts classes, children's choir, Missions club, as well as other activities.  My husband and I sang in the church choir, taught Sunday school classes, participated in drama productions, and several other "ministries".  All the while, our family was literally falling apart.  What looked nice and normal and even attractive on the outside was miserable and displeasing to the Lord on the inside.  We appeared to have it all together--we were doing all the things Christians are "supposed" to do, but the Lord knew the truth, and eventually, so did everyone else.  Praise be to God, He showed us the error of our ways.  He shed light on our sinful hearts, and gave us the grace to turn it all around for Him.  Since that time, we have been very careful to keep our home and our family life at the center of our activities.  The Lord has brought us through a major family reformation, and He is now building our family into a strong force for Him and our home into a vibrant place of ministry.

For a long time, I was under the impression that pleasing the Lord meant doing church-related "ministries".  I thought that as long as I was involved in all the right programs and doing all the right activities, God would be pleased with my service.  I believed that the only way He could really use me was if I were teaching Sunday school or singing in the choir.  What I didn't realize at the time (but what He has taught over the last few years) is that I can be used of God much more effectively if I am doing it in the sphere He has designed me for.  Reaching out to others from the joyful, peace-filled environs of my home, and seeing my home as the center of ministry it truly is, has helped me to understand and fill my role as a Christian woman in a much more complete way.

The sweet, strong, wonderful relationship my husband and I are building is a clear testimony of what the power of the Lord can do in changing the lives of those yielded to Him.  Looking at our marriage, anyone can see the hand of God at work in two sinful human hearts, bringing us together in Him and making us truly "one".  God has used us to minister to others in ways we never expected; what a privilege it is to be able to point to Him and show the work He has done in us.

For us, rethinking what it truly means to "serve the Lord" has opened up opportunities for service we never would have dreamed of.  And our children are involved in ministry with us in a way that would not have been possible with our former mindset.  Our children, after all, are our greatest and most important area of ministry.  Building a godly family is the most important thing we can do for the Lord.  It is the surest way to have a multi-generational, far-reaching impact for His Kingdom.  Isn't that what ministry is really about?

Posted in Just for Fun

If it sounds like I'm bragging too much, I apologize, but I think my children are really cute!  Take a look and you might agree:

(My husband's pretty cute, too.)

Posted in Spiritual Life

We had the blessing of having overnight guests in our home this past weekend.  While we were so thankful to have the opportunity to open our home to these dear, like-minded friends in the Lord (greetings, T. family!), we did not have a chance to properly prepare our children for this experience.  Our seven year old son in particular struggled with having to share his bed with our guests.  I was sorry to see that he was not very kind about the sacrifice he was required to make.  It made me a bit sad--and a bit embarrassed--to have my child behave in this manner.  We spoke to him about it and he was "encouraged" to apologize to our friends and repent of his bad attitude.  Yet, we weren't quite satisfied that he had completely repented.

Yesterday, the children and I were listening to a CD of Scripture verses set to music.  After hearing the song about how "God loves a cheerful giver", my son, with sincere regret and repentance in his voice, admitted that he had not been a cheerful giver.  "I should have been cheerful in sharing my room with the people that came to visit us.  I'm sorry I had a bad attitude.  I'll be willing to share next time."

What a blessing to hear my child confess wrongdoing and commit himself to rightousness in the future.  It is evidence of God's working in his heart.  It gives me so much joy to know that the training and correction my children are receiving is beginning to bear fruit in their lives.  Praise the Lord for little episodes like this one that show that my husband and I need to continue about the business of winning our children's hearts.  Too many Christian parents focus on the ourward behaviour and miss the root issues in the heart attitude.  My husband and I fall short in our child-training in many ways, but the Lord has shown us that having their hearts is the key.  One of our deepest desires is to see our children give their whole hearts to the Lord and allow Him to work in their lives.  They can't go wrong in life if they are following Him completely and if they allow His Word to have it cleansing effect in their hearts.

Glorifying God in our child raising is really about reaching their hearts.  It is about leading them to a point of closeness to the Lord so that He can work in their hearts.  It is about teaching them of the power of Scripture to transform lives.  As He works in their hearts, good behaviour will naturally follow.  Glimpses of this working, like the one I saw in my son yesterday, make all the hard work of taining worth-while.

Posted in Family Life

In honor of the fact that my newest son is now six weeks old, and because I have had a number of requests for it (yes, Lyn, this is for you!), I am going to share my fifth baby's birth story.

My four previous birth experiences varied widely, so I really had no idea what to expect this time.  I wasn't even sure if I had a better chance of going into labor before my due date or after.  Two of my children had been born "early", two "late", so I had a fifty-fifty chance either way.  (As it turns out, the scales tipped in favor of going after my due date--not what I had been hoping for.)  Each delivery itself had been very different as well.  I was induced with my first baby, which if given the choice I would not do again (it's much more intense than natural labor, at least for me).  My second baby came after my having to be on bed-rest for six weeks because of pre-term labor--but the birth itself was fairly easy.  My third child was the nightmare delivery--she was born in posterior presentation (facing up), which is not a pleasant way to have a baby.  My fourth baby came after fourteen hours of labor....'nuf said on that one.  So, early on in my fifth pregnancy, I began praying that if God willed, I would have a quick, easy labor and delivery.  I also happened to be close friends with a real, honest-to-goodness prayer warrior.  I mean, when this lady prays, things happen.  She and her sons began praying fervently for me and the baby as the time for the birth drew nearer.  Still, I really didn't know what to expect this time.

For the last three weeks of my pregnancy, I had been having frequent "nuisance contractions".  Actually, these kind of mild contractions are the only truly consistent thing about each of my pregnancies.  I was just sure that I would go into labor anytime.  At 37 weeks, I began dialating, and by week 40, I was more than two centimeters dialated.  I eventually became very tired of waking up each morning thinking "Today could be the day."

Two days after my due date, we made a visit to the hospital because I was having quite a few mild, fairly painless contractions.  After being examined, I was told that I was still only about 2.5 centimeters along.  The midwife advised us to go home and get some rest.  My husband took the next day off from work so that I could rest, and by about ten o'clock that night, I began having some occasional moderately strong contractions.  I took a bath at 10:30, then went to bed.  I woke up at just before midnight with a very strong contraction, and then another came soon after.  At just after 12 am, the contractions closed in at about two minutes apart and were very strong.  At 12:15, I woke up my husband, who called the hospital to let them know it was definitely "the time".  He called again on our way to the hospital to ask them to have a wheelchair ready at the door--there was no way I was going to be able to walk anywhere, let alone all the way to the elevator (my husband had to help me get out of the car and into the wheelchair).  By the time I was finally settled into a birthing room, I was eight centimeters dialated and entering transition (that was at around 1:45am).  After about five minutes of pushing, my fifth child and third son made his entrance into this world.  That was at 2:17 on the morning of January 22nd.  He was a beautiful, healthy baby boy, my biggest yet at 7lbs. 13 oz.  The entire experience of his birth was such an answer to prayer, and I felt the Lord's presence throughout it.

Having a two hour labor certainly wasn't what I expected.  But it sure was a blessing.  In fact, I consider it a miracle.  But then, aren't all births miracles?