In one of my previous entries, I promised to write more on the topic of children.  They are a central part of a married woman's mission.  They are one of the reason's the mission is so sacred.  After God established the first marriage (Adam and Eve), He gave them a command.  This was the first command ever given from God to man.  He told them to "Be fruitful and multiply".   Later, in Malachi, it is written:  "But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit?  And why one?  He seeks godly offspring."  (Malachi 2:15)  Wow!  That is a powerful scripture. Why did He make a married couple one?  Why?  The answer is:  God is seeking godly offspring.  Jesus LOVES children!  When some little children were brought to Him, and His disciples tried to stop this, Jesus said "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them..."  God loves children! 

He gives us the privilege of bringing them into the world, and desires we teach them about their Heavenly Father.  He seeks godly offspring.  One of the most important things is for us to read God's Word to our children.  God's Word does not come back void.  Paul wrote in a letter to Timothy, "from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."  (2Timothy 3:15)  It is wonderful to read straight from the Bible to our children.  There are also some good bible storybooks out there...but do your research first, as not all of them stick to the scriptures.  Today, Sarah got out what she calls "my bible".  Then Peter was looking through it, saying the name "Jesus".  How precious a moment that was.  I love to hear them say that name, or sing it:)  Then Peter accidently ripped a page!  And guess what?  It was about Jesus telling the little children to come to Him!  Just what I was planning on writing about today!  So we taped up the page and read it:) This is the Bible my children love:

This one is wonderful for children as young as two, but Sarah (4) loves it also!  I am going to start reading from another bible storybook soon too though, especially to challenge Sarah more.  It is this one:

This Bible is what Charlotte Mason (an educator whose methods I use in my teaching) would have called a "living book".  It does not just list facts about the stories, but rather is written in a conversational style, as if your grandmother was telling you the stories of Jesus.  I am also planning on using this devotional for children:

These are all merely "tools" I plan on using to draw my children to God.  I plan on starting them once I finish unpacking the boxes in our new home:)  Another favorite tool of mine is to use music.  It's amazing what children absorb through music.  I love to hear mine singing about the things of the Lord!  There are tapes that have put scripture to song, and these are my favorites.  They make memorizing scriptures- hiding God's Word in our hearts- so easy that even a little child can do it!

Getting back to my original topic- God loves children.  He seeks godly offspring.  There are so many more scriptures that make it clear to us that God is happy to give us children and His intentions are that we would be happy also:) 

God says that children are a blessing, a reward:

"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." (Ps 127:3-4)

"Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table.  Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord." (Ps 128: 3-4)

Because of this, God says that those who have children will be happy and joyful:

"Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them..." (Ps 127: 5a)

"Praise the Lord...He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes-with the princes of His people.  He makes the barren woman to keep house, as a joyful mother of children.  Praise the Lord!"  (Ps 113:7-9)

Now, if you were poor and needy, and God lifted you out of the ash heap to sit you with royalty, would you long to go back to your old life?  Of course not!  Likewise, it is ridiculous for a mother to want to go back to her days without children!  They are rewards from the hand of God!

God desires His daughters to bear children.  He seeks godly offspring. That is one reason He made you and your husband one. He commanded the first couple to be fruitful and multiply.  He said that a man who fears the Lord will be blessed with a fruitful wife.  Likewise, that wife will be a joyful mother. Would you like more scriptures to reassure you that God's will is for most married women to have children?

"Therefore I desire that the younger women marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully."  (ITimothy 5:14)

"In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves...with good works...Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for good works: if she has brought up children..." (1Tim 2:9-10; 5:9-10)

Here, we learn that women are to adorn themselves with good works, and that widows are to be well reported for good works.  The very first "good work" on that list is bringing up children.  God's ways are that a woman adorns herself by bringing up children!  But we do not just do it in obediance to the Lord...God desires us to enjoy what we are doing.  He tells us to love our children. 

"The older women likewise, that they be...teachers of good things-that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, love their children..." (Titus 2:3-4)

The greek word for "love" here ( philoteknos) means that we are friends with our children!  God tells us to be our child's friend.  This does not mean we don't have authority and our children don't have to obey us; it means we enjoy spending time with them.  A friend is someone whose company you desire.  A friend is someone you want to talk to.  We are not to be continually sending our children away, but rather spending time with them and talking to them.  A child's best friend should be his or her mother! In many homes, the TV becomes the child's best friend. 

In her book For the Children's Sake, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay writes, "Why do I feel so profoundly sad?  Dear Lord, the little children are being smothered!...The experience of beauty in God's great outdoors is often exchanged for seeing flickering images on the screen.  Adults have so often stopped giving children time priority; they are relegated to the category of 'menial jobs'.  Many regard them as positively horrible ; they resent their intrustion into their time and pocketbooks.  Dear God, where are the friends and lovers of children?"  (Emphasis mine)

Are you a friend and lover of children?  Are you a friend of your children?  May we not turn our precious children away, but say, as Jesus did, "let the little children come."

This is one of my favorite hymns.  You can listen to it here:  http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com/audio/50202/11/

Every time I hear this hymn my eyes tear up.  The words are powerful, yes, but that is not why I am so touched by it.  It is personal to me, for God spoke personally to me through it.  I am not going to pretend that being a christian means you are always happy and never have trials.  In the Holy Scriptures, Jesus said that in this world we WILL have tribulations (and He was speaking to His saved ones), but to be of good cheer!  Why?  He said because He has overcome the world!!  Oh, praise the Lord!  Jesus is with us in our hardships; we are not alone.  He ultimately has the victory!  I am brought to tears just writing this to you all:)  Being a christian also does not mean that we never doubt or question God. 

One day, a couple years ago, I was struggling with this very doubt.  I poured out my heart to God.  I was honest with Him about my feelings.  I told Him that I trusted Him in certain issues, but I felt as if He let me down, and so how could I continue to trust Him?  I said alot more than what I wrote here though:)  Then I was quiet....I just kept hearing the above hymn in my head.  Well, after sitting quietly for some time, I opened my Bible and the Lord led me to read a scripture passage I had not read before.  It was Jeremiah chapter 15...in it Jeremiah said similiar things to God as I had.  He ended with asking the Lord "Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed?  Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, as waters that fail?"  The Hebrew word for fail there means "cannot be trusted."  Jeremiah was doubting God's trustworthiness, His reliability, just as I had.  Jeremiah felt as if God failed him just as I had.  Through this reading, God reassured me that He heard my cry.  He heard me and understood.  Remember, I had no idea what the scripture would be about.  GOD led me to it; He knew how to speak to me. 

After reading this, I was so comforted that God understood.  But His reassurance to me did not end there.  He did not just show me that He understands my doubt but also that He IS trustworthy.   Do you remember I said above that I had that hymn in my head while sitting before the Lord in quietness?  Well, after reading the chapter in Jeremiah, I went directly to the chapter I just "happened to be" up to that day.  I had been reading the book of Timothy and the next chapter I was up to was 2 Timothy 1.  As I read it, and reached verse 12, I just started to cry.  I read:  "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day." 

This was the scripture that inspired the hymn which had been in my head!  "I know whom I have believed in"...this believing does not mean just thinking God is real.  The Bible says even the devil believes.  No, this believing means TRUSTING.   I know whom I have trusted in!  I know Him!  He is faithful, and He is able.  I may not always understand His ways, but His ways are higher than mine.  If I understood all of God's thoughts and plans, I would be on the same level as Him.  But HE is God.  We will not always understand, but we can trust because He is trustworthy.  That day He reminded me of this truth is such a personal, loving and yet powerful way!  So now when I hear this hymn,  I remember that God loves me enough to have met my need in such a way, and I remember that God is trustworthy!  Praise the Lord!  Here are the words to the entire hymn:

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

This past August, Sarah turned four.  My own fourth birthday left me with very wonderful memories.  As a present, I was given a beautiful white dress.  I remember admiring it before even wearing it.  I just loved that pure white dress!  I decided that I would like to begin a family tradition this year in which my daughters all wear a white dress on their fourth birthdays.  It was not easy to find a comfortable, cotton dress (as opposed to one with much frills), but I finally ordered one from The King's Daughters.  Here is little Sarah in her birthday dress:

Here I am on my fourth birthday, in my white dress.

Sarah had a very nice birthday party.  I made a cake for her to look like a castle, since she is a princess:)  By the look on her face, I think I can assume she liked it!

Here is Sarah blowing out her candles.

This photo of Sarah and Peter was taken on her birthday, before her party.  I made the collage that is behind them as a way to share Sarah's life in pictures.

I thought you all would enjoy this video also!  My sister, Judith, had a birthday coming up three days after Sarah's, so I surprised her with an icecream cake too!

Just make sure you turn up your volume before watching this.  I had to turn mine up as high as it goes.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2023544225145982829

There are two other recent videos we have stored there on google you all may enjoy seeing:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4009028931193254986

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6736291663918781031

We had a great day and I hope it gave Sarah as wonderful memories as I have of my fourth birthday!

There is a story told about three women washing clothes.  A passerby asked each what she was doing.

"I'm doing the weekly washing," answered the first. 

"I'm doing a bit of household drudgery," replied the second.

"I'm mothering three young children who someday will fill important and useful spheres in life, and wash-day is a part of my grand task in caring for these souls who shall live forever," replied the third. 

Only she had caught the vision of the great work she was doing.

                                                             -Elizabeth Elliot

It is true, caring for a home and children involves work that is sometimes looked upon as drudgery.  We recently moved into a new home, and let me tell you how thankful I am to finally have a dishwasher!  No more standing at the sink for what seemed to be eternity doing this  .  I am especially grateful now as I am getting big very fast and my back just cannot stand for standing so long!  But whether it is the mundane tasks of filing papers or cleaning a kitchen, all jobs include such unfulfilling work, along with work we find stimulating.  Being a homemaker, by the way, is also full of wonderful, fulfilling tasks.  In our homes, we mothers are the queens.  Our homes are the spheres God has given us to govern.  Indeed, stay at home mothers do NOT eat bonbons while watching TV all day.  Our day is also not filled with only mundane chores that never end, but with much interesting things to occupy our time.  I will write more about this in another blog entry though. 

What I would like to focus on in this entry is why we must partake in the routine tasks of home keeping.  Sure, we clean in order to create a peaceful atmosphere in which our family can go to that symbolizes our future home in Heaven.  Jesus promised us that He will prepare a place for us, so should we mothers not work to prepare a place on earth for our families that gives them a taste of their future heavenly home?  Yet, even as noble a calling as this is, it is not the most sacred part of our mission. 

The reason we cook meals and wash clothes is because our children need nutricious food to grow and clean clothes to wear.  They need clean plates to eat their food on, and a clean, beautiful environment to live in.  The work we do sustains them.  These needs must be met so they can grow up healthy and serve their God.  We must remember, in all our housework, the reason why we do the work.  We must not neglect our precious children.  Yes, the chores need to get done, but the house does not have to be perfect.  With children living in it, this expectation is unrealistic.  Our children are the priority.  I think of a poem I recently read:

"I love you, Johnny," said mother one day,

       "I love you more than I can say."

 Then she answered his questions with,

           "Don't bother me now,"

And just didn't have the time to show him how

  To tie his truck to his tractor and plough.

But she washed her windows and scrubbed the floor

   And baked and cooked and cleaned some more.

   "No, we don't have time for a story today,

Mother's too busy cooking, so run out and play.

   Maybe tomorrow," said she with a sigh.

And Johnny went out almost ready to cry.

"I love you Johnny," again she said,

As she washed his face and sent him to bed.

Now how do you think that Johnny guessed

Whether 'twas he or the house that she really loved best?

How do we get our work done then?  Include the children like these mothers are doing-

Children need to be trained to do chores.  In our new home, we also finally have a washing machine and dryer!  What luxuries these are!  When a load of clothes is done, my children have taken over the job of transferring.  Peter, who is 2, pulls the clothes out of the machine and hands them to Sarah (4) who is standing on a chair so that she can reach the dryer (stacked on top of the washing machine) to take the clothes from Peter and put them in. 

Well, I have more to share on the subject of children but it must wait until later.  It is time for me to cook dinner! This is not my favorite chore:)  But we need food to nourish us!

I would like to begin my first entry today with an introduction for those who don't know me- yet!  My name is Esther, and I have been married to Roderick for five years.  We had a beautiful wedding ceremony!  My avatar was taken at our wedding.  After the ceremony, we released white doves, which was absolutely breathtaking!  A couple months into our marriage the Lord God, who made this world, created another miracle when He gave us a very precious gift- the conception of our first child, our little Sarah Annabella.  22 months after her birth, we were blessed again with another treasure from Heaven- Peter Josiah.  Here is a photo of them with my husband.  This was taken almost a year ago, around christmas time. 

Now my little lambs are four and two years old!  We are very excited that they will have more brothers or sisters to play with next Spring, as I am pregnant with TWO more little ones!  Twins!!!  We all eagerly await their arrival into this family!  Here is my latest sonogram picture of the babies: