The results are in on the 'Crumby' poll.  Most of you do not advocate sweeping the crumbs onto the floor.  I'll have to break the news to them today.  I'm sure it's going to break their hearts.  One of my boys tried to manipulate the results by voting more then once - but it wouldn't allow him to since he would be using the same IP address.  Therefore, I didn't get to vote either since he beat me to it! 

Only a few days till Christmas, most of the gifts are wrapped and we're all looking forward to spending time with extended family.  Christmas will be at my sisters house this year.  They don't celebrate Christmas but they humor the rest of us anyway by spending the day with us.

May I suggest a book that I haven't read in it's entirety but have thoroughly enjoyed what I have The Little Boy Down the Road: Short Stories and Essays on the Beauty of Family Life by Doug Phillips and available at Vision Forum.  In this book, Mr. Phillips' writes about his childhood and family life with his wife and children with humor and love.

Until next year - have a beautiful Christmas with family recounting and remembering that glorious night 2,000 years ago when God sent us a gift - a little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. 

Here's an inspiring quote by William Branham on Christ's birth and God's choosing Bethlehem for the birthplace of Jesus.

Thinking of Bethlehem, and why did it happen to be that it was chosen to be the birthplace of the King of kings? And, you know, Bethlehem is a small place, very small town. I've often wondered why God didn't choose a more religious place for it, for this great event, such as Shiloh. Shiloh was the first place the tent--the ark was set after it crossed Jordan. Or Gilgal, another great religious city; or Zion, on the mountain, another great religious city; or even the proud capital of Jerusalem, with all of its sages and saints through the age. Why didn't God choose Jerusalem?

Why would He choose Bethlehem? Maybe it looked like He might've chose some place, one of the great cities of refuge, that would've protected His Son in case that some trouble come up. The refuge places like Ramoth-gilead, that was a great refuge that was built, for the people could run into these towers. Kadesh was another great city of refuge; Hebron, another great city of refuge.

Why God picked on little Bethlehem, and then did not choose these greater cities... They had greater names, and more of a spiritual background.  But, you know, God has a way of doing things, just His Own way about things. I'm so glad He does. See? Sometimes He takes things that doesn't have a spiritual background, or doesn't have any background at all.

And that's why He is God; He can take something that's nothing, and make something out of it. And then that's what makes Him God. That's what makes us love Him. That's what makes us poor people appreciate Him, because that even though we, poor, with no background, yet God can do great things with us if He ever gets us under His control.

Copyright 2008 Treasuring the Moments

You may have read on Doug Phillip's blog this entry about chronicling the Providences of God that occurred in your family in the past year.  One morning around the breakfast table this week we discussed this and I (as the family secretary ) wrote down my family's replies.  I plan to type it up and place it in a notebook.  Then, hopefully, each year we will add to it.

Doing this got me to thinking about what books I had read in 2007 and what projects I had completed.  I was very disappointed that I could think of very little.  Yes, maybe I forgot a few, but I could only think of 2 books that I actually finished reading. 

I decided to type up a form to record things I might otherwise forget and gave one to each member of the family.  Of course, you could add more things but I wanted to keep it simple.

(Child's Name) List of Accomplishments in 2008

Books Read in 2008 (List additional books on other side.)

1.                                                                                               7. 

2.                                                                                               8.

3.                                                                                               9.

4.                                                                                             10.

5.                                                                                             11.

6.                                                                                             12.

Projects Completed (if applicable, how many hours)

1.                                                                                                6.

2.                                                                                                7.

3.                                                                                                8.

4.                                                                                                9.

5.                                                                                              10.

Other Achievements (4-H, Teen Pact, Sewing, Woodworking, Animals Trained, etc.)

 1.                                                                                                 7.

2.                                                                                                 8.

3.                                                                                                 9.

4.                                                                                               10.

5.                                                                                               11.

6.                                                                                               12.

What poems or Scriptures did I memorize?

1.                                                                                                 7. 

2.                                                                                                 8.

3.                                                                                                 9.

4.                                                                                               10.

5.                                                                                               11.

6.                                                                                               12.

Books We Read Together as a Family

1.                                                                                                 6. 

2.                                                                                                 7.

3.                                                                                                 8.

4.                                                                                                 9.

5.                                                                                              10.

How Tall Were You In…

March -                                                                                      September -

May -                                                                                          November -

January -                                                                                   July -

Now my children and I just need to be faithful to fill it out when we actually do complete something.

During my morning devotionals I've been reading Kept for the Masters Use by Frances Ridley Havergal, the hymn writer.  If you purchase this book and only read the last few chapters it would be worth every penny. 

Each chapter in the book talks about keeping the different parts of ourselves (our lives, moments, hands, feet, voice, wills, etc.) for the Master's use.

In the chapter Our Selves Kept for Jesus she writes how we must trust in God and in so doing we will find rest, "a relief from all strain and effort".  When we do place our trust in Him then God can take a very average life and do great things.

"He will never change His mind about keeping us, and no man is able to pluck us out of His hand.  Neither will Christ let us pluck ourselves out of His hand, for He says, "You shall stay with me for many days."  And He that keeps us will not slumber.  Once having undertaken His vineyard, He will keep it night and day till all the days and nights are over..."

Isn't that beautiful?  God's love for us is unchanging; He will finish the work He has started in our life.  Jeremiah 2:2 says He remembers the time of our youth, 'the love of thine espousals'.  Even when we are untrue to Him, are cold and distant yet He remains faithful. 

The last chapter of the book is called Christ for Us and here Ms. Havergal takes all of the attributes we are to give to Christ and shows how He expresses those to us.  She first begins with the verse from Hosea 3:3.

And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days;

thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: 

so will I also be for Thee.

God did not purchase us with barley and silver as Hosea did his adulterous wife but with His own blood.  He gave His life "without condition, without reserve, without return!  Himself unknown and unloved.  His gift unsought and unasked."

He gave His hands and feet for you.  The feet that went about doing good and setting an example walked the road to Jerusalem to be offered up for our sins.

His voice.  In Song of Solomon 5:2 the maiden considers:

I sleep, but my heart waketh: 

 it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying,

Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: 

I'm looking at Song of Solomon a little differently now.  I knew it was a book of love from God to his people but it wasn't as plain to me as now.  Chapter 2:8-17 of Song of Solomon is beautiful.  You must read it.  You can just feel the love they have for one another and how God has that deep yearning to have fellowship with us and how we should be so excited for the opportunity.

My words are not as poetic and beautiful as Ms. Havergal.  You simply must read it for yourself.  I found it to be quite stirring to reflect on God's great love for me. 

"His love!  What manner of love is it?  What should be quoted to prove or describe it?  First the whole Bible with its mysteries and marvels of redemption, then the whole book of Providence and the whole volume of creation.  Then add to these the unknown records of eternity past and the unknown glories of eternity to come. ...and still that love will be untold.  Still it will be the love of Christ that passes knowledge.

But it is for you!

Now, how can we not give our all to Him?

Now, Lord, I give myself to Thee,

I would be wholly Thine,

As Thou hast given Thyself to me,

And Thou art wholly Mine;

O take me, seal me for Thine own,

Thine altogether, Thine alone.

Frances Ridley Havergal 1836-1879 (age 43)

Just for today do not look at your child as something needing molding or pruning.  Look at him/her with "beginner's eyes" - new eyes.  Look at your child as already a person with all the seeds of "being" already there.  Respect the intelligence/creativity/sense of humor of YOUR very own child.  Respect his thoughts.

Spend a few minutes alone with each child this week, giving him your undivided attention during that time.

Make sustained, loving eye contact with your child.  So often we use this important means of communication as a tool of discipline.  (THE LOOK!)  Today, use your eyes to communicate unconditional love.

(Taken from a note posted on a CM Yahoo! group)

"... pray one for another, that ye may be healed."  James 5:16

So many times at church I would hear a prayer request but just wouldn't remember it later.  To help me in this area I've recently started a prayer journal.

George Mueller, the great philanthropist and evangelist kept a prayer journal.  In his journal he would write any needs or prayer requests, the date he started praying for it and then in another column record the date the prayer was answered and how it was answered.  He never stopped praying for a request until it was answered.

George Mueller prayed for one man over 20 years.  That man received Christ as his Saviour at Mueller's funeral. 

I read that he (George Mueller) would look in the Bible for a promise to fit whatever request he was petitioning God for and then put his finger on that verse as he prayed, claiming the promise.

I thought a prayer journal would be a fine way to record the wonderful things God is doing - answers to prayer.  When you record it in your journal it's such a reminder to you of how God is at work and causes you to give praise and thanks to Him for his mighty acts. 

For myself I purchased a simple notebook that cost very little at Wal-M*rt.  I added four dividers on the side.  (This splits the notebook up into four sections.)  They are:

Prayer Requests from Church, Friends & Family

On My Heart (needs I see in my family or myself that I want to pray for)

Great Things He Has Done (answers to prayer)

Quotes & Scriptures (passages that stand out to me during my devotional time)

My journal has been such a blessing to me.  By writing down the great things He has done I can read it often and be reminded of our heavenly Father's loving kindness towards us.  When I read over the Quotes & Scriptures I have written down I'm inspired anew.   

II Corinthians 1:20:
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

The following came from this site.

Not only are all the promises of God “yes,” meaning He is upright to do what He says each and every time, but all the promises in Him are “amen.”

The word, “amen,” means “so be it, so it is.” It is a declaration that what I just said is true, so be it, so it is! That is why when we say, “amen,” after a prayer it should have significance in our hearts that we are confident in that prayer. Many just say it haphazardly, not recognizing its importance.

Not only are all the promises of God “right on” and they are “so be it, so they are,” they are also “…unto the glory of God by us.” In other words, God’s glory is you and I going to Him requesting His promises, knowing they will come to pass. Amen!

I've been reading the book Kept for the Master's Use by Frances Ridley Havergal.  She wrote the well-loved song Take My Life and Let It Be. 

Just wanted to let you know I'll not be posting for about a week. 

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this quote my son read in one of his geography readings A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland by Samuel Johnson.

"Misery is caused for the most part, not by a heavy crush of disaster, but by the corrosion of less visible evils, which canker enjoyment, and undermine security."

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.  Luke 10:39-42

So many times I awake in the morning with my mind spinning with all the things I need to accomplish that day.  If I awake later in the morning then usual I may decide to forgo devotions thinking, "I'll do that a bit later."  But do I ever get to it?  Not usually.  Have I made the best choice?  Have I chosen the better part? 

I know sometimes it may be impossible because of various circumstances to have your prayer/Bible time and our God knows and understands this.  But let us not get so caught up in what we think is needful that we miss what's truly important.

Lord, help me to change my ways, to always put you first, to choose the better part, to choose what's  eternal.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.  James 4:8

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Ephesians 6:12

A friend sent us this testimony about her son.  The providence of God is so wonderful.  God's care over us is always there but so many times we just don't recognize it.

Dear Friends and Family,

I just felt to write a note to all of you concerning the tragedy which occurred here in our town this week. 

I am overwhelmed and so thankful for all of the phone calls and emails we have received from all of you asking about our family and especially our son, ****.  Your concern and caring has meant so much to our family this week, and especially to **** who was closer to this tragedy than the rest of our family.

I have a very personal and overwhelming testimony of what I perceive to be the “Tender Hand of Jehovah” in our lives.  This might not seem important or even possible to many, but in my heart I have a tremendous awe right now of how God has protected us even when we didn’t know the future.  Our son, ****, is a third year Civil Engineering student at  New River Community College, which is here in our area.  He begins classes at Virginia Tech in May for the summer semester to complete his degree.  As most of you know, we have home educated our family.  Our son graduated from high school in 2004.  We did not do Calculus or Trigonometry due to the fact that we were enrolled in ABEKA Academy and were not in the “loop” for those classes.  When **** entered NRCC, he realized that those classes were important for his degree, so decided to go ahead and do some of those while there.  As a result, his pace for classes at NRCC was slowed down approximately one semester.  I have felt frustrated for these years because I had not foreseen that **** would need those classes, and felt that he was “behind” due to my negligence.  After the events on Monday at VA Tech, I was speaking with a neighbor about the situation, and sharing how that our son would be entering those same classes in May—the Civil Engineering classes in Norris Hall where the shootings occurred. I just felt a strong presence drop down on me as I realized that had it not been for those classes that we had not completed, our son would most probably have been in Norris Hall on Monday morning.  Dr. Loganthan, the Civil Engineering professor who was killed, was to have been **** professor in May.  I was just overcome with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord that he had protected **** from this day---what I thought was negligence turned out to be the Lord’s Tender Hand guiding our footsteps without our knowledge at all. I really am unable to express in words the feeling in my heart.

Our entire community is going through a time of grief and the atmosphere is very heavy and depressed.  Our entire family knows folks who attend and work at Tech.  Friends of both my sons were housed in Ambler Johnson Hall and heard the early morning gunshots.  One classmate of **** is unaccounted for—presumably one of the wounded as his name has not appeared on the list of victims.  Our  hearts are full, and go out in empathy to the parents and families of the victims.  Please remember them in your prayers.

I am thanking and praising God for all of our “family” around the world who have cared so much this week.  God bless all of you.  You are beautiful.

This past week I had the opportunity to hear Sharon Grimes speak. Particularly humorous was what she had to say about how men and women are different.

Men tend to think this way: This ONE thing I do… Phillipians 3:13

Women tend to think this way: I can do ALL things… Phillipians 4:13

She then showed a box that had multiple drawers in it. Each drawer was labeled with the different things a man might think about during a day.

She held up a rubber ball that represented her husbands brain and said, “When my husband wakes up in the morning his mind is on getting a fire going in the wood burning stove. If I try to talk to him about something else, he doesn’t really hear what I’m saying because his mind is in the wood burning stove box.”

If you want to talk to your husband you must be sure his mind is in that particular “box”.

To represent a woman she had a container and a bag of marbles.

“When we ladies wake up in the morning we’re thinking about: getting dressed, fixing breakfast, calling Aunt Marge, the appointment at the dentist, homeschooling, waking up the children, etc.” (every time she would mention an item she would drop another marble in the container)

Then she rotated the cup, slowly at first and then faster and faster - representing how our minds just get to whirling with all the myriad of tasks we need to accomplish in our day.

So true! I love having my morning time, before the kids wake up, for devotions and “me” time. It’s the calm before the storm. Once the kids are up it’s a whirlwind of activity for the remainder of the day.

The day after the workshop my husband and I awoke. Before his feet had even hit the floor I was talking. My voice followed him as he disappeared into the bathroom. I thought that when he returned from the bathroom he would want to crawl back into bed and let me talk his ear off have a nice chat.

So I lay there in anticipation. Can you believe, that he actually started to go sailing out of the room? I asked him just where he might be headed. His reply - “I’m going to go start a fire.” Ha! Isn’t it funny to think how we are all so different but can be so much alike whether here in Arizona or in New York where Sharon and her husband live?

I now know not to get annoyed by this seeming lack of interest in my conversation. I just need to be sure his brain is in the “listening” box and to remember a man’s Scripture - “This ONE thing I do…”