Speak, O Lord

By Keith & Kristyn Getty

Still

By Hillsong

"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations, 
I will be exalted in the earth!"
Psalm 46:10   (ESV)

 

Everlasting God by Lincoln Brewster

Sebastian and I heard this song on the radio Sunday afternoon as we were coming home from hockey practice so we cranked up the volume and sang our hearts out.  It was a wonderful time of singing praise to our Lord while reminding me of truths I had studied in my Sunday school class earlier that morning.

I Need Thee Every Hour

I need Thee every hour, Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee every hour, Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

I need Thee every hour, In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

I need Thee every hour, Teach me Thy will;
Thy promises so rich, in me fulfill.

I need Thee every hour,  Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee!
O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.

Words: Annie S. Hawks

Don't Waste your Homemaking: Countering Gossip through the Cross.

Don't Waste your Homemaking: Countering Gossip through the Cross.: image via. Gossip. You know the one sin we mask and makes jokes about because it's not really that bad. We must come to a point though...

Raising Your Children Without Raising Your Voice

Check out Raising Your Children Without Raising Your Voice by Elizabeth Owens.

…Wow!  Is that even possible? There is only one way that I know to do that.  It is to teach your children to have proper respect for the authorities God has placed over them, and then to teach them to obey the first time.
The first verse we ever had our children memorize was John 3:16.  The second was Ephesian 6:1, which states, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”  Children being raised to love God and His Word learn from this verse that obedience to parents is something God commands them to do.


Continue reading here...

This article has challenged me as a parent.  I am thankful God is using it to redirect my own obedience towards Him, as well as showing me how to teach & model obedience to my kids.

Your Great Name

My Struggle

*UPDATED 
 
"Sometimes we choose to reject God's guidance because we value how we feel way more than we value the future God has for us."  Eric Bryant

About a year ago, Wes began seriously looking at attending a seminary where he could pursue a Master of Divinity degree. 

During the last nine months, Wes has been attending seminary, and our prayer has been that God would open another pastorate or other ministry position locally which would allow him to continue his education at SWBTS.  God was not opening that door.

We prayed that if God was going to keep the pastorate or ministry door closed then would he open employment at SWBTS.  God has not opened that door.

In March Wes heard from a pastor search committee, which had received his resume' last fall, but had pursued someone else originally.  This committee was curious to see whether Wes was still available and open to them considering him as a possible candidate for their pastor if the Lord led them in that direction. Wes was excited to have finally heard something from somewhere, while I was less than thrilled, as the church was not local or even in the part of Texas I like. 

After a couple of weeks this committee asked Wes to send them one of his sermons.  As God had already divinely appointed it, Wes had preached at our home church the Sunday before, so he sent them that sermon.

Several weeks later Wes heard back from this committee, and they wanted to set up a meeting with Wes and me.  Three weeks ago we met with them.

During all of this, I've NOT been excited.   This town is NOT where I would pick to live.  It's NOT in the DFW metroplex or in north east Texas.  It would mean moving from a church (Birchman) that I (and the rest of my family) currently LOVE.  It would mean going back to a small town.  It would mean being further from our extended family.  It would mean moving away from friends we've had, and from friends we've made. It would mean giving up new activities for the kids. It would mean starting over, and it's just NOT my heart's desire.

It would fulfill Wes's passion & desire to preach and serve the local church.  It would answer the two biggest prayer requests I've had over the last several months.

So why am I not praising God?  Why am I sad when I think about it?  Why on one day can I say "Lord, I surrender this to you and I'll go where you lead" and on the next, say "Lord, I don't want to go."

I wonder whether I am choosing to reject God's guidance because I care more about my feelings (worldly desires & passions)  than I value the future God has for me & my family.

God is dealing with me and molding me.

When you think of me, please pray that I will follow God's will and not my own, and that I'll allow Him to change my heart's desire.

****UPDATE:
 God did not lead us the the church mentioned above.  He provided us with clear direction and answered our request specifically on the matter.  I praise Him for giving us a very clear answer.   I also praise Him for challenging me and continuing to mold me.  Thank you to those who prayed with Wes and I over this decision and continue to pray for us.

The Habit of a Mother Who Changes The World

Check out The Habit of a Mother Who Changes The World at A Holy Experience.
Houses may be bought, built, or borrowed.
But homes can only be made.
And only with bits of ourselves...

Take the time to read the above article if you're a mom.  I think you'll be glad you did.

BW: The Glory of the Mundane by Elizabeth Owens

Check out BiblicalWoman and their blog, Voices.

You will be encouraged, convicted, and challenged.

The Glory of the Mundane convicted, encouraged, and challenged me this morning.

Di's Dinner Dabbling: Bangers and Taters

Check out this new blog from my friend, Diana.  It looks as if she's going to have me trying some things.  I'll be trying this one soon!
Thanks Diana!

Di's Dinner Dabbling: Bangers and Taters: So my Nicky flew over the ocean last November with his mom Kim (who just happens to be my youngest sister) and they are now living in Englan...

Your Children Want YOU!

Check out the following blog & post:
 Your Children Want YOU!
 There’s this crazy phenomenon going on right now. Good, devoted mothers get on Pinterest . . . and blogs . . . and Facebook . . . and Twitter . . . and then they flip through parenting magazines and TV channels (full of advertisements and media hype) . . . and they’re convinced they’re not enough.

Raising Godly Children: Family vs. Culture

Check out the following blog & post:
Raising Godly Children: Family vs. Culture
The family is the foundation of culture. This is not a bromide of the Christian right, but plain fact, as every anthropologist will tel...

When Morning Comes

Trials dark on every hand, and we cannot understand
All the ways that God will lead us to that blessed promised land;
But He'll guide us with His eye, and we'll follow till we die,
We will understand it better by and by.

Oft our cherished plans have failed, disappointments have prevailed,
And we've wandered in the darkness, heavy hearted and alone;
Bet we're trusting in the Lord, and according to His Word,
We will understand it better by and by.

Temptations, hidden snares, often take us unawares,
And our hearts are made to bleed for each thoughtless word or deed;
And we wonder why the test, when we try to do our best, 
But will understand it better by and by.

Words: Charles Tindley 1905

Living Seamless by Sarah

Check out Living Seamless by Sarah from In the Midst of It.  She beautifully expresses where I am right now, with the exception of 'a new little one'.

"Blessings" by Laura Story

I've been hearing this song on the radio for a while now, and the last couple days I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.  It's been on my heart and mind, and I thought I'd share it with you. 



Below is Laura Story explaining the story behind the song Blessings.

With people, but feeling alone

I have blogged recently about my new church and how God is teaching me and my my family through the ministries of this church. I love Birchman Baptist Church and so thankful God led my family here. My family is growing spiritually and I praise God for the godly spiritual leaders of this church.

However, I am struggling in making friends and I'm a little discouraged as I sit in the cafe outside the church library while my kids are in their Girls In Action & Royal Ambassador missions class. I sit here watching people walk by and talking to one another I realize I don't know many people. It's hard. I feel alone.

I know as time goes on I'll begin to get to know more people, but for now it's hard.

Bible Study, Healthy Living, & Organization

I signed up for the ladies Bible study on Wednesday nights at our church.  The bible study is the Book of James, and we met together for the first time Wednesday.  I signed up as way to meet and get to know other women.  I am looking forward to the study of the Book of James and getting to know this group of women. 

On Tuesday I met with a friend and we made a commitment to hold each other accountable in the areas of health and exercise.  She and I have been walking together over the last couple months, but both of us had been gaining weight from bad eating habits.  She and her family eat much healthier than my family, but we are being an encouragement to each other as we learn to be healthy.  I haven't been the best role model for my kids and teaching how to be healthy.  I'm challenging myself with small goals throughout the year, so that by the end of 2012 my family and I will be healthier than we were at the beginning of the year. 

This week I accomplished cleaning and organizing the garage enough to accommodate two vehicles plus our bicycles.  Everything except two shelving units is neat and organized.  I know it sounds weird, but when I walk into the garage I can't help but smile.  It's clean and this helps my mood; well, until I have to come back inside to the unorganized house.  I'll be organizing the inside this weekend.  Ive got homeschool items, books, and some other things I don't use anymore, and I need to make more space for the items I do use. 

I know, it's a very random post.  :-)

Well, it's time for me to go finish my cleaning and reorganizing the inside of my house.  After that I plan to do a little bike riding with my favorite family. 

He Is Enough

My heart and mind were heavy and I couldn't sleep.  I kept waking up.  I decided to move to the couch as not to wake Wes up, not that I could wake him since he was sleeping rather soundly.

The deal is I couldn't sleep, because I needed to take the concerns that were keeping me awake to the Lord.  I needed to pray.  I moved to the couch and began praying, but I knew what I really needed to be doing was reading the Bible.

I was tired and wanted to express my concerns in prayer then go back to sleep.  I have this tendency rather than open up the Word of God, which is why I don't know the scriptures as I should.

Anyway, after spending some time in prayer and expressing my heart to the Lord then opening my eyes, heart, and mind to His leading I got up from the couch and went to my computer to look up today's YouVersion Bible reading plan. 

As I checked my email for the YouVersion email I noticed I had also received Lifeway's daily scripture and devotion. 

The first scripture passage in my YouVersion daily reading plan is Psalm 2.  The last sentence of verse 12 is:
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.  (ESV)

The scripture passage from the Lifeway devotion is 2 Timothy 1:12
   And that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day. (HCSB)
and the devotional (courtesy of Open Windows) is this:
    We know the importance of placing our valuables and money in safe places. We put our important documents in the banks’ safety deposit boxes. The government insures our bank savings through the FDIC. 
   In today’s passage Paul wrote about entrusting something far more important than material things for safekeeping. He instructed Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel or of his mentor Paul who was in prison. Paul described the gospel, its power to save, and its origin in the grace of God.
   Paul was suffering for the gospel, yet he was full of confidence and hope for the future based on the person of Jesus Christ, in whom he had believed. He had not placed his faith in some philosophy or creed. Because Paul knew Jesus intimately and personally, he was certain he could trust Jesus with the salvation of his soul. He knew it would be kept safely until that last day of accounting.

 Wow! I'm not in the midst of intense suffering, but I am struggling with some things.  I needed to be reminded to take refuge in Him and to have confidence & hope for the future based on Christ not on myself. 

After spending more time in prayer I decided since I was up and awake I would read a few blogs that I hadn't been to in a while.  I popped over to Priscilla Shirer's Going Beyond Ministry blog and the first post is Finding Enough, which I just skimmed over before checking out Angie Smith's Bring the Rain.  I skimmed down to her other posts and decided to check out The Tyranny of Choice, where I read her words: "He is enough." 

After reading those words I decided to go back to Finding Enough to actually read it. 

Yes, God is my refuge and he is enough for me.

In Him will I trust.