How God Uses Mistakes

Today, I was reminded about how God uses us and all our mistakes if we allow Him to!  I ordered the last of the books to start homeschool, September 3rd and the card would not work. I was frustrated, upset, aggravated and just plain tired. Honestly, I'm scared of the time I don't have and now I'm using that "time" to ensure my children's education. The credit card wouldn't go through. I checked the error, AVS error, I had used the wrong billing address, I guess it has never been changed. What I didn't realize was I used the wrong card. It went through, though no money was in that account. Thankfully it was one of those fake debit holds that doesn't debit the account until they actually ship the stuff, so no fees for this bozo! But when we checked that account it said we had almost $1,500 that was being spent . . . HUH? No, we don't have that much and no I did not order that much. I kept thinking the AVS error was me putting in the wrong card number. Oops. It was me putting in the wrong billing address, so I kept retyping in the card number . . . 15 times! So I quick called the company, scared and nervous. As I was calling them, in my nervous state, my true heart was revealed. It was not pretty. I said, "This is why we shouldn't be homeschooling I'm too dumb to do this!" No one was around, so I felt pretty good about saying it audibly. A thought crossed my head. A thing a professor asked me in college once that has NEVER left me, "What is it gonna take to stop you from doing God's will?" My husband wants us to homeschool, that is God's will for our lives right now. Was I really gonna let this little thing stop me? Wow! I stopped and asked God to help me and to forgive me. Thankfully I was put on hold during this time. Then a man came on the phone and assured me that everything was going to be ok. Their system debits accounts and takes the money out when it ships but that I only had 1 order shipping, not 15. I figured since I had him on the phone I would ask some questions. I asked him if I had ordered the right stuff because instead of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. they name their stuff Primer, Alpha, Beta. I thought Primer was preschool and Beta was 1st, turns out Beta is 2nd. I had ordered the wrong stuff! He was able to quick change that for me. Now see, If I hadn't made the mistake, I would have gotten the wrong stuff, thought my child was stupid because I was trying to make her do stuff that was beyond her, and I would have really been in a mess, but God had other plans. When going through life and a mess comes up, look to see how God is going to use it for Him and for our good!

What do you do when things don't go as planned?

Wednesday I was excited to be going to the doctor. I was going to getting my final cast off and getting to go home and shave my hairy beast of a leg. I didn't take my shower and wore pants so I wouldn't have to see the hairy beast or have it accidently rub against my other leg. I was going to enjoy my shower and scrub and scrub and shave and shave. Took off the old cast. Took the X-rays. Everything is going as planned when the doctor comes in and says, "It's not healed." WHAT?!

"It's not healed," he repeated. I was sad.  I told him so. I was immediately was faced with a choice I have been faced with several times in the last month and a half. Am I going to praise God and thank Him for it not being healed? You know, that's a really hard thing to do. Because honestly what if it doesn't work out for good? What if I don't get healed? What if I have to have surgery? What if, what if, what if? All these thoughts and more flitted through my head and probably across my face as I sat there digesting the words, "It's not healed."

I then choose to remain calm, and praise The Lord in my heart. The doctor was examining my X-rays during this time and he said turned around and felt the leg promptly making my toes go numb and causing my foot to go paralyzed. He said, "Yeah, it's not healed. Another two weeks in a cast." I sat there trying to muster the words of praise to our gracious Heavenly Father. The doctor left the room for something and I quick called my husband so he could be for-warned when I came out with another cast. I didn't cry, I didn't over-spiritualize. I just told him the facts. That's sometimes hard too, because I am an emotional woman and it is easier to cry than to be factual.

The doctor came back in and had all the cast stuff. I was glad I was wearing pants because of the awkward position you end up being in as he is putting on the cast. I start asking him questions and being happy and just making the most of it. We talked about Charming Charlies and how he would be the coolest dad if he went there with his daughters. We talked about his other practice. We then got on the subject of having babies and how me and my husband were done. We talked about how I loved being involved in the ministry. No, I didn't get paid but I wouldn't trade it for the world! We talked about how my favorite part is discipleship. He had never heard of that so I had the opportunity to share the gospel with him and explain that discipleship is teaching new christians how to live the christian life and how that is not confined to a book. We use a curriculum but we also help that person with their target areas, i.e. teaching a wife to not spend her husband's entire paycheck in one weekend at Walmart and Meijer. He asked me if I was speaking from personal experience and did I spend my husband's entire paycheck like that. I told him I did not. I didn't tell him my husband would make me take everything back if that were the case. I told him that one thing that helped me was when Paul wrote in the New Testament that whether he abounded or whether he was abased, he had learned to be content. I told him if that meant we get pbj 7 times that week or we could afford spaghetti, steak, chicken and all the nice stuff I was going to content and happy.

At this point he stopped what he was doing and reached for my chart and jotted something down. I don't have insurance so all of this has been coming out of pocket. It was originally supposed to be $100 for the office visit, $50 for the x-rays, and $$$$ for the actual work done (fiberglass cast). The first visit as we were talking he found out my husband was a pastor and he said he was not going to charge us for the cast. That visit cost $100 because I didn't have to have x-rays. The last visit was supposed to be $150 but he told the receptionist that it was only $100. This week when I went to go check out, the price was only $50. That was so God because we had about $30 for groceries that week and honestly I had been praying for daily bread and God sent us our doctor to give us the extra we needed!

The doctor also told me that most of the time this break does not heal and requires surgery. He told me that the healing, although slow, was a miracle! I am so thankful I chose to praise the Lord before I knew all the good God was doing. When I got home I could tell my kids were really disappointed. This has been a long journey for them. I sat them down and told them Romans 8:28. I asked them how breaking your foot could be good. I went on to verse 29 and told them that if it made us just a little bit more like Jesus than it was a VERY good thing!

So what do you do when things don't go as planned? Do you pout, do you make things miserable for everyone else? Do you hole up in your room and pretend life doesn't exist? Or do you praise and thank God for the "trouble" He brought into your life? Do you determine with God's help you are going to have a good attitude? Do you decide to serve God and love Him not matter the outcome?

Daily in the Word Discipleship Program

I have had the honor and privilege of doing discipleship with eleven ladies this past year. Two have completed the program and of those two, one is starting discipleship with another! I am currently discipling eight ladies, three of which I  had the joy of leading to the Lord! I love this discipleship program. We are commanded to reach our generation for Christ. My life verse is Psalm 71:17, 18. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. How are we going to tell everyone that is currently living about Christ? DISCIPLESHIP! In college I was told by a professor that if the current population were to stop dying and being born, and I was given one hour with ever single person to give them the gospel it would take me well over 6,000 years, and that is without sleeping, eating, etc. Only telling people. BUT, if I take just ONE person this year and lead them to the Lord and disciple them and that is ALL I do, I don't play the piano for church, I don't help in Children's Church, I don't plan ladies' activities I ONLY disciple that one person. Then next year, that person and I each lead another person to the Lord and disciple them for an entire year. The next year, us four lead four more to the Lord and disciple them, etc. etc. etc. It would only take us 35 years to reach the ENTIRE world for Christ! HMMMMMM . . . . sounds like a lifetime to me! Sounds like I could possibly reach my world for Christ! I am loving discipleship. I love having a church that loves and helps baby christians and follows the pastor in this! I have created some verse sheets to go along with Striving Together's Daily in the Word discipleship program. The link to their discipleship book is: HERE, Daily in the Word from Striving Together. We got the books, and they gave us an answer sheet. I filled in my blanks and plunged in! I made a lot of mistakes, but God is bigger than my mistakes and it is so exciting to see another lady starting discipleship and helping start this exponential growth process of soulwinning and discipleship!!!! I have created these verse sheets and 8 steps of discipleship sheets to help with the program. These are verse that are given to the disciple to learn. I print these verses on cardstock and cut them out. When it is time to learn the next verse we start on it! I also print out the steps of discipleship to give to them every time we learn a new step! I hope you can find use for them as well.  Click here: DITW verses and steps of discipleship to download the verses and steps of discipleship. I like when the book said that every person ought to have at least one disciple in their life time! Think about it. who comes to your church because of you? And not a family member! If you don't have a name or you only have a few names, what are you going to do about that? Soulwinning and discipleship can help with that! This book can help as well!

A Soul Winning Question . . .

I love to tell people about Jesus. I will admit that I get nervous but for the most part the change God has made in my life is so great. The peace I feel, the joy He gives, the strength I have, the stability God brings into my life, the knowledge that when I die I get to go to the most beautiful place ever created and live with my Savior forever is just amazing! I love it so much I want to tell as many people as I can. I am constantly looking for ways and times to tell people about Jesus. With my cast I get talked to a lot about it and I always try to say how good God has been and if possible bring the conversation over to salvation. This past week has been our Vacation Bible School. We had a young man who used to ride the buses of our church, Jackson Park Baptist. He brought his girlfriend with him. She was not saved. She was from the Seventh Day Adventist church. I prayed for her all last week to get saved. On friday God burdened me with her and I prayed all day and enlisted several others to help me pray for her. I told my husband I was going to talk to her. I was scared.
The night before on Thursday we had gone with another pastor and his family for icecream. We were talking about soul winning and how Bro. Gomaz told him to stop asking, "If you were to die today do you know where you would spend eternity?" and stop asking, "Do you know for sure you are saved?" These questions lead to debates. He told this young preacher to ask, "Has anyone ever shown you from the bible how to be saved?" "Has anyone ever shown you what the Bible says about salvation?" When I heard those words, I knew God had given me what I was to say to her.
I asked her and she said no. I asked her if I could show her and she said yes . . . and she got saved! I was also able to use this for the lady at the check out at Wal-mart! I used it for another lady who came to VBS. This is a powerful question! Think about it, Catholics have never had someone sit down with them and show them from God's words what God's word says about salvation! Most religions don't have that. They teach from a corporate level, not the one on one. And if they do have the one on one it probably isn't specifically about salvation, it might be to help them with a life lesson, or indoctrinate them about their belief system but not what the Bible says about salvation.
When I approached salvation like this it took the hurriedness out of the equation. At that point we were going to search the scriptures and not give a formula. We took our time, she read, I read and then I explained the scripture. I would even ask her after she read a verse out loud what the verse might mean. It was powerful, natural, and the best way I've ever led someone to the Lord! She had questions and we were already agreeing around the bible so I was able to show her what the bible said about her questions. She had concerns and I was able to refer back to the bible.
I want to challenge you to try this. Go and ask someone you know is not saved and ask them, "Has anyone ever shown you from God's word what it says about salvation?" If they say no, ask them if you can show them. If they say yes, ask them about that experience. Either way, you are going to have a chance to witness to them!

Time to Blog . . .

So I have time to blog now! That's just hilarious. Because a couple of weeks ago I had said, even though I wasn't blogging I was still going to keep this blog just because I love the name so much and one day when the "holey room" at church gets fixed and becomes my office (It might just keep the name holey room but drop an e!) I was going to continue to blog once a week or possibly more, depending on how many days a week I was in the office! Now, I have time! I just have to keep my computer charged!

Today I want to write about my awesome church family! The GREAT Jackson Park Baptist Church! I'm telling you what, we have a GREAT church family! When ever a person or a church goes through a trial what is really on the inside comes out. I have tried to my best, but honestly it has been God helping me to go through this foot breaking time right. One thing that motivates me to have the right attitude (at least for today) is that it is already going to be hard enough and I really don't need to complicate it with a bad attitude! The other thing that constrains me is the love of God for me and I realize that people are watching and because of that I have the chance to point others to Christ and I don't want to misuse that great opportunity I have been given! Our church has rallied around us and showered us with their love of God!

They are sending people to help clean. They are sending meals every day, even though I only asked for 2 days a week! They are organizing and helping. They have taken my name off of everything I am supposed to be doing and putting their name in its place! I have an amazing church family! I am still overwhelmed with the love of God in their life and their willingness to show it! They are a wonderful people! If you live in the Muncie/Anderson area you should seriously consider coming to Jackson Park Baptist Church located at 3611 S. Post Rd. Muncie, IN 47302!!!! I am so thankful for what God is doing! If it took breaking a foot to see the depth of character in the lives of these dear people, then it is worth it!

Enjoying the ride?

Yes, I did steal that title from a dear lady, Alicia Reagan. She was paralyzed several years ago. God has not only taught her so much, but He has also used her so much. She is my inspiration for this title. On friday I woke up like any other morning. My family was here and I had been running non stop. I had been so busy the whole time and actually had been less busy the week they were here than the week before. Too busy, now that I look back. I was also finding purpose in my busyness for Christ. But we will get to that. SO I took my daughter to school, practiced with her class, called my brother and came home. I made breakfast with my brother. I was so exhausted after the last three weeks that I went and laid down at 11 am for a nap. At one I woke up refreshed and ready to paint some nails but I didn't have a white or black polish with the long skinny brush that can make a the designs and my sister told me I could get some at Dollar Tree so a trip it was. My cute little dog, Katie was in my arms but we were using a rental car and I didn't want to disobey any rules and lose my brother's deposit so I took her back in. As I came down my steps I found unsure ground in a rock and I fell. I heard a loud pop. I just lay there hoping the pain would subside but it didn't. I then stood and was determined to get nail polish. The whole time I was thinking, I know I just broke my foot, but then a second thought, entered my head. If I have to wear a cast I REALLY have to go get the polish first because I don't want ugly toes poking out of my cast. (Yes, I realize how ridiculous that is, but if you are a woman reading this, you have probably had moments like that and if you are a man reading this, well, . . . I don't know what to tell you. My husband is fond of saying the Bible tells you to dwell with us according to all knowledge but even God didn't know what that knowledge was!) So on the way the pain became unbearable, and I've even had two babies without so much as a tylenol!!! Got to the Med Express. They rushed me in, it probably had something to do with the crying. They x-rayed the foot. The doctor came into my room with cast stuff and God helped me to hold back tears. I asked her if it was possible surgery. She said probably but it was up to orthopedic. I don't have insurance so that scares me. The whole while we were talking I noticed her accent and asked her where she was from. She was from Krakow, Poland and actually grew up on the same street my husband lived! When he came in they were able to talk in Polish. I was supposed to play for my daughter's graduation and I asked if I could still play but could she tell him I couldn't wash dishes! She laughed and said sure. When she told him that in Polish, he understood everything else except that! Lol! Needless to say, I didn't play, but I also haven't washed dishes! As I was checking out, I fell. The cast they put on was dripping wet and I slipped. Yes, Only me! They re x-rayed me. God gave me a wonderful opportunity. By this time I was getting used to the pain. He opened up the door for me to witness to the x-ray technician! She is already a christian but out of church! I was able to get her e-mail and am hoping to e-mail her this coming week. She knows she needs to be in church and was willing to come and visit us! How cool is that! You know, if that is the ONLY thing God lets happen as a result of this that's good! But I know that's not all that I'm going to learn and all I'm going to be able to see happen. I have already noticed that going in a wheelchair through stores people stare at you and then because they stare at you, they smile sheepishly when they notice you staring. I smile back and I am hoping to use this as an opportunity to witness! I am going to be meeting several doctors and nurses along the way and I am hoping to witness to them as well! I know God is going to provide. I have already seen Him do it! While at the urgent care my brother took out his card and paid for the doctor visit. I will have to pay for the cast - $200 bucks for a bit of foam and ace bandage! But I know that God is in control and has already provided a solution and I am excited to see how He is going to work! Until then I'll be enjoying my "short" ride!

Preparing for Revival

R. A. Torrey wrote "A Prescription for Revival".  I cut this article out several years ago and with all of our moves it has always managed to move with us and pop up right before a major meeting we were about to attend. This time it popped up on my husband's work bench. Last time it was in the laundry room and for a long time it hung out on my fridge.

A Prescription for Revival 

 I can give you a prescription that will bring a revival to any church or community or any city. Here is the prescription as follows:

First, let a few Chrsitians (they need not be many) get thoroughly right with God themselves. This is the prime essential! If this is not done, the rest that I am to say will come to nothing. 

Second, let them bind themselves together to pray for revival until God opens the heavens and comes down.

Third, let them put themselves at the disposal of God for Him to use as He sees fit in winning others to Christ.

That is all! 

This is a sure way to bring revival to any church or community. I have given this prescription around the world. It has been taken by many churches and many communities, and in no instance has it ever failed; it cannot fail! 

~ R. A. Torrey

How to Practically Prepare for Revival Services :

Habakkuk 3:1-3 shows us the need for revival. We all need revival. Revival is a personal thing that starts with . . . ME.  When Isaiah saw God high and lifted up in chapter 6 he then saw himself for the worm that he was.  At this point God was able to work in Isaiah's life. 

God wants revival for each of us and there are some things as women that we can practically do to prepare for revival:

1. Spend extra time in the bible and prayer. 

Pray and ask God to prepare you. Set aside a specific time every day before revival services and during revival services to talk to God and let Him talk to you. 

Pray for visitors to come and for God to give you the boldness to invite them. 

Pray for the preacher and his wife. Pray for his children. Satan is going to attack your preacher's life this week.

Pray for the guest speaker. Pray for his family. Pray for his protection and guidance. Pray that he will be Spirit filled. 

Pray for the people who will be sitting in the pews. Pray they will be spirit filled and will move at His every impulse, responding as He speaks to them. 

Pray God will speak to you. 

2. Ask God to search your heart (Psalm 139:23, 24) 

Ask God to make you moldable. Ask God to reveal areas of sin and areas of pride and areas of character flaws and areas of strife between you and other christians. Confess those sins and character flaws and get it right with your brother/sister in Christ. 

3. Say Yes to God! BEFORE he speaks to you! Say yes no matter when He speaks to you, whether it be at home, at the service, at work, at the store, etc. Say Yes. 

Determine now that whatever God speaks to you you are going to respond with a great big YES! and act on that YES! 

4. Obey God: RIGHT AWAY! All the way! and with a good attitude! This is the only way you have true obedience, is if all three of these things are present. 

5. Plan to attend every service (Hebrews 10:25) 

The service you miss will be the service God had something special for you! Cancel anything that would hinder you from coming. Don't let anything get in the way. 

It's only a week. If the dishes don't get done this week out of the whole year it's gonna be ok. 

Don't plan doctor's or other kinds of appointments on this week. 

Make revival services a priority. 

Take your tired kids, who knows if God doesn't want to call them into full time christian service and you missed it because they were tired and whiney. Use the nursery for your little ones. It will give them a break and you a break. 

6. Get to church early and stay late. Some of the best times have been at midnight after a great service just sitting and talking with people. Yes I was exhausted. Yes I could have slept but I am so glad I didn't. Those are times when lasting friendships are forged. 

7. Greet people. 

Don't just come in and sit down. Go around and socialize. Ask people how they are doing. Ask about specifics in their life, their family, their pets, their health, etc. 

8. Stay for the times of fellowship, whether it be a meal or a snack.

Sure they may not cook how you do but stay for the fellowship. Enjoy breaking bread with other believers. While you are eating tell the person how God has specifically spoken to you and what you plan on doing about it. Then ask that person how God has spoken to them. When they tell you, kindly ask them what steps they are going to take to accomplish what God has given them. Offer to keep each other accountable. Too much time, effort, and money has gone into a week of revival services to waste it on not doing anything for God because of the services. 

9. Plan to be weary (Galatians 6:7-9)

God can use that weariness. When we are emotionally and physically tired we don't have the strength to fight God spiritually. Don't miss because you are tired. That will be the best time to hear from God and respond! 

10. Prepare before revival services

Know what you and each person of your family is going to wear every day of the services. Lay the clothes out. Have all your laundry done, folded, and put away. Have the clothes for revival put in a special easily accessible spot. Wear your "church clothes" all day. When people ask you why you are so dressed up tell them you're going to revival services and invite them. Wear your church clothes. We are going to CHURCH. So dress up. 

Plan your meals for the week. Plan easy quick meals. Have convenience food available. It is only one week. It won't kill you! 

Purchase disposable plates, cups, and silverware. 

11. Remember the most important part of the service is the preparation and the follow-up.

Come into the service calm. Don't rush in. Get there early and talk with people. Don't rust out. Stay for the fellowship. Walk slowly through the crowds. Take time to notice people and talk with them.

After God speaks to you follow-up on it and make a decision and carry that decision out. Decide what you are going to do to accomplish what God has spoken to you about. 

12. Guard your "Gates". 

Ear Gate: Don't listen to rock n roll, country music, or even christian rock. Listen to godly Christ honoring music! Choose to let God minister to you through godly music.

Eye Gate: Don't look at things you shouldn't. Don't read books that dishonor God. Don't watch things on tv that is wicked and grieves the Holy Spirit that lives in your heart. If you could not turn it on if Jesus were sitting there remember that Jesus is with you, so don't turn it on! 

13. Consider a technology fast from tv, social networking, internet, etc.

14. Come to encourage others not to be encouraged. 

Look for ways to be a blessing. 

Volunteer to work in the nursery. Volunteer to make a meal for the preacher and his family and the evangelist. 

Have a willing spirit to do whatever needs to be done. 

Volunteer to clean up during the day. 

15. Invite people to the services.

Nothing makes a service more exciting that anticipating someone coming that you invited. You then have a vested interest in the service. You want it to go well, so they will come back so you pray more for the service. Invite your co-workes, friends, family, neighbors, the cash register lady, etc. 

If you have ever done any kind of party like Pampered Chef you know that they give you a big page with 40 to 50 blanks to fill in with names of people to invite because they realize that if if you ask 50 you might get 5. Do the same. Make a list of 50 names. Call them, write them a letter, facebook or email them and then follow-up the day before the services start and get commitments out of the people. If they come bring them a home baked good the next day and tell them how happy you are that they came and that you hope they come back the next night! 

What you put into a service is what you will get out of it! Give everything you have and you will see eternal rewards for years to come! 

Planted . . . Not Propped Up

My husband is going to be doing a sermon one day with this title. . . yes I did just steal it! It goes along with what I want to talk about! I'm sure he will do a much better job than I could with my little ponderings but here goes:

Today was I was reading and studying Psalm 1. This is a great little Psalm. Verse 2 tells us that we are to delight, long for, desire, God's word and we are to meditate, thinking about, muse, utter God's word day (during the day) and night (during the night season and times of gloom). So often we jump ship when hardship happens instead of turning to the one thing that will help us.

Interestingly in verse 3 of Psalm 1 we see that we will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. We all crave stability, sustenance, and success. This verse gives us a promise of all three, but on one condition, that we are daily in God's word, especially during hard times, and that we are longing for and meditating on God's word!

We have a lot of propped up christians that fall over whenever the first little bit of wind comes by, what we need is some planted Christians who are daily in God's word, thinking about it, reading it, uttering his word, longing for his word. If we will go to God's word for this life giving sustenance the next storm we come to, we might just weather a lot better! We need to go to God's word and find the Stability we need only offered and promised in His word! We need to read and meditate on God's word to get the sustenance that is only assured through God and his word! We must long for, and delight in God's word if we are to ever find the true success we all long for!

By the way, I offered my little outline to my husband for when he gets ready to preach on this subject! We shall see . . .

Still Singing . . .

This is what I imagine I look like when I'm singing . . . by now, my husband and former youth pastor Bro. Ben are rolling on the floor laughing and looking for the nearest psychiatric hospital to admit me to because this is probably more accurate to what I look like when I'm singing:

And this is what everyone is thinking when I'm singing: 

I love singing. I love to sing. (Shhhh . . . don't tell anyone but I'm pretty bad at it!) I love to sing in church. I love to be part of a large crowd that is singing their heart out so I can sing my heart out too and noone turns around to look at me strangely. I love being carried away with emotion as we sing praises to our Lord and as we learn about him through song. I love, Love, LOVE, listening to the children sing the hymns of the faith louder than everyone else! I love what they are learning as they sing. I love the Bible Truths that are becoming part of their life! I love to sing when I'm tired. It perks me up. I love to sing in my car with the cd player BLARING and making a joyful noise. Some of the greatest times of conviction I have ever had were a direct result of a hymn or spiritual song I was listening to. I LOVE practicing with people as they sing. I love playing the piano and finding the best chords to hit and listening as we learn the song together. Last night I had that privilege. There were 4 ladies in our church practicing the song, "What a Lovely Name". As they practiced, not one of those ladies hasn't been touched with some kind of sadness, weariness, or heartache this past few weeks. One lady was informed that her job is uncertain as they may be doing away with her job where she works, another one lost her job all together, one has a husband who is away on business for a week and is keeping down the fort while daddy's away, another has a child who has caused so much heartache and is currently causing heartache RIGHT NOW, this very moment as I write this and doesn't look to be an end in sight. Yet these ladies stood and practiced and sang, "What a lovely name the name of Jesus . . ." They chose to put their problems, very real problems aside and give time, energy and praise to our precious Lord and Savior. I'll tell you one thing, it did my heart good and it did my husband's heart good. The thing was, it was just a practice run before Sunday morning and already they were blessing hearts! So what's going on in your life right now? If everything is good are you still singing? If things are going exactly as you want, choose to continue to sing!

Shamed . . .

Have you ever had a moment like this one in the picture with your children? I have. Several times. Yesterday was the worst. I was in a discipleship class expounding the word of God and down comes my daughter, yelling screaming and carrying on like she was about to die! To say that I was shamed was an understatement. I honestly didn't know what had come over her. She isn't usually like this. And all of you reading this are saying, Yeah that's what all moms say! For the most part I have good kids. I understand they are kids. They do things wrong but they get punished for them. For the most part we are consistent parents. My husband is much better than me as I often forget but I have wonderful children who remind me that I forget! Seriously, Wednesday Drew came home from church and I'm busy getting dinner finished and he says, "Am I still in trouble? Do you still need to punish me, Mommy?" I don't know if my children are extremely honest, have a guilty conscious, or just think that by their reminding me maybe I'll feel like they understood and don't need to be punished . . . whatever the reason I thank them for reminding me and deal out whatever punishment I had forgotten about. This behavior of Abby was strange. She seemed out of her mind and actually kept saying that her mind was not with her. It was comical and she would shake her head side to side as she said it so I didn't think anything about it. The lady I was discipling was talking about how late her kids were up last night and how awful it had been for her kids getting up in the morning. My child comes down with yet another meltdown. Uncharacteristic. I try to love her, reason with her, get stern with her, resort to telling her the dire consequences that await should this behavior continue and all to no avail. I literally ONLY had ONE paragraph left to read  and we would be done but it was as if the whole world fell apart. This dear lady again talked about how tired her kids were this morning and it all came crashing together in my mind. All the piece exploded from their dormant places of memory and came rushing together to show me the big picture. The night before was Wednesday. Wednesdays are our late days, they just are, Thursdays are our tired days but we deal with it because we love our church and wouldn't have it any other way! Wednesday I got home, made dinner and we decided to do something fun with the kids and let them have a campout. My husband camped out with my son on the front room floor and I wimped out and camped out on my bed with my daughter. We turned on ONE netflix movie and proceeded to lay down. I was exhausted. I fell asleep almost immediately. My daughter took the ipad and started watching netflix after netflix after netflix. I have no clue when she finally fell asleep. She was sleeping on the ipad when I woke her up in the morning. Getting her out of bed was like pulling teeth. (At this point, I am not making the connection that she probably stayed up all night and most of the morning.) On the way to school she fell asleep. When we got to school she told her teacher that she had stayed up all night watching movies. (Still I'm not putting the pieces together. Call me blond, I deserve it!) I picked her up from school, brought her to church, and did some fun things with her. Tried to get her to sleep but she was strangely wired. Brought her to the first discipleship and she was good. The second one is where it all fell apart. By this time she had been up from 7:15 till 6 with no nap and very little sleep the night before. Thus the melt down. Last night is a classic example of my children being left alone. The fit she threw and did a great job of throwing was MY fault! I did not make sure she got the right amount of sleep! I had left her alone to find her own way, do her own thing and she did it with gusto it ending with a huge fit! 

Read that verse again: The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother shame. I always got a little offended that it didn't say it brings the mother AND the father shame. Why is the mom the only one getting picked on here? I think it's because we are to be keepers AT the home. We are to be the primary caregiver for our children. I know it's not a popular idea but ladies we are to be AT home raising our children. When we don't do our job they bring us shame. They do not arise up and call us blessed. Yesterday was a out of the normal example. My daughter usually gets the rest she needs. But what about the times I spend more time on the computer or watching tv than with my children. My children desperately desire my time. We have adopted the false thinking that "quality time" is somehow better than "quantity time". This thinking is FALSE. Our children need our time. They need us to play with them. Playing with them can teach them how to play with others! It can teach them how to clean up as they play. We can incorporate life lessons through acting out things as we play. Our children need us to read to them. Fun stories, yes, but Bible stories. Act out the Bible stories, make it FUN! Our children need us to include them. It is OUR job to make them feel like they are part of the family. I read a quote, People won't remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel. This is SO true of our children. They aren't going to remember all the things you say and do with and for them, but they will remember how you made them feel growing up. Just because you brought this little bundle of life into the world, doesn't mean they feel like they are part of your world. You children need this, include them in grocery shopping, let them pick out ONE snack or cereal. Include them in cooking, let them add the ingredients or use the mixer. Include them in cleanup, one of my children's favorite jobs is cleaning the toilet. Let them swish it around, or mop it up, or dust with you. Give them a sense of accomplishment at a job well done! Let them see the house cleaned up not just at your hand but with their too. Brag on them to their father when he comes home and to their grandparents over the phone. Let people know what they have done IN FRONT of your children. Make them feel good about themselves at home. 

Notice this verse says, Rod and Reproof. We all know to spank/discipline our children. We all know the importance of training our children but training doesn't just include the rod. Training isn't always the negative, it is the positive too. The reproof is just as necessary as the rod. The reproof aids the rod and helps the rod be understood. Reproof are times of just sitting and talking with your children about their day, their likes, their dislikes, how to handle situations that come up, etc. I read a quote the other day, If you don't listen to your children when they are young they won't want to talk to you when they are old because to them it was all important. That is so true. I can remember just going on and on to my mom about things that had been fun and exciting and relaying the whole story to her word for word, detail for detail and she would ALWAYS listen. To this day, I still call my mom and tell her things that happen to me, because she will listen! I want to do that for my children! I must spend time WITH my children, Quantity Time, not just Quality Time. I would challenge you as well. Are you spending time with your children or are you leaving them to themselves? If so, don't be surprised, shocked, or even angered when they bring you shame, because they will and you will have no one to blame but yourself! 

Purposed . . .

The Bible places an emphasis on purposing how you will act before a situation arises. Daniel purposed in his heart to not defile himself with the portion of the kings meat . . . Paul purposed in his spirit to go see Rome . . . Old Testament and New Testament Saints purposed in their heart and that led them to make specific decisions that changed the course of life as we know it! In our modern day there are decisions we too must purpose to make. We must purpose to live for God . . . if not we will be as shifting sand coming and going with the tide of life! We must purpose to raise our families for God . . . if not the world will raise them for the Devil! Psalms 17:3 tells us that David purposed that his mouth would not transgress. In this day of communication we talk a lot. It is said that each of us with the words we speak each WEEK could fill 500 page book! That's a lot of words! With all those words floating around and the dire warning that one day we will give account for every idle word, we need to purpose to not transgress with our mouth. When someone starts gossiping to you, determine to not sin with your mouth. Determine to not gossip! When you are confronted with the opportunity to tell a harmless little lie, already have purposed to always tell the truth. There are a lot of things we need to purpose to do before we are ever presented with the opportunity to do them! Purpose to not only NOT sin with your mouth, but Purpose to use your mouth for God and His glory! Purpose to use your mouth the edify a believer. Purpose to use your words to encourage another person. Purpose to look for and even create opportunities to share the wonderful Good News of Jesus Christ and his payment for our sins EVERY chance you get! Purpose to not sin, but if you purpose to use your mouth/words for good, if your mouth is "filled with the praise of His glory" you won't have room in there for negativity, for gossip, for lies, for contention, for anger. Purpose to let God use your words! Every moment of Every Day!

Dreams . . .

Have you ever had a dream so real and vivid and horrible that you woke up and wanted to hug your family tight to you? You knew it was a dream but it felt so real, it took a while to convince yourself that it was truly a dream? I had that last night. I dreamed that my beautiful little daughter was stolen from us. I don't know quite how she was stolen but she was. This horrible person did all kinds of horrible things to her. I knew every detail of the horrible things that were done to her because it was as if I were in her subconscious experiencing these things as well. We finally found her in a seafood restaurant and unfortunately the faceless bad guy got away. We took our daughter home, cleaned her up, washed her hair, held her and rocked her. She was listless and closed up. She didn't say much, she didn't need to, I already knew what had happened to her. I just held her. After awhile I started teaching her my Sunday School lesson from yesterday. I've been teaching through Mrs. Terri Chappell's Books, The Choice is Yours (Click Here for the Link). It is a book about the choices we make and how they affect us. Yesterday's choice was, "Choose to Be Strong". IT was talking how trials and temptations God allows into our life. It is Father Filtered and because of this we need to trust that if He allowed it, or even sometimes originated it then He is going to use it for our good and we need to choose God's strength not our own. Yesterday it was easy to stand up and tell the ladies that. I care for and love each of them and it was easy to tell them to choose God's strength . . . in my dream as I held my daughter I broke down and actually woke up sweating. It was hard telling my daughter that. I felt deeply as I told her that. It made it extremely personal and because of that very dynamic. I know God doesn't speak to us through dreams anymore but I do know He allowed that in my life to teach me something. One thing is when I speak in class next Sunday I'll be looking at them and thinking of them as my daughters and I KNOW that's going to change my passion and the way I tell them, it won't be a Sunday School Lesson I share, it will be a message I want to impact and hopefully use to shape their life! And another thing is I hope that when the time comes and my daughter does experience some great trial, I hope that I will be able to tell her to stand strong in the Lord. To take her burdens to the Lord because HE knows and not just that, He cares!

Saturdays in Hotels

I know we as a married couple need dates and I love my husband, I really do. I was looking at him in the car last night and I should have said it, but I thought, "Goodness I'm lucky. He is handsome, strong, godly, wise, and wonderful!" He could have had any girl at college I know, my roommate liked him and wanted to date him with the intent of considering him a marraige candidate and she would have been perfect for him, but instead he chose me! I don't know why, (he may have been delirious or on crack :o) but he did and now he's stuck with me. :oP. Seriously, I love him and I don't deserve him, but I'm sure glad I've got him. These past few days I have laughed with him, I have been myself, I have not had to worry about getting onto children or their emotional needs, I have been a kid at college in love with my man and find myself married to him. This has been the best gift I received this Christmas season. Husbands, Wives, whoever reads this blog, go on a date with your husband. Do an overnight thing. Trust someone to take your kids and then just enjoy your spouse. Laugh with them. Flirt with them. Kiss them long and hard. Watch tv together and get annoyed at how stupid the world is becoming. Rant and rave against idiots who don't want guns. Eat chocolate in bed together and don't care about the crumbs! Go out to eat together and look longingly in each others eyes. Find out something new about your spouse. Act like you're dating but realize you're married. ;o) Enjoy each other! Take time away from your kids. Your kids WILL survive, they may even like it and your marriage to their mommy or daddy will be better for it thus giving a great gift to your child as well! I told my husband that since my in-laws were so close I think we ought to do a all nighter a couple times a year! It has been the best time! You don't have to spend a lot of money either! Just enjoy each other! You won't regret it!

Merry Christmas

This year we find ourselves in Muncie, Indiana. I plan on dying here, just so you know! Last year this time I had my brother with me. We didn't even know Muncie, Indiana existed. We were plugging along and enjoying family and friends. We were planning our Candlelight service and looking forward to church. Last year Christmas was on Sunday. We still had a service, a short morning service. The church people did something most special. I think it was the most thoughtful thing they did the entire time we were there! They brought in presents and covered the front two pews with them for us. It was very special. We took home our presents and opened and opened and opened! I honestly don't remember what I got, I just know how special they made me feel.
This year, we are at Jackson Park Baptist Church. I feel home. We planned and executed our Candlelight service. The kids sang, Grace Has a Face and another dear man in our church sang O Holy Night. (He really ought to make a single, I'm sure he make a million!) Another lady sang, What Child is This (without practice and you would never KNOW it! I am cease to be amazed about her willingness to serve God and with such a sweet spirit!) This Christmas I am realizing afresh and anew that the best presents don't come wrapped. They are times with family laughing over a movie as you watch your children react to something you grew up watching. They are eating pb fudge from a lady in the church who accused you of trying to poison her because she tried to eat the fake ornamental cupcake jar that looked real! It is going to church and knowing you are loved and accepted with all your faults. It is being around people that aren't constantly critical but just love the Lord as you do and are just trying to serve Him to the best of your ability. It is listening to your kindergartener read! It is sitting on the bed explaining to your son how to be saved and watching as he bows his head and prays and asks God to save him! It is having a family over from the church to finish elfing them so you can reveal all that the church people did for them! Elfing is just giving someone gifts for several days before Christmas! The church people OUTdid themselves! Christmas is very special for us and it is even better being here in Muncie, IN, the best place IN THE WORLD!!!!!

Wifey Wednesdays . . .

I do believe this is my first time actually posting on Wifey Wednesday! LOL! I know, I know the road to destruction is paved with good intentions. I don't consider myself a complete failure in the blog department, I have been blogging more than when I didn't have a goal. So I didn't fully reach my goal yet, should I just quit? Of course not. Goals are good because they give you a direction. They give you something to measure. It's kinda like being a housewife. I have a lot of goals for my wifely jobs. I have this unreachable goal that my house is always clean all of the time, NO MATTER what is going on! I have a goal to be the help just meeted out for all my husbands needs. I have the goal to be the best, godliest Mom in the world. I look at people like Susana Wesley and think I want that and MORE! Sometimes I have goals and they are too big . . . but that's ok. Like the little boy who told the man after he asked him why he was shooting at the moon with his bb gun that he was never going to get it, "Well, I'm going to get a lot closer than you!" Goals are good. What are your goals? If you don't have any, go get some! If you have some and you've reached them set some more! If you haven't reached your goal, keep trying! There is still lots of time! Don't ever quit, don't ever give up!

How to Spot a Lady

I am posting about our Lady Bug Tea Party. I thought some of you might be interested. It can be tailored for any age. I did mine with girls ages 2 to 12. Most of my inspiration came from pinterest: My Lady Bug Tea Pinterest Board (click on me). Of course I didn't do everything on my board. And some things never made it to my board, they were from my head. I have uploaded the documents to http://www.scribd.com (click on me) that you are welcome to download. 

When the girls first arrived I gave them a card, Lady Bug Cards (click on me). I left one of the cards blank, so you could add your own text. The first card they received was "Proverbs 31:10 A Lady is Priceless." I printed these cards on red paper. At each station the girls collected a card. I took my daughters cards when she got home and every few days in her lunch, or on her bed, I write a note about the card on the back, thus extending the lesson they learned. I encourage her in the areas she is doing well and exhort her in other areas. That has really seemed to be encouraging to her! 

At one of the stations I had a lady who was painting nails. Here (click on me) are the instructions on page one. They were really easy and looked ever bit as good as the picture! She did an excellent job! The little girls kept going around admiring their nails and exclaiming how they were so pretty! 

At another station we had them paint a rock. Because of the time constraint I already had the rocks painted red and they added black details. Originally I thought they could blow on the spots with paint, but that didn't work as well as I thought so they painted with q-tips and it worked just fine! 

I don't have a picture of it on here, but we also did "Pin the Spot on a Lady Bug". I took pom poms, because by this time, I was tired of cutting out stuff, and tape, I made a large lady bug out of red poster board. Painted a black head, added HUGE googley eyes and a line. Then blind folded the little girls added the pom pom spots. It turned out really cute! This was also great for the toddlers. We didn't blind fold them, just let them pin on the spots!

Because a lady in Proverbs 31 is known for her sewing we did a sewing project. These ideas were not in my notes, because friday night before the party I started looking around and realized I didn't have enough for the girls to do. I went to the supply closet and prayed asking God for wisdom and free stuff! I found red and black felt. I pre-cut out red bodies, black heads, and black spots. They glued on the black spots, sewed the heads on and sewed two bodies together, adding stuffing to make a small lady bug pillow. I had a lady teach them the blanket stitch (click on me). I was surprised. This was probably their favorite part and they really seemed to get it! Several little girls went home asking their mothers to teach them to be a lady, to sew, and to cook! 

Because I am a photographer I took pictures and gave each little girl one 4x6. I then offered more 4x6's of their choice for $1 each. Unfortunately I couldn't offer every picture for free. These pictures are ones of my little girl. I let the girls take pictures with their friends as well as by themselves showcasing their outfits. 

This is my beautiful daughter, Abby. I wish I could show you every picture. Each little girl was so beautiful! 

OH YES! The outfits! I was really excited about this part! I don't know if it was I, but I think it was another mom who first mentioned doing outfits! But it morphed into a HUGE project. Yes I did end up making 6 more tutus and wings two days before the tea party, yes I was tired, but NO, I would NOT change it for anything in the world!!!!! Several little girls made red tutus, added black felt spots, and got red dollar store wings and added black spots to those! Some little girls, wore red dresses with polka dots and/or added polka dots! Every little girl came dressed so cute! Several little girls added head bands with black fuzzy wired things great for crafts - I've forgotten the name of them. We twisted them around and made them look like atenas. The little girls had a TON of fun dressing up! The dressing up part, really helped build the excitement and anticipation. I think it also helped drive home the point I was trying to make about how to spot a lady. I doubt several of these girls will forget this very soon, I know my daughter still talks about it. I made sure she has her tutu to play with in her dress up box so it can be a reminder to her to be a lady! 

This was one of the station's results. On the document (click on me) on page 1 there are lady bug thumb prints. I pre-cut everything due to time. They glued on wings, googley eyes and used a black ink pad on the red wings for the spots. 

Here is the menu, Lady Bug Menu (click on me) found on page 1 of this document (click on me). The orderves (I know it's spelled wrong, but I can't figure out the right spelling :o) turned out how the picture on my document showed them. They were very easy. I didn't have a recipe for them, I simply followed a picture. What I did was round crackers, cream cheese, red cherry tomatoes cut in wedges, an olive for the head, and fresh dill sprinkled on top. One lady went around telling the children not to eat the grass! All the children seemed to like them. And all the adults, including many of the children asked for more!    

The lady Bug pretzels didn't turn out as planned. Partly because I didn't have enough time. Partly because I didn't have enough red food coloring and I only had popcorn oil instead of regular vegetable oil to mix the white chocolate color in. Popcorn oil has an extreme bit of yellow food coloring to make the popcorn more buttery looking. As a result instead of red white chocolate, I had salmon colored white chocolate! If I had had time to dip the bottoms in brown chocolate. Then taking some brown chocolate and heating it in a plastic baggy with a little bit of oil and cutting off a small tip of the baggy I would have been able to add spots making them look a lot better. But as it was, they turned a nice salmon color and we don't stress over things that don't matter and we can't change! 

The cupcakes are missing their atena but I really didn't have time to make atenas and I thought they were fine the way they were. In the document (click on me) they show them much nicer but honestly, it got the point across and I'm not a professional cake decorator. I'm sure someone else could have done a much better job but I was content with how these turned out. The head of these are a whopper. Black or chocolate icing for the line and dots and there you go! a lady bug cupcake! 

You'll see the tables in the background. The center pieces were red poppy flowers from the dollar store - they were cheaper than gerber daisies, and although I thought I'd prefer the gerber daisies, they were just fine. Red plates, red plastic CHEAP cups, black and white polka dot napkins found at any party store, silver colored silverware from the dollar store, green table clothes for a pop of color. On each plate I added a lady bug hair bow I had made found in this document (click on me) on page 2 and 3. They were VERY easy to make, I only superglued 6 of my fingers together, (thankfully not at the same time) and hot glued the rest! 

I had grand plan to print these table tents off, or possibly use them for the lady bug cards, but that didn't happen. They are too cute to not share, so here you go: Lady Bug Table Tent Cards (click on me) and Lady Bug Water Bottle Wrappers (click on me). Instead of the water bottles, we had "Lady BUG Juice/Punch" It was a concoction I threw together, everyone was very nice and said it tasted good, but personally I thought it was bordering very close to the mediciney flavor. Just find a nice red punch and you'll be fine. 

OH! I was very excited about our black and white striped straws! I know, crazy but that was probably my favorite detail! A lady in the church ordered them for me. You can just google it and you'll get all kinds of ones you can buy! 

We tied black, red, white, and a lady bug balloon to each center piece. Not necessary but I liked the fun atmosphere it brought to the tea party. 

After we ate I took took the a stack of the 8 cards they had and went and sat in a circle with the girls. We looked at each card, read the scripture for it and I gave a little explanation for each card. I don't have that devotion for you because it was out of head. Well, not entirely I used the scripture and the cards were my points. I put it down on their level. I encouraged them to start learning to be a lady NOW. Start as children so when they are teenagers and soon, adults they will be what God wants them to be and they'll be able to teach their daughters. I explained that the time to learn to be a lady was not when they were supposed to have become a lady but yet that the time to learn to be a lady was as a child! I tried to make it very practical. I didn't do a lot of spiritualizing. Sometimes God wants us to realize He cares about every day life and how we live it! 

During this time, my husband conducted a Soldier Scavenger Hunt for the boys. I don't know all he did, you'll have to ask him! But I do know he did manly things with the boys, like jumping in bounce houses, going from clue to clue for the scavenger hunt, shooting a cross bow, painting their faces like an army man, and talking about how to be a man!