Motivated Mommy Monday's: Kids who Clean? Say what??????

That's right @ 2 and 4 my kids clean. As a neat FREAK it has always been important to me that they pick up after themselves, so that's where we started. When they were babies I would make them put away their toys after playing. Then, when they started walking I made them put their dirty dishes in the sink after eating, and their dirty clothes in the hamper when they changed, I even made them walk their dirty diapers to the trash, and get a new diaper out. For a long time those where the only chores I made them do. But as my daughter (the 2 year old) gets older I have started to think more about how to prepare her to fulfill her roles of helpmate/wife and mother. Last week Mandi over at Capitol Heights Mommy wrote a great post about the importance of training our daughters for this role, you should definitely go check it out.

I feel very convicted to raise children who understand the roles God calls them to as men and women. I feel like too many of today's CHRISTIAN marriages fail because of this very reason. Statistically, the divorce rate among Christians is 53%, that's about 3% HIGHER than the national average. I believe that PART of the reason more Christian marriages fail is because as Christians we go into marriage expecting that our spouse is going to fulfill their God give role in the marriage. However, because of the society that we live in few of us actually know how to do this. Instead, we follow the world's pattern for men and women and in a Christian marriage (any marriage for that matter) this can be disastrous! In my own marriage it has been a struggle. Those of you who know my husband and I are probably laughing because you know exactly what I mean when I say that. Josh tends to be more laid back and finds it hard to take the leadership/decision making role on and well I am definitely a strong-willed natural born leader who finds it hard to submit/serve. For a long time we struggled to accept our roles as God designed them and the result was a LOT of conflict. In the last couple of years we have really turned things around, but it was/is not easy. That's why I am determined to raise kids who not only understand their roles but fulfill them!

For me that means raising a daughter who is not only loving, respectful and submissive, but who is also able to run her household like the Proverbs 31 woman. I want her husband to have confidence in her ability to do so. It also means raising a son who is not only the spiritual leader of his home but works hard and loves like Christ. Christ who lead by example; who though he was worthy of service, came not to be served but to serve others. That is why I find it so important to teach Cherish to keep a clean house and Jeremiah to see a need and meet it.

I know that it would be much easier and less time consuming to just do it yourself but we need to remember that as Christian mothers we have a responsibility to not just keep a clean house for our family but to train our kids in the way they should go. I also cannot stress the added benefits; first it is a great way to spend time together. We try to have fun with it by making games out of cleaning, which I think has in turn taught them to find joy in serving.  Another, great benefit is that as they get better at these things my "job" gets easier, Woo Hoo! The greatest benefit is raising kids who glorify God by fulfilling the roles he has called them to.

So, here are a few examples of ways I am training my kids:

1. They help with the laundry.

• By putting their clothes in the hamper when they are dirty.
• By helping me separate all the clothes when it comes time to do the laundry. 
• By pulling the clothes out of the dryer.
• By mating socks.
• By helping putting away drawer clothes.

2. They do the dishes.

• By putting the dirty dishes in the sink.
• By pulling their chairs up to the kitchen sink and helping wash their plates, utensils, cups and snack bowls (don't worry they never wash knives and they are always supervised). 
• They also have a play kitchen that they pretend to cook in. When we bought the kitchen for our daughter @ Christmas we also bought her a play cleaning set so that she could learn how to keep her kitchen clean. It includes a broom, hand broom, dust pan, mop, hand held vacuum (which actually works), a duster, 2 sponges, 3 spray bottles and a cleaning apron.

3. They clean their room.

• They pick up their toys. I have them organized in a way that makes it easy for them. We have bins for all the small toys; balls, action figures, cars, blocks, etc. 
• They make their beds.
• They put away laundry (dirty and clean).

4. They help clean the bathroom (don't worry I use organic cleaners, there's no harm to their health).

• They use baby wipes or rags and spray bottles full of warm water to clean the counters and the toilets usually after I have already cleaned them.
•  They help sweep and mop the floors.
• They put their toys away after they bathe.

5. They help take out the trash.

6. Jeremiah has tons of play tools and lawn equipment to teach him to learn how to serve in these areas.

I know it sounds like a lot but I assure you they do not do these things everyday. The only things they are required to do daily are pick up their toys (including bath toys), put their dirty dishes in the sink and their dirty laundry in the hamper. The other things are just ways they occasionally help, they usually only do one or two of these a week. The idea is not to make them our slaves or rob them of their childhood but to prepare them for life. And no we do not pay them an allowance for doing these things, we feel like it is their contribution to the family and they should do it for that reason.

If anyone else wants to share ways to get your kids to contribute please do so. I would love to hear your ideas and see if I can incorporate them into our household.

Finally, I am NOT implying that the God given roles to men and women prohibit us form doing anything outside of what I described. I am simply saying that no matter what else we do with our lives as men and women we are required to fulfill certain responsibilities. Men are to be the spiritual leaders of the household even if they are not the primary breadwinners and women are to be homemakers even if they work outside the home.


Just some thoughts,

MEL

My First Award

Yay! I got my very first award. Mandi from Capitol Heights Mommy graciously chose me for the Best Blog Award! Thank you so much Mandi! I love your blog too.

The Rules for Accepting This Award:

1. To accept this award you must post it on your blog with the name and a link to the person who gave it to you.
2. Pass on the award to about 15 other bloggers who you recently discovered and think are great!

3. Contact the other bloggers and let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Okay, so Mandi actually gave me this award a couple of weeks ago but @ that time I really had not been blogging long enough to pass the award on to more than four blogs. However, since then I have come across some really great blogs.

So here are my 15 Bloggers:

• Sharing the Pages of Life
• Coffee, God and Me
• Beautiful Mess
• Women Living Well
• A Pretty Cool Life
• Tatertots and Jello
• Seven Clown Circus
• Wenderful 365
• Coming Clean
• The Eco-Cheap Mom
• Adventures in Diapering and Beyond
• Pixel Perfect
• Ordinary Inspirations
• Domestic Niche
• Lil Blue Boo

Enjoy,

MEL

Thursday's in His Tent: Getting to Know the Creator

I almost took the day off from the blogging world, because I'm a little worn out. Unfortunately, I had to take my husband to the airport in the wee hours of the morning and I've been busy every since. However, I just COULD NOT let that keep me from sharing the GLIMPSE of God I got this morning. Oh, and Thursday's are probably my favorite day to blog because they are all about my first love. So, let's get started:

This morning after I read a few chapters in James I decided to read a little out of "Jesus Drives Me Crazy" by Leonard Sweet (I absolutely love it!). One of the sections I read touched on how creative God must be to have made everyone of us unique. It got me thinking about how no two of us are alike, not even close. I mean it's not like there are only one or two differences between me and someone else out there, no there are tons!

I remember when I was growing up I was so desperate to find a "best-friend," someone just like me. Incredibly, I never found that friend (I had a lot of good friends but no one just like me), at least not where I was looking. I did eventually meet him when I was 14, I call him Friend or Jesus or God, etc. Ironically, I never found the kind of best-friend I was looking for because God never made her. No one on earth is like me, NO ONE.

There are a lot of people out there with similar looks, similar views, similar backgrounds, similar likes and similar dislikes, but still NO ONE just like me. Ha, I'M UNIQUE!! And so are you! Think about how incredibly intrinsic God must be to have made each of us so unique. I mean I like to think I'm pretty creative but my creativity is nothing compared to Gods. It's not even close, not even on the same scale. After all, he thought everything into being, out of NOTHING. Oh but it doesn't stop there, not only did he create everything different and unique but he created it so that it all works together for a purpose. How? How does he make it all work?

Do you think we can ever grasp all that he is? I mean when we get to heaven we will see him for ourselves and it will bring us to our knees. But even then, do you think we will really grasp all that he is? Or will we spend the rest of eternity trying to?

Just a glimpse,

MEL

Wedded Wednesday's: Finding Time Together when Life is Chaotic.

I write today's post as my husband is driving home from Fort Worth. Though it was only a day trip I know it made for a long day for Josh, which means he is going to want to head to bed early tonight. He should get home sometime after 6 P.M., maybe later if he decides to swing by the office to pick supplies for tomorrow's job. Oh yeah, did I mention he is flying to Los Angeles at 7:30 in the morning, another reason he will want to go to bed early. Ironically, Wednesday's are my busiest days of the week, especially Wednesday evenings.  Let's just say write now I'm running back and forth between cooking dinner, monitoring my son as he washes the lunch dishes, fixing my hair, and writing this post (yeah that's right my four year old does the dishes, it's only a few plates, a pizza pan and some snack bowls, but I'll save that for a motivated mommy post), .

You might ask why I would be trying to cram all of these things in at one time. The answer is simple, my son has to be at AWANA's at 6:30 and when I get back from dropping him off my husband should be home. So, my goal is to have everything that needs to be done finish when he gets home, that way I can devote my time to him. See that's what this post is all about, when life is crazy you either drop some things or make sacrifices for each other. My sacrifice is rearranging my schedule to make life even crazier right now, so that I can help my hubby pack in about an hour. That's okay though, because hopefully it pays off and we'll get to relax together afterwards.

What sacrifices will you make to ensure you have some much needed couple time? Let's face it, if it's not right now at some point life will be busy, will you be prepared to do what it takes to maintain a relationship with your spouse? After all, when life is busy that's when we need one another the most.

Just some thoughts,
MEL

Taking it to Him Tuesday's: Praying for My Community

I live in a small suburban community located on the Northeast side of one of our nation's largest cities: Houston, TX. So when I talk about praying for my community I am referring to Atascocita and Houston. Though the Lord has given me a desire to see both area's know Him and make Him known, I write today's post with a heavy heart for Houston.
In the last few months this great city has undergone some changes that may not concern most, but from a Christian point of view I am a little worried about the direction our city is headed. Though there are a few other issues that bother me like the economy, and the recent election of the cities first openly gay mayor. The issue that I am most grieved by is the construction of what will be the largest abortion clinic in North America. The clinic will be located in the former head quarters of a local bank. That's right, with a little construction on the six story 78,000 sq. ft. building Planned Parenthood will be opening the doors of this new clinic in the spring. What's even more disturbing is that they will be carrying out late term abortions.

To be honest when I first heard about this I was completely surprised. I never thought that this would happen in the Bible belt, much less in my own backyard. Houston is not only home to some of the largest churches in the country but it is also the home of the fastest growing Catholic Diocese. How can this be happening in such a religious community?

Sadly, the answer is simple, we as Christian let it happen. We are not spending nearly enough time on our knees in prayer for our communities. Let me ask you some tough questions: do you know what's happening in your community? Have you been praying for your community?  If not when will you start? Will it take something drastic before you understand the urgency?

Please don't wait any longer. Join me in praying for our nation and its communities.

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will HEAL their land."
2 Chronicles 7"14

MEL

Motivated Mommy Monday's: Keeping Daddy in the Loop

Sorry, this is so late. My husband had the day off so we enjoyed some much needed family time. Watching my husband play with the kids I was reminded of how much he misses when he is at work, from cute little things they say to their new favorites. As much as I hate that he has to miss so many things because of work the alternative is just NOT an option! However, I have taken enough psychology classes to know that the role Josh plays in the lives of our children is vital (Statistics on the importance of Fathers).

Though, most of the research focuses on the devastating affects of fatherless homes there are a few statistics that also focus on emotionally absent and busy fathers, and the results are just as detrimental. That's why as a motivated mommy I want to do everything in my power to make sure my husband stays connected with our kids. My husband is in NO way emotionally absent, but sadly as a father who works he can get a little busy. So, I have made it my personal responsibility to make sure he stays in the loop.

I try to tell Josh as much about the kid's day as possible, especially any first, or new favorites. That way, when he decides to sit down and play with the kids he knows that Jeremiah would rather play board games or Leapster games than cars or action figures (which he would have preferred last month).  If he wants to read to them he will know that right now Jeremiah is really into his tag. Or let's say Cherish is standing next to him repeating something over and over. Two weeks ago he would have ignored her because he knew she just liked saying it; however because I informed him, he knows that if he ignores her now he will get a "Daddy, I'm talking to you. Hey DADDY, I'm talking to you," which might be followed by pulling his face in her direction.

These things might seem small but I have discovered buy taking a few minutes to fill my husband in I'm saving him hours of time. That way rather than spending half an hour trying to figure out what to play with the kids he can just grab something he knows they like and start playing. Or rather than spending fifteen minutes trying to decide on a book he can just grab one and start reading. The way I see it dads have so little time with their kids so if we can help them make the most of that time we are doing them AND the kids a huge favor.

I think because we SAHMs are around our kids all the time, we take for granted the value of knowing the little things about them and just fail to realize that our hubbies could use that information too. Hopefully this post gets us thinking and reminds us of the importance of filling daddy in.

Just some thoughts,
MEL

Thursday's in His Tent: ?

Last Thursday I expressed how I wanted to know God more, how I wanted to meet with Him face to face. So when I was thinking about how to expound on that in today's post I wanted to share something new I had learned about God's character this week. However, I could not think of anything new I learned about God this week. In fact, because I am going through the Pauline epistles I have mostly been reading about how we should act as Christians. The rare references to God's character revolve around three characteristics; his saving grace, his power/strength, and his providence. All three are characteristics I know very well. So I was stumped, what was I supposed to write about?

Around 3 p.m. when I still had not figured it out, I decided to sit down and just write about the three characteristics above, but God had other plans. Before I could even get started our internet froze up. I prayed about it because I am working on doing that more, and when I still could not get it to work I saw that as a sign God did not want me blogging at that moment. So, I decided to work on a few of  the chores and cook dinner. All the while I was still thinking about what this post should be about...

Finally, it hit me. All week God has been speaking to me about praying, listening, and turning my concerns over to Him. In fact, the clearest lesson came this morning as I did my current Bible study. See, today's study was all about communicating with God; reading scripture, asking questions, confessing sins, sharing concerns and joys. If you are perceptive you might see where this is going.

That's right, last week I was expressing my desire to draw nearer to God, and this week he was expressing his desire to know me more. I know you are probably thinking because God is all knowing he already knows everything about me, and you are right. However, the idea is more that God wants me to be real with Him. Not because he already knows everything, but because it is the only way we can have a genuine relationship. If I want Him to let me draw nearer, than I must also let Him draw nearer.

Lets take a look at David, have you ever considered why it was that God refers to David and only David as a man after his (God's) own heart. I have a thought, maybe it was because David was so real with God, sometimes even brutally honest. Think about it the Psalms are full of David's cries to God. In Psalm 13 David asks God some hard question, questions that some of us would never dare ask God. Yet David did and he is referred to as a man after Gods own heart.

I guess what I learned this week is that God wants to know me intimately, even if it means sharing some raw feeling. See, not always but usually I hold back my frustrations out of respect, and keep trying to see Gods reasoning. What God showed me today is that he can handle whatever I have to say, in fact, he wants me to come to Him with it. Then and only then can he reveal Himself to me.

God wants to know the real you too. Do you have any emotions or questions you are holding back? Or do you just need to spend more time with Him? If so try it, you will be surprised.

MEL

Wedded Wednesday's: Receiving his Affection.

Okay, just to be clear from the get go, this post is NOT about sex. By affection I am talking about just that, his tender or fond feelings towards me. For example; hugging, kissing, cuddling, holding hands, wrapping his arm around me and verbally expressing his love for me. See, I am really bad at letting my husband do these things. Partly because as a mom I am soooooooo busy and partly because it just makes me feel awkward to be praised or admired. Oh and I am a little claustrophobic so any time I feel stressed I need my space.

Josh has made it clear it upsets him when I won't let him love on me because I am too busy or too stressed. So I try to make more of an effort to just let him hold me when he wants to. I mean if I am not going to burn dinner or the kids are not about to hurt each other, than why not? What will a few seconds hurt or even a few minutes? I really have made some progress with the whole not being too busy thing. I mean I want to be a Mary not a Martha, even if my type A, perfectionist, slightly ODC personality leans naturally towards Martha. If you're not familiar with my analogy I am referring to Luke 10:38-42, where Jesus is visiting with Mary and Martha in their home. Martha hurriedly tries to clean the house so Jesus will be comfortable, while Mary simply sits and visits with Jesus. So, an understandably aggravated Martha asks Jesus to rebuke Mary for not helping her clean. Instead, Jesus rebukes Martha for not realizing what is more important from an eternal perspective, a clean house or a relationship.

So while, I have made some progress on the being too busy front, I still struggle with the whole claustrophobic thing. For a while, I just figured because it was a condition there was nothing I could do about it. However, a while back I realized I was going to have to work on it regardless. I wish I could say it was because I felt so bad about hurting Josh's feelings (which I do feel bad about); however the realization actually came to me when I started noticing my daughter do the same thing. I'm not sure if she learned it from watching me or if she is just as claustrophobic as me. But regardless of why she does it, I do not want her to continue doing it!

For the first time I really got to see what it looks like from an outside perspective. That's when I made a decision to work on that as well. To be honest, it was not easy at first and sometimes (more than I like) I still struggle with it. However, I can see the progress I have made. I now realize that though the anxiety I feel is real, it CAN be overcome. I just need to exercise a little self-control and not freak out.

Oh, and let me just say by willingly receiving all the affection Josh dishes out I feel much closer to him. In fact, I would go as far as to say our marriage is better than it has ever been. Sadly, it is not because the love has increased (though it has done that in the last 5 years), but simply because I chose to receive the love even when it seemed inconvenient. Wow, that sounds bad, please tell me I am not alone in this? Someone else must know what I am talking about...

Anyways, take it from me it is so important to receive your husbands affection.

MEL

Taking it to Him Tuesday's: Praying for My Kids Mommy

Okay, so I know this is way late. Sorry, I had a rather eventful day. Let's just say there's nothing quite as challenging as raising kids. In fact, today I was what Mandi over at Capitol Heights Mommy calls squeezed, and what came out was ugly, and ungodly.

I was so frustrated that until about an hour ago I had not even sat down to think about today's post. At first, I thought it should be about praying for our children. I mean, the way my kids acted today they obviously need a little extra prayer. However, after a little more thought I realized what I really need to be praying about this week is ME! Though I do need to pray about my character in general, tonight I feel strongly convicted to pray about the way I respond to my kids less than perfect moments.

The way I see it, God trusted these two beautifully precious kids to me.

As Gods steward I have a responsibility to not just raise them to become children of God, but to treat them as children of God. To be as patient with them as my Father in Heaven is with me. To show grace and forgiveness to them, again as my Father in Heaven does to me. To be gentle and kind with them, also as my Father in Heaven is with me. To enforce godly discipline, rather than acting out of anger. Finally, to love them unconditionally and without ceasing.

To be honest, I can't do those things on my own. When squeezed those are just not the things that come out of me. That's why I need to pray for my kids mother, because she cannot be the mother God is calling her to be without God's help. It's just not in her.

What about you? Could your kids mommy use some prayer?

MEL

Motivated Mommy Monday's: Teaching Kids Godly Courage

I decided to write this post because I am reading in 2 Timothy and this morning I came across one of my favorite verses to pray over my kids, 2 Timothy 1:7.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

 See, I have a 4 year old son who has been having nightmares for a couple of years now and a 2 year old daughter who has just recently started having nightmares. I'd like to say that by now my husband and I have become experts at dealing with the scared to go to sleep issue, however, we are discovering that overcoming fear is a long process. Hopefully you can learn from our journey.

When we first started waking up to a shrill scream it terrified us. I remember waking out of a dead sleep to the most awful sound in the world (my baby screaming from terror), jumping up and stumbling out of bed 8 months pregnant and in a daze as my husband sprinted down the hall to rescue our son from whatever was attacking him. Of course, once we reached his room we discovered he was only having a bad dream. I say only because my husband is at his worst when he is woken up  in the middle of the night, lets just say for him not to be upset you had better be seriously injured. Josh is a great dad he just doesn't think clearly when he's half asleep, so needless to say when I got to the room and realized why Jeremiah was screaming I knew I was going to be the one to comfort him.

For the first few months the nightmares where rare, so when he had one I would just sit on the floor next to his bed singing to him and rubbing his back until he fell back asleep. However, as he grew and his brain developed the nightmares became more frequent. Once that happened he started to fear going to sleep, especially in the dark. So, on the nights Jeremiah was really scared Josh would lie on the floor until he fell asleep, and if he got up in the middle of the night I would comfort him. After about another four months we realized that strategy was not working, especially since we had a newborn in the house. It was apparent we were going to have to teach him to face his fears. After all, we had a son who was scared to go to sleep and all the coddling in the world was not going to help him. The problem is how do you teach courage to a 2 year old?

We tried everything to help him to feel safe. First we left lights on, and then we tried stuffed animals, we even let him sleep with his laser gun and a foam Astros bat a few times (you know so he could defend himself if need be). I have to say the bat worked well... for about a week. So at least a year after all this had begun we were still no closer to helping him overcome this fear. Finally, after one exhausting night he woke up again, weary I tried to calm him. When he finally started to relax I realized we had a problem we could not solve on our own. So, I did as I always do when I come to that realization, I desperetly began to pray; calling out to God for help and praying over Jeremiah as he finally feel back asleep. That was our turning point.

The next night as I was saying good night, Jeremiah was begging me not to leave the room. So, with my new found strength I asked Jeremiah if he would like for me to pray specifically that he not have any bad dreams. To which he excitedly replied yes, so I began to pray. I specifically prayed that God would vanquish any bad dreams from his head. Then, God brought to my mind 2 Timothy 1:7, so I prayed it aloud. After, that he just let me leave. No crying, no getting out of bed...nothing. Oh, and that night he slept great.

So we had a new nightly ritual. I wish I could say that was the end of it, but eventually he did have another nightmare. We countered it with more prayers as we continue to do. The fact is Jeremiah still occasionally has nightmares, however, he is learning to deal with them. Prayer has been a huge help, in fact, I no longer have to ask Jeremiah if he wants me to pray over his dreams...because now he just tells me when he needs me to do it.

That brings me to this morning, as I read 2 Timothy 1:7 I began to reflect on what that verse has come to mean to my family over the last few years. I also began to reflect on how God taught my son threw all this. Though it has not been easy to watch my son through this struggle to overcome fear, I now realize I would not have stopped the events of the last two years even if I could have. See, my son has learned a couple of great life lessons. First, he learned the power of prayer. We had been praying with Jeremiah nightly way before he started having nightmares, however, this was the first time he had a specific prayer that he saw answered. Second, we have all learned the power of praying scripture. It's not like his fear just disappeared, instead he is discovering the power, and the love and the self-discipline that it takes to overcome ALL fear. My son now has the self-discipline to not let fear overcome him, but instead remember that The All Powerful loves him and is on his side. That is a characteristic that will save him so much pain in the future. So, I gladly trade a few years of minor fear for a lifetime of major fear.

I wanted to share this because I know there is someone who needs to hear it, even if it's not for the reason I think. Maybe you have a child who is struggling with something else and you just need to be reminded that God is not just putting them through this for no good reason. He will use it for their benefit. Or maybe your about to enter this stage and God wants to save you some grief by showing you what to do before your knee deep, like we were. Either way I hope this helps.

Finally, I would like to share a few other verses that are helpful in this situation:

Psalm 4:8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD , make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 46: 1-2a God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.

MEL

Thursday's in His Tent: What do I know?

Okay, so I know the name I chose for Thursday's might seem a little peculiar, but I believe it is more significant than any other name I have chosen for this blog. See, it is my desire to dedicate Thursdays to God, because I want to know Him more. So, when I was trying to decide on a name for Thursdays God reminded me of the "tent of meeting".

The "tent of meeting" is where Moses would go to speak with God. At this point you might be thinking a lot of people spoke with God in a lot of different places, what's so special about this place? Well, for that answer we need to look at Exodus 33: 7-11. This section of Exodus tells us about the tent. Specifically verse 9 says, "As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses." Then in verse 11a it says, "The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend."  So, though I will not meet with God in a literal tent, it is my desire to have Him speak to me face to face as He spoke to Moses in the "tent of meeting." I want to see His face. By that I mean I want to get a glimpse of who he really is.

On April 26th I will celebrate 10 years with my Savior. And in ten years as a Christian I have learned a lot about God. I have read the Bible through and through. I have attended numerous bible studies. I have a Bachelors of Science in Religion from Liberty University and I have experienced God first hand. Yet, I feel like I know so little about Him and I know I am not the only one who feels that way.

The truth is none of us can truly comprehend who God is. In fact, until we meet Him on that glorious day we are all just clueless. But does that mean we should stop trying to understand Him, to know Him? I don't think so. In fact, I think it's just the opposite. We need to seek him wholeheartedly. Even if all we get is a glimpse of who he might be, because just a glimpse can change us forever. I think Addison Road says it best in the song "What do I know of Holy." The second verse goes like this:

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

I love this song, because it's reality. In fact, I'd like to take a little more of your time to  focus on the three lines not highlighted. 

I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page

See, I think that is exactly what happens when we stop trying to seek God's face. It's as if we become numb to the gospel. Because when we lose sight of who God is we also lose sight of exactly what he sacrificed for us. Then ministry becomes more of a trend than sharing the grace we have received.  


Just some thoughts on what God is teaching me,
MEL

Wedded Wednesday's: The Willing Wife

Obviously Wednesday’s are going to be dedicated to being a godly wife. I chose Wednesdays because there seems to be a blogging trend out there dedicating Wednesday to being a better wife. Therefore, because everyone is already in the wife mindset I thought I would get a better response if I carried on the trend and stuck with Wednesday.

So, without further ado:

Today’s post came to me while I was trying to figure out what to name my Wednesday posts. Since we will be talking about being a better wife to our husbands who are MEN I jokingly threw out The Willing Wife Wednesdays. Of course, I was never serious about that title in that context. After all, being a godly wife is about way more than just meeting our husband’s sexual needs. However, the more I thought about it… the more I liked it. Not because of its sexual implications, but rather because in recent days my biggest struggle as a wife has been willingly serving my husband. See, too often (not always but too often) I serve him out of obligation and occasionally with resentment.

I think it’s dangerous when we as wives start to think of certain chores as part of our job description as a wife. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying we have no responsibility as a wife to do the laundry and wash the dishes and have dinner on the table at a decent hour, or even have sex with our husbands on a regular basis. Rather, I think in the right frame of mind, that is exactly what we are supposed to do. But here’s the thing, it is NOT a J-O-B! See, when you work a job: you get paid, and you have set hours (meaning you get a break), and you usually have reviews that tell you how you are doing and how you can improve, and sometimes you even get awards our rewards. However, as a wife we do not normally get those things. But, when we look at our responsibilities like a J-O-B we start to subconsciously act like we should be getting those things. And in turn, we start to resent our boss husband.

So, that might seem a little harsh. Trust me it is just as hard for me to swallow as it might be for you. But we have got to stop looking at being a wife as a job. Instead, we need to do those things with a willing heart, out of service to our husbands and our Lord. After all, we are called to be helpmates. In my experience, that means taking care of the house, the kids, and all the day to day things so that my husband is not distracted by them. Therefore, he can focus on the tasks God has put before Him. See, as Christian women we all want our husbands to serve God and be a man after God’s own heart. However, we do not always see that supporting them in that endeavor requires more than just words of encouragement.
Personally, God has been convicting me that my responsibilities to my husband are more than just a job; they are an opportunity to serve him and support him. So, from now on I plan on doing those things because I love my husband and I want to make his life easier and stress free. Also because I want to enable him to be the man God calls him to be.

One final note: there is a saying that goes like this, “Behind every great man is a great woman.” I think the world would have us believe that is because she was there to smack some sense in him when he got out of line. But more likely it is because she supported him in these ways and enabled him to be all that he could be.


Just some thoughts on what God has been teaching me,

MEL

Taking it to Him Tuesday's: Praying for Lost Family and Friends.

Well, as you can hopefully tell from the title, Tuesday's will be dedicated to prayer. I choose Tuesday because it is my least stressful day of the week; therefore, I can devote more time to prayer. Sometimes this post will be about what I am praying for and sometimes it will be about what the Holy Spirit is teaching me about prayer. Either way it is my hope that you will join me in praying.

I am writing today's post after a bitter sweet morning. My husband and I attended the funeral of a friend's father this morning. It was bitter because our friends are obviously saddened by their loss of a father and grandfather. However, it is oh so sweet to know that he is now with the Lord. Though our friends and their two young boys will miss him for the rest of their days on earth, they find comfort in the Fact that they will see him again.

After the funeral I was thinking about how I hope that I never again have to attend  the funeral of someone who did not receive Christ as savior. Of course, after going over the list of all my loved ones, I realized that if they were all to die today way to many of them would die unsaved. In fact, some of the people I cherish most in this world would fall into that category, including my father. That reality chills me to my bones. 

To be honest I try not to think about it too much because I cannot bear the thought. However, God has made it clear to me that I need to think about it and pray about it now while I still can. After all, the possibility of not seeing my father and other loved ones in heaven is a lot easier to face than the reality of not seeing them there. I need to become more fervent in my prayers for them. 

I also need to be more fervent in praying for the strength and knowledge to share Christ with them. I have never been afraid to share the reason for the hope that I have. However, in recent years I have become lacks about doing it. I guess I was trying not to push Christ on them, but in the process I have almost given them over to Satan. Thank God that reality has finally set in. We are in a battle for those we love and we can either fight for them on our knees or we can stand back and watch as Satan steals them from us!


Please join me in praying for my lost loved ones to find Christ. I will certainly join you in praying for yours. In fact, if you post their name in my comments box and their relationship to you I will gladly pray for them by name. 


MEL

Motivated Mommy Mondays: Sharing the Word with my Kids

Okay, it's official now Mondays will be dedicated to being a godly mother. I added the word "Motivated" because I am a mommy on a mission: raising kids who know and love the Lord so much that they want to serve Him and glorify Him every day of their lives.

Today's topic first came to me a little over a month ago. I was thinking about a topic no parent wants to consider but every parent has the responsibility to consider: who would raise our kids if something happened to us? The answer to that question led me to another question: what would I want them to remember when raising my kids? Immediately I knew of most importance to me was that my kids know the word of God inside and out. See, I not only believe Hebrews 4:12 but I have experienced it on numerous occasions. 

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

 I am not foolish enough to think if a child is raised in a Christian home, sees a Christian example, and maybe even experiences God's love and power first hand, than he or she will no doubt receive Christ as savior. Actually, I have known way too many kids who grew up in that very environment only to spend the rest of their lives running from God. However, I know from personal experience once the Bible is ingrained in you it is there forever. I can also verify that it does indeed "judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." It gives us a conscience. 

I have full confidence that if scripture is instilled in my kids, then no matter how far from God they may get the Holy Spirit will eventually use those scriptures to remind them of their true identity in Christ. Eventually leading them back to Himself. 

After thinking about all of this I realized, though this is the one thing I would want my kids guardians to instill in them, I am not doing such a great job at it myself.  We do a few things but not nearly enough.  So I am writing today's blog with the hope that some of you could suggest some creative ways of teaching kids scripture.

Here are some of the things we already do:

• Our son attends AWANAS weekly where he learns a new memory verse every week.
  
• We try to read a devotional or Bible story to our kids every night (though we have not done so well at that recently).
• When disciplining I also refer to a book called "Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments" by Kara Durbin

• Finally, I try to pray scripture with my kids whenever the opportunity arises.

Any suggestions would help,
MEL

Fruitful Friday: Blessed in 2009

Sorry it's a little late. We spent all of Friday and most of Saturday helping some friends who needed us.

It was not hard at all to think of what I was most thankful for in 2009. Three things really stood out.

The First blessing was our new van. After years of wanting a new vehicle God finally blessed us with the money to purchase one in March and a great one at that. The journey was not easy but well worth the wait. Though our old car did the job, we wanted something bigger and knew we would eventually need bigger. In fact, though we had the seat space we were already quite cramped. On top of that, our car had been wrecked twice and both times I was driving. Thankfully, the kids were not with me so they always felt safe in it but seeing the impact two minor accidents had on that car I was a little uneasy about how safe it was.

In 2008 we thought we were going to be able to purchase a new vehicle but God directed us to wait. At first we were frustrated but then we thought about how faithful he had been to us in that department. For instance, all the issues with that car were cosmetic. The engine ran great and the AC was fabulous. Plus, though I had been in two wrecks (both when I was pregnant) I was unharmed. If you had seen the car after the first wreck you would understand just how faithful he has been to us. So after thinking about all that, I was okay with waiting. My acceptance made 2008 a lot less stressful. We knew our God would come through for us and boy did he.

In March of 09 (about a year later) we were able to purchase a slightly used (less than 15,000 miles) Dodge Grand Caravan for significantly less than we would have paid in 2008 (due to the economy). On top of that we were able to put down just under half of what it cost. Oh and did I mention it meets all of our needs and then some. We were finding awesome additions well into May. Best of all we should have it paid off before the one year mark.

The second blessing that stood out might just prove to be the best blessing of all. I finally finished my degree! Woo Hoo! Finishing school with two kids is not easy and there were many late nights when I wondered if it was worth it. I was neglecting my family, sacrificing my kid's mother and my husband's wife. And believe me, it was showing in all of our behavior. Though it was not easy, I chose to stick it out, because I knew God had called me to get my degree. I was sure of my calling and sure God would enable me to do it. After all, He is holy and a holy God would not punish me for doing what he asked. In June I finished and I've been making up for all the lost time. I can honestly say my marriage is better now than it has ever been. And well while we are still trying to correct some of the behaviors that the kids started while mommy was so busy, I know that because my God is so faithful my kids will turn out fine. After all, they are in His hands.

The third blessing that stands out was actually given to us in 2008. However, I don't think we realized how much of a blessing it was until this year. This blessing is actually a number of blessings that fall under one name: The Schoolcraft/Patterson Lifegroup (our Sunday school class). The class was started at the beginning of 2008 and we are truly blessed to be a part of it. I cannot tell you what a blessing it has been to live life with these guys. They have really become like family to us. I think the biggest blessing given to us threw them has been spiritual growth. They challenge us to honor God in every area of our lives and they hold us accountable. Thanks to all of you guys for being such good friends and for doing your best to follow God and glorify Him daily. Oh and 2010 is already turning out to be great because it started with you guys. Love ya!

Thank you Lord for these and many other blessings in 2009,

MEL