To Complain Or Not Complain

1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even the weather.

2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances which you art not.

3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another.

4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been or were otherwise than it was.

5. Never dwell on the morrow.

It is God's, not thine.I have found that it is very easy to complain about health, weather, others, our lot, our house, our car, our pets, our family, our hair, our shoes, our everything.Take the challenge........catch yourself before you start to go on and on and on about how you're feeling, your lot in life, and everything else.Replace it with a smile, do it whether you feel like it or not and you might just like it better than filling people in with the horrid details of your life.You will be surprised at how this is not as easy as it sounds. We are so used to ......uh......being human.
by Mrs.Mo

Lay Me Down In Peace

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalm 3:8



A family is the formation center for human relationships. The family is the place where the deep understanding that people are significant, important, worthwhile, with a purpose in life, should be learned at any early age. Edith Schaeffer


There has been a bunch of activity here this week. After such a calm peaceful January,

I'm slowly starting to feel that nesting and getting ready for the arrival of our newest treasure. I'm so pleased to have a few things knit for this wee one.

Our days have been starting much earlier now with the sun peaking up just after six. When the older boys get home from delivering their papers they are staying up now. It's been wonderful to add in a couple more hours to our busy day. Starting with getting the laundry going right away. Oh what a difference it makes to get those 3 loads done. The children and I have been doing much more reading together. With not napping this gives me a good hour to rest on the sofa and all the children in one place together. I find by the later afternoon it takes much more effort to keep going as I get closer to the end of my pregnancy I'm getting more and more tired. I am just so thankful for Chris when he gets home from work and right away as soon as his work boots are off he's asking how he can help me out.

We have found with the children rising early bedtime is much earlier now too. Our youngest little man is hitting the hay right after dinner. I love seeing him all snuggled up in my big bed like a little prince.

This weekend Chris and I attended a wonderful seminar on peer influences on children. Nothing that this doctor spoke on was new information to us, but the Lord used him to remind us of just how important keeping attachments with our children is.

The Dr was explaining by peers being so important to our children we lose their attachment and they attach to their peers. Matthew 6:24 came to me right away and I whispered it into Chris's ear. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other..."

It was affirmed over and over how important it is to keep your children with you. The Lord is showing me is such a strong way that if I want to raise children to choose the Lord as their God, we MUST MUST MUST reject the world's very poor advice that our children "need" to socialize outside the home. We must believe the Lord with all our heart when He says, "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate."

I must say it is a huge blessing to be on the same page with your spouse on parenting.

Thomas a Kempis

My sweet little lady

An oldie, this is with baby #4 almost 4 years ago to the day.

If though withdraw thyself from trifling conversation and idle goings about, as well as from novelties and gossip, thou shalt find thy time suffucient and apt for good meditatation. The greatest saints used to avoid as far as they could the company of men, and chose to live in secret with God. One hath said. "As oft as I have gone among men, so oft I returned less a man." This is what we often experance when we have been long time conversation. For it is easier to be altogether silent than it is not to exceed in word. It is easier to remain hidden at home than to keep sufficient guard upon thyself out doors. He, therefore that seeketh to reach that which is hidden and spiritual, must go with Jesus "apart from the multitude." No man safely goeth abroad who loveth not to rest at home.

I love you

Solitude

At the end of December I felt this strong desire to seek a time of solitude. A time to pull away from outside activities and stay at home. I have struggled a little along the way with the urge to "get out". I wasn't even sure why the Lord was leading me this way. Until I read this today.....

" In my solitude, I begin to realize that most of the good things available in my culture designed to keep me busy and occupied are not what they seem to be: so many good experiences, good works, good motives and intention begin to be seen for what they really are - self-centered diversions intended to keep me entertained and falsely thinking that in some way I may be contributing to the lives of others.

I learn to recognize and control my compulsive search for self-fulfillment that the purpose of God may be done in my heart. Because I have limited my involvement outside of my home, I have fewer meetings and projects to tend to. I also have fewer phone calls to make and receive; therefor , fewer assurances of my importance and value to others... fewer contacts with people... fewer friends.

All this leaves me with just me . . . vulnerable, weak, sinful, broken, naked . . . only me. I have no need to wear a mask or pretend I am something that I am not. I must now begin to face "me" the way I truly am. But it is so terribly lonely and unappealing that my natural compulsion is to pick the phone, go visit someone, do an errand, or any number of things so that I can forget my inadequacies and make myself believe I am really something.

If I have allowed myself to face my true nature, then I have begun replacing my will full desires with God's special, individual will for me. As a home school mom, my work is now at home but there is no one to see the good works I do there . . . no pats on the back . . . no smile of encouragement . . . none of the affirmation that I so desperately need.

But I make the decision, nevertheless, to embrace my solitude as God's will for me. I know He has much to teach me, but even as I take up the cross of solitude and allow Him to Lead Me to the place of death to myself, God is all I have left and I then must turn to Him, and abandon myself completely into His presence.

There is yet one more step to take in my solitude. It is easy to substitute fleshly diversions at home for those I gave up outside my home. If I allow the Holy Spirit to take me to the place of consecration - separating my members and all my faculties unto the Lord, as Romans 12:1, 2 commands, then I find more of self to contend with - more of my carnal nature rises up, for now I must also curb my television viewing and reading material. But if I make a "decisive dedication" of my mind to the Lord then I will begin to require only that which is pure, holy and true for the feeding and nurturing of my heart and mind - the Word of God and other literature directed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

How unappealing! But as I seek to know the Lord, He is faithful to reveal His truth to me, faithful to do the work in me, and faithful to bring me through, in victory, to the other side of my solitude, to the place where I no longer feel lonely, no longer feel insecure or weak. The God of miracles has literally transformed my weaknesses into His strengths and made me more fit for His calling on my life. And so He unexpectedly has also made me able to bless others with the Life that has filled me; for my old self is now dead and He lives and reigns in me. The secret then, of solitude, is that as I am confronted with my own sinful condition it compels me to surrender myself, yielding totally to the Lord."

Pride

My name is Pride.

I am a cheater.

I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of contentment...because you "deserve better than this."

I cheat you of knowledge...because you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing...because you're too full of me to forgive.

I cheat you of holiness...because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.

I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window.

I cheat you of genuine friendship...because nobody's going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love...because real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.

I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince you to seek your own.

My name is Pride.

I am a cheater.

You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you.

Untrue.

God has so much for you, I admit.

But don't worry...If you stick with me,you'll never know.

-Broadman & Holman

Tea Time

I have never cared for the taste of Red Raspberry Leaf tea, but the benifits are HUGE it strengthens and tones the uterus, to prepare the womb for childbirth.
I have been drinking 3-4 cups daily.

Isn't Chris AMAZING?!

I sure didn't make these...........but Chris sure did.