Smile it is Friday!

I saw this on Carolyn Mahaney's Blog and thought it was to funny not to pass especially since some of us will be facing the dreaded "math help" this year!
Have a great Labor Day weekend!
P.S. Is anybody out there?

READ ON!

The first Chapter of Carolyn Mahaney's book "Feminine Appeal" calls us to 1) Encourage one another in what is good from Titus 2:4-5. 2) To be a part of "Biblical Mentoring" . 3) And to understand how these virtues bring honor to the Gospel.
I thought of an incident in my life that illustrates these thoughts:
When the kids were still young: (I think 10, 8, 5 and 2 )David was going on his first overseas trip. He would be gone a week and he had not done that sort of trip ever. I began weeks before he left to think of what would happen to us should "something" happen to him. Day after day before the trip, I let my imagination run wild with these thoughts: "He would die in the plane crash and I have to raise the kids all alone." I imagined what my life would look like without him...what the funeral even looked like!!! I was a basket case. And on the day before he was to leave, "Miss Sally" called and noticed that I was notably upset. She asked what was wrong and no sooner did I get the first word out "David is...." that I began to cry uncontrollably. She calmed me down and let me get it all off my chest...the fear that something would happen, the anxiety of what my life would be like and the hard future I would face without David. She heard all this and then calmly told me that I was getting ahead of what God had revealed to me. She asked if I had a "special revelation" that allowed me to see what God would do. Between sobs I said "No". She then proceeded to tell me I was sinning. I was fabricating a future I knew nothing about. I was not trusting God and therefore was acting on no faith.
How hard it was to hear that, but how good it was to "know" that truth. She loved me enough to get my thoughts and actions aligned with the truth of God and His word. I repented of that sin and confessed it honestly and humbly before God. David left and he returned.
I realized I had been carried away by my imaginations and it took a Godly mentor who loved me and encouraged me to pursue what was good...God's truth.
How about you?...are there an stories you'd like to share?

What is good?

I remember as a young Christian wife and mother that often I was overwhelmed with my emotions and physical limitations. Not only was I a new wife with new responsibilities but I was a new Christian. I knew that because the Lord saved me, it meant that I had new life and my it needed to be different than the world's view of wife/mother/woman. But I was not sure how that was supposed to "Look" like. As David and I started attending our local church, two women in particular: "Miss Sally" and "Miss Pat" began to invest their lives in me and they became the most valuable of friends for the next 12 years! I would run to them for help when I did not know how to cook pot-roast, when our first child was born (and the next three) , when the girls would not sleep, through toddler-hood, how to discipline with love and self-control, lost jobs and so many other events in my life. At the time I did not know they were fulfilling God's mandate of Titus 2: "Older women likewise, are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good and so train the young women to love their husband and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their husband, so that the word of God may not be reviled."
Carolyn Mahaney's book is grounded on that same premise...Godly mentoring and how these virtues honor the gospel.

Last night the "Naples Girls" began Carolyn's book "Feminine Appeal" and we began by asking two questions. (Everyone was asked to jot the answers down in their journals ). The answer is not for now, but to look back at the end of our study. The first questions is "What do you hope to gain from this time of study? and the second is a fill-in the blank: "I long to have___"
We also discussed what is our greatest challenge at this time...Many of us saw our own motives, emotions and perceptions as the greatest challenge. We know that how we think will affect how we act. Carolyn makes note of this:

"Our conduct has a direct influence on how people think about the gospel. The world does not judge us by our theology, the world judges us by our behavior. People don't necessarily want to know what we believe about the bible. They want to see if what we believe makes a difference in our lives. Our actions either bring honor to God or misrepresent the truth...Although our daily actions might not be covered on the news, our lifestyle speaks loudly to those around us. How sobering it is to realize, that our behavior has the potential to discredit the Gospel. BUT how exciting it is to think that we can actually commend the Gospel!"

Though, good theology and sound doctrine is good...if we don't act as if they are principles for living then it is just "head knowledge".

Carolyn asks us to consider two things: In regards to Titus 2:11-14 what do these verses say about the Gospel and what does hearing the Gospel have on our pursuit of those
virtues listed in vv.4-5? And a final thought: Who are the unbelievers watching your life? How do you think you can make the Gospel attractive by modeling these virtues?

Stacey shared about her mother...how she never once heard her complain as she served her Dad joyfully over the years. What a great testimony that was for us to hear.
Thanks!

This week, lets look at those questions and seek ways to to be aware of how we are
representing the Gospel and does that attract or detract others?
Be a Blessing!

A faithful saying...

Every year in our house, David comes up with a "faithful saying" we can work on together as a family. There have been many... when the kids where little our saying for them that year was "Let (mommy's) "Yes" be yes and "no" be no" James 5:12b (Italics added). This served to begin to teach our children not to wear mommy down. That once Mommy speaks, that is what she means.

As they got older and where choosing whom to hang out with "Bad company corrupts good character" 1 Cor. 15:33 became a good one. When they where becoming independent the last sentence they would hear out of us as they left was "Remember WHOM you belong to". These are all faith-building little sayings that instructed, encouraged and directed our lives. They where short and sweet, so we could easily include them throughout the day. What a great way to learn God's word for ourselves and then teach our children.

Thought you might enjoy a couple of good "faithful sayings" that maybe you could use this year...(italics mine)

"He who guards his mouth and tongue, guards (herself) from calamity" Prov. 21:23

"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough" Gal. 5:80 ( good one for quickly confessing sin before it takes root)

"Be imitators of God" Eph. 5:1

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" 1 Peter 5:5b

"Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger" James 1:19

Or just simply put: God gave us two ears and one mouth so we need to listen twice as much!

Obviously these are just a drop in the bucket. God's Word is full of wisdom for our lives. It instructs us how to guard ourselves, conduct ourselves and live a life that would uplift the Gospel.

As women, wives, mothers and friends God's word should be ever present in our lips.

Col 3:16 says "May the word of God dwell richly in your heart" That is my prayer and desire for us.

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Reminder: tomorrow night at my home is our first gathering for our Book Club. Hope to see many of you. If you can not be here, get ready to begin in the next two weeks a discussion on Chapter one. Wednesday morning look for a post with an overview of the chapter and our discussions will begin!

Talk to you soon!

SMILE! IT IS FRIDAY!

Thought this was funny and would bring a smile to our faces and also it keeps with our theme of back to school.

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Parent to teacher:

"Hello Mr. Johnson,

I would have recognized you anywhere from Tommy's picture"

Building a home

This week many of us have sent our little ones and big ones back to school. The craziness of Summer has now gone and it appears that schedules are coming back in. Some of us will find that we have time now to get organized. The closets and cabinets we had wanted to clean out this summer are still crying out to us. Some of us will begin to get busy and fill our days with things and people. We believe we can now say..."The time is mine!" But, can I encourage you not to be so quick to fill your time? First, we need to learn to prioritize. Say "no" to things so that we can say "yes" to the important things. Maybe after a summer of hurried meals and fast-food, now you can plan dinners that will surprise your family. Maybe make a lunch date with your hubby! Maybe surprise the kids and bring pizza to school for lunch. Or maybe visit that neighbor you had wanted to meet all year but had no time.
Something else to think about:
"By wisdom a house is built
And by understanding it is established:
and by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all pleasant and precious riches"
Proverbs 24:3-4
Scripture also tell us that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" Proverbs 9:10
So if we are to build our homes we must start with Him first. Just recently, I have made myself get up much earlier than I had ever before, so I could spend some uninterrupted time with Him. That also means saying "no" to late nights. But as I said "No" to late nights I could say "Yes" to Him in the morning. To gain wisdom we have to go to the source...God and His Word. Many times we fill our days and then try to squeeze Him in...maybe now we could all commit to begin with Him and then let the rest of the day fall as it may.

As building a home starts with wisdom it also follows with "understanding". That means we meditate...find application in our day for what we heard from Him. We look at our relationships through the guidance and refinement that His Word provides.

So we have the source of Wisdom, then we meditate to gain understanding and finally we fill our rooms. We go to our heart "closet" and confess those sins that are still stored up there. We go to our mind "cabinets" and organize and prioritize thoughts. Throw away what is not useful. After this exercise we then fill our rooms with what is precious...His very words. And that is how God works to equip us with the knowledge we need to face the day and the future. What a great plan for our new time.
I think it would be great if we could share maybe a helpful hint you have received on how to keep "first things first". Or maybe you have been inspired to prioritize family time...Let's encourage one another as we begin to build our homes and build our lives around His Word.

Leaving the nest

This week many of us will be leading our kids out the door and into school. For some us us it is a totally new experience for others it's not new but the emotion of the day feels like the very first time we saw them go. Pre-school, kindergarten. elementary, high school and beyond it just does not seem to get easy.

When we where in Boston this Summer we went on a boat tour and I took this picture of the "mama" goose leading all her little ones across the choppy water through boats and other dangerous objects. She just kept her eyes ahead and though I am sure she could not see all around her she called out when any seemed to get out of line. This morning I was praying for all of us...that we keep our eyes not only ahead but above. I thought of our loving Father who tenderly kept His hand on me...I bet if you trace your own life you will see His hand upon you. Sometimes His hand was directing, other times protecting and at other times even disciplining. But always his eyes and protective hand was upon you. I found real comfort in that today. As we let go, He holds tight those that are His. He sees what's ahead better than we do. We can trust Him to guide our little (and big) ones through the uncertain waters of this year and even beyond. When they need comfort His loving hand will carry. When they need His protection His strong hands will shield. And even when they need discipline his firm hand will gently administer. He loves them with a love that was born in eternity. We can cling to that.

"My help comes from The Lord,

who has made the heavens and the earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip.

He who keeps you will not slumber"Psalm 121: 2-3

As moms, grandmas, aunts and friends lets keep our eyes on Him who will guide us and our loved ones. And in that we can rest secure and let them fly!

Two ways...one purpose

Thought you all might enjoy...especially as the weekend is here and school starts Monday!

Is anyone out there?

Yesterday I read some great encouragement from Carolyn Mahaney, who's book we are about to start. She points out that though some of the things we do as Moms do not receive the recognition they should, they matter greatly. We wonder "Am I making a difference"? As we carpool, help with homework, get up at 3:00 am to take care of tummy aches and spend countless hours reading "Where the Wild Things Are" or reviewing time tables; there is Someone who is watching and saying "Well done!" Though the work may go unnoticed now...He sees it and smiles.

One of my girls yesterday was telling me about a friend who really is showing her what it means to serve others. He sacrificially gave up his college plans to move back home and help mend a relation with a family member. God made the transition smooth and he is finding that what he thought he would give up (his college plans) God had a better means to the same end.

I thought about what it means to serve most of the day yesterday. I concluded, being a Mom is a wonderful way to show our kids how to serve others. As we serve our kids and husband we model Jesus to them. "Walk just as He walked" 1 John 2:6

Planning meals, the laundry, getting school supplies, wiping noses and so many other countless things moms do may seem insignificant and mundane in the grand scheme of life, but really there is no greater impact. Some of us are doing that now as grandparents and the same tasks we thought we finished, are returning with aching knees and memory loss!

Today, let's serve our family with a new enthusiasm and comfort, knowing that our Father is watching. The work we do today leaves a heritage and legacy to the world. It is a challenging task but one that we can meet head-on because our Father is watching and our Lord Jesus is empowering us to finish well. "I will strengthen you" Isaiah 41:10

And there is the added benefit of laughter to the days because we have memorized "the Cat in the Hat" and we can fall asleep humming the theme song from "Hannah Montana"

A Sneak Peek

A few of you have gotten the book "Feminine Appeal" and for those that still don't, Melissa was going to order a few more. Please let her know and she will be glad to include yours. They should be in by Sunday.
Thanks to all of you who have enthusiastically responded to this "Girls Chat"....Just to whet your whistle a bit more here is a quote from the Carolyn's book from the chapter on the "blessings of loving my children"

"Just when I figure out how to mother a kindergartner, it seems I have a first grader standing before me instead. I have just learned to love and live with a nine year old when the nine year old vanishes. leaving a pre-adolescent in his place. They don't stay still long enough for me to have my fill of them ever! "stop" I want to shout..."Let's just do it this way for a little while, let's stay right here" But the moment is inexorable--up and out, away into the future".

How true every word is...Let's seize the moment...squeeze every breath out of the day and make lasting memories that will always bring us back to the preciousness of what it is to have children. Today don't let the "things we have to do" rob us of the ones we are with...enjoy, make memories, bask in the moment!





One last thought...the reference I was sharing yesterday about husbands and wives was from Ephesians not Peter...Reference is Ephesians 5:25-29.

Flee evil

On Wednesday I was talking about warning signs...things we must be aware of that can harm our marriage or our family. It was hard to believe one of those signs was right in front of my eyes! If you notice the bar on top of the Blog is gone...that is where there was a place to search this site, sign in and in particular there was a tag that said "next Blog" . I must have accidentally clicked on that and before I knew it I was in a site that was sexually charged. I immediately closed my computer and returned to the site later, only to find out this tab takes us to any site on the World Wide Web...there is no editing or protective wall from letting anything offensive come in. So after about 24 hours of working on how to remove this from our site, it has been done! I had a fear that one of us would see something harmful (or even our husbands) but now we are in a safe environment. I say this to you because I don't know how it will affect our communication. So please try and see if you can get a comment to me to see if you can still respond. If you can't, you can e-mail me and I will try and figure it out some more.

We are called to flee evil and often it is evil that comes at us, we don't even have to search it out. The enemy is a roaring lion ready to devour and destroy...let all of us seek to flee evil in all it's forms to protect our minds, heart and lives.

Wednesday Write-up...

Kaity went to California this Summer...she said the coast is beautiful! But in the midst of such beautty comes a warning sign..."Dangerous Condition". The more I read in this book, Carolyn points out some dangerous conditions that if I don't take care of now they could be life-threateing. Sometimes we are hanging over the rail in such worldly thinking that we are in danger. Dangerous conditions can appear such as serving David instead of loving...going on automatic-pilot and thinking that if I am "doing" we are OK.

I can't wait for us all to start. Wednesday's will be "Wednesday Write-up" where you will be able to find a summary of what we had discussed....so look here on Wednesdays. Also the discussion will continue all week...

Don't forget to order the book....Melissa's 5 books at Borders have been purchased. So need to order via Amazon or call Borders and they will order your copy.

Thanks to those that have gotten a gmail account and are able to communicate through this. If you are reading this for the first time, Welcome! Love to have you join!

Welcome!

This beautiful tree blooms every year in front of our home for David's and my anniversary. We call it our Anniversary tree. The rest of the year it is a pretty Ho-Hum tree...nothing spectacular. But when it blooms...you can see it down the street, several people stop by and notice it...it is quite beautiful. It often reminds me that my marriage needs to "bloom" all year not just for show or periodically.

That is why I am so excited about our new Book Club and the opportunity we will have to read through "Feminine Appeal" by Carolyn Mahaney.

My hope is that as we gather every other Tuesday, we will be encouraging each other towards Biblical womanhood. That is also the purpose for this blog...here I want to hear from you. You can let us know how the week is going, how you are applying what we have learned and also catch-up should you think you missed something.

Our first meeting is on Tuesday, August 28th at 7:00 pm at my home. There is no assignment for that night...we will just be getting together to set goals and the format of the night. Those who have not purchased the book yet, you have about three weeks to do so.

I have read the first two chapters of the book and I find it warm, encouraging and very biblical. Carolyn writes "As we embark on this study we must remember that it is our God and Savior Jesus Christ who makes it possible to display the loveliness of the Gospel"

So that is what I hope for...not just occasionally or once a year...but that we continually display the beauty of what it is to be a Godly wife, mother, friend and neighbor.