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Waiting on God
 The following is a snippet from the 31-day devotional by Andrew Murray, Waiting on God. These words spoke volumes to me today as our family is currently in a season of waiting and I have been poignantly reminded of my own depravity and just how much I lack in faith and trust in God.
Whatever the outcome of our current situation, it doesn't really matter so long as I am basking in the goodness of God... His kindness, His faithfulness, His love. He is all I need.------------------ "The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him." Lam. 3: 25.
"There is none good but God." "His goodness is in the heavens." "Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee." "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!"
And here is now the true way of entering into and rejoicing in this goodness of God--waiting upon Him. The Lord is good--even His children often do not know it, for they wait not in quietness for Him to reveal it. But to those who persevere in waiting, whose souls do wait, it will come true.
One might think that it is just those who have to wait who might doubt it. But this is only when they do not wait, but grow impatient. The truly waiting ones will all have to say, "The Lord is good to them that wait for Him." If you would fully know the goodness of God, give yourself more than ever to a life of waiting on Him.
At our first entrance into the school of waiting upon God, the heart is chiefly set upon the blessings which we wait for. God graciously uses our need and desire for help to educate us for something higher than we were thinking of.
We were seeking gifts; He, the Giver, longs to give Himself and to satisfy the soul with His goodness. It is just for this reason that He often withholds the gifts, and that the time of waiting is made so long.
He is all the time seeking to win the heart of His child for Himself. He wishes that we should not only say, when He bestows the gift, How good is God! but that long ere it comes, and even if it never comes, we should all the time be experiencing: "It is good that a man should quietly wait": "The Lord is good to them that wait for Him."
What a blessed life the life of waiting then becomes, the continual worship of faith, adoring and trusting His goodness. As the soul learns its secret, every act or exercise of waiting just becomes a quiet entering into the goodness of God, to let it do its blessed work and satisfy our every need.
And every experience of God's goodness gives the work of waiting new attractiveness, and instead of only taking refuge in time of need, there comes a great longing to wait continually and all the day. And however duties and engagements occupy the time and the mind, the soul gets more familiar with the secret art of always waiting. Waiting becomes the habit and disposition, the very second nature and breath of the soul.
Dear Christian! do you not begin to see that waiting is not one among a number of Christian virtues, to be thought of from time to time, but that it expresses that disposition which lies at the very root of the Christian life?
It gives a higher value and a new power to our prayer and worship, to our faith and surrender, because it links us, in unalterable dependence, to God Himself. And it gives us the unbroken enjoyment of the goodness of God: "The Lord is good to them that wait for Him."
Let me press upon you once again to take time and trouble to cultivate this so much needed element of the Christian life. We get too much of religion at second hand from the teaching of men. That teaching has great value if, even as the preaching of John the Baptist sent his disciples away from himself to the Living Christ, it leads us to God Himself.
What our religion needs is--more of God. Many of us are too much occupied with our work. As with Martha, the very service we want to render the Master separates from Him; it is neither pleasing to Him nor profitable to ourselves.
The more work, the more need of waiting upon God; the doing of God's will would then, instead of exhausting, be our meat and drink, nourishment and refreshment and strength. "The Lord is good to them that wait for Him."
How good none can tell but those who prove it in waiting on Him. How good none can fully tell but those who have proved Him to the utmost.
"My soul, wait thou only upon God!"
-Excerpted from Andrew Murray's book, Waiting on God
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Labels: Faith
 Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. Oh, love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure-- The saints' and angels' song. -The Love of God, lyrics by Frederick M. Lehman
Graphic from AllPosters.com
Labels: Faith
 The words of this song have been really meaningful to me recently. May they encourage you as well today: O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There's light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free! Through death into life everlasting He passed, and we follow Him there; O'er us sin no more hath dominion-- For more than conquerors we are! His Word shall not fail you--He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell! Refrain: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace. -Helen H. Lemmel Graphic from AllPosters.comLabels: Encouragement, Faith
 O to grace how great a debtor Labels: Faith
Guest Post: Starting your day off right
 Guest Post by Cassie LargaespadaTime management is an ongoing issue in my home. Every time I think I have it all figured out, the Lord reminds me that I don't know a thing. I have tried every method I have heard before and I still end up falling flat on my face eventually. I think that is the point for me. I try so hard to control my time on my own. I like being in control and I like knowing what is coming next. It's usually not until I am at the end of my rope and don't know why things are not running smoothly that Jesus calls me back to rely on Him. Don't get me wrong, I think a schedule is necessary to survive the day. What I have to be willing to do is allow God to lead me in creating a schedule and be flexible enough to deviate when I hear Him speak to me. One of the biggest time management tools I have found to be effective is starting my day with the Lord. Now, I am not a super early riser. I really try to be up before all my children but that does not always happen (I often awake to the sound of "Moooommmmmy!!"). I do, however, find it imperative to spend some time in the morning with Jesus. I have recently changed the way I do this. I used to try to do my quiet time before my children wake up so that it was actually quiet. Now that my children are older, I have adjusted this. We now spend the first hour of the morning eating breakfast and getting ready for the day. Once everyone is ready, we all head to a room by ourselves. My older 2 have their own Bibles and they spend their time reading their Bibles and listening to worship music. The younger 2 spend time listening to music and playing with toys. They all take some time to talk to Jesus. There are a couple of reasons I decided to change this part of my schedule. One is that I just never got consistent with waking up early. When I did, I would find myself falling asleep while I was reading my Bible. The other reason that I made this change was I realized that when I did my quiet time in the morning, my children didn't see me spending time with Jesus. Also, I didn't make time during their day for them to spend time with Jesus. Now, I know this may seem like a simple tip, but my biggest encouragement is to make time to spend with the Lord everyday! Ask Him to order your day step by step. Be willing to adjust your schedule based on what he brings to your mind. George Mueller says, "Public prayer will never make up for closet communion... Although I enjoyed their fellowship (speaking of other believers), my soul needed food. Without it, I was lean and felt the effects of it the whole day."I still am amazed at the difference in my day when I make this a priority. What is amazing to me is the days when I feel like I have more to do in the day than time to do it. When I choose to give those days to God first thing, I am pleasantly surprised. I get to the end of the day and look around at my clean house, fed and educated children, laundry done and I wonder, "How did it all get done?"I also see such a difference in my children when they spend some good time with the Lord, too. They tend to be more kind to each other and considerate. They seem to obey better (or maybe I am just less annoyed by the disobedience?). Their heart, in general, is softer and more tender. I don't think spending time with God is a magic wand and makes everything in life easy. I do think that starting my day (and my children's day) with an ear to the Father makes all the difference in my perspective, motivation and attitude. So, however you organize your day, start it off right. -Cassie Largaespada is a homeschooling mother of four (ages 8, 7, 6 and 3). Visit her blog here.I'd love to hear from the rest of you on a related subject: How do you encourage your children to spend time with the Lord everyday? Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? What has worked for your family?
Graphic from AllPosters.com
Labels: Faith, Finding Time
Guest Post: Trusting God for Provision
Guest Post by Kristy Howard from Homemaker's Cottage
I never ceased to be amazed at God's provision of our needs and His impeccable timing in doing so! Any time I am tempted to grow discouraged over a seemingly unanswered prayer or a "forgotten" need, I just remember our Honda minivan...
Several years ago, my husband Jeremy and I began thinking about upgrading our vehicle from a smaller car to a minivan. We only had one child at the time but were hoping for another baby soon; we travel a bit since our family all lives a good distance from us, and we thought a minivan would provide sufficient room and comfort for our growing family.
My husband began minivan-hunting. He was very impressed with the Honda Odyssey minivan, but it was quite a bit out of our price bracket. In fact, to our dismay, we realized that there was no way we could purchase even a nice, less expensive, used minivan without going into debt. Our small savings simply wouldn't cover the expense that purchasing a vehicle would incur.
Although we were living in a church parsonage at the time, had only one child, and were saving a decent amount of money every month, we didn't feel that a monthly payment was something we needed financially. We have always tried to stay completely out of debt (aside from a house payment, as necessary) and the Lord seemed to prompt us to just wait.
A bit reluctantly, we put the idea of a "new" minivan out of our minds. Jeremy continued to keep his eyes and ears open for a good deal, and I decided, for my part, the best thing would be just to be content with the vehicle we had. Although it was an older model, it was clean, very dependable, and paid for! We could easily fit a toddler and a baby in the back seat, I reminded myself.
We agreed that if it was God's will to provide us with a minivan, then He would provide the funds as well. Otherwise, we would just wait and make do with what we already had.
Several months passed. Around the first of October, 2005, we discovered (to our joy) that we were indeed expecting another baby! We were still dancing around the house with silly grins on our face when we received a phone call from some friends. They wanted to know if they could drop by for a visit; we said yes, of course, and they stopped by our house later that day.
Their entire family congregated in our living room and we chatted a while. Jeremy and I noticed they seemed strangely distracted by something; finally, Mrs. B told Jeremy and I to go look out the living room window... and then threw us a set of keys.
Jeremy and I glanced at each other and slowly made our way to the window. Unbelieving, we stared at a brand new Honda Odyssey parked in our front yard. We knew the van did not belong to our friends.  We stared at it a while, then back at Mr. and Mrs. B. "It's yours," they said simply. "The Lord told us to buy it for you, so we did."
Our friends are not rich; they have a growing family of their own and we knew that "just buying" a vehicle of this price did not fit easily into their budget, either. It took some convincing on their part, but Jeremy and I finally realized that God had provided us with a brand new Honda minivan in a most unexpected way--no strings attached. No payments. Ever.
The thing that still amazes me is that God chose to do all this on the very day we discovered I was pregnant with our second child. It was as if He was saying, "See, I heard your prayers. I know where you're at. I know what I'm doing!"
I wish I could say that I have never been discouraged, never doubted that God hears my prayers, and never wavered in my faith a single time again. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be quite true.
But whenever I feel doubt creeping in and fear stealing my joy, I grab my Bible and read God's promises once again... then I head to the window and take a peak at our Honda minivan.
-Kristy Howard is a 27-year old homeschool graduate, full-time wife to Jeremy and mommy to Amy (4) and Emily (almost 2). The Howards are expecting their third child, a baby boy, around the first of May. Kristy enjoys playing the piano, reading, writing, blogging, scrapbooking, organic cooking and gardening, frugal shopping, clipping coupons, cooking from scratch, learning about herbs, and just about anything else that involves homemaking or being a wife and mommy! Her newest venture is operating a small home business and milking her own fresh goat's milk! Labels: Faith
He is risen!
 The day dawned dark and heavy On that first day of the week, The mourners were bewildered, Overwhelmed, and torn by grief. All their hopes had come to nothing, All their dreams were crushed and gone. They had thought He was the promised King. How could they have been so wrong? So many questions pierced their souls As they neared the tomb that day. But their grief soon turned to wonder When they heard the angel say He is risen!He is not deadHe is risen just as He said.Death could not keep Him,Tell all who seek Him,He is risen! He is not here!In a world that's dark and heavy There are people who still seek, Their hearts are still bewildered, Confused, and torn by grief. All their hopes have come to nothing, All their dreams are crushed and gone. They have not met the risen Lord, And they wonder what's gone wrong. So many questions pierce their souls And they search to find the truth. Will you lead them to the empty tomb? Will you share with them the news? He is risen!He is not deadHe is risen just as He said.Death could not keep Him,Tell all who seek Him,He is risen from the dead!Lyrics by my sister, Brigette Shevy Copyright 2007 The Wilds Labels: Faith
Guest Post: The Struggle for Contentment
 Guest Post by Kelly at The Barefoot MamaPaint the kitchen cabinets, add some crown molding in the bedroom, look into acrylic tub liners, install new siding out front, and what about a privacy fence in the backyard?
Welcome to just a few of the many thoughts running through my head on any given afternoon. I wish that I could say that my mind is mostly occupied with godly, edifying musings, but my sinful nature has a tendency to lead me down the lane of discontent. We all know what a dangerous road that is. As a stay-at-home mom, I equate our house to my "office". I want it to be both beautiful and functional, maximized for ease of daily living as well as a wonderful haven for entertaining and making cozy memories with my family.
Looking at everything objectively, our house is great and has been a blessing to us, since we bought it right at the time of our marriage when my husband's income was a lot less than it is now. We've never had to struggle to make a mortgage payment for which I am truly thankful. However, the monster of discontent sometimes rears its ugly head and whispers in my ear, "Get out of this place, get something new, grander, perfect...you can afford it, you deserve it, your life will be better!"
We've all had moments of displeasure when the thought of something new or different seems to be just the ticket to remedying our problems. However, the Bible is very clear on the solution to all of our earthly, sinful dilemmas - Jesus is the way! While reading a wonderful book by Donna Otto called The Stay-at-Home Mom, I was both inspired and convicted when Donna shared the following anecdote in a chapter about saving money at home: In 1981, David and I moved into the house we're living in now. The living room and dining room were carpeted with a rather low-quality celery-green carpet. Celery green doesn't go very well with most of our furnishings. But we knew this was the house the Lord wanted for us, so we had to deal with the carpet. It would've been nice to buy new carpet, but it wasn't in the budget. So I immediately called the carpet-man and found that I could have the carpet dyed for about $200. We'd dyed carpets before, so I knew it would stretch the life of the carpet. So we dyed our celery-green carpet charcoal gray. Seven years later our gray carpet was sun-streaked and faded. There were dark spots where the furniture had been sitting. The living room had survived one flood (in Arizona!), and the water-damaged carpet was literally falling apart. We looked at our budget and decided there was no way we could afford to buy new carpet. I was disappointed because the room was a bit of an embarrassment. Yet I was absolutely determined to trust God for my carpetin, and be content with what I had. It wasn't easy. As wives, we put ourselves in a very precarious place. We want so many things, and when we're home all day we tend to see the things we want even more clearly. We are quick to think how nice it would be to have a little piece of fabric for this room or a new chair or a bedspread in the master bedroom. It's easy to become discontent.
I had some of those feelings about my carpet. But I earnestly asked the Lord to give me a heart of contentment and gratitude for the many things He had given me and to help me wait patiently for the opportunity to purchase new carpet. My prayer was answered in a most unusual way. After I had prayed about my carpet for almost 18 months, two decorator friends came to me and asked if they could help me spruce up the house a little by rearranging some of the furniture and moving some wall decorations around. I was delighted. Soon they began moving things around - and not just one or two pieces. Our family room became the dining room, and the dining room is now a library. A sofa was moved from the living room to the master bedroom. Overall, a wonderful new look came over our house without my spending a dime. I was most grateful for this gracious gift. At the same time this was going on, a dear sister in our church family was moving into another home, which happened to be much larger than ours. My decorator friends discovered that she was going to replace the carpet in her new home, a carpet that was in wonderful condition except for a few slight stains. You guessed it. God in His providence allowed this dear sister to give us her used carpet. I discovered the carpet's colo the day it was installed: white - perfect, of course! I was most grateful for God's provision of that carpet. Something else wonderful happened. Kim was a young woman who was living with us for a year as our guest in order to get her finances in order before getting her own place. The last month she lived with us was the month the carpet was installed. She not only saw the answer to my prayer unfold, she was part of it. Her financial counselor told her to make a one-month payment to use before she moved into her new apartment complex to help her adjust her new expenses. The money she gave us paid for the installation of our free carpet and covered most of the cost of cleaning it.
Our out-of-pocket expense for the carpet was just $15. It took nine years to get our carpet, but God is faithful.
How great is our God! Not only because of the steadfast care that He gives to us, but also because we find peace and contentment in knowing that He desires nothing more than to love and provide for us. Kelly Buddenhagen is a joyful wife to her husband Ed and the blessed stay-at-home mother to their eighteen month old daughter, Mary-Grace. She lives in rural Pennsylvania and delights in growing in the Christ-blessed roles of wife, mother and woman. Kelly loves spending time with her family, friends and Lord...and likes to combine these get-togethers with a yummy Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee whenever possible. In addition to these great passions, Kelly is very dedicated to natural living, especially in the kitchen, and being creatively frugal. Visit her blog, The Barefoot Mama, for more encouragement. Graphic from AllPosters.com Labels: Budgeting and Finances, Faith, Homemaking, Making Your Home a Haven
Preaching the Gospel to ourselves everyday
 The gals over at the Girl Talk blog have been doing a very convicting series this week on preaching the Gospel to yourself everyday. Here's a snippet: Milton Vincent, author of The Gospel Primer makes the case for why the gospel is vital to Christian love and fellowship: "The greatest gift I can give to my fellow-Christians is the gospel itself. Indeed, I love my fellow-Christians not simply because of the gospel, but I love them best when I am loving them with the gospel! And I do this not merely by speaking gospel words to them, but also by living before them and generously relating to them in a gospel manner. Imparting my life to them in this way, I thereby contribute to their experience of the power, the Spirit, and the full assurance of the gospel. By preaching the gospel to myself every day, I mature the bond that unites me with my brothers and sisters for whom Christ died, and I also keep myself well-versed in the raw materials with which I may actively love them in Christ."
More here and here. Graphic from AllPosters.com
Labels: Faith
My life, for yours
The same week that marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Fox News reports another story, a story which is in complete contrast to all that Roe v. Wade stands for. From Fox News:
Expectant mother Lorraine Allard learned the devastating news that she was in the advanced stages of liver cancer when she was four months pregnant, according to the Daily Mail. Allard, of St. Olaves in the U.K., had a choice: Delay treatment to save her baby, or terminate the pregnancy to save herself. She chose the former, waiting until the fetus was viable before scheduling a Caesarean section. "If I am going to die, my baby is going to live," Allard told her husband, Martyn, according to the Mail. The baby came a week early and Allard, 33, gave birth on Nov. 18 to a healthy but premature boy she named Liam. Exactly two months later, Allard died. She'd begun chemotherapy just after her son's birth. But in the end, it was too late. Doctors believe Allard had bowel cancer that had gone undetected for years, eventually spreading to her liver. She realized something was wrong after she began suffering from stomach cramps, and tests revealed that her liver was covered with malignant tumors, the Mail reported. "The doctors said they couldn't do anything because she was pregnant," Martyn Allard, 34, told the Mail. "She told them straight away they were not going to get rid of it. She'd have lost the will to fight."
The courageous and selfless mother was able to get out of bed and hold her tiny son several times beside his incubator before her death. Liam is the Allards' fourth child and first boy; his sisters are Leah, 10; Amy, 8; and Courtney, 20 months. "Lorraine was positive all the way through," Martyn Allard told the paper. "She had strength for both of us. I can't begin to describe how brave she was. Towards the end we knew things weren't going well, but she was overjoyed that she had given life to Liam."
I don't know all the circumstances surrounding this situation, but I couldn't help but think what a beautiful picture this mother's sacrifice was of what Christ did for us. He gave His life so that we might have Eternal life. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:16 Though we might not actually ever face a situation like Lorraine did, we all have opportunities every day to die to self - to encourage our weary husband when we feel completely drained, to get up in the middle of the night with that crying baby when we are already exhausted, to reach out and lift up a needy person when we ourselves are struggling. When we look at the Cross, how can we not rejoice in opportunities to follow in Christ's steps and say "my life, for yours"? Death brings life. Dying to self, even in little ways, can bear exponential fruit.
"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." John 12:24
Lord,
I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes,
and accept Thy will for my life.
I give myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever.
Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit.
Use me as Thou wilt.
Send me where Thou wilt.
Work out Thy whole will in my life
at any cost, now and forever.
- Betty Scott Stam,
missionary to China who was martyred with her husband by Communists in 1949
Labels: Faith
My all-time favorite devotional book
 We discussed Bible reading plans earlier this week and it reminded me that I have never recommended my favorite devotional book. I'll admit that many of the modern devotional books I've seen look more like "fluff" than anything, however, Daily Light on the Daily Path is anything but fluff. In fact, it is just straight Scripture divided into a theme for each morning and evening of every day in a year.
For any of you mamas who are at a season in your life when brushing your teeth is an accomplishment (anyone else been there, done that?!) and the thought of reading a whole chapter of the Bible in a day might seem daunting, I highly recommend you check out Daily Light on the Daily Path. After Kaitlynn was first born and I was trying to learn to juggle two littles I confided to my mom that my biggest struggle was finding quiet time to read God's Word. She encouraged me to just try to find five minutes each day to pray and read through the Daily Light verses. In the busy non-stop tiring days and sleepless nights a few months back, those five minutes were a real balm to my spirit. I've now been able to go back to more extended Bible reading and prayer (well, at least normally I get in more than 5 minutes in a day!), but I still love to pull out the Daily Light any time I'm needing some extra encouragement throughout the day. This great devotional book isn't just for those who feel like they are barely surviving, I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to incorporate more Scripture into their lives on a daily basis. Set it on your nightstand and read it first thing in the morning and last thing before you go to bed. Or, put it by your table and read it aloud before breakfast and dinner. Or, do as I do sometimes and read it along with your morning Bible reading. It's versatile, it's simple, and it's life-changing. By the way, do you have a favorite devotional book? Tell us about it!
Graphic from Art.com
Labels: Faith, Reviews
Q&A: Bible reading plans
 I noticed on your blog that one of your goals this year is to read through the Word. I have started this endeavor a few times and failed each time! I really would like to try again this year, but I haven't even started yet (Praise God I am only four days behind and can still catch up!).
Do you use a specific plan? Or just plow through it? I think for me is the need for some flexibility. If I miss a day or two and get behind I get overwhelmed and just give up. Do you know of any good plans to use? I googled it and there is a lot to pick from, but I thought I would get some suggestions first to see what works for others. -Tai Great question, Tai! Before I was married, I read through the Bible in a year more than a handful of times. It was an excellent faith-building exercise and one I'd highly recommend. However, once I got married, I stuck with just reading a chapter or two per day skipping around in various books of the Bible. Though I enjoy sometimes not sticking to a plan and just soaking up certain passages of Scripture more in-depth, I also feel like the structure of reading straight through the Bible in a year can be very beneficial, especially if you have trouble having consistent, regular devotions. Last year, I attempted to do the ambitious M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan which includes not only reading through the entire Bible in a year, but also the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs twice. And, it proved to be too ambitious for a mother with a newborn because after Kaitlynn was born, I fell woefully behind and so decided to just start reading one to two chapters each day. (I don't know about you but when I have a newborn, I can't get practically any reading done. I think I maybe read a sum total of five books the first five months of Kaitlynn's life in addition to the Bible!)
This year, I decided to try something different: I'm reading straight through the Bible reading three chapters Monday-Saturday and six chapters on Sunday. My husband suggested this as an easy and more doable plan and I agree.
And I figure that if I'm not checking it off a chart with a date, if I do get behind, I can just keep plodding along. Lord-willing, I'll be at least close to finishing by the end of this year! So far, it's going very well.
I'd love to hear from the rest of you on this: Have you read through the Bible in a year before? If so, what plan did you use and did it work well for you?
Related: For more thoughts and ideas on devotions, especially for busy moms, see this post.
Graphic from Art.com Labels: Faith
A new year, a fresh start...
I really like the ending of an old year and the beginning of a new. It feels like a fresh start, a clean slate, and a time for some reflection and goal-setting for the new year. As I wrote last year, I prefer to set goals, not resolutions, for the new year. Resolutions often seem like unattainable propositions which often only last for a few days or weeks. Setting Christ-honoring goals for the year, on the other hand, provides direction and keeps me from aimlessly wandering from year-to-year accomplishing little. My husband and I sat down this morning and made up a list of goals for 2008 - goals for our family, goals for us personally, and goals for our business and finances. It is helpful to make these together so that we are both on the same page for the direction of our family and also so that I can have the input of my husband for what he wants me to focus on for the next year. Here's a quick rundown of some of my goals for 2008:-Read through the Bible. I'm planning to do 3 chapters every day and 6 chapters on Sunday reading straight through the Bible in a year this way. -Get back on track with a disciplined household schedule. I've fallen off the bandwagon with this in the last few months and am determined to get back on track with our household schedule, cleaning schedule, and utilizing my home management binder. (I plan to chronicle this journey in my Getting Back on Track series starting this week.) -Incorporate more educational and spiritual nurturing activities into our schedule. My goals for Kathrynne this year include her learning to recognize all letters and be able to sound out short words, be able to recognize letters 1-20, memorize all the verses in her ABC Bible verse book, and learn one hymn per month. I also plan to read to her for at least 30 minutes every week day and read through one larger book per month. -Read and review at least one book per week. I love to challenge and stimulate my mind by the reading of good books and I hope to share some my reads in reviews here this year.
Those are some of my goals for this next year. What are your goals? I'd love to hear!
Oh and just a random question on a somewhat-related subject that I had to ask: Am I the only person who didn't stay up until midnight last night? I considered it, but then decided that sleep sounded better. Tell me I'm not the only one!
Labels: Faith, Homemaking, Mothering
O Love that wilt not let me go
As New Year's Eve is upon us, I find myself in a state of reflection over the past year. And it seems like I have a lot to reflect on for 2007! It has, by far, been the most traumatic and difficult year of my life. From a move, another planned move that fell through at the last minute, two job losses, three months of unemployment and every single job opportunity being snuffed out, and the possibility that I might have a life-threatening disease coupled with a number of severe pregnancy complications. Yes, it's been a difficult year. I wish I could tell you that my faith never wavered, that I never questioned God, that I never worried about how we were going to pay the bills. But I'll be very honest and tell you that I wasn't this stalwart brave soul in the midst of all of this. In reality, this past year I hit bottom more times than I can count. I learned that it's relatively easy to be cheerful and happy when times are good, but when it seems like everything is being pulled out from under you - your job security, your income, your health, even perhaps your very life - that's really when the rubber meets the road. I remember how I felt the night after I was admitted to the hospital when all of my tests were coming back very strange and doctors kept coming in and throwing around words about this or that debilitating disease. Or how I responded when we got yet another call or letter or email rejecting Jesse's employment application. There were many times when I would fall on my face and literally plead with God that He would take the struggles away. "Haven't I had enough practice in trusting You this year?" I'd beg. "Can't we just have a little breather here?" And yet it seemed the rain kept falling and the sunshine was nowhere to be found. Why, God? How long, O Lord?It isn't easy being clay in the Potter's hands. I think I know best; if I were in control I'd choose much differently. But that's why I'm not God. He knows the end from the beginning. From Eternity past, He planned 2007 to be a year of chiseling away at this crystal of His. Through all the difficulties, I've grown and matured so much. I've learned to stop finding my security and joy in temporal things. I've learned to be more compassionate towards those with health issues, towards those experiencing difficult pregnancies, towards those struggling financially, towards those without a job. I've learned more of the Father's love for me. A love that doesn't always give me what I want, but what I need so that I may become more Christ-like. A love that doesn't stop loving me even when I am questioning, fretting, and worrying. A love that wilt not let me go. As we enter into 2008, only God knows what is in store, but I am grateful for 2007 with all its tears and struggles. I pray that I never forget its lessons and ever cling tighter and tighter to the Lover of my soul. And I bid farewell to 2007 with the rich words of a hymn that has become ever-so-meaningful to me this year: O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be. O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be. O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be. O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be. Labels: Faith
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The following is a snippet from the 31-day devotional by Andrew Murray, Waiting on God. These words spoke volumes to me today as our family is currently in a season of waiting and I have been poignantly reminded of my own depravity and just how much I lack in faith and trust in God. 
