Today’s post is a continuation of the theme of Help for the Family that I wrote about yesterday. It’s in video format. You can watch it on my You Tube channel here or you can view it below.
I trust this will encourage you in your family life!
Category: Uncategorized
Birthday Reflections
Birthdays ~ we have one every year, and mine just happened to be yesterday. To be honest, there are days when I sigh at getting older, but I’m finding that the way to beat the blues is to enter each year (and each day) with a thankful heart.
As I sat and reflected on my birthday, I came up with this list of SOME of the blessings that have fallen to me in this last year.
- The blessing of getting to share God’s Word and speak to women. This last year I spoke again at a Pastor’s wives retreat not long after my birthday. You typically don’t get asked to speak when you’re still “green” in ministry. But when you’ve weathered the storms and can still smile and love God with all your heart, you have validity in your message. I also had the blessing of flying to Michigan and doing a ladies’ retreat at a great church. That was so wonderful. The ladies encouraged my heart. The time up north was beautiful as we looked out the windows at the drifted snow. I am so amazed at the blessings and joys God gives me in allowing me to serve Him!
- Thanksgiving with my parents. I am so blessed to be four hours from my parents and be able to spend time with them. Family grows dearer with every day. I realize more and more how precious a gift it is to be with them, to glean from them and show love to them. This year was the first time it was just my husband and me with my mom and dad. We put their Christmas tree up after dinner, watched Christmas movies with hot bowls of popcorn in our laps, and took drives in the country. It sounds like its own kind of Hallmark movie, doesn’t it? It was.
- Days of retreat at a lake cabin. To have dear friends who allow us time at their cabin that we might refresh ourselves is a blessing I cannot even describe. We didn’t need as many days to rest up when we were younger, but to have a day away gives us new vigor for the ministry and refreshes our weary bodies!
- Christmas with our grown children. If you think Christmas with your little kids was fun, wait until they’re all grown and you see their faces with their spouses sitting around your dining room table. My heart was as full as my dining room table as we ate, laughed, reminisced, played games, opened the Scriptures, prayed and shared gifts. Wow. How sweet.
- Enjoying a second trip to Israel. This would never have happened in my younger days! First, there was no desire to go. But also, the demands of parenting wouldn’t have allowed it, nor would our bank account! But God graciously provided in every way, and this second trip was even better than the first!
- Special times away with my husband. As in the prior blessing, our times away years ago were few and far between. We enjoyed dates near home, and that was great! But now we can go away for a night or an afternoon and not worry about homeschool, or schedules of children at home. We went to DreamMore resort in Pigeon Forge for Valentine’s Day and had so much fun! We’ve enjoyed Pigeon Forge Wyndham Resort a couple of times, as well. Afternoons at Biltmore are a favorite for both of us as we stroll the gardens, forgetting pressures and concentrating on communication and time together. We realize that every day we have together is a gift from God.
- Becoming a (foster) Grandparent. Though the twin boys my daughter and son-in-law are caring for are not our flesh, they were born in our hearts! They’ve completely taken over every chamber and we are blessed to be a part of their lives and smother them with love!! I had no idea how full this time in my life would be! Wow, just wow.
- Ministering to children, both at home and church. My weekly Bible club with my neighbor children is such a joy to me. What a gift to get to pour God’s Word into their hearts and minds. Pioneer Club at church has been another way to get to serve God and minister to first and second graders!
- Our first family vacation. I shared about that here on my blog, but I can’t leave that out of my blessings! It was so much fun!
This doesn’t include the times I’ve spent in God’s Word, hearing from Him, and talking to Him in prayer. I’ve left out all the sweet hours of fellowship with friends and family, in our home, in theirs, at church, in restaurants and other meeting up sites. Even on my birthday yesterday, we had “fellowship” in the hospital where my poor brother-in-law is recovering from surgery due to fall from a roof and subsequent severe injuries. We gathered in the waiting area and prayed, read Scripture and waited together. Those are not the planned kind of gatherings, but they do become sweet blessings because they add to the depth of my life as I reflect on the joy of having a family who can hold hands and run to God’s Throne together. Years ago I may have regretted spending my birthday at the hospital, but not this year. It’s a reminder that every day’s outcome is how you view it. This was all orchestrated by God’s hands, allowing us to have planned a trip home at this particular time. Only God knew why we needed to be here.
My birthday was filled with blessings and my heart is full. One last blessing is the growth of my blog. Thank you to each of you who read my posts regularly. Thank you to those who have followed me recently. Thanks to those of you who comment and encourage me. I am amazed that others read what I’ve written, but I’m so very grateful! I trust that as the year progresses, God will grant wisdom and help to make this worth reading each day.
What blessings would you recount on your birthday? If you haven’t, start making a list in a journal today!
Another year older, but even more blessed,
Friday/Summer Favorites
Hello, September! You kind of snuck up on me!
Were you prepared to wake up and find that today is September 1st? I have to admit that I’m sad to see summer go – I always am. I will enjoy fall, but oh, those long, sunny days, beach walks, late sunsets, and Dollywood days are hard to say Goodbye to!
With the coming of September also comes an end to my blog vacation on Tuesday – Thursday. I’ll be back each day with a fresh post!
Let’s end the summer with a look back at a FEW of my favorite Summer 2017 memories!
One great thing about this summer was that I set some goals for myself that required making a schedule for my week. I accomplished many of those goals and feel like these were really productive months!
Finish 9-patch quilt squares and have ready to sew together by August 31.Write three chapters in reference to Proverbs 31 before Aug 21.Write Tuesday – Thursday from nine to noon.Begin a cooking ministry for others.- Finish Adorned. – Still want to finish this by Sept 29.
As I look to the fall, I’m going to be setting new goals for myself and giving a timeline in which to get things accomplished. Here are a few:
- Finish Christmas shopping by October 31. (I’m about half way there now!)
- Work on hand quilting at least one day a week (Monday?).
- Walk each morning at 7:00.
- Use Tuesday’s to serve others from my home.
- Invite one family over each week.
If you could make three goals for fall, what would they be?
Refresh yourself for fall!
The Best Date that Costs Nothing
Last Friday night my husband and I went on a date called The Bookstore Date. Here’s how it goes:
We headed to our local Barnes & Nobles Bookstore with a small list that I’d put on my phone. We headed to the back of the store where they have little tables and chairs, perfect for two. I pulled out the list. The object of the date is to find the suggested books, one at a time, bring them back and read whatever was asked. Then, you return the book and proceed to the next one until either your date time is up, or you finish the list. Here are the books we were to find:
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#1 – Visit the COOKING section & chose a recipe that you would like to make for your spouse.
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#2 – Visit the MAGAZINE section & find a quiz in a magazine that you and your spouse could do together.
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#3 – Visit the CHILDREN’S section & find a book that was a favorite when you were a child or that holds a special memory for you…and read them to each other when you meet back up.
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#4 – Visit the JOKE section and pick out a HI-LA-RI-OUS joke to share with your spouse.
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#5– Visit the TRAVEL section and find a picture or information on a place you would like to visit someday.
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#6 – Visit the POETRY section and find a poem that describes the way you feel about your spouse.
We were at the bookstore for about an hour and a half and we only finished up to #4. Why? Because this date is so much fun and creates so much conversation that you don’t stop at reading just a part of the story, or one joke – you can’t resist reading more and laughing or talking or crying. If you decide to try this, you could do the first three on one night and the second three another time.
This is the best date, ladies. It costs nothing. It creates conversation. It’s so much fun! It will knit your heart to your husband’s as you spend some really special minutes reading together and to one another. Even non-readers would love this, because it’s not like you have to read a whole book – or even a chapter of anything. They’re just fun topics that help you to know one another even deeper.
What free date do you and your husband do to create memories and build your relationship?
Lovingly,
School, Seasons and Sad Momma’s
I want to take just a minute to encourage moms today. From one who has been there, I realize that this time of year can be an emotional roller coaster for women who may feel they aren’t needed in their children’s lives quite like prior years. My only longing is to give a biblical perspective to guide a mom’s heart. So, here we go…
Late August can only mean one thing for children – school is back in session. For some of their momma’s, there is relief of no more slamming screen doors, frantic baseball schedules and camp-bound teens. They greet the fall and its changes with a happy sigh and open arms.
But for some moms, this school session brings sadness because they’re not just staring at lunch boxes and back packs; they’re staring at the changes it has brought. Perhaps…
- One child has left home to head to their first year of college.
- A daughter is in their last year of elementary school.
- A son is in his last year of junior high.
- All children are out of school and out of the home due to graduation and/or marriage.
The type of changes could go on and on, but the truth is, every year we live is going to be full of what we often stiff-arm – a change in the seasons of our life. Here’s a beautiful reminder in God’s Word in Ecclesiastes 3 about the seasons of our lives:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
God has given us a mother’s heart to love our children, to love parenting and nurturing them, so how are we to deal with an end or a change of those seasons? How can we find joy and a reason to move on when our role is different and we don’t feel quite as useful or needed as a mom?
- Think on Truth. We are commanded in Philippians 4:8 to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Therefore, if I let myself constantly think about those early days of my child’s life, and how much I miss when my girls were toddlers on teenagers, all I have to do is look into their current photos to realize that that is not the truth for today. Today they are grown, married and moving on in God’s will.Thinking about the truth of today could remind us that our kids are maturing; they’re developing into people that can serve God. Are they doing what we raised them to do, to serve and love God? Wonderful! Praise His name! If they’re away from the Lord, we can remind ourselves of the Truth that the Word we poured into them will not return void. God loves them more than we do and is pursuing them. What comfort Truth gives!
- Enjoy the memories of former days with a proper perspective. Isn’t God gracious to allow us the blessing of being able to remember those past seasons? It’s fun to flip through photos and recall the years now behind us. But while you’re recalling those times, be honest with yourself and remember that those days also brought some hardships.We home-schooled our girls almost completely through, meaning I was a home-schooling mom for twenty years. While I loved it and was thankful for the opportunity to pour into my girls’ lives, I remember days when I just wished I could go to Walmart alone! Some days I tired of dissecting earthworms and reading book reports. It’s easy to focus on the highlights and get discontented with here-and-now. Be real when you’re looking back.
- Honor your children and God when you reflect. If this next description is you, I honestly mean no ill, but I ask you to consider the reality for a minute. What adult wants their mom to post pictures or comments about their child, desiring that they were “a little boy once again?” I’m sure none of us would have wanted our mother-in-law to post toddler pictures of our husband because that’s how she wished she could see him. What girl wants to be remembered today as only what she was many years ago? If we really want to honor our children and be respectful of them (and their spouse, if they’re married) we will remember those former days only in our heart, and not on social media. Being considerate of their maturity is one small way to honor who they are today.How can we honor God in the way we remember our past seasons? Don’t think that your best days of serving Him was when you had children at home, or when they were littler, or more needy of you. Do you have a mate? Are you pouring as much energy and time into him? Each year as your children need you less, transfer that energy to your husband. If you have a ministry at church, give it your all. Find a younger woman to mentor and be a blessing in her life by spending time in God’s Word, working on projects together, praying with/for her and helping her in this busy season of her life!
I’m really not trying to get hate mail, but I only desire to encourage women to live as God would have us. Today is a gift from His hand, meant for serving, enjoying and laying up treasures in heaven. Don’t regret what’s gone – reboot and move on! This is a new season, Mom! Thank the Lord for yesterday and ask Him for a new opportunity to get out of bed, then put a smile on your face and be happy today! That might just mean going grocery shopping…alone! =)
What has been the most difficult time in your role as a mom?
Refresh your “momma” heart,
RefreshHer 