Written Windows - book give away

My friend LeAnna has put together an awesome blog totally devoted to reviewing children's books. This is a must see blog for any mom of young children! Currently she is giving away a Dr. Seuss book "Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You?" to one of her readers. Entry ends April 20th. Check it out at Written Windows!

Motherhood Verses to Ponder - Day 4

Proverbs 14:1
"Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."

Every wise woman builds her house/family/home. She works to create a home that is safe, strong, secure. By demonstrating the love of Christ and 1 Corinthians 13, she cultivates Godly qualities in her children and encourages her husband. The foolish woman, however, tears her house/family down. She is more concerned about her own "needs" and desires, caught up in the cares of the world that her family slips to the sideline where her children and husband do not get all of their needs met.

Motherhood Verses to Ponder - Day 3

Titus 2:4-5

^"4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

How would the opposite of these verses cause the Word of God to be blasphemed?

Motherhood Verses to Ponder - Day 2

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

⁷"But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

⁸So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us."

Paul used a picture of motherhood to communicate how he loved the people of Thessalonica: a mother that is gentle, cherishes and is affectionately desirous of her children.

Kisses from Heaven: Unexpected Blessings

I was shopping with my mother-in-law on Thursday. Though it was late, 9:30pm, we decided to stop at Target on our way home. I wanted her to show me the baby bath tub that she had seen there, so we were in the infant department. As we were looking at the selection of tubs, a woman came up to us. "I know this is weird," she said "but occasionally I like to do this just to help people out." She handed me a $20.00 bill! I was speechless. This was so out of the blue! Such an unexpected blessing, especially with my husband still laid off and needing things for our Baby Bear due in May. ...Kisses from Heaven.

The Mission of Motherhood - Verses to Ponder

I have been reading "The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity" by Sally Clarkson. Currently I have finished chapter 3. So far it has been a very insightful, encouraging, and challenging book. At the end of each chapter are thought provoking questions with Bible verses. As I have been challenged by these, I thought others too could benefit from studying these verses. (Note the verses are referenced to in the book, but these questions are my own ponderings. To find out what Sally Clarkson has said, you'll have to read the book!)

Psalm 127:1, 3 ~
¹Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.- What is the secret to the success of a Godly family?
³Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

The secret to the success of a godly family is that the parents allow God to design/build their home. How often do we as Christians try to design our families our way? In a way that best suits us? Even in the way that we view children. God views children as a reward, a heritage. We may say the same thing, but is that really how we act from day to day. When the milk is spilled for the 5th time, when the toys are piled 1ft high across the living room floor, when little hands and mouths and clamoring for your attention while you are on the phone, when little voices are asking you to read a book (for the 10th time) when you are working on the computer, when children disrupt plans and cause more work are they really viewed as a blessing and reward, or are they viewed as an annoyance and a hindrance? I know that really hit home to me.

Good News Club

The weekly after school Good News Club started up again on the first Tuesday of February. All through February till this last Tuesday, I taught the Bible lesson, helped with songs, did all the registration, coordination, and secretarial duties. I am relieved now that we have made it through the first set of lessons, to be able to pass on the teaching duties to another. So now my responsibilities include the coordination, registration/secretarial, and songs. It has been so awesome to watch God work in this club. We have been able to share the Gospel with 14 new students (ages 4-12) and 7 returning students (from before Christmas break), and 7 kids have prayed to accept Christ as their Savior! All in February! Not only has God been doing amazing things just with this Good News Club, but also other ministries of our church. 5 people have been accepted Christ as Savior as a result of our food pantry ministry, and 1 teen accepted Christ at the Valentine Fellowship. We have also had one baptized in our church, and two new members added in our small church of about 40 (on Sunday morning). Again, all since the beginning of the year! Not that this is something that we (the members of First Baptist Church) can personally boast of. It is not our doing but God's! So let me encourage everyone. You don't have to be great, you just have to be willing to be used of God. I truly believe that our time to share the Gospel of Christ is short. There are so many yet to be reached! What will YOU do? Are you willing to speak up though it may be inconvenient? Are you will to spend extra time in ministry for God? If you don't, WHO will? Don't wait for the right opportunity to come up to share your faith. Make the opportunity. A website that has greatly helped to equip Matt and I share God's good news is www.wayofthemaster.com and the ministry of Ray Comfort. CHECK IT OUT!!! A wise preacher once said something to the effect of the following (I will look for the exact quote): Do you desire to see others saved? If not, then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that!