If you have read the introduction to my blog, you know that I am a homemaker that has spent most of my life doing things that homemakers do like raising my children, ministering to my husband and family, homeschooling, church ministries, etc.. Many years ago, God impressed on me the importance of praying, first of all for my husband and family and for the Church, Christian ministries, and many other areas of life including our country, the United States of America.
Almost every day, we receive requests in the mail or by phone for money for this or that cause or politician. And like you, we are not able to give financially nearly as much as we would like. However, we do want to make a difference in the future of our country and do what we can to preserve the freedoms we have for our children and grandchildren. I believe that God has called us to prayer in order to accomplish His plan in this world. We do not understand how our prayers affect His carrying out of His will, but we do know that He has told us to pray for many specific things including our leaders. (I Timothy 2:1&2) We are sometimes guilty of thinking and sometimes even saying that “all I can do is pray”, when in reality praying is the VERY BEST thing we can do! God has once again burdened me to organize this “team” of women who will commit to pray throughout this election season. I am not asking for a commitment to me, but a commitment to our Lord that for the sake of the future of our kids and grandkids, we will “stand in the gap” (Ezekiel 22:30).
I am sure that most of you know most of the issues that are before us at this time as we face the election in November, so I won’t go through the list. I just wonder if we are all aware of the major impact some of these issues could have on the future of America. I will try not to overstate any of the consequences, but our country is at a major crossroad and we need God’s mercy in order to preserve the freedoms that we have enjoyed all of our lifetimes. It is not my intention, nor will I in the future make reference to any particular parties or to particular candidates for the purpose of criticizing anyone specifically. However, I will try to bring to our minds specific requests that need our prayer and if that implies a particular candidate, then I guess we will trust God’s Spirit to cause us to pray for whatever He brings to our minds.
I believe that God will do great things across our land if His people band together for prayer! God has given me a great burden in the area of prayer and if I can pass it along and inspire anyone else to pray that would be a great answer to my personal prayer. If you are encouraged to pray, share it with others that you know and let’s see what God will do when His people pray!
I will be posting reminders and requests and encouragements on my blog from time to time through this election time. God bless each one of you and may He be honored through our efforts to give our country the very best we can give, our time in prayer!
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!” James 5:16
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Where is Our Hope?
This week is what is commonly referred to as Holy Week by the Christian culture. As we come to the celebration of the Resurrection of our Savior which we will be celebrating this Sunday, let’s do so with great hope and joy! This is the very reason we can sing and rejoice in spite of the things going on around us in our world and more specifically, our own United States of America.
I want to take a short time to just remind you of what this week is all about. And I want to remind you to be sure that your children understand the significance of this week to the best of their ability for their age. If they are learning from our culture, they will come to the conclusion that Easter is about bunnies, candy, eggs, clothes, etc. If they go to church, they will probably hear about the Resurrection, but will one hour in church erase all of the distractions that the culture places on this most significant day?
This is an opportunity for you as parents to point them to the Savior and away from the frivolities of the culture! That doesn’t mean that they will not hear the things that the culture would like them to focus on, but you can make a difference in their lives this week by making sure they know what we are celebrating!
One of the things you can do is to separate any celebrations you do related to eggs, candy, bunnies, etc. for this very special week. We can all remember how much fun it is to hide and find eggs and spring is truly something to be celebrated (especially if you live in Michigan where winter seems longer than any other season), but those things can be done prior to this week or after this week. We used to color eggs a week or two ahead of Easter and call them “spring eggs”. And the new clothes were just for spring and not necessarily special for Easter Sunday morning. If children are overwhelmed with eggs and candy and baskets and clothes on Easter Sunday morning, how will they learn that the real reason for the special Easter celebration is the Resurrection of our Savior? It is also helpful, if there is an opportunity, to take them to a Good Friday Service so they can get the whole picture of why Jesus came. It would be very meaningful to your young children to hear of the agony and suffering of the Savior and it will give you opportunities to explain some things at home over the whole Easter weekend!
Let’s be sure that our children are clear on the Resurrection events that mean so much to our faith and let’s make Easter Sunday morning a time of remembering what God has done for us in the death and Resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.
“…And he (Pilate) said to the Jews, ‘Behold your King!’ But they cried out, ‘Away with Him, Away with Him! Crucify him!’ … And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called ‘the Place of the Skull’, … where they crucified Him, …So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. … Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices (and laid Him in a new tomb). …Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early…and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” (Excerpts are from John 19 & 20 – NKJV) “He is not here for He is risen as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay.”
Matthew 28:6.
Here are a couple of recipes I would like to share with you. You may even want to try them as a part of your Easter dinner.
ESCALLOPED PINEAPPLE:
3 eggs
1 stick butter – melted
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 large can crushed pineapple
4 cups cubed day-old French bread
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put bread cubes in a greased casserole dish. Mix eggs and sugar. Add melted butter and pineapple to egg mixture. Pour over bread and bake for about 45 minutes. Serve right out of the oven.
COCONUT CREAM PIE:
Crust: 1 cup flour
½ cup butter flavored shortening
2 Tablespoons cold water
Mix flour and shortening until it resembles coarse meal.
Add water and mix to form a ball.
Press into a 9-inch pie pan and bake for 9-10 minutes at 425 degrees.
Filling: ¾ cup sugar
¼ cup corn starch
Mix the above in a pan and add the following.
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks
Mix milk and yolks and add slowly to sugar mixture.
Cook this mixture over medium heat until it boils and thickens. Cook for one minute more stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add: 1/2 cup of coconut
1 ½ tablespoons butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Pour warm filling into pie crust and top with meringue.
Meringue:
3 egg whites
3/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Beat on high for one minute. Add:
6 tablespoons of sugar beating after each addition
Spread meringue over filling. Sprinkle with ¼ cup coconut.
Bake completed pie for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cool before serving.
Have a very blessed Easter and next week we will get back to our focus on prayer and my plan to “stand in the gap” for our election.
I want to take a short time to just remind you of what this week is all about. And I want to remind you to be sure that your children understand the significance of this week to the best of their ability for their age. If they are learning from our culture, they will come to the conclusion that Easter is about bunnies, candy, eggs, clothes, etc. If they go to church, they will probably hear about the Resurrection, but will one hour in church erase all of the distractions that the culture places on this most significant day?
This is an opportunity for you as parents to point them to the Savior and away from the frivolities of the culture! That doesn’t mean that they will not hear the things that the culture would like them to focus on, but you can make a difference in their lives this week by making sure they know what we are celebrating!
One of the things you can do is to separate any celebrations you do related to eggs, candy, bunnies, etc. for this very special week. We can all remember how much fun it is to hide and find eggs and spring is truly something to be celebrated (especially if you live in Michigan where winter seems longer than any other season), but those things can be done prior to this week or after this week. We used to color eggs a week or two ahead of Easter and call them “spring eggs”. And the new clothes were just for spring and not necessarily special for Easter Sunday morning. If children are overwhelmed with eggs and candy and baskets and clothes on Easter Sunday morning, how will they learn that the real reason for the special Easter celebration is the Resurrection of our Savior? It is also helpful, if there is an opportunity, to take them to a Good Friday Service so they can get the whole picture of why Jesus came. It would be very meaningful to your young children to hear of the agony and suffering of the Savior and it will give you opportunities to explain some things at home over the whole Easter weekend!
Let’s be sure that our children are clear on the Resurrection events that mean so much to our faith and let’s make Easter Sunday morning a time of remembering what God has done for us in the death and Resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.
“…And he (Pilate) said to the Jews, ‘Behold your King!’ But they cried out, ‘Away with Him, Away with Him! Crucify him!’ … And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called ‘the Place of the Skull’, … where they crucified Him, …So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. … Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices (and laid Him in a new tomb). …Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early…and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” (Excerpts are from John 19 & 20 – NKJV) “He is not here for He is risen as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay.”
Matthew 28:6.
Here are a couple of recipes I would like to share with you. You may even want to try them as a part of your Easter dinner.
ESCALLOPED PINEAPPLE:
3 eggs
1 stick butter – melted
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 large can crushed pineapple
4 cups cubed day-old French bread
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put bread cubes in a greased casserole dish. Mix eggs and sugar. Add melted butter and pineapple to egg mixture. Pour over bread and bake for about 45 minutes. Serve right out of the oven.
COCONUT CREAM PIE:
Crust: 1 cup flour
½ cup butter flavored shortening
2 Tablespoons cold water
Mix flour and shortening until it resembles coarse meal.
Add water and mix to form a ball.
Press into a 9-inch pie pan and bake for 9-10 minutes at 425 degrees.
Filling: ¾ cup sugar
¼ cup corn starch
Mix the above in a pan and add the following.
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks
Mix milk and yolks and add slowly to sugar mixture.
Cook this mixture over medium heat until it boils and thickens. Cook for one minute more stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add: 1/2 cup of coconut
1 ½ tablespoons butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Pour warm filling into pie crust and top with meringue.
Meringue:
3 egg whites
3/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Beat on high for one minute. Add:
6 tablespoons of sugar beating after each addition
Spread meringue over filling. Sprinkle with ¼ cup coconut.
Bake completed pie for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cool before serving.
Have a very blessed Easter and next week we will get back to our focus on prayer and my plan to “stand in the gap” for our election.
Friday, March 14, 2008
It's A Girl
Well, March 5 was the day and we have a new grand daughter! What a joy to see her precious little face and know that more than anyone else in the whole world, God loves her so much that He gave His Son to die for her and we will celebrate that event next week!
As I stated in the last entry, it is my hope that I can help us all live above some of the events that are shaping our political scene today! I am a realist by nature and have a very defined “grid”; so as I look around, I find it very easy to become pessimistic and discouraged with the direction that things are taking! I add to that thoughts of my little grandkids growing up in this world and I could become very apprehensive about it all! But I KNOW that it is not God’s plan for us to live our lives in the state of discouragement or hopelessness, so I am working through some thoughts and practicing some exercises to make sure that I don’t spend time thinking about things that are not “true, just, lovely, of good report, etc.” (Philippians 4:8)
First of all, we need to remind ourselves daily of where our hope lies. I shared in the last entry the Scripture found in Psalm 146. We could all stand to read that Scripture each and every day and remind ourselves of God’s credentials, His abilities and his faithfulness and power!
After we are thoroughly convinced of God’s faithfulness and promises, we need to pray! If there has ever been a time that we need to pray, it is today! Prayer is very hard work and we don’t always understand how it affects our daily lives, but God has asked us to pray (well really, He commanded us to pray – I Thessalonians. 5:17, for example). So let’s get on our knees every day on behalf of our country and the coming election and let’s PRAY! And, let’s be careful not to tell God what to do, but let’s seek His best plan for us and our country.
And finally, we need to be a light of hope and joy and peace in the midst of the chaos going on in the culture. We need to live above the evil, the discouragement, the hopelessness, the pessimism and all the other attitudes that we are experiencing as we see what goes on. And we do not need to be ignorant of the situation in order to accomplish that. On the contrary, we are to be “salt” and “light” in the midst of it all and we are to lift up the name Jesus and give hope to the world. Let them know that there is a better way of life and live your life as an example of that! Let them see the “fruit of the Spirit” manifesting itself in your life! (Galatians 5:22)
I feel compelled to do whatever I can do to help us focus on prayer through this very crucial time in our nation’s history. In order to act upon that burden that I have, I will be using this blog to send out reminders from time to time concerning things that I feel that we need to pray for related to the election. I am convinced that God uses the prayers of His people to accomplish great things for Him, so in obedience, I will be encouraging all of you to pray regularly for the upcoming events in our country. (James 5:16 b.) “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Back to the baby – I am quite sure I will not be here when my grandkids are grandparents. I am VERY committed to having an influence on their lives both now and for the remainder of their lives! I know many of you are grandparents and some of you are parents, but we all have a responsibility to pass the baton on to the next generations. For this reason, we need to cover these things in prayer now as once we are gone we won’t be able to do that. Let’s not only pray for them, but let’s leave them a legacy of praying parents and grandparents and let them know just how important we believe prayer to be! I know that even more than the answers to prayer that we receive will be the memory in the hearts of our children of parents and grandparents on their knees praying for them and for the things that affect them! Let’s make an eternal difference for them!
As I stated in the last entry, it is my hope that I can help us all live above some of the events that are shaping our political scene today! I am a realist by nature and have a very defined “grid”; so as I look around, I find it very easy to become pessimistic and discouraged with the direction that things are taking! I add to that thoughts of my little grandkids growing up in this world and I could become very apprehensive about it all! But I KNOW that it is not God’s plan for us to live our lives in the state of discouragement or hopelessness, so I am working through some thoughts and practicing some exercises to make sure that I don’t spend time thinking about things that are not “true, just, lovely, of good report, etc.” (Philippians 4:8)
First of all, we need to remind ourselves daily of where our hope lies. I shared in the last entry the Scripture found in Psalm 146. We could all stand to read that Scripture each and every day and remind ourselves of God’s credentials, His abilities and his faithfulness and power!
After we are thoroughly convinced of God’s faithfulness and promises, we need to pray! If there has ever been a time that we need to pray, it is today! Prayer is very hard work and we don’t always understand how it affects our daily lives, but God has asked us to pray (well really, He commanded us to pray – I Thessalonians. 5:17, for example). So let’s get on our knees every day on behalf of our country and the coming election and let’s PRAY! And, let’s be careful not to tell God what to do, but let’s seek His best plan for us and our country.
And finally, we need to be a light of hope and joy and peace in the midst of the chaos going on in the culture. We need to live above the evil, the discouragement, the hopelessness, the pessimism and all the other attitudes that we are experiencing as we see what goes on. And we do not need to be ignorant of the situation in order to accomplish that. On the contrary, we are to be “salt” and “light” in the midst of it all and we are to lift up the name Jesus and give hope to the world. Let them know that there is a better way of life and live your life as an example of that! Let them see the “fruit of the Spirit” manifesting itself in your life! (Galatians 5:22)
I feel compelled to do whatever I can do to help us focus on prayer through this very crucial time in our nation’s history. In order to act upon that burden that I have, I will be using this blog to send out reminders from time to time concerning things that I feel that we need to pray for related to the election. I am convinced that God uses the prayers of His people to accomplish great things for Him, so in obedience, I will be encouraging all of you to pray regularly for the upcoming events in our country. (James 5:16 b.) “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Back to the baby – I am quite sure I will not be here when my grandkids are grandparents. I am VERY committed to having an influence on their lives both now and for the remainder of their lives! I know many of you are grandparents and some of you are parents, but we all have a responsibility to pass the baton on to the next generations. For this reason, we need to cover these things in prayer now as once we are gone we won’t be able to do that. Let’s not only pray for them, but let’s leave them a legacy of praying parents and grandparents and let them know just how important we believe prayer to be! I know that even more than the answers to prayer that we receive will be the memory in the hearts of our children of parents and grandparents on their knees praying for them and for the things that affect them! Let’s make an eternal difference for them!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
A New Baby
Today as I sit here at home and wait for a call that I need to go to the hospital to welcome a new grandbaby, I am reflecting on the culture we live in and the world in which that precious little baby will grow up! We do not know if this baby is a boy or a girl, but no matter the gender, the intelligence or any other characteristic of this little baby, he/she will face many challenges that his parents, his grandparents, his extended family and every Christian he knows will need to help him through!
I haven’t written for a while for various reasons, but I have become very burdened by what is going on in our political climate and wondering how I can help young parents face the challenges that are rampant today! I am going to try over the next few weeks to react and to respond to some of the things that I am hearing and hope that it may be of help to you.
One of the words that is often being used today is the word “hope”. As I listen, (and I am quite interested in the political scene) I hear that word just batted around as if just the ability to have “hope” is all that matters. I haven’t heard anyone yet tell us what reason we have for having “hope”! I am here to tell you that “hope” in “hope” will get you nothing! “Hope” in some intangible idea or thing will also accomplish nothing. We need to have our “hope” IN something.
My challenge to you moms and parents is to give your children something IN which to hope. And the best thing that I know of to be the object of that “hope” is God. God, in His Word, not only tells us to have “hope”, He tells us where to place our hope and why. In Psalm 146:5-10 a.) (NKJV) it says: “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for His help, whose ‘hope’ is in the Lord his God, Who made Heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and the widow; but the way of the wicked He turns upside down. The Lord shall reign forever--”
That list not only covers many of the needs that we face in America today, but God has great credentials, don’t you think?! And talk about experience…! I pray that as we all face the coming days and months and all that is transpiring in our great country, we will remember that, as the song says, “Our ‘hope’ is in the Lord” and not in anything that any of the politicians tell us about what they are going to do! Our job is to pray and seek God’s will and best plan for us and for our families. This is the reason that I can be excited and thrilled as I wait for the new life that God is placing in our family today or some day soon! On my own and with the things I see and hear with my own eyes and ears, I would be very apprehensive and pessimistic, but when I read Psalm 146, I see GREAT HOPE in the God Who created the Heaven and the earth and will reign forever! With that “hope”, I can hold that precious new grandbaby and know that with God’s help, I can make a difference for him and for all the other grandchildren God has and will bless me with!
With that in mind, may I keep my eyes on God and keep focused on my mission so that I can be that help and support that all who are living in this world are looking for. Praise the Lord for the ‘hope’ we have in Him!!!
I haven’t written for a while for various reasons, but I have become very burdened by what is going on in our political climate and wondering how I can help young parents face the challenges that are rampant today! I am going to try over the next few weeks to react and to respond to some of the things that I am hearing and hope that it may be of help to you.
One of the words that is often being used today is the word “hope”. As I listen, (and I am quite interested in the political scene) I hear that word just batted around as if just the ability to have “hope” is all that matters. I haven’t heard anyone yet tell us what reason we have for having “hope”! I am here to tell you that “hope” in “hope” will get you nothing! “Hope” in some intangible idea or thing will also accomplish nothing. We need to have our “hope” IN something.
My challenge to you moms and parents is to give your children something IN which to hope. And the best thing that I know of to be the object of that “hope” is God. God, in His Word, not only tells us to have “hope”, He tells us where to place our hope and why. In Psalm 146:5-10 a.) (NKJV) it says: “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for His help, whose ‘hope’ is in the Lord his God, Who made Heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and the widow; but the way of the wicked He turns upside down. The Lord shall reign forever--”
That list not only covers many of the needs that we face in America today, but God has great credentials, don’t you think?! And talk about experience…! I pray that as we all face the coming days and months and all that is transpiring in our great country, we will remember that, as the song says, “Our ‘hope’ is in the Lord” and not in anything that any of the politicians tell us about what they are going to do! Our job is to pray and seek God’s will and best plan for us and for our families. This is the reason that I can be excited and thrilled as I wait for the new life that God is placing in our family today or some day soon! On my own and with the things I see and hear with my own eyes and ears, I would be very apprehensive and pessimistic, but when I read Psalm 146, I see GREAT HOPE in the God Who created the Heaven and the earth and will reign forever! With that “hope”, I can hold that precious new grandbaby and know that with God’s help, I can make a difference for him and for all the other grandchildren God has and will bless me with!
With that in mind, may I keep my eyes on God and keep focused on my mission so that I can be that help and support that all who are living in this world are looking for. Praise the Lord for the ‘hope’ we have in Him!!!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Contented Children - Part II
Wow! I have been terribly busy for almost three weeks now, and I haven’t been able to find time to think about or write on my blog! I am hoping things will settle down now, so I am returning and will try to get back on track. We have had company, entertained grandchildren, visited our son in Dayton, been to the Dr. and dentist, etc.!
We started the topic of contentment last time and I would like to continue on that line today. Another important principle of teaching contentment to your children is to keep your home “low key”. Teach your children to enjoy the simple things of life. Make a big deal about things that you want them to enjoy like going for walks and picking flowers. Let them plant things in the garden and watch them grow. I learned very early on that my children would reflect me, so if I was happy, they were happy. If I was frustrated, they could soon be frustrated. The kids would enjoy the things that I enjoyed. Sometimes we underestimate how much we influence our children from a very early age. So, it is important for us as mothers to have responses that we desire our kids to have.
Since we are in the fall time of the year, we will soon be faced with several very different options of how to celebrate the “holidays” that are on the calendar. As I have come through the past several years of my life, it has become more and more important to me to celebrate Thanksgiving in a bigger way! Without getting into the moral or spiritual aspects of Halloween, may I just say that Halloween at best teaches those who participate in it a very selfish attitude about “getting”. There is a lot of greed involved in going around and asking for candy from everyone we can think of! Why not skip Halloween and move from fall to Thanksgiving. I mentioned in my last entry that teaching your children to be thankful is one good way to ward off discontent. So this will give you a very good way to teach this in a tangible way! After Labor Day is over we give it a couple of weeks and then we get out the Thanksgiving things and put out things that remind us of the blessings of God and how much we have for which to be thankful. I have noticed to my dismay that most stores skip right over Thanksgiving, so if you are taking your cues from them, you will miss Thanksgiving too. Thanksgiving doesn’t offer much in the way of revenue, so it is not on the calendar except as a “comma” between Halloween and Christmas which are the real money-makers.
Speaking of teaching your kids to be content, one thing you can do to encourage this is to teach them to serve others. It is good for them to see others who are in need so they realize they have some responsibility to minister to and share with them. Every fall in early October, I have my grandkids over to help me make cookies to distribute to some of the elderly and shut-ins that we know. So on October 2, I picked them up and they came over. I had cut out the cookies (maybe as they get a bit older, I will let them “help” me cut them out as well) in the shape of apples. Then as I frost them with red frosting and green leaves, the kids are responsible to put on some red sprinkles and red cinnamon candies. Then we pack plates and deliver them around town. This year we delivered ten plates in all. Of course there is the joy of the older people that delight in hugging the children or giving them a treat and when we get home, everyone can have a cookie with milk. It is a very special time for all of us and I just pray that this will be the beginning of teaching them to minister and give to people who are in need.
Children are not born being content. They are born with all kinds of needs and desires and the culture adds to that and soon we have children who are very self-centered and selfish. And there is no one thing you can teach them that will solve this problem. It takes a life time of teaching by example and helping them arrange their priorities. I have so many thoughts on this topic, but I pray that you can see the way to plant some seeds and I pray that you will see growth and fruit in your children and grandchildren.
We started the topic of contentment last time and I would like to continue on that line today. Another important principle of teaching contentment to your children is to keep your home “low key”. Teach your children to enjoy the simple things of life. Make a big deal about things that you want them to enjoy like going for walks and picking flowers. Let them plant things in the garden and watch them grow. I learned very early on that my children would reflect me, so if I was happy, they were happy. If I was frustrated, they could soon be frustrated. The kids would enjoy the things that I enjoyed. Sometimes we underestimate how much we influence our children from a very early age. So, it is important for us as mothers to have responses that we desire our kids to have.
Since we are in the fall time of the year, we will soon be faced with several very different options of how to celebrate the “holidays” that are on the calendar. As I have come through the past several years of my life, it has become more and more important to me to celebrate Thanksgiving in a bigger way! Without getting into the moral or spiritual aspects of Halloween, may I just say that Halloween at best teaches those who participate in it a very selfish attitude about “getting”. There is a lot of greed involved in going around and asking for candy from everyone we can think of! Why not skip Halloween and move from fall to Thanksgiving. I mentioned in my last entry that teaching your children to be thankful is one good way to ward off discontent. So this will give you a very good way to teach this in a tangible way! After Labor Day is over we give it a couple of weeks and then we get out the Thanksgiving things and put out things that remind us of the blessings of God and how much we have for which to be thankful. I have noticed to my dismay that most stores skip right over Thanksgiving, so if you are taking your cues from them, you will miss Thanksgiving too. Thanksgiving doesn’t offer much in the way of revenue, so it is not on the calendar except as a “comma” between Halloween and Christmas which are the real money-makers.
Speaking of teaching your kids to be content, one thing you can do to encourage this is to teach them to serve others. It is good for them to see others who are in need so they realize they have some responsibility to minister to and share with them. Every fall in early October, I have my grandkids over to help me make cookies to distribute to some of the elderly and shut-ins that we know. So on October 2, I picked them up and they came over. I had cut out the cookies (maybe as they get a bit older, I will let them “help” me cut them out as well) in the shape of apples. Then as I frost them with red frosting and green leaves, the kids are responsible to put on some red sprinkles and red cinnamon candies. Then we pack plates and deliver them around town. This year we delivered ten plates in all. Of course there is the joy of the older people that delight in hugging the children or giving them a treat and when we get home, everyone can have a cookie with milk. It is a very special time for all of us and I just pray that this will be the beginning of teaching them to minister and give to people who are in need.
Children are not born being content. They are born with all kinds of needs and desires and the culture adds to that and soon we have children who are very self-centered and selfish. And there is no one thing you can teach them that will solve this problem. It takes a life time of teaching by example and helping them arrange their priorities. I have so many thoughts on this topic, but I pray that you can see the way to plant some seeds and I pray that you will see growth and fruit in your children and grandchildren.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Let's Raise Contented Children
Today is a new month and I am going to start a new topic! I have been dealing with some topics related to modesty and I am going to turn a corner today and share some thoughts about how to raise contented children. Just to justify the importance of this topic, you need to look up I Timothy 6:6: “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Contentment is a rare quality today, but it is one that can really make a difference in our whole life! In a culture where there are way too many choices for all of us, especially children, contentment is something we must learn or it won’t happen!
My daughter recently observed a party for children and she was very struck by the fact that the children were so outspoken about their likes and dislikes related to the food and other activities at the event. We need to remember that children learn by example and by teaching and when neither one is occurring properly, children will not pick up the qualities that they need in order to set them for a life characterized by contentment.
So how do we teach contentment? First of all, we need to model contentment for our children. If we are always trying to get and get and get more, then they will learn that is what life is all about. When we feel free to share openly about our likes and dislikes related to food or other basics of life, they will learn to share all the things they don’t like as well. I remember when our kids were young, we believed it was bad manners for children to come to the table, ours or anyone else’s, and talk about the food being or containing something they “don’t like”. In fact, we made a rule in our home that if someone complained about the food or asked what was in it so as to ascertain whether they would want to eat it, they would then have a slice of bread and a glass of water for that meal while the rest of us ate the meal along with the dessert. I think we only had to enforce that rule one time and it never happened again! It is also not wise for a mother to plan a meal that allows for each person to eat something different so that no one must eat anything that he doesn’t like. Food is only one small aspect of contentment, but it is an area where children think they can take control if they are allowed to get away with sharing their opinions.
Children can learn to try to control early if they are allowed to cry for things in the grocery store and see their desires met if they cry loud enough. If they know you are not going to spank or otherwise discipline them when you are out, they will learn very quickly that they can have anything they want in a grocery store. So how do you stop that in a climate where we don’t dare spank our kids in public? Well, as soon as the child tries that crying routine in the store, you very calmly explain to him that if he doesn’t stop that immediately, he will be punished when he arrives home. And then when he arrives home, you need to remember that promise you gave him and you need to carry through with something that he will NOT forget! (Spankings work well and I believe that is God’s punishment of choice.) You see, if a child receives an item in a store because he cries, he will learn by experience that he can get new toys, treats, etc. every time he goes to the store and you will begin to plant the seed of discontent in his heart because he can always have more if he can manipulate you by crying.
So the bottom line of the discussion today is that we as adults need to display the quality of contentment before our children if we expect them to learn how to be that way. We need to be thankful for the provisions of God and always be careful how we approach our meals at home and other places. There are some other principles that are important related to contentment, and we will continue on this topic in the next entry. As is often the case, I think that the basic approach to becoming content is to learn to be thankful!
Contentment is a rare quality today, but it is one that can really make a difference in our whole life! In a culture where there are way too many choices for all of us, especially children, contentment is something we must learn or it won’t happen!
My daughter recently observed a party for children and she was very struck by the fact that the children were so outspoken about their likes and dislikes related to the food and other activities at the event. We need to remember that children learn by example and by teaching and when neither one is occurring properly, children will not pick up the qualities that they need in order to set them for a life characterized by contentment.
So how do we teach contentment? First of all, we need to model contentment for our children. If we are always trying to get and get and get more, then they will learn that is what life is all about. When we feel free to share openly about our likes and dislikes related to food or other basics of life, they will learn to share all the things they don’t like as well. I remember when our kids were young, we believed it was bad manners for children to come to the table, ours or anyone else’s, and talk about the food being or containing something they “don’t like”. In fact, we made a rule in our home that if someone complained about the food or asked what was in it so as to ascertain whether they would want to eat it, they would then have a slice of bread and a glass of water for that meal while the rest of us ate the meal along with the dessert. I think we only had to enforce that rule one time and it never happened again! It is also not wise for a mother to plan a meal that allows for each person to eat something different so that no one must eat anything that he doesn’t like. Food is only one small aspect of contentment, but it is an area where children think they can take control if they are allowed to get away with sharing their opinions.
Children can learn to try to control early if they are allowed to cry for things in the grocery store and see their desires met if they cry loud enough. If they know you are not going to spank or otherwise discipline them when you are out, they will learn very quickly that they can have anything they want in a grocery store. So how do you stop that in a climate where we don’t dare spank our kids in public? Well, as soon as the child tries that crying routine in the store, you very calmly explain to him that if he doesn’t stop that immediately, he will be punished when he arrives home. And then when he arrives home, you need to remember that promise you gave him and you need to carry through with something that he will NOT forget! (Spankings work well and I believe that is God’s punishment of choice.) You see, if a child receives an item in a store because he cries, he will learn by experience that he can get new toys, treats, etc. every time he goes to the store and you will begin to plant the seed of discontent in his heart because he can always have more if he can manipulate you by crying.
So the bottom line of the discussion today is that we as adults need to display the quality of contentment before our children if we expect them to learn how to be that way. We need to be thankful for the provisions of God and always be careful how we approach our meals at home and other places. There are some other principles that are important related to contentment, and we will continue on this topic in the next entry. As is often the case, I think that the basic approach to becoming content is to learn to be thankful!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Modesty -- Part III
Last week I started sharing some things that are on my heart and mind. Some of the material last week and some of the material this week is taken from the booklet: “The Look-Does God Really Care What I Wear?” by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.
I will start today by sharing a quote by a 17th Century pastor, Richard Baxter, who said: “We must walk among sinful persons as you would do with a candle among straw or gun powder or else you may see the flame, which you did not foresee, when it is too late to quench it.” We are our brothers’ keepers and we are to look out for the welfare of our Christian brothers. Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” Romans 15:1 says, “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” We are to strengthen each other and “stir up good works”. We cannot do this by wearing things that cause impure or lustful thoughts in the minds of our brothers. We are not to defraud our brothers by creating in them expectations that we can’t/won’t righteously fulfill!
God’s plan in Creation was for the race to multiply. So in order to accomplish that, He created men to be very visual and to pursue and He made women to be very relational and to respond. With this in mind, it is our responsibility to handle these characteristics in a very godly and obedient manner. Proverbs 21:20 says that “the eyes of a man are never satisfied.” Along with these physical and sexual characteristics, God gave some natural barriers and protection such as embarrassment and naivety which our culture is working very hard to break down! If you want to see documented proof of this, you should take some time to read the book: “Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America” by Jeff Pollard. When our children were in High School, we went to a meeting in preparation for the year of “Sex Education” and we were told by someone who represented the local Health Department that one of their goals is to “break down the barriers between the genders and help them feel comfortable with each other when discussing all sexual matters!” Is it any wonder that the young teens feel very natural and comfortable having sexual contact at an early age! God placed those barriers there for our benefit and protection and it is up to us to guard that in our homes and by teaching our young girls how to dress!
At the risk of sounding too old fashioned (If you think I am old fashioned, you are right, but I carry that label proudly), I want to give some examples here of clothing that poses problems for our brothers. I think the easiest way would be to make a list, so here goes:
Anything that exposes intimate or alluring parts of our bodies such as low cut shirts or blouses. (According to men, breasts are the most alluring part of the female body.)
Anything that emphasizes intimate parts of the female body. (Some clothing is designed to draw eyes to a certain part of the body. Eyes should be drawn to our faces.)
Anything that teases with “just a hint” of exposure. Sometimes “teasing” is worse that full exposure.)
Tight clothing. “Clothing should be tight enough to show you are a woman, and loose enough to show you are a lady.”
Underwear that shows through clothing or that is designed to show. (Be careful of those white pants!)
Anything that is too low, too tight, too short or too sheer. If you wear “low rise” pants, then you need a long shirt! Or a short shirt should be accompanied with “high rise” pants!
I pray that each of us will resolve to please God, to bring glory to God, and to have a modest and pure heart!
Finally:
1. Don’t compare yourself with the wrong standard! The Bible is our standard!
2. We are God’s representatives, no matter what our age. Let’s dress for the occasion!
3. Save all your “treasures” for one man – your husband! Dress for HIM!!!
4. When someone looks at you, their eyes should be drawn to your face. That is where your joy and peace and beauty should be emanating from your inner beauty.
Checklist:
1. Bend over and see what happens to your hemline or to the meeting of your blouse and skirt.
2. Check skirt lengths and slits when you sit down.
3. Check to see how your arms fit in your sleeveless clothing. No one should be able to see in and out the other side.
4. Check to see how much can be seen through your clothing.
5. Bend over and see what happens at the top of your shirt or blouse.
“Lord, give me a modest heart! Let me be a woman of grace and love enough to protect my Christian brothers.”
I will start today by sharing a quote by a 17th Century pastor, Richard Baxter, who said: “We must walk among sinful persons as you would do with a candle among straw or gun powder or else you may see the flame, which you did not foresee, when it is too late to quench it.” We are our brothers’ keepers and we are to look out for the welfare of our Christian brothers. Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” Romans 15:1 says, “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” We are to strengthen each other and “stir up good works”. We cannot do this by wearing things that cause impure or lustful thoughts in the minds of our brothers. We are not to defraud our brothers by creating in them expectations that we can’t/won’t righteously fulfill!
God’s plan in Creation was for the race to multiply. So in order to accomplish that, He created men to be very visual and to pursue and He made women to be very relational and to respond. With this in mind, it is our responsibility to handle these characteristics in a very godly and obedient manner. Proverbs 21:20 says that “the eyes of a man are never satisfied.” Along with these physical and sexual characteristics, God gave some natural barriers and protection such as embarrassment and naivety which our culture is working very hard to break down! If you want to see documented proof of this, you should take some time to read the book: “Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America” by Jeff Pollard. When our children were in High School, we went to a meeting in preparation for the year of “Sex Education” and we were told by someone who represented the local Health Department that one of their goals is to “break down the barriers between the genders and help them feel comfortable with each other when discussing all sexual matters!” Is it any wonder that the young teens feel very natural and comfortable having sexual contact at an early age! God placed those barriers there for our benefit and protection and it is up to us to guard that in our homes and by teaching our young girls how to dress!
At the risk of sounding too old fashioned (If you think I am old fashioned, you are right, but I carry that label proudly), I want to give some examples here of clothing that poses problems for our brothers. I think the easiest way would be to make a list, so here goes:
Anything that exposes intimate or alluring parts of our bodies such as low cut shirts or blouses. (According to men, breasts are the most alluring part of the female body.)
Anything that emphasizes intimate parts of the female body. (Some clothing is designed to draw eyes to a certain part of the body. Eyes should be drawn to our faces.)
Anything that teases with “just a hint” of exposure. Sometimes “teasing” is worse that full exposure.)
Tight clothing. “Clothing should be tight enough to show you are a woman, and loose enough to show you are a lady.”
Underwear that shows through clothing or that is designed to show. (Be careful of those white pants!)
Anything that is too low, too tight, too short or too sheer. If you wear “low rise” pants, then you need a long shirt! Or a short shirt should be accompanied with “high rise” pants!
I pray that each of us will resolve to please God, to bring glory to God, and to have a modest and pure heart!
Finally:
1. Don’t compare yourself with the wrong standard! The Bible is our standard!
2. We are God’s representatives, no matter what our age. Let’s dress for the occasion!
3. Save all your “treasures” for one man – your husband! Dress for HIM!!!
4. When someone looks at you, their eyes should be drawn to your face. That is where your joy and peace and beauty should be emanating from your inner beauty.
Checklist:
1. Bend over and see what happens to your hemline or to the meeting of your blouse and skirt.
2. Check skirt lengths and slits when you sit down.
3. Check to see how your arms fit in your sleeveless clothing. No one should be able to see in and out the other side.
4. Check to see how much can be seen through your clothing.
5. Bend over and see what happens at the top of your shirt or blouse.
“Lord, give me a modest heart! Let me be a woman of grace and love enough to protect my Christian brothers.”
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