quote

"God leads us beside the still waters;
Guilt propels us to overload."

"And as thy days, so shall thy strength be." DEUT. 25:33a

Sowing Godly Seeds

"We are not always permitted to see the

visible results of the seeds planted in the

hearts of our children, but we have the

promise of God's Word that there will be

a time of harvest.

"What godly seed could you plant in your

children's lives today? The seed could be

in the form of words or from your example.

Talk to God about it, and He'll lead you.

Then continue to water those seeds

through prayer."

-Evelyn Roberts [from make your day count]

I am a visual learner, so when a verse really hits home, I like to make a verse card out of it. This is my verse for today. So often throughout the day my flesh or pride takes control and I see the little things slip. It may seem small or insignifigant in the eyes of most parenting philosophies today, but I know in my heart it was wrong. When the spirit pricks I have a decision to make. To ignore it with my justifiable (i.e. lousy) excuse or to ponder my ways and make them right. I am amazed at how different of a parent I am now compared to the beautiful months of first being a mother. Those days were all sweet, filled with cuddling and coos of which I couldn't get enough of. Now, every day is a battle; for my spirit to remain in control, for love to abound, for my 3 year olds heart in submission & attitude. And if I am not careful, the weariness sets in, the waves of frustration plunge me into control rather than nourishment & guidance. We have a sensitive job, and if our hearts & spirits are not right, we certainly are not going to do our job correctly. So maybe it doesn't seem to have such a huge fall out right now, today. But be sure that it will rear its ugly head. Something convicting I heard recently in a sermon was, "What if your home had been taped for the last 2 months. What would we see & hear going on?" Wow, did that scare me. I knew there were moments I had given into my flesh and spoke harshly to my son or acted in frustration. The funny thing is that the rebuking or correcting words that come out of my mouth directed toward my son might as well come right back to me. I am the one who needs to have a "right heart spirit" and to remember that "obedience is doing what you are told, when you are told to do it, with the right heart attitude!" It's easy to expect it of my 3 year old, but what about me? I often struggle with some of the very same things toward my husband or the Lord. But they are the same heart issues! May we continue to pursue holiness and realize we are not exempt in any way just because we are the mommy!

"EAT YOUR VEGGIES!!!"

Mom's voice can be heard from the kitchen sink where she is washing the dinner dishes. The child sits stooped over his plate, poking at his pile of vegetables as if it will help them disappear. There is no way around it---you must insert, chew & swallow to benefit from the vitamins & minerals these leafy greens offer. And it won't be evident upon consumption. It takes days and weeks and years of faithful vegetable popping to see any change. But over time it will pay off! Strength gained, health preserved, good sight, healthy heart, teeth & bones: there will be a difference. And so is God's Word. Though I don't always feel the little tidbits I bite off for the day are amounting to great spiritual victories, it is better than spiritual starvation. I know, it seems so basic. But it can be a daily struggle with the demands pulling strong and hard on us mothers. May duty rise over demand. May we keep Christ preeminent in our hearts so that we are prepared for the battle of the day.

~Don't fool yourself into thinking, "I'm doing ok. I don't really need that right now."

~If you don't feel like doing it, remind yourself of the long term benefit.

~Even if you feel like you didn't get much out of your Bible study time, remember God rewards faithfulness and you are establishing a pattern in your life and your childrens lives as well!

Psalm 143:8,10

"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

"Teach me to do thy will; for thou art God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."

Happy Resurrection Day

[I bought this felt bag for $1 at Target, pulled off the cute airplane & added the hill & cross]

Of course everyone we run into at the store asks Drew, "So who's coming to your house on Sunday??? Someone with long ears and lots of candy??!!" Cute---sure, even though he pretty much looks at them dumb-founded. We want Drew to remember the TRUE meaning of the celebration & remind ourselves of it also. I just read about this "Easter" idea last week called "RESURRECTION EGGS." Our Walmart did not have any and it was too late to order it online. So I went to task to make it myself. I wanted to have it done for our family Easter dinner on Sat. night, and finished it with my final piece (a rock) when I picked up John at work. It was such a captivating illustration to tell the story of Christ's sacrifice. I made it for Drew, but everyone really enjoyed it! I hope to bring this out every Easter.

The Eggs tucked away in their "Home"


1. Jesus rode into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11)

[Donkey]

2. Mary washes Jesus’ feet (John 12: 1-8)

[Small cloth with perfume on it]

3. Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples (Matthew 26:17-19)

[a piece of bread]

4. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3)

[Silver coins]

5. Jesus carried His own cross (John19:17)

[Cross, made out of toothpicks]

6. Soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus' head (John 19:2)

[Small thorny branch made into crown]

7. Soldiers parted Jesus' garments and cast lots for His coat (John 19:23)

[Swatch of cloth, torn]

8. Jesus was nailed to a cross and pierced in His side (John 19:18,37 )

[A nail]

9. They gave Jesus vinegar mixed with gall on a sponge to drink (Matthew 27:34)

[A small sponge]

10. Spices to prepare Jesus’ body for burial (John 19:40)

[spices, such as cinnamon stick & whole cloves]

11. The stone covering Jesus' tomb was rolled away (John 20:1)

[A small rock]

12. The napkin around Jesus' head was lying separately from His linen clothers.

He was not there. He has risen! (John 20:6-7)

[A scrap of linen-type fabric; I actually used first-aid gauze]

of eternal value

"I think of all the energy that goes into raising children, the expense of feeding, clothing, and sheltering them, the outpouring of love and labor, none of it lost...It all counts for something, every act of love, though perhaps not measurable on this earth."

-J.L. Turner, Winter Birds

COMING SOON...

What we would say over A SLICE OF BANANA BREAD & A HOT CUP OF JOE.

3 FRIENDS STAYING CONNECTED.