Home Life...Being Stewarts of Our Money

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matthew 6:24)

While we were waiting for the results of our refinancing we were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to go on a beach house vacation in North Carolina. There are a group of people from our church who rented a beach house on the outer banks of North Carolina, but a few families will be leaving the house early. Since the house was already paid for, the rest of the group decided to extend a free room on the beach house to our family. All we needed to pay for was our transportation, food, and extra costs. Below is a letter DearHubby and I wrote to the group about our decision:

Hi Beach House Vacation Coordinators,

An opportunity to stay at a magnificent beach house for free comes only once in a lifetime and worth every penny to spend, especially when it would be with brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Unfortunately, due to our current financial situation, we do not even have that one penny to spend. We are quite torn about our decision as we so much wanted to join all the families for this once in a lifetime opportunity, but after much prayer and consideration, we will need to decline the offer. Although our lodging at this wonderful vacation spot would be free, the transportation, food, and extra costs would still be too much for our very modest budget.

One lesson we have learned from this experience is being better stewarts of our money and putting our hope and trust in God over silver or rubies. We were putting our hope on the refinancing of our home and spending money that we did not have and that was not ours. If we had been stewarts of our money, we would have still watched our spending despite our pending refinancing. We received word this week that our application was denied. Our false hope was crushed.

The beach house offer was our test. Do we take the offer because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity or do we decline it because we don't have the funds? What is the best decision? We are already in debt, something we have not been in for over 5 years now, so what's another few hundred dollars? Through much prayer and consideration, over and over again, the Lord has told us no. Both DearHubby and I are torn, sad, mad, frustrated, etc... over this, but we know we have to do God's will.

Thank you so much for extending this offer to us! Have a blessed time!

In Pursuit of His Call

Home Life and Faith...Am I treating my husband as I would treat Christ?

It's Friday but I wish it were Monday because it finally feels like things are getting back to "normal." The girls are finally starting to feel better from all their "malfunctioning bodily symptoms" and I was able to start my day with my weekly devotions. I don't know why when things are chaotic I want to just take things into my own hands rather than leave it in God's. When I did my devotions this morning, my soul was so renewed with strength and faith. Hmmmm...

Vacation was really nice and I thank God that He led DearHubby's decision to go to Illinois, where his family lives. There were a few situations that could have been an obstacle to taking a vacation and I'm thankful that DearHubby did not get side-tracked by those obstacles; one of those obstacles was me. I saw a lot of burdens on DearHubby's shoulders and I thought that if we stayed home for his vacation time, he would be able to lessen those burdens because he would have the time to address those burdens. Our vacation in Illinois didn't lessen those burdens, but it allowed DearHubby to just physically and mentally rest and come back home "refreshed."

What I enjoyed most on vacation was the refuge we found in my in-laws' home and the country Illinois "culture". DearHubby's brother and sister came by almost every day and it was fun just sitting around "like bums", as my sister in called it, fellowshipping and enjoying one another's company. Since DearHubby's brother and sister were around, so were their kids, and our girls had so much fun getting along with their cousins. It was also nice having the opportunity to plan a date night with DearHubby and not have to worry about who would babysit the girls because Papa and Nana were right there. Lastly, DearHubby has kept in touch with his high school friends throughout the years as well as made some new ones, and it was nice to just pick up the phone and say, "Hey, can we come over and hang out?" It was a simple vacation with no pressures and that's what made the time so refreshing.

While we were on vacation, DearHubby said that for the first time he wouldn't mind permanently returning back to Illinois because he realized the ministry we would be to his family. As we thought about missing family we prayed about our own ministry where God put us now. The same ministry we could be to his family (or mine) we could be to those around us where we are now. Therefore, in our prayer, we prayed for God to reveal to us how we are to be used. Not that we haven't been a ministry to others already, but to reveal to us a more long term ministry. One particular area we prayed for better direction in is how the Lord can help us use our home because we have invested so much time and money into it. If our home will not be opened up for ministry purposes, all that work would have been done in vain.

One ministry I have been working on is my ministry to my husband. I have been reading A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George and one quote that has stuck to my head was a quote by Billy Graham's wife who said, "My husband is my career." What a convicting statement, especially as I have poured a lot of my energy towards my young children. I don't want to lose focus on my ministry towards my children, but I am realizing that how I minister to my husband is also a big ministry for my children to see as it would be teaching them how a husband and wife, the reflection of Christ and His bride, ought to relate to one another in the Lord.

I started off with something small, like buying ice cream for DearHubby. We get ice cream as a special dessert when we go out to eat, but a serving of ice cream at a restaurant or Ice Cream shop can cost as much as or more than a box of ice cream at the grocery store. So, I got DearHubby a box of Chocolate ice cream. That small act of buying the ice cream turned into me scooping DearHubby an ice cream cone, something I would normally have him do himself. It was a nice surprise for him that he appreciated greatly.

Our vacation in Illinois did not lighten up DearHubby's burdens here at home and as we pulled into our driveway he looked at the tall grass and said, "Whoa, it looks like my first priority this week will have to be mowing." When DearHubby is stressed with burdens like this, I am also stressed because we never get to see him. DearHubby just has more on his plate than there is time to take care of what's on his plate. It's an accumelation of little things, but when there's little time, little things become big things, and our family usually sacrifices time with DearHubby so that he can work. So, I offered to mow the lawn for him. As a result of me mowing the lawn for him, his time has been freed up to help out at the church this Saturday on a playground memorial. My whole motive behind mowing the lawn for DearHubby was to have more time with him, but it didn't work out that way and I was really disappointed. However, as we saw how his time was freed up to be a part of this playground ministry, we decided that God's reason for me mowing the lawn was just for that. In addition, when DearHubby saw how hard I was working to spend time with him, he stopped his work to give me time with him.

Another extra chore the girls and I did for DearHubby was clean our Ford Focus Wagon. It's the car that the girls and I use daily and DearHubby hardly uses it, but he has commented numerous times about how dirty the car is. DearHubby is the one who usually cleans our cars and so the girls and I took the time to wash the car so that there would be one less thing on DearHubby's To Do list.

The next practical advice from Mrs. George that I would like to implement is to respond to DearHubby positively. It's easy to do things for DearHubby because I can still do things grudgingly. It's harder to do things for DearHubby with a joyful and positive attitude.

We have had some issues with our health insurance's FSA account and the VISA card that comes along with that has been stopped for several weeks now. I gathered up all the paperwork for DearHubby to address the issue with our health insurance, but he just hasn't had time to address it. Last night he finally told me that he just does not have the time and that if I took care of it, that would be a huge help to him. I grew angry inside because the discrepancy is between DearHubby's allergist and the insurance company and DearHubby knows the situation much better than I do. I gave DearHubby such a hard time about it, trying to think of a good excuse of why he should address the issue over me. When he finally said that it would be a huge help to him, that's when I resigned my will and still grudgingly agreed to do it. This example shows how much work is still needed in my heart to respond to DearHubby with a joyful and positive attitude. Mrs. George asks this one question, "Am I treating my husband as I would treat Christ?" Convicting, isn't it?

So, that's our current Home Life and how the Lord's been working in our hearts. Praise God for His faithfulness :)

Faith...Being Stiff-Necked

I bought a sling for the first time in my Motherhood career and my sister gave me one of the more expensive carriers on the market to help make getting around with 3 children easier. I was really enjoying the freedom the sling and carrier was giving me. I could carry our new little one in the carrier and have one hand free for DearDaughter1 and the other hand free for DearDaughter2. Both the sling and the carrier are good things.

Unfortunately, I found out that you CAN have too much of a good thing. I overused both the sling and the carrier. I was using them to run errands, like grocery shopping, for visits, for fruit picking, for going out to eat, for going to church, etc...Any time I needed my hands free and DearDaughter3 needed some comforting, I would put on my sling or carrier and comfort her in them.

Well, with the overuse of these items, I actually injured my neck to what my chiropractor called a "Whiplash type injury." "From a carrier?!" I exclaimed. Apparently, the weight on my shoulders put a lot of strain on my neck muscles which caused my muscle spasms. I started to feel this kink in my neck at the beginning of last week and thought it was the way I was sleeping. It would go away during the day and I didn't think it was the carrier or the sling. Then, as I was chatting with a friend last Wednesday afternoon, I expressed that I was feeling very achy. This past Saturday, I woke up and could not move my neck or head at all. You don't realize the muscles you use in your neck until you can't use them. Although the rest of my body was fine, I couldn't use my body at all because any type of movement would hurt. It was actually worse than any lower back pain I've ever had!!! There was NO comfortable position. I couldn't even open my mouth to eat or chew :( A single movement would shoot this sharp pain up my neck and spread out into my head, even my ears...Ouch! Being stiff-necked made me immobile.

After this experience I realized why God uses rebellion or a hardenend heart and the term stiff-necked hand in hand. A stiff-necked person is unable to move. When a person resists the Holy Sprit he becomes stiff necked or becomes a person with a hardened heart unable to move or obey God. God warns us that if you remain stiff-necked you will suddenly be destroyed (Proverbs 29:1) because a stiff-necked person does not listen or pay attention to God. One who is stiff-necked will do evil.

All of us fight against sin and even fall into sin, this weight and burden on our shoulders. When we do not know Christ Jesus as our Savior or when we do not guard our hearts in Christ Jesus as our Savior, sin will put a kink in our relationship with God. Let us not remain stiff-necked! Our God is a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Let us listen and respond to the Holy Spirit, trusting in His grace, compassion, and forgiveness, and He will loosen up that kink to keep us mobile in this race to glory!

Home Life...A Funny Story of Faith and Courage

Picture hosted by www.photobucket.com

A few weeks ago, at the doctor's office, the nurse asked me where'd I get the names of my children, "Did you get them from a book?" DearHubby and I purposely named our children what we did because we wanted a way to open up an opportunity for us to share the gospel without being so forward. However, I never considered what I would say when I was really asked about their names. So when the nurse asked me where I got the names of my children I froze and gave her a very watered down answer.

The next day at our Women's study, I told my DearFriend D about my situation at the doctor's office. Later on, she called me with a revelation. "Your birth announcement has exactly what you need to say! You could start off by saying, 'My husband and I wanted a way to share our Christian faith and so we named our children these names to do that,' then you could just say what you wrote on your birth announcement!"

I thought, "Good point!"

Well, this past Friday, while we were at Chick-Fil-A for dinner, I had the opportunity to share the gospel with someone using my children's names. There was a family sitting next to us who had a newborn also. We asked the age of our newborns and found out that our babies were the same age. So, we got to exchanging the names of our babies. The husband then asked me, "Why did you name your daughter that?" As he asked this question, I grew really nervous, but I also worked up the courage to answer the question because I had practiced in my head what I would say; I would just repeat everything I wrote on the birth announcement. After I gave my whole spiel, the husband said, "Oh, I wondered if you knew what the meaning of your baby's name is because I'm a pastor." As he said this, a bit of disappointment ran through my mind...Here I was thinking that I worked up the courage to share the gospel with someone who didn't know it and all along I was sharing it with a pastor...

DearHubby and I joked about it in the car, on the way home. At first we joked and said it was "wasted" courage, but then we said that it was great practice. DearHubby also said that the pastor actually seemed encouraged by my sharing of the gospel; that there are brothers and sisters out there willing to set forth the gospel of Christ.

God is so good :) He allowed me the opportunity to share the gospel and the opportunity to work up the courage and tell of his story as practice...And as I shared this story with my DearFriend D she said, "Who knows, although you weren't directly sharing with someone who didn't know the gospel, who knows who could have heard you while you were sharing it?"

Home Life...

Last night DearHubby and I attended an Open House for a school, Stratford Classical Christian Academy. They had such an encouraging and uplifting presentation about our God given role, responsibility, and privilege to train up our children in the ways of the Lord that the love for my children was once again renewed.

I have also started reading a book entitled Ina May's Guide to Child Birth by Ina May Gaskin. Ina May is a leading mid-wife and her book speaks about the miracle of natural childbirth. In the 2 chapters I have read so far I am being reminded of how wondrous God made our bodies to be able to present a new life into this world.

I have also made it a point, even when I'm tired, to once again start my day with God, while my children are still asleep. I was very diligent in spending time with our Father up until I started feeling overwhelmed about my pregnancy, about mid-February, and I was sporatic about that time, maybe only 1 day a week. I have decided, even when I'm tired, I am going to keep to my commitment to spend time with the one who loves me because He is always commited to spend time with me. Even when I don't go to Him, He is still here. And even if my motions may be mechanical, my desire is still to spend time with God and to learn His ways, and I trust and have confidence that God will bless those desires!

With the combination of a renewed love for my children, the awe of how God created the woman's body to endure child birth, and spending time with God daily, my outlook towards the arrival of Little One #3 is much brighter than it was at the beginning of the week. Last night I got as little sleep as I did on Monday, but I don't feel as overwhelmed and I actually feel more motivated to continue running this race!

It's amazing how God allowed a time of "darkness" so that I can see His wonderful "light"! I am so thankful for His faithfulness, always!

Well, I "cheated" on my healthy eating habits yesterday as I went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and then had pizza for dinner last night and a piece of browny for dessert. However, I think I needed a break and a cheat day, but I kept wondering if indulging myself was biblical. As I think about it though, the Bible talks about learning self-control and as I ate my Dunkin Donuts croissant sandwich and drank my coffee or had my pizza dinner or even my browny dessert, I didn't eat as a glutton would, without self-control.

Anyway, the healthy eating habits have been a benefit to my family. I needed to cut out sugars and processed foods out of my diet because the mid-wife I'm seeing thinks that will help keep the size of Little One #3 down, as she was measuring in the 97th percentile. So, I've upped the fiber and protein, upped the fruits and veggies, and pretty much cut out everything "white" like white rice, pasta, and bread and substituted them with "brown" rice, whole wheat pasta and bread! With these great food choices around the house, whether we're eating a snack or a meal, it's packed with good calories for the body. Even if I feel like I'm eating more, I've actually lost weight in my pregnancy :) That weight loss just goes to show how the food choices we were making were not necessarily the best for our bodies, even if we were practicing self-control (as my family are not big eaters).

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4, NIV

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." Galatians 5:22-24, NIV

Humor/Faith...Stethoscope

Southern Hills Church of Christ, Abilene, Texas. Man finds a stethoscope with unusual powers. He discovers what soundtrack is playing inside him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYI_aOyCn9Y

Faith...Suffering the Consequences to My Pride and Impatience

"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word...It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes." (Psalm 119:67, 71 ESV)

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV)

Today is going to be a challenging day, but I pray that the Lord will give me the power to persevere in His strength and wisdom to do His will and not mine.

Last Thursday I pulled my back and by the end of the day I was not able to move. However, by the grace of God and with the knowledge of back care, I was able to "mend" my back back to 85% normal by Friday. DearHubby and I even went to the gym and I physically felt good after the work out.

As a result of this quick recovery, my ego swelled, thinking my body is indestructible.

This swelled ego, combined with impatience caused me to lift something I should not have lifted on Saturday and my back went out on me AGAIN, even worse than it did on Thursday. By Saturday evening I was again not able to move, and even with the same care I gave it on Thursday, my back got worse than better.

What a humbling experience as I could do nothing for myself by Sunday morning. My wonderful and sweet DearHubby had to do everything for me. He had to help me get out of bed, he had to help me walk, he had to help me sit, etc...The most humbling or should I say humiliating experience was when I went to use the potty and could not even clean myself up. DearHubby was so patient and kind enough to do that for me. I cried the whole time.

At the end of the day, I wondered if this was God's way of punishing me for being so prideful and impatient. It wasn't. When I think of the term "punishment" I think of a negative penalty as a consequence of an offense. I might have sinned against God by my pride and impatience, but God is a loving God towards His children and His main purpose for His children is to make us like His Son, Jesus Christ. When I think of punishment, I see no good in the end. I only see an offender suffering, but not turning.

God allowed me to suffer the consequences of my pride and impatience as a form of discipline to remind me of my pride and impatience and to turn from it. As a result of my suffering, I was humbled. I had no choice but to call for help and even in calling for that help, I still needed to wait on the one who was helping me.

What a lesson for me to learn as I was so stressed out last week. I don't know if it's that nesting instinct that just kicked in, but everything just seemed very overwhelming. I was feeling the pressure of our Little One's arrival and how soon that day is coming. I was seeing all the work around the house that "needed" to be done before her arrival. I was seeing the lack of time in the day to get all these things done. I got overwhelmed and stressed and mostly took it out on my children because by my anger I was feeling in control.

God needed to put a stop to my sins and needed to remind me of what pleases Him the most, to keep His word and obey, and to wait on Him to help me keep His word.

So, today is going to be a challenging day because my DearHubby is at work. There is literally no one here to physically help me and the only ONE I can truly depend on today is the Lord. I do pray that the Lord will give me the power to persevere in His strength and wisdom to do His will and not mine.

---

I shared the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" in my previous post because this verse touched my heart:

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, oh my soul

I knew I wasn't being punished when I was reminded that ALL, not part of, my sins was nailed to the cross.

Faith...White As Snow

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:16

White as snow (2x)

Though my sins are as scarlet

Lord I know (2x)

That I'm clean and forgiven

Through the power of your blood

Through the wonder of your love

Through faith in you I know

That I can be

White as snow!