Praising God {tune my heart to sing Thy grace}

Do you love to sing in your home?

We are a family who sings together every chance we get! We sing in family worship. We sing at the end of the day. We sing in the car. We sing along to music playing in the home. We sometimes sing as we walk along. We have even had people sing in the bathroom!

We also have a piano in our home. I learnt to play the piano as a child,  but have woefully neglected it in more recent years. There is one fairly major reason. Our piano is old, and it doesn't sty in tune very well at all.  I think there's nothing worse than playing or listening to music that is out of tune. It just sounds wrong, and offends my ears! Of course, with a piano, if it IS in tune, you can make a pretty good attempt at a tuneful rendition. The notes may not always be "right", but it's in tune. The violin, on the other hand?!... I used to play the violin, including in the school orchestra. I have horrible memories of the Radetsky March sounding both slow and torturous, played by a bunch of amateurs. Not pleasant!

Yesterday, Robert quoted one of my favourite hymns in his sermon.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

That second line really stuck out to me. 

"Tune my heart to sing Thy grace"

God is worthy of our praise.  He deserves our praise.  And yet, so often our hearts are "out of tune", and we don't praise Him as we ought to.

So many things can make our hearts "un-tuneful". 

Sometimes it can be our circumstances, with very legitimate feelings of grief or depression, as we go through trials and struggles. Such feelings can really make our heart feel out of tune.

Many are things that we DO have control over. Discontent. Ungratefulness. Selfishness. Misery. Rebellion. Lack of love. 

Whatever the reason for our heart being out of tune, we need to come to the Lord, every day, and ask Him to "tune our heart" again, to sing His praise. Why? Because we MUST praise Him! The Bible tells us we ought to, and so we need to obey.

18 times, in the Psalms, we are instructed to "Praise Him". 33 times we read of those who "praise the Lord", or that WE should praise the Lord.  Then there are the verses that specifically instruct us to SING praise! It's not just something that you should do if you feel like it - SING His praise! It's a command!

Is your heart heavy today? Are you struggling with a heart that is not "in tune", to be able to sing praise to God?

Ask the Lord to get out His divine tuning fork, and get your heart into tune. Have you seen how a violinist tunes his instrument? The pegs need to be turned, to make the string the perfect tension.  Not too loose.  Not too tight. Then, finer tuning needs to be done, with tiny little screws, getting the perfect tuning.  In order for our hearts to be in tune, the Lord may have to "turn the screws" in our life. It may not be a painless experience, being brought back into that perfect relationship with God, that we ought to be in. But, it needs to be done in order that our hearts can sing His praise as we ought to. 

If we only stop and consider God's goodness and mercy, we will have every cause to sing His praise.  As the hymn says 

"Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise."

His mercies stream forth, every day. As undeserving as we are, if we but stop and think about it, even in the midst of despair and trial, God's mercy in never ending, and we MUST praise Him.

It may just start in our hearts as a simple, yet meaningful "thank you, Lord - thank you for your grace and goodness". But, as a stream begins as  tiny trickle, in the mountain top, the more we praise, the stronger the current of our praise will become, until our hearts roar like the mighty torrents of the greatest river, praising God with our whole heart. A heart so full of praise for God, that everyone around us knows of our love and adoration for God. 

"I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works."

Psalm 9:1

"O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be!"

Daily, we should seek to see how much in debt we are to God and His grace, and seek to sing His praise from high and low.

Ask the Lord, today, to get your heart in tune with His, and start singing His praises!

"Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 

To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. "

Psalm 30:11-12

Trusting Jesus {that is all}

Yes.  A new blog post!

I AM here! I have just had a plethora of things to prevent me from getting a blog post written. Ill children.  Visitors.  Church events.  Oh, and a laptop that's really not very happy.

As I have said before, my family and other commitments always come first, and blogging slips down the list at times of busyness. That said, I miss sharing what's on my heart, and, of course, I am still to share about our UH-MAZ-ING trip to "The Continent"!

I am still quite busy, catching up from a crazy week just gone by, so the holiday post will have to wait.

Today's post is immensely relevant, however.  It sums up what I have been dealing with these last few weeks - in fact, what we ALL deal with EVERY day.

Let me wind back a little, to the day we got home from holiday.  It had been a tiring couple of days, and it was past 9pm on a Saturday evening. We pulled into the drive, to see this....

OK, so, not exactly. What we see was our rose bush completely fallen in front of our front door! This is actually Robert moving it, so we can get IN our front door! 

I love that rose bush, and I really hoped it wasn't damaged. Thankfully, although fallen over (we had terrible windy weather when we were gone - shame, we didn't have that in Italy.... *wink*), it wasn't damaged. The trellis was totally ruined, though. No trellis, no rose bush.

Regularly, I am very thankful for my wonderful husband.  He reassured me he could sort it out. He'd build a new trellis.

Well, one day I came into the garage to find a few long pieces of wood. Apparently, that was going to be a new trellis. For a start, I couldn't quite "get" how you could get a rose bush to weave itself into a new trellis, as they grow INTO one, usually. Secondly, I had no idea how one would even build such a thing. It seemed slightly complicated, and such a big jumbled mess of fallen over rose, and pieces of wood. To my brain, it just didn't seem doable.

I mentioned that I was thankful for Robert. I am thankful that he DOES know what he's doing. He tried to explain, and I just said "Listen, you know what you're doing, and I trust you to do it. I know you are very capable, and it will get sorted. I'll leave you to it.".

And, he did.  I won't go into the technical details, but he got my rose bush pinned back up into the wall, intertwined into a very strong trellis that won't go anywhere in a hurry!

The whole situation reminded me of my life. So often, I have things that "fall apart", or situations that are out of my control. I don't understand God's hand in it all, neither do I understand how He will work it all out. This I DO know - God is in control. God has a plan, and I don't need to understand.  I simply need to trust. I can ask for answers, but I may not always get them. My job is to trust the God who framed the earth, who created all things, whose power sustains His creation, and whose plans are perfect and past finding out. 

There are so many verses in God's Word that teach us about trust. Overarching so many of those, is the concept of protection. Our trust in the Lord will protect us from harm. Does that mean we don't have struggles and trials? Of course not! It means we will feel safe and secure in the MIDST of those trials and struggles.  

So, what IS this trust we can have? God's Word spells it out clearly.

Trusting God is safety -   "And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 

The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence."

2Samuel 22:2-3  

I don't think you can be more specific than THAT! We can trust God to be our rock of sure foundation, our rock. He is our fortress, a secure defence from the attacks of evil. HE is our deliverer, from the trials we face. He is  our shield, to defend us against the fiery darts of the wicked one.  He is our tower, that we can flee to from attack.  He is our refuge - we can run to Him and be safe. He is our SAVIOUR! WE can trust Him, above and before all else, for our sure salvation! WE can trust Him to fully, completely, and never-failingly to save us from eternal judgement. 

Trusting God is security - "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings."

Psalm 36:7  

This may seem like safety, but, for me, this adds an even greater degree of trust. We may know we are safe from harm, but do we feel a SECURITY? A peace and rest in the knowledge of that safety? A CALM within the storm? That's what trusting God brings. Like a mother hen tucking her chicks in the safety of her wings, close to her side, so we know that we can trust God to keep us secure in His perfect plan and protection. 

Trusting God is confidence - "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

Psalm 37:5  

What basis do we have for trusting God? Well, we trust that what He has promised will be fulfilled. We trust His Word.  If we are fully trusting God, and place our confidence in Him - if our ways are committed to Him, He will bring His promises to pass.  If He has promised something to you, in His Word, as one of His dear children, He CAN be trusted to fulfil it

Trusting God is extreme -  "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:"

 Job 13:15

Job is the perfect example of "extreme trust".  Job was allowed to go through the most awful trials. You can hardly imagine the torment of mind, body and soul that he endured. And yet, he trusted God COMPLETELY. He said even if he was to die, he still trusted God, and what He was allowing Him to go through. Our struggles may be extreme, but our trust must remain.

Trusting God is guidance- "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

This verse is so often read, and heard, we can easily lose its significance. First, we need whole hearted trust. We can't be half hearted, or even just a sliver of our heart. We need to fully trust Him, with every fibre of our being. Then, we need to not incline our hearts to our own wisdom and understanding. In everything we do, and in all the decisions we make, we need to acknowledge the Lord and His Word as our God, our leader, our authority. THEN....then, he will direct our paths. That whole-hearted trust will be the guide and direction we need for every step of the way. 

Trusting God is joy - "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:"

Psalm 5:11  

I love this one. LOVE. IT.

If we are trusting God, as we should, we need to have joy.  Not just have it, but SHOUT for joy! Why?  Because our trust is our defence. We are safe, secure and at rest in God, and all who He is, when we are trusting in Him.  How can we NOT rejoice?! We need to let the whole world know that NO MATTER WHAT life throws at us, we are trusting, and we have joy. Our heart should be so full of love and appreciation for everything God is to us, that we should rejoice.  Knowing that we can trust Him through all circumstances, no matter how trying, should be reason to shout for joy! 

Trusting God is blessing -  "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." 

Psalm 2:12

It seems so short, simple and basic. Yet, there is so much richness bound up in this statement. If you begin to ponder the blessing we receive from God's hands, from simply trusting Him, the words become so full!  All these things that are a result of our trust, are blessings in and of themselves.  Strength, security, peace, joy, direction, guidance, and confidence. Blessing upon blessing. But, think!  think upon all the blessings that we experience because we trust God. There are so many.  The fulfilment of each promise is a direct result of trusting Him to be faithful and true. We may not deserve it, and we may not trust Him as we should, but His generous nature lavishes us time after time.

Today.  This week.  This year.  Whatever your circumstances are, and even if you can't understand why you are going through them, or how God will work them out, you CAN trust Him.  Not only can you trust God, but He will bless you abundantly when you do, time and time again.

Simply trusting every day,

Trusting through a stormy way;

Even when my faith is small,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,

Trusting as the days go by;

Trusting Him whate’er befall,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Brightly does His Spirit shine

Into this poor heart of mine;

While He leads I cannot fall;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing if my way is clear,

Praying if the path be drear;

If in danger for Him call;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting Him while life shall last,

Trusting Him till earth be past;

Till within the jasper wall,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Edgar P. Stites

(as a side note, the fortress in the picture was from my travels in Italy! - a taster of what's to come...)

Women of the Word {Motherhood - in the hands of a sovereign God}

As I was considering which woman to dwell on next, my thoughts came to the book of the Psalms.  I searched and hunted for a woman to study. I couldn't find any.

I started to look a bit harder, and I found references of a more general nature, which spoke to me.

Several times we read of things pertaining to women and child-bearing, and the womb.

It's a pesky thing, the womb. It usually holds a monthly cycle of inconvenience at best, and pain at worst.

It's an organ that is unique to womankind, yet can hold pain, sorrow, emptiness,  sadness, fullness, and such great joy.

The "woman" I found in the Psalms is a multi-faceted woman.

The "woman" in grief.

The "woman" in pain.

The "woman" in joy.

The "woman" blessed.


The beginning of the journey of motherhood is found in Psalm 1113:9.

"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children."

HE maketh.

Children are from God.  To think their conception is simply dependent upon your choice, or some random act of nature, pays a disservice to our great Creator. It is God - that sovereign, all-wise, and kind one - who decides whether a woman should have her womb filled, or not.  He is able to send that gift to even the one who seems "barren" - unable to conceive.  For many of us who are able to conceive so easily, we must never forget that nothing is taken for granted, and God alone is the author of life.  My heart aches for those who would love children, and have not had any.  Does this mean that God loves them any less? Not at all.  It means that God, in His wisdom, has not given them a child.  They are not sub-standard, failures or insignificant.  They simply haven't been blessed in that particular way.  It's beyond our understanding, but God knows - that is all that matters. I KNOW it's easy for me to say, with 8 precious children - but, I am the first to acknowledge that the children I have are all of God, and nothing of me.  If you are a woman who has no children, yet would love them, I pray that the Lord would bless you.  I pray that that Lord would give you acceptance in His sovereignty. I pray that you would be filled by His peace, so that no matter what the future holds, you rest in His perfect will.


The next verse is referring to what else can happen, in God's sovereignty.  It's something I am ever aware of, and I struggle not to be anxious about.  It's a verse that is so solemn. It's something that is used as a simile, regarding the punishment of the wicked.

"like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun"

Psalm 58:8

The Bible talks about premature birth.

The Psalmist sees it as something dreadful, that he should compare it to an untimely death for his enemies. It's a shocking verse, really.

Shocking, but serious.

The pain in the heart of a mother, when her child dies in an "untimely" way, is heartbreaking.  Once again, I feel unqualified to speak of this, as I have never been through a miscarriage or  premature birth, or a stillbirth.  I do know, from the experience of others, that it is a heartbreaking and sorrow filled experience.  A life, so wanted and hoped for, over before it's "begun".  A child, longed-for, and loved from conception, ended before birth.  Such sorrow, because of such expectation and love. When a child is wanted, and when a child is seen as a gift from GOD, when that precious life ends, a mother's heart is grieved, so very deeply.  You can understand why the Psalmist compares it as a painful thing for his enemies.  Because it is.  It's a painful thing.  Yet, once again, we must remember that God is sovereign.  His ways are past finding out.  He knows the end from the beginning.  We must trust in Him at all times. If you are hurting over the loss of a precious babe, my heart aches for you, and I pray you will know God's comfort.

The next verse is precious.  A reminder that God is creator.  That God is a WONDERFUL creator.

"thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:"

Psalm 139:13-14  

I actually love the wording in other Bile verses for this one.  He KNITS us together in our mother's womb.  Woven together. Intricately created.  Fearfully and wonderfully made.  The process, from conception to birth, is TRULY wonderful. Man cannot mimic it artificially.  He cannot explain it. It simply can't be done without a man and  woman, as God intended. 

Then, as that baby goes from multiplying, united cells, to growing baby, the wonder continues.  We live in a generation where we have SO much knowledge about this.  We can look into the very womb as a baby grows, seeing the development, stage by stage. You cannot help but simply say "wow". 

 God.  Again.  All God.  

Incredible, as a baby relies upon the life-blood of its mother - growing every day - in preparation for birth. Incredible. We are wonderfully made. 

The next is another simile, and speaks of the next stage.

"Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail."

Psalm 48:6

This are the enemies of the Psalmist, again.

They are experiencing pain, like a woman in labour!

Pain.  Ohhhhhh yes.  How much pain they must have been in, because labour IS painful.  Well, mine are, anyway.

The one thing not mentioned is a key element of pain in labour.

It has its reward.

Yes, we suffer pain for a time, but we have a BABY at the end of it! It's what gets me through labour EVERY SINGLE TIME.  The knowledge that this precious gift from God is MINE to hold, once labour is over.  God.  Sovereign.  Great.  Good.  Generous.  HE has given the reward of our travail.

The Psalmist mentions fear, too.  This is also something that so many women can experience IN labour.  I used to fear it greatly.  I feared the pain, and I feared the concept of another child to care for.  God is a God who provides ALL our needs, however.  I learned to TRUST Him, and to rest upon Him.  To know that He was bale to keep me, and give me the peace and strength to endure the pains of labour, and the challenges of parenting. With my last baby I got to the point of anticipation, and embracing the pain - fully resting in God, and His sovereignty, and His power. It resulted in a transformed birthing experience, for which I am so very thankful.

Pain?  Yes.

The ability to work with it, and through it? YES!

 If God can heal the sick, raise the dead, send plagues, forgive my sin, He can give me all I need to get through child birth!

The last two verses are on the same theme.

"Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table."

Psalm 128:3

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

Psalm 127:3  

Children are a positive thing!  They aren't something to be endured.  They aren't some "necessity" that you must have, because you feel REQUIRED to do so - the whole "heir and spare" concept. In Psalm 128 a wife who is blessed with children, as a "fruitful vine", is a reward and commendation.  If you had a fruitful vine, how much would you expect it to yield? An abundance! God desires to bless us ABUNDANTLY.

You see, also, in Psalm 127, that the man that has many children is happy! The one who looks to the Lord to build the house, and has his quiver full, is blessed and happy.  What a precious thing to consider.  Children shouldn't be a chore.  They shouldn't be a burden. They should be seen as what they are - a GIFT from GOD!

That's not to say it's not always EASY, this road of motherhood.  There are trials from conception, to the grave.  As far as I can tell, the concerns of a mother only die when she does. It's not easy, but it's a path that is blessed, and is all of our sovereign and kind God.

There we have it.  The journey of motherhood, through the Psalms.  Fascinating.  Heart-breaking.  Joyful.  Blessed. SO much, in so few verses.

I don't know what lies ahead for me.  I'm 37.  I have things going on that are new for me.  I don't take anything for granted.  I could have more children.  I could have miscarriages and heartaches. I may not have any more children. I do know that my sovereign Heavenly Father has it in HIS hands.

Wherever you are in the journey of motherhood, I pray that God would be your portion, today and every day, as you rest in His sovereignty and goodness.

Friendship {Part 1 - who ARE friends, anyway?}

I have been thinking about writing about friendship for a long time. So, today, I am going to begin a long-thought-about "series" on friendship. No promises about how long it will be, or when it will finish, but I think it's something worth considering.

It's a subject that you hear about SO much these days.

BFFs.

"Friends" on Facebook.

They are catchy titles that fly about with great regularity.

Someone suggested to me, a while ago, that "friends" on Facebook are not REAL friends.  You don't know them IRL (in real life, for those who are NOT up-to-date on such lingo...), so they can't be "real".

Then there are BFFs.  I actually had to look this up to get it right, because it's one of these "popular" phrases of the trendy, of which I am not.  I thought it meant "best female friend". Goes to show how much *I* know about it.  It means "best friends forever".  Now I know.

So, what IS friendship?  It is quite a subjective term, in many ways.  One person may classify a friend in one way, and someone else my consider it differently.

Well, according to the Oxford dictionary, it's

"a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations."

If you are someone who wants to define it in an official capacity, then your husband isn't your friend, and you can't be friends with  your family.

I have a problem with both of those premises.

For me, my husband is my BEST friend.

I know, for some, that's not the case.  I find that sad for a few reasons.  I find it sad because there is obviously a lack of "mutual affection". Affection is being fond of someone, or liking them. How can one NOT be fond of their spouse, or feel affection toward them? I guess if you have an arranged marriage, then things could be lacking in mutual affection.  That can be remedied, I suppose, if  you set your mind to it.

I would suggest, in an ideal situation, that the first level of connection you should have with your spouse IS friendship.  A serious relationship should BEGIN with mutual affection.  When we give guidance to our children about looking to marriage, it's the starting point that we would assert to be the best one.  You begin as friends. It may be that you seek someone with the design that they be  your spouse, or it may be someone you meet through the course of life.  Either way, you begin with making a connection on the grounds of commonality.  You both have the same interests.  You both have the same ambitions. You both have the same desires.  You both have the same goals. You both have the same beliefs and convictions. How can a marriage even be considered unless all of this is true?  You have no foundation for a good marriage, if friendship doesn't start first.  I would guess thaat, although I have no proof for it, other than what I have witnessed for myself, the marriages that last begin with friendship.

If you say your husband is not your best friend, I think it's ultimately a reflection of either a lack of commonality when the marriage was initiated, or a lack of effort to maintain it AFTER marriage.  Both of these situations are sad, and I feel a deep sense of pity for those who are in such a situation.

I would also say that my husband IS my best friend, BECAUSE of the added intimacy marriage affords.  Not only are you connected as friends, with mutual affection for each other and desires that are in union, but you are close in a physical and loving sense.  That combination, for me, makes him the best friend I could possibly have, because he gives me more than any other friend could POSSIBLY give! What a joy, and blessing!  Look no further than Song of Solomon, for a proof.

"he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."

Song of Solomon 5:16

As for not being friends with your family?  Again, I don't agree.

Friendship is about having a bond, and a mutual affection.  True, family is defined by the bond you have by blood, or by adoption.  However, friendship is something that goes BEYOND that, because mutual affection is something you can have WITHIN it! Without a doubt, I count my family members as some of my closest friends. Family both by birth, and by marriage.  To me, it's a sign that your family connection is deeper than a title of "sister", or "sister-in-law", or "mother" (males included, but I'm not listing EVERY family title!!) .  Family is a bond that is like no other, but family who are ALSO your friends indicates a depth of relationship that goes beyond blood ties. It's a privilege to count a family member as a friend.

So, how DO you define a friend?

If you have a mutual affection for each other, it must stem from knowing them well enough to have affection at all.  It presupposes that you have spent time getting to know the other person, and finding out what they are like.  How do they think?  How do they behave?  What do they like?  What do they love?  Then, based upon that knowledge, you build that mutual affection for each other, which leads to true friendship.

In times past, as well as in the present, friendship was most commonly established through the contact you had with people on day to day basis.  The people in your community, the place where you worked, the activities you are involved with, or those you met with day by day, were all potential "candidates" for friendship. In other words, you had to have SOME kind of contact with them in the first place, in order to begin a friendship.

Back to my "Facebook friends aren't real" statement.

(Not mine, I add.)

If a friend is someone who you have a bond of mutual affection with, knowing them in person, or meeting them physically, isn't necessary. Now, I want to add I can UNDERSTAND people's leeriness about establishing a friendship "virtually".  People can be whoever they want to be online.  I have known people who I have first met online, who I end up meeting in person, and they are NOT the person they portray on the Internet. That's not always a bad thing, I add, but often it's a huge surprise.  Those quiet online, can be chatty in person.  Those quite vocal online, can be unbelievably quiet in person.  People can come across quite normal in the world wide web, but be quite odd in person.  Undeniably, all this is true. You can't dismiss the fact that many ARE very real online, because some are not.  As with anything, you use discernment, wisdom and common sense, to establish whether someone is truly a "friend", or just an "acquaintance".  If you DO ever meet them in real life, and they are not what you expected, you can take things from there!

Undoubtedly, many of my Facebook "friends" are not really friends.  I don't particularly like the generalisation, but, hey, "acquaintances through some tenable virtual connection" doesn't have quite the same ring to it, right?  They are simply those who you have made a connection with, in some way or another.

But, without a shadow of a little doubt, true friendships can definitely be made online.  I have met some wonderful people online, more specifically, on Facebook, who have become incredibly good, and close, friends.  People with whom I have made an initial connection through things we have in common, and who, by further communication and effort, have become those with whom I share "mutual affection". I'm not going to go into the detail in this post, because it's the things I want to deal with as I look at friendship, but those ladies fit the criteria and characteristics I would count as those you would expect of a friend.. (And yes, "ladies" -  as I will expound in another post, I don't pursue friendship with men.  More to come on that subject.)  There have been those with whom the connection just "clicked" pretty quickly, and others with whom I have grown closer to, as the affection has grown from getting to know each other better.  I value them as a treasure, and I am thankful to God for them.   Many of them I may never meet this side of heaven.  I have the knowledge that they are a blessing to me now, and that we will meet "On the other side".  Some I have had the great joy and delight of meeting in person, having made the connection online first. Getting to meet them has only deepened the affection.  Many I hope to meet in person some day.  Due to the fact that the Atlantic Ocean separates us, it's not that likely.  I can live in hope, though, can't I?

I don't rank my friendships in quality according to where they exist - in person, or virtually. They are all unique, but that is because of the beautiful and individual personalities of each friend.  It's also not about how much time I spend with them - it's quality, not quantity.  Most of my friends, due to my location and busy life, are those with whom I don't get to spend a lot of time with - in real life, or online.  My main priority is my family, and I simply can't talk online all day, or always be off visiting friends, or having them come here. I'd never get anything done! But, those friends I DO have, continue to build that "mutual affection" whenever we are in contact. The time lapse between contact doesn't lessen the friendship, because that affection doesn't go away.

I am SO thankful to God for my friends.  I am a very sociable person, and the Lord knows how much I need them, and the value they add to my life. I would go stir crazy without them! I'm not someone who has a lot of friends with a shallow connection.  The friends I have I love, and love deeply.  I don't make friendships quickly, but similarly, I don't break them easily or lightly. So long as that mutual affection remains, built upon the truths that I will go on to explain, in further posts, you will be my friend for life.

So, who are YOUR friends? Thank God for them, because they are a gift from Him.

I hope you are as blessed as I am, and if you are not, I pray that the Lord blesses you, too.

  

Tots on a Tuesday {Trouble, but totally adorable, Tabitha}

So far, my "Tots on a Tuesday" posts have been more about what I do with my little boys, who are 4 and 2.

All of a sudden, it's Tabitha that's also becoming my "Tot"!

She is getting bigger, and suddenly getting more "grown up".  She is understanding more, doing more, and trying to talk more.  I told her she needed her nappy changed, and off she toddled and got a nappy and wipes! She's no longer my baby, she's growing up.

Today, that truth hit home in a slightly different way.  She's started doing things that I remember Simeon doing - pulling the children's plates and bowls out of the drawer they live in.  Then, she was pulling my purse out of my handbag, which I quickly returned to where it belonged.  This afternoon, I was doing science with the older children, and thought Simeon and Tabitha were just playing upstairs. I should have learnt by now - silence, with tots, is not always golden...

I went upstairs, later on, to find a trail of disaster.

My purse (pocketbook?) was now upstairs, totally emptied, with the contents strewn across the girls bedroom.  The toy room had toys all over the floor.  There was an entire bottle of strawberry scented bubble bath tipped all over my bath in my en suite.

Yes, my tot is getting in "trouble".

To be fair, a good part of it was her older brother leading her astray.  Regardless, it heralds the beginning of a new phase.   I have come to realise this phase can be challenging...

For a first time mother, this phase can be exhausting, and leave you feeling like the men in white coats should be on stand by, ready to whisk you away.  It's a stage where they are working out they can DO stuff, and then doing it.  ALL THE TIME. It's a trying stage, for sure.  It doesn't need to be a negative one, though.  If you are going to be a mother who takes charge of her life, this phase just requires a few simple realisations.

* It's a time for training
The reason why a small person starts to get into mischief is because they are developing and learning.  They are trying out new found skills, and their wonderfully created little brains are working out that they can do things they couldn't do before. To begin with, it's not wilful disobedience, it's just exploring.  This is where the training part comes in, if you want to try to avoid immense frustration.  You need to then TEACH them what they should and shouldn't do.  Train them what's ok, and what's not ok. Take the TIME to do it. It doesn't just happen naturally, I have found! It's our role, as the parent, to teach them. It's not easy, and it takes a lot of time, and effort, but it IS worth it.

* It's a phase
When you remember that "this too, shall pass", it helps you get through it.  Sure, some days will seem looooooong, and you will be pleading for it to be bedtime, as your little one gets into one pickle after another. However, it won't be long before they are out of that phase, and have learnt what they can and can't do. They grow up SO quickly. I am sure it was just yesterday that it was Joshua I was training. Hang on, that was 12 years ago. Yikes.

* God provides for ALL your needs
You know those days where you are screaming, in your head at least, "I CAN'T DO THIS!"?  You're right. YOU can't. God equips those He calls, and He called YOU to be a mother.  He gave us our precious children, and will provide for all our needs, as we seek to raise them to His glory.  God providing for our needs isn't simply some promise for our "daily bread". It's for ALL our needs.  If you need patience to deal with a toddler, God will provide it.  If you need wisdom to discern how best to train your little one, God will provide it.  If you need physical strength because your day has been demanding, God will provide it.  If you need a sense of humour because the day has only been filled with despair, God will provide it. We can do it, because God is our strength.

* The trying moments balance out with the sweet
All those times when you feel like you say "no", over and over and over, and THEN, you get those precious moments when they hug you. Or they say a new word.  Or they finally obey when you tell them "no". Or they just SMILE at  you.  There are endless little precious moments when you realise that it's all totally worth it. Children ARE a blessing, all the time. Blessings are not dependant upon life being perfect. Blessings are not based upon things all going well.  Blessings are not based on how we feel, or how we act.  Blessings are a gift from God, seen most clearly when we look through eyes of thankfulness, and not frustration.

My day didn't end with that list of trouble.  Let's just say that poo was involved.  Thankfully I didn't jump to the conclusion that I first came to, and that naughtiness was involved. (You KNOW, don't you? - if you have small people, you KNOW that yucky, naughty moments can happen, right?) I remained calm, and ascertained that it was my shoddy nappy fastening that had caused the trial. That same adorable little person is still the one who, having given me a kiss goodnight, whilst I was in the middle of something, but didn't hug me, looked all sad and said "Mummy, CUDDLE"!

Tots can be trouble, without doubt, but totally adorable, too.

Faithfulness {every night}

Another "working" week has come and gone.

I know, I know, us mothers don't have a "working week".  It's sun up, to sun down, every day of the year.

In this house, though, there is a little pressure lifted off, as school has finished for the weekend.  Yes, there are still jobs for me to do, but the added strain of school is lifted.

I'll not lie.

I love to homeschool, but I love Friday nights.

I'm about to iron for a little while, as I do every Friday night.  Then I will relax. Internally, and externally.  It's a chance for a "breather", when I can unwind, and the pace changes.

This evening, my mind has been drawn to God's faithfulness.

My lovely friend, Menekse (Men-eck-sha, in case you are wondering.....), has just started up a home business, making hand made items, in particular fabric art to hang on the wall.  (Shameless plug coming up ..... find her at The Primrose Parasol, on Etsy, or on Facebook)  When she opened her Etsy shop the other week, after giving sneak peeks of the upcoming products, my eye was drawn to THIS beauty.

THIS is one of my all time favourite verses.  I'll not get into the many reasons why, right now, but suffice to say, I have MUCH to be thankful for, and I try to do so every day.

The next verse, though, is so important, too.

"To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night".

Thankfulness stems from two crucial things.

God's lovingkindness, and His faithfulness.

Without those two elements, I have NOTHING to be thankful for at all.

Without it, I am lost, and hopeless.

The Psalmist also says

"Because thy lovingkindness is BETTER THAN LIFE, my lips shall praise thee".

My life is FILLED with wonderful things, all graciously given from God.  

Filled.

No matter what testing and trials I am going through (and, trust me, I have them), I have so much in my life for which I can be thankful.

Think of it.

Think of all the wonderful things you have, right now.

It will take you some time.

Now, think that God's lovingkindness is BETTER than that.

His love.  His kindness.  It's better than any of those wonderful things for which we are thankful.

How can we do anything BUT praise Him, and return thanks to the Giver of every good and perfect gift?

Now see how that verse tells us we should begin and end our day?

We don't begin with a sigh, as we have to get up, yet again, from beautiful sleep, to attend to our daily responsibilities.

No, we start by shewing forth His lovingkindness.

Not "think", or "breathe a silent thank-you", for it - SHEW FORTH! Let everyone around us KNOW we are thankful for His lovingkindness, in the way we greet the day, and greet them.  Our lives should be ones that reflect our gratitude. 

How should we end?

With a head hitting the pillow, thankful once again for sleep, awaiting us, and a "I'm so glad THAT day is over"?

No, we end with expressing appreciation for His faithfulness, every night.

Not forgetting it -  but being thankful for it, and saying so.

I am guilty of forgetting.  I remember to say thank-you through the day, and forget to end it well, with acknowledgement of God's faithfulness.

Oh, how faithful!

Faithfulness encompasses God's security, stability, steadiness, truth and trustworthiness.

At the end of the day, we can raise our Ebenezer - "Hitherto hath  the Lord helped me".

No matter what happens, GOD IS FAITHFUL.

I can't worry about the "what ifs" of my testing situations, I need to just trust that God is, and will be, faithful.  Ending the day with that thought chases away any doubt, fear and anxiety. 

Focus on the thankfulness.

So, today, I look at so much around me, and I am thankful.  

Thankful for God's lovingkindness and faithfulness, which then gives me SO much for which to be thankful, right here, right now.

Thankful for my crazy children, making funny faces to their Uncle, a token of God's faithfulness in giving them life, health, wonderful personalities.

The faithfulness of God in the salvation of Bethany, and her realisation that she needed to share that with others.

God's faithfulness in gifting me with a wonderful husband, whom He gives great leadership, grace and love, to bless me with as his wife.

My precious girls, who God has faithfully given to us, to bring joy into our lives. 

God's faithfulness in giving me strength to deal with my two most challenging children, so far!  Such joy, along with the challenges!

God's faithfulness in giving life to this precious, growing girl, when we thought that her life was gone.

A recently rediscovered photo, reminding me of God' faithfulness as He placed me in a loving, kind, supportive and wonderful family, as I grew up, who all love and serve the Lord where He has placed them,

(Photo August '05)

Every morning....

Every night....

Thankfulness.

Lovingkindness.

Faithfulness.

Have you got your brolly? {how we need to pray}

Elijah is one of my favourite Bible characters. The scene where he confornts the prophets of Baal is both amusing and challenging. So many parts of his life are challenging, but I was reminded of one last Lord's day, in the morning sermon.

It was a concept that brought memories, of my years in Scotland, back to me. You see, Scotland is notoriously rainy. Did you know? It rains a LOT.

It's still beautiful, obviously... 

Who am I kidding, though? It looked more like this, for me, a city girl....

You don't really think about it much if you grow up there. It's just part of life. One thing you DO learn, from a young age, is to be ready for rain at any point, and you carry a brolly everywhere.

Brolly?  An umbrella! (Not sure if that's an American word?)

I have left many a brolly behind on a bus, because the rain can stop as quickly as it started. I can also still smell that "wet brolly" smell, in my sensory memory!

Where I live in England gets far less rain, and because I homeschool, we also go out in the rain less. (No essential walk to school, rain or shine...) So, the handy brolly isn't so necessary.

If you know the life of Elijah well, you know that he was a man of great faith. He is recognised, in the New Testament, as a man of faith, who was fervent in prayer. It's what we think of, when we think of Elijah. He prayed for no rain, and it didn't rain for YEARS! Then, he prayed for rain, and it rained! 

What was noteworthy about it all, was that he prayed with great FAITH. He absolutely believed, without a shadow of a doubt, that God could do what he asked. 

No rain? No problem! 

Rain? You'd better believe it! 

Elijah had such great faith, that when he prayed for rain, he sent his servant running to look for the cloud, and he spotted it when it was still the size of a man's hand. Have you ever thought about how tiny a cloud is, of that size, away up there in the sky?? But he saw it, because he was LOOKING FOR IT. 

My husband had a relative with great faith like that. They were farmers, in a farming community. They had no rain for a long time, and the crops were suffering. They knew that if they had no rain the crops would fail, and they would struggle financially. His great-grandfather (I believe?), went along with some of the other men, to a prayer meeting, specially to pray for rain. They knew they needed to ask The Lord, and made special effort to do so. The thing is, only his great-grandfather came with living faith. He brought a pile of potato sacks, the old, burlap style ones, to the meeting. He BELIEVED that God would answer their prayers, and he would need to take shelter from the rain that would come. Not a single other man came with a brolly or rain covering. Do you know what?? IT RAINED ON THE WAY HOME!! He was able to hand out the sacks to the other men, who hadn't been prepared for such an immediate answer!  Praying, in FAITH.

It got me thinking about my prayer life. I think our small, human minds, can too easily take away from the absolute omnipotence of God. HE IS ABLE to answer our prayers, if we pray according to His will. That simply means not praying for anything sinful, which goes against His Word. He can do "great and mighty things" which we know not, if we but call out to Him in prayer. Praying, in FAITH.... BELIEVING. 

Have you got an unsaved husband, unsaved children, unsaved family members?? Keep calling out to God in prayer... BELIEVING that He can answer!

Are you having problems in your marriage? God, the creator of marriage, longs to hear and answer your prayers. Have faith....He can answer! 

Are you struggling as a mother? Is teaching and training your children tiring you out, and frustrating you? Do you long to see The Lord at work in their hearts and lives?  He can answer prayer! 

Is your health a trial? Do you suffer in physical ways, and struggle to find a remedy? God, the great Jehovah-Rophi, can answer your prayers! 

Work, relationships, health, emotions, attitudes, day to day life situations. Everything. Anything. God can do it!

But.....

Are you praying with your brolly in your hand? 

We must not neglect to BELIEVE. To really, truly, with FAITH, call out to God. Waiting, expecting, for the "rain" of answered prayer to fall. 

Before Elijah even went to look for the rain, he told Ahab it was coming. His ears were sensitive, or His eye of faith was 20-20 vison, because he told his there was the "sound of abundance of rain".  He wasn't just expecting a light, English shower. He was expecting "tipping it down" torrents! 

Oh, for faith like Elijah!! I WANT a prayer life like that. I WANT to see God's amazing answer to prayer, in so, so many ways. 

Don't you? 

Get praying, with your brolly in your hand! 

Blogging through the Alphabet {Ecstatically Excited about things Extremely Extraneous to Men }

It's amazing how your perspective can change as a wife and a mother.

When I was younger I got excited about very different things than what I get excited by now.  Maybe it's because my life is very child-centred - caring for their needs, and dealing with their ways (all very joyfully, I add!) - that I then get rather excited over little things.

I love getting post.  Unexpected, hand-written, snail mail and  packages - expected and unexpected - bring great excitement in me. I can't wait to open them and see what's inside! I especially get excited about books arriving. I have mentioned before that our curriculum, Tapestry of Grace, regularly means I have books arriving.  *I* have ordered them - I *KNOW* what they are - but I still get excited when they arrive!

Better still, this week, was a book that arrived EARLY! I had pre-ordered a novel, by Dee Henderson (one of my all time favourite authors), and was told it would be with me in mid-June.  To my extreme joy, I got a package the other day, and THERE IT WAS!!! Earlier than I expected, and making me rather pleased! I got as far as reading the first few pages, last night, before falling asleep with it in my hands. Yes, I do that. Pretty regularly.

I also managed to squeeze in a hair appointment this week.  I love getting my hair cut, but it had been about NINE months since my last haircut! OOPS! It had got very messy at the ends (which my lovely husband doesn't seem to notice, but it bothers me!), and it was time for a tidy up.  I'd noticed, in the last year or so, that my hair had got wavier, especially in the last pregnancy.  Getting it trimmed has now made it even more so, and I LOVE IT! It has so much more volume and bounce.

(At this point, any males reading are going to be TOTALLY zoning out - sorry!)

From behind (I could have had shorter layers, but I want to still be able to put it "up")

From the front (look at those WAVES!)

Moi!

Seriously, when you've had poker straight hair most of your life, this is extremely satisfying!

Then, I had another exciting event this week.  I seem to have very few clothes for Church just now, that are in good condition, and that fit me properly.  I have lost a bit of weight, but still want to lose more.  I like very long skirts and dresses, but they are nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find - new, or second hand.  I had trawled the charity shops (thrift stores) and even looked for new things online, to no avail.  No long skirts.  Well, a few, but not a fabric or style that  I liked.  I could find dresses, but when you are nursing a baby, they are not great for when you need to feed with others around.  When my friend was visiting on Monday, we came up with the idea of looking for a nursing DRESS! WE looked, and we found! I found one I liked, found out where to buy one, and went for it. I decided to go for economy shipping, even though it would leave me little time to find something else if it didn't suit. (Oh yes, I was trying to get it for a week from now, for our Service of thanksgiving at our Church!  Really organised, me....)  To my surprise, it arrived in just 2 days! I brought it upstairs to try on, telling myself,  "now, it probably won't fit, and you'll have to return it, so don't be disappointed". I have got so used to things not suiting, it's what I tell myself! Imagine my delight when it DID fit!!! I was like a small child at Christmas!!

I'm still no Twiggy, but I think it looks quite forgiving!  I will get a picture of the full outfit, once I have all the accessories.

My further excitement was to realise I would have to get some RED shoes to match! I have no navy ones, or any other colour in the dress, and I have ALWAYS wanted a red pair of shoes.  I went with one of my favourite brands, Hush Puppies.

I gazed at high heeled varieties, but the reality is, that with a small person to carry around, comfort wins!

I also bought a navy beret (we wear a head covering to Church), which I will embellish with some kind of crochet creation to tie in with the colours in the dress.

I have also bought some yarn, to make some kind of "covering" for my shoulders, but I will wait to reveal that, too!

So, there we go! An ecstatically excited grown woman, about a new haircut, a new book, and some new clothes! 

Yup, that overgrown kid is ME!

Above all else I thank God, for EVERY good and perfect gift - all that I have comes from Him, and His great goodness and generosity to me.