When we only see our failings {He makes all things new}

As I sit at my laptop, after a another ridiculously long break from blogging, the words of one of my favourite characters in literature come jumping into my head.  Once again, as I try to shake off the guilt of not doing things as I would like to, these words leap out.

"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

Anne of Green Gables

I think it's fair to say that every mother has come to the end of a day and had that thought. Our days don't always go swimmingly. Anyone who suggests that staying at home to raise her children is the "easy option" has never done it. 

Days are HARD. We faces so many challenges and struggles on our journey. We have abundant blessings, but with blessings come hard times, too. 

I often feel I have failed, or at the very least I've not done a great job. It's a fairly frequent feeling, to be completely honest. 

But, then. 

Then, I am faced with a truth that my Dad reminded me of yesterday. The truth of the "new". 

We read in the Book of the Revelation

"Behold, I make all things new"

As much as this verse may well be singularly talking of the "new" of heaven, undoubtedly our life here on earth - our spiritual life - is all about the "new", too.

Our old life - our old "man" - was that of sinfulness, mistakes and erring. Following after our own ways, and stumbling along in darkness. 

When we found life in Christ, it was a NEW life! Old things were passed away and all things were new.  We had a joy, a delight, a pleasure in knowing that we had something new, and wonderful.

It's so easy to lose sight of that, though, isn't it?

We are still battling the old man - the flesh - and that's WHY our days often end with the "boy, I didn't do so well" mentality.  

Christ, however, is the author of the "all things new". That same joy we had when "first I saw the Lord", can be ours EVERY DAY.

How?

Well, because when we run to Christ, confessing our sins, failings and struggles, His mercies come to us NEW. We come to Him, asking for a clean heart, and a right spirit to be given new to us, for a new day. We come, waiting upon Him, to have our strength given to us, new for the challenges of another day. 

Precious mother - don't look on those things you struggled with yesterday, or last week, or last month - or even just 5 minutes ago! Turn your eyes upwards, and look to the one who can give you that newness to face another day. He has promised us so many mercies to help us on our way - His love, His kindness, His strength, His peace, His faithfulness - so that this day can be conquered.

And yes, even if we feel we've messed up again, another day brings new mercies again. 

Our spirit must be that of humility, grace and determination, in order to fight on and win the victory against the things with which we struggle. 

We don't need to wait for heaven to have "all things new". It doesn't even need to be a new morning. We can breathe in that spiritual breath of life, and be renewed when we come to God in prayer, seeking His strength and mercy. "Forgetting those things that are behind", we can press on. 

Will you join me in looking to a life of a renewed spirit, and remembering that God's mercies are new every morning? 

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! 

Putting on the right clothes {fighting Monday morning blues}

I know I am not alone when I say I find the thought of a new week rather overwhelming.  A lot of people are back into their normal routine, and for a wife and Mum that usually means BUSY!

If I had a to-do list, it would be filled with many things that need to be accomplished this week.  The list of chores that need to be done seems never-ending.

We finish a day filled with God's Word, God's people and good preaching, only to be thrown back into a "normal" day.

It's tempting to feel overwhelmed, and downright miserable.

I have to confess, that it's more a Tuesday for me.  Mondays for us, are like everyone else's Saturday.  It's our family day, where we do more "fun" things.  But, Tuesday morning arrives, and you have to hit the ground running.

Whatever the day, I am sure you know the feeling very well.

I was finishing my reading of the book of Isaiah just last week.  Isaiah 61:3 talks about putting on some clothes that should help us this week.

"the garment of praise"

If praise is a garment, it's something we need to put ON.  A bit like the Christian's armour, it's something that we need to "wear", in order to be who we should be. In a sense, this item of clothing is as much to do with battle, as our "armour" is.  We are battling a spirit of heaviness - of feeling defeated, low and deflated. I know, for many, depression can kick in at any given point, and it's a battle that you can face on a DAILY basis.

The principle here, is of putting on PRAISE.  There is ALWAYS something to praise God for.  If you start to count your blessings, you will always be filled with a thankful heart. It's having our focus in the right place.

We can be in the most miserable of circumstances, but thankfulness and praise can still be put on. I often think of Corrie Ten Boom, and her sister Betsy praising God for the fleas.  It was, in time, to be found that God had planned that they would be instrumental in being a thing of GOOD, but they didn't know that when they were giving thanks!

It is the same for us.  We need to PUT ON praise.  I like to think of "praise" as a big cloak.  Not a skimpy item of clothing, that doesn't cover much, but something that wraps us up completely!  We should be surrounded by it.

It's not our SKIN though.  We don't just have it there as a natural part of our body.  We need to reach into our spiritual cupboard, grab it, and PUT IT ON! It's no use unless we are wearing it.  Plus, it's not just a fashion accessory.  It's not just to make us pretty, or to look good to other people.  It's functional, like a cloak or a coat.  We are PRAISING.  Praising God, instead of focussing on our circumstances.  Similar to putting a coat on when it's cold, we feel the effect immediately.  When we take our eyes off the negative, and focus on the positive, we are instantly encouraged and blessed.

How do we actually put it into practice, on a practical level?  We can pray.  We can bring our burdens to the Lord, and praise Him instead.  Thank Him for His goodness, and blessings.  I always try and bring praise as my first item of prayer.  The old acrostic "ACTS", is a good one.  Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. When we show our adoration for who God is, we are praising Him.  Our thanksgiving is praise, too.

We can think about the positives.  We can spend some time meditating on scripture.  Dig out your concordance, whether online or a hard copy, and look up reasons to praise God. There are LOADS!  Psalm 107 has to be one of my favourites.  The Psalmist says,  4 times in the one Psalm

"Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

If you think of the good things that God has done for you, and the ways He has worked in your life, how can we do anything BUT praise Him!?!?

Another way, is to talk about our blessings with others.  Share it!  Rejoice in God's goodness!  TELL YOUR CHILDREN!  Make sure they KNOW how blessed you are, as a family, and acknowledge where the praise should be.  If you have someone show you kindness, remind them we need to praise GOD, for it is HIM who is the giver of every perfect gift!  They are never too young to hear us praising God, and rejoicing in His goodness.

SING!  That's one of my favourite ways to praise.  I love to put on the ipod, plugged into the speakers, and sing God's praises.  We are told to do that, often, in the scriptures as well.  It's not just for a Sunday, you know?! It's for EVERY day! God's people should be a praising people, and that includes in song. It doesn't say it needs to be in tune, just a JOYFUL noise! *grin*

So, dear friends.  Are you feeling the burden of a Monday?  Are burdens pressing you down and make you feel miserable?

Grab that garment of praise, and change your day around!

Matriarchs on a Monday - Hannah - Praising God

My thoughts today turn toward the lovely portion of Hannah's praise to the Lord.

She had come to the Lord, seeking to have a child, and then so willingly had given him back to God.  and, now here she is giving Him all the glory and praise! Praising Him for being so many things.  For being God, who knows what is best for us ALL the time.

She begins, simply by showing her joy, and praising God.

"My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: "

How can we NOT praise God - He gives us so much more than we deserve, and all that we need.  And, we SO easily forget to take joy in these simple things, and even in the big things! We can be so caught up in the answer to our prayers, that we can forget to give the thanks back to God.


She then turns her thoughts to God's perfection.  It is this holiness, and perfection, that means He can do no wrong, and so whatever He deems our lot in life, is perfect also.

"There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God."

She carries on to acknowledge God's plan - His sovereignty over the ways of His children. 

"The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 

 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 

 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory:"

Any merit and blessing that we see in our lives, is simply a gift and provision of the Lord.  

HE gives us life.

HE gives us riches.

HE gives us honour.

HE gives us an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away - reserved in heaven for us!

We need to stop, today - stop, and take stock of what great things God has done for us.  Our humanity would incline us, as Hannah had done, to wallow in self pity and only see the bad.

But, that is not what God wants from us.

Man's chief end is to GLORIFY God, and to ENJOY Him!  That cannot be done when pondering the negatives, and forgetting to praise Him.

If you start to count your blessings - to find things to rejoice in - you will find that you can be lifted from sorrow to song.  Just like Hannah, who turned from dejection, to declaring God's goodness and greatness.  Even though she had just carried a life within her for 9 months, cherished him for a couple of years and then given him away - she was STILL rejoicing and praising God!!! 

SO much to praise Him for.  

SO much to thank Him for.

I have been listening to The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom.  It has truly challenged my heart.  To hear Bessie, her sister, pointing out the reasons to give thanks - in a flea-ridden, overcrowded, foul, stinking, depressing, Extermination Camp in Germany, with t he possibility of illness and death hanging over them ALL the time.  If SHE could give thanks in that situation, how can I NOT find so many reasons to be praising God in my comfortable life?

Let's raise our voices with Hannah today, in our praise to God for His wonderful ways in our lives!

Matriarch's on a Monday - Achsah

Achsah?

"Who....is....Achsah????"  I may hear you tentatively ask?

Not one that you hear of many girls names after! *smiles*

Her Dad, however, is a name you will recognise.

Caleb.  Caleb - that faithful and mighty man, who saw God, and not the dangers.

Well, it appears that he raised a daughter with as much confidence as he had.

I love this story! I love the closeness that she had with her Dad, that she felt able to come to him with the request that she did.

The story starts in somewhat of a "fairytale" manner.

"And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife."

 Joshua 15:16

The story begins with her being the "trophy" for the man bold enough to battle and conquer the city of "Kirjathsepher" (boy, am I glad that isn't a name I have to spell out on the phone, when telling someone my address......).  The man, bold and able enough, to fulfill this task, is none other than Caleb's nephew - Othniel. Othniel, you may remember, was one of the Judges, in the early years after the Israelites had conquered the land.  And TRUST me....you don't even want to start thinking about spelling the name of the KING he conquered, in the book of Judges....Chushanrishathaim...

Moving on...

Othniel won Achsah's hand in marriage, the city soundly conquered.  Of course, in those days, it was alright to marry your first cousin.  Just sayin'. It's not, now....

As a dowry, the father would give something, along with the daughter.  Animals, possessions, and in the case of Achsah, LAND.  A portion of the PROMISED land!   Their own place to call home, and build a life.  Quite a generous dowry, there is no doubting of that.

But Achsah was confident that if they just asked, they could get more.  Her original thought, was for Othniel to go and ask for it, but whether he "bottled out", or whatever the reason, she confidently and boldly stepped in.  It may just have been, that Othniel knew that she was close to her Dad, and that she was the best choice to talk with him.

 "Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water."

Joshua 15:19 

The land that Caleb had given was a blessing, for sure.  It was generous and kind to give such a dowry.    But, it was a South Land.  It wasn't the most luscious and productive patch in the Promised Land.  Achsah and Othniel had presumably discussed their lot, and decided that something more would be valuable, in order to make the land into something productive.  Water.  You cannot have a productive land, without water.    In their joint wisdom, they thought it best to plead with her father for springs of water, as well as what they had been given.

And, what kind of Dad was Caleb?  The harsh and unloving sort, who didn't want to give away any more than he had to, and certainly not to someone who was bold enough to ASK, and not just be offered it? 

No, no, no.  He was a kind, and generous father, who could see the need that they had.

His response?

"And he gave her the upper springs, AND the nether springs."  (emphasis mine)

Joshua 15:19 

With the love, generosity and kindness, that any father should have, he didn't just fulfil her request, but he gave her MORE than she asked for!  What a lovely scene! 

What a lovely picture!

What can we learn, today, and EVERY day, from Achsah?

Have we not a Heavenly Father?  A Heavenly Father who has given us so much more than we could ever ask or think?  Who has given us our salvation - our knowledge of an eternity, safe and secure, in His presence.  The certainty of eternal damnation, gone.

But we have many needs in our life.  There are things which we can clearly see, which are needful and necessary, in order for our life to be "liveable" or productive.  Should we fear to come before our Heavenly Father to ask for such things? Or, should we be so close to Him, that we can boldly come before Him, with our desires, and plead with Him for them?

Of course we should!!! Our gracious Heavenly Father WAITS for us, to come with such requests to Him.   He longs to meet our needs, and to bless us.  We need to come and ASK Him to bless us, for we know that true blessing can come only from Him.

Achsah and Othniel could have simply not bothered, and tried to acquire what they needed themselves.  They could have thought that Caleb had been generous enough, and that it was down to them to find water for themselves.

Oh, that we would never feel like that about coming to our Father in Heaven!  That we should ever think that God's storehouse of blessing has run dry, or that He wouldn't want to give to us...over, and over and over.  And,  certainly, that we should NEVER think that we can meet our own needs, without relying on the Lord! 

"Ask, and it shall be given you; .....For every one that asketh receiveth;" 

Matthew 7:7-8 

 "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

Matthew 7:11  

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 

Hebrews 4:16  

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God....But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6 & 19

SO many promises from His Word, that He WILL give us, if we but come and ask!  Come boldly to your Heavenly Father, as Achsah came to her earthly father, and plead with Him for those things that you need this, and every, day.  Knowing this, that God can and WILL supply all your needs!

A godly generation - part 3

I have had a bit of a break since I had my first 2 posts on this subject.  I saw that I had started to jot down some more thoughts, but hadn't got around to finishing it off.  So, here we go on the last points!


7.  GUARD THEM FROM UNGODLY INFLUENCES

I think this is sooooooo important.  And, they don't always come from the places you would expect!

We got rid of our TV license when Joshua was young.  It was as much to do with what I was tempted to watch, as much as anything else.  However, it became increasingly obvious that there were so many issues, even in CHILDREN'S programmes, that I wanted to avoid.  We do still watch DVD's, but even with those, I am getting increasingly fussy, and chucking things away.  We got a recent Disney DVD.  The princess and the Frog.  Don't buy it! A lot of Disney is fairly harmless, but I was seriously unimpressed with this addition.  It has VOODOO in it, and talks of "going over to the dark side".  A lot of Disney has a very clear "good over evil" storyline, and is purely fantasy.  (I will not get into the debate about fairy tales right now....)  But, this was too close to the real dangers of Satanic influence, which is a reality in life.

So, as I say, I am more particular these days!  I prefer factual programmes (it's been a bit "cold turkey" for certain children, who prefer the story type DVD's!), but have story type ones as well.  Stories like "The Railway Children" or "Swallows and Amazons" (very British, I know!) are nice.  I like Little Women.  But, do you know what, I found, even with that, that I have to emphasise to the children what the Bible teaches on certain subjects that are not reinforced in a movie like that! (ie, Jo being very independent, and being unsatisfied with being a girl!....)  I see no harm in them watching them, as they are being taught clearly enough, from God's Word, what the right way is to live.

I am very careful about reading material.  I think carefully about whether something is profitable for them to be reading, and at best it should actually reinforce our Christian beliefs.  A lot of the classics are much better than the modern rubbish that is being published.  There are some lovely Christian books for children.

The "Moody Family" series, by Sarah Maxwell, is a lovely set of books.  Sarah Maxwell is the daughter of Steve and Terri Maxwell who run Titus 2  Ministries.

I love the books by Janette Oke, and she has a series for children as does Beverly Lewis.  Beverly Lewis has some GORGEOUS picture books, that teach character to chidlren.

These make a beautiful gift, or a family treasure!

Elizabeth George also has lovely picture books, teaching Godly character.

Another set of books, which appealed more to my son, is called Building on the Rock.  They are a devotional set of books, which teach Biblical truth based around true stories from history. They are really interesting,  and exciting!

Choose books that will build them up in God's truths, so that the become a natural part of their lives.  You need to reinforce, not tear down, the truths you are trying to instil in the lives our your children.

Now, for a big one. We have to be wise what company they keep.  This is one that divides Christians.  Personally, I do not guard my children from the ungodly influences of school, only to have them go and play with all the neighbourhood children, the moment THEY get out of school!  I will NOT have them go and play alone, in the home of an unbelieving family.  It has been given to ME to raise my children and to protect them from the evils of this world.  How can I protect these precious "saplings", if I leave them with ungodly families??  I can't.  That's the simple answer.  I don't keep them at home all the time (erm, although in the last few weeks, we have hardly been out at all....couldn't face the energy required, and busy packing to move...lol) - they meet all sorts of peole as we are out and about.  Old people, young people, and everything in between.  But, they are under my guidance and protection.  I can tell you, from experience, that I had some very ungodly influences in my younger days, visiting the homes of the unconverted.  But, because I ENJOYED some of the things I was experiencing, I wouldn't have told my parents for fear of not being allowed back!! I distinctly remember the bad influence some children had upon my life.  I am NOT saying that the children of Christian families are perfect.  I have my OWN children to see that quite clearly! However, I at least know that we, as parents, are trying to teach our children in the right ways!

We just have to be so wise, as parents, and seek to do what is right before the Lord, to raise our children as a godly generation.


8.  TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WHY YOU HAVE THE RULES IN YOUR HOME

This is one that was suggested to me by a dear friend.  She told me that they had a lot of "dos and don'ts" growing up, but had NO idea why she was to do or not do those things.  I know that a child learning to obey without question is very important.  They need to be trained to obey without feeling they need a reason to do so.  HOWEVER, if you have ground rules, it is vitally important for your children to understand where those rules come from.

First and foremost, we must first of all make sure that the rules we DO have are based upon God's Word.  We need to have scriptural authority for all that we choose to be the ground rules in out home.  There are numerous places where you can find scriptural references for family rules.

Some of the resources that I have found to be valuable...

I mentioned here about the book by Clay and Sally Clarkson "Our 24 family ways".  This devotional seeks to go through 24 "rules" of their home, explaining from the scriptures why these are good attributes to apply in our lives.  It's the perfect way to have family guidelines and ALSO teach your children WHY you do it!

The Duggar's have a great list of the "Operational definitions of character qualities" - in other words, how do we put into action various attributes, such as being truthful, obedient, honest, etc, etc, as well as what the opposite behaviour would be, along with scripture basis.  It's a GREAT list, and you can find it here.

There is nothing worse that constantly telling a child to do something, simply, "because I say so"! They need to do know WE are guided by God's Word, as we guide and teach them.  Otherwise they will never understand that we are training them to ultimately please GOD, first and foremost, and not us!  If they understand that our authority is GOD, then it puts a whole different perspective upon their instruction.


9.  PRAY, PRAY AND PRAY SOME MORE!

I think, to finish off, that this must be our watchword - "PRAY"!!! We are nothing without the aid and assistance of the Holy spirit.  We need to plead, every day, for His help, strength, wisdom, grace and humility.  raising our children for His glory, is a hard task, and which needs to be watered with prayer.  Ultimately, we cannot save our children.  We cannot do the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.  We are, however, His instruments - His tools - His workers.  We are doing a great work for Him, which will be used to speak to their souls, and for them to see their need of a Saviour.  We cannot be lax or remiss in this huge, but incredibly important, role.

Pray as we start the day - that we would be guided by His Word, in all we say and do in our family.

Pray as we open our mouths to speak to others - that our words would be wise, grounding, encouraging, and gentle.

Pray as we make decisions - that they would be governed by God's Word, and God's wisdom - not our own.

Pray as we train and discipline - that we would not be governed by anger - rather that we would be firm, yet gentle in how we deal with our family.

Pray for forgiveness - we can never be perfect, and we need to have the humility to see that and seek forgiveness firstly from our Heavenly Father, ad from those who we have wronged.  

Pray at the end of the day - that the Lord would use our labours for good - to the saving of their precious souls, and to build up those who already belong to Him.

My prayer is that we all honour the Lord in our dealings with our children, in order to raise a godly generation for Him.


Now, these are just my tuppeny worth on the subject, and  I am sure there will be many other things that I will forget, or don't mention.  PLEASE feel free to chime in, in the comments section, or blog about it yourself, linking in with this post, in order to share your views.

Learning through a house sale

This week we have been rejoicing.  With an element of caution, as selling a house can be a tricky business, and it's never done for sure until you are actually IN the new house!

For those of you who don't know our circumstances, I will fill you in first.  Robert, my husband, is the Pastor of a Baptist Church.  We are provided with a house, as part of his employment.  It is a 3 bed-roomed chalet bungalow.  Most of the other people living in the same houses around us are retired couples, with a few occupied by SMALL families (read, 2 children....they weren't really designed as a family house!).  The Church realised it wasn't really a suitable house for a manse (even if we had 2 teenage children, one boy, one girl, there would be no spare room), and last year made the decision to sell it, and to buy a larger, more suitable property.  We were very happy and content here, but somewhere larger would definitely be a good thing! So, last October it went on the market.

Selling a house, with 6 children, and homeschooling, is no small thing.  It is simply NOT possible to permanently keep a house "viewing ready".  Every time we had a viewing, it was necessary to do a major blitz of the house.  That has really taught me to get rid of junk, and get rid of clutter.  My lovely husband may suggest that I have not quite "arrived" in that department, but improvement has certainly been made!

I have had to learn patience.  In the current economical climate, houses do not sell very quickly. I learnt to rest in the knowledge that God's timing is perfect and that you cannot rush the ways of God.  We cannot make things happen before God has planned them to.  Whether it be the arrival of an overdue baby, the changing of heart of a person with whom we are at odds with, the finding of a new job, the passing of an illness - all these things will happen when GOD has planned for them.  And, whilst we wait, we learn patience, peace, joy, contentment, endurance, long-suffering, faith.  We learn to trust in God's perfect will for our lives, and know that the moulding of our will, is part of us being moulded more into His image.


"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. "

James 1:3 

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: "

1Peter 1:7

All that we experience in life, MUST be to the praise and glory of God.  How we act or react should honour the Lord, and not the flesh. I found myself saying that it was frustrating, thinking about the hard work involved in selling the house.  But, I was convicted about that.  Frustration is NOT being CONTENTED! Being frustrated is the same as not bowing to God's will.  It's an expression of discontent.  So, I humbly repented, and carried on with a more joyful spirit! 

We HAVE now sold the house (pending surveyors visiting, and various other legal aspects).  The Lord's will was very much evidenced in the way it has been bought.  The couple SHOULD have been shown around the house by the estate agent, but they were held up on their journey, and the agent asked Robert to show them around.  It was a real providence, as they got on well together, and Robert felt that it would be them who would buy, even though it was almost 6 more weeks until they had sold their house and able to make an offer on ours!  

Then, the Lord is being evidenced in the house we may end up purchasing.  I think I will reserve that story for  when it happens!  I really believe the Lord is in it.  

We were also told today, that the funds that are being added to the value of our house (which came from the selling of an old building belonging to the Church), are MORE than we first thought, as their value has increased!  It will bring our total to the PERFECT amount being asked by the owner of the potential house to be purchased, and also enough to cover fees!  God is SO good!  

We are so often amazed by God's perfect timing, and perfect provision.  In a way, I feel I shouldn't be surprised at all.  But I NEVER want to take God's wonderful goodness for granted.  I want to always stand amazed at His grace to me, an undeserving sinner.

So, keep your eye out for a post about a new house being found and bought!  We are viewing it tomorrow morning, so please pray for us at 11am!

Today I am linking up with A Holy Experience, where they are sharing about the practice of faith.

Be careful what you ask for...

This morning I was reading in Isaiah, chapters 34-39.  I find it to be a book of surprises - where you get little gems of verses, in amongst prophecy that is hard to understand!

You also get, as I did this morning, the telling of history that you find in other parts of scripture.  This was a story that I remember very clearly, from reading it with the children in II Kings 20.  It's the narrative of King Hezekiah, and his death bed request.

He had come to the end of his days, and was about to die.  Isaiah comes and tells him to set his house in order, because he will die.  THE PROPHET, Isaiah - God's messenger.  Bringing the word of the Lord to King Hezekiah.  But, Hezekiah decided he doesn't want to die. Yet. So he sulks (turns into the wall), and cries.

Now, I am not suggesting that it is wrong to be sad, humanly speaking, at various times in our lives.  Not at all.  Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus (and HE knew that Lazarus was about to be alive again ;-) )  No, I have an issue with him not accepting God's plan for his life.  You can't have it plainer than a word spoken by God's messenger, and the message from God was that he was going to die.

So, Hezekiah asks to live.  And, God answered his prayer.  He doesn't just add a few days.  He adds 15 years.

So, what happens in those 15 years, you may ask?  15 long, happy years, of him continuing to follow after God?

Well, 2 significant things happen. He decides to be prideful, and boast to some visitors about all the wealth and treasures he possessed.

"sure, come in guys!  Have a good look at my vast treasures!  I'll show you every last little thing that I possess!  No problem!  Take a good mental note!  It's so good to have you here from Babylon anyway...such a long way for you to come and see me......"

*screeching sound effect* - what's that, you say, from BABYLON????   OOOOOOOOH yes siree.  Those lovely friends from Babylon.  Really friendly place, Babylon.  Do you need to look at a timeline to place Hezekiah and Isaiah?   That's right....BEFORE Daniel.  Really not long before Daniel at all.  Daniel.  Who lived in Babylon.  Because he had been taken captive by the Babylonians, who came along and decimated the land of Judah.

Isaiah comes and speaks to Hezekiah.  He tells him that EVERYTHING that the generations before him have stored up, will be taken away by the Babylonians.  NOTHING will be left.  All his sons would be taken away.  Was this worth living for?

What else happened in those 15 years?  Well, 3 years later, he had a son.  Manasseh. Read II Kings chapter 20.  Please, read it.  He was one of the most wicked kings in the history of the nation.  So wicked, that God promised to have so much evil come upon Jerusalem and Judah, that "whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle".   He was going to wipe them out, like you wipe out a bowl, turning it upside down to make sure it is empty. (verse 13)

So, Hezekiah.  You don't want to accept God's plan?  You don't want to die?   Are you sure about that? What?.... you can't see the future, you only know your own selfish heart?  Only GOD knows the future?  God, who had sent word that you were to die?

Sobering.

Thought-provoking.

Do we ever question God's dealings in our life?  Do we question the path that God has placed us on?  Do we want change because "it's too much to cope with"?

Do we have thoughts of discontent?

"I didn't know that being a mum would be so hard....it was so much easier when I just went to work for 8 hours a day, and then came home"

"Lord, my husband is such hard work....why can't he be perfect...does he not understand my needs...the way I think....why should *I* do all the work....why should it be *my* job?"

"when I started out with this home-schooling, I thought it would be such fun...why did you lead me to do something that can be so challenging?"

"Lord, people with 1 child have it so easy...they get their foreign holidays, they don't need to shop in charity shops...they can get everything new....life seems so easy for them...."

"this house is not very big...why did we ever live here...I know people with lovely big houses, and they look so nice..."

Before you carry on with your thoughts of discontent...before they become a prayer, desiring change.

STOP


THINK VERY CAREFULLY.


BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR.


We need to learn contentment.  That's why Paul said "I have LEARNT in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

God knows better than we do.  Although, by the way we behave, and think, sometimes others may not believe that is what we think.

If we are following God's will for our life, according to the instruction given in God's Word, then we need to accept what follows, whilst walking that path.

I am also not saying that we shouldn't pray, and ask for things of God.  I'm just saying, be careful.  Make sure you pray "thy will be done", in all things.  That pride, selfishness and discontent are not the reasons for our prayers.

We wouldn't want a "Manasseh" to result from God granting our foolish desires.

Be careful what you pray for.

Top Tips Tuesday - Rising Early/Making a New Habit

I am nearly half way through our Holiday Bible Club week.  That's why there has been silence on here since Friday! :-)

It's a hectic, but rather enjoyable week.  We have been very encouraged by the children who have attended, and how well they have listened to the Bible Stories.  Lots of fun, but tiring!

I'm not sure that my brain is up to thinking about any top tips at all!  But, I'll tell you what mine is!

Learn to get up earlier in the morning!

I had read of so many ladies who rise up early in the morning, before their household.  I could see the wisdom in it, but never quite achieved it.  I used to get up at about 7.30am, or whenever I was wakened by some child or other!

However, when I was revising my whole Bible study and prayer life, I realised I needed to make a concerted effort to rise earlier in the morning.  SO, how did I do it?

1.  PRAYER - the day I started "going out" with Robert, we went to a County Show, and I felt car sick on the way there.  I remember Robert asking me what was wrong, and when I explained, he said "have you prayed about it?"?!   I hadn't - I almost thought that I didn't need to pray about something like that.  But, I did, and I started to feel better so quickly -  it was an immediate answer to prayer!  There is nothing in life too big or too small to pray about.  SO, pray and ask the Lord to help you physically, emotionally and spiritually in your task.

2.  DISCIPLINE - in all the areas that making changes is required, in order to achieve the goal of rising early, you need to be disciplined. Set your mind to do the task in hand.  Really motivate yourself and determine to make the necessary changes, so that you can get up earlier.

3. DO IT GRADUALLY - don't jump from an 8.30am rise, to a 5.30am rise!  You'll never manage it for very long, and you'll quickly get tired and give up!  Do it in small time increments, say 15 minutes earlier for a few days, then another 15 minutes, and so on.

4. SET AN ALARM - I know it seems obvious, but you can't just hope that you might waken earlier - and, if need be, put it somewhere that requires getting out of bed to turn it off!  That always helps!  Or, that's loud enough for you not to ignore (whilst not wakening anyone else in the house!)

I would recommend that it is a time before your children waken.  If you are wanting to do it to get your quiet time done QUIETLY, then it's the only way to go!

"But my children waken SO early in the morning already"...well, maybe here's something else you need to deal with first?!?  Or, you need to just tell them to stay in the room until you tell them to come out.

I would also recommend discussing it with your husband.  I currently rise at 6am and would like it to be earlier, but to achieve that, I would have to go to bed a bit earlier.  My husband is a night owl, and I will end up eating into my precious time with him, in the evenings, if I go to bed earlier.  So, make sure you have agreed on a schedule that your husband is happy with!

I have had such precious times in the mornings, doing my devotions when the house is quiet.  I also get a lot more jobs done in the mornings, before the busyness of the day.  I get the dinner ready now, most days, before breakfast.  It means I don't have to do it later when the children get tired, and Elijah is more demanding! (those who know him, will understand!!!)  It just gets my day off to a better start all round.  Your day isn't then always playing "catch up", with the children ahead of you!

I especially love the winter mornings, when it is still dark, and I just turn on a little lamp by the sofa, and get snuggled under a blanket, with a coffee, and my Bible! Bliss!

Your body quickly gets adjusted to the new sleeping pattern, and I know I can easily rise at 6am now, with few problems, so long as I have had enough sleep!  Even with less sleep, I can still rise at that time.....I just feel RATHER tired by the middle of the day! *yawn*

I may have forgotten something vital, but I am rather tired, so I wouldn't notice!

So, on the thought of enough sleep. I must got to bed!

Please share your experiences of early rising, or how you made a new habit.

Prayer

I had shared with some of my friends, from my Good Morning Girls group, about my Prayer Journal.  I had been having a very consistent and methodical "Quiet Time" since the beginning of the year.  Getting up earlier, so that I had spent time with the Lord, before anything else in my day.  It truly has been a time of blessing, challenge and praise, as I have studied God's Word in greater depth.

However, having got my study of scripture more in order, I realised that I should be getting my prayer life more organised.

Now, let me clarify.  I know that prayer can be lifted to the Lord at any time, and in any place.  However, there are so many examples in scripture of very specific times of prayer, with a pattern that would be beneficial to follow.

I think that there are several things we can observe about prayer in the Scriptures.

1.  IT SHOULD BE CONTINUAL
I Thessalonians exhorts us to "pray without ceasing".  Obviously, our lives cannot only be spent in only prayer.  We have work to do, as we carry out our God-given duties in life.  I think it is more a command to constantly be inclined to pray - to lift our praises and petitions to the Lord all through the day, as an integral and reflexive part of our life.  As simple and unconsidered as breathing.  Lifting our hearts to the Holy One, when things come into our mind.  Thinking about family and friends, and asking the Lord to bless and be with them.  Remembering someone in need, and petitioning the Father to meet that need as we think about it.  I always pray for people when I look at, or use, something they have given me.  Every time I scrub my potatoes, instead of dreading it, I pray for the dear sister who gave the potato scrubber to me (you know who you are!.....).

2. IT SHOULD BE A TIME ALONE
We are told to enter into the closet - a quiet place apart from the presence of others, in order to come to God in prayer.  We need to separate ourselves from all that is going on around us - just as the Lord did.  Matthew 26:36 finds us being told that the Lord withdrew himself from the disciples in order to pray.

"Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder."


He didn't simply pray in front of the disciples, rather he withdrew from them to be alone with the Father.  He IS God, and didn't need to humanly GO anywhere to talk with the Father, but it is an example to us.   


And again, in Matthew 14:23


"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."


After the busyness of the day, He went to be with the Father alone.  Likewise, we must come before our Heavenly Father, alone, as well.

3. WE SHOULD SET TIME APART FOR PRAYER
As much as prayer should be lifted up to the Lord at all and any time, we should set time apart to talk with Him in prayer.  To commune with Him.  To pour out our heart to Him.  Maybe, like me, you like that quiet time in the morning, before the household wakens up, when you can pour out  your soul before the Lord.  Perhaps you set time apart when your children have a nap.  The quietness of the evening, before you sleep may be the perfect time for intercession with your Heavenly Father.  Whenever it is, you need to MAKE time to pray.  Just start with a few minutes, and you will find that you want to spend more and more time with the Lord.

Psalm 55:17  Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. 

Psalm 5:3  My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.


4.THE LORD WANTS TO HEAR OUR PRAYERS
We can know, beyond all doubt, that the Lord wants to hear our prayers. We are His children, whom He loves, and He longs to hear our prayers.  Our Praise to Him - the confession of our sins - the thanksgiving for the many blessings He bestows - the supplication for those things which we have need of.  How can we have a relationship...a friendship....a close communion...with someone to whom we do not speak with?

Proverbs 15:8 : but the prayer of the upright is his delight.


I am sure there are many more reasons, but these are just a few I thought of.

Next week, I will post some pictures and some information about how I put my Prayer Journal together.  I may also share some of the instances where we find people praying in he Bible, and see what what we can learn from them. (I have got rather sidetracked down "bunny trails" as I looked up verses about prayer!!!)

In the meantime - PRAY!

Oh, and let me add a sung version of Psalm 5, which I really love.