Spreading some joy

Leaving a "love that sticks" note on someone's car today was surprisingly exhilarating, lol. Part of the homework we gave our youth Bible study group this week... More posts on that soon! ;)

Hope you are all having a blessed week!

Life Update Vlog

http://youtu.be/AxXOveJq9PQ

Please click on the link above to view my new vlog!

Tithing- not at all what I thought it was

A sweet young friend asked me this week what my opinion was on tithing. I thought I would share my answer to her with all of you. 

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"Hi there! Funny you should ask that question, because I think my views on this topic have actually changed just this year. My whole life I've held a rather staunch opinion on not paying your 10% being a sin. I looked at it like an ordinance required of us, I suppose. I learned that from multiple sources. But, about 6 months ago Nick and I listened to this short video from the ministry No Greater Joy:

http://youtu.be/xpdiHbbm8og

We highly respect this ministry and have gained so much from their books, tapes and newsletters. But, this was the first time I had EVER heard tithes explained this way.... And it made total sense to me. 

If I could sum up what God has been continuously teaching me the last several years: it's that my thinking tends to be very legalistic- very Old Testament. Now some people view a "New Testament" mindset as all that grace and love and liberty giving you some sort of license to sin. (They obviously have not read all of Romans!! :) 

To me, the New Testament is just the opposite. It doesn't destroy the old law, it fulfills it. It requires even more- because it requires your heart. No longer is it sufficient to perform these physical tasks and "keep all the rules". God wants every inch of our heart and our will. He wants our thoughts pure, our motives pure... He wants us to desire the best for our brother, and He wants us to give everything! If we are really invested in Gods kingdom, and want souls to be saved, and want to help the poor and needy and this is truly our hearts cry... We are gonna want to give SO much more than 10%.

Nick and I were paying our tithes, and when we heard this video, we decided we needed to start putting most of our funds toward paying off our debts- we decided that was the best stewardship of our money right now and would free us up tremendously for giving in the future. Our goal right now is to stop being a "servant to the lender" (as Proverbs puts it) and get debt free.

We still give special offerings and sponsor a little boy through Compassion monthly- but, we realize now that God is not going to be angry at us or punish us for not paying 10% every month. He sees our heart whether we are paying or not, and for once I think our heart is right on the subject.

We grudgingly gave for years. That isn't what God wants. He wants you so consumed with Him that giving is as natural and enjoyable as breathing."

*Dont forget to click the link above and watch the (entire) video. You aren't allowed to comment if you don't :D

DONATE!! Just maybe not to ALS...

Challenging people to have buckets of ice water dumped on their head seems fun right?! Well, apparently not everyone thinks so. When I first found out about this phenomenon, (rather late,) I couldn't help but laugh at some of the killjoy reasons people online were citing as to why they disapproved of the ritual. Here are some of my personal favorites:

1. It may be dangerous/damaging to your health

(Um... ok?? And so is taking a bath I suppose...)

2. It is a huge waste of water

(Say goodbye to your swimming pools folks!)

3. It created a vacuum on donations that would have otherwise been spread among other organizations. (Uh, no offense to my FB friends, but I'm pretty confident that most of these people were not originally planning to make a donation of any amount last month to a charity. Most people do not donate on a regular basis. Sad, but factual.)

But here is the response that truly shocked me: 

http://www.caseychappell.com/2014/08/why-we-shouldnt-support-the-ice-bucket-challenge/

To sum it up: part of the donations made to the ALS Association are helping fund embryonic stem cell research. As a Christian, I believe human life is precious and I believe life begins at conception. (And I believe conception happens at fertilization- but that's another subject entirely.)

Whether the embryos are harvested or being utilized post abortion, I am completely convinced that this is an immoral practice. 

It sickens me to consider how many pro-life born again believers have unknowingly contributed to an institution that will fund this unethical research and lobby for it in the future. But, as we know: Knowledge is power. And now that you have this knowledge, you have the power to make an informed decision.

So if you have yet to make your donation... Here are some of your options

1. You can specify on your check/donation that you do not want your funds used to support embryonic stem cell research. 

(I personally do not trust an institution like this to honor my request... But apparently Dave Ramsey does.)

2. You can donate to a different organization that does similar research minus the unethical part. (See the John Paul II Medical Research Institute website for an alternative.)

3. If you simply wish to participate in charitable giving, (and therefore obey the Scriptural command to help the poor and needy,) but don't have a preference as to the cause, perhaps I can help. 

Here are a couple of organizations who have a superb history of good stewardship of funds, and who are meeting very real, very important needs- both physical and spiritual. 

Compassion International

Sponsoring children in need is breaking the cycle of poverty

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

This organization is promoted by numerous Christian music artists who have been able to travel with and see/be apart of the inner workings of this ministry. Their tax information is available on their website. We have sponsored a child in Tanzania through this program for the last 5 years.

Back2Basics

BACK 2 BASICS MINISTRY is a non-profit 501(c)(3) ministry that brings the love of God to forgotten teenagers that live on the streets, in shelters, RTC’S foster homes, mental facilities, by providing consistent healthy, loving relationships, and addressing individual spiritual, emotional, and material needs.

I am personally acquainted with the founder of this organization, and have had the opportunity numerous times to volunteer at their events. They are meeting a need that some are completely unaware of, and they are changing lives. I know they would appreciate your support!

Mission In Action

My church and my family have had a relationship with the founder of Mission in Action for many years. They are doing a marvelous work for the kingdom of God, and are also showing Christ's love by meeting physical needs of the ones they serve. Please visit their website for more info on this awesome ministry!

I am so glad that someone else's blog post encouraged me to be responsible with my charitable giving and to support organizations that line up with my own convictions.

NOW LET'S GO DONATE!!! :-)

Learn the Ten Commandments

I know, I know. I'm a total slacker :D I promise to make another home school video next week- honest! 

I have several topics lined up that I've been getting a lot of questions about.

But, in the mean time... I wanted to share a little gem with you! 

2 weeks ago we commenced learning about the 10 commandments. I searched and searched online for a song, but still don't have one I "love, love"... I did, however, find this cartoon YouTube video with Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort. It's short, it's captivating, and it WORKS! Not only have I *finally* memorized the order of the 10 commandments, this video also helped my 4 year old to memorize them in a REMARKABLY short time. Check it out!

Homeschooling 101: Character Training

Here's video #2!!! :) I hope all of you have a very blessed and safe new year!

Anticipation

Have you ever been excited, but not entirely sure why? It's kind of a weird feeling. I've been up since 4am. My 2 year old woke me up, but I couldn't seem to fall back asleep like I usually do. Probably because I had another dream. I've been having them for a week or two now. Lots and lots of dreams. God is trying to communicate with me about something- what I'm not entirely sure.

After trying for over an hour to go back to sleep this morning, it occurred to me that maybe I should get out of bed and pray. (Not sure why it took an entire hour for that idea to hit me :) Lord, forgive me... I'm a little slow sometimes usually.

I have been a little burdened over the past month. Just different stuff piling up in my spirit. Stuff I was developing grudges over, stuff I was sad about, stuff I wish I could fix... I had managed to get a pretty stinky attitude over all that STUFF. I was still doing my "usual" Bible reading and praying each day, but I needed what I like to call a "soul recalibration". :) So I went to embassyinstitute.org and resumed watching some seminars. It had been awhile since I'd been on. I can't even describe how grateful I am for the IBLP ministry. My attitude took a shift almost immediately. The washing of the water by the Word has a potent effect!

You know, whenever God wants to tell us something or do something with us... Satan seems to show up out of nowhere and start attacking us. I should have known. I should have figured with all the crummy stuff happening with me that it was just the enemy trying to distract me from something awesome God has planned!

I watched a talk from Doug Small about the road to Bethlehem. Each time I recall the things he said my insight seems to deepen a little more. He began to explain how difficult life must have been for Mary- explaining to her father she was pregnant... thinking she may be stoned since her betrothed was about to break things off and she wouldn't even have a husband... having to travel on a donkey at nine months pregnant! (I can't EVEN imagine!!!)

You know, we have heard the Christmas story SO many times and we have SO many preconceived notions and mental images set in place regarding it. We just picture Mary with a contented smile on her face as Joseph says, "It's okay that there's no room at the inn... this is God's plan anyway- for you to give birth in a stable. It's going to make the cutest little nativity scene! I know you may be a little uncomfortable during your labor tonight honey- but don't you worry. It's all gonna be worth it- because we're gonna be famous!"

Lol. Yeah... let's get real. That is probably not even close to what they were thinking! Unlike us, they had never heard the Christmas story. :) The Scripture doesn't say that Mary knew she needed to go give birth in Bethlehem in order to fulfill some old prophecy. She was probably thinking, "You are kidding me! I can't travel like this! I sure hope this baby doesn't come until we get back home!" 

Think about it. Have you ever experienced things continually going so "wrong" in your life... and you just keep trusting God even though you are completely backed into a corner... only to discover you have backed right into God's will?

So often, that is how God does it. We are so incredibly close to the pain and the sweat and the uncertainty... that we can't see the big elaborate plan God is accomplishing in us at that moment.

I don't know what God's doing exactly right now, but I get goose bumps just thinking about it! Satan has been working so hard... so that gives me a little clue that what God's got planned is pretty cool. :)


I'm feeling renewed... I'm feeling anticipation... and I'm ready to get God's attention and let Him know I'm ready and waiting. :)

Repost Time!! Is God's Rulebook Enough?

If we come up with our own “rulebook” apart from Scripture, and attempt to hold people to it/judge people by it… are we in danger of becoming like so many other groups of people, who have created their own religion?

For example: the Mormon people claim to worship the same God that we do. What’s the difference? Where did they get off track? Perhaps it was a great leader whom they respected so much; that they started holding his writings and teachings in equal standing with the Bible. Maybe their original intentions were good. Maybe they just thought it was godly to honor the traditions of the men who went before them. 

But wait, what about Scripture? What about God’s Word? 

Do we take the time to evaluate every single thing we do and believe in; with the Holy Bible (which is the inspired Word of God?)

If we were on a desert island with nothing to go by but the Bible- no previous world views to contend with, no cultural influence, no presumptions about religion… what would we do? What would we act like? What would we dress like? The key is realizing that the Bible actually IS the only thing we have to go by. 

Through the ages, mankind has added to God’s principles in one way or another in an effort to “polish” their religion; or, (God forbid), in an attempt to gain power over God’s people. The end result is not true religion. Now, I seriously doubt that God will condemn you for trying to go above and beyond with your dress standards… etc. That is, if you have the correct motive. God does, after all, look at the HEART. But, trying to hold other Christians to your own measuring stick? Now that, I believe, is dangerous stuff.

What’s our Measuring Stick…?

I have met people who believe that whatever their pastor says is the law. That kind of thinking really scares me… because there is so much room for fault when an imperfect man is in a position of power. It’s as if Satan preys on those in power; delighting when he can lead them away from God’s boundaries and causes them, in turn, to lead others astray. We as humans, seem to be prone to falling into idolatry. It is so very easy to begin worshipping a man, rather than God. If we begin using other sources as our measuring stick other than the Word of God, we begin a downward spiral through an ever disintegrating foundation.

Where do we draw the line...?

Let’s pretend that one pastor says, “I think everybody should wear blue hats. That’s the only way to get to heaven!” But another pastor disagrees and says, “No, I think red gloves should do the trick. That’s what will distinguish us as God’s people!” Who’s right?

There is “safety in a multitude of counselors” you say? Alright… let’s say there are 15 ministers. 12 of them believe in the blue hats uniform, and 3 of them don’t agree there should be a uniform at all. Would you go along with the majority? What if the 12 say to the 3: “You will lose out with God if you do not respect the decision of the majority of the brethren to wear blue hats! If you don’t comply, we will dis-fellowship you!”

Sounds silly right? Maybe that’s because it is...

 

Nowhere in Scripture are men given the right to decide who is “in or out” of Christ’s Body of Believers. And Scripture is very clear about not making up our own rules and “adding” to the Word of God. If we don’t use the Bible as our source of wisdom and direction… if we start following men… where does it end?

Who do we please?

Although I do believe we should carefully examine the men we choose to follow, in order to make sure they will not lead us astray… I am not advocating a spirit of rebellion. I’m pointing out that we need to have God’s Word set on a MUCH higher pedestal than man’s opinion! Trust me. God knows if you have rebellion in your heart. And, if you do, it will probably make its appearance in your home long before it shows up at church.

Here are a few verses, which lead me to believe in “Sola Scriptura”:

Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. Add thou not unto His words; lest He reprove thee and thou be found a liar."

Acts 17:11 "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so."

Matthew 15:3 “And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”” 

 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

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Delving deeper into the subject of the authority of church leadership:Respect and submission to our God-given authority is vitally important according to the Word of God. Having said that, not all authorities are created equal! For example: God's authority over us completely supersedes any earthly authority. God is our ULTIMATE AUTHORITY, but He has also placed over us earthly lords.

When we first enter this world, we are subject to our parents. Being under the authority of your father is an umbrella of protection that God has installed for your youth. If you are a woman, that authority transfers to your husband when you get married.

Children honoring their father and mother, and wives submitting to their husbands are the 2 main earthly authoritative positions that Scripture discusses. There are numerous Scriptures regarding both of these "chains of command" that God set up. He MUST have thought they were very important, because He repeated Himself quite often on the importance of these orders.

The authority of church leadership is a subject spoken of much less often in Scripture. Probably the most common verses used for this topic are:

~ Hebrews 13:5 “"Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the outcome of their life, imitate their faith."

~ Hebrews 13:7a “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account…”

The writer actually chooses two special words in the latter verse. This is the only time this particular word for "submit" is used in the New Testament. It does not mean "rank under" as the other words for submit used in Scripture do. Rather, it means to yield, or withdraw. That is a little different. As you consider the elders, the outcome of their lives and how they lead you through teaching the Scripture, are you willing to withdraw or to yield to the truth that they present? That is not the same as standing under, in a military sense.

 And then the word "obey'' has in its foundation again a special word. It does not mean to accept orders. Rather, it means to be persuaded. Consider what these godly men say, be willing to be persuaded, but clearly, they must demonstrate the truth that God has them to speak. Do not merely take blind orders; but be persuaded.

A true man of God will persuade you to submit to God, not himself.

 The husband/father of a household is the “priest” of his household, which means he is responsible for leading his family spiritually. (A wife is never to obey her pastor over her husband! Wives are commanded twice in Scripture (Eph. 5:22 and Col. 3:18) to submit to their "own husband". Meaning, not to another woman's husband. That includes a pastor; as he would either be single or married to someone else.) 

If a man prays to God for guidance, I believe God will lead and guide him to a church assembly which fits his family’s needs, provides a place for them to be active workers in the kingdom, and aids/encourages them in spiritual growth.

I’ve come to realize what a treasure a true shepherd is. Having a pastor who has the spirit of a servant rather than that of a master is a HUGE BLESSING! If you have one, be grateful!

 Thank God for the righteous authorities in your life! They have a tough job, and are worthy of our prayers!

8 percent

From the book I just finished...

May 7, 2008

Amazima Ministries

Katie Davis

"Amazima, in Luganda, means 'the truth'. To be honest, it was chosen quickly without much thought, because we had to provide the government with a  name for our nonprofit. God said to me, 'You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.' I opened my Bible to John 8 and it said, 'You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.' I went to church that Sunday and guess what the pastor said? Yes. 'You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.'"

Today, about a year after naming this ministry Amazima, I stand in awe of the truth with which God has presented me. In Uganda, I strive to teach my children and all children in our program and in our villages 'the truth' of Christ. I know I cannot walk into a village and tell a child that Jesus loves her. She cannot comprehend that because, chances are, she has never been loved. I have to feed her, clothe her, care for her, and love her unconditionally as I tell her that I love her. Once she can understand and see my love, I can begin to tell her about a Savior who loves her even more. That is the truth for these children- that they are loved, that they are valuable, that they will not be left as orphans but that they have a plan and a hope for the future. What a beautiful truth.

I have a young friend named Maria. The truth is that Maria had never taken a bath before I took her home and gave her one. The truth is that Maria has no one who cares for her. No one tells her she is loved. The truth is that Maria is sent from her home in the slum outside of Jinja to beg on the streets for food, and no one in Uganda wants to touch her or help her or cares that she is sick. The truth is that Maria is just like you or me. A person. Real. A child of the king.

Meet Rose and Brenda. The truth is that they are orphans. Abandoned and living in an orphanage. Now two of 143 million. The truth is that when they go to bed at night no one tucks their blankets in around them and kisses their foreheads. The truth is that when they wake up, frightened, in the dark, no one runs to comfort them. The truth is that due to someone else's carelessness, Brenda will die of AIDS.

Meet David and Bashir. The truth is that these precious little boys were child soldiers, abducted, sold as property, and forced to kill. Now that the war is winding down, they are not permitted back in their villages because they are seen as traitors, so they beg on the streets. 

And the truth is that these are only the children I know, in a very small fraction of a very small country. The truth is that there are children like this all over the world, sick, starving, dying, unloved, and uncared for. The truth is that the 143 million orphaned children and the 11 million who starve to death or die from preventable diseases and the 8.5 million who work as child slaves, prostitutes, or under other horrific conditions and the 2.3 million who live with HIV add up to 164.8 million needy children.

And though at first glance that looks like a big number, 2.1 billion people on this earth proclaim to be Christians. The truth is that if only 8 percent of the Christians would care for one more child, there would not be any statistics left. 

This is the Truth. I have the freedom to believe it. The freedom, the opportunity to do something about it. The truth is that He loves these children just as much as He loves me and now that I know, I am responsible."

Excerpt from "Kisses from Katie"

Happy February!!

Just thought I'd write a little update on the fam and let you all know what we are up to here. I am almost 32 wks. pregnant now with our little Gabriel James. 

I can't wait for him to get here!!!! Well, I sorta can. :) I still have a few things to get done before he arrives. We are setting up the nursery area in our room this wk. And next wk, I'm planning to do the 3-day potty training with Addy.

She's already been introduced to the potty. But firmly tells me, "Uh-uh...no!" when I ask if she wants to use it. :) I'm afraid I have my work cut out for me AGAIN!!!

So... moving on from bodily functions....

We had a fantastic holiday season as I hope you all did as well. Here's the kids making Christmas cookies:

And... I do believe that's flour in Benjamin's ear there...  ha

We decided against doing the "Santa thing" with our kids. Don't worry- if you give my children a piece of chocolate shaped like Santa Claus, I will NOT freak out :O) We just talk about Santa like we do Mickey Mouse- reminding Ben that's He's pretend. We are trying to establish some healthy rules to keep us grounded when it comes to Christmas. It's so important to make Jesus' birth the center of attention, so we sang the "Happy Birthday" song to Jesus quite a lot in December. We also made ourselves a rule a few years ago that we would not exceed 3 gifts per child on any given year. That was hard this year- but no less enjoyable for the kids on Christmas morning!

We went on a field trip to the zoo last week with their cousin Kara:

Some of the things Benjamin is currently learning in school:

letter sounds

complex shapes & number of sides they have

counting to 50

to identify states on the US map

 Here's the craft from our "Eagle" themed day:

HERE is the template to this craft

On a different note, Nick FINALLY got on day shift!!!! Hold on just a sec while I shout GLORY HALLELUJAH!!! We've been waiting almost 5 years for this change and I'm loving it!! Finally... normal bedtimes for us and the kids, and I get to see my hubby during weekday daylight hours!! Yippee!!!

So... here's what's been happening with me personally over the last 6 months or so:

God has been so good and so faithful to us. I had a long period of severe morning sickness this time around, (even worse than the last 2 times) and then we had a huge scare around the 3 month mark. I started bleeding heavily and cramping. Having experienced 3 miscarriages in the past, I was CERTAIN that was what was going on. 

When it all stopped and nothing happened, I went in for an ultrasound and we found out that my placenta was just very close to my cervix. It wasn't previa, and the tech didn't see any tears.... so I went on bed rest for awhile just to be safe. We've had 2 ultrasounds since and everything has looked great, except for the fact that the placenta hasn't really moved away. BUT, most of the uterus growing happens towards the end, so we're hoping it has grown upwards by now. We'll have another look in a few wks.

During the 3 or 4 days when I thought I was losing the baby, the peace God gave me was so astounding. I knew I had made a break through spiritually after the 3rd miscarriage I experienced, and this was a little bit of a test for my faith. But, I know that I passed. Even though my heart was breaking, I was able to speak praises to God and say, "Lord, even if you let me lose this child, YOU ARE STILL GOOD." 

Sometimes those words are very difficult to say when you feel like something dear is being ripped away from you. But as soon as I surrendered and spoke those words, that incredible peace that passes all understanding flooded over me. I didn't feel depressed or oppressed. I was grieving, yes. But I had shut the door in the enemy's face. He couldn't lie to me while I was speaking those words. I feel like God has shown me something so huge through these experiences of loss and near loss. I don't want to ever forget the lesson. Praising God is powerful!!!

I'm so grateful that everything turned out fine and we'll have another baby boy in a short time! I've been catching up on scrap booking lately (finally got Benjamin's album done) and this page of my labor with Ben gets me so excited for Gabriel's birth!!

We'll be going to the same birth center again this time. Although, I'm thinking of turning to home births from now on since my birth center most likely will not be accepting my insurance any longer.

Bringing a new little life into the world is one of those miracles that nothing else really compares to. I'm getting excited just blogging about it!! :o)

Can't wait to meet baby Gabe!

Hypocrisy

About a month ago, Nick and I watched a seminar video on www.embassyinstitute.org titled "Openness and Brokenness" by Paul and Jenny Speed.

Mr. Speed tells the story of how years of hidden sexual immorality had crippled his ministry and oppressed his family. God convicted him to be open with his wife about his problem- despite his fears that it would hurt her too much. He came to a point of brokenness about his sin, and realized that by covering up these "small" failings; he had unknowingly given Satan an entrance into his family; to bind them and limit their effectiveness for Christ. Was his wife hurt? Of course. Was it embarrassing for him to confess to his children? Terribly. Was it worth it? His powerful testimony leaves no doubt in my mind that it was. As the spiritual leader of his home, he knew his "umbrella of protection" over his family had some holes in it. Perhaps they were small compared to some other fathers he knew... but they were still holes.

He gave an illustration that greatly impacted me: Imagine a thief arrives at your neighbor's home to find the front door wide open. He plumages and wrecks the entire place; stealing everything of value. When finished, he proceeds over to your home. When he tries the front door, it's dead bolted. Having no luck there, he walks around the back; spotting a small crack in your bedroom window allowing him to enter.


Does the thief do any less damage to your house than he did your neighbors?? Of course not. He got in. That's all he needed.

Sometimes we brush off what we think are "small sins" in our life; (those "little cracks") believing they are insignificant in the scope of things... that we can "deal" with them secretly.

SECRETLY. That's the key word. Proverbs 28:13 tells us, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

Satan is a liar and a deceiver. He loves it when he can convince us to deceive as well. Keeping secrets is an open door for him to oppress us. And we usually don't even realize we have just let him in. As children and teenagers, he tries to get us to keep secrets from our parents. As married adults, he wants us to keep secrets from our spouse.

I can't begin to tell you how big of an impact this message had on our marriage and our home. But the reason I'm writing today, is the subject of hypocrisy. Mr. Speed traced back his moral failings to the week before he got married. He viewed pornography, and kept it a secret from his then fiance. Something changed between them. He was no longer able to lead in their relationship. At the time, he wouldn't have dreamed of telling her the truth. He was raised by Christian parents who were in ministry. He knew he was supposed to look a certain way at church. He knew there were some things you didn't do in front of "church people". They thought they were raising him to be godly- but really, they had raised him to be a hypocrite- To pretend he was righteous, when really, there was sin in his heart that needed to be confessed. His father had never been open with him about his own problems of lust or immoral thoughts.... so he felt ashamed to admit to such things as a teenager.

Being open with our children, is one of the most important tools we have against the enemy. It cripples him. He has no entrance. 

Paul Speed related to his crowd that he believed the biggest problem he had faced was not lust; it was the desire to cover it up. It was hypocrisy. I began to pray that God would guard me and Nick against demonstrating and passing on a spirit of hypocrisy to our children.

Fast Forward 2 wks.

I'm sitting in Chick-Fil-A with my kids eating when I hear the man sitting behind me begin to raise his voice at his son. I couldn't help but glance back, (he was sort of making a scene). His eyes were boiling with anger as he started hissing out a stern warning through his teeth. "My Lord!" I thought. "I can't believe he's talking to his kid like that in a public place!"

Then, the light bulb went off.

If it's not okay to speak to your child like that front of people, it's not okay in private either. Do I yell at my kids in public? Never. Do I yell at them at home? .........   Let's just say I would be terribly embarrassed if all my training sessions were broadcast to the masses. I do lose my temper sometimes. I do discipline in anger sometimes.

It hit me like a brick. By disciplining them differently in public than I do in private; I am teaching my kids hypocrisy! Now, I'm not talking about spanking. It is important to be wise when spanking in public- although if the situation merits that action, I most certainly will do the job- (my child's soul is far more important to me that fearing what those around me will think or say.) But, God showed me a HUGE area in my life that needs altering. I do not want my children to learn a double standard from me- in ANYTHING! If I have to pretend my life is a reality tv show where people are always watching- so be it. By God's grace, I want my attitude towards my kids to be the same at home as it is in front of my pastor's wife. Always loving, always patient- while giving the correction they need and shepherding their hearts.

IBLP Seminar- God's Reward for Scriptural Disciplines

For those of you who haven't heard: the IBLP seminars (and a lot of other great videos) are now available to stream online.

The website is embassyinstitute.org

The fee is $9 a month, or if you can pay $99 for a whole year.

This is such an incredible blessing to be able to access these great seminars and videos anytime we want, for a really small price- NEVER having to leave our house!

If you have never been through any of these seminars: I urge you to check it out! The Scriptural truths shared by Mr. Gothard have made a huge impact on my personal walk with the Lord, and my entire family. If you've been through them, but it's been awhile: I encourage you to do it again.

Each time I go through one of these seminars, I'm at a different place in life, and I am always challenged by the new things God reveals to me about myself and His Word.

Nick and I just started going through the Advanced Seminar today.

***just a tip: if you want to do a seminar from start to finish, I've found the easiest way to access the videos is type in the search box: "advanced seminar session 1" and it will come up.***

We'll be doing the sessions slowly. (He has to listen to the audio on his iPhone while driving & on breaks at work.) Here are a few notes on the session today and some things God has been dealing with me about:

God's Reward for Scriptural Disciplines

-Daily Bible Reading

(growth) 1 Peter 2:2

-Memorizing

(purity) Psalm 119:11

-Meditating

(success) Psalm 1:2-3

-Application

(answered prayer) John 15:7

-Fasting

(health & discernment) Isaiah 58

-Praying

(power) James 5:16

-Early Rising

(productivity) Psalm 57:8, 63:1

-Reading Revelation

(blessing) Rev. 1:3

-Witnessing

(eternal fruit) Proverbs 11:30

There are many promises in Scripture. God delights in honoring His own Word. He simply wants us to take Him up on it and try it out. The list above are just some of the principles He's laid out for us and the rewards of following them. Nick and I have started some new things lately in our home and it feels so great to see the fruits of those things. But while Mr. Gothard read and explained this list in the session today, I not only recognized the things we WERE doing; I was painfully reminded of all the things we NEED to be doing!

With the intention of hopefully helping someone, and allowing all of you to hold me accountable... I'd like to share with you my successes and failings with this list of Scriptural principles.

-Daily Bible Reading

If you asked a mother, "How often do you feed your new baby?" and she answered, "Oh, about once a weeks or so..." You would obviously be appalled. I think God created our natural bodies to need food multiple times a day for a purpose. I think it's a parallel to our spiritual lives. We should be DAILY, and CONTINUALLY feeding on God's Word. When we do, the spiritual growth is apparent. I can completely tell a difference in my day when I do my devotion vs. when I skip it.

So, here's a small tip for you mothers out there: Me and Nick like to do our family prayer and Bible reading together and the breakfast table every morning... but sometimes it doesn't happen. If we oversleep a little or he has to go in earlier, I tend to just skip it altogether. God convicted me of this recently. It's better to do our morning "wisdom search" separately than not at all!

So- here's what I do. If Nick is already gone, I still (pray first) then read OUT LOUD the Proverbs (number of the day) and at least 1 Psalm. I let the kids eat while I'm reading and if Ben finishes before I'm done, I let him stay in his seat and color. (I tell him to draw words he hears me say.) I feel this discipline is not only great for their self control, but also trains them to sit quietly through church. Not to mention they are hearing the Word of God frequently at a young age. By the time they can actually understand what it means and read along, it won't be a new concept to them or a boring exercise.

-Memorizing
This is something we JUST started. I told Nick, "Honey, I used to memorize Scripture ALL THE TIME when I was in school, but have really slacked off since finishing my studies." So we decided to keep each other accountable and make if a "couple's exercise". We pick a verse or passage each week, write it out on a flashcard, stick it to the front of the fridge and ask each other to quote it at the end of each day. First we just picked a random verse in Eph. Then we did "Roman's road" (the verses you need to know to lead someone to Christ), and next we're gonna do fruits of the spirit, the beatitudes... etc. Some verses we learned as kids are coming back to us rather quickly. But each night we quote the entire list of what we've worked on thus far so we won't forget them again.

***I recently made Benjamin a Scripture Memory book. (I looked for one to buy, but couldn't find the right thing so...I just wrote the verses down, drew pictures for them and stapled the pages together.) I noticed he had a great memory when he started quoting some of his favorite books to me... so I figured it was time to put it to good use. :) I made up hand signals to the Scriptures so it's more fun for him and we say the reference at the beginning and the end of the verse.***

-Meditating

It kinda goes without saying that if you're working on Scipture memory, you'll probably end up meditating on those verses. But, of course, I can easily fall into just memorizing something mechanically... so I do try to take time and really say the words... think about them... and pray them. Actually, sometimes I even sing them. There are so many praise songs written verbatim from the Psalms. The Maranatha singers do a lot of them. Check them out on Pandora. :)

*By the way, at the end of my devotion with the kids each morning: we end with songs- usually Sunday school songs with hand signals that are fun for them.

-Application

Well, I'm sure it's clear to all that I need to work on applying these things I'm reading, memorizing, & meditating on in Scripture. But, I must say, it is MUCH easier to apply these things when they are on your mind CONSTANTLY!!

-Fasting

I have really slacked in this area the past few years. I've used pregnancy and nursing as an excuse a lot... but truthfully, it will not hurt for me to skip at least 1 meal now and then. There are also other forms of fasting that I've felt convicted to start lately. Namely, television. My kids only watch clean, educational "good" programming & videos. But, it can still be on WAY too much if I'm not very careful. I have found that having the TV on all the time creates discontent in children. (i.e. if it's not on, they become bored quickly.) Fasting a day or a week here and there is something I am going to start doing regularly to keep us in check.

-Praying

Sometimes a light bulb goes off in my brain while experiencing a delay or "boring" duty. "You could be using this time to pray," I feel the Lord say to me.

I just experienced this last night while standing by my baby's crib. She had been a little distraught, so I was standing where she could see me while she drifted off to sleep. Standing there with nothing to do, driving down the road with no other adults to talk to, or sitting beside my toddlers bed when he's having a rough night... those are all really good times to pray.

-Giving

I do practice giving, but I need to do more- and not just when it's convenient for me.

-Early Rising

Definitely need help on this one! "Early Rising" for us wouldn't be the same as most people due to our different schedule... but I know going to bed earlier and waking up earlier encourages a more productive day. I can always see the difference when we're up an hour before we "feel like getting up". Punctuality (one of the 49 character qualities Mr. Gothard talks about) is related to this one. I have completely lost my punctuality since having children and God is really dealing with me to work on this.

-Reading Revelation
Not something I expected to be on this list, but Rev 1:3 says, ^"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."
I tend to gravitate more to other books of the Bible- ones that I can understand. :) But, there is spiritual blessing promised to those who read this book. I haven't read it in it's entirety in a long time, but I'm going to start this week.

-Witnessing
This has been such a strong conviction for me personally for awhile now. It's a scary thing to really initiate a conversation about the Lord with someone if you've never done it. I'm trying to start small and work up my courage: like saying "God Bless" or making reference to how good God is when I having small talk with a stranger. I really need prayer in this area because I KNOW I am not yet making disciples like Christ called me to do.

Just last night me and Nick had a conversation about reaching out more to our neighbors. The Lord layed it on both our minds the same day that we could be doing more to get to know our neighbors and witness to them. Nick was like, "I know we've been taught that everyone is our neighbor... but if we aren't willing to befriend our physical neighbors that live right next to us... that's pretty bad!" I agreed, saying that God was dealing with me on that very issue. I admit, I don't even know all the names of the people in our cul de sac. Being a better neighbor is on our "to-do" list. Inviting them over when we have a game night with friends, bringing over some homemade baked goods to get to know them.... that's the plan. :)