Saturating our children in the things of God ( part 2 )

         Establishing healthy eating habits.

   Establishing good and healthy eating habits in our children has to start right at the first stages of feeding our little ones. Other wise it doesn't take long and they can become picky and unhealthy eaters pretty quickly. I know because I have some of those! :)

  This post though is not about food entirely, but on developing a good and  healthy diet habit for reading and watching things. And it is a lot like food eating habits. You really have to start young with it, and has to be at the top of your priority.
   As you train their taste buds to like and enjoy the foods that not only taste good, but is good for them, and for their health, nutrition, and growth. So you need to also train them to enjoy the reading materials, music, and movies that are good for them; mind, body, and soul. Not just to merrily entertain and thrill for the moment.
   Taste buds can be trained at any age, but is a lot easier at the young age. Put them off to a good start feeding them only the good and healthy things for the mind and soul, and they will learn to truly love and enjoy it too. Especially more so as they grow physically and spiritually, and come to truly love God for themselves, and have a personal relationship with Him.
    If we start them off on the things that taste or feel good only, but have no worth, or goodness we have got them off on the wrong foot, and they will be enjoying the things that do not give life, or true fulfillment and happiness. Then when you put in front of them the healthier fair, don't be surprise when they find it flat or boring. Their taste buds have been sadly jaded.
    They should love the good and wholesome things of God, and find them to be life giving, refreshing, and very exciting. And to loath the unwholesome. Anything that is not full of Gods goodness and nutrition should be treated as junk-food and kept to very small amounts and very seldom.
    Of course loving parents would never feed their child's body with any food that is spoiled, or would right down harm him. But what about their minds and souls, are they not just as important, and precious?  They deserve nothing less than the very best!

         See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.                                                                                             

References for Deuteronomy 30:15

• Cross References
  

 

• 29 30:15 - Pr 10:16 ; 11:19 ; 12:28 ; Jer 21:8
  


• 30 30:15 - Dt 28:11 ; Job 36:11 ; Ps 25:13 ; 106:5 ; Pr 3:1-2
  


• 31 30:15 - S Ge 2:17
  


• 32 30:15 - S Dt 11:26
  

For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. Deuteronomy 30:15-16
  This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 30:19                                                                                                                                                                    

 May we feed our children's minds with only God honoring substance which gives life!  And that they may be lovers of His truth and righteousness!
  In Him,
Mae

        Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.   Philippians 4:8                                                                                                                                              
 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.    Psalm 101:3                                                                                                              

  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.   Psalm 19:14                                                                                                 

  
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One finger for the Lord

Here is a very beautiful story from the book Tramp For the Lord by Corrie Ten Boon.


On one of Corrie's trip to Russia she visited this  wonderful elderly lady who was badly crippled by multiple sclerosis. She was bed bound, and disfigured from this disease. Her  fingers were  gnarled. She had control of only her right hand, and had use of just the index finger on that hand.

  But with just that one finger she did something very great!  She would lay there in bed propped up by pillows, her head at an odd angle, and type way on an old typewriter with that one finger! Diligently all day long until late at night each day she would do this!

  She was translating portions of the Bible and Christian books into the Russian language, Latvian, and the language of her own people.  Only using that one finger --- peck.... peck... peck... peck--- she typed out the pages. She painstakingly copied books of Billy Graham, Watchman Nee, and corrie Ten Boon.
  And while she slowly typed away the keys, she spent time praying for the people of who's books she was translating.

Of course upon seeing this dear old lady in such a sad condition form this crippling disease, Corrie very much longed for her healing. But the lady's husband let her in on something.

  He told Corrie that every other Christian in the city was being watched by the secret police. But because she had been sick for so long, no one ever looks in on her. He said they are left alone, and so therefore she is the only one in all the city who can type quietly, undetected by the police.  So God had a very great purpose for her in her sickness.

  Now isn't that so beautiful!  This crippled lady with only one good finger is using it so fully for the Lord!!  She puts so many of us to shame! So much for our good health and good whole fingers. They are useless to us if we do not honor the Lord with them.

 May we use all that we the have for the glory of the Lord!  May this dear old lady inspire us all!

In Him,
Mae

spread the Word!

To travel through the desert with

others, to suffer thirst,

to find a spring,

to drink of it,

and not tell the others that

they may be spared

is exactly the same as enjoying Christ

and not telling others about

HIM.

 

~ Corrie Ten Boon   ( from Tramp For The Lord )

 

I found the above in the book Tramp For The Lord. 

  When I read it I thought,"That is exactly the way we should feel".  We should be so filled with joy and love of Lord that we can not possible keep it to our selves. We should be like, "Hey, I got this awesome truth, and am filled with such lovely peace and joy that I just got to share it with someone." "It is not fair for me to keep this wonderful stuff  to my self."

   But sadly do we honestly do that?

Are we sharing God's wording with others at every opportunity possible?

 

May we all be more like Corrie Ten Boon and share  Christ freely with others!

 

In Him,

Mae



How do you rate a movie?

Below is a post I wrote a couple years ago, and have decided to post it again. Hoping you enjoy! At the bottom, feel free to leave me a comment about your thoughts on this subject. I always love hearing form my readers! And if you know of other Bible verses that would go with this, please share those too.


   As I am sure everyone has noticed the ratings on movies has drastically changed over the years! What use to be rated R is now pg13, and many pg movies should be pg 13. Its so very sad. There is no getting around the fact that our society's morals and standards have gone down the drain completely.

  You probably have had someone tell you a certain movie was really good, and that you really ought to watch it. After watching that movie though you had to wonder what part of that movie was suppose to be good anyway. It seems a movie considered good to one person is bad to another. Why is that? We all tend to rate movies different I guess , but as Christians should we?


  One person may call a movie "good" if it holds your attention, has a lot of action, keeps you on the edge of your seat, has suspense, or is a mystery or comedy; even though that said movie contains course language, killing, suggestive language, immodest dressing, and so on. I don't like that, not one bit.

So what is the right way to rate movie?

I believe a "good" movie should mean that it is something that God would be pleased with. I believe that it should match up to His standards and morals that He teaches us to live by in His Word. I believe it should be a movie we could comfortable watch with Jesus sitting right beside us!!

So saying that , I call a movie "good" only if it has no violence, suitable for small children, free of suggestive language and scenes, no dirty words or swearing, no immodest dressing, no fighting or killing, no lying, no sexual scenes, no adultery, no fornication. You get the picture, perfectly clean!! Unfortunately there is so very few like this.

I call a movie "really good" if it has all the above, plus is God honoring, encouraging, uplifting and inspiring. That kind is a feel good movie to me!! Makes you feel your time was well spent, and that it will do your family good. But for a lot of movies just the opposite is true.

It makes you wonder what the ratings of movies will be like in the next 20 years. I really hate to think about it. But hopefully the world will not go on that long!! Hopefully we will be safely in heaven by that time, away from this world's wickedness!

The same things that God dislikes, we should dislike as well! We should not find pleasure and enjoyment in something that is not pleasing to God. So the next time you watch a movie, think about weather God would approve of it or not. If you can't watch it with Jesus sitting beside you, then its probably not something you should be watching!!

Everything we do, say, hear, and see should be honoring and glorifying to God!! Always!



"HE that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as he walked." 1 John 2:6

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."
 Psalm 19:14

"Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word."
  Psalm 119:37

 

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever thingsare pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, thinkon these things."

 Philippians 4:8

I hope that you are blessed and encouraged by this post.
In Him
Mae

The Stranger

This anonymous  untitled piece was offered by someone to our local paper a few years back, they said it should be a must read for every home in America. I whole heartily agree!
I thought it was great , so I am sharing it with you all here.
 I also gave it the title The Stranger because I thought it suited it well.    I have shared this in the past, but I like it so well I am reposting!

    The Stranger
A few months before I was born
my Dad met a stranger who was
new to our small town.
From the beginning, Dad was
fascinated with this enchanting
new comer and soon invited him
to live with our family.

The stranger was quickly accepted and was
around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up , I never questioned his place in my family.
In my mind he had a special niche.

My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me
the word of God, and dad taught me to obey it.

But the stranger? He was our story teller.
He would keep us spell bound for hours on end
with adventures, mysteries and comedies.

If I wanted to know anything about politics,
history or science, he always knew the answers about
the past,understood the present, and even seemed to be able
to predict the future!

He took my family too the first major league ball game.
He made me laugh, and he made me cry.
The stranger never stoped talking, but my Dad didn't seem to mind.

Sometimes Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us
were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say,
and she would go to her room and read her books.
( I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our house hold with certain moral convictions,
but this stranger never felt obligated to honor them.
Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home...
not from us, our friends, or any visitors. Our long time visitor,
however, got away with four letter words that burned my ears,
and made my dad squirm and my mom blush.

My Dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol
in the home, not even for cooking. But the stranger
encouraged us to try it on regular basis.
He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished.

He talked freely ( much to freely) about sex.
His comments were sometimes blatant,
sometimes suggestive,and generally embarrassing.

I know my early concepts about relationships were influenced
strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he apposed the values
of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked..... and never asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger
moved in with our family. He has blended right in
and is not as fascinating as he was at first.

Still, if you were to walk into my parents den today
you would still find him sitting over in his corner,
waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

His name? We just call him T.V.



( I am so happy to say, we do not have that stranger in our home!!)

My Wish ( a repost )

As I gaze in to the eyes of my 4 month old baby girl, my heart over flows with love, wonderment, amazement. And I think oh can't she stay this way! I wish she would always be this sweet and perfect! This small, soft, and cuddly!! With those most adorable bluish eyes!

I wish she could always be this easily contented by me, that I could just hold her or nurse her and everything would be alright. I wish she would know no hurt, no disappointments, no sorrow, or sadness. Oh I wish she would always be this sweet, this precious , this pure!!

I wish she would always be my itty-bitty baby girl!!! She just oh so right the way she is, why does she have to grow!

But I know that is just wistful thinking and not an ounce practical ( but boy does it sound nice).

So instead I wish that my baby Anna will grow. I wish as she grows in body that she will also grow spiritually. As she grows strong and healthy in body and mind, I pray she will grow strong and healthy in the Lord.

I wish her beauty comes from her walk in the Lord. I pray she is so full of God's riches , and beauty ,and love: that she will literally shine and glow with beauty for HIM. I wish and pray that she will always remain this sweet, precious and pure!!

I pray that when she is hurt or wronged that she will know how to respond back with love and forgiveness. And when sorrows, disappointments, and sadness comes her way, that she will find her strength in God to keep going, and that He will fill her up with JOY.

I pray she will shine with love and joy! When others see her , they see God living in her. I pray that her only desire in life will be to live for HIS Glory only! And that she will grow in to a  strong woman for God. I pray she will have a love for truth.

I pray that I will be every bit the mom she needs me to be, to be that good godly example for her to follow. But I wish that she goes way beyond what I do or what I know! I wish that she will search the Scriptures for her own for the truth and not just take what we say. That she will keep growing and growing in the Lord and will keep getting closer and closer to HIM. That her faith will be strong and unwavering.

So sweet baby Anna I love you just the way you are , but I know there is so much more for you, and that God's plan for you goes way beyond baby hood.

So keep on growing baby of mine!!

That is my greatest and deepest wish!! ( this goes for all your siblings too of course)

Love, mom
 

Above was a post from 2010 when our second little girl, Anna, ( our 5th child) was just 4 months old.
Just yesterday this same sweet gal turned 3 years old. In celebration, I thought re posting this would be neat!
My desire for her is still the same. And of course for all our children. My greatest desire and pray for them is that they love God with all their hearts, minds, and souls. That they love the truth. And that they would make God the center of their lives. That is my greatest wish, and is the focus of all my parenting efforts.
In Him,
Mae

 

Bible verses that convict me that the T.V. is not for the Godly home

These verses along with many others that I read in the Bible are very convicting to me about the T.V. in Godly homes. So I will share them here for you.
As you read them,  think and mediate on them, and let God speak to you through them.

"Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."
                                      1 Corinthians 15:33

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy of God." 
                                                 James 4:4
( you may not consider the T.V. to be your friend, but what is the difference? )

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
        Colossians 3:1-3

Turn away mine eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in your way.
Psalms 119:37  NKJV

"Love not  the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Farther is not in him."
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Farther, but is of the world."
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
 1John 3:15-17

"Finally, brethren , whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."Philippians 4:8
"All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing."       Ecclesiastes 1:8

( no wonder the t.v. and movie business is so huge!)

"Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied." 
                  Proverbs 27:20

Another thought to think on is about the many times in the old testament when God was dealing with His people the Israelites. Time and again he instructed them to destroy other nations in the lands they went into so that the evil ways of those people would not corrupt them.
 If God was so concerned at that time about His people being corrupted with evil customs and practices by heathen people, don't you think He is still concerned today about His people?

 You can only imagine what God must think of the T.V. which brings all kinds of evil right inside of ones home. (And of course much evil via the Internet as well if it is used for wrong purposes )

Let us fight against wrong and evil! And may we keep the evil out in the world where it belongs, not in our very living rooms!!
Stand strong in our God!   As always I love to hear form you and your thoughts on what I write.
Until next time,
In Him, Mae

                                     

valuing our time ( part 3 )

Here I come again for part 3!

Before I start though I think I should say that I know T.V watching is certainly not the only thing that can be poor use of our time. I am sure there is many, many other things as well.

I am so sorry if it seems i am really picking on that. The T.V is very addictive though I know.


Over all i have come to the conclusion or conviction that we should really think on how we use our time. I mean it is just like our money, we know that it is a blessing from God. And that we should be good stewards of what God has given us. We should use all our money as God would want us too, and give to the use of God's work.



I feel our time is also a blessing from God. We do not know how much time we have left here on earth before Jesus comes to take us home. Shouldn't He return to see us using our last bit of time here wisely? Also we do not when He may require our life. Even though His coming may not be for awhile, our time could be up tomorrow, or the next hour. The Bible said our life is like a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow.

If we all acted that we only had a very short time to live, I bet we would be doing things in our last few days very differently than what we are doing now.

I can imagine if I knew I had only, say, 5 days left I would be busy writing letters to my kids instructing then in God's word, and so much more. I would be phoning and talking to my family more, talking to my husband and sharing with him all my hopes and dreams and desires for our kids, telling my family how much I love them, praying for my family, and the list would go on.

It is just something I feel that God has been really laying on my heart lately.
And something I feel is very important to teach our children while there are young.
I want them to be creative, have fun and work hard, use their time to bless others, and just learn to think of others over their own personal pleasures or desires.
I want them to know that our time here on earth truly is a gift and blessing from God.
I want them to always be mindful of how God would want them to use their time, and what he wants for them to do with their lives.
I want them to always put God first, others next, and then their personal wants, and desires and so on comes after that.

And of course I have to be that example for them.

To close,  I must say I certainly do not have all the answers ( though i wish i did), and that i am learning and growing all the time. ( I hope I am anyway!!)

In Him,
Mae

valuing our time ( part 2 )

How's this for valuing time?
Below I have made up a little story to show how some people may value their time.

He is at work and he makes every minute count. He is diligent in what he does. His boss likes him because he of his hard work ethic and that he doesn't waste time.
He expects to be payed of course for every minute he is on the job. If he is short changed even 30 minutes by accident he goes to the Secretary and gets it straitened out, there's no way he wants to do any thing for free. He boast that time is money.
He doesn't want to do anything with out being paid.
He complains of wasting his time in the long line at Star Bucks and in traffic lights on his way home from work.
Then he gets home.
You know the first thing he does after greeting his wife and kids ?
Yep you got it, he plops down in front of the T.V, completely unconcerned of valuing his time anymore.
Not only is he not valuing his time, but he is in fact paying to waste his time. He pays for cable, net-flix, and computer game rentals.
SO he sits there wasting time and paying to do it!!
( so much for complaining about wasting time at the traffic lights and Star Bucks.)

Now I know this is not a true story, but I think unfortunately it is true way more than we realize.

To add to this fictional story......
As he sits wasting his time ( and paying to do so), his dear wife and children yearn for his attention.
His wife would like the family to eat dinner together at the table but that's next to impossible with Dad in front of the t.v, the kids want to do the same.
His kids would rather have him  play ball  or read a story to them though.
His wife would like him to read the Bible to the family.
He may be thinking, " this is my time, I can use it how I want."
But while he sits and wastes time, his family suffers for it.
His whole home suffers.

Does he really have the right to use his time like this?

What a sad story that is. But thankful it is just all made up, or is it?
Is this not true in many a home?
But I must say I am not picking on the men or husbands at all, only seemed convenient to use the man in this made up story.
But i know full well the women and moms can be just as guilty of this.
Oh, but you say, " that's not so in Christian homes". Well i sure hope that is true.
I would hope this is not the way christian homes run.
How sad that would be.

Well i guess that brings us to the end of part 2 on valuing our time.
It looks like we will have a part 3 as well!
I hope you are enjoying this topic.
I would love to hear from you on what you think on this.

In Him,
Mae

valuing our time ( part 1 )

I have been thinking a lot lately of time. And valuing time.
It has always been a big deal to me to make the most of my time, or using it wisely.
Might have something to do with my upbringing or just my characteristic
But i have never liked to just sit around, i have always felt there has to be something that needs doing, and most of the time as a mom there certainly is. But i also feel there is a time for a rest or a break too. That is vital to keep us moms going. I nap daily
But i have never liked to feel that I was wasting my time, like watching a movie, playing computer games or the like.
It may be because I grew up with out a T.V, and computer. SO there was no sitting around watching something and no computer or video games at all.
When i was really little ( under 8 ) my parents ran a market garden in the summer, plus we had our own house garden, did ranching, and lots of animals. So there was lots to keep us busy at. Both work and fun.
For evening activities when it was dark and work was done, or in the winter time, we played board games, card games, reading books, and such.
When i was 8 and we moved from there, we still had a big garden to tend, lots of animals, and lots of fun and work to do. Never was a dull momnet!

So what I am getting at is that since i was not use to sitting and do nothing but watching something, I still to this day do not feel right just sitting and wasting time like that. It has to be to be in the evening when there is absolutely nothing else better to do, and then only once a month, if even that. It wasn't always this way though.
There was a time after i got married and we got a T.V. for watching movies ( it even got 3 channels, though a little blurry), that i did enjoy watching. And quite often too, though not in the day time,( i just could not stand that at all).
At the time we had that T.V. we only had 2 little ones and we did not have to worry so much about what we watched. We had that one about a year and a half. Then got rid of it.
A couple years later we got a D.V.D player, and started getting D.V.Ds from the Library or rental store to watch and did that quite often.
By this time though our kids were older and we really had to make sure they were family friendly, but often during the movie we would find, "oops it was not."
That's when i started to get sick of movies. The lack of good and wholesome ones out there.
We did buy the whole complete season set of Little House On The Prairie. And loved watching that together as a family.
But from then on I gradually got sick of movie watching all together. We went from watching a few a week to only Friday nights. Then i was like, "Why don't replace our movie night with a game night instead." So that's what we did. ( but soon our game night wore off, but we did not go back to to movie night to my great delight.
Now we almost never watch any movies at all. It has been a long time.
Also the kids would play computer games at a lot. I could not stand them sitting there during the day doing that, so i really limited them, or said only in the evening. ( though that has been our reading time as well)
Now i am happy to say they don't play computer games any more!! YEA!!

I just feel they have much better things to do with their time.
They have school of course and chores, but after that is done, they can play outside in the woods, ride bikes, build things with wood, ride their scooter, skate board, read books, write letters to their many cousins, color and draw pictures, and so much more.
I want them to be creative. I don't want them to feel that the only thing there is to do for fun or entertainment is to sit and watch something. And i don't even want them to feel that all spare time should necessarily be fun or entertaining.

And that is how it is with me too, i feel I have way better things to do than sit and waste it watching something, i don't care if it's good, it is still wasting my very valuable time.
Like i said i do need need breaks in my busy day as mom.
And of course more than just a nap.
But my breaks can still be very useful. I can sit and write letters, read my Bible, read other good books ( like i have done this winter), phone my many family members, write on my blog, send e-mails, go for walks, chat with hubby. All that to me is taking a break, yet accomplishing so much. I could not bare to sit and do nothing.
But maybe that's just me.
Maybe the Lord is just convicting me of this.
Maybe this is just for me and my family and no else.
But i have been wondering as a whole, should God's people be valuing their time more?
I have been wondering does God care at all what we do with our spare time?
Does it matter to Him if we just sit wasting our time away by watching something?
What does He think of all this?

Some how i feel that just as we should value our money (which God has blessed us with), and use it wisely for God and not just on our selves; that we should also value our time that God has gave us here on earth and also use it wisely for Him.
We do not know how much time we have left here on earth. I really feel we need to make the most of it.
I have been so convicted of this lately.

SO how do we spend our evenings then?
Well we don't have much of an evening during the week in school season since supper is at 6:00 and bed time is at 8:00. Between those hours the table is cleaned from supper and dishes are done, a little play time either in doors or out, then wash up time, then comes reading time. I read to the children form a children's Bible, and other good Godly character building books. Some where in there may be time for a quick snack. Then after reading time is brush teeth time, then off to bed at 8:00.
No school nights( which is Thursday and Friday nights in our home), and summer evenings are different only in that bed time is later. Other wise we do the same things. They just have more free time between when supper dishes are done and reading time. Summer evenings though find us a lot of times out in the garden after supper. We all work together to keep it weeded and watered and so on.

I find i have much more to share on this topic than i first thought, so I am planing a part 2 on this.

To close up part 1 this, I would just say it is something each family has to be convicted on. Something to to think on, pray about and discuss with hubby.
I personal took awhile coming to this conviction, was not something that happened over night for me, so i would not expect that of any one else either.

Well until next time,
God Bless and Take care!!
In Him,
Mae

some good thoughts on my mind tonight

Sometimes i have many many things on my mind, but i don't always get a chance to jump on the computer and quickly write it down before i forget. Well tonight i am grabbing a moment!!

Here's a few things that's been floating around in my head recently.
( just a quick note before sharing though. Of course i know it's very evident, but just wanted to state anyway that i am not always the best writer at putting my thoughts down. So i just write them down kind of the way there are in my head, sometimes jumbled, and sometimes very straight forward. So you just have to bear with me:)! Also note that I almost always have a little one around me, crabbing at the key board and mouse, and sometimes a little fussy, so i can easily loose my concentration!!)

Ok, so the main thing on my mind is damage that I believe our wonderful electronics has done for our society, namely the T.V. and video games. Sorry everyone!! And i am not talking the good virus the bad on it. I am just talking about the entertainment it's self.

I believe that constant source of entertainment as crippled our society in many ways.
I am speaking on a whole and for excessive watching. (I know most homes have it very moderate.)
I think why it's so bad as that it is so very addictive, and cripples the creativity in one to even think that there's other things do to.
Usually it is the kids that grow up with T.V that get " bored". For example my kids hardly no what boredom is.
It is also very time consuming.
And i am under the conclusion that one should really be concise of how we spend our time.
I can see why it is so very appealing though becuse one wants somthing to do, with out doing "nothing."

Another thing on my mind which pretty much has to do with above is that not every thing in the world though it appears good on the outside or for the most part anyway, does not necessarily make it something good for God's people.
I think it's to easy to adapt most things in our lives as Christians if its good, with out realizing it is not something that God would like in our lives.
Like the T.V. Just because there is good stuff on it, doesn't mean it suddenly makes it something God's people should have. Does that make since?

I think there is numerous other things like that as well.
Like all the sports and activities available for the kids. They are good, but are they necessarily what God would have us fill our time with. Does he really want us moms to be going in 5 different directions at one time to get our kids to whatever things they are participating in, while other things( usually far more important) go on the slack.
Are they for God's people just because they are good?
Of course that is something for every family to answer on their own. But it is something worth thinking about i think.
I feel that way with many things in our society, and the sooner our children realize that not everything out there is something for us to be apart of the better.


Also my thoughts have been on Sabbath ( the 7th Day). How it is not convenient or handy to keep. So many things revolve around Sabbath: sports, different activities, good yard sales, and so much more.
So we have to sacrifice a bit to serve God the way we know He wants us to. But so what, this world and the things of it should mean nothing to us compared to our Love and obedience to God.

And also good to keep in mind, that Jesus gave His very life for us so that we may have eternal life!!
That's so huge!! He did not have to do that. But he did because he loved us that much!!

So do we love Him enough to give Him a day out of of our busy week. The day that He gave us for rest in the first place. He gave us HIS LIFE, surly we can give up a day for HIM.

Again not every thing in this world was designed for God's people. If the things of this world make it hard for us to rest and worship on that day He gave us, then those things have to be given up, instead of the alternate: choosing another day that suites us better. (Which is where Sunday has came in at.)

We all have to realize that the way this world operates was not established with God's people in mind. And we can not have both this world and God too.


Well hoping you enjoyed my thoughts. And don't forget i love hearing your thoughts too!!
In Him,
Mae

my deal with candy

Would you like a cavity?
I'm sure your answer is no.
But what if i asked you if you would like candy?
You would most likely answer, yes.
My kids on the other hand would have answered yes to both questions, because that is our word around our house for candies.
Yep, that's right, "cavities".
I feel like they should be called what they really are. May as well not hide the truth of the effects of candy.
Though my kids are still not put off by that. They openly ask for, " cavities."

I can't stand candy. Now i used to like it as a kid alright and even as a young adult, but very moderately. Then when i became a mom and my first son at a very early age got cavities. And the other siblings had many to follow as well. ( were talking the real thing here) I changed my tune!
Now i can't stand the stuff and i wonder how candy ever got considered as a treat in the first place. How can a cavity causing, no good for your body thing , ever be called a treat!!

Now i know there's all kinds of candy and there may very well be '' healthy " candy even. Though i haven't heard of any. But i am talking run of the mill, chock full of sugar or corn syrup kind!
The kind that rots your teeth, and is poison to your your body. The kinds that are hard to the immune system.
That a treat? Ugh! I don't think so!

To me a treat for a child would be a fruit ( there's all kinds of yummy pretty fruits). That would be a true treat and something very special. Taste good and does wonders for the body!! There of course is other healthy snacks as well.

But it seems no matter how hard i guard the gate of my house candy still sneaks its way in. And then theres Grandma's house, the neighbor, the bank, the library, ect, ect.. All well meaning of course. I guess they just don't know how bad it is.
So hoping every one catches the fever with me! If we all stopped buying candy er "cavities" they soon would stop making the stuff. I look eagerly for that day!!!
So pass the word on!

can you pictuer this?

I have been thinking about this lately and thought to share it here for what it may be worth.
For what someone may learn or glean from it.

So here's what I have been thinking and wondering. I am thinking about Paul in the Bible.
I am thinking about his great ministry to others. His great love to God and his such great love and devotion to spread the Word to others. How he travled around all over, with many, many hard ships to spread the Word of God. He's such an inspiration to us.
Anyway in that thought of him and his witnessing and writing letters to the churches and the people.
I can just a bout picture him with a lap-top on his lap while sitting in prison. And writing his letters that way. I could emagine how productive that may be in his ministry. Mass letters to many at all one time.
I can almost pictuer him putting our mordern tool into high prodution for the work of the Lord.

It seemed that in all he did he did so greatly for the Lord. Why wouldn't he use this tool for the Glory of the Lord.
I can so pictuer that. Can you?

But now pictuer this. Pual sitting in front of a T.V. , or portable DVD player, or maybe playing games on his lap-top; wasting away hours upon hours. I mean he is just stuck in prison anyway. Why not. You got to pass time some how don't you? He doesn't want to get borded. Gota have a little entertaiment now again after all. That gives live spice. Maybe his friends good even gather with him and have movie night.

Can you really pictuer that?
I can not. I have tryed so hard to pictuer it, and I just can't. Maybe just one or two movie nights a week or one a month, but I still can't pictuer it.
There is no way he would waste any time at all that way. There is no way he would loose valuable time that could be spent writing letters and ministering. Yes even while stuck in prison. Prison seemed to just open a whole new door for him. It wasn't a place to sit and sulk and waste time. It was awhole new ministry field.
He used his time so wisely.

Shouldn't we spend our time wiesly too? Does our time mean anything to God anyway? Does it matter to him how its spent ?

Now we may not have others to minister to as Pual did, but we have our children. As moms thats our top ministry. And i think we would be surprised at who all around us we could reach out to and give our time too if we just would.

This is has been so very heavy on mind latly and I feel God has put it there for a reason. So i am passing it on.
I would love to hear any of your thoughts on this.
Blessings In Christ, Mae

What would Jesus say?

I am sure everyone knows the saying , What would Jesus do?
So before you act in a situation you always ask first , What would Jesus do? Is this something He would have done? How would He have handled this situation? Would he be pleased for us to do this?


I have been thinking we need 2 other sayings like that .

What would Jesus think?
What would he think of this? What would his opinion be of this? Is this something he would think was a wise thing for us to do? Would He think this would be a wise way for us to spend our time? Would Jesus think that that certian movie or vidoe game was "good" ?


What would Jesus say?
What would have His answer been? Or what way would He have replied to that? What would He say in a situation like this? What would Jesus say about that movie you just watched?


Asking ourselves these quesions will help us make the right descions in everything we do. And will help us always to beware of what God wants us to do. God has gaven us guide lines to follow, and by his Word we know how He wants us to live.

This was just somthing on my mind i wanted to post with others. I hope this has been a blessing.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Please feel free to comment!

Why Sabbath? ( Its a love thing)

My family and I rest and worship on the 7th Day. And I just wanted to share why it is we use that day for that purpose, instead of Sunday which is the well noted "Lord's Day", and which most chuches use.The resaon is very simple and staright forward. You do not need to go deep in scripture to find it, nor try to find oddles of verses on the Sabbath Day to prove its right.(though there is oodles)

Its very simple, its one of the 10 commandments.
" Remmeber the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the 7th day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in 6 days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exdos 20: 8-11

We defently believe that we are to keep the 10 commandments today. And we belive no commandment is any less in value: there isn't any that is not necessary. They are all ment to be kept. The commanmnets are kept out of our Love for God. They are not a burden but a joy!!

"If ye love me, keep my commanments". John 14:15

" By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grevious." 1 John 5: 2-3

" And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself to walk even as he walked." 1 John : 3-6
To truely love God we have to have 100 percent obedieance. And you really can't have one with out the other, LOVE and OBEDIENCE go hand in hand. You can not truely OEBY unless you turely LOVE, and you can not truely LOVE if you do not truely OBEY. Our love to God is showed in our obedience to Him.
Do not take my word on this, look it up for your self. Get your concordance out and look up scrpituers on the Sabbath Day, commanments, love, and so on. Its there, and He is calling you! He wants your whole heart, your whole devotion, your 100 percent love and obedience!!! He wants you!!
Have a most awesome day!! In Him, Mae

Speaking words that are uplifting & encouraging to one another

Hi All!!

I have mentioned in pervious post that we are going through the family devotional book called ,OUR 24 FAMILY WAYS, by Clay Clarkson. Anyway in there we have just finished day 5 of way 7. Somthing we all certainly needed to to hear in our home.

( way 7) We encourage one another, using only words that build up and bless others.

Wow, wouldn't that be wonderful if we were able do that in our homes every day, all the time!!

In the devotional it went over scriptuers on that subject, and had a disscusion time of ways of how we can put that in to practice in our everyday lifes, and how we can encourage and build each other up more.

Hopefully we are the only family like this, but we can be awful rude to each other , and be harsh with our words to each other quite often it seems. Say things in haste that are not nice and unkind, but deep down of cousre we really don't mean it like it sounds. But now that we have been more aware of it, we have been trying hard to say things in a way that is uplifting to each other , instead of pulling one down ,or making each other feel bad, and having more patience with one another. This devotional has been very good for us.

Here I will share some scriptuers that we went over in the devotional and some I looked up in the Bible on my own.

" Let no corrupt comunication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minster grace to the hearers." Ephesains 4:29

" Not rendering eveil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing: knowing that ye are called, that ye should inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3: 9

" And let the peace of god rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body: and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and amonshing one another in psalms and hymns and sprtitual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" Colossians 3: 16- 17

" A soft answer tuneth away wrath : but grievous words stir up anger" Proverbs 15 :1

" A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: a word spoken in due season, how good is it!" Proverbs 15: 23

" Pleasent wors are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Proverbs 16 :24

" Let all bitterness , and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking , be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiving you." Ephesains 4 : 31- 32


Wow, we are to be kind, loving, encouraging, and uplifting in all that we say and do!!

Somthing we definetly seem to have to work on all the time to put it into practice. Is so easy to say somthing in haste when we are upset at some one or somthing. But we need to stop and think before we speak and weigh our words thinking of the effect they will have on the one hearing it. We need to be showing God's love all the time.

Well this is what we have been learning at our house and just wanted to pass it on to others. Hope you find this encouraging, and may your hearts, your speech, and your homes be filled with kindnees , encouragement , love , and everything edifing, gloryfing and uplifting!!

Blessings, Mae

Being Doers of the word.

Its quiet at my house right now, My husband and our little girl went to visit his Mom, and the boys are out playing in the woods!! So the house is very quiet and peacful for the moment! Wow, almost unbeliveable!! Was busy this morning though, I made a batch of bread, done a load of laundry, and finished planting the okra. So I deserve this momment now!

DOING THE WORD OF GOD

In my last post I talked about how important family devoitional time is. But of course our children need to more than see and hear us reading God's word daily, but see us living it out. Taking it to heart and doing the word of God. Thats what will go far with them! We could read daily and even have great portions of the Bible memmorized and not do us any good or them any good, if we do not have God's spirit living in us and taking heed His word and living it out. We are not be hearers only but doers of the Word of God.

Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word but not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and straight way forgeteth what manner of man he was. James 1: 22-24

Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7


Never stop teaching and showing your children the right way! Your life will be so blessed for it, and you will be so rich and full in the Lord!! Your reward will be so great in heaven!!
WISHING ALL YOU WONDERFUL MOTHERS A GREAT MOTHERS DAY!!!

Untill Next Time, InChrist, Mae

Family Devotions & why they are so importain.

In pervious posts I mentioned that we just got the family devotional book called, Our 24 Family Ways. Well we have really been enjoting it so far. Theres 5 lessons or 5 days for each way, and we are on day 3 of way 2. We have missed a few days through out the time we started it. But we try to it every morning or eveing. The kids really get involved in it and really look forward our devotional time together. I have also made this huge chart that i put on the fridge with all 24 of the ways. Is so handy to see them at a glance, and can refer to them any time. Besides doing this devotional book together we also had been and still read a children's bible together, it easier for the kids to understand than just reading from the Bible and they really enjoy it!

I am so grateful and thankful that we are having these devotional times together. We haven't always been doing this. We would off and on but not regular at all. I would read to the boys every morning before we'd start school and pray together, but was not the same as doing it together with the whole family. And with Dad leading the devotional time and praying with us after. Now that we are committed to doing this regularly, if my husband goes off too early in the morning, then we will plan on it for the evening, before bed time. My husband drives truck though so his schedule is not always the same, he may be gone both early in the morning and home too late as well. Either way I will still read to the kids before we start school ,but save the devotional book to when we can all be together.

I feel Bible reading time together is so very important. It helps us to learn how God wants us to live and grow closer and stronger in Him. It is also setting an example for our children to pass on to their children. Also importain to have Daddy as leader of devotions, worship and prayer time, so that your sons can learn this and be ready to carry this on in to thier homes one day. If they do not see this and learn this in their homes growing up, it is not very likely that they will do this in thier own home as a parent either. So if not for your children's sake, do it for your grand children's sake!!! Yes, we are effecting the next generation! When you become a grandparent you most likly won't have much say in how your grankids are raised, but today as a parent you can have a huge impact in how your childeren will one day raise thier childeren, in just the excapmle you are giving them. I get exctied thinking about it, don't you!?

I encourage and plead that if devotional time is not consistenly a part of your daily life that you start to make it your top piroity now! If your husband leaves too early for work then set aside time in the eveing for it. Do what ever you have to make it happen, shut off the T.V. and commputer, unplug the phone, discontinue sports, lock the doors!! Just make sure you take 30 to 40 minutes a day to read and pray together! It will be so worth your time and effort! Let your children know what is the most importian thing in your life! Its funny how we can have time for the T.V , computer, books, sports , or other activities pulling us away from the home ,but not time for God. No its really not funny at all, its so very sad! Don't let this be true in your home! You have the power to stop this pattern! You don't have to let this continue.

I am very passionate about this, so I can kind of get carried away, sorry ! But it is a serious thing, and I hope all my readers do take it seriously! See I said I had good messages I wanted to share! And I have more yet to come, but for now I must get off. Need to feed the animals and the kiddos! It is raining right now, gosh we sure are getting enough rain here. Blessings, Mae

P.S Just wanted to say I would be glad to hear your comments on what you use and do for family devotion times, and what you do to make that time possible. Aslo would be glad to hear what you thought of this post. So comment now!

Dieing to the flesh, Living More for Christ!

Good Morning!
Well looks like I have the time I was wating for to make that post. So here goes!
Romans 8 :5-13
5 For they That are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh:but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit.
6 For to be carnely minded is death; but to be spirtually minded is life and peace.
7 Beacuase the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, niether indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit , if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His.
10 And if Chirst be in you , the body is dead beacuse of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him that riased Jesus from the dead dwell in you , he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefor, bertheren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall ive.

I am crusified with Chirst: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chirst liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. Glations 2:20

I protest by your rejocing which I have in Chirst Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 1 Corinthians 15:31

We have to die to the flesh so we can live completely to God. Dieing to the flesh and self desieres is not not always easy , its somthing we have to wrok at, and is not somthing we can just do once, we must die daily to self. The more we we walk in His Spirit and our lives are more in tune with His, the eaiser it gets. We can not go part way in serving God, its got to be the whole way! God wants out whole heart, our comlete life, not just a part of us!! And when we give our live completely to him and no longer whant to live our way, what we want ,but what He wants in our life, then can He truly work in our lives! Our lives will be a glory to Him, and He will bless us they way He so desries to do!! Heres 2 verses I love.

Delight thy self also in the lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalms 37:4

Fear not littel flock; for it is your farther's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32

There is so many verses in the Bible on Gods promises of His Blessings for His people and His great protection over them. All we have to do is give our life to Him and total walk in His ways!!

Why don't you pray this with me this morning. "Lord help me to die more to the flesh and to myself today, so that you can live more abundently in me. Die to my fleshly desries, wants and wishes, and live more fullly for you , seeking your desires, your plan, and will for my life, that I may be a glory to you. Let it be no longer I that liveth Lord, but you that liveth in me, Amen."

Have a very wondeful day!! Blessings, Mae