Perspectives

Nehemiah 2:11-16 KJV

11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. 13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. 14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. 15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. 16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

Here we see Nehemiah being a good leader. He needs all the information to make wise decisions and to make sure he knows the complete situation so he gathers the information himself. He also hasn't told anyone what he is doing because he doesn't want to be influenced one way or the other and he doesn't want to face opposition.

He also made sure he saw the whole picture. He went around the city looking directly and closely at the wall and then also looked at the wall from a distance to achieve a different perspective on the situation.

Shouldn't we approach problems the same way? We should make sure we know all the details and do so by looking from different perspectives.

Sunday Psalms

My friends and family have had a difficult week as we have lost a beloved individual who has touched many lives. While we will miss her here on earth, we can rest in the knowledge that she is with Jesus and even her death will be used for God's glory. We can turn to God for our own comfort and peace.

Kindness

Spring Sewing Projects

A few weeks ago we went through our totes of clothes to see if we had what we needed for everyone. For those who still needed items, I made a list so that I could keep my eyes out at thrift stores. However, sometimes, it is hard to find exactly what we are looking for so I knew I would have to do some sewing.

In our family, we all wear modest swimwear. Most of the time, the older girls ask for swim dresses or swim skirts with shirts for birthday presents because of the higher costs for modest swimwear. For the younger girls we have usually just done swim shorts and shirts, but I had always wanted them in skirts/dresses just like the older girls. Even making modest swimwear is expensive due to the cost of the fabric. What I did this year though, cost me $1 for two swimsuits! 

For our 2 year old, I took a swim shirt we already had and just added a swim skirt that I had picked up at a free-for-all (A local church has a day when anyone in the community can come in and get items such as clothes, shoes, toys, etc. all for free!). The skirt was a girl's size 6, so it was wide enough for me to gather to add to the shirt and the length was just right for my 2 year old. I had also picked up some athletic wear leggings that I used to cut out what I needed for leggings for her.

For our 1 year old, I had picked up a one piece (with shorts) suit on the dollar rack at our local consignment. I then took another swim skirt that I picked up at the free-for-all and cut out what I needed to make a skirt. The skirt will be worn over the other and the "shorts" of the suit are the "leggings". I had contemplated cutting the suit and making a dress, but I wanted to be able to use the suit for a boy if we have another boy some day.

Our one year old is long for her age so finding dresses that are long enough for her is difficult. I made these two dresses out of shirts that had been given to us. The pink/blue one is barely long enough (I must have miscalculated when cutting the fabric for the "skirt" part) so I am in the process of making at least one more.

The two year old is also tall. I made a couple of skirts to go with these shirts that had also been given to us. 

Our ninth born is having a birthday next week and here is the dress she requested. She loves to twirl so her dresses for the last couple of years have accommodated twirling.

My current sewing project is making a dress for our one year old. Then I hope to move on to some shirts for myself and a shirt for our son's birthday (I have until July to make that one). I have also been making some small bags to possibly sell or give as gifts.

Do you sew? What have you been busy with lately?

Standing on God's Promises

Nehemiah 2:5-10 KJV

5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. 6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; 8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. 9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

We have seen that Nehemiah prayed for months before even saying anything to the king and then again right when he was put on the spot. He also asked for one thing at a time.

First, he asked if he could go and rebuild the wall. Then he set the length of time. Lastly, he asked for letters that would give him safety and building materials.

He progressed forward as he saw God's favor on his plans. He stood on the promise we find in Psalm 31:4-5.

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

The king even went above his requests and sent "security" with him.

With Nehemiah we see one of God's promises played out. We can be sure that He keeps his promises. We can stand on His promises!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Proverbs 6:20-21 KJV

20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

How do we "bind" something on our hearts? The only way I can think of is to memorize. Not only memorize, though, but rehearse and study. I imagine "tie them about they neck" as something that is done daily-something to do every day. I also picture being led/guided by pulling a person around by a necktie. Our parents instructions/commandments should guide us through life.

MercyMe - Even If (Official Lyric Video)

I'm sharing for anyone who is going through a difficult time right now. Remember that God is in control. He is faithful. He is good. Trust in Him. Lean on Him for your strength.

I'm Busy, Lord

I came across a beautiful poem when studying patience that I wanted to share with all of you.

I'm Busy, Lord!
I'm busy, Lord. Surely You can see
The thousand things that wait for me!
The dishes still lie in the sink-
I cannot stop to pray and think.

Lord, I know You understand.
For You gave these children to my hand;
And now they cry and need me so,
Lord, You understand. I'd better go.

Now I've got them all to sleep,
I'd better dust and mop and sweep.
I must thaw out the meat for stew,
And the ironing is long overdue!

And kindly my Lord answered me,
"Why do you from my presence flee?
I have so much for you today.
My child, I want to hear you pray.

"I love you, child; I want you here
To rest and listen- to shed a tear.
What if Paul had stopped to say,
'Lord, I'm too busy to write letters today!'?

"No, my child, I'm what you need,
Through household duties you can speed,
Yet when you're through, there's emptiness
If this quiet time you miss."

Oh, thank You, Lord, for showing me
How much I need to wait on Thee.
For what's an undone dish or two
Compared with sharing time with You?!
-Nancy Stitzel

Sunday Psalms

Psalms 1:1-6 KJV 

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Feast on Christ

Decorating With Scripture

About a year ago, I decided to place decorative scripture up around my house. I had printed some decorated scripture from a website and hung in my office area. Since those were "summer" themed, I found different ones around Thanksgiving an another blog and printed those out. I have been looking to update them and haven't been able to find any that I liked because most "spring" printings were in pink (and I don't really care for pink) or the scripture was not in KJV (which is my preferred translation).

So, since I couldn't find what I was looking to put on my walls, I downloaded some free watercolor clipart and designed my own scripture printables. I found some beautiful daisies on angie makes and she has other beautiful designs as well.

I wanted to share these with you in case you would like to hang scripture in your own home.

You can either right click on each image and save image or click here for the vertical pictures and here for the horizontal picture.

I printed these on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and placed them in document frames to hang on my walls.

I hope you enjoy these as much as my family and I are enjoying them!

Also, if you ever create anything similar and would like to offer them free for others and don't have a way to do that, contact me and I may share them on my blog (and give you creator's credit, of course!).

Patience

Nehemiah 2:1-4 KJV

1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, 3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? 4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Nehemiah was greatly grieved over the state of his nation-Jerusalem. We saw in Chapter 1 how he fasted and prayed not only for his nation, but for God's guidance in his actions.

Most people would pray for God's help and then move forward, but not Nehemiah; he was patient. It was four months before he went to the king and even then it hadn't been his intent to do so that day.

His despair was so evident that the king asked him what was the matter and then asks what Nehemiah would like to do about it.

Again, instead of bursting forward with the plans I am sure he had made in those four months of waiting, he again paused and prayed.

He wanted to make sure he moved forward with God's plan and not his own. He wanted to make sure he was within God's will and that God's words came out of his mouth and that God would guide him in the king's pleasure.

What a great example of patience! I know that I tend to be hasty (especially when I have spent time planning), but here, Nehemiah showed great humility and restraint.

I pray I can be more like Nehemiah in this aspect.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Proverbs 5:21

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

We can not hide from God. He sees all we do because our ways are "before the eyes of the Lord." He not only sees all we do, he thinks about it. He knows why we do what we do; He sees into our hearts.

A Format for Prayer

Nehemiah 1:5-11 KJV

5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: 6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. 10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. 11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

 Nehemiah was greatly troubled for his nation-the nation of Israel. He prayed on behalf of the nation and I believe we can learn much from his prayer.

He began in praise of God. Then he asked God to hear him. He confessed his sins as well as the sins of the nation. Then he restated what he knew about God and stood on those promises. He knew God would not be slack in keeping His promises. The final thing he asked for was for God to be with him as he moved forward in something he felt God calling him to do.

We would be wise to follow this format in our own prayers. He did not make a long prayer filled with eloquent words. He stated facts of who God was (praise) and what He had already promised. He didn't try to sugar-coat the extent of their sins, but confessed openly and truthfully. Finally he finished with another plea for God to stand by him as he went about his work.

Nehemiah's humility really stands out to me here. May I remain humble before my God as well.

Love

I have been convicted a lot recently about true Christian love. I have come to realize that there are some people in my life that I truly struggle to love. This saddens me because God has such tremendous love for me that I should be able to pass that on to others. 

1 Corinthians 13 tells me that even if I do good things for God's kingdom, if I do them without love, then it means nothing. I can have great faith and hope in God, but love for others is even greater.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 KJV 

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

A Beginning, Not an End

Accountable

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 KJV 

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. . . . 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

I have always heard these verses in reference to marriage, but it was made evident to me not long ago that this can also be in reference to accountability partners.

If you are struggling with something, it is easy for Satan to tempt you and get you to believe lies, but if you have an accountability partner, that person can strengthen you and help you along your path.

An important aspect of an accountability partner is for it to be another Christian because we know that "where two or three are gathered, there He is in the midst." Christ is the third strand of the cord!

I encourage you to find an accountability partner if you do not have one already. Ask God to send someone to you or to impress on your mind someone you could ask. If you are married, I also encourage you to talk to your husband about him finding an accountability partner as well. I was amazed at how much better my marriage became when my husband had someone besides me to keep him accountable.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Proverbs 4:21

Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

To keep them (the commandments, the wisdom, the instruction) in front of our eyes, we must read and study them every day. Keeping them in the midst of our heart speaks to the importance of memorizing scripture.

This is how we are to live. This will keep us on the right path-the path to honoring God with our life.

Our Foundation

4-8-18 Sermon

A Prayer for My Children

Whenever I come to the book of Philippians in my bible, I am reminded of praying Philippians 1:9-11 for my children (I have marked in my bible that it is a prayer for my children).

It has been a while since I have been in Philippians, but I don't want to wait so long in between praying this prayer for them, so I created a printable that I am going to hang on my "War" wall (I don't have space for war room so I have a wall in my bedroom).

I am sharing it with you in case you would like to do the same.

You can save this image and then print or save the pdf file found here.

Showing Love to Others

Are You Afflicted for Others?

Nehemiah 1:1-4 KJV

1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. 4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

I am struck at Nehemiah's response to hearing the news of his people. He was truly afflicted himself right along with them. He wept for days. He fasted and prayed.

Shouldn't this be our response to hearing of atrocities? Shouldn't the massive numbers of abortions every day cause us to weep, fast, and pray? When fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are under persecution, shouldn't we stop, weep, fast, and pray? When we hear/know of marriages that are falling apart, shouldn't we weep, fast, and pray?

I know I am guilty of not being burdened for those less fortunate enough to draw me to my knees in prayer. Why am I not? I feel ashamed of myself for slacking in this.

I would love for you to share your thoughts on this topic.

A No Can be a Blessing

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Proverbs 3:9-10 KJV

9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

God has proven this promise over many times in our lives. Even when we were hundreds from meeting our budget, we continued to tithe and God continued to "fill our barns."

I know it talks about this promise in Malachi 3:10, but I never realized until today that it was also in Proverbs. What the Lord sees as important, He repeats to make sure we get it. This is important!

Our Negligence Redeemed

Resurrection Day Sermon (4/1/18)

Happy Resurrection Day!

Jesus conquered death! Praise God!