Throw Back Thursday

The following post came up in my memories on Facebook this past week. Wow! It is perfect timing as I need to trust more than I need clarity.

Clarity vs. Trust

Clarity vs. Trust

I heard the following story on the radio while on my way to go grocery shopping one day.

Mother Theresa

“When John Kavanaugh, the noted and famous ethicist, went to Calcutta, he was seeking Mother Teresa … and more. He went for three months to work at “the house of the dying” to find out how best he could spend the rest of his life.

When he met Mother Teresa, he asked her to pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” she replied. He then uttered the request he had carried thousands of miles: “Clarity. Pray that I have clarity.”

“No,” Mother Teresa answered, “I will not do that.” When he asked her why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” When Kavanaugh said that she always seemed to have clarity, the very kind of clarity he was looking for, Mother Teresa laughed and said: “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

I often pray for clarity because I want to make sure that what I think God is telling me is actually what He is telling me. This puts it in a whole new perspective!

Do I not trust Him enough? Do I need to let go of my need of clarity? How about you? What are your thoughts?

Acknowledge Him

Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Acknowledge Him.

We are not supposed to trust our own heart because our heart can be deceived. Trust in God. Go to Him.

Acknowledge Him.

Not only must we ask Him for guidance and wisdom, but we must also acknowledge what He has done for us. We need to give thanks for all He has done.

If God Be For Us

Numbers 13-14 (see below for full text)

The Israelites were told they would be blessed with land flowing with milk and honey. The Lord was ready to give it all into their hands. Unfortunately, when they sent the spies into the land, most of the spies came back focused on the difficulties that may arise. Fear was causing them to miss the blessing of the Lord.

Are we often like the Israelites? How many times do we miss out on blessings because of fear? Too often, I am sure.

For instance, take the issue of leaving family size up to God. Do we focus on the finances, the size of our home or vehicle, etc. or do we trust God when He says He will provide?

The topic can be any number of issues (not just family size). Do we focus on our fear or trust?

Numbers 13
 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
 2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
 3 And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.
 4 And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
 5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
 6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
 7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
 8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun. {Oshea: also called, Joshua}
 9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
 10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
 11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
 12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
 13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
 14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
 15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
 16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua. {Oshea: also called Joshua} {Jehoshua: or, Joshua}
 17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
 18 And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
 19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
 20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
 21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.
 22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
 23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. {brook: or, valley}
 24 The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. {brook: or, valley} {Eshcol: that is, A cluster of grapes}
 25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.
 26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.
 27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. {men...: Heb. men of statures}
 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Numbers 14
 1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
 3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
 7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
 8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
 9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. {defence: Heb. shadow}
 10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
 11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
 12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
 13 And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
 15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
 16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
 17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
 18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
 19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. {until...: or, hitherto}
 20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: {Surely...: Heb. If they see the land}
 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
 25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
 26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
 27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
 28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
 29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
 30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. {sware: Heb. lifted up my hand}
 31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
 32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
 33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. {wander: or, feed}
 34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. {breach...: or, altering of my purpose}
 35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
 36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
 37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
 38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
 39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
 40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.
 41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.
 42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
 44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
 45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
 (KJV)

Balance Between Giving and Saving

Philippians 4:19 

Our wood stockpile

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

We recently discussed in our Wednesday night study about the balance between giving and providing for family (savings, health insurance, etc.).

I tend to have a different attitude on this subject than most people. I feel that if it is in our power to help/give now, that we should and God will provide for us later. I think the different mindset comes from seeing a difference between a need and a want. I might want a large savings or a stock pile for the "what if", but it isn't a need.

Paul tells us in this verse that God will reward giving by supplying "all you need." While I know that the world will say it is wise to prepare for the future (and I do agree to some extent), I believe it is wise to help where God is calling as well and I tend to live by 2 Corinthians 5:7--"(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"

I think that since I have seen God provide in many ways, I tend to have the faith that He will continue to do so. I'll share a few examples.

I was given some canning jars that I figured we would need to put up items for the winter. Well, our apple trees didn't produce very well that year and we didn't get much venison so I ended up not using all our jars. I had a friend who had a banner year in her garden and she was out of jars. I told her she could have a few dozen of mine. She didn't want to take them because she knew I would need them the next year. I finally talked her into taking them by telling her that if I needed them, God would provide more later. Well, not even 24 hours after she picked them up, I received a call from an older relative who was getting out of canning and asked if I could use more jars! I ended up with 6 more boxes full of jars! I have never run out of jars (I've used all the empties we had, but never needed more than those).

Another time, I had a friend whose husband didn't get any venison that year. She had two small children and was trying to feed them on a tight budget. We had a good year that year as far as venison goes so I gave her some of our venison. That spring, just as we were running out of our venison, God provided more meat through another friend who was cleaning out a freezer. I didn't need to store that venison to provide for my family--God did it for me!

We have been blessed with the opportunity to store a lot of firewood to heat the house in the winter. Unfortunately, a lot of it is pine because with an outdoor wood stove, we are able to burn pine, but we do also get hardwood often as well. We have had a few times where we've had friends who needed wood to heat their homes in the winter or they would have gone cold. We have been able to provide them with what they needed to get them through to a payday or until they had a chance to cut more themselves. God has always provided more wood for us whenever we have shared.

Perfect Peace

Isaiah 26:3-4 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: 

God's promises--if only I would remember them and dwell in them!

I have had a stressful 24 hours and I wish I would have read these scriptures 24 hours ago instead of now.

"Perfect peace" is what I long for as well as strength. How do I find those things--by keeping my mind on Him! I need to keep reminding myself that God is in control and that He has a plan for me. I may not see the plan or understand the plan, but I know that He knows and He desires good things for me.

10 Responses Against "Concern"

My initial response to those with inappropriate "concern" after a miscarriage.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We know that care and concern were your reasons for writing; however, we were hurt by what was written. It may not have been your intention, but it made one of us feel as if you thought of us as ignorant and naive and belittled our faith. If there was any time we needed encouragement, it would be now. Instead we felt attacked and bullied by the "scare" tactics used. The only way scare tactics are going to work is on uneducated, ignorant, naive people.

Some of the following we have said before, but obviously they need to be reiterated. Some of the statements are information meant to educate. The rest of the statements are truly only our business, but since you are showing concern, we will share them with you.

1. We view children--ALL children--as blessings from the Lord. Whether we have children on this earth with us or in heaven waiting for us, they are all blessings. We are happy with how the Lord has blessed us to this point. If our nine girls is all He has for us, we are content. If He has more planned for us, then we will be content with that as well. We are not out to try to have as many children as possible. We are open to all blessings the Lord has for us. "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:3-5

2. We have complete and utter faith that God will provide for us. If He brings us to it, He will bring us through it. He will never give us more than we can handle. "'Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things."' Matthew 6:31-34

3. We believe in allowing our bodies to work as God created them to work. He created a woman's body to "be fruitful and multiply". It is never dangerous to do something within God's will. We do not feel as if Darcy is in any danger and we have peace with what God is doing in our lives. "All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

4. Our sex life is just that--ours. It shouldn't be up for debate with anyone besides Chad, Darcy and God. When comments are made about when we have sex, how often we have sex, or how we should have sex, it is interfering with something that is to remain within the marriage. We don't go around offering "advice" to others on when they should have sex and we expect the same respect for our marriage.

5. Darcy has seen our Naturopathic doctor since discovering she was pregnant to ensure she was taking the supplements she needed. She saw her the day she started spotting and every few days thereafter. Her iron levels were being monitored and taken care of as needed.

6. Darcy did contact a medical professional to see if anything should be done after the miscarriage. She was told that unless she felt ill, the only thing that would be done is to check her iron levels and offer emotional support. Since her iron levels were already being monitored, we declined paying to have the same thing done (we were being wise stewards of our finances). Since your "concern", Darcy spoke with another medical professional who said that a doctor won't do a D&C on a woman who has had a complete miscarriage as she has.

7. Just because a woman has a miscarriage, it does not mean that her body is not capable of carrying a life or that it is a "sign" that she is to stop bearing children. Think of all the families that experienced a miscarriage on their very first pregnancy! What about Michelle Duggar who had a miscarriage after her first child and then went on to bear 18 more children without any problems. Here are some statistics about miscarriage.

• About 15 to 20 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. Most of them occur in the first 13 weeks, or first trimester.
• For women in their 20s and early 30s, the chance of miscarriage is about 15 percent. At 35 the chance of miscarrying rises to one in four, and at 40 the miscarriage rate is close to one in three.
• Most early pregnancy losses are due to genetics and cannot be prevented. But losing a pregnancy doesn't mean that anything is wrong with a woman's health or that she can't have more children.

8. Just because a woman has a miscarriage, does not mean that "it is absolutely necessary to have a D&C" or she risks infection, get sick or even die.

• [D]octors sometimes offer women a choice of miscarriage treatment. The options are usually to wait for a natural miscarriage, have a D&C, or use medication to bring on the miscarriage bleeding.(emphasis mine)
• 80% to 90% of women with diagnosed miscarriage will miscarry within two to six weeks without complications.
• After a miscarriage, any remaining tissue may be removed by dilation and curettage (D&C). This procedure involves dilating the cervix and gently scraping the tissue from the lining of the uterus. (emphasis mine)

9. Our older girls are NOT raising our younger girls no matter what you may think. Chad and Darcy are the parents and we do not put our children in an authority role (except for Dara who is beginning to learn how to babysit just as I did when I was actually younger than her). Do they help around the house? Sure. It is called training. It is what God has called us as parents to do. We are a family and we act as a family. Christ came to serve, not be served. We are teaching our children the joy of serving others. We don't see how teaching them to be like Christ is a bad thing. "through love serve one another" Galatians 5:13 and "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" Leviticus 19:18.

10. People say, "God gave you common sense." We believe scripture when it says,

• "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, "says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."' Isaiah 55:8-9
• "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12
• "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
• "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?. . . Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. . .But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty . . . that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1: 20, 25, 27, 31

Answer Not

It seems that suffering a miscarriage creates an opportunity for people to voice their opinions on your lifestyle. If they don’t agree with you, then they think it is okay for them to tell you why you miscarried.

I, unfortunately, have experienced this first hand and from people in my own family. While I know they don’t agree with us leaving our family size in God’s hands, I never imagined they would use the death of our babies to attack us. Of course, maybe I just feel attacked because my emotions are so raw, but in either case (intentional or not), I really don’t think it was the best course of action.

I had an email response all set to go, however, my husband wasn’t quite in agreement with some of the wording. I reworded the section that caused him concern, but he still wasn’t sure. The next morning as I was reading my Bible, God led me to Matthew 27:11-14.

Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”

And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” But He answered him not one word so that the governor marveled greatly.

Christ said nothing to His accusers. It didn’t matter what they said. The fact that they were saying it didn’t change the truth. Besides, He didn’t want to change the course of events because that would have been against the Father’s will.

We are here to do the Father’s will just as Christ was. It was after reading this that I remembered Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

I need to hold my peace. I sent an email that instead answered their concern about my health and left it at that.

That being said, I am pretty sure that none of the people who sent their “concerns” reads my blog. If they do, then they will be able to read what I wanted to respond. I want to share here how I initially felt about responding because I not only want to express our views, but also educate others who may not know so they don’t make the same mistake if someone in their life has a miscarriage.

Check back tomorrow to see my initial response.

“Many Are the Afflictions of the Righteous

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” ~ Psalm 34:19

We are not told that we will have a carefree life when we live for Christ. In fact we are told, “many are the afflictions”. It seems like I’ve experienced more than my share of afflictions lately.

We have endured a very rough couple of months. Now I know there are people who are enduring much more than we have even in these difficult times for us, but it has still been very hard for us. I admire those who are suffering more than us as they continue to not only survive, but flourish amidst their circumstances.

I wrote last month about going through a difficult time with some things. We are still dealing with those issues as well as another blow. While I thought about not saying anything at all or even mentioning it, but not going into details (as I have in the past), God laid it on my heart to be open and honest. It is by not only being open and honest that I might bring healing to my heart, but it may also be an encouragement to others and let other women know they are not alone.

Late last week I suffered my first miscarriage.

Only a handful of people even knew I was pregnant as we hadn’t even told our girls yet. I was two months along. We had only told the few people whom we knew would be happy for us and not offer us rude comments, silence, or fake congratulations. We hadn’t told the girls yet because we know they are not as discreet when it comes to sharing information.

Suffering the miscarriage was hard enough, but it seems as if I miscarried twins. Since this was my first experience with miscarriage, I was unsure of what to expect or what to expect my body to be able to handle. I threw myself into work after I initially miscarried because I was trying to avoid thinking about it. This was not helpful as it stressed my body more than it should have been stressed.

Even after I realized that I was going to need to rest to recover, I kept my mind busy by watching Road to Avonlea episodes. I lost myself in the lives of the characters instead of dealing with my own pain. It was only after I had finished the final season that I allowed myself to think about what happened for more than a few minutes. I spent time in my Bible and found comfort in God’s Word.

While I have been telling myself from the beginning that it was God’s will and that He knows better than I, I was having a hard time truly believing that in my heart. I kept wondering what I had done wrong to cause the miscarriage. I wondered if it was because I have been praying for a boy so much and the babies I miscarried were girls. I wondered if I have been a bad mother to the children I have and that is why God took these new lives. I wondered if it was because I hadn’t taken good care of my body and it wasn’t fit to carry life. I wondered if it was because I have often thought that I couldn’t care for a special needs child and maybe one or both of the babies would have had special needs.

I wondered a great number of things, but the TRUTH is that God has a plan for my life. His ways are different than my ways (Isaiah 55:8). I have already seen him use my sufferings to help others and I know He will use this for His glory as well. It might be by my being able to comfort someone else enduring a miscarriage or it might just be by expressing my love of life—any life.

I am sure I will still have moments where I question God’s decision. I am sure I will still have moments where I just break down in tears. I know I will think more about the consequences of my decisions even if it is as simple as eating something that I know I really shouldn’t. I know I will spend more time in His Word instead of escaping into fictitious world. I know I will continue with my “Blessings Book” (which I started after reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Read about my thoughts on the book here.).

I pray and hope that anyone who has experienced a miscarriage would comment here and share your thoughts, experience, encouragement, etc. with others. I pray that those who have never experienced a miscarriage but would like to express their words of comfort and encouragement would leave a comment. I pray that those who feel the need to leave a rude or hurtful comment would chose to keep their fingers silent and not comment.

I leave you with the following scripture as encouragement.

I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.

I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

The angle of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him ,

And delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!

There is not want to those who fear Him.

The young lions lack and suffer hunger,

But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. . . .

. . . . The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,

And delivers them out of all their troubles.

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

~Psalm 34: 1-10; 17-18

Trusting God

There has been a discussion lately on Christian Parents Forum that has turned into why some of us train our daughters to be keepers at home. When I mentioned that it was because it is Biblically mandated, it was said that times are different now than they were then so it wasn't relevant anymore. Here was my response:

Personally, I think that is a cop out. God knows everything. He knew what the world was going to be like today. The Bible is NOT outdated.

What did God tell the Israelites to do when they were in slavery? He told them to be fruitful and multiply. Are you saying that being in slavery is a better situation than our economic times?

As for "needing" a double income, I think that is falling into the world's definition of "need". If you have gotten yourself into a mountain of debt, then it might be something to consider, but still might not be necessary.

We are raising a family of 11 on my husband's minor income. We have been considered living below the poverty level since 2003, but we are much better off today than we were when we were both working. Do we drive brand new vehicles? No. Do we go on vacations every year? No. Do our children have all the latest and greatest "toys"? No. Do our children wear hand-me-downs and homemade clothes? Yes. We have chosen to follow God's standards instead of the world's and He is faithful and has taken care of us. And I know that many people think we take state aid just because we have a large family on one income, but we don't. In fact, since 2006, we have paid off over $16,000 in credit card debt, purchased three vehicles, added on to our home and went from having 26 years left to pay on our home down to only 9 years.

As for needed education, I don't think you need to go into debt for that either. In fact, my husband supports us with only having a high school education.

As for "religion" being progressive and changing with the times, that goes against the Bible as well. God NEVER changes and either do His standards. 

 I was then told that I needed to be prepared for taking care of my family in case anything ever happened to Chad. Here was my response:

First and foremost, if something happened to my husband, I know that God would provide. The way He would provide would be different for everyone, but for us I do have a degree and could get a job if needed and since my it is an English degree and I used to teach, I could easily keep busy with either substituting or renew my teaching license and get a full-time job. If he died, then I would actually receive more in social security than he brings home a week so that in addition to his life insurance policy, we would be good.

Just because someone is trained to be a keeper at home doesn't mean they don't have job skills. In fact, they would be able to find work cleaning houses, cooking, and possibly sewing/mending, tutoring, teaching a musical instrument or other skill, etc.

You are right that it is good to be prepared, but I am not convinced that going into debt to get a degree and both parents working and not being home with the children God has blessed them with is a way to be prepared. For me, I feel peace for how we are prepared and have even greater peace knowing the my God will continue to provide for my children and me as He does for my husband, my children and me.

 After posting that response, I was led to Psalm 11 in my daily reading.

In the Lord I put my trust;

How can you say to my soul,

"Flee as a bird to your mountain"?

For look! The wicked bend their bow,

They make ready their arrow on the string,

That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.

If the foundations are destroyed,

What can the righteous do?

The Lord is in His holy temple,

The Lord's throne is in heaven;

His eyes behold,

His eyelids test the sons of men.

The Lord tests the righteous,

But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

Upon the wicked He will rain coals;

Fire and brimstone and a burning wind

Shall be the portion of their cup.

For the Lord is righteous,

He loves righteousness;

His countenance beholds the upright.

My faith and trust is in the God who created this world. He owns everything and will provide all my needs. Does that mean I will never have hard times? No, but it does mean that He will be right there beside me as I walk through those times. If Chad was injured and couldn't work or if he died, it won't be the easiest thing for me, but I know that God would provide for all the needs of my girls and myself. He is faithful and will uphold those who love, honor and serve Him!