Loving in the Spirit

Today must be a day to be blessed by what God has spoken through other people! I encountered another blog post that convicted me but also encouraged me to be a better mother. I suggest heading over to The Mommy on the Bus Says to hear about loving in the Spirit instead of the Flesh

Mothering and Suffering

I was blessed to read a post by New Generation Cedar in which she posted links to past posts that she had done. One in particular spoke to me in my current state in life. I wanted to share it here in case anyone else needed some encouraging words when it came to mothering.

Motherhood and Suffering…Is It a Sign?

I Will Fall at Your Feet

What a great reminder for those of us busy with our lives in the here and now.

I Will Fall at Your Feet

Exciting News!

You may have (or may not have) noticed a new button on the right side of my blog--At the Well Contributing Writer. Well, it has been added because I will be contributing my Home Cooking for Body and Soul studies for a series on At the Well! A lesson will be posted every fifth Friday of a month that has five Fridays. The next month that has five Fridays is October so be looking for my first published post on October 29th!

Until then, check out the site and look around. It is a great site that I've been following for almost a year and I am continuously encouraged and uplifted by it.

Your Personal Quiet Time

Do you struggle to find time to spend with Jesus? Do you struggle with having a “quiet time?” Natalie did, and she wants to help you learn how to cultivate your relationship with Christ just as He does with you! Jump over to At The Well to learn more about how to spend time with Him and His Word! Your Personal Quiet Time is a short, but in-depth, bible study on Your Personal Quiet Time.

I must say that although I have had great quiet times with the Lord in the past, they have been allusive for just over a year. While I spend time every day reading His Word and praying, I just don't feel the connection that I have in the past. I am hoping that by participating in the study with other At The Well participants, I might be able to find what I am missing.

Head on over there yourself if you also want to examine your personal quiet time with God.

Standing on God's Promises

I've been having some rough days for the past month (not every day, but often for a few days at a time). This weekend was one of those patches of bad days. Yesterday was particularly bad. I'm not sure if it is being caused by the fact that my hormones are still out of balance since having Hava (who knew it would take more than 7 months for them to get back in balance?!), or from having too much on my plate (being a mother, preparing for school--writing curriculums, responsibilities at church, preserving food from the garden, etc), or financial stress, or maybe just all those put together. Regardless of the cause, it has been pretty bad a few times.

This morning I read Psalm 34:17 in one of my small devotional books. It spoke to me and caused me to want to read the whole Psalm so I opened my bible and started reading. It is amazing how God can speak what you need to hear when you need to hear it. What are the chances that I would be on that page in my devotional today? What are the chances that I would be the only one awake so I would have the opportunity to look up the Psalm and read the whole thing? I can tell you that it wasn't coincidence or luck; It was the Holy Spirit speaking me through the guidance of my loving heavenly Father!

Some of the verses from Psalm 34 that I am choosing to stand on today are:

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me And delivered me from all my fears."--4

"This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles."--6

"The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry."--15

"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."--17-18

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all."--19

You may be going through a rough time right now and these verse may strengthen you as they have strengthened me. Take them as promises from God and stand on them! You may not be going through a rough time right now, but keep these verses in mind for when you do have rough times (we know that they will come!).

I'll end with the words from a great song:

Standing on the Promises

Standing on the promises of God my King
Through eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Saviour;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Saviour;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love's strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Saviour;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit's call,
Resting in my Saviour as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Saviour;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.

Working Women and God's Plan

The debate about whether or not women should work outside the home is always being discussed. Personally, I believe it is God's design for women to be keepers of the home, but I understand why sometimes it is necessary for a woman to work. I also believe there is a big difference between working full-time and part-time or working from home. The Proverbs 31 woman is often put on a pedestal for women to emulate and she worked ("She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard." 16 and "She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and deliverth girdles unto the merchant." 24), so I know that bringing in money is not against God's plan. I do, believe, however, that many women have put their careers above their families and even when they haven't, it is hard to give 100% at both jobs.

I thought I would share an article that discusses this topic--Do Working Women Blaspheme God's Name. I agree with what she has written, but would have liked to see how she addresses the fact that the Proverbs 31 woman worked in the article as well.

Giveaway at marie-madeline studio

Marie-madeline studio is giving away a fat quarter bundle of their Flower Sugar 2! Go to their website to enter. I would love to win this, but wanted to share such a great opportunity with everyone as well!

Teaching Letters and Serving

One of my blogs I follow is giving away a Curriculum Kit that she has put together. It sounds absolutely amazing! Each week they focused on one letter of the alphabet. They thought about people they knew whose names started with that letter and then blessed those people with something that started with the same letter. The example she gave was making mini muffins for Mrs. Moses, the Millers, and Mark.

Head over the Heavenly Homemakers if you want to enter to win this kit! You don't have to be a homeschooler to use it. I think it would be beneficial to every family with small children. Even if your children know the alphabet, you can still use this as a starting point to instill the love of serving!

Hospitality

First, I need to apologize that I haven't posted in over a month. I can't believe how fast June went. I'm going to try to be more deliberate about posting things again.

Secondly, I've talked to a lot of women lately about the lost art of hospitality. The Amish women don't understand how the "English" can be so inhospitable and the "English" women wish we were more like the Amish in that regard. When someone in the Amish community has a need, there are several other families willing to help out. However, it seems that when others of us have a need (whether it be financial, emotional, physical), there are often times no one willing to help or if there is, not many people step up to the plate. I find it sad that we seem to have lost the art of hospitality. I was pleased to see a few entries on hospitality on a blog I follow. I thought I would share them here.

Hospitality: What, Why, When and How

Hospitality or Humility: Practical Tips for Practicing Hospitality