"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed
belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all The
Words of this Law." Deut. 29:29
Every morning I sit with my older boys before they take off for work and
talk to them about what I am learning from God's Word. Last night Quincy
and Brady came home late, and as is their custom sometimes, they came
into our room for a late night talk. We talked about what God is doing
and what we are learning and praying for. My son, Quincy, leaves for
Jerusalem in just four days. He's been working three jobs to pay for his
fall semester there in Bible college, and his bill is paid in full! The
LORD is so good. He's asking the LORD to draw him to close to Christ and
to faithfully use him there in Israel. Brady is also going to Bible
college and junior college as well as working full time, and his semester
is paid in full by his hard work as well. We are just so thankful. Brady
leads worship with our college group and has such a desire to draw them
into worship in every part of their lives. We talked about abandoning
ourselves to Christ and following Him wholeheartedly. I quoted this
verse:
"My soul followeth hard after Thee; Thy Right Hand upholdeth me." Psalm
63:8
There is nothing like walking in The Truth, and there is nothing like
sharing The Truth - especially with your children.
"She girds her loins with strength..." Proverbs 31:17
I do that every morning in His Word. I can't believe His strength!
"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with Truth." Ephesians
6:14
I tell the LORD, "I am standing on the outside, because I am kneeling
face down on the inside."
I need Him so much. He is my life. He has changed everything...
He has changed my marriage.
He has changed my motherhood.
He has changed my habits.
He has changed my finances.
He has changed my mind.
He has changed my health.
He has changed my heart.
He has positively consumed my soul.
"My soul followeth hard after Thee; Thy Right Hand upholdeth me!"
"I love you, LORD, my strength!"
"The joy of the LORD will be my strength!"
I pray so often~
That I might wash His Feet with my life, and that I might be a sweet
fragrance rising to His Throne of Grace.
That I might walk in The Truth, and nothing but The Truth, so help me,
God."
That I might have no fear...only faith; no guilt...only grace; no
pride...only praise; and no claim...only Christ.
That I might not miss out on one thing that He has planned for us. Oh, I
don't want to miss out on a thing!
That I might love Him with everything I've got and even more.
That I might captivate every thought and make it give up and obey Him.
That He will consume my thoughts, and that I will know His Word and walk
in it.
That He might be the Master of My Moments, for I don't trust myself with
even a moment. I need Him every moment and more.
You see, when I share with you the practicalities of my life such as tips
on cleaning, recipes, childraising advice, homemaking habits, and such, I
am sharing with you my love for Him.
Why?
Because love is minute details of action.
As a younger woman, He tells me in Titus 2 to love my husband, love my
children, stay pure, keep self-controlled and discreet, keep this home,
stay good, and obey my husband, so that the Word of God may not be
blasphemed.
By following this verse, the Word of God is honored. I think Proverbs 31
are the minute details in action of loving your husband and your children
in keeping your home. That is why her actions are so honoring and show
such love to her family. It is why they rise up and call her blessed.
So what does this mean in my home? How do I love my husband and my
children and keep our home for them? It's all those minute details of
action in love:
~I get up early every morning to seek the LORD in His Word that I might
walk in His Wisdom for the day. I want to use my time wisely for Him, and
I can't do it without His Grace moment by moment.
~ I also pray for my husband and my children. There are so many details
that I take to the LORD concerning them and concerning me. I want to grow
in His grace that I will be such a help to my family. I trust Him, I
trust Him, I trust Him with it all.
~ I set up my day to walk wisely through it, so it takes planning
beforehand. I get my meal and my family going early in the morning as
described in Proverbs 31. The more disciplined I am, the more disciplined
I see my children. For it's not all talk, it has to be a lot of walk.
~ I follow the Flylady's household plan (www.flylady.net. It's the best
housekeeping plan I've ever used, and it's working for me very well, even
after two years. I do it all now: the zones, the morning, afternoon, and
night routines, the five minute hotspot treatment, dressing from
head-to-toe, and many others. I think it is the reason I had the best
school year ever last year. It's also great in practicing hospitality,
because your home is ready to share.
~ I am looking at my home management as I would if I was managing a
store. I try to improve all the time. So I study to improve on my menu
planning, saving money on shopping (presently I am working on a record
book covering the year, which will tell me what deals are to be had in
what month), food management, herbs and health management (constantly
taking notes here), and increasing my skills in many areas. I am working
on my second book of recipes for my kids. It's so easy to locate a
favorite recipe now!
~ I try to improve on my homeschooling each year. It was very encouraging
to hear Abbie say the other day that she can't wait for school to start.
I try to make school interesting by picking interesting books and topics.
One of my teachers taught us years ago that you can make any subject
interesting if you really try. And he demonstrated it by sharing from
someone's writing all the things you can do with dishwater. It was well
written and so interesting! So I pray and look for those kinds of books.
I also do my best to bring alive God's Word to them. Each one of my
children read God's Word on their own every day. I am so thankful. It's
been my prayer that they will be children of God, teenagers of God, young
men and women of God, men and women of God, and old men and women of God.
This is my aim in homeschooling.
~ As I've shared with you before, "Sweetness of lips increases learning."
The more sweeter my lips, the more I've learned and likewise my family. I
want to build up, edify, encourage, and comfort my family. It's a soft
tongue and fruitful hands which so bless.
~ It was my prayer and goal to help my husband be completely debt free. I
think it is so honoring to our LORD and our husbands to be content. I
prayed and prayed; I denied myself over and over; I studied and studied
ways to share and save; in order to have that burden of debt be taken off
my husband's shoulders. The last debt, which was our house, was paid in
full in October of last year. It was a seventeen year project. Art is
lighter than a feather! I feel so blessed to see him so free. Now we are
working very hard to see our children go through college debt free, that
they might be a blessing to their own families some day. As you study
Proverbs 31, the wise woman is working very hard that her husband has
wisdom to share "in the gates". It has been my joy to listen to my
husband share wisdom with the younger through becoming debt free. Art
loves to share the gospel of Christ with people, and it's amazing now who
will listen to him as he shares that he is debt free financially and
spiritually. One subject often leads to the other.
~ I train my children in the way they should go. It has to be consistent.
It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of care and comfort. I find myself
often praying that the LORD will train up this child in the way she
should go, so that I might train up my own children. I so enjoy my
children. Each one of them is so special. We love to talk together.
Communication with your children is so important. You start listening the
day they are born: two ears to really hear.
~ I think the reason our relationship with our children is so special is
because we've worked so hard on our marriage. Marriage is a lot of work,
because it's a denying of oneself that another might live. I used to go
around this house thinking, "What about me?" Moan, moan, moan. Now I go
around this house praying, "All for the LORD and Art." Praise, praise,
praise! And "a merry heart does good like medicine". He has truly made
this barren woman to keep house and to be the joyful mother of children.
Praise the LORD! I just enjoy my days so much. And, of course, my husband
has responded to that joy. He tells me all the time how much he looks
forward to coming home after work, and how thankful he is to be married
to me. What a miracle of God!
It's just the best thing ever to fall daily in love with the LORD more
and more. He affects all your loves! I'm loving my husband more and my
children more. My home reflects that love in all the minute details of
building, encouraging, and comforting. And He helps me to help others
from Home Base, while following His priorities for my life.
His Pace
His Praise
His Priorities
His Peace
His Power
His Perfection
His Incredible Presence
It's the truth and nothing but the truth with the help of God!
Love,
Laine