ANOTHER great giveaway!

OK, I really have been wanting one of these steam mops! Go here
for a chance to win one!

Ok, I am going giveaway happy

:) Go here
for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!

Another amazing giveaway!

This ons is for a free Oreck Halo vacuum! Go here to enter and go here to learn more about this vacuum!!!

Because I want a free bike for Molly

I am writing this little story of my first memory of learning to ride a bike. For many years we weren't even allowed to own a bike because my mom had seen a horrible bike accident and was very protective of me and my sister. Then one year my grandmother bought us bikes and that was the end of that! I don't remember many details, only that I was terrified of falling! I also remember that when I did finally learn, (which didn't take very long) I couldn't believe how easy it really was! Ok, here is where they are giving away a free balance bike for your toddler or baby. I hope I win!! Looks like it would be a much less painful way of learning to ride a bike!

Want to win a free Dyson?

Go here!

The Holy Spirit's Work

I am sooooo wanting to post pictures, but I am just too busy!! Whenever I get a good break, I will. I miss blogging, but I know this season will pass too quickly so I am trying to focus on what is most important, and that is loving and taking care of my husband and children. Love to all. Enjoy this devotion by Spurgeon. It's SOOOO GOOD!!!

“It is always the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us pay attention to ourselves instead of to Christ. He insinuates, ‘Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you do not have the joy of His children; you have such a weak hold of Jesus.’ All these are thoughts about self, and we will never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self. He tells us that we are nothing, but that Christ is all in all.’”

- Charles Spurgeon, Morning by Morning

Come messy

“Jesus does not say, ‘Come to me, all you who have learned how to concentrate in prayer, whose minds no longer wander, and I will give you rest.’ No, Jesus opens his arms to his needy children and says, ‘Come to me, all who are weary and heaven-laden, and I will give you rest.’

The criteria for coming to Jesus is messiness. Come overwhelmed with life. Come with your wandering mind. Come messy.”

—Paul Miller, A Praying Life

No, Mr. President

A Friday funny

A man and his nagging wife went on vacation to Jerusalem. While there, the wife died. The undertaker told the husband, “you can have her shipped home for $5,000 or you can bury her here in the Holy Land for $150.” The man said he'd like to have her shipped home. The undertaker asked, "Why would you spend $5,000 to ship her home, when it would be wonderful to bury her here and it would only cost $150?"

The man said, "Long ago, a man died here, was buried here, and three days later rose from the dead. I just can't take that chance."

Christ's Selflessness

“His whole soul was swallowed up in God. "I seek not my own glory," was a declaration of unselfishness which found a living expression in every action of His life… Behold Him denying Himself of earth's comforts to promote the comfort of others; hungry Himself, yet feeding the famishing; weary, yet inviting and leading others to rest; Himself accused, yet vindicating the condemned. Was there ever such a spectacle of self-abnegation?

…He would walk forty miles in one day to take the living water to a poor sinner. He would stoop to unclasp the sandal and wash the feet of His erring disciple. He would stand still at the word of a blind beggar sitting by the wayside, and in response to his appeal, pour the light of day upon the sightless eye. He would go, when asked, to heal a sick servant. He would come, when bidden, to the house of mourning. He had an ear for every cry of sorrow, an eye for every spectacle of woe, a hand for every object of need, a heart for every appeal to human sympathy.

Yes, there was no service so wearisome, or, so distasteful, or so difficult, or so self-denying, in which He was not at home. The atmosphere most genial with His nature was laden with suffering, saturated with tears, vocal with sighs, and groans, and supplications. The homes most attractive to Him were those where poverty, sickness, and grief had found an entrance. Such was the pure, self-denying benevolence of Jesus! Well may it be said, "even Christ pleased not himself.” – Octavius Winslow, The Sympathy of Christ, pp.375-378

No, I haven't abandoned my blog...

I have been very busy, but I also have a wee confession to make. I spend most computer time, which is, quite honestly, not very much, on Facebook. It is more interactive and I can feel more connected with my friends and family that I don't see or talk to. At this season in my life, it helps me stay in touch. However, I decided to try to take a hiatus from the computer altogether to focus on relationships with my children and husband. God has been at work and it is a joy to watch. Jeremy is showing very good signs of being converted. He has done a complete turnaround in his attitude towards his schoolwork, how he responds to Frank and I and his brothers, he has been so helpful and repents when he does wrong. He also has been waking up and having his own QT without any prodding. Praise God!! If God puts it on your heart ,please pray for him. He does seem to take after my personality and can get discouraged or distracted easily. I feel fully confident though knowing WHOSE hands he is in. There is not much more going on. Bethany is 6 months now if you can believe that and is trying to crawl. She gets up on her knees rocking back and forth, but hasn't gotten much past that. Molly is still a sweetie, so smart, and loves to help Mommy in the kitchen. One of my biggest regrets with the boys was not having them with me in the kitchen and allowing them to try and do stuff along with me. I am determined to remedy that and Molly just loves it. Last night I allowed her to tear up the lettuce for salad and spin it in the spinner, and last week she helped me make dessert for a fellowship meal. I am sure she felt so important and helpful when I let her hold the beaters herself. Not that I have given up on the boys in that department. Joshua got up the other day and made muffins, Andrew cut up the beautiful strawberries I got yesterday, and Jeremy is learning to make bread. He felt so proud yesterday when Daddy got home and he could tell him he had made the bread. (well, he had a little instruction from me)

I guess that is about all. I am really itching to post pictures as hubby has taken a lot, but it takes soooo long to upload them. I need to wait until I have a good block of time, so it will have to wait for now. But I will try to post some very soon.
Good bye for now and may God richly pour His blessings upon you!

Brotherly Kindness

I have a wonderful little book called Stories Worth Re-reading, a compilation of short, character building stories for children. I was reading a story to Andrew today and came across this poem at the end. Just thought I would share it. It so blessed me. The Lord has really been speaking to me a lot lately about my tendency to be critical and negative. By His grace He is working that out of me, little by little. I so want to be an encourager, to speak words of grace and encouragement to people, especially my family, the people with whom I have the most contact and have the most influence over. This poem was also a good reminder.

Brotherly Kindness

A man may make a few mistakes,
Regardless of his aim,
But never, never criticize
And cloud him o'er with blame;
For all have failed in many things
And keenly feel the smarting stings,
Which haunt the mind by day and night
Till they have made offenses right.

So liberal be with those you meet
E'en though they may offend,
And wish them well as on they go
Till all the journey end.
Sometimes we think our honor's hurt
When someone speaks a little pert;
But never mind, just hear the good,
And ever stand where Patience stood.

Look for the good, the true, the grand
In those you wish to shun,
And you will be surprised to find
Some good in every one;
Then help the man who makes mistakes
To rise above his little quakes,
To build anew with courage strong,
And fit himself to battle wrong.
John Francis Olmsted


In other words, let's be as gracious with others as we want them to be with us.

May God bless you and keep you, may he make His face to shine upon you, be gracious to you, and give you peace.

Busy Days

Wow!! I have been so busy with little time for blogging or anything extra for that matter. But I am so happy and devouring my Bible every day with my own quiet time and with the kids. I am actually so thankful for everything that is going on in our nation. Ok, I know that sounds crazy, but remember when we are told to give thanks in everything? But what I see is God's Spirit starting to move among His people and hopefully the fire will ignite and spread like crazy! Our prayer meetings have increased attendance and I see people coming out of their spiritual apathy and sharing the Gospel and getting serious with God again. (including me) God is using this for our good and I, for one, am excited. And I also know that God IS IN CONTROL of a nation that seems to spiraling out of control.

With that intro... here is another awesome and TIMELY devotion from Charles Spurgeon. I believe that our prosperity in the last years have produced spiritual apathy and been a stumbling block to the Bride of Christ!

I know how to abound.”
— Philippians 4:12 There are many who know “how to be abased” who have not learned “how to abound.” When they are set upon the top of a pinnacle their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall. The Christian far oftener disgraces his profession in prosperity than in adversity. It is a dangerous thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the refining pot of prosperity. Oh, what leanness of soul and neglect of spiritual things have been brought on through the very mercies and bounties of God! Yet this is not a matter of necessity, for the apostle tells us that he knew how to abound. When he had much he knew how to use it. Abundant grace enabled him to bear abundant prosperity. When he had a full sail he was loaded with much ballast, and so floated safely. It needs more than human skill to carry the brimming cup of mortal joy with a steady hand, yet Paul had learned that skill, for he declares, “In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry.” It is a divine lesson to know how to be full, for the Israelites were full once, but while the flesh was yet in their mouth, the wrath of God came upon them. Many have asked for mercies that they might satisfy their own hearts’ lust. Fulness of bread has often made fulness of blood, and that has brought on wantonness of spirit. When we have much of God’s providential mercies, it often happens that we have but little of God’s grace, and little gratitude for the bounties we have received. We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven. Rest assured it is harder to know how to be full than it is to know how to be hungry—so desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and forgetfulness of God. Take care that you ask in your prayers that God would teach you “how to be full.” “Let not the gifts thy love bestows
Estrange our hearts from thee.”

Communion with God

A good reminder for us all. It is all too easy to let the tasks of the day hinder our quiet time with the Lord. Especially homeschooling moms!!


A Daily Time of Focused Communion with God

Many readers are familiar with the old classic Practicing the
Presence of God, and that is an excellent habit to cultivate. But the
foundation of that has to be a time of focused personal communion
with God, and it needs to be daily. Demas didn’t just wake up one
day and make a 90-degree turn. That doesn’t happen. Demas drifted
little by little toward the attractions of the world. And if you and I do
not practice this daily focused time of communion with God, we will
find ourselves also drifting in the wrong direction.
In my Navy days before we had global positioning satellites we
used a sexton to get our navigational position twice each day. At
dawn and at dusk we would “shoot the stars” and get a position. And
invariably after having done that, we had to make a minor course correction.
Obviously if we didn’t do that, not only daily but in our case
twice a day, we would soon find that we were way off course.
You and I also need that daily course correction, and we do this
as we have this focused time with God. Demas was in love with this
present world. Each of us, whether believer or unbeliever, is in love
with something. Demas was in love with the world. The apostle John
said, “Do not love the world” (1 John 2:15). But we cannot just “not
love the world” and have a vacuum in our hearts. In order to not love
the world we have to love God. And our time of daily focused communion
with God is a time when that love of God and his love for us
is refreshed in our hearts.

Jeff Bridges

Molly is cute

Ok, I want to document this one.... Molly is just at one of my FAVORITE ages!! Oh, she is so cute and sweet! No wonder Jesus said to let the little children come to Him and not forbid them. I like being around kids more than adults sometimes. They keep it real!!

I am trying to train Molly to say please and thank you all the time.
A couple weeks ago she wanted a bite of something and I leaned in close and said in a soft voice, "What's the secret word?" Her reply, "Jesus!" with a big smile.


May God save her early and may Molly shine for Him and glorify Him in all she does.