"O"bedience

Blogging A to Z: O

I know I was MIA for awhile and there is no excuse for it. :? I was here in spirit. :)

So, I am going to count my series on Castrating our Husbands as "N" for nagging in my blogging from A to Z stint. This brings me to "O".

As the title reveals, O is for obedience.

A Christian's obedience to God is often misused and misunderstood in many circles, especially among nonbelievers, but even among Christians themselves.

We train our children to be obedient, so they learn respect for authority and grow to become well-behaved, well-mannered, respectful adults.  This is where most of us develop our understanding of what it means to be obedient and why. Unfortunately, the obedience training of many children create adults with a warped idea of obedience to God.  We get the idea that God is sitting up in heaven with a gigantic paddle, waiting for us to mess up so He can correct us. We expect disobedience to be followed by harsh consequences so, to "stay out of trouble", we obey out of fear.  I held this belief for most of my life, many years after accepting Jesus.

Praise be to God, I have since developed a new understanding of what it means to obey God as a born-again, Bible believer.  Dictionary.com lists the word "deference" as a synonym for obedience.  I find this to be the perfect word to describe a Christian's obedience to God.

As my relationship with Jesus has matured, my understanding of Him has too, and thus my love for Him. Jesus tells us in John 14:15 if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.  I have learned to obey, not out of fear per se, but because I defer my life to Him. I submit humbly to Him because I know that He truly does have good things planned for me; He will never lead me wrong. Father does know best.

image credit

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27

Ministry...We all have one

{Blogging A to Z: M}

Recently an older couple in our church blessed our family in a very special way. While reflecting upon this unexpected and much appreciated blessing I was reminded that just as God has given us all a spiritual gift, we all also have a ministry.


⁴ There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. ⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: ⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same^[b] Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12




Our ministry is the way we share the Gospel and bring honor to God, not just by what we say, but mostly by how we live.  As stay-at-home moms, we may feel like our circle of ministry is small, but it is actually quite large when you think about it. Obviously our primary ministries are to our husbands and children.   We all know the profound influence we have as a mother....how we minister to our children will affect even our great-grandchildren!


As Christians, we are called to minister to one another, by utilizing our own gifts.  We are not all called to teach or lead but we are gifted with our own talents and abilities that benefit the Church.  This couple was gifted with something God used to fill a need of ours and we pray that someday we will be able to minister (and bless) some other young couple in the same manner; using the gifts God has blessed us with.

A Couple of "L" Words

Blogging A to Z: L

The letter "L" brings to mind to things that can have a huge effect on our spirits.  One is bad. One is good.

Let's start with the bad.

L-A-Z-Y

1. Resistant to work or exertion; disposed to idleness.

2. Slow-moving; sluggish: a lazy river.

3. Conducive to idleness or indolence: a lazy summer day.

4. Depicted as reclining or lying on its side. Used of a brand on livestock.

Laziness has a way of multiplying itself, doesn't it?  Once you begin a day in a lazy mode, you tend to stay that way all day.  This was me yesterday.  I awakened at 7:15, when Hubs got home from his night shift, did a little work on the computer and since Beauty was at my mom's and Buck was still asleep, I snuggled back up next to him in bed and went back to sleep.  We did not get up until NOON!  This set the tone for a day of doing nothing but browsing the internet and watching tv.  Sure, physically I felt less than ideal.  I mentioned in my last post that I have pulled a muscle where my shoulder meets my neck and I have to be careful how I move or the pain worsens.  I realize, and accept, that life with fibromyalgia means there will be days that I must take it easy so that I can be more productive on other days. However, yesterday was the result of just plain laziness.  I was "disposed to idleness".


This disposition to idleness should be rejected and avoided for two reasons. 1.it really does have a negative effect on one's morale.  The more we give in to idleness, the more likely we are to remain in such a state. Ever noticed how tired you can get by just doing nothing? and 2. God speaks against idleness, or laziness.

³⁰ I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
³¹ And there it was, all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.
³² When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:
³³ A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
³⁴ So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man. Proverbs 24:30-34


Because of laziness the building decays,
And through idleness of hands the house leaks. Ecclesiastes 10:18


He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer. Proverbs 18:9


Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread. Proverbs 20:13


The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.  Proverbs 13:4

These are just a few of what God has to say about idleness and laziness.  May we discipline ourselves to be diligent and purposeful in our work, as unto the Lord.
_________________________________________________________________________________


On a lighter note, let's take a look at the second "L" word for today:

Laughter!

Whereas laziness can bring us down, having a good laugh can be really beneficial to our overall health.

Here are some benefits of laughter:  stress buster (releases endorphins which make us feel good)

                                                      mental health(wards off depression)

                                                      and even heart health by an increase in blood flow

God has a thing or two to say about this topic too!

A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.Proverbs 17:22

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13

So let's release our worries unto God and find ways to enjoy a good laugh today and every day for 

You  know you want to!

image source

Vitamin K

Blogging A to Z: "K"

Why are nutrients, um, nutritious?

I don't know about you, but I have happily gone through life knowing little to nothing about vitamin K. I especially didn't realize that supposedly we are generally deficient.  According to an article posted by Mercola.com in 2010, most of us get enough K in our diets to have sufficient blood clotting, but not enough to ward off other diseases.  Problems that may be linked to a vitamin K deficiency are:

cancers of the lungs, prostrate, liver and leukemia

osteoporosis

cardiovascular disease

varicose veins

dementia, and other brain disorders

The Mercola article provides excellent detailed information, which I will not include here, so check it out to learn more. However, here is a brief summary:

Vitamin K is divided into two types, K1 and K2.  K1 can be found in leafy greens such as kale, spinach, broccoli and collard greens.  K2 is tougher to come by, so a supplement is recommended.  Keep in mind that vitamin K is fat-soluable, so you must take it or eat with a source of fat if you want your body to absorb its benefits.  It is also worthy to note that vitamin K works best when paired with vitamin D, to protect the arteries from calcifying.

Obviously this is not an exhaustive commentary on the benefits and specifics of vitamin K, but maybe it has inspired you to learn more and be more aware, once again, of the benefits of healthy eating.

Oh Jerusalem

Blogging A to Z: J

Oh, Jerusalem!  The whole world has its eyes upon you. 

But why?  Why should we Americans care anything about this city? Or anyone else in the world for that matter?  Furthermore, why is the whole world so heatedly divided about the nation of Israel, a slither of land about the size of New Jersey?  Hmmm Perhaps we'll discuss this when I get to the letter P.

Oh, Jerusalem!  Jesus wept over you. 

⁴¹ Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,⁴² saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19

Take a good look again at the image.

What you are looking at is, as the caption reads, a view of the old city from the Mount of Olives (remember the sermon on the mount?). What we also see here is the Eastern Gate.  Where?  It is sealed. Located in front of it is a Muslim cemetery. 

image source

It was sealed in 1517, when the Turks conquered the city. Suleiman the Magnificent ordered the walls be rebuilt and, for some reason, the eastern gate sealed.  There are many legends as to why, the most popular being it was Suleiman's attempt to keep the Jewish Messiah from entering through the gate to take control. He also placed the Muslim cemetery in front of it, thinking no Jewish holy man would dare pass through it.

But you know what?  Take one more look at this view from the Mount of Olives.  If you are a child of God, you will one day see this site for yourself!

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
² For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

³ Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
⁴ And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.
⁵ Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,
For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.
Yes, you shall flee
As you fled from the earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

Thus the Lord my God will come,
And all the saints with You.  Zechariah 14

What a glorious day that will be!  When the eastern gate is blown open and Christ will enter in and thus be crowned King of Kings.  Then, there will finally be peace in Israel and throughout all the world.  And we will be right there with Him!  Whenever I am tempted to feel anxious, depressed or sad at life's hardships, I think of these verses.  It is difficult, if not downright impossible, to wrap my mind around it, but this is the future of all the saints. Something we will actually experience (and so much more, of course!)!!  How can I be sure?  The Word of God is true.

For more information, check out Lamb and Lion.

My Love/Hate Relationship with iCarly

Blogging A-Z: i

Well, to be honest, there is little love on my part for the popular teeny-bop show. Oh, it began magically. I was tickled to death with it, in fact, and went out and bought two seasons on DVD for Beauty. But now the honeymoon is over.
 Let me explain.

 First, I loved the show: 1. because it does bring a good chuckle, especially the episode with Jack Black and 2. it was the first so-called "age appropriate" phenomenon in which Beauty took an interest. Anything to finally rid your home of that big purple dinosaur, right? 

That is where the love ends, I'm afraid. The more I began to watch it alongside Beauty, the more I found myself having to "talk" with her about it. I would have to point out that what "Sam" just did was wrong, and we should never do that....that sort of thing. Well, here goes:

Reasons I do not allow iCarly in my home:

1.Their portrayal of adults is disrespectful and misleading.  Big whoop, you say. All preteen/teens think adults are idiots. So what.
           Well, I for one do not think it is okay that children learn to consider adults as "uncool" or unnecessary. Not every 13 year old girl is embarrassed by her parents, only those who have somehow been trained to think that the opinions of their peers and/or the world matters. But I digress. This isn't really what I am talking about.

Let's look at the parents of the three main characters.
Carly's dad is absent, being away in the military-which of course it is wonderful that he serves in the military, but he is absent nonetheless.  The insinuation? Parents, particularly fathers, are unnecessary.  Sam's mom is portrayed as negligent, promiscuous and as "trashy". Sam is highly disrespectful when speaking to or about her mom.  No idea where her dad is.  Freddie's mom is prissy, strict, irrational and a germaphobe.  Once again, no idea where his dad is.

There is an episode where the air conditioning goes out in the entire apartment complex but Carly and Spencer's.  Freddie's mom brings the elderly of the building to Carly's apartment to help them remain cool.  The kids, particularly Sam, proceeds to whine and be disrespectful to these people, insisting they massage her shoulders in exchange for time in front of an air vent.

There are some adults who are deemed acceptable by the kids.  First being Spencer,Carly's adult brother and substitute guardian.  While there have been moments when he steps up and acts responsibly, mostly he is a goon.  Quite frankly, his foolishness and antics are not what I want my son to learn as acceptable behavior from a man.  Spencer is always goofing and often causes one mishap after another. Carly usually has to be his voice of reason.  This is indicative of most sitcoms today-where the male is portrayed as a buffoon.  Kids like Spencer because he isn't much different from them and, portrayed as a free-spirit, he is cool.


2. the stunts pulled by the kids (and Spencer) is not appropriate for a child who has difficulty separating fantasy from reality.  This is not an issue for most kids Beauty's age, but it is for her.  Whatever happens on iCarly, must be real and okay for her to try too. At least, that is what she thinks.  Some of the skits and pranks can be dangerous when seen through such eyes. For example, the episode where Carly's bedroom burns down?  Well, what would it be like if Beauty's bedroom was to catch fire?  Yeah, this almost happened. After snooping and finding a random lighter in the junk drawer (from the days when I could actually burn scented candles), she decided to set fire some junk mail in her room. Fortunately, it was contained within a metal box and Hubs was able to extinguish it before any damage was done.  When confronted (and scolded of course), Beauty's reply was: "Like iCarly's!". That was the final straw and iCarly was bid adieu.

There are several other issues I have with the popular Nick show, but these are the two biggies.  Looking on the bright side, it did give us a glimpse into Beauty's mind-what she finds entertaining and the important fantasy/reality thing.

All parents must decide for themselves what they deem appropriate for their children.  We have found that we must be even more diligent and particular with what we set before Beauty's eyes.

Health Care Reform

Blogging A to Z: H

I bet you think from this title I am going to jump on a soapbox about Obama-care and why I do or do not agree with it. Wrong.  I am not going to even pretend I know how to fix that broken giant.

Instead, I am going to share with you our health plan.  If you've read this blog in the last week you can guess what it is.

I am becoming more and more convinced that what we put into our mouths has the power to either heal us or kill us. I heard recently that Americans spend more on health care than food. This cheap food is making us sick and decreasing our quality of life.  No longer are we (my family) going to be satisfied with the status quo where food is concerned.  We are creating for ourselves a new normal...where slight inconvenience comes second to consuming whole, healthy foods.

I am not saying we will never again eat a restaurant cheeseburger or order Pizza Hut, but these meals will be few and far between.  

Right now we are healthy and strong....on the surface.  Deep down, though, I know my aches and pains, Hub's anxiety and the kids' hyperactivity is directly related to the garbage I give them to eat.  

image source

Hey, what we've been doing isn't working!

our G-arden

1 row of squash, 1 1/2 rows of peas, 4 rows of Roma Green Beans, 3 rows (42 plants) of tomatoes, 8 rows of corn, 1 row of watermelon, 4 rows of Blue Lake Green Beans and 1 row of .....

Happy Gardening!

"F" is for lots of my F-avorite things :)

Forgiveness, Finish (as in, "it is"), Friends, Flowers, Family and of course FOOD!

"Let thy food be thy medicine"-Hippocrates

Like so many Americans, I've given very little thought to the importance of the quality of my food. Yeah, mandatory health classes educated me on the Food Pyramid and the four major food groups, but that was as far as it went.  I just didn't think about it. Fast and convenient food was all I knew.

It hasn't been until the past few months that another "F" word has forced me to evaluate my life and what fuels it.  I am talking about Fibromyalgia.  I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.  Chronic fatigue, pain, brain fog and the desire to remain OFF prescription medicines has led me down the path of examining what I put into my body.  Furthermore, finding myself smack dab in my middle thirties, I am more motivated than ever to avoid  the common diseases plaguing society.  Heart disease rules on my dad's side of the family, and type 2 diabetes and cancer runs rampant on my mom's.  While it is true that genetics plays a role in these conditions, it is a small one.  Diet and lifestyle are HUGE. What we put into our bodies MATTERS.

Several food documentaries have helped educate me on the importance of what we eat.  Check out Super Size Me if you haven't already.  Also, take a look at some films like Fresh, Forks Over Knives and Food Matters.

The biggest lesson I am learning is, when we put garbage into our bodies, we can expect to feel like garbage.   I am learning this first hand.  I've noticed, now that I am eating more whole foods, when I eat something quick and convenient (read: heavily processed), I feel completely drained and irritable.

I am still figuring out a diet that is best for me and my family; I am not yet convinced that a vegan lifestyle is the best.  I believe God when He told us in  1 Timothy 4 : "4} For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: {5} For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. " Common sense demands, however, that a diet of grease, fat and harmful chemicals is bad for our bodies long term and we are to be good stewards of the body God has given us.  He will not bless what we abuse.

A website I've begun frequenting often is 100 Days of Real Foods.  It has some wonderful tips and recipes if you are interested in incorporating more whole foods into your family's diet.

Let me know what you think! How do you feel about the quality of food your family takes in? Does it matter?

E is for....

Education, for starters.

At eight years old, my daughter Beauty has always been home schooled.  While I cherish every moment, I have decided to enroll her in the county school this fall. You can read more about this decision here.

Last week she took an assessment "test", created by me, to give to her new teacher to help said teacher prepare appropriate goals for Beauty's IEP.  This assessment will give Ms. Dannon an idea of what Beauty has accomplished academically and what she needs to focus on next year. Here's the sweet pic of my precious hard at work:

While I am on my bragging mama platform, here is a pic of my favorite E word:

Sorry, I won't reveal his full name. Just know you have never heard his as a first name before, and I named him such because I knew before he was born that he was going to come out tough as nails.




On a much more serious note, E is also for Edification.


¹⁹ Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. Romans 14




¹¹ Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.




Believers should make an effort to build one another up, offering encouragement and comfort and kind instruction.  Too often we fail to do this.  Look for ways to offer a sister some kind words, even if it seems she "has it all together", your encouragement might come at a critical time in her life.


²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness. Proverbs 31:26

D is for Detour

Last March we embarked on our annual drive down I75 to Pigeon Forge, TN.  Shortly after passing the KY/TN line, we learned there had been a mudslide along the interstate a few days before and we had to take a detour which equaled about 20 miles.

This route change prolonged our drive by just a little bit, but it was a nice and peaceful change of scenery. We drove through little towns we never knew existed. It was a nice reprieve from the monotonous interstate.

Sometimes God sets our path on a little detour.  Our ultimate destination remains the same, but we may need a break from the fast lane to really take a look around and see where we are and what else life has to offer.  It makes the journey more interesting and the lessons more meaningful, because we had to "go the extra mile" to learn them.

"C" is for Contentment in Christ

We live in an instant gratification society. From microwaves, fast food, cell phones to high speed internet ON OUR PHONES; we cannot stand to wait for anything.

I once viewed a documentary where an interviewee recalled his college roomate, who was from Pakistan. The Pakistani roomate told this man, "Americans' greatest fear is incovenience". How true is that?

We despise having to wait, put forth extra effort or being inconvenienced in any way. We don't want to imagine life before our modern technology, much less have to live that way.

I just finished Terri Blackstock's "Restoration Series". To make a long story short, a star explodes and sends out an EMP which shuts down all things electrical. The world is immediately thrust back into the middle of the 19th century. No electricity. No cars. No phones. No water treatment plants, so no water. No showers. You get the idea. The characters in the books have to learn to live under such conditions. And it is HARD. Hard work, that is. They eventually learn to dig a well and plant vegetables in their yards; no one has cash since the banks are inoperable so they essentially go back to the barter system. It is a fascinating read with a Christian message. By the end of the series, the biggest lesson I came away with was:

    *All that really, truly matters is Christ and Him crucified*

Today's conveniences are wonderful of course and among our blessings, but are we willing to give it all up for Jesus? Obviously there are American missionaries throughout the remote parts of the world that are willing, and I commend them. But are YOU? Am I? In our comfortable homes, in front of the computer or 150+ channels? Have we ever thanked God for water that pours out of our faucets whenever we want? While we complain about gas prices, are we thankful we have a car instead of having to walk everywhere?

11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4:11-12

Whether we flourish or perish, Christ died. The very One who spoke the world into existence, Who gives the sun its power, is also the One who loves us so much He humbled Himself to walk among us and even die for us. Nothing compares to that. Nothing else matters. We are so very blessed in so many ways. It is my prayer that I never again insult the death, burial, and resurrection of the King of Kings by complaining about my circumstances.

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For another "C" topic, check out this very interesting article on the benefits of Coconut Oil!

"B" is for....

Wow, there are so many B words that I love! It is difficult to choose just one, so here is a list of B words that reflect things I love or am. B is for: Bible, believer, blogger, bluebirds, blue (as in fave color), blueberries, busy, blonde, books, baking soda, butter, baking and ta da, bananas. Here's a pic of the fella who's been "dropping" by every morning:

A is for Allegiance

In  an effort to be more consistent and disciplined in my blogging, I decided to endeavor the challenge of blogging on topics beginning with A through Z.
A is for allegiance

al·le·giance/əˈlējəns/

Noun:

Loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause.

Remember Ray Boltz's song, I pledge allegiance to the Lamb?  I have seen it before a long time ago, but was recently reminded of it. 

Since I am blogging A to Z, and trying to post on topics that are a reflection of my personality and what is important to me, A for allegiance is very appropriate.

We grew up saying the pledge to the flag in school each morning (I think they say it less now, which is a shame), but pledging allegiance to Christ is so much more important.  When we become Christians, we are essentially saying our lives are no longer our own, but Christ's.  We commit to following Him and living for Him.

While the slam against Christians here in the US has intensified in the last few years, our "persecutions" do not hold a candle to that of Christians throughout the rest of the world. We still enjoy a tremendous amount of freedom and peace and very few of us ever have our lives at stake for our beliefs. I hope that we do not become so comfortable in our salvation that we forget to actually LIVE for Christ.  Every decision we make, every thought we complete, should be a reflection of our allegiance to Him.  Though we could never earn our salvation or work our way into heaven, by pledging allegiance to the Lamb we are expressing our desire to please Him because of Who He Is and what He means to us.

I hereby pledge allegiance to the Lamb that was slain for my sins, and who rose again and who now sits at the right hand of God, making intercession for me.  May all that I say, do and all that I am, bring Him glory and honor all the days of my life.