Can We Let God Be God?

I have been pondering lots of things lately, one of which was about a combination of why we don't evangelize--why we frequently are kind of closed mouthed about our Savior, and the role of God in our lives.
It occured to me that many of us(myself included) don't allow God to be God in our day to day lives.
What do I mean? Here is an example. We live on a budget that is getting harder and harder to stick to as our family grows. However, I believe that financial conservatism is a Biblical teaching. So, when, after all I can do, we run out of milk money, do I simply go out and spend money that I really don't have and cause my grocery budget to go in the red? Or do I say,"Okay, Lord, I have tried to do what I can to stretch this further. I don't have any milk money left. You will have to provide the money, the milk, or give us the grace and creativity to go without."
And then wait for His provision. We all too often feel that our problems are ours to solve. We don't even bother approaching Him for answers.
We sing songs at church about God being our strength, our portion, our strong tower,etc. But when confronted with an unbeliever who is incredulous about our faith, what examples can we give of His being these things in our lives? Not many.
However, this requires a leap of Faith. A leap that many of us are unwilling to take.

A Subtle Form Of Selfishness

I was journaling the other day, after my kids had gone to bed, bemoaning the usual round of things in my mind and heart--my inadquecies, feeling overwhelmed, care of the house and children, and what I feel are my failures.
I then realized that the whole paragraph I had written was all about me. Yes, it was about my shortcomings and faults, but still about me. I started to wonder if even this line of thinking is still a form of selfishness--perhaps one of the worse kinds, because it is a type of selfishness that can keep us sidetracked and occupied for years and years, and over time it can become more crippling and discouraging, because our shortcomings will never stop, as we are always sinful.
As I pondered this thought, I began to think, "If focusing on our shortcomings is a subtle form of selfishness, then what is there left to dwell on?"
I believe the Holy Spirit truly whispered this to me, "On My Goodness."
I have heard it preached that we should focus on God's goodness, but this is the first time I understood why. I can't change me--I can't take away my own sinfulness, regardless of how often i whine to God about how pathetic I am. But I can focus on His goodness, and bask the righteousness He allows me to claim through His Son, and for His Son's sake. It is through true gratitude that we slowly, painfully work through the process of sanctification, knowing that through all our failures, God is able. Though I fall, He picks me up, and loves and keeps me in spite of me.

The Sanctifying Influence of Children

I have learned many things since becoming a mom. I have learned a lot about managing my home, about child training, balancing and juggling everything we do. But my children have taught me a lot about myself--and I don't mean how wonderful I am...
Today's society looks upon children as a burden. And, in some ways, yes you could look at them that way--especially if you don't believe in the sovereignty of God and how He works His purposes for His glory. Children are needy--for the first five years of life they depend on their parents for nearly everything. Parents must adjust their lifestyles to the demands of children. Parents must give up (or should) many of their "freedoms" for the sake of the children. And after having had four of them, I can say that there are times when life seems to consist of a round of cleaning (everything), rebuking, refereeing, explaining, diaper changing, nose wiping, and the list goes on and feels endless. It's exhausting. It's frustrating at times. It rarely stops to let you get your breath.
But you know what my children have taught me? How desperately wicked I am. The words that want to (and have) come out of my mouth in moments of irritation are apparently a reflection of the condition of my heart(ie "out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks...). They have shown me how un-Christlike I am so much of the time. They have exposed my lack in the Fruit of the Spirit.
It is easy to maintain a degree of Christlikeness when you feel in control of your life. Children destroy that control. They keep you awake when you want to be asleep, they want to sleep when you would rather them be awake. The eat all the wrong foods and turn up their noses at the right ones. They keep you on edge much of the time with their antics and accidents and sins.
What are you like when that carefully created facade begins to crumble? Who are you at 2 am trying to hush a collicky infant? Who are you at midnight when you hear sounds of heaving coming from the bedrooms? Who are you when little Joey knocks your favorite something on the floor and it breaks?
Are you full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Or...not?

Laundry Soap Fraud

Hey Ya'll!
I had an eye-opening experience a coupla months ago, just after we moved into our new house. Our new laundry facility empties the dirty wash water(and rinse) into a large utility sink. I had run out of Charlie's soap, and was using a small box of soap that was left in the house. The directions said to use the measuring cup in the box, which was like a regular CUP. I used two of the little tiny Charlie's Soap scoops(like a tablespoon), with a dash of Calgon water softener. I was present when the rinse water began to empty into the utility sink. After only using 2 Tbsp of detergent, there was still bubbles in the rinse water!!
Want to use less laundry soap, use one eighth of the amount they tell you! Suffering from itchy skin?? Decrease the amount of laundry soap you use. They probably just tell you that so you use it more and have to buy more frequently!! That box still has soap powder in it, and there was only about 2 cups when I started. Imagine if it was a bargain box of Arm and Hammer?? Buy it about once a year??

May Be My Last Post for Awhile

We are moving--finally! We are to move into our new house this Saturday. We close with the lawyer's office on Friday and have rented a moving truck for Saturday. As excited as I am, we will not be continuing to have internet service until I get a feel for our new budget and know about what we are spending on things like electric and water. Maybe eventually, will will sign up for internet again, but not for a while. I'll probably have my mom or someone put up photos of the new baby, when he comes, and perhaps even do an article by proxy, but there won't be much new stuff happening here for awhile.
If I have time, I may post once more before Friday, but only if I have time, and I have a lot to do tomorrow.
Good bye all for now!

Wouldn't It Be Refreshing?

I think it would be refreshing if we as a nation were to vote some people into different offices that were NOT lawyers, politicians, or rich celebrities. Could you all imagine if the President had been a plumber?? Or a construction worker?? Or (gasp) a farmer? And he and his sweet family of three or four children in the White House, with his wife, who isn't a high powered attorney or business executive, but simply a mother?? A family who has been poor. A family who has had to put things back on the store shelves because they couldn't afford it(and don't charge it). A family who isn't in debt up to their eyeballs.
Other officials in the government who refuse to take the government pension plan, but after their term in office go back to being a plumber, a construction worker, or farmer...who drive their own vehicles to work (not taxpayer funded BMWs), and stay in econo-lodge hotels, and rent little four cylinder cars when they have to travel on public expense, not ones who stay in pent-house suites, and use political party money or public moneys to fund lavish dinners, and ammoral entertainments.
Could you imagine a president who eats dinner with his family that his wife cooked? And clothes that his wife washed and ironed??(bought from JCPenny and not Armani??).
I really think that so many of our elected officials are just not in touch with reality. They have these Harvard law degrees, and then work for firms that make huge sums of money, and then have images to keep up etc. I think that over the years these kinds of people in our government offices have made it so hard and so intimidating to run for office that unless you are rich or have a Harvard law degree, you don't want to run, because they have made the process so confusing to understand. The average good guy with common sense and limited money and resources has no chance.
I still think it would be refreshing.

Weeds Sprout By Default

We all know the familiar parable of the sower. It teaches good things about the condition of our hearts and whether or not we are willing to receive the seed that God casts into our lives. We must decide whether we are hard ground, shallow stony ground, or if we are good soil.
It is easy for me, however, to forget that a plowed, prepared field isn't existing in a vacuum. That the soil of our lives, of my life, won't sit there and wait in pristine condition for me to make up my mind. As a family, we are particular about not letting harmful information into our household. We don't have cable, at this point, we don't even own a tv. We limit our magazine consumption to things like World and Focus on the Family.
However, even though guarding our minds and hearts from evil or contiminating ideas or images is a good thing, it's not enough. The human nature that still exists in these fallen bodies of ours is plenty evil enough to encourage the growth of weeds in our lives. We don't have to encourage things like selfishness, vanity, greed, jealousy etc to grow. They will grow by default. In gardening or farming, what is the only way to keep weeds from overtaking the garden?? To plow and harrow the soil thoroughly, and quickly get the good seed in the ground for germination. Then, to cultivate and pluck out the weeds while the fruitful plants are getting a foothold. Only then can the gardener be less vigilant in his destruction of weeds--after the good seed is rooted and grounded in the good soil. And even then, It is wise to spend a little time regularly looking for weeds that sneak up when we aren't looking--or for weeds that perhaps took over a section that was thinly seeded.
It can be very easy for me to let days go by without ensuring that the good seed of God's Word is being planted in both my life and the lives of my children. It is easy to think that the vigilance we take in guarding our home from bad influence is enough--especially when times are busy, chaotic, or stressful. But weeds grow by default. If no care is taken to plant and cultivate the good seed, weeds inevitably take over. The good soil will not lay there waiting forever in pristine planting condition. We cannot take our grand ole time deciding that later is a good time to start planting. If we don't plant, we'll need to plow all over again before too long.