My Best Mother's Day So Far!

Today was definitely my best mother's day I have had in the few short years I have been a mother. My beautiful baby girl was dedicated today at church and all my immediate family was there. Even Aunt Sandra!

Jackson makes me thankful for every little thing that we take for granted.

Abigail makes me enjoy being a mother. I love having a baby and some days I just never want her to grow up!

Abigail looked so beautiful in the dress I wore when I was dedicated and the necklace I wore. She also had the ring on that Charlie's sister had when she was a baby. She did great and even smiled up there! Dr. Estep preached a wonderful sermon. Probably one of the best mother's day sermons I have heard.

Charlie wrote the most beautiful mother's day poem to me I could ever imagine. I am almost too embarrassed to link it because I wish I could be half the women the Proverbs 31 women is. Words really mean more to me than any gift could. Charlie is such a great writer all I really ever want for him for gifts is homemade cards that he writes.

I am so blessed. I have always wanted to be a mother. I think I was ready at 20 years old. I have always dreamed of having babies and being able to stay at home to raise them. I know this sounds crazy but for me there is not a day I wake up staying at home that I dread. There were many days going to school that I just dreaded the entire day and wanted the week to be over. Every since I married Charlie and had our babies I have felt complete. Motherhood is such a high calling, and a life that is lived for eternity.

1 Timothy 2:15

Justification: Happens when we are saved. God’s righteousness is imputed to us. In other words, when God now looks at us, he sees Jesus, a perfect person

Sanctification: Literally means to set apart for special use or purpose--- that is to make holy. Growth in grace should continue throughout every person who has accepted Christ. I think that getting married makes us holier because we again have to die to ourselves and become like Christ. Getting a dog, makes you sanctified because you have to suffer and die to yourselves. And certainly, having a baby makes you holier by daily dying to your own self and putting another person’s needs before your own. There is nothing wrong with being single. In fact, people that are single have more time to devote to spreading the Gospel.

Glorification: I believe this does not completely happen till be receive our glorified bodies after Christ returns. The Baptist Faith and Message defines it has the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.

My point of this post is that children make us more like Jesus. They teach us to die to ourselves. However, our society says we have to do things for ourselves, and we do not want anything that is hard or to have anything that might make us suffer even a little. Isn’t through great sorrow comes the greatest joy you could ever know? Is it not he will of God for us to suffer? We today have really gotten so “me” centered that no one dare want you to have more than 2.5 kids. Isn’t the heart of the Gospel to die to self and depend on God for everything?

1 Timothy 2:15, “But women will be saved (or restored) through childbearing---if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with propriety.”

Maybe Mark Driscoll (http://www.marshillchurch.org/) is right that Paul here is talking about us being becoming more like Jesus when we give birth to a child and raise them up in the admonition of the Lord. Having children is part of the sanctification process for women. What do you think? Do you think he is talking about Eve, and Christ coming through the seed of Adam and Eve?

Happy Mother's Day! (Proverbs 31)

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

What is the worst thing that could happen to you?

I do not know why I have been thinking about this recently, but I guess we all at some points in our lives ask, what is the worse thing possible that could happen to me here on this earth (especially if you are not an optimist, but more of a realist)? I really want you to think about that. I used to think maybe losing a loved one tragically, or having a chronic disease, etc. But in reality the suffering here on earth is only temporal in light of eternity. Therefore, I believe the worst thing that could happen to me here right now is for one of my immediate family members to die, and to know without a doubt that they did not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I know the Lord would help me get through it, but I just do not know how Christians who lose a family member that is not saved, make it day after day with that knowledge. Right now, Jackson is the only one in my family who has not accepted Jesus as his Savior from his sins. Obviously, he cannot even make sentences yet, but one day sooner than I can even imagine he will. What would I give up here on earth to encourage Jackson to accept Christ as his Savior? I would give up everything. I would sleep out in a tent, I would wear the same outfit every day of my life, I would go without much food, I would give up all my “necessities” to bring him up in the admonition of the Lord. Has God ever not provided for me all that I need and more? This is just my new found conviction, and I want my readers to really think hard about eternity. All this suffering here is just temporary. If I have to suffer some here on earth so that my stubborn heart can have a better relationship with my Jesus - my wonderful Savior - it is worth it. Are we living a life looking for eternity? Or are we looking just at the here and now? Are we storing up treasures in heaven or treasures here on earth? After looking at all the great men and women of the Bible, it sure seems that the ones that were staying in God’s will, were the ones who did things they were the most uncomfortable with. They were the men and women who did not try to take everything into their control, but where the ones who waited on the Lord, and trusted Him even when it made no logical sense. What is God calling you today to do that makes no logical sense? Will God get all the praise and honor or will you? Will people see a miracle in your life or will they just see the hard work of a man or woman? Maybe we should think about what the worst thing that could happen to us after all. I know some things are out of our control, but do we really live a life the demonstrates that we believe that God is indeed in control and that His death was sufficient for all? Charlie would now say "preach" to me, which I guess is more of a inside joke. Anyway, that is enough of my "preaching" for now.

“Raising Godly Children” by Hope Felts, Dr. Brown’s daughter

She started off by telling a great story about how we are going to fall but we should just try to fall forward. She was one of the most gifted speakers I have ever heard - she is definitely at Beth Moore’s level. She has received her father’s gift of proclaiming clearly and passionately the Word of God. She also quoted from a book called Snickers from the Pew, which was quite hilarious. However, she did report that sadly, one recent survey stated that 80% of preacher’s kids (PKs) struggle with depression. This survey did find that many preachers’ kids hear their parents say things like, “When you mess up you ruin daddy’s ministry and then we will not have a job or food.” Lord, please help us never to even hint at that to our children! Also, many preachers’ kids hear their father say things one week in the pulpit and then they do not live that way at home. Ouch! Is God really transforming our pastors today? Or are we just putting on a show and living a hypocritical life? Why would they want to follow a God who has not transformed his own father’s life?

She then quoted from a book called Know Your Child. She concluded that babies are born with a certain temperament, which I agree with. She asked us to consider Cain and Abel, the first children. They certainly had different temperaments. Three basic types of babies exist:

1. Easy Child, predictable

2. Slow to warm up Child (shy)

3. Difficult child, strong willed child

People used to think that people were born with a blank slate and that our environment was everything, but now there is strong evidence and studies against this theory. Paul names three “spiritual children” throughout the Bible (he calls them by name his sons):

1. Timothy, the easy child

2. Onesimus, the slow to warm up son

3. Titus, the bulldog, the problem solver but the difficult child Titus did not have to be encouraged like Timothy. Titus was a problem solver.

I had never really thought about these three men in this light, but I can see where she is coming from. Now, after having Jackson and seeing many babies his age, I really do believe that some babies are just born fighting and we like to label them “difficult.” I think God can use all men and women with different temperaments. I do believe it is important to know our children and how to encourage them. They might be shy and we can encourage them to step out in faith for the glory of God. Or they might be easy and need a lot of encouragement. Maybe they are difficult and we need to speak the truth in love to them daily. Paul certainly knew the differences between his spiritual children. I do not know if these categories are as cut and dry as these. Generally, Jackson is the easy child; however, boy does he have a temper! Right now for the last time we put him down at night it is war. The other night he really hyper-ventilated at 9:15 pm More on that latter…

She urged us to:

1. “Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8

Taste the Lord, love God in front of them! Don’t be secretive with them about your relationship with God.

2. Love God’s house, have a positive attitude about it, do not look at it as work. Long to be in his house with all the imperfect people. Psalm 27:4:

“One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.”

3. Pray with them every day before they go off to school. I am starting this now every morning with Jackson and it is such a blessing

4. Know your child!

"If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again"

If I had my child to raise all over again,

I'd finger-paint more, and point the fingers less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.

I'd teach less about the love of power, And more about the power of love.

.

By Diane Loomans

I am certain that concept of building up one's self-esteem is anti-Biblical, but besides that, I think this is a good poem for current moms to see. If we keep on telling our children how great they are at everything, why will they need a Savior to rescue them from their sins?

Ps-The picture is of Jackson in his high chair that we finally got up. Thank you so much Aunt Sandi for the high chair!