Little Brown House Christmas

Saturday, December 29, 2007

There is a verse in the Bible that says God is able to give us more than we ask or think. Over at The Bargain Shopper Lady there is a story about her Christmas and how a stranger gave her and her husband a real blessing. She has challenged us bloggers to share a story of when strangers helped us and blessed us so that our stories may encourage and bless others.

I decided to share two stories of the many with you. One is on this blog and then another on my blog Ain't No Place To Put A Sticker .

My most memorable Christmas, and I know the one my kids remember the most also, was because of strangers. Let me share the story.

My first husband was a pastor and at one point decided to take a year off and return to Seminary for his next degree. We had 5 kids and this was truly a move of faith. We could not find housing before we moved so we lived in our pop up camper. 21 feet long, five kids, two dogs a guinea pig and my husband and I. We were sure it would be for a week or two and then we would find something. My husband did have a job lined up and so the housing seemed minor. First thing that happened was the job fell through. It took him some time to find another job and we were down to pennies, no home, kids to feed and he was trying to study as well. We would come back to bags of food setting on our picnic table. We had no idea where they came from, and never did find out. Blessings!

Finally in mid October, with ice on the puddles and the winter setting in, we found a place to live. He was working such a low paying job we needed something cheap, and that was what we got! A 22 X 24 house, built on a hill with a garage door under it to get to the space under. The little brown house as we called it.

Once we brought in our furniture and boxes of stuff from the 13 room house we moved out of, all we had was a walkway in the room. Stuff was stored everywhere. Money was to the penny tight and Christmas was coming.

A friend gave us some money which allowed us to tell the kids we could spend $15 on each child, so we wanted them to tell us what they wanted since that was all we had. The girls immediately asked for Cabbage Patch dolls! They were just out and cost over $30 each! I am sure you can remember the war there was over these dolls when they came out!

I went to the craft shop and for the $15 I was able to get the heads and body fabric and make them each their doll. I then dressed the doll in the outfit they wore when they came home from the hospital. It was special to me and I hoped it satisfied the girls. Right now, I can't remember what the boys wanted, but I am sure it was equally as expensive!

About a week before Christmas I got a phone call from the school saying that they wanted to provide us with a Christmas meal. The kids had been collecting food for the needy and we sent some in with them, only to find we were the "needy". I went to the school to pick up the "meal" and there was boxes of food! Not only food, but boxes and boxes of presents!

Here we were in this little house, filled with all our junk and cramped so much our Christmas tree was a little pre-decorated one that stood about 18 inches high, including the container and now I had boxes and boxes of food a presents!

I "hid" the presents on our boxes of stuff, all in plain sight and shoved the food into the little bit of cabinet space we had and the rest sat on boxes too.

When Christmas came and we put out all the gifts they were flowing every where! Our kids were so blessed that year with things they wanted, needed and loved. There is no way to tell you the endless amount of items that was there. It was the most beautiful Christmas we had and all because of total strangers.

When God says He supplies your needs and gives abundantly above all you can ask or think, He really does. When you know He cares this much, trusting Him should be easy.

Laced With Grace Giveaway

Friday, December 28, 2007

Laced with Grace is starting out the New Year with a giveaway.

The package will include a Women of Faith study Bible (NIV/Hardcover); Lisa Whelchel’s Bible study tool for busy moms; a coffee mug from “Mugs of Truth“; the DVD “The Nativity Story“; the book “Love and Respect“; and a music CD by Becky Knight, who just released her first CD.

You do not need to have a blog to compete for the giveaway, just go to the site and sign up for a chance to win.

Giveaways are not only fun, but they give us all a chance to find other blogs to read as well as a chance to win some nice and useful gifts. I try to participate when I find them and then offer the chance to my readers as well.

Hope on over to Laced with Grace for full details and to sign up!

Child-likeness

Thursday, December 27, 2007

How was your Christmas? It is hard to believe you go through all the preparing and it is done in no time and gone. This year I also came down sick and spent much of the weekend before in bed. I am still dragging and needing a rest every day. I had the flu vaccine and ended up with flu like sickness. I think I will take my chances next year!

I did enjoy having family together. Everybody pitched in with the meal and all I had to do was the ham and potato salad. My husband made brisket and the rest was brought by the kids and my sister in law. We had 13 of us here, counting the three babies.

One thing that I am always amazed at is the little ones. They take everything in and try to figure it all out. The are awed by the lights and decorations, intrigued by the gifts and try to figure out why there is candy hanging on the tree and not being eaten.

I have never shied away from a Christmas tree when the kids were little, and I do not now with the grand kids. I just try to make them a bit child friendly. All my ornaments are non breakable, I have candy canes and other things for decorations. I found it rather amusing when I found the one year old granddaughter sitting under the tree with the dog. She would grab a candy cane off the tree, eat it to the hook and then let the dog finish it while she went for another.

Today I took her into the store to look for some sales and see what was there. She wanted to look at everything. In training her not to beg (at least I hope so!) I let her look at things, touch them and then we put the back. So far she is a great shopper! We look, feel, say ahhhhhh over and put it back and go to the next thing. I had so much fun with her today looking at all the Christmas stuff and then putting it back.

I was doing a bit of thinking as I watched her face and as I watched the others on Christmas day. God says we are to be like little children, and must come to Him as a child. Do we? Do we look at life for its beauty? To we look at His word for all we can find out? Are we awed by Him? Or are we clinging to the world, or our grown up attitudes and answers?

I found my self examining me and asking how much was I like this child? Or am I rushing through life not looking for what is there, what God may have for me, or want to say to me.

As the New year approaches, let's get our child like faith in line with Him. Become as children in our faith, awe and discovery of what He has and Who He is.


Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas is tomorrow, can you believe this year will be over in a week? It is hard to believe that Christmas is here already. For me it just seems to hit so quickly this year. I am sure there are others out there who's family is as separated as mine is and wonder how you all handle it. For me, I have family here in Texas, a daughter in NC, mom and siblings in the NJ-PA area and 4 kids, spouses and grand kids in ME. I want to be with everyone!

Friday I finally got our tree up. For the first time in my life I have an artificial tree. I could not find a nice one for a decent price in our area. See my story here. TO me the tree has a meaning and it all points to Christ. To see an evergreen tree cut down reminds me of the everlasting savior being hung on a tree for me. The lights remind me that HE is the light of the world, the everlasting light to guide us through the darkness that the world lives in. We put ornaments on the tree, different color balls, small packages etc. Christ gave the greatest gift, our small packages remind us of those gifts. Some say the colored balls stand for all the peoples of the world and how Christ died for everyone.

The beauty of the tree reminds me of Christ and His beauty that He came to die and we can have that beauty in us if we trust Him and follow Him.

I am sure there are more symbols I am not mentioning, like the star at the top of the tree or the angel. They all signify His birth and coming to this earth to die for us.

Be sure to spend time with your family talking over the real meaning of Christmas.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!


Santa or Christ?

Friday, December 21, 2007

Is Christmas this:


OR



It can't be both.

I have a real problem at Christmas. We teach our children not to lie, yet we lie to them about Santa giving presents. I would like to explain my convictions.

Besides the lying, there is a real plan by Satan himself to take away from anything to do with Christ. He wants to confuse us, make things seem harmless that are really anti-God and get our minds to ok things that are substitutes for true Christian living.

Santa draws a bigger crowd that Christ. How does he do it? By becoming a tangible counterfeit. I just made a small list of some of the attributes of God and of Santa.

Christ/God

SANTA

Loving

Loving

Knows everything

Knows everything

God is Good

Santa is Good

God is faithful

Santa is faithful, once a year

God is personal

Santa knows each person

Is from a different world, yet lives here

From a different place, yet travels here

All powerful

Can make reindeer fly.

Loves to give to His Children

Loves to give to all who are good

Watches us all the time

Watches us all the time and records what we are doing, good or bad

Satan has designed him to counterfeit our Lord, yet Christians find him harmless to tell their children.

If we are telling our children that there is a Santa and later they find there is not how will this not only conflict with you telling them not to lie, but also their relationship with the Lord? We can't see God. Yet it takes faith in an unseen being to be saved. Will this not throw doubts on their faith?

I look at anything that is a counterfeit Christ, or anything that pulls our attention from the real meaning of the day (same goes for Easter bunny etc) as a form of an anti-Christ that is put there by Satan's design.

I know it is hard to buck the world. I never told my kids there was a Santa, they never believed it and thought it was just something funny that people believed in. I remember one year I had my 2 yr. old in the shopping cart and a man behind us was asking her if Santa was going to come and bring her lots of things. She just smiled, and then the man , maybe in his 40's, went on for a bit and she just smiled some more. As we were leaving him, my 2 year old said "I guess his mommy never told him there was no Santa"!

We had people not want our kids to play with their kids when it was near Christmas, Christian parents! who thought that it would ruin the day for their kids if our kids told them.

"Speak the truth in Love" "Teach your children" "Lie not to one another", the Bible is clear about what we should be telling our Children and teaching them. Take a stand for the Lord and bring out the joy of what God did for us and that we give because HE gave the greatest gift of all HIS SON!




Stress Less

Tuesday, December 18, 2007


Today's Works for me Wednesday and Rocks in My Dryer is supposed to be about Christmas. I have been thinking about Christmas anyway and decided to play along on the Christmas theme.

I have been busy, as I am sure most of you have, trying to get everything done and ready. I am doing something different this year though, I am not getting all upset and stressed over the day.

Most years I am so stressed as I try to make this, do that, get the stuff for a big meal and try to have it all together. This is the first year in a long time that I can remember not being all stressed about getting things done and perfect.

I still have some gifts to get together and some things to make, but not anything that has me stressed. It will take some time, but I believe it is all under control. If not, I am not stressing anyway!

It has taken many years, but I finally realized the meal will be there, people will eat and everything does not have to be perfect, nor does there need to be 25 different foods on the table. Keep it simple! I am having a big meal, but I am keeping it simple. I also have others bringing some of the meal too.

My gifts will be done, the food will be fairly easy and it should work our for a nice relaxing time.

Are you getting all stressed and ready to bite every one's head off? STOP!!! Relax. It will work out, it does not need to be anything but simple, but simple can be elegant and easy! Enjoy the day, enjoy the family and make it all less stressful.

What is a godly grandmother?

Saturday, December 15, 2007

I have been asked this question, along with a number of others as people read my blog. I want to answer what I can and will do my best to hunt down what I do not know. Soon I am planning to have an e-zine out once or twice a month to begin and will have questions and answers on it as well as more than I put in my blog. I am having trouble getting the sign up on the blog itself without sending you to another page to sign up, if anyone knows how to put a phplist sign up on several blogs with it hosted on a website let me know!



Now,
"What is a godly grandmother? For example: my own mom got a college degree after her kids were grown and is now a teacher at a Christian school. She rarely has time for us. On the other hand my aunt practically raises her grand kids, drives them to school, cleans her daughter's house while her daughter is at work, and takes all the kids to their various activities. She even takes them a lot on weekends too. What is the biblical model of a Grandma? Should my mom be staying at home (the best place for a woman, in my opinion, wherever possible) and try to help more in mentoring me and being a godly influence to her grandchildren? Or is it right that I do it on my own with no help? I realize my aunt's method is unhealthy and don't want that either!"

Today's world has made life a dilemma. The world says go get what you can and be all you can be (in the world) and has become very self centered. When we look back on the way things were, women stayed home, took care of family, each generation training the next one down. Men did the same with the boys, turning them into men. Now, families are split, boys have no father roll models and girls have a mom that is away and letting someone else watch them. However, what about when a woman has raised her children, is her roll done? Can she now do whatever she wants because the children are not there and she is free? What does the Bible say?

Again I go to Titus 3:5:
"Let the older women teach the younger women to love their husbands, love their children, be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored"

What does the Bible say about a grandmother? I find one reference and that is in 2 Timothy 1:5

"For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well."
Here Paul is talking about Timothy's grandmother and the her faith being taught to Timothy. Apparently she was a real woman of God who had a lot of contact with her grandson and taught him the ways of God.

A Biblical woman follows what God has set for her. Scripture clearly says the older is to teach the younger, go back and read Titus 3:5 again. How do the younger learn? How does anyone learn? We learn by seeing it in practice as well as being told.

I take my position of wife and mother to be the highest calling I, as a woman, can have. I believe each has a commitment, responsibility and debt to the next generation. We have failed greatly in this over the last few generations. People have become more independent, more self-centered and as a result there is the mess there is today with families.

Now, back to the full question asked me. I am glad you see that what your aunt is doing is wrong. It is not teaching, it is doing and controlling. It is letting a mom get out of her responsibilities to her family. What your mom is doing I will not say is wrong, but there needs to be a balance. There should be teaching and helping.

All this said, I know there are times when a mom has to work, death, divorce and such leave a family needing the mom out there. This should be when the family steps in and cares for the children so they do not need to go to day care. If this is possible.

I do not live near most of my kids, but when I was there I kept them and tried to teach and help. Now, I babysit a precious granddaughter for her mom and we work together for her good. I have a good relationship with my step daughter and she looks to me for help and teaching, both of her and her baby.

The world has come into the family and is dividing it up, confusing the roles of parents and grandparents , making God's ways appear old fashioned or out dated. His ways are not, and I would love to see us move back to what He says.

If we read Proverbs 31 and see what a godly woman is (mother, grandmother, single) we see she works from home, puts family first and is someone that can be looked up to. Moms and grand moms we need to become what God has set out for us. For our children and grandchildren to be whole this is needed.

Child Proof The Christmas Tree

Thursday, December 13, 2007

When my kids were really young I found the Christmas tree to be a challenge. All those ornaments were tempting to the kids and costly as well.

When we put something out as prominent as a Christmas tree only to have to get stressed out because the kids will not leave it alone is not good for the family. To have them frustrated as well because they want to touch it and you are yelling at them only takes away from the family and the fun.

Maybe your children are angels and not interested in the tree, but mine were not. I found a cheap and easy way to not have to worry about them breaking the ornaments or hurting themselves.

Make or buy cookies and let the kids decorate them if they are old enough. Sugar cookies work well, but I also used spritz cookies that are pressed out of a cookie press.

I then took the cookies and put them back to back and wrapped in a little plastic wrap and tied on the tree with a ribbon. I added candy canes to the tree and then some ribbon bows. I had some wooden ornaments that I painted from a kit as well.

Should the kids get something off the tree, it is only a cookie or candy cane and nothing that will break and hurt them. I found my kids actually let the tree alone, it was the cat I had the problem with!

For more frugal ideas, check out Biblical Womanhood.

Christmas Shopping

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

I have a large family and at this time of year that makes things difficult. I am the oldest of eight, my husband is one of three living. Together we have eight kids and 17 grand kids. (Like I have said before, and want you to remember now, I am not that old.. really!)

Christmas is a hard time trying to handle it all financially as well as shipping, buying and wrapping. My siblings and I do not exchange gifts, so this saves some. It is not that we do not love each other, but we realize we just can't put ourselves in debt to buy all these gifts. Personally I liked it when I had the time to make everyone something. I love to give.

This year I was struggling with the whole Christmas thing. There is the giver inside me that just wants to give and give, but when I open the pocket book I can see the lining so know that the funds are not there to match my heart.

I pray, and then go shop. God can bring some magnificent deals and place you in the right place. We do not spend much, so I like to get the best for what I have. Look online, there are bargains galore. I hate junk mail, but when I visit a site like buy.com or other reputable site, I sign up for their notices and newsletters. I can always delete them, but sometimes there is just the thing for just the price.

Lest you think I have finished, I have not. I just finished wrapping all the presents that need to get mailed to other states, but the kids and grand kids here? I have no idea!!

How do you shop if you have a big family and small pocket book? What works for you?


Keep Praying

I wanted to pass on a quick update about Carlie. They did an EEG yesterday and she is not having seizures so they stopped that med. They said what damage has been done is done, but she will need physical therapy to help her get her balance back. We are still unsure of a prognosis at this point, but she was playing today, knows who everyone is knows she used to be able to sit up and stand, she just can't do it and will need to learn all over. She shakes really bad when she tries to do much. It is like a weakness shaking, not seizure or anything. Her head still falls off to the side sometimes as well as her eyes a little, but she is way better than on Friday or the weekend.
Keep praying!

Please Pray

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Many of you may remember Carlie and then all the excitement after her finalization. If not, see the posts here, here and here.

Jason is still recuperating from his accident and is not working yet and then Friday Carlie began acting strange. Her head was cocked to one side and she could not hold it up, her eyes would not focus and her eyes also would go back up into her head or else off to the left. She was not playing or anything so her parents took her to the hospital emergency room.

After sitting in the emergency room all day while they ruled out sinus infection, brain tumor and a number of other things, they finally admitted her at about 8:30 Friday night. Around 10:30 they took her for an MRI and found she has Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). Her brain has 3 0r 4 large lesions on it as well as 4 smaller ones. They told the from the looks of her brain you would think she would act worse than she is. Praise God.

I would like to ask for all those praying people out there to pray for her. They were told there is brain damage, but at this point they do not know how much. According to the Drs. 50% of children with this recover with little or no visible signs of a problem, the rest have anything from a slight learning disability to major problems or MS.

Carlie is 13 months old and is so precious. Her mom is pregnant with a boy due in March. The family has had so much between the adoption in September and now, yet this miracle pregnancy is still intact. Please pray for Carlie's healing, that the damage would be minor or none and for the pregnancy with all this stress on Misty.

My posts this week may not be regular, but I will try. We will be running to the hospital to see our granddaughter as much as we can and trying to help them where needed.


The immaculate house fallacy.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

When I was a young(er) mother I had 5 kids and always a mess. I would clean, they would make a disaster right behind me. If I spent a little time for me, they spent as much time messing.

Clutter with things you do not need is one thing, but clutter with things that are needed is another.I found I had clutter, but it was two kinds. Clutter because the house was not big enough for them to have their own play room, me a craft place and enough storage room OR clutter because I was keeping every little thing any one was throwing away since it might be needed some day.

Kids make clutter. I finally had to set priorities. Was I going to be a crabby, yelling, mean mom because I wanted everything neat and in place? Or was I going to let the kids be kids, use their imaginations and then teach them to clean up afterwards?

My late husband set me straight. He told me mess will always be there, but the kids will not. He told me my priority was them and later would be a neat clean house that people could eat off the floor. (haha!)

It eased me, set me straight and removed most of the guilt.

I am now a grandmother with a baby here all the time during the day. My house is full of papers, vhs cassettes all over, pots, Tupperware etc. So what? She will grow up and it will be over. I will, again, wish for the mess.

Relax, let kids grow and use their imaginations. Teach them to pick up as they go.

Someday you will long for the mess too.

Free Moments Away

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Life can be tough. Babies crying, toddlers into everything and meals to fix etc. Young moms have it tough. Balancing the budget, or as I sometimes experienced "What budget? It all just went to___ (you fill in the blank)"

When I was a young mom I became flustered at times, just wanted to get away or do something but had no money to do or no time to go. I am realizing now, as I am watching my granddaughter for 9 !/2 hrs a day, that I sometimes feel the same way.

I realize, too, that we forget what is right there for us and it is free most of the time. Look around you and see what is there. No, not the messy house with fighting kids! But look out the window and see the trees, pastures, sun, moon etc. Sometimes I just walk out on our porch and look at what God has made.

When I lived in Maine I would walk on the ocean, down a dirt road or sit on the rocks. Even with the kids it was relaxing for the most part. They were excited to be somewhere and I could see the horizon and beauty.

I know as a mom with little kids there is little time for you, but capture the free moments and enjoy what is there. Pretend and dream. Even if it is only a few moments to hold you over till the next moment it will relax you; you will have spent no money and it will refresh. At least till the first screaming kid comes in!

For more ideas check out Biblical Womanhood.

Quick and easy snack

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

A fun meal or after school snack is pizza. Most people like it but making it can be very messy and buying it can get expensive.

A way to have it quick and easy is to make tortilla or English muffin pizzas. These are fun to make and the kids can even make their own. If you do not have tortilla's in the house, I have, on occasion (desperate one!) used bread.

Kid's Pizza (That everyone loves!)

For each pizza:

1 tortilla (or English muffin)
tomato paste, OR sauce
cheese (any kind that melts)
seasonings you like, I use garlic powder, Italian seasoning and some oregano
toppings if you have them

Spread sauce on top of tortilla. put seasonings on top, then cheese and any toppings

bake , keeping a close eye on them as they cook fast OR put in microwave for a minute or so. (temps vary)

Makes a great snack for family night movie, after school or at midnight!

Works for me!


Redesigning our mind

I do not know about you, but I love HGTV. Not everything, but I love the shows where they tell you how to use what you have. There are several of them, but the ones I like to watch are freecycle, Design on a Dime and Design Remix.

Freecycle they rearrange the furniture, grab furniture, pillow, sheets etc from other places and when they get done the room looks totally different than it did before, but you have spent no money.

Design Remix is a lot the same, but they spend $50 plus paint to show how to make a room look totally different.

Design on a Dime actually buys things and paint, when you come back home it is a new room. Problem is their dime is $1,000 mine is .10! However, you can get some ideas for decorating what you have.

I have a student interior decorator coming to my home as part of her class work and portfolio. She is not charging me but is helping me rearrange what I have to look better. I have bought paint (oops paint at Home Depot) and painted one wall in the room and I will need to buy knobs for the cabinets, but so far my living room looks so much better, and it was all my own stuff that I had!

Yes, it meant getting rid of some things that clutter, things I did not want to part with. It means taking some things and making them less prominent in the room, and other things more prominent. Even though for me it might be upsetting to get rid of or move things, it is much better afterwards.

I began to think of this in another way. So many of us get unhappy where we are, or with our spouse, kids or church. The situation may look bad, may be awful yet God has an answer. We fight and kick when He is trying to do the rearranging bu,t if we let Him, it will be better.

There are things in all of our lives that need to be uncluttered, moved, thrown out. I have been going through a situation here that has had me beside myself. Frustrated, upset, ready to run (no, not from my husband! ) but it took someone close to me to point out that I am here for a reason and that they can see so many changes in some others because of me. She encouraged me not to leave the situation, but to know I am being used of God in a mighty way. She told me to pray more and rest in what God is doing.

I needed to rearrange some thinking, get rid of some clutter in my mind and open my eyes to see how I am being used. I am praying for wisdom, instead of fretting. I am asking to be used more, instead of getting depressed or running.

What is your situation? Are you frustrated, negative and feeling that you wish so and so (husband, kid, etc) would straighten up? Know you are there for a reason. Work on your attitude. Work on de-cluttering your mind and ask for wisdom to be the woman of God you are meant to be.

This hurts, probably more than getting rid of the physical things in the house. We have baggage, harbored hurts etc that need to go. It is in letting God work in our lives that we can look and see how we can be used. Let Him do the rearranging, in that room in our mind as well as in the situation. He has a plan, work with Him for our families and our personal lives.

Worry Cure

Saturday, December 1, 2007

This morning I awoke at 3 AM. I sometimes do this when I eat or drink the wrong thing before bed, other times because I went to bed too early, this morning it was none of these. Years ago I used to worry over everything. It took years but I finally have much of my worry in God's hands and almost never get too worried, but my one weakness is financial matters. That was this morning. I was thinking about some problems we have had since August. We needed to take our vacation early because of one of our daughters getting married in Maine. We planned on having the money saved for mid-October and left the end of July instead.

Since we are contracted for cleaning at 17 offices in a plant, we had to find someone to cover us and pay them, $900 for during vacation and another week because we had conflicts. Rick's family has a small house the rent out and the man ran into some problems and could not pay any rent one month and part of the rent another. The rent pays the taxes, so we had to come up with the money ($260) out of our pocket. My husband needed to pay for a course he is taking, $200. Today the renters money is due again and I know we can't cover it this time. Worry!

As I lay there I was getting more and more frightened until God started to speak. See, I was also worrying because I was worrying and did not like the lack of peace I was having. It has not been part of me in so long it was odd to me and hurt. When God spoke He asked me about my lack of time with Him lately. I used to read and pray every morning, I had been slipping. This was the key!

I had been getting up, running to my computer, and fitting me Bible reading and prayer in when and if I could.

I got out of bed and had my time with Him and peace came. I still have no idea how all will be cared for, but I have peace.

I began to wonder about when my kids were small and I was young, how much better I would have been if I spent my time with God more regularly. Raising five kids was tough. Someone was always into something, hurting something and getting yelled at (and one place we lived it was unjustly by a neighbor, so this meant also having patience with dealing with an unsaved neighbor). I was also a pastor's wife so everyone thought they knew how you were to dress, your kids act etc.

I spent time with the Lord, but at my convenience, or when I was worried, upset or angry with someone (which was most of the time), but many of my prayers were not trusting and in faith, but prayers that the other person would change etc. We had so many financial troubles, those alone were more than enough worry on it's own. Instead of trusting I worried and often told God how to answer me. (You know the ones "have some one give us money" or " "somehow get that guy for what he is doing" etc.)

Are you having problems with worry over daily family living? Worried about your kids and how they will turn out? A sickness in the family? Unemployment? Read your Bible and pray. God provided for me when I put my dependency totally on Him. I finally did this about 4 years ago, I let things to him and he filled me with peace as long as I gave it all to Him.

Your kids are God's. He loves them more than you. He will care for them and give you the wisdom needed, but it takes praying and reading and praying.

If you are like me, have my weakness of worry it is no good for you or your family. If I can overcome, anyone can. It takes persistence and not give up when you fail. You will be a much better wife and mother when you leave it all to Him!

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