Why Serve with a Joyful Heart?

At times, staying home with kids and keeping up with your home can seem mundane and purposeless. The truth is that as women we are called to care for our husbands, our children, and our home. More importantly we are to do it as unto the Lord and with a joyful heart. Elizabeth George says in her book, A Woman After God’s Own Heart, that as the wife and mother we are the thermostat of our household. We are the ones who provide a warm and loving environment to foster fond memories and we are the ones who cool down heated situations. Isn’t that so true? There is the phrase, “If mama ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy!” Do we really want to be a source of sorrow and irritation to our families? I surely don’t.

As I look to God each morning to supply my joy and prepare my servant’s heart for the day I am always encouraged by his word. I want to go about my daily activities with purpose and joy; knowing that my actions and choices have an eternal impact in shaping my character and on family. This morning I found a few verses that I wanted to share:

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.’

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

2 Corinthians 9:6-14

A Peek of Spring

So the sun was out for a few days last week and now I am seeing people in capris and sandals. A bit ambitious (not that I don't love flip flops but it is still in the 40's people). Anyway, we played out with the neighbors for a few hours one day and I snapped a couple shots of Marcus and his first time on the grass. (And yes that is my dandelion ridden lawn.. I have some work ahead of me)

With my New Year's Resolution to be more domestic and to serve God by putting my priorities in order, I have found some new and wonderful things. The first being that I started making homemade bread in my new breadmaker that I have been wanting for months. It saves money and is delicious. Actually my entire daily routine has changed. I have made a schedule and a journal. I will have to post a blog about it later because I am digressing. Another thing that I have been blessed to do is take up sewing. I tried knitting (I desperately wanted a hobby - I had none!) but that is not for me. Very frustrating - so if you can knit you have my respect. A friend of mine offered me a sewing machine, it runs perfectly. So, with spring on the way I decided to do some gardening with Landon. And for my garden I wanted an apron.

My first sewing project turned out to be so much fun that I anticipate the next time my sewing machine and I get to be together again (we are having an affair). With the busyness of life it is far less often than I would like that I get to spend time with my new friend.

Our tomatoes, carrots and snap peas are growing in their planters for now and when the weather lightens we will go and transplant them into our little garden. I have never gardened before, so hopefully my thumb is naturally a little green (my fingers are crossed for Landon's sake).

Our Easter

Easter this year was an interesting experience. It was brutal outside, windy, rainy and dark – so we had to dress up and have the egg hunt inside. The kids were sick and Jeff was recovering from his “procedure” [the one that fixed him ;)]. It was all a little chaotic for me, but it was fun none the less.

One of the funnier parts of the day was when Auntie Coley called to wish the kids a Happy Easter. When she asked Landon what the Easter Bunny brought we told her that we didn’t do the bunny - just baskets. Nichole said, “Oh are your baskets from Jesus?” How much would that confuse your children? Ha ha. Anyway, hope everyone reading this had a blessed Resurrection Day and maybe enjoyed a little nicer weather.

Let Love Guide You

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied:" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:36-40


"The only way we can fulfill the will of God in our lives is to be love-inspired, love-mastered, and love-driven. A person controlled by the Holy Spirit needs no law to cause her to live a righteous life. I imagine we've all been in situations where self-control was difficult to maintain, but we will bear the fruit of God's Spirit if we surrender to him."
-Thelma Wells.

To Grow or Not To Grow

So many times I have looked around at other Christians and wondered, how did they get so wise? How did they grow so fast? Why do I feel like I am so far behind? Maybe God just didn’t make me capable of understanding the biblical truths that they can? There have also been times that I have felt like the Lord was blessing me with understanding, but that my growth was moving at the pace of a turtle. Lately it is has been my hearts burning desire to have wisdom, discernment, and to be well versed in my bible. I am currently reading A Woman After God’s Own Heart, by Elizabeth George, and in it she says something that I found motivating:

“Do you believe you can be this woman [the woman you want to be spiritually]? With God’s grace and His strength you can! That’s his role in your life. But there is also a place for your effort. As Scripture says, ‘[You] keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life’ (Proverbs 4:23, emphasis added). You determine some elements of the heart. You decide what you will or will not do, whether you will or will not grow. You also determine the rate which you will grow — the hit-and-miss rate, the measles rate (a sudden rash here and there), the 5-minute-a-day rate, or the 30-minute-a-day rate. You decide if you want to be a mushroom—which appears for a night and shrivels away at the first hint of wind or heat – or an oak tree, which lasts and lasts, becoming stronger and mightier with each passing year…. ‘God will take you as far as you want to go, as fast as you want to go.’ How far… and how fast… do you want to move toward becoming the woman of your dreams?”

Time to put some more feet to my faith!