My Calling: The Walk

Where there is devotional music, God is always at hand with His gracious presence. Johann Sebastian Bach

Each one prays to God according to his own light. Mahatma Gandhi

For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God. Saint Teresa of Avila

The reality is we live in a busy culture where it is hard to simply sit still at the feet of Jesus. Courtney Joseph.

The last (?) post based on the book "Women Living Well," the book I has the pleasure to get a sneak peak of as part of her launch. The book is on sale now at most book stores or online.

This area has been an interesting one for me. For the last few months, I have faltered here. Life has been so crazy, so upside down that I have neglected my walk. As we settle into our new house, I'm hoping to fall into a new routine. Will I be able to continue to rise early and spend a few minutes in prayer? In reading His word? This morning when I woke, I grabbed my iPhone. And when to my Bible app. I love this app -- I can read the Bible in almost any translation I want. I can compare the translations, sometimes the use of a different word helps.

The morning, the verse of the day was from Isaiah 40:28-29:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of hte earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Weary. Oh yes. There is so much to do and just not enough time. Our new home is a mess. Boxes are still everywhere. There are still many to go through and most likely throw or give things away. We do not NEED most of it. 10 boxes of toys. Several boxes and suitcases of clothes. Enough plastic containers to fill a shelf in the pantry. And then, of course, the boxes full of memories that we can't bear to part with, but hold little to no meaning to anyone else -- Rocky & I call these the boxes that are for Maggie & Jessie to throw away after we're gone.

After I dressed this morning and sat down in our new living room, and wished for a cup of coffee [coffee pot did not survive the trip], I started to pray, but soon became overwhelmed with it all. I wanted to just sit. And not think. And not look at what still needed to be done. And I only had a few minutes before I heard Jessie from the bedroom. And then before I know it, the morning rush begins.

I know I need to be deliberate about this. If I'm not, I will get even more out of practice. Just as I need to schedule time to go to the gym [and how amazing is it that I actually look forward to going now], I need to schedule time with God. I guess the good news in all this is that God doesn't move. He is still there, waiting for me to return. Waiting on me.

Women Living Well: A Review; A Giveaway

I do think that despite my best efforts to resist it, I am now a grown-up. It's due to lots of very difficult decisions that you make over a long period of time - about motherhood, wifehood, and work, and all the things that one has to make decisions about. Emma Thompson

 

 

 

The past couple of months have been quite the whirlwind. One of the highlights was getting invited to be a part of the Women Living Well launch team for Courtney Joseph. I've followed Courtney's blog for some time, mostly because I like the .gifs she posts on Facebook. So, when I saw the opportunity to apply to be part of the launch team, I thought it might be cool. I did wonder if she would have anything for me in a book. She is, after all, almost at the other end of the Christian spectrum -- stay at home, homeschooling mom, conservative -- I have to admit there have been times I've been tempted to stop following her because I've disagreed with a stance she has taken, I was tempted to leave the launch group after someone posted a couple of prayer requests I disagreed with. Would she have anything to say that I would find applicable to my life? And was "cool" a good enough reason to apply?

 

As you all know, God works in mysterious ways. And he used that homeschooling, stay at home mom to speak to this public school, day care using, work outside the home mom. Because at our cores, we are not that different. Courtney says in her book "The Biblical principles we apply to our marriages should be the same, but how this is carried out in our homes will look different. There are no cookie-cutter marriages. Your husband is not my husband, but my God is your God, so our principles should match." This is NOT limited to our marriage! Courtney and I worship the same God, so there is so much in her book that applies to me.

 

The book is divided into 4 parts, as indicated by the subtitle: Finding your Joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids and your Home. I have 3 blog posts inspired by My Man, My Kids and My Home. A fourth is coming, but it's been a crazy couple of weeks, so I haven't even had much time WITH God, much less time to write about it. And that's the problem, isn't it? When life gets crazy, as it does, the first thing to go is my time with God. Yet, I have time to watch TV, play with my girls, ignore my family while flipping through Facebook or Pinterest.

 

Courtney opens her book by asking us "Which voice are you listening to?" Am I listening for the Great I Am? I hope I am. About a year ago I started saying Yes to Him. A true yes -- which led us here to South Dakota. I've already said it so many times that He is blessing us with this move. But am I still listening for him? Am I taking the time to look for him? And will I?

 

Courtney's book, all 214 pages, is a challenge to look at your life in a new way. She has something to say to every woman -- not just those who are married or mothers -- but for all those who choose to walk with our King, those who call themselves Christian.

 

This book came into my life at the right time. We start a new chapter this week. A new home. Is this the right time for you?

 

Enter below for a chance to win a signed copy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was not compensated for this post other than a free advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and posts are my own.

My Calling: The Mother

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. -Abraham Lincoln

Mothers are all slightly insane. -J.D. Salinger

It's been a long couple of months. We're all tired. We're all ready for this season to end, to get into our own beds, our own place, back into our routines. As we're all tired, tempers are short, and I feel like mine is especially. I, unfortunately, snap a little more often. Tomorrow, we start our last week of the long commute and move into our new home on Friday. My stress level is already rising as I think about packing up the stuff we have "unpacked" -- so now our evenings will be spent getting the boxes filled again. Which means, I will snap at the girls more than they deserve. Which means, I really need to spend more time in prayer. 

Courtney at @womenlivingwell writes about this in her new book, "Women Living Well" [on sale October 1, 2013]. Actually, she devotes TWO chapters to this with "Motherhood Mess Ups" and "I'm Gonna Blow My Top." I'm thinking these we're written for me, in this exact time! This weekend, filled with driving to Sioux Falls and back, a lot of crappy but easy food, lots of walking & playing and SUGAR, attempting to do laundry [it'swashed & dried, but not folded], getting our dog back from our friends who have kept him these past 2 months, a big homework project, time outs and to top it off, no naps, well who would be surprised at some snapping?

I want to raise girls who are kind, loving, gentle [at least to each other!], God fearing, curious, etc etc etc. I'm pretty sure the same prayers most others have for their children. Courtney covers this in her book when she talks about teaching and training. 

Teaching is giving our children the information the need to be successful. Training is giving the the discipline to carry out what they have been taught. "Women Living Well" Courtney Joseph, p 137

Wow. Conviction. I'm pretty good at teaching, but training? Probably needs some work [yeah, and for me too.] If I loose my temper, why should I be surprised when my girls act the EXACT SAME WAY? I need to be better about taking a moment to think ... To breathe ... To PRAY. Courtney lists several verses from Proverbs about tempers. 15:1 is one of my favorites: "a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." This always works with Jessie. When she's upset, soft, calming words show her and help her to "be calm." Why do I forget?? [because I'm painfully human].

Courtney also reminds us that real women aren't perfect and perfect women aren't real. She pulls out Galations 6:9 (do not grow weary of doing good). To raise strong Christian women, I need to pray. For them, for Rocky, for me.

October 1, 2013 I will open a give away for a SIGNED copy of this awesome book along with a book review. I was given a free advanced copy in exchange for writing about the book on my blog and offering a giveaway as part of the book launch team. Blessings!

My Calling: The Wife

"Respect is an attitude of the heart that will be displayed by our actions." Women Living Well, Courtney Joseph

“Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.” C.S. Lewis

She brings him Good not Harm all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:21 

It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. Friedrich Nietzsche

 

I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. Rita Rudner

This area was a struggle for me. I went into the book with, unfortunately, an attitude of what I thought Courtney would say: women should stay home and raise their children. I assume there would be a lot of "submitting," and, well, there is. But not in the ways I expected. One of the first sentences in this part of the book that jumped out at me was "The biblical principles we apply to our marriages should be the same, but how this is carried out in our homes will look different. There are no cookie-cutter marriages." pg 57

From Ephesians 5 ²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. ²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Courtney writes more about Respecting our husbands, which can include submitting if there is a disagreement. But it's less about whose in charge and more about following Christ and the words Paul wrote 2000+ years ago about marriage. And it really comes down to respecting your husband. Interesting that we aren't commanded to love them!

I kind of like this. Today's world hasn't changed respect into something you "feel." Respect is something  you choose to give. Now some have taken this into something you earn. I disagree. You choose whether or not to give another person respect. Sometimes it is something earned, but more by the nature of your title. Like President of the United States -- love him (or her!) or hate him, you should still show some respect for the office and the leadership role in our country. Your boss. Your co-workers. Your pastor or choir director. Your teacher. Why are these titles easy (most of the time) to show respect to, or have people defend that you SHOULD respect them, yet your husband, not so much? The TV sitcoms that I love so much? The husband is usually the butt of the joke. TV and movies are definitely NOT the place to get marital advice!

I'd like to think I have always respected Rocky, but I know that's not the case. I have made poor decisions and not taken the issue to him, which shows a lack of trust & respect. He has always forgiven me and here we are, almost 10 years of marriage, 12 years together. Every day, I make the decision to love him and every day, I must make the decision to respect him. And every day, I pray for the wisdom and ability to do so.

Courtney has some ways to show respect to our husband:

1. Respect his knowledge, opinions and decisions -- ask for his opinion! Value this above other's opinions.
2. Don't nag, criticize or assume the worst of his actions.
3. Watch for sarcastic and disrespectful teasing, eye rolling or bitter attitude.
4. Respect his desire to work, protect, provide & lead (so when he wants to come along on a 2 hour drive, it's not because he doesn't think I can handle it. Not that this has come up recently.)
5. Respect his need for physically intimacy (so hard right now, living in someone else's house!)
6. Know his likes and dislikes -- when tempted to try something new in the kitchen, I will usually show Rocky the recipe to see if he thinks he will like it.
7. Do not wait for your husband to deserve respect. We are all sinners and fall short.

Respecting and submitting to our husbands does not mean that we are not equally important members of the household! If your husband is following his Biblical command to love you, he will value your opinion, your thoughts, your whole self.

I consider myself a feminist and believe that men and women are equal and deserving of the same treatment. Some feel that this is in conflict and I've thought that in the past as well. I'm learning -- and who would have thought that a stay-at-home-mom's book would help me!?! -- that God doesn't see this as a conflict. He loves my husband and I equally, but has different parts for us to play in our home. And now that I have truly said Yes to God, and to my husband, I know how amazing our marriage can be. And Is.

Happy birthday Maggie

Eight years. Wow. My first baby, reading chapter books, breezing through math class, still loving animals. She wants a jungle theme in her new room - which she will share with her sister [we'll see how long that lasts!]

Maggie is my mini-me. I get how her mind works -- she is a people pleaser, wants to be first, but wants things to come easy for her. She wants to want to try new things, but loves her comfort zone [though she is more willing to step outside that zone than I was at that age].

She is a beautiful girl, inside and out. She is somewhere between a tomboy and girly-girl. Earlier this spring, the hair stylist we went to in Billings gave Maggie an up-do because Maggie wanted something different. Maggie was so pleased with the results; she wanted photos taken; even talked about keeping it in for a couple of days. But by bath time, she had enough and out came the bobby pins.

She loves to play and is slowly making friends at her new school. Neither Rocky nor I moved as kids and never had to attempt to make new friends at a new school. I'm sure it's difficult for her, but as she seems to be okay just playing by herself sometimes, I'm not too worried about it. She doesn't talk about it much. And she is that one word answer kid when you ask her about school.

Maggie is bright and quick with a smile. She doesn't care much for sports -- which is probably good with how easy her feelings get hurt. She loves Girl Scouts and movies and books and of course animals.

And a 8 years old, here are a few of her favorites:
Food: Sushi (so she says. she will typically get chicken & french fries when we go out)
Sport: Soccer
Animal: Giraffe
TV Show: Teen Titans Go!
Movie: Rocky & Bullwinkle Movie
Favorite thing at school (that isn't recess): read during quiet reading time
Color: Yellow
When you grow up: zoologist
Song: the Itty Bitty Dance (from Nova Theater Summer Camp)
Book: The Giving Tree
Season: Fall -- but I kinda like all of them
Holiday: Christmas
Snack: apples & peanut butter
Friends at School: Carmelle, Braxton, Summer, MacKenzie, Maya
Places you want to go:  Sioux Falls Zoo

Jessie's Cows

As we have been commuting between Brookings and Watertown as we wait for the house closings, we have been able to enjoy the sun rise and the fog along the water ways and fields. We watch the cows helping to glean the fields. [And Jessie always calls them "my cows."] And with the cows comes that wonderful aroma. One I had forgotten about. The girls are definitely not used to those smells and almost always pipe up with "Eww! What stinks?!?"

The other afternoon during the drive, Jessie pointed out "her" cows and said: "Who pooped on the ground? My tcows poop on the gwound. And den I pick it up and frow it away." If only it were that easy!