Favorite Family Outing October 31, 2008

Have you heard of a Corn Maze?  Well, we have our very own in Zellwood, Florida, and it’s  a lot of fun for the whole family.  The idea is to enter the Corn Field on one end and make your way out the other side.  There’s a bridge in the middle where you can climb up to get your bearings.  Here’s the website for Long and Scott Farms.  And following is what their website says:

What is a Corn Maze?

The maze is an ancient art form created by people thousands of years ago. Today the maze has been reborn at Long & Scott Farms with help from Maize Quest. You or a group work together or compete as teams to find your way through a 6 acre corn field. Corn mazes aren’t just a walk in the stalks via pathways, they’re adventures! The cornstalks are the backdrop for a themed experience that’s different every year. With a bridge, multiple choices on every pathway and a “Maze Master” the maze provides a safe environment to enjoy an exciting new and outside adventure! Each year’s adventure has an educational theme. You answer questions by finding clues in the corn. You can use Maize-o-Vision our trademarked decoding system to see the map hidden on your game sheet. There is something new to find and a decision to make around every corner.

Be sure to take your camera – the memories made will be worth documenting.  Have a great weekend!

Posted by Debi

Fall is Here! October 29, 2008

I would like to interrupt our regularly schedule blogging to bring you this message:

FALL IS HERE!

(well at least for a few days )

I get so excited when the weather changes I try to do all the fun stuff in one day.  Hot cocoa, homemade soup, fall crafts, its pretty funny.  I can’t help it though seeing my 2 year old enjoy his “hot cocoas” (marshmallows) in his hot cocoa.  I love it.  I think my whole family looks forward to not just the baking, but the other things we get to do together as a family, bike rides, picnics, going to school in our backyard.

I am so grateful when the Lord refreshes me with a zeal to love and care for my family.  It is such a joy to see the excitement on their faces, to hear a contented sigh, what a privilege I can’t believe I get to do this! 

Is there something you can do today or during the upcoming weekend that would communicate your love and thought towards your family?  Does your husband have a favorite recipe for a yummy soup or chili that you could make? Can you pack a picnic even if it is for your backyard?

Okay! Back to our regularly scheduled blogging!

Posted by Taraleigh

Being Thankful… October 27, 2008

As I was up in the middle of the night with my teething, miserable baby girl, I was in a half-awake state.  But the Lord reminded me of His blessings to me.  Even though raising children is A LOT of work, it is such a blessing to be a mother.  What gifts God has given to me!  For some reason, He chose ME to be their mom!  What an honor and a privilege – especially when doctors had said it would be difficult for me to have children.  It was such a good reminder to me and I needed it!  I was then able to thank Him and praise Him for His kindness and goodness. 

Have you recently thanked the Lord for the blessing of your children? 

“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.”   Psalm 127:3

Posted by Stephanie.

Growing in Biblical Fellowship

Our Ladies Retreat was so helpful in laying out for us the reason we need other women in our lives.  One thing I was convicted of at that time was not confessing my sin on a regular basis.  I realized I need to be more quick to humble myself and expose my sinful heart.  I believe, by God’s grace, that I have grown to some degree in that, but I still have a lot of room to change!  In fact, revisiting this topic is such a good reminder!

One of the things that has been helpful over the last few months has been getting together with a few girlfriends with the specific purpose of confessing sin and praying for one another.  I know that as I share things with which I am struggling, my friends will be faithful to follow up with me to see if I am “fighting the good fight.”   But by no means is it limited to “accountability meetings.”  This is most often done in the midst of a conversation or even an email.  There are many ways to share with one another.  The most important thing is that I AM sharing, not just when or where.

My prayer for you (if you haven’t already) is that you find a couple of friends that you can be open and honest with – ones that will hold you accountable, but also hold you up in prayer.  We need each other’s help to grow!  Prayerfully ask the Lord to show you those women in your life!

Favorite Fall Dinner October 24, 2008

This weekend we’re supposed to experience the coldest weather of the season.  I thought you might like to try one of my family’s favorite Fall recipes for dinner one night – Apple Pork Chops.  They’re very easy, and oh so yummy!

APPLE PORK CHOPS

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 6 (1/2-inch-thick) pork chops
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 medium-sized cooking apples
• 2 cups apple juice, divided
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice

Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow bowl; dredge pork chops in mixture. Reserve remaining flour mixture. Brown pork chops in oil in a large skillet. Arrange chops in a 13-x-9-x-2-inch baking dish.

Core unpeeled apples, and cut into rings; place on chops. Pour 1 ½ cups apple juice over apples. Combine sugar and allspice; sprinkle over apples. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until chops are tender.

Remove pork chops and apple slices to a serving platter, reserving pan drippings. Dissolve 1 ½ tablespoons remaining flour mixture in remaining ½ cup apple juice. Combine flour mixture and pan drippings in a saucepan; cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over pork chops. Yield: 6 servings.

Enjoy your weekend!

Patience October 22, 2008

I was just a little behind in my yearly Bible reading when Sheree started the posts on I Corinthians 13.  I am so glad I was behind because I started reading this same chapter right after her posts began.  I know a lot of times when I am playing catch up I can gloss right over passages quickly so that I stay “on track”  The Holy Spirit was making sure that I would not gloss over this chapter.  I asked the Lord that morning to bring conviction with this passage that I had read so many times, and He was faithful to do so.  The word patient was highlighted for me when I looked at these questions from Sheree’s post:

Is my love for Kyle patient when:

• He disappoints or sins against me?
• He forgets or seems to trivialize something that is important to me?
• He interrupts me about something much less important than what I’m doing?
• My feelings are hurt by perceived insensitivity on his part?
• I’m tired?
• Hormonal?
• Feeling overextended?
• Hurried?

I have had to camp out quite a bit right there.  Looking up every verse I can find talking about patience…realizing that it’s not just my husband with whom I am impatient.  It really is not fun confessing these sins, right now it seems like the more I think about it and pray about it, the more I am seeing how impatient I am.  I can be tempted to be discouraged.

Ah, but that is where the Gospel breaks through; God is working this for my good; He sent His Son who displays an example of perfect patience; who never reviled in return; who meets me again and again.

I am praying as the Lord gives me the grace to fight this sin…the next time I am tired or in a rush…I will remember that loving my husband in this particular instance…is in being patient with him.

Lord God, you have overwhelmed my days with your loving kindness.  Each day fresh mercy and fresh grace await me and are abundant in my time of need.  Thank you for continuing to reveal areas of sin that I am completely blind to or worse that I justify.  Lord, I cry out to you!  Help me to be patient and loving to those around me, especially my husband and children. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Posted by Taraleigh

Can You Handle The Truth? October 21, 2008

I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately with the various demands on my life and schedule.  I am weary of hearing how bad the economy is, the uncertainty of America’s future with the upcoming election and dealing with hormones and emotions that won’t wait for the “right time”.

When Sheree began her Musings from the Back Nine series and her God-given conviction from her devotions on 1 Corinthians 13 series,  I honestly wanted to say, “I can’t add one more thing, no matter how good, to my already exhaustive list of things to do.”  I don’t know that I can “Handle the Truth”, to quote a famous movie.  I’m responsible to edit and post what the team writes on this blog.  I read the posts before they arrive on your screen each morning, yet I am struggling to embrace the glorious Truths that are being offered to me with such humility and faith.

God forgive me!  Have I become so busy that I haven’t time to examine my own heart in regards to how I treat my husband?  How I treat my family?   Of course I have kept my struggles to myself, so it isn’t affecting my relationships outwardly…”Tom, you haven’t noticed me being impatient and irritable with you, have you?” I asked fully expecting to hear a quick, “why, no!”

But I didn’t.  Tom graciously said, “Well, yeah, I have, but you do have a lot on your plate right now.”  That’s my humble husband’s response to my selfishness and sin.

I must never become too busy to pursue the mortification of sin whenever God reveals it.  He is the One who plans my days.  Who am I to argue at His timing in my life?  I find myself undone and in great need of God’s help to lead me through this whirlwind.   I am grateful and speechless, like Job who heard God speak to him out of the whirlwind, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?”

Father, help me to quit feeling sorry for myself and making excuses as to why this isn’t the right time to mortify these particular sins in my life.  If You are revealing them to me, You will provide the grace I need to walk through the waters of repentance.  Your grace is sufficient when I feel it and even when I don’t.  You aren’t dependent on my feelings for anything!  And I must be only dependent on You – my Savior, who endured the Cross on my behalf!  Certainly, I can endure a challenging schedule and glorify You in the process, because You have made a way for me through the difficulty.  Thank You for grace, unending, vast and free!  In Jesus’ precious name, Amen!

Posted by Debi

love… October 20, 2008

I have had an opportunity to apply at least some of the things we have talked about in the past few weeks.  Maybe some of you can relate with what the last four weeks have looked like for me…my two boys have taken turns being sick – croup, bronchitis, headaches, colds and growing pains.  At the same time my baby has been teething.  So as you can imagine, there has not been much rest or any extra time for much of anything.  I haven’t even been able to finish reading all the posts on 1st Corinthians, but I did get through the first several.

I have certainly had the opportunity to practice being patient and kind, not envying when my husband left for the day, and I was home with sick kids!  Through the sleep deprivation, I am still called to love my husband and to serve him.  That is not always easy to do.  It is easy to fall into self pity and focus only on myself.  But the Lord gives grace to do the things he has called us to do – especially when we are the weakest.

I look forward to revisiting the rest of the posts and learning more from this wonderful chapter.

Posted by Stephanie

Our final post on 1 Corinthians 13 and Marriage October 17, 2008

The past several weeks have been a wonderful journey for me.  I pray they have been for you, too.  This study has once again affirmed the truth of Hebrews 4:12:  “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Have you sensed the Holy Spirit “discerning the thoughts and intentions” of your heart?  Have you experienced moments of conviction over sin patterns in your marriage?  Have you become more aware of the motives of your heart in these patterns – selfish insistence on your own way, unkindness, irritability, anger, pride, resentment or envy?  If so, rejoice in the mercy of God, who reveals sin to those He loves!

As we close this series, let’s all remember that we are limited in our ability to apply what we read and hear.  We are frail, needy and dependent.  We can only change as the sanctifying power of God energizes our efforts to put off sin and put on godliness.

So let’s do what we’ve talked about often on our little blog…consider one thing we can do to respond to what we’ve learned.  Pray and discuss with your husband one thing you can do to apply yourself to change.

•    Print and re-read the posts over the coming weeks because you haven’t been able to give this passage the time and attention you would like?
•    Get with a godly older woman for help in discerning areas of needed change in you as a wife?
•    Choose one of the specific sins in this passage and come up with a prayerful strategy for change?
•    Set up a date with your husband to receive his counsel about what he feels is most important for you to focus on?
•    Select a biblically sound book on marriage to read over the next month for further help and inspiration?

These are just suggestions to get you thinking.  After you know your one thing, please tell someone who can watch you, pray for you, correct you when they see you sinning, and rejoice when change becomes evident.

And if you’re looking for some good books to keep the priority of loving your husband before you, here are my favs:

“Feminine Appeal:  Seven Virtues of the Godly Wife” by Carolyn Mahaney
“When Sinners Say I Do” by Dave Harvey
“Love That Lasts:  When Marriage Meets Grace” by Gary and Betsy Ricucci
“Sex and the Supremacy of Christ” by John Piper/Justin Taylor

These are all available at www.sovereigngraceministries.org and some of them are clearance priced.

Lord, thank you for your word and for the help that comes when I see how to apply it to my life.  I want to be the suitable helper you created me to be for my husband.  Please give me the one thing you desire me to do in response to what I’ve been learning.  Help me to diligently apply myself to repentance and change for your glory and the good of my marriage.  I trust you to complete your work in me!  Amen.

Posted by Sheree

Remember: God Is Faithful October 16, 2008

Today let’s think about the second “burden” for you that Benny and I discussed at the beach last week:  Please remember that God is faithful.

One of the delightful topics of biblical fellowship we enjoyed together was talking about our kids.   Have you noticed how often you and your husband end up talking about them?  Well, our oldest is 30, and we’re still doing it.  You will, too.

We decided to spend some of our week talking about the main areas of growth in our children (including the “new kids” – the spouses of our married children).  Notebook in hand, we joyfully reflected on 1 or 2 areas of growth in godliness in each of their lives over the past 6 months or so.  We also chose an area or two of concern we had for each of them.  We look forward to sharing these thoughts with each of them in the days ahead.  (Someday I pray you will enjoy wonderful relationships with your adult children – it’ll be here before you know it.)

The concerns weren’t discouraging because we first reflected on the amazing faithfulness of God in their lives.  A couple of the evidences of His grace we were discussing were actually areas of concern…just months ago!  I’m thinking that when we share our observations with them, a couple of them will say, “Really?  You’ve noticed that?  Wow!  Weren’t we just recently talking about my weakness in that area???”  So often growth (ours and those we love) can seem painfully slow.  But sometimes God quickens to us power to change and…wow!

Stop for a second and think about your heavenly Father sitting down beach-side to think about you, His daughter.  Picture Him with notebook in hand reflecting on the past 6 months in your life and how you relate to your husband.  What might He be jotting down?

•    She’s growing in humility in the way she responds to his requests.
•    I don’t hear angry or irritated voice tones nearly as often when she talks to him.
•    She’s asking Me to help her more.
•    She more regularly asks his advice.
•    She’s making it easier for him to lead her and the children.
•    She’s talking about him much more often to Me.
•    She smiles at him more.
•    And she doesn’t even know how closely I’m watching and listening as she quietly does the hard things more often.

I’ll be honest.  There are tears brimming in my eyes as I’m writing.  If I could sit next to each of you young moms and grab your hand to say these things I would.  God is watching.  Yes, He sees and hears when you sin against your husband.  But He is also catching all the things you’re doing right.  All the hard choices you are making that He is often the only one seeing.  All the times you bite your lip to avoid saying something proud.  Or choose to rally the kids to tidy up the house before Daddy comes home just to bless him (even if he doesn’t say anything).  Or respond to his affections at night when all you want to do is sleep.

And even when you’re not “doing hard things” He is at work in you!  Consider these glorious promises (emphasis mine):

“His divine power has granted to us all things pertaining to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us according to his own glory and excellence” (2 Pet 1:3).

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may be able to do his will…” (Heb 13:20).

“The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you” (Rom 8:11).

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6).

Ladies, as we discussed yesterday, we have a responsibility to do our part in the sanctification process and to not allow the recurring distractions of life and motherhood to be an excuse for not growing as wives.  But our part is not the main part.  God is faithful.  He has promised us that He will help us, even if and when we don’t ask for it.

When you said “I do” God said “I will.”  He will help you.  He will pull you back on track when you get distracted.  He will give you grace to be the helper He created you to be.  He will forgive you when sin hinders and ensnares you.

He has promised He will finish what He started.  And His promises are always fulfilled!

Posted by Sheree (who apologizes for this one getting really long.)