Monday, June 29, 2009

Protecting Their Purity

One of the responsibilities that we have been given as parents is to protect the purity of our children. This begins when our sons and daughters are very young. Oh be careful little eyes what you see should not only be a song our children sing for fun, but a standard for Chris and I to live by. If the truth found in this song can become the way in which we choose to live our lives we will go far in protecting the purity of our children.

The world is full of sensual images that seek to rob us of our sensitivity to the sins of sensuality, immodesty and sexual immorality. I cannot take my children to the local grocery stores and stand in the check out lines without being extremely concerned about the images that are glaring back from the covers of the magazines. My sons could possibly begin to wrestle with the the sin of lust at a very early age. My daughters could very easily see themselves as less than perfect the way God fashioned them.

There are some places that should be a place of safety. One such place that I can think of is the church. Coming together with other believers should be a time of fellowship and worship not a time to teach my sons how to bounce their eyes from sensual images and my daughters a lesson in immodesty.

Our homes should be places of safety as well. That is one reason we have made the decision to not allow television in our home. The images from prime time programs, commercials and movies do little to protect the purity of ourselves and our children. What images are we allowing into our safe havens from the world?

Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. Ephesians 4:19

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Ephesians 5:3

I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. Psalms 101:2b-3

You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain. Song of Songs 4:12

Monday, June 22, 2009

Simple Woman's Daybook




Daybook Entry June 22, 2009


Outside my window...garden growing...first tomatoes ripening...hot sun shining


I am thinking...about a new business opportunity


I am thankful for...ice cold water on hot days


From the learning rooms...preparing for a few more formal lessons with Bo this fall


From the kitchen...leftovers thrown into a pot..leftover stew...my love's favorite


I am wearing...brown skirt...green top...hair in a ponytail of course


I am creating...a ring of scripture cards to help with my praying from head to toe


I am going...to hang a load of laundry out to dry in the hot sun


I am reading...What He Must Be... if he wants to marry my daughter


I am hoping...to have some quiet time with one of the littles today(the one who wakes first from nap)


I am hearing...a leaky faucet drip


Around the house...garden growing...chickens running...children laughing


One of my favorite things...an afternoon nap


A few plans for the rest of the week:


hoe the weeds from the garden


business opportunity meeting


6 weeks checkup for me (she's 6 weeks already)


turning 30 on Thursday


dinner with family Saturday


Here is picture thought I am sharing...





LouLou helping daddy fix the lawn mower


Holli

thanks to The Simple Woman for the daybook idea

Saturday, June 20, 2009

I wish time would stand still when...

my sweet baby is sleeping peacefully on my chest... as I smell the top of her head...feel her breathing rise and fall...warm my chest with her little body

LouLou rocks her baby doll...singing softly...smiling at me
or
she runs to daddy to be scooped up in his arms and held tightly

Boo runs in to tell me a story...as he uses his big boy voice...grabs my hand to show me something outside

or
he works alongside his daddy...little man... as he learn from the man in his life...

Bo listens intently to a story...eyes wide open...searching my face for hints of what will happen next
or
he calls me name in the middle of his busyness and mine just to say I love you, mom

my love and I find time for a quick embrace in the middle of out busy days

I Love it when....

LouLou wakes up each morning and seems so surprised to find that she has a sister.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Praying from Head to Toe

I found this post on A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, to be just what I needed in this season of life with four little ones five and under. My prayer time for the last several years had consisted of prayer cards with requests for each member of my family. For the last several months I had found the cards too cumbersome and somewhat of a burden. It was very difficult to find the time to sit and pray through the cards at one time.

After reading the above post, I decided to try praying for my children from head to toe. I began with my newest nursling and prayed for her mind all the way down to her toes during one of her nursing sessions. It was very powerful and I felt a mental prayer block that I had seemed to develop fade away with my tears as I touched each tiny body part and prayed scripture over her.

I then tried praying over Bo from head to toe when awoke from nap earlier than everyone else one day. Rocking my big boy in the rocking chair I prayed scripture over his life using his body parts from head to toe as reminders. When I finished he asked me to pray something over his stomach (ha! ha!) and he also wanted to know when it was Boo's turn.

I have since prayed over all of my children several time and find the visual reminders of their little heads, eyes, ears, mouths, faces, hands and feet very helpful in remembering specific scriptures I want to pray over them.

Here are several scriptures that I have been praying over them lately. I am going to take time to look up more scripture to pray over them very soon. I plan to make an index card ring with scriptures dealing specifically with each body part very soon.
mind
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
eyes
"I will set before my eyes no vile thing"... Psalms 101:3
ears
"Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise." Proverbs 19:20
mouth
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29
heart
"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalms 119:11
countenance
"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalms 34:5
hands
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." Colossians 3: 23-24
feet
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalms 119:105

Celebrating His Gifts

two brothers...and their dogs...hiking in the pasture...enjoying nature together

big sister...amazed face each morning...as she discovers she has a little sister all over again

baby sister...sweet snuggles...beginning to grin...smell of newness...a new life embarking on discovering the beauty of our world for the first time

holding my little ones close...praying from head to toe...the stillness of the night...causes me to think and reflect

my love...home from work...laying my head on his shoulder...smelling his smell...feeling his strong arms embrace me

a garden growing...hoping for a big harvest...working the land together

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Gifts from His hand...

a new little sister...a new best friend...a new person to love and serve

my little boy...growing up...losing his first two teeth


sun's rays peeking through the shadows...a little girl enjoying God's creation


brother and sister...sharing...secrets and smiles


sweet baby scents...grunts...sleepy eyes...snuggling close




Thursday, June 4, 2009

Our Newest Addition




Our newest addition arrived
May 14, 2009
at 11:56 a.m.
she was 8lbs 10oz
21 inches
She was given a birthday party when the boys and LouLou arrived at the hospital.
We are all very much in love with this new miracle.