These posts have blessed me so much! I feel so much more free and also feel so humbled! Lord help me to always be full of Grace with others and to not think more highly of myself in any situation!
Mommy Wars in the Local Church: A Parable
by Gloria Furman | May 24, 2012
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This parable* was told to some mothers who engaged in Mommy Wars and trusted in themselves that they figured it all out, and treated others with contempt:
Two mothers woke up and opened their Bibles to pray, one a perfect mother and the other a not-so-perfect mother.
The perfect mother prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am Mom enough, not like other mothers who have no clue what they’re doing, or even like those whose children disobey and don’t achieve as much as mine do.
But the not-so-perfect mother prayed, ‘God, help me, a grace-dependent mother whose faith is so small but whose God is so great!’
Christian and non-Christian mothers alike decry the issue of mother-to-mother destructive criticism. Their voices have weighed in by the hundreds of thousands against the “Mommy Wars.”
Many women, with cynical derision, claim this problem is more prevalent inside the church, and that is because inside the church, motherhood-related issues are more likely to be assigned a moral value, creating a game that no mother can win.
Understanding Mommy Wars
Along with Rachel, I find these Mommy Wars to be quite foreign. In fact I asked some friends back home in the States to explain how their lives were impacted. We left the U.S. before our oldest was 16 months, before DIY online stores were generating income for Proverbs 31 hopefuls, before social media sites showcased our God-given creativity with professional cameras, and before organic food was available in major grocery food stores.
Our other two children were born in the Middle East. Here, when someone asks me about my mothering, it is often in the vein of “It takes a village to raise a child, so what village are you from?” There’s little competition here, but sincere intrigue and concern.
I have been asking my friends: Are Christian mothers more violent contenders in this culturally-facilitated Mommy War? Do the moral values of Christian mothers make us more likely to throw other mothers under the bus instead of build them up in the gospel?
Moral and Non-Moral Matters
There are in fact moral values assigned to certain parenting practices described in the Bible. Ephesians 6:4 comes to mind, “Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The moral value of this parenting practice is indisputable. Our moral potential for practicing this is also indisputable. We are sinners in need of God’s grace!
But most of the outrage against mother-to-mother criticism comes from the assigning of arbitrary moral values to non-moral mothering techniques or practices. Take nursing and bottle feeding for example. I have heard both of these moral judgments: “You nurse your baby? Shame on you.” and “You use bottles? Shame on you.”
When we acknowledge the heart idols of competitive mothering we can understand who fired the first shot in the Mommy War. We all did.
Mommy Wars in the Church
Christian mothers must not accept Mommy Wars in the church. Mommy Wars are a contradiction of a community founded on Jesus Christ.
God's forgiveness, and our knowing that we are forgiven sinners, frees us from the very things that spoil our relations with each other. It frees Christian mothers from the need to prove anything. It frees us from envy and one-up-mothering. It frees us from the craving for approval and praise that we seek from others. It liberates us to value each other in Christ, and to love our mother-neighbors as ourselves.
In other words, the cross makes possible the fellowship that the Mommy Wars threaten to tear down.
So-called Mommy Wars have no place among Christian sisters. Christian mothers are weak and needy for one another. Like the faithful Canaanite mother, we approach the Savior on our knees, saying “Lord, help me” (Matthew 15:21–28). That is the posture of the needy, Christian mother.
We cherish the shed blood of Jesus Christ who cleanses us from our sin and we live peaceably with one another because of the cross. Moreover, we love to boast all the more gladly of our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon us!
We approach the Savior on our knees, and we are able to “put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1) and we can “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24).
Instead of taking the next shot to slander a mother who does things differently, Jesus gives us the grace we need to adorn the gospel. Jesus gives us the grace to be reverent in behavior, teach what is good, train young women to love their husbands and children, be self-controlled, be pure, work at home, be kind, and be submissive to our own husbands (Titus 2).
* The parable is based on Jesus’ Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9–14.
________
Posts in the Mommy Wars series —
Are You Mom Enough? (Rachel Pieh Jones)
The End of Mommy Wars (Christine Hoover)
Mommy Wars and the Local Church: A Parable (Gloria Furman)
Mommy Wars Are Spirit Wars (Carolyn McCulley) forthcoming
A Pregnant Woman’s Defense Against the Schemes of the Devil (Gloria Furman) forthcoming
These blogs have been so good for me! Thank you hubby for always finding me such good things to read! This is a series you can read at http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/are-you-mom-enough-mommy-wars
I have spent 10 of my nearly 12 mommying years in Africa, so
when an American friend mentioned the “Mommy Wars,” I had to ask her
what that was.
Apparently, as she informed me, there is a perceived “mothering
battleground” where moms pit themselves against each other over topics
like feeding babies, choosing schools, eating healthy, disciplining
children, and more.
Are You Mom Enough?
Time Magazine recently joined the fray with the provocative
cover of a beautiful young mother visibly breastfeeding her four-year
old son next to the title, “Are You Mom Enough?”
The message screamed at moms from this issue of Time, from
television, Facebook, blogs, and Pinterest is: unless you are fit to run
marathons, breastfeed into the preschool years, own a spotless and
creatively decorated home, tend a flourishing garden, prepare three
home-cooked meals per day, work a high-powered job, and give your husband expert, sensual massages before bed, you are not mom enough.
From my perspective, however, the Mommy War is over. Done. Finished. Kaput.
And I lost.
I am not mom enough. Never was, never will be.
But I am on the frontlines of another war. The battles are
raging and the casualties could be my children, my husband, or myself.
This war isn’t about me being mom enough. This war is about God being
“God enough.”
Is God “God Enough”?
Is God “God enough” when my daughter falls from the roof and the
nearest hospital is a two-hour drive and a four-hour flight away?
Is God “God enough” when a beloved friend and devoted mother is diagnosed with cancer?
Is God “God enough” when loneliness and culture shock creep in like a snake and squeeze my heart?
Is God “God enough” to take my best, stained efforts at childrearing and craft something that brings him pleasure?
Is God “God enough” to turn little hearts to him, and to hold them there?
Five loaves and two fish feed thousands. A shepherd boy takes out a
giant. A king who commits adultery and murder is called “a man after
God’s own heart.” A pagan prostitute bears the bloodlines of Jesus. A
man dead and buried for days inhales fresh life. An outcast, stained
with a continual flow of blood, is healed with the touch of a tunic. The
wind and waves are stilled. The sting of death is vanquished, the curse
removed forever.
God is, always has been, and always will be, God enough. The battle
is over whether or not I will believe it, whether or not I will delight
in God’s enough-ness.
Mom Enough
And somehow, in God’s mathematics of grace: Mom (never enough) + God (infinitely enough) = Mom enough.
Mom enough to believe and to be called Chosen, Daughter, Righteous, Honored, Heir, Forgiven, Redeemed.
Trusting in God, because of Christ, I will rise from the graveyard of
Mommy War victims, victorious and filled with resurrection power.
Loving and living in his perfect enough-ness, I will live to parent for
another day. Never mom enough, but filled with the One who is always
enough.
WOW!!!! This blog was awesome! I think I was sitting in this living room hearing how I need to stop comparing my baby to everyone's and my mothering to everyone's! This is worth the read! So take the three minutes to read this blog mommies!
Every other week this spring, I opened my home to a group of
new moms to discuss biblical motherhood. Each of them arrived with their
babies and baby gear in tow, as well a palpable fear that they were
getting it all wrong.
There is an inherent danger in gathering moms in a room: we
immediately compare notes regarding our children’s milestones,
personalities, and sleep habits. Really, though, we are comparing
ourselves, wondering if we are good moms and if our children reflect
that.
With the new moms, I addressed this tendency toward comparison on the
first day. Until we stop comparing ourselves or telling other moms they
should mother our way, I said, we will leave our time together feeling
isolated and condemned.
The gospel of Christ holds no place for comparison. We are all
equally in need of grace, and we all equally receive it as a gift from
God. In regards to mothering, the gospel clearly applies:
Through Christ, God offers us grace in our mothering. He takes our
meager efforts and produces spiritual fruit in us and our children. He
is enough.
He has given us principles in Scripture as a framework for mothering.
He has also given us the Holy Spirit to individually lead and guide us in mothering our unique children.
What does this mean in day-in, day-out motherhood?
It means that we are all mothering toward the same goal — that our
children know and worship God. Our methods for reaching that goal may
vary according to our unique families, circumstances, and the leadership
of the Holy Spirit. Will he lead every believer toward the same goal?
Yes. Will he lead every believer to the goal in the same way? No. And
this is a very good thing.
Nancy Wilson writes,
Because every family is a distinct cultural unit, it is good that
our methods differ. God did not intend for us to walk in lockstep with
one another. . . . We ought to rejoice in a common commitment to
biblical principles and in the variety of methods God’s people employ. (The Fruit of Her Hands, 58)
Because of the gospel, then, the Mommy Wars have no place among
believers. After all, at the heart of the Mommy Wars is pride (“I am
more spiritual than that mother because I employ this method and she
does not.”), competition (“My children are better than hers because I
employ this method.”), and self-condemnation (“I am not spiritual enough
or a good enough mother because I don’t employ the method that she
does.”).
To end the Mommy Wars in the church, we must learn to apply the
gospel to our own mothering, and also to the mothering methods of
others. When we know God’s grace, we stop looking for validation from
others for our methods, and we are able to extend grace to others. We
celebrate and respect the different gifts and styles of mothering as we
move toward a common goal.
These are all the things I said to the new moms in my living room. I
pleaded with them earnestly to remember grace, to turn off the chorus of
(good) voices on the internet and (good) books on their shelves, and to
listen for and focus on the only voice that matters, the quiet whisper
of the Holy Spirit in the pages of Scripture.
Oh boy PRIDE! I pray God would keep me humble all of my days!
And yet another amazing blog by Julie at http://bc4women.blogspot.com/2012/05/hard-heart-of-pride.html
The Hard Heart of Pride
Today we will take a short look at the issue of pride. I have seen pride
in various ways in myself and others. Sometimes it is overt and the
person is pompous and other times pride is sneaky and hides behind
shyness, self-debasement, and even depression!
Pride is a heart-attitude sin that overflows into a person’s motivation,
decision-making, and activities. Pride is at the root of nearly every
problem we struggle with in counseling!
The heart of pride is focused on “self.” Prideful people believe they
deserve better than what life has brought them. They become sorrowful,
resentful, and even jealous of other people and their successes. Pride
breeds self-pity, which is a major component in depression. Typically,
people who struggle with pride will live life based on how they feel and
expect everyone else to accommodate them and adapt to their moods.
Two key characteristics of pride are independence and rebellion. It
should not be too difficult for us to understand why this is so. The
truth is we all want our own way about things, and we usually will do
almost anything to have it our way. The sinful nature leads us to desire
independence, and we rebel at the thought of being under anyone’s
control or authority.
In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Psalm 10:4 (NIV)
In our hearts we say as Pharaoh did, “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?” (Exodus 5:2)
The truth is, we cannot remain full of pride because God hates pride!
All who fear the LORD will hate evil. That is why I hate pride, arrogance, corruption, and perverted speech. Proverbs 8:13 (NLT)
The heart of pride brings devastating consequences that God ordains: a
hardened heart and consequences of this sin. Scripture shows us the
results of pride through the examples of two kings: King Nebuchadnezzar
and King Herod. They both became prideful and consequently were humbled
by God.
In your life, pride will cause your heart to harden toward God.
Consequently, God will not allow you to prosper. He will bring you
dishonor, which is the last thing a prideful person wants (Proverbs
11:2).
Pride brings opposition from God. He will not share His glory with
anyone or anything. The prideful person is self-deceived. Often prideful
people are mistakenly diagnosed with “low self-esteem” because their
actions and attitudes appear to be self-depreciating. Low self-esteem is
defined as “a person’s belief regarding the degree to which he is
worthy of praise.”
The prideful person already thinks very highly of himself or herself!
People infected by pride typically think so much of themselves that they
believe the world should revolve around them. The only thing important
to prideful people is getting their needs filled. It may be an emotional
need, a desire for attention, or a resistance to conform to social
norms in order to be seen as an individual.
Prideful people struggle with bitterness, revenge, conceit, self-pity, a
competitive nature, gossip, slander, and vanity. They display a desire
to be noticed, which is disguised as shyness. They typically have a lust
for attention, approval, and praise. Those who attempt to build them up
psychologically only assist them in further self-indulgence.
Pride is an evil of the heart that must be done away with for the Believer to grow and change.
This blog came at the most perfect time! I have posted it below! I have really been struggling to get a hold of my heart and what is flowing out of it! I am praying constantly for God to change me and make me more like Jesus. I feel that I have so far to go... and I do! This process of sanctification is something we go through daily. We will never be perfect like Jesus. I am just so thankful for a gracious God who is slow to anger. His wrath should be pouring down on me more than anyone else. Lord change me! Help me to have a pure heart. I know this is impossible to accomplish alone but everything is possible with you Lord! I want to be able to also say,"Imitate me as I imitate Christ."
From Julie at http://bc4women.blogspot.com/2012/05/as-i-imitate-christ.html
...As I Imitate Christ
Paul said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Can you say that? I know
that I shudder when I think of saying that to people. I want to… I want
to be able to say that. I see I am so far from who Paul was at the time
he wrote these words. I pray that I won’t have to wait until I am old
and grizzled before I finally put off enough of my flesh to be able to
encourage people to imitate me as I imitate Christ.
What gets in my way? It is those sinful desires again…my heart lusting
after forbidden fruit that is as temporary as a ice cube on an August
afternoon. It gives me some pleasure, maybe even some relief but all too
soon it is gone and I am more miserable than I was before I had it,
because I want more. My flesh is never ever going to be satisfied and
why I don’t get that on a permanent basis I don’t know!
How can I encourage you to imitate me when I see the crud that is
displayed in my life and is a revelation of what it is in my heart? When
I hear the words coming from my mouth that are not edifying, or loving,
or patient or kind? When I know my temper flares with impatience and I
see myself behaving so selfishly?
(I cannot help but wonder if Eve had the same thoughts as she looked longingly back at Eden.
Did she sit picking weeds in a field pondering what her life was like
before she ate from that tree? How simple it was then, how delightful,
how free she was before that blasted serpent made his appearance? She
had actually been sinless!)
I want to encourage you to be better than me! Surrender now, all
of it. Don’t wait another moment, or another day! Don’t play around with
your sin for it wants more and more of you. It desires to master you
and wants you to believe it owns you.
God is graciously allowing me to have those little glimpses inside my
heart that I speak of from time to time on this blog. He is using
various things right now to show me –again- how much change still must
take place in my heart. I am hearing each cutting word; I am knowing
each thought that does not bring Him glory. The Spirit of God is so very
powerful and faithful to show me what must change! That quiet
and non-condemning “voice” that “says,” “Ahh, did you hear what you just
said? Is this what I am teaching you about right now?” I am so
thankful! I am so humbled, and it is very good. Believe me when I tell
you that seeing me in the light of His holiness is a very humbling
experience.
It is my most fervent prayer that one day I will be able to tell you
that it is ok to imitate me, because I am imitating Christ and have a
clear conscience in doing so. I believe one day I shall because HE is
faithful to finish this work that HE began in me. He is the one who is
doing all this in my heart and even causing me to care about it in the
first place. He will not fail in this transformation for He is the
Master and the lover of my soul. He has determined that I will bring Him
much glory and because of that I will not fail.
May 3, 2012by Paul Tautges | 2 Comments
The Bible’s call to the wife to submit to her husband is one of
the most misunderstood and confused areas of the Christian life.
Therefore, sometimes, when defining what something is, it is helpful to
consider what it is not. In her excellent booklet, HELP! I Can’t Submit to My Husband,
biblical counselor Glenda Hotton gives rock-solid counsel to wives. She
explains how when a woman humbly submits to her husband in a godly
manner, “it gives her freedom to become all that she desires and dreams
of, because first she is submitting to the Lord.” The author then
explains biblical submission by correcting six common ideas of
submission. Submission is not …
Being a Doormat - God has not
given men permission to be inconsiderate of their wives or in any way to
abuse them. He has not told men to do things that will be hazardous to
their wives’ mental and emotional health. Remember, the command to wives
to submit to their husbands is followed by the command to husbands to
love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave his life for her (Ephesians 5:25).
Men and women are different. But not all women believe that is how God
ordained it. Their thinking comes out of the teaching of the current
women’s liberation movement, which tells us that we have been sex-role
socialized. It is taught in our secular universities that we have been
programmed since childhood how to act and behave as women, thus creating
a sense of inferiority. We are not inferior but equal in all ways.
Equal but different! God has given men and women different roles to play
in marriage.
About Who Is Superior - The title
of “leader in the home” is not one for which we can compete, to see who
is best. God said, “The husband is the head of the wife.” God knows our
strengths and weaknesses, and he uses all for his glory. If a husband
is wise, he will seek his wife’s wisdom, knowledge, and opinions. But
many husbands say that they cannot use their wives’ talents, efficiency,
or intelligence because their wives tend to take over. It is easy to
recognize wives who are more gifted in some areas than their husbands.
Some are naturally adept at finances, creative gardening, decorating, or
organizing. But statements like, “I’m more gifted with administration
so I lead our family,” can be extremely destructive for the husband who
is trying to excel as leader in the home. However, I want to add that a
man who is confident and secure in his role of leader in the home may
recognize that his wife is gifted in such areas and may ask her to take
those responsibilities. He will be proud of her help. Taking on these
roles in this manner still constitutes submission.
Being Passive – Some women are
naturally quiet and give their input very carefully, and by nature find
it a challenge. If a wife, however, withholds her input because of fear
or desiring peace at all costs, this is not submission. Yet there are
times when a wife will choose to be quiet for a purpose—a bigger plan.
Jesus, God in the flesh, is our example in all things, and in Mark 15:3–5
he gives an example of being quiet with a purpose: The chief priests
began to accuse Him harshly. Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying,
“Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!” But
Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed. Christ was not
afraid to say something. He was not afraid to defend. He was not scared
of what Pilate would do. He knew what Pilate could do and knew he didn’t
have to defend himself because God had a bigger plan. He was still in
charge, but he didn’t waste his words by defending himself. When a woman
holds her voice for a season, it gives her the ability to gain control
of herself, to choose her words carefully, to pray and seek guidance, to
journal her facts, thoughts, ideas, opinions, and intuitions, and to
present all to her husband in an orderly fashion….This is not being
passive; this is demonstrating her strength. It may appear to an
onlooker that she is passive, but in reality she is exercising
intelligence, discernment, and Spirit-control by presenting her concern
in private when both are calm and she is prepared.
Determined By Who Is Right – Christians
live within the parameters of scriptural principles and their own
preferences. If Scripture has spoken on an issue, it behooves us to pay
attention. But some things are what we may call “gray areas” and are
subject to personal preferences. Many situations that come up in a
family may not have a clear scriptural right or wrong. It is important
to share our preferences, but we must remember that God works through
our husbands for the good of the whole family and that our
husbands will answer to God for their choices. This puts us wives in a
praying position. Submission is easy when we agree with our husbands’
decisions. But the test comes, of course, when they choose the opposite
of what we want. This requires us to trust that God’s way is the best
way, and to understand that he will care for us and that true happiness
comes through trusting God. He has called every wife to submit to her own husband [see 1 Peter 3:1–2].
A Burden to Be Borne – Rather,
submission is a God-given privilege and necessity in order that homes
run smoothly. A woman may take on the martyr-type stance. This wife
becomes a complainer, a troublemaker, and she is very disruptive to her
household. She has a “Poor me!” attitude and is a poor testimony for her
Christian faith. This is not godly submission.
A Tool to Use When a Wife Wants Something – Submission
comes with no strings attached. It is a desire to please God and do
what is best for the family. Most women desire the inner peace that
comes from living in harmony with their husbands and obeying God. As I
am writing this, words of a hymn by Fanny J. Crosby play in my mind: Perfect
submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest; Watching
and waiting, looking above, Filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
This is my story, this is my song; Praising my Savior all the day long!
Hotton then concludes with this important call to submissive faith in
Jesus Christ: “If you do not know Christ as your Lord and Savior, it
will be almost impossible to have an attitude of submission to your
husband and to trust God to work in your marriage. Ask your pastor or
elder in your church to introduce you to this wonderful loving God, who
loves you (Romans 5:6–10).
He loves you so much that he gave his only Son to die on the cross—a
miserable death—for you so that you can have spiritual rest. Jesus says,
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28). The blessed assurance that submission brings is a fruit of a Christian’s faith.”
O GOD OF THE OPEN EAR,
Teach me to live by prayer as well as by Providence, for myself,
soul, body, children, family, church; Give me a heart frameable to Thy
will; so I might live in prayer, and honor Thee, being kept from evil,
known and unknown.
Help me to see the sin that accompanies all I do, and the good I can
distil from everything. Let me know that the work of prayer is to bring
my will to Thine, and that without this it is folly to pray; When I try
to bring Thy will to mine it is to command Christ, to be above Him, and
wiser than He: this is my sin and pride. I can only succeed when I pray
according to Thy precept and promise, and to be done with as it pleases
Thee, according to Thy will.
When Thou commandest me to pray for pardon, peace, brokenness, it is
because Thou wilt give me the thing promised, for Thy glory, as well as
for my good.
Help me not only to desire small things but with holy boldness to
desire great things for Thy people, for myself, that they and I might
live to show Thy glory.
Teach me that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have, out of
love, willingly, not of necessity; that I may come to Thee at any time,
to lay open my needs acceptably to Thee; that my great sin lies in my
not keeping the savor of Thy ways; that the remembrance of this truth is
one way to the sense of Thy presence; that there is no wrath like the
wrath of being governed by my own lusts for my own ends.
[From The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett]
This blog came at such a perfect time! My friend and I will be studying the book When People Are Big and God is Small in two weeks. This book talks about fearing man more than God and seeking man's approval. This is a sin I struggle with and I pray God changes my heart! For the link to this blog click on the link below.
Written by Julie from http://bc4women.blogspot.com
"When a person lives in their emotions, and their sense of self-worth is very important to them. They must be well thought of, and live for the approval of people. What develops from there is often known of as fear of man issues.
Fear of man is not easy to detect, because those who struggle with it often have the best attitudes about everything! They are the go-to women who are everywhere doing everything in your churches. Their homes are a beehive of activity, and they are the self-sacrificing wives of busy men. These women rarely say "no " to anything, and they determine not to let anyone down.
Women who struggle with fear of man issues appear to be so happy and content, especially while they are serving others. In reality, many are prisoners of the good opinions of those people they serve. Ed Welch, in his fantastic book When People Are Big and God is Small says this about fear of man: “It includes being afraid of someone, but it extends to holding someone in awe, being controlled or mastered by people, worshiping other people, putting your trust in people, or needing people” (p. 14). People become “our idol of choice.”
Those with fear of man issues describe themselves as being “shy,” having "love or approval needs," "People-pleasers," having an "empty love tank/cup," or may have picked up the term "co-dependent" somewhere along the way. They truly do not understand that what they have been living is grossly sinful before God.
When people are big their opinions are so very important to us. We have to "fit in" and believe we have to "belong." I struggled with this whole area so much as I was growing up! I desperately wanted to fit in with those I perceived to be the popular kids. I literally agonized before my clothes closet each morning trying to divine what the girls would be wearing that day- would it be pants or skirts? And when I would get it wrong I was crushed, and my day would be ruined. This constant approval seeking led me to do things I had been raised to know were wrong. I was constantly seeking the positive strokes the approval of others would bring me. The fear of rejection was so great, I constantly adapted to whoever and whatever would bring me the praise of my peers. Fear of man is also known as "peer pressure" so be sure your teens understand that truth!
If you recognize yourself as this kind of idolater rejoice! There is hope for you in Christ to change from one who has an overly high view of man to someone who has a high view of God. Having a proper view of God comes from seeing Him the way the Bible describes Him to be.
“There is no one holy like the LORD, indeed, there is no one besides You" (1 Sam. 2:2) "...give thanks to Your holy name" (1 Chron. 16:35) "...I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker." (Job 36:3)
Even a quick study of the names of God reveals His nature and His character, and all speak of His goodness, righteousness, justice, holiness, mightiness, and love. When we elevate the opinions of people over the Person of God we are headed for disastrous waters. Our focus is to be on the worship of God, and living to reveal Him to others that they might also be drawn to Him through our lives and witness.
Having a "fear of God" meaning reverence and awe of Him becomes our life's passion. It becomes more important to do what is honorable in God's eyes despite how others think of us or our decisions and opinions. In our day and age, this may mean taking a stand against a politically correct position or admitting you actually read and believe the Bible. Having a high view of God puts what the Bible says above the opinion of man and government.
Developing a reverence for God over a fear of man requires a commitment to God that goes beyond the superficial. If you are really in the mood for change, pick up Ed Welch's book, When People Are Big and God is Small. It will open your eyes!
Posted by briancroft on May 14, 2012 in Home and Family
http://practicalshepherding.com/
So much of the daily grind of a mother goes unnoticed. Children, especially when they are younger are very ungrateful and overlook so much of what mothers do and this can be a great discouragement for mothers. This discouragement grows as mothers find themselves burdened for the souls of their children and see very little spiritual fruit from their efforts.
In the spirit of yesterday being Mother’s Day, here is a word of encouragement to all Christian mothers to press on in your daily tasks to serve you families; to remain steadfast in those spiritual disciplines with your children that appear to have little effect. This word of encouragement comes from the great Charles Spurgeon as he reflects on the impact his praying mother had on him as an unconverted boy:
It was the custom, on Sunday evenings, while we were yet little children, for her to stay at home with us, and then we sat round the table, and read verse by verse, and she explained the Scriptures to us…Then came a mother’s prayer, and some of the words of that prayer we shall never forget, even when our hair is grey. I remember, on one occasion, her praying thus: “Now, Lord if my children go on in their sins, it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear a swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Christ.” That thought of a mother’s bearing swift witness against me, pierced my conscience and stirred my heart.
Mothers, I hope you were encouraged yesterday and honored by your husband and children as there is much to honor in the way you sacrifice and care for your family. However, you may not have been honored as you hoped. You may not be seeing the spiritual fruit you desire in your children and that was apparent yesterday. Take these powerful words from Spurgeon and press on in the tasks before you this week. Pray for your children, with your children. You never know how much your words of pleading with God to save their souls might impact them in the years to come.
Quote most recently found in The Brokenhearted Evangelist written by my dear friend, Jeremy Walker.
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We celebrated mothers day at La Jolla Shores today! We had a wonderful time as a family! It could not have been a nicer day. Collin had fun building a sand castle, playing frisbee, football, bochi ball, and playing on the playground. Abby soaked up some sun and took a nice nap:)
The kids and Brian made me feel really special with sweet cards, gifts, and lots of love!
Voddie Baucham is turning into one of my favorite pastors! This sermon blessed me a ton and also convicted me in my language and thinking on the will of God. Voddie is straight up!!!! Take the time to listen to this message!
I found this recipe on all-recipes it had thousands of five star ratings! This was absolutely delicious. Make sure you use a good barbecue sauce.
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
A few cloves of minced garlic
A few tablespoons of chopped onion
Directions
Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix 1/2 the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, onion, and garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
An hour before the chicken is done shred it and add some flour to the liquid and the rest of the barbecue sauce.
Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.
I mentioned this book before. Now that I am done with it I want to HIGHLY recommend this to all of you married women. For you singles it is a great way to prepare to be a wife if that is what God will have for you someday. This is not a self help book or based on psychology! Praise God it is all biblical. Everything she says is pointed back to the word of God! I have learned so much about being a wife in this book. I praise God for using other Godly wise people to write such wonderful works that are used so much in my life and others to convict and grow us in Godly wisdom and truth!!
Abby is feeling much better now that her two little teeth have come in! Thank you Jesus for getting us through those tough couple weeks!
Abby loves helping me fold laundry, she could stare at me cooking and cleaning for an hour, and she loves grocery shopping. I know she loves being called cute every two steps we take. My prayer as she gets older is that she will be humble and not care so much about how adorable she is. I pray people will see a heart for Jesus in my precious girl. I pray her cuteness will be used to proclaim the gospel!
I never want my kids to boast in anything but the cross!
My sweet baby got her first tooth Monday and her second one is coming through! It's sad how much pain these little nuggets can be in. The only fun part about teething is seeing the cute little tooth pop through. The lack of sleep and the groaning child making fists is not so sweet.
I hope Abby won't be mad at me for posting these pictures!
Today Brian, the kids, and I were blessed to watch three of our dear sisters in Christ graduate! It was such a wonderful time and we are excited to see where God leads each of them from here!
Katie was valedictorian and her speech was absolutely beautiful and completely center on Christ!
Thank you to the Hems for a wonderful time together celebrating and eating delicious food!
I found this delicious recipe on the blog "A girl who ate everything"!
I have never cooked shrimp before. It takes 5 min total! Yummy!
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 pounds fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
salt and pepper
Directions: Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan, when the oil is hot add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. When the shrimp is cooked on one side, about 2 minutes, turn over and add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
