Journaling...today

As I sit here with a late summer thunderstorm brewing outside my window and a glass of tea in my hand I get the chance in the quiet of the house to reflect.  And I can't remember the last time I had this type of moment.  It's needed.  It's been a while to have the chores done, the music softly playing, my heart thankful, glad for community around us at every turn, family close by with every phone call and grateful for this quiet moment all by 8:10pm.

The last few months have be wonderful, hard, challenging, prayer-filled and held with open hands.  We've worked through unemployment (which is still a bit of a question, but we have a direction to go), sleepless nights that don't include a newborn, but a seven and a almost five year old-when do they sleep through the night :) ?   We've thoroughly enjoyed the cooler beautiful summer weather.  We've been to KS, the beach and have the apple orchard to look forward to...oh and hopefully KS again to see some new littles!  We have fought fear and still do about the unknown.  We have grasped unto truth and our faithful God and we have not been left alone.

Currently, we have jumped into a new season of home school which is a good refinement for both the kids and us.

We have learned and are ever learning about who we are, the depths of our sin and the grace of our God. It's been another season of seeking and resting, of playing and working, of singing and being silent. He's good.  Our God is good. Pressing on, seeking His peace, and keeping our eyes upward are phrases that I tell myself regularly. And "You can start over at anytime with a better attitude".

We've spent more time together as a family then we have in a long time, which. we. love.  It's been wonderful for our hearts.  We've slowed down and ponded what priorities we want to live by and be known by.  We have taken lots of prayer walks, adventure hikes, sold things we don't use or need, done devotions and prayed out loud with the kids numerous time, all of which we hold tightly as blessings.

We have simply rested on some days, putting down the vest of being perfect and simply just being who and what the Lord created us to be, learning to like and know who we are...Learning to live within our story.  We are asking the kids to continue on the adventure of our family life and we are so thankful to do it with family, friends and each other.

Thankful. Thankful. Thankful.

Switching subjects...
And if you are wanting some good read these are the ones on our nightstand, our ottoman and in our bags.  We've read all of some and some of all.  We'd recommend each of them.  And if you happen to pick one up to read, let me know your thoughts.  I'll have some coffee with you over email letters or by phone or actually face to face.  :)  Oh and I do have a fiction one on my list next and cannot wait to dive in...Francine Rivers, Bridge to Haven.

Daring Greatly, by Brene Brown

-A call to wholehearted living

The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith

-Ideas about home, decorating and being content

Playing God by Andy Crouch

-so good on understanding power

No More Perfect Kids  by Jill Savage & Kathy Koch

-thanks Mom for sending this my way!

-just starting this, but good for my heart to see my kids again for who God is creating them to be

What's Best Next by Matt Perman

-I've liked what Justin has read out loud, but he's reading most of this one...

Desperate

A New Book Post!

I have this heart desire to live life with other women, to be around what the Bible describes as the Titus 2 Woman, being taught and trained by those that are older and then hopefully getting the chance to do that with ladies younger then me.  Though many of my friends are here, others are not around Raleigh. But books are a great way to connect near and far and glean from one another, insert Desperate.

Desperate is about lots of things within Motherhood, but a few things that caught my attention:

 their call to tune out all the voices that mothers hear and ask Jesus to hear His voice alone. Spend time with Him in his word.  Pray over everything and be desperate for him, He Does Hear You!  Don't do this rewarding yet difficult work alone.  And have the freedom to be who God made you to be and not to fit your family into another mold.  

"Hold fast, put away unnecessary guilt, and pursue ideals, and you will find the blessings He always wanted you to have." ~Sally Clarkson pg 166

"Remember the consequences of mothering well are truly great.  You have this opportunity to ingrain love, righteousness, and faith into the very depths of your children's souls.  Such potential influence is in your hands.  God's Spirit will give wind to your wings and He will bless you as you embrace these ideals for His glory." ~Sally Clarkson pg 118

What better way to get the conversation rolling about motherhood then this book Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson!  I have posted about books in the past and each one of those has challenged me, refreshed me, refined my walk with Jesus and given me some of these Titus 2 moments within.  

And I'd like to do that for you too, if you would like.  I'd love to buy this book for you and 

send it to you.

Just leave a comment and on it way it will be. :)

For those that read our blog, thanks.  Thanks for living life with us, even it is via photos and writings on The Hime Times.  

Hugs!

French Kids Eat Everything

This book posted on 100 Days of Real Food sounds like a good read.  Anyone else want to read it with me?  I love seeing how other cultures view food, how it shapes our table, and how it shapes us as people!

A Meal With Jesus-A book blog...

I just finished reading A Meal With Jesus by Tim Chester. A very worthwhile read-it is starting to reshape my thoughts about meals, tables, discipleship, community and evangelism! I'd love to pass this book along to you if you leave a comment and you promise to read it-I have a few to give away. I think it will change your mind about meals, mission, the Lords Supper and more. At least it has sparked my soul to greater time around the table!

A few quotes...

-Food matters. Meals matter. Meals are full of significance. Few acts are more expressive of companionship than the shared meal. pg 9

-Food is so much more then fuel. pg 11

-Hospitality involves welcoming, creating space, listening, paying attention and providing. Meals slow things down. Some of us don't like that. We like to get things done. But meals force you to be people oriented instead of task oriented. Sharing a meal is not the only way to build relationships, but is number one on the list. pg 47

-When your church family gathers together as a group of needy people and shares food with Jesus at the center and with Jesus as the provider, you glimpse God's coming world right her, right now. The Christian community is the beginning and sign of God's comping world-and no more so than when we eat together. Our meals are a foretaste of the future messianic banquet. Our meals reveal the identity of Jesus. Our meals are a proclamation and demonstration of God's good news. pg 61

-This means the quality of our food should matter to us. We're to treat food as a gift, not merely as fuel. pg 68

-When we combine a passion for Jesus with shared meals, you create potent gospel opportunities. pg 77

-Food is meant to express our dependence on God, but we use food to express our independence from God. pg 104

-God's grace is expressed as an abundance of food. Salvation is a feast. pg 112

-The Lord's Supper is a call to God to act in keeping with his covenant: forgiving us, accepting us, and welcoming us to the Table through the finished work of Christ. pg 121

Two kids books we really enjoy!

Surprised by Hope-a book blog

A few girls and I are reading N T Wright's book, Surprised by Hope.

Two quotes:

"what you think about death, and life beyond it, is the key to thinking seriously about everything else-and, indeed that it provides one of the main reasons for thinking seriously about anything at all." pg 6

and

"just how empty was the tomb on Easter morning?" pg 33

It has encouraged my soul to think. To think well. To think rightly. To seek Hope. To know power of the resurrection.

It's causing my head to spin, but my hearts been good-very good.

Recommended read?....Yes!

My friend Jae and her books...

My friend Jae has been my friend for now 12 ish years. WOW! It is amazing that we became friends that first day of college when we were put together as Rush (for Sororities) roommates. On the door it read, Jae and Gi. I am sure whoever put us together thought that was funny, two 'letters' as names. :) But still being friends and desiring to encourage each others kids Jae decided to give us a book of the month club. In the photo above are 10 of the 12 books. They were each chosen by Jae and sent through Amazon each month. What a look forwarded to gift! Katie and I have read all these books numerous time...and hopefully I will be able to read them to Owen soon too. Anyone of these are fantastic choices for you to read with your kids. And the best part of this gift was that it expanded both our reading choices. We now have looked for these authors on the shelf and pulled other of their books when at the library. So if you are looking for a neat gift idea try this out. Pick 12 of your favorite books and send them once a month to a friends kids.

Thanks Jae for the love you have sent all year long! You are a GREAT friend. :)
Love, Gi and Katie

Heaven At Home

I have been rereading this wonderful book. I have to say that only a few books can spur me on to be a woman better then this one. I gave it away on the blog a few years ago and if you haven't read it, consider it one worth the time! I have needed some encouragement lately at getting back into the swing of things around our home. Chores needed to be done, closets needed to be cleaned, clothes sorted and on and on. So thanks Ginger Plowman for giving me a push in the right direction!

A quote that has inspired me to work hard at being a woman/wife/mom.

"God created you, the woman, with a wonderful uniqueness that enables you to build your home and family in accordance with his perfect plan. To follow his calling and accept your uniqueness is to fulfill your purpose. The purpose I write of is not being a wife, mom and keeper of the home. It's glorifying Christ as a wife, mom and keeper of the home. The woman talked about in Proverbs 31 was not godly simply because she got up while it was still dark, honored her husband, demonstrated good stewardship and spoke with wisdom and faithful instruction. As productive and respected as she was, she was NOTHING WITHOUT THE ATONING GRACE OF GOD. She delighted in serving and worshiping her Creator in all the mundane duties of life. She knew that God created her as a woman, to be a wife of noble character, a nurturing mom and a homemaker. She glorified God in her Femininity." pg 23 (boldness mine)

Book give away-A Praying Life-a book blog

Hi all,

A few quotes:
"If I get an answer to prayer, sometimes I'll think, it would have happened anyway."

"It didn't take me long to realize that I did my best parenting by prayer. I began to speak less to the kids and more to God. It was actually quite relaxing."

"Come overwhelmed with life. Come with a wandering mind. Come messy."

"I am loving pages 122+ as well" --my quote!

"If you are going to enter this divine dance we call prayer, you have to surrender your desire to be in control, to figure out how prayer works."

---------------------------------
I am LOVING this book! We are reading it for book club and I am being immensely challenged by it, as well as encouraged. :)

A year ago or so I loved Heaven at Home by Ginger Plowman and gave a few copies away.
I would like to do that again with A Praying Life by Paul Miller.

I will send you a copy if you truly desire to read it. Really, it is worth it! Then all I would like in return is a few of your comments after you finish it.

A few of my friends are reading it too...so I think it is a good one to recommend and pass along. It is making the top 10 lists on a lot of neat blogs...

Leave me a comment and the book is yours for free!

Here is a review on the book

A Book Blog-worth the time!

SO....I haven't had much time lately to find a good book to pass along, though I am reading a few, but I did just finish an electronic form of two great short books (actually pamphlet like) that I wanted to pass along. My good friend Robin found these on the web and so they are free!
*You could also order them for a few dollars from some sites...

They are penned by an old dead guy named J.C. Ryles back in the 1890's. They are a terrific reminder of home and kids-they have encourage me heart-and if you want them I will pass them along. Just let me know in a comment and I'll send you the link! (And if I can figure it out to post them, I'll do that soon)

Titles:

Secrets of Happy Home Life (8-10 pages printed)

The Duties of Parents (10-15 pages printed)

Happy fall reading!

Home-a place of life giving ministry

I have been given this very short article/book to read by Phyllis Stanley (Every Home-A Place of Lifegiving Ministry) that has SO encouraged me to keep working on making my home, truly an open/hospitable/welcoming/warm home. I have a great desire to mininster out of my home and it always is fun to read about others as they desired the same thing.
Here are the concluding thoughts by Phyllis that I wanted to share. I hope it moves all the women who read this to pursue Christ, others and their own personal families for God's Glory within their homes! :)

Phyllis writes--
Although we are not a home yet and there will always be a longing in our hearts that will not be fulfilled until we are truly at home with Jesus, we can experience some of that joy of being at home with Him now. Jesus says in John 15:7-10, "Make your home in me just as I do in you...if you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in love...as I've kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in His love."

So, whether over a mug of coffee at our kitchen table or around a beautifully set dining room table surrounded by candles and flowers, we have the opportunity to be home builders and give our family and friends a message about their value. (I love this point...making people feel valued!) And we please our hospitable God, Who is always inviting us into His beautiful world and telling, "I love you so much that I prepared this for you."

Peter Marshall, a pastor from the early 1900's tells of a home where he stayed: "I was so privileged in the spring to visit in a home that was to me--and I am sure to the occupants--a little bit of heaven. There was beauty there. There was a keen appreciation of the finer things of life, and an atmosphere in which it was IMPOSSIBLE to keep from thinking of God." I pray our homes will be a place where it will be impossible to keep from thinking about God.

Our homes offer some of the most convincing and powerful evidence to the world of the reality of the Gospel. Our ministry is an overflow of all that God is doing in our lives. We can bring great joy to God and influence the world right from the homes that God has given us. Welcome Home!

A book Blog...by Katie Metcalf

Hey all,
Here is another woman's thoughts from the book, Heave at Home Thanks for sharing Katie!

Hope everyone enjoys, it is encouraging to see the Lord at work in the Homes of Wives and Moms!

In the beginning she talks about the woman setting the tone for the home. That my attitude will be reflected in my family members actions. If I am stressed out then I will take it out on them and they will in return reflect that attitude. I have noticed this at school, so I am sure it is that same at home. The sad thing is that the stress that I feel is due to my lack of getting things done or planned. I can point to Derek all day long, but in the end there are so many little things that I could have done to have made the situation better. And more importantly it is a lack of trust in God. Instead of just stopping and thinking that there is a reason I am in this place I choose to have a horrible attitude.

There was so much on the leadership of our husbands and our submission to them in that. One thing that I have been trying to work on is to follow Derek in all areas unless it is obviously sin. This may sound easy to you, but it is oh so hard for me. Esp. with the little areas. I tend to always voice my options, even it is something so small as to whether or not we should leave the porch light on. Sure isn't a sin to turn it off, so why do I argue it so passionately? Those are the silly things I struggle with. And yet again it is showing my lack of trust in God. It is me doubting that He is big enough to work in Derek and that I must step in and make something amazing happen. Yikes, I am quite the prideful person!!

I like how she said that when we are upset about something we should think about 2 things.
What I did wrong in the situation (not the other person)
Things about that person that we love and that are praiseworthy.
The importance of focusing on things that are good and true and not all the reasons that I think it is ok for me to pout about the situation. My pastor always says that we need to Preach to ourselves and not listen to ourselves. I so often what to convince myself that I am the person who has been wronged and it is ok for me to act the way that I am. But in all honesty I need to be preaching the gospel to myself and thinking of all the sins I have committed against the Lord and how All of them have been forgiven. It is sad when I do this and still find it hard to forgive. I am such a stubborn person!!

I enjoyed all the chapters on parenting as well. I didn't realize they were there so it was fun to come across them at a point when I would know that I would soon be needing them.

My favorite chapter far and beyond was the last one. I loved her thoughts on hospitality. I loved how she realized that the picture she once had of what hospitality looks like has so drastically changed. It honestly brought me to tears as I read about her friend's home that she found so much comfort in. How often I worry about the silly things with my house that mean nothing to others when they come to visit. I would love for our home to be a place like she described. A place where people just know that they can stop by anytime of day and know that it will not bother us. That we would love to be able to have them anytime and not just when everything is put in order etc. It was very convicting to me when she talked about not ever hearing her friend apologize for how her home looked. She just welcomed them in and said nothing more about her home. I am so quick to say "sorry for the mess." I do it so often that I will catch myself saying it even when things are not messy at all! After reading this chapter I asked Derek to keep me in check in this area. That I would not only say that we can have people over when the house seems orderly, but that anytime it could Serve Others, that we would jump on that occasion. And that he would tell me when I allow the awful words " I am sorry about my house" to come out. That I would not apologize, but instead be so grateful for all that the Lord has provided. And sometimes it will be a good reminder that I am slacking in the area of a homemaker and needing to be back on track with that. God is good at keeping us inline in very creative ways :)

A Book Blog about Heaven at Home...

Hey all!!!
There are about 7 women reading and responding to the book Heaven at Home by Ginger Plowman and I have been getting a few of them to email me their thoughts. I received Krista's who is overseas on ther first few chapters and wanted to post it all for you to read. I wholeheartedly agree with her saying it has been a huge encouragement to her. Read what she has to say below and then leave a comment if you want!
And for those that are also reading the book....send me your thoughts when you have a minute!!
Rock on Readers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From Krista...

First, I love that she premises everything on our life’s premise – we exist to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Everything we do should be for the glory of God and not our gain. Thus, being a godly wife and mother is what we should strive for because of who HE is and not because of the things we can gain, no matter how worthy those goals may be – a good marriage, godly children, etc.

Chapter one – Isn’t it interesting how someone’s attitude really can build us up or bring us down. This is probably why the Bible says that we should only say those things that are useful for encouraging, building up, and spurring one another on to good works (my paraphrase J). As a wife and mother, my tone can set the stage for everyone on my family. What an awesome responsibility I have to make sure I’m connected to His vine so that I can have a godly attitude each day, no matter what the day brings.

I also enjoyed her discussion on the Biblical basis for homemakers and was reminded of the course I took at SEBTS – wife of the equipping minister. Did you take that? Anyway, very good stuff from Genesis about our role (I’m wishing I’d brought those notes with me to Egypt right now!).

Chapter two – yes, God knows our circumstances but we can walk with him throughout the day. When Lydia was little I used my times nursing to read my Bible. Now that’s she older and nurses less frequently and much faster, I can again have time in the morning. That said, I’ve been challenged to walk and talk with Him at all times throughout the day – to pray without ceasing. I’m also reading another book on prayer and have been challenged by the thought of, “If I don’t pray fervently for my child, who will???” What a challenge to be my child’s prayer warrior everyday of her life!

Chapter 3 – Even more challenging than chapter 2!! Oh, yes I long to make my husband’s home a place he longs for all day! Personally, my problem is not preparing the house, etc., but slowing down once he is home and just joining his world (more on this in another chapter). But, yes, little eyes are watching and what an awesome responsibility to model being a godly wife for my little girl. Speaking of that, isn’t wonderful having a little girl???!!!! GREAT suggestions in this book on how to make his home a refuge and home life more fulfilling.

Chapter 4 – Being a great mom – yes this is my heart’s desire and prayer. Oh that I would raise godly children that He would use to glorify His name among the nations! Motherhood is the most important job there is – which is why I just don’t understand all the moms in America who work outside the home and put their kids in childcare. Motherhood is a calling and I pray I would be found faithful!!! P. 44 – I noted most everything. Learning to communicate with our children is going to be so very important. Asking great questions, not always lecturing, but gently guiding them to see the answer – this is our role. I want Lydia to know I’m her biggest fan and she can come to me with anything. Even at such a young age, it is SO MUCH FUN to get into her world and play together and talk to her (of course, there’s still not much talking back J). p. 45 – “Communicating is the only way to really know your child.” As a mother, we have to daily place a priority on this. I love the list of question suggestions. I wrote at the end of the chapter, “O Lord! Help me to be a godly mother who points my children – lovingly and with laughter, fun, and memories – to glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!”

And thats all she wrote folks!