Journey to a Gracious Woman

Today I am going to share a couple of posts from the past. Past posts are still good reads. Sometimes I look back on previous posts forgot all about the things I’d learned back then. I need to remember to revisit them in order to not fall into the same traps.

So here are two good reads you don’t want to miss:

1. Whoever Said Quiet Times Had to Be “Quiet”?
2. The Real Enemy in Marriage

Happy Reading!! Share some old favorites on your blog this week!

Friday I spent the day “unplugged” from the computer all day long. It was most rewarding and honestly, I really didn’t miss it. I didn’t find myself tempted or thinking, “Gosh, I really just wish I could get on the Internet”. It was liberating!

I didn’t get more done, perSe, as far as house work goes. But, I spent more time hanging out with my kids and getting into their world. My discipline was more thorough and efficient, because I wasn’t looking for a “quick fix” so I could “get back” to something on the computer. (Doesn’t that sound awful?!) Instead, I spent time talking with the child in need of discipline and lovingly letting them know what was expected of them and what was considered inappropriate.

In addition, I spent breakfast at the breakfast table with my kids (even though I didn’t eat at that time). I sat there, read my Bible and it opened up discussion between my daughter (6) and I about some things in Proverbs. (I love that book for training children!) It was extremely rewarding. I had no personal agenda, so my frustrations were greatly minimized and I was more attentive to my children and home. The day couldn’t have run more smoothly.

Finally, we spent time outdoors, for over 2 hours. It was in the mid-50s and we enjoyed walking around the block and playing in the backyard. I started doing a little yard work, and soon uncovered the adventure of “worm searching”. My two eldest (6 and 3) ventured around the yard looking for worms. We also filled the bird feeders and observed some tree roots growing through our grass (we have a big silver maple in our back yard). It was a great time of refreshing for us all!

I felt so accomplished by the end of the day, I definately want to do this more often! I’d like to start small and make it a regular thing to keep away from the computer more often. I may not blog as much, but I think my quality of content may improve as a result.

I look forward to reading how everyone else did! Visit ASPTL for more inspiration!

Well, after being unplugged yesterday, I spent a little more time than I would’ve liked playing some “catch up”. Visit back here Monday for the “follow up” post about my Unplugged Day!

Today I have plenty to keep me busy! Including: laundry (lots of laundry), lesson planning, baking, tidying, and just preparing for Sunday. Nothing really out of the ordinary, except tomorrow is Mr. Faitful’s [actual] birthday. He’ll be 2! I can’t believe it. We’re going to take him to the library for a day of fun! We’ll bring home some puppets, maybe a movie or two, and just let him have his birthday bliss!

Next Sunday my husband is running his first half marathon. I want to go cheer him on, but I’m still trying to figure out how to make that work with four children, 3 of them three years old and younger. I’m not real crazy about carting around 4 children, by myself, in a huge crowd of people. But, we’ll see what happens!

Have a great weekend everyone and be sure to come back Monday! Or click here so you don’t miss a thing!

I’m unplugged for the day, but I wanted to introduce you to 2 new blogs I’ve recently started. They aren’t blogs I post at every single day, but a few times a week.

I created them to keep certain kinds of thoughts/ideas/memories, etc. in one place. One is for the things God is teaching me, called Journey of Devotion.

 I think it great for everyone to have a devotional blog. I think it is really good to write down the things God is teaching us, and also good to reflect on how we’ve grown over the weeks, months, and years.

It is also a great way to be able to find a specific issue you have dealt with in the past and seeing what God spoke THEN, because you can use labels/tags to categorize everything.

The other blog is a place to gather and keep my homeschooling memories. It’s all things learning and I look forward to building it into a wonderful place for ideas for others, memories for us, and encouragement for anyone who needs it, including me. It is called Journey of Discovery.

I invite you to visit one or both of these blogs.

I’m unplugged until Saturday morning. Have a Happy Friday!

I see it over and over again. Christians saying what is right for one person is not right for them. What God is telling you, He is not telling me.

Folks, this is very dangerous ground to be walking on. I know many people say everyone is in “different walks with Christ“, but let us not use this so loosely as to use it as an excuse to be free to sin. In order to grow in our walk, we must grow in Christ.

The issue that needs to be addressed here is: are we growing in Christ? And how do we grow in Christ?

This is really quite simple and many don’t like the answer simply because it is so simple. We need to be in the Word daily. There is no other way to know our God so closely, so intimately, as reading the very book He gave us for life, as His child.  It gives us details about His character, His love, His faithfulness, God as truth and grace, a just, jealous, and merciful God. The Word also gives us instruction on how to live a life pleasing to Him. Faith without works is dead. We can say all day long we are living for Jesus, but are we bearing the fruit to show it? But, we must also be careful not to get so caught up in all the works that we forget our faith, which is Christ Jesus, and not in our works alone. The point is, we can’t have one without the other.

Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling, because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases Him. ~Philippians 2:12b-13

This work (gifts from Christ) must continue until we are all joined together in the same faith and in the same knowledge of the Son of God. We must become like a mature person, growing until we become like Christ and have His perfection. Then we will no longer be babies. We will not be tossed about like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people who are trying to fool us. They make plans and try and kind of trick to fool people into following the wrong path. ~Ephesians 4:13-14

When we read God’s Word we can line up His voice with His Truth (the Word). If we believe God is talking to us, we MUST take it back to the Word and be sure it lines up. If it contradicts the Word in any way, we must reevaluate who is really speaking. God will not, I repeat, will not, contradict His Word, there are no exceptions.

These two things cannot change:  God cannot lie when He makes a promise, and He cannot lie when He makes an oath. Hebrews 6:18

 Friends, be open to the Holy Spirit. He is our Teacher. He helps bring back to memory the things Jesus taught (John 14:26).

Jesus told His very disciples that He spoke to the people  in parables because they did not have eyes to see or ears to hear. What that means is, if Jesus had talked plainly to them, they wouldn’t have believed Him anyways.

This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

Let us open our ears and open our eyes so that we can perceive and understand what God is speaking to us. We need to pray for this type of vision if we do not have it, and we need to be reading God’s Word to receive it.

If you’re interested, click the button before Friday. This is a challenge to get those priorities in order and keep the computer off for 24 hours. Can you do it?

Below you will find a button that will lead you to the happenings of Stellan. Before you go there, I want you to take a minute to think about this:

Why should it take a tragedy for us to pull together and be supportive? I am totally talking to myself, too. As I was visiting MckMama’s blog and reading on Stellans condition, I went to comment and noticed over 1000 comments that were left. That is mind-blowing and I think it’s great!  But friends, should we not be praying for each other outside of tragedies, too? Shouldn’t we flood others’ comments section with encouragement and promises (with follow through’s) of praying and interceding on the behalf of someone and her family?

Please, go visit MckMama’s blog, read what they are going through, and pray for them deeply and sincerely.

Then visit the blog of a friend you don’t usually comment at, and leave a word of encouragment and pray for their family – whether you tell them you are or not. Take a moment to pray for safety and the presence of the Holy Spirit to be known in their lives.

To learn about Stellan, click below:

OK, not only do I want to tell you about this cool giveaway, I also want to share this neato site with you!

Brianna stumbled across my blog via the Ultimate Blog Party @ 5 Minutes for Mom. She runs a great site called Heart(h) Management. I think her title speaks for itself! I encourage you to check out her site.

Also, she is doing a cool giveaway for an apron, provided by Marie-Madeline Studio. I’m telling you, they have the cutest fabric patterns and aprons! I have a couple of really old, really plain aprons that I use. But what fun to add some personality to it!

Mommy and Jer Bear on Saturday @ his birthday party.

For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

My husband couldn’t resist. While picking up a birthday balloon for Mr. Faithful on Saturday from Hallmark, he was reading the “occupation” coffee mugs. He said he couldn’t resist buying one for me:

It reads: Proud to be a 100% nurturing , encouraging, cook, cleaner and nurse, a twenty four hours a day Mom”

The inside reads: Marvelous Mom

It has become my new favorite mug!

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