Our Uncommon Life

Loving Sacrificially

2011-12-12T10:47:00.000-05:00

I recently read "Kisses From Katie" by Katie Davis, a young missionary in Uganda. What makes her story so compelling is the "unorthodox" way in which she does things. She just doesn't "make sense". She has NO training. She went there when she was 18, not even knowing the language. She went with her parents' very reluctant blessing. She has adopted 13 daughters to date. Her ministry feeds 1600 children a day, 5 days a week. She didn't have a plan. She didn't have the money. But she has been obedient to her Savior. She humbly admits that she didn't plan this, this wasn't her plan, but it's God's heart for her life. The other compelling thing to me is her capacity to LOVE, I mean really love. She sacrificed everything, her family, her comfortable home, her boyfriend and friends to go to the other side of the world and pour out her life as an offering to her Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I am challenged by her example. Do I pour out my life for those around me? Do I LOVE like that? Do I sacrifice for my husband? For my children? What ways can I LOVE more?

I think of myself way too often.

I forget what an awesome honour & blessing it is to be chosen to be a mother. To be a wife. It seems so common. Everywhere I look there are wives & mothers. BUT, my desire is to be a blessed wife & mother. I want my husband & children to be blessed by my words, my actions, my training, my teaching.

Proverbs 14:1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Titus 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding bass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Love, charity IS really the most important thing. AND I cannot do it on my own. I must FIRST Love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind THEN love my neighbor as myself. Jesus has to be first. Without Him loving them through me, I can't love the way He wants me to. I cannot build up my husband or encourage my child. I can't teach them to the love the Lord with all their heart if I'm not pursuing Christ with all of mine.

Such an awesome responsibility and the greatest privilege.

Matthew 18:5 And Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

By receiving children into our home, we are literally receiving Christ.

May I remember that and treat them as special and honored as I would Christ. Love them sacrificially. So that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

In His Grip,
Laura

Do You Know Who Hitler Is?

2011-10-04T15:12:00.000-04:00

The question has been posed...

Am I going to remain silent?

Am I going to worry about offending a person more than offending my Lord?

Did you know that many birth control pills do not prevent conception but just abort the baby?

Did you know that many mothers are induced prematurely, their babies born alive and then left in a closet or garbage can to die a slow death?

Do you know what partial birth abortion is?

Did you know that many, many women still grieve the loss of these precious babies YEARS after the abortion?

Did you know one choice can change your life FOREVER?

I must speak out...

180 The Movie

Will you?

In His Grip,

Daniel & Laura

A Slight Obsession

2011-08-09T23:37:00.001-04:00

If you know me personally, you may or may not know that I have an obsession. Well, a few, really, but the one obsession that I've had the longest would be... laundry. If you were to talk to my younger sister, she could probably tell you the story of the time we were folding laundry together & I refolded the underwear she folded. Underwear gets folded in half, front side up, NOT bottom side up. We have laughed over that little incident time and again.

     I LOVE laundry. I love the shelf with all the baskets of dirty laundry. Love it even more when they are empty. I love the line of shelves with the folded laundry. One basket per person. I love the routine. The control.
     This past winter, every appliance in our house broke, I think. But, most importantly, my washer broke. Normally, we just call the repair guy, but it's not under warranty any more. *pout* My dear hubby tore it apart, figured out what was wrong, looked up the part on line & figured we didn't have the money to fix it. *nother pout* Friends of ours brought over a washing machine for us to use until mine was fixed. I have a king size mega washer. This was a little itty bitty washing machine. Yes, it washed clothes, but 2 pairs of jeans and a couple shirts. I have a family of 9. Laundry was piling up. And piling up. I just could not get caught up. I begged hubby. He took me to the laundry mat. LOVE the laundry mat! Then another couple gave us their old washing machine, a commercial, heavy duty one! Yeah!!! So, now I had my wee little one & the heavy duty one. 2 washing machines! Hubby fixed my old washer. Another part broke on it in a week. I was so mad I could've spit. FINALLY, my beautiful king size washing machine that I dearly love was fixed. Somewhere in the midst of all that, the dryer broke & I started hanging clothes on the line. (in February!) Now, I have two, king size, heavy duty, beautiful washing machines & an eight line clothes line. I can have 4 loads of laundry done by 10 am if I'm on the ball in the morning.
     The point of my little story is not, "look how great my laundry system is" or anything like that at all. As I'm in my sanctuary a.k.a laundry room, I am so thankful for the trials of this past winter. God is faithful & blessed me far beyond all I could ever ask or imagine!

If you are in the midst of a trial right now, I pray you will continue to lean on Him & praise Him for the ways He is working in your life right now.

In His Grip,

Daniel & Laura

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It's All About Perspectives

2011-07-21T16:46:00.000-04:00

I looked around the room. All looked to be normal & in order. It looked peaceful to me. We were ready for Daddy to come home. But, Daddy didn't feel see or feel peace at all when he came in. He saw the box by the front door, the shoes scattered, the papers on the counter, the basket of clothes in the living room. He saw everything that I didn't. Admittedly, I am not detail oriented. The kids & I are here all day, every day. I have been praying for quite some time about how to make Daddy's homecoming more peaceful for him. I was doing everything I knew to do. We were both frustrated. The power of prayer. God reminded me of how detail oriented Daniel is. He has walked into church & afterwards referred to the "lady wearing the fancy shoes". Huh? Who in the world are you talking about? I just didn't see. Every day, he was walking into our home, and seeing everything. And becoming overwhelmed. Kind of like a little boy who watches too much t.v. He was overstimulated & agitated. This little insight into how God made my husband has been life changing. As the kids & I are cleaning up, preparing for Daddy, we remind one another to look on the floor. What did we "just not see" the first time around? A few extra minutes has made such a difference.

I started praying about the small changes I could make in our entertainment area. The t.v. looked like a shrine. It was cluttered. I hated it. After some prayer, a talk with D, we decided to move the t.v. cabinet (actually an old dining sideboard) into the kitchen and move an antique shelf that a friend gave us to the t.v. area. What to put the dvd's in? I searched online. Nothing. I went to Walmart. Nothing. I prayed. I had several little baskets in our linen closet that worked perfectly for our movies. The dishclothes that were in them were moved to the sideboard. Perfect. And free.

This is just the beginning of our journey to declutter & simplify. We have a big pile of stuff to be sold in a garage sale some time soon. My sewing area is in need of major attention & our shelves down in the basement need to be cleaned off & taken down. BUT, this is a journey & I am just super excited about the progress. I am excited that I am able to serve my husband in this way, even though I never really saw the clutter. It never really bothered me. But it's not about me or my preferences or feelings. It's about God & His glory. It's about obedience to God's Word. He clearly states my calling here on this earth.

^{Titus 2: 4-5 4}That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

It turns laundry & organizing into a heavenly task with eternal value.

In His Grip,

Daniel & Laura

"But, that's how you say it, Mama..."

2011-07-15T15:35:00.001-04:00

I am blessed. I'm blessed to have such a wonderful God & Saviour who has not left me to myself, but who disciplines me & corrects me in such creative ways. Sometimes I am daunted by the task of raising them & training them to be God fearing, God loving adults who thrive & serve their Lord & Saviour. The other day, I realized how much God uses them to teach me & train me.

They are my "mirrors". And I have 7 of them. It's like walking through a fun house at the fair with all those funky mirrors. I look at this one and see this about myself. Look at that one & I see "Daddy's" daughter.

A few days ago, we were in our school room. We were cleaning up after Hurricane Toddler. I was trying to be joyful, trying to sound happy. Anya & Izabella were in there with me. I don't remember what Izabella took, but Anya corrected her. "Izabella, do NOT touch that!" I looked at Anya & said in a very sweet voice, "Oh, Anya, ask her nicely, like this. Please don't touch that, Izabella". "But Mama, that's how you say it," said Anya in her very sweet voice. Ughhh... What could I say? I knew it to be true.

I have really good moments, where I'm prayed up. I'm alert. I have a song in my heart. I'm truly joyful.

Then there are those moments (or days) when I'm distracted with other things or other people. My to-do list becomes my idol for the day. The garden getting perfectly weeded becomes more important than their hearts & souls & minds. I'm not here and they know it. I'm pretending and they know it. My voice is slightly tense and they feel it. My voice is slightly louder (or not so slightly) and they can tell.

My prayer is that I will continue to be alert, that God will truly transform me into the kind of woman I want my daughters to be & the kind of woman I would want my sons to marry & that I will truly depend on God for the strength, courage, love & joy that I need to be the kind of woman that's husband & children rise up and call her "blessed."

^{Titus 2: 4-5}
⁴That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

We hope & pray that you are blessed as you seek the Lord, for His direction in your home. If you know & believe in Jesus, then you have the Holy Spirit living in you and Philippians 4:13 promises, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." If you are at the end of your rope, please go to this web site and read and find that strength & love & joy that only Jesus can provide.

Have a blessed weekend!

In His Grip,

Laura & Daniel
(I could not write without his love, support & encouragement)

But, It Made Her Happy

2011-07-07T16:43:00.000-04:00

     Daddy & I went on a much needed date last night, with the older watching the younger children. We got home after everyone was in bed, so this morning, I asked Lukasz how the evening went. He said it was good and then went on to explain how he had given Izabella a bottle of hot sauce. Startled, I looked at him.
"You did WHAT???"

"She wanted the bottle of hot sauce so I gave it to her. It made her happy."

      But not for long. She put it in her mouth, top off, of course.
And her mouth was on fire. (Daddy is a connoisseur of fine hot sauces, you see)
      As I explained to Lukasz that we must look out for one another, that he must look out for Izabella & keep her safe & tell her "no" if she wants something that would hurt her, I thought what a perfect example of our Loving Father in heaven. We see something we want. We want rescued from a situation right away. We pray, knowing that God gives his children everything there hearts desire. (sorry, that's the American church translation) He says, "NO", because He loves us. He knows something about the situation that we do not. He has an eternal perspective, a bird's eye view.
       Do I whine & pout when I don't get what I want? Do I doubt His love for me? Do I turn my back on Him or figure out a way to get the coveted item on my own?
     Or do I trust my Father, that He is good & He wants what is best for me? Do I seek His face & draw near to Him? Do I praise Him?
      In America, we have been brainwashed to believe that life is about making sure I'm happy & secure. It's a hedonistic (new favorite word) mentality & far from the Bible's call to "pick up your cross & follow me daily" mentality.

Our response to "no" or "not right now" will show the quality of our relationship with our Lord & Saviour.

Is He your Lord or your Divine Butler, as Ray Comfort puts it?

Blessed Be Your Name

2011-06-06T19:57:00.000-04:00

Hello!!! It's been awhile!

We have had a beautiful, crazy, amazing spring. God has been working in our hearts overtime, it seems. I wonder, "Will I be able to catch my breath?" It's that way, though. Our lives, hidden in Christ. We're face to face with Him. Wrestling, not giving in, not giving up. It is such a beautiful thing. It is such a thrilling thing. And wondrous. And unexpected.

We had a tough winter. We do live in Upper Michigan. We've been feeling the effects of this economic shift. We were just starting to see the sun peaking through the clouds. What a glorious sight! Phone calls for work were coming in. It's going to be okay!

We're expecting our 8th baby! Oh, God is good. New life.

We didn't just bounce back like we thought, but God was watching over us. Miracles do still happen. Jesus Christ does still heal & deliver, like He did over 2,000 years ago. He is alive & well!

We had our first doctor's appointment for our new baby. Mama already had his name picked out. What? No heart beat. Okay. We'll try again next week. But that next week did not come. One day, we're praying for our little one, that God would again perform in miraculous ways. The next day, we're praying for mama, that God would protect my life. God did not miraculously save our baby, but He did miraculously save me.

Not only did He save me, but He strengthened me. Oh, I have no energy. But I am strengthened. I am singing louder than before. I am going to praise Him. I am going to tell people of His goodness, even in the midst of this pain. Do you know My Jesus? Blessed Be Your Name

The lessons we've learned...

1. I Need Thee Every Hour, Oh Gracious Lord

2. We will continue to praise Jesus, who is the author & finisher of our faith. 3. Earth is not our home. We're strangers here.

4. Life is so fragile. Take every moment as a gift.

5. We have an enemy. The devil is like a lion, looking for someone to devour! And he's mad. He's scared. And his schemes are not going to work.

6. Jesus is alive & well! He is still in the miracle business!

7. We need our Christian brothers & sisters! They have been such a blessing to us!

8. Prayer... Prayer... Prayer...

In His Grip,

Daniel & Laura

Remember...

2011-03-06T16:59:00.000-05:00

I LOVE the movie, Remember The Titans. Do you remember it? Denzel Washington is in charge of taking a black football team & a white football team & meld them into one. At that time in our nation's history, an seemingly impossible task. BUT, he does it. He some how gets them to stop fighting amongst themselves & become one. There wasn't a "magic" formula, but one thing is certain. If they were going to become one team, they would have to "change the way we run, change the way we eat, change the way we tackle, change the way we WIN..."

That resonates with my Spirit. Yes, I want to WIN. I want VICTORY!

1 John 5: 1-6

¹Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

²By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

³For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

⁴For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

⁵Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

⁶This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

I am promised victory through Jesus Christ in His Word.

I want victory for my children. I want them to be wholly devoted to God & his commandments.

I want victory for my fellow sisters & brothers in Christ.

I want victory for you.

Remember, in the movie, their victory came with great sacrifice. We, as Christians, are called to sacrifice, as well. Pick up your cross & follow Him daily. Paul said, "To live is Christ & to die is gain."

Remember, the young men came to "football practice" with preconceived notions of the truth. They all truly believed that they were enemies. They had never really been shown anything different. Even the coaches were at odds for a time. They had to be shown, through their experience together, that they were wrong.

Isn't our Christian walk like that? We have these notions. We truly believe them. We'll fight about them. But are they based on truth?

The only truth is God's Word. There really is no such thing as "your truth & my truth". It doesn't even make sense.

I have this feeling that we've been told some things for so long that we just believe it. As Christians, we must dig into His Word & SEE with our heart what His ideas are.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him & He shall direct your path.

The Israelites had been enslaved for hundreds of years. They were born into slavery. Did their parents & grandparents talk about God? Did they tell the stories of what it was like to be free? Yes.

Do we talk about what it was like to be free? WHAT?!? We're not free? We're being enslaved right before our very eyes. The shackles are so subtle, we barely feel them slipping around our wrists. But they are there.

Remember, if we want victory, we may have to change the way we run, change the way we eat, change the way we block, change the way we win...

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it

- George Santayana

In His Grip,

Daniel & Laura

Our Year in Review

2011-02-19T22:59:00.001-05:00

The Zarzycki Family

I have a confession to make... I just sent out our "Christmas" cards on Friday.

I never actually expect to get them in the mail before Christmas. I like to really think about our year, contemplate & reminisce. Pray & ask God for direction for the coming year. It is a sweet time for me AND a hard time.

Time passes so quickly. Our baby is 11 months old now and officially walking. My oldest "baby" turned 18 a month ago.

I'm so thankful that I am able to see my baby's first step, to see her smiling face when she wakes up from her nap. I'm so thankful I wake up to Lukasz & Anya crawling into bed & not an alarm clock. I'm so thankful that my husband gives me this gift of full time motherhood, full time wife duty & doesn't ask that I go & help him with financial support. I'm so thankful that Kathryn comes to me with questions & trusts the answers Daddy & I give her. I'm so thankful that I can remember the time, not so long ago, when I got up to an alarm clock, rushed everyone out the door, rushed to work, rushed home to feed everyone. Plop into bed. Do it all over again. Because I can remember, I'm thankful even in the really hard times.

This past year was very hard. The theme was "letting go". Letting go of people so that God could take care of them. Letting go of people who I thought were my closest friends, but when I couldn't "be there for them" because of my expanding family, they disappeared. He is Lord. He knows best. He then blessed us with older friends that have been such an encouragement to us, surrogate parents & grandparents. We love them dearly!

I hope you enjoy a little snippet into our lives.

February 2011

I’m not sure how it got to be February already! Last year was so full! So full of the good, the bad & the ugly! J

"Yep, I'm cool, even with this orange hard hat on!"

We celebrated Ryan’s 18^th birthday a month ago. He has grown in so many ways this year! God has changed him. He went from being a child who hated to read to one that is hard to get away from his books. He used to be really timid. Now, he is bold about his faith in Jesus Christ. I think he’s learning to enjoy the journey, to relax & live by faith. He continues his apprenticeship with Daniel & homeschooling.

She is our sweet "Bella Bean"!

Izabella Richelle was born on March 12^th. From the moment of her birth, everyone has adored her, even those siblings that were a little jealous. She is a beautiful, joyful, sweet little angel. Her daddy is almost embarrassed by how much he goes “ga, ga” over her. J

Lukasz is our reserved one.

In May, Lukasz turned 4 years old. He loves to be outside, working with the guys. He loves to ride his bike, play with Izabella, read with anyone who will read to him & do puzzles. He came up with our new little saying around the house. He had a little bit of a hard time when Bella was born and would say he hated me. It about broke my heart. I prayed & asked God to fix it & that’s when Luke started saying that to me. Even if we had a really bad morning, at naptime, he would say, “I like you and I love you, Mama.” God is good.

She's our nature lover!

In July, Kathryn turned 14. She is becoming a young woman right before our very eyes. How did this happen? She has become my right hand woman, but with her personality, she has to be reminded that she’s not the “queen bee” around here. J That’s my girl! She loves to teach the younger kids & she was the one who canned most of our applesauce, peaches & tomatoes this year!

In September, Daddy celebrated his birthday! He has had another busy year working, Praise the Lord! He also put together raised beds, put up a deer fence & cut down several trees to expand our garden. We were blessed with a bountiful garden full of tomatoes, squash, corn, lettuce, kale & more. His ministry is his family, as he says. He stays busy mentoring our 7 children, teaching them to think for themselves & to really live for Christ.

October is my birthday month. Most of my year has been spent adjusting to having the 7^th, letting go of the “perfect laundry room” myth (I didn’t have a washing machine steadily for almost a month L), learning to balance all that God has for me to do & letting go of the things that are not TOP priority. Mostly learning to follow the leading of the Lord & realizing that God doesn’t make sense to me sometimes. But His life for me is abundant & I don’t have to understand.

Ha! I'm not looking!

Anya turned 3 the day after Thanksgiving. She is our family greeter! She smiles & says “hi” to everyone she sees. She has told everyone that she is 3 now. She hugs strangers & holds their hand. She is a sweet little girl most of the time, but then there’s “Miss Crunchy Face”. She is another go to girl, who has her own ideas on how things should be done.

Look at that smile!

Rosalie turned 12 in December. She is a beautiful little lady. She loves to smile & giggle & help Daddy with whatever project he has. She just loves to help & please others. She is still an avid reader & loves to help teach Anya’s Sunday School class.

Gabe! Not so reserved! :)

Gabriel turned 6 in December, as well. He keeps me on my toes every hour of every day. He’s a smart little man, learning to read, with little instruction from Mama, picks up math like nothin’ and loves to build and take things apart. He is his father’s son. He has decided that he’s going to be a carpenter & a preacher when he gets bigger & gave his first sermon to Anya & Luke the other day.

My new favorite quote is from Charlotte Mason,

“Are my children learning enough? That is the wrong question. The question is, “What do they care about? Who are they becoming? These are the questions that matter most.”

That’s a glimpse into our year, our lives, our children… This year has really been one of tremendous joy & tremendous pain. We are so thankful that we have the Holy Spirit to guide us, help us & carry us through.

As we have reminisced about our 2010 & are planning our 2011, we are eternally grateful for our God. He came as a babe, lived a sinless life, died on a cross as payment for OUR sin, rose from the dead & now lives in heaven, preparing a place for us to come when we die. But that’s not all. He sent the Holy Spirit to live in each of us that accept His free gift, accept our need for a Savior, and accept that nothing that I do can take away my sin, NOTHING but the blood of Jesus.

Praying for a blessed 2011 for you

from the Zarzycki Family!!!

Lessons In Our Home

2010-11-02T17:07:00.004-04:00

Our older girls, Kathryn & Rosalie, learned something today. I pray that God will forever etch this into their memories as they interact throughout their lives. I have been trying to explain this to them for mmmmm..... ever...
Just this morning, in fact, Lukasz was cryeaming (crying & screaming all at once). I walked out of the bathroom & Kathryn had him on her lap trying to console him. As the story unfolded, Gabe & Luke were fighting. Lukasz got punched (thanks to The New Karate Kid). But in Lukasz's own words, "Gabriel didn't punch me that hard, Mama." The lesson there is, Gabriel: Don't hit unless you are defending your life. Lukasz: Don't throw a fit to try to get your brother in trouble. Kathryn: Do NOT coddle him.

Later this afternoon, I laid Izabella down for a nap. She goes to sleep on her own, sometimes crying for about 5 minutes. After 15 minutes, I got up to see what the problem was to find little Bella with a bubble coming out of her nose. I picked her up to wipe her face. As I walked out of the room, her older sisters were right there. They exclaimed, "Oh, Bella, what's wrong?", in their most dramatic, caring, pitiful tone possible. Bella's lip started to quiver, then she started to wail. "What's wrong with her, Mama?" "Change your face. I'll bet she stops." They smiled at her & talked cheerfully to her & her countenance changed immediately to happy & excited. Like the flip of a switch. Instant change.
It is so important that we not have pity for our little ones, even when they truly are hurt.

Compassion, yes. Pity, no.

Do we want our children to grow up to be vicims or victors? Encouragers or the one who always needs encouragement? Do we want them to always be sick because that's how they've always gotten attention.
We have saying in our house.

"We do not have any poor babies!!!"
They are warriors & princesses!
Mighty & noble men & women of God!

I was laughing as I took this picture... Gabe fell into the pond! :)

Another lesson we've been learning... Beware of feelings. What I mean is, just because we feel this way, doesn't mean we can act a certain way or treat others poorly because "we feel like it." Kathryn is 14. Enough said. She's emotional & dramatic. She always has been. Now, it's in hyperdrive. So, we sat down and talked about it. I know those feelings. But just because I am "pregnant, nursing, have PMS, the house is dirty, I'm worried about money, somebody hurt my "stinking feelings", "... and on and on the excuses go for why I am angry, anxious, depressed... Just because... I don't have the right to trample all over my family because of how I feel.

Be joyful... Be thankful... Be submissive... Be gentle...
Be meek... Be fruitful... Be patient... Be kind... Be bold...
Do everything without complaining or arguing...

So, Kathryn and I sat down and talked about it and we agreed to submit our feelings to the Lord together and pray for strength to act "right" even when we don't feel "right".

I am also learning to really utilize this time with Izabella to train her with good habits. I spend so much time with her right now, feeding her, diapering her, rocking her... What a perfect opportunity to train!

The best training occurs before your child turns 1 year old. Michael Pearl

Some habits we are training her in right now...

Do not touch your bowl. I place her bowl right in front of her on the tray & she rarely touches it.
Do not grab my glasses.
Do not bite. (Essential for nursing mamas!)
You may play only on the rug. We do not want her wandering over to the wood stove & getting hurt.
Going to sleep on her own.
Going potty on the potty.

Now, I know this one seems rather odd, but I am going to explain... I have read about infants being potty trained. I thought it to be weird, stupid even. I had NO desire to even attempt this, at all, with any of our children. Well, when Izabella started eating solid foods, she became painfully constipated. One morning, as she was screaming, I put her on the potty, just to see if that position would help her to go. It worked well! I put her on after lunch & dinner, just so that she would continue to go well, while the carrots got out of her system. The next day, I decided to put her on after breakfast, lunch & dinner. What the heck... I change her diaper then anyways. And we've been going ever since. It literally took no more than 2 days to get her used to going on the potty. Now, she is much more comfortable to go on the potty than in her diaper. Once we have some cloth diapers, I will try to "pee pee" train her, as well. This is not something that I stressed out about or get frustrated with if we are out & about & she goes in her diaper. It's just a lot easier for her & I this way. Daddy is very proud!
Anya is finally potty trained, after 6 months of sporadic effort on her & my part. Anya was just trained to go in her diaper. She was more comfortable going & hiding in her room than in the bathroom.
2 days versus 6 months... hmmm....

I am amazed at how much we learn around our house from the kids. Maybe the greatest blessing of being a homeschool family is all that Mama & Daddy learn from the children. :)

In His Grip,
Laura

The Importance of Having Fun Even When You Are Folding Laundry :)

2010-10-29T18:06:00.004-04:00

We have a set of our books that we love to read. No Greater Joy Volumes 1, 2 & 3 have great stories & words of wisdom in them. I came upon this one the other day & God spoke to my heart once again about the importance of enjoying our children, having fun with them & loving them while training them. Instead of making the training of chores, let's say, something that I do once. Allowing it to become a part of our life, not the end in itself, but the means by which we train them to be obedient, train them to be joyful, train them to be loving & happy & confident. What a freedom this is bringing to our home! And you know what... It is working! We changed our system of laundry. Instead of Kathryn doing the bulk of the laundry while I watched & entertained the younger four, we bring all the laundry up to the living room & fold it together, socks & all. And then we put it ALL away. The end result... For 2 weeks, we have been caught up on laundry, the laundry has been put away & it is cleaner in our laundry room. But most importantly, Gabriel, Lukasz & Anya are learning to sort their own socks, put them away & they are not nearly as mischievous because they're doing something constructive! So, please enjoy this article. Follow the link after it & read their other articles or buy their books! Created to Be His HelpMeet, The Vision & To Train Up A Child are all excellent!

Rodless Training

by Michael Pearl July 1999

I just hung up the phone after talking with a pastor concerning a new member in his church. This single mother had been hopelessly bound in drugs and immorality, living a life of sin and degradation. The state had removed the children from her home. For two years they were passed around from institution to temporary residence, to institution, and back again. This mother, forsaken by all but the predators who sought to consume the scared flesh that remained, was lost—alone, wasted, hopeless. "But God…(Eph. 2:4)." Then someone told her about the forgiveness that was purchased by the blood of Jesus. In a moment’s time, without the aid of religious ritual or practiced instruction, she was translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear son (Col. 1:13). It is called the New Birth and is the only door to heaven (John 3). The State quickly recognized that she was not the same person whose lifestyle had necessitated removal of her children. The children were sent home to their new mother. But when she sought to begin a new life with her children she found they were as inmates released from captivity, monsters of contention and rebellion. Children that start life in a government institution often end up in one.

The Pastor related the dilemma. He had given her our book, but when she attempted to implement the things she learned, she realized that she was setting herself up to lose the children back to the state. For when she spanked them they would scream, "Please don’t whip me." She is still on probation and must receive visits from social workers. If a child were to reveal that he was being spanked, the children would be immediately removed and placed back in a soulless institution. There they would not be bruised on the outside, but they would continue to rot from the inside.

So the pastor’s question was, "Is there a way to train children if you are prevented from Biblical application of the rod?" The Bible says, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him (Proverbs 22:15)."

"Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell (Proverbs 23:13-14)."

"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame (Proverbs 29:15)."

This question has been asked in more than one way. It is a common situation. One parent absolutely stands against use of the rod, and so it could not be employed effectively. Can the other parent still train the children? If you are a foster parent you are forbidden from using the rod. Perhaps you are host to your grandchildren and not allowed to spank them. Maybe you are often in charge of the neighbor’s kids. Likewise, you are limited if you are a worker in a daycare or if you are a schoolteacher.

The question is, "If I am in a position where I cannot use the rod, am I already doomed to failure, or is there still hope? Can children be trained without use of the rod?" Absolutely. But they cannot be absolutely trained. Proper application of the rod is indispensable to communicating the divine principle of retributive justice, but any child, military man, employee, the neighbor’s kid, your dog, cat, or the birds in your yard can be trained through manipulating their relationship to their environment. Any creature that is self-motivated and has likes and dislikes can be trained if you are in a position to reward or deny any pleasure or need. Where humans are concerned you have the added tools of reason, moral persuasion, social persuasion, and conscience. Where it concerns those that are close to you, that is, they depend upon your fellowship for their mental satisfaction, you have the additional tools of persuasion and example.

If you are seeking to avoid the rod because you are an emotional coward or you are a product of contemporary philosophy, then not obeying God in this matter should not be considered an option. The Word of God teaches us the best method of child training, and proper use of the rod is a part of that program. Furthermore, if you abstain from use of the rod because you believe there is a better way, then you have revealed a fundamental flaw in your thinking that will leave a giant hole in any method you adopt. In other words, a person who understands the value and principle of the rod, but is somehow prevented from using it, will carry those valuable principles over into rodless training and so reap some of the benefits. Whereas the person that does not believe in use of the rod is so flawed in his understanding of human nature and life in general that no technique will be entirely effective for him.

So if circumstances beyond your control prevent you from doing as God commands, you are not without tools. There are still plenty of options available to you. You can do a relatively good job of training if you are consistent and recognize the nature of your limitations. You will have to lean more heavily on alternatives that tend toward accomplishing the same end.

Here is a single mother with chaotic children whom she must train without the assistance of the ultimate force—pain. She tells them to do something, and they immediately seek to do the opposite. She invites them to the table, and they tarry or declare that they are not hungry. Thirty minutes later they are demanding something sweet. When she refuses, they begin to cry and beg. When she tells them to stop, they scream. Then they start fighting between themselves. When she tries to interfere, they turn on her in violence. Their favorite word is "No" spoken with defiance. They will say "No" even when they would actually like to comply, just to express their autonomy.

Let’s take it further so as to be relevant to a larger audience. If she were to spank them, they would react by screaming and fighting her. They would pull away, try to grab the switch, scream "No," and go completely hysterical. She could not spank them until they yielded, unless she spanked them into physical exhaustion, which of course would be counterproductive. In short, in her attempt to build a relationship with them, at this early stage, spanking would not likely be profitable anyway. You may be thinking, "My children have always been in a secure environment and they act just like that."

The foremost need in child training, the ground on which all positive guidance occurs, is the relationship of child to parent. Her children are doubtlessly in an adversarial frame of mind. It is not just that they seek to put forward their own agenda, but that they actually seek to sabotage hers. It is vain to make her will clear, because they have already decided to resist all control. A rebel is not so concerned with doing his own thing as he is in not doing the will of another. He dedicates himself to publicly demonstrating that he is not in subjection to any authority. It is his agenda to rebel, to prove his independence and lack of respect.

Now we who are not emotionally involved are inclined to see the situation from the child’s point of view. The poor children have been emotionally deprived and abused. It is not their fault that they were jerked up and passed around like a piece of rental equipment. They are hostile because they have never known love and security. They have never had anyone they could trust to always be there. They are products of the adults surrounding them.

However, if we now handle them under our own shadow of guilt and sympathy they will be further ruined. If our understanding of their plight causes us to sympathize, we will only authenticate their hostilities. You must remember, children raised under the best of circumstances, in a home of love and security, are nonetheless inclined to selfish domination and independent action against the rule of law. If a child is "left to himself" he does not grow up beautiful, he grows up to be a little devil and will "bring his mother to shame (Prov. 29:15)." Her children are what they are because of neglect, but they are only being themselves. It is not a matter of just bad habits, it is now a case of bad character—yes, even at two years old.

But we are not going to blame the children, we are going to train them—however difficult, without the use of the rod. We may not achieve as high results, but if we are wise and consistent, others will brag on "what good kids" we have.

In our first book on child training, we talked about "tying strings." The first step in all child training, the foundation stone that must be continually renewed, is fellowship between parent and child. In 99% of all homes, children are in an adversarial state of mind most of the time. The first step, the step without which all other attempts are in vain, is to establish mutual ties of respect and honor. Unless the children can trust their parents with the handling of their souls they will not make themselves vulnerable. It is the same with you, is it not? Children must be brought to the place where they want to please their parents. Until children value the approval of their parents more than the lure of any indulgence there is not foundation for training. The parents will be constantly leaving their children behind.

Fear of punishment is not sufficient to make children compliant; it will certainly not remove the adversarial mentality. When parents get to the place where they are relying on threats alone, they have totally lost fellowship and are functioning as the IRS. Threats might get outward compliance but never the heart—quite the opposite.

So there is nothing that prevents this mother from taking the first step in child training—establish a relationship of trust and respect. How is this done? Enjoy the children and cause them to enjoy you. Don’t ask anything of them that is not absolutely necessary to the stability of the home, give them something they want—not selfish demands, just ignore those. Give them your time, your attention, your laugh, your approval, your touch, hugs, reading, silly funnies, rolling on the carpet or yard, pushing in the swing, or pulling in the wagon. But most of all, let them bask in your smile until they need it like they need the next breath. Cause them to feed on your fellowship, to relax until they are sure you care only for their good, that you live to enjoy their company and would not be happy without them. Do this and you will have achieved what most Christian homes are missing.

When you first begin to mend a broken relationship, or build one that never existed, you will have to do what friends do—ignore problem areas, absorb ugliness, for "they know not what they do." If they begin to trust you, and you strike at them, physically or verbally, they will withdraw, and it will take longer to draw them into the open again. You can stand firm on issues; just make sure that you are always relaxed and calm in your responses. If you have to reject an action, never communicate rejection of them as a person. The worse thing you can do in this attempt to rebuild the relationship is to develop critical feelings toward them and to become short and abusive in your language or attitude. They will shut you out like shutting the barn door on a winter storm. You can wipe out everything by having a condemning attitude.

Your reach as a disciplinarian cannot exceed the limits of your fellowship with the child. Rebuke must be delivered in an atmosphere of trust and respect. If you have lost the child’s heart, then the child will have lost the heart to please you. If the child is not in agreement to pull with you, it is vain to try to harness him to your rules. The occasional rebuke must be the exception to a constant sharing of positive experiences. When rebuke and chastisement are strung along on a thread of long silences, punctuated by beads of unpleasantries, it will only strangle the relationship, not beautify the child’s soul.

The other day my daughters took in a younger girl that was a product of the Federal School, a working mother, and an insensitive father—in that order. She was at that age just before puberty when it is easy to be misunderstood and confused. The child had been swept along in the sexless society of the federal system. She was not feminine or lovely in demeanor. My girls spent the day treating her as another "lady." Toward the end of the day when it was near time for her father to pick her up, they got her dressed in a long flowing dress. You could tell that at first it was an embarrassment to her to appear so vulnerable, so feminine, but she soon began to enjoy it. She started carrying herself differently. The affected gawkiness disappeared. She smiled with a blush and gracefully swept around the room. Soon her father came into the room. You could tell that she was pleased with herself and was expecting his approval. My daughters presented her to him as if she were a newly dressed bride, exclaiming how nice she looked in a dress. He blurted, "Yea, I been telling her she would look better in dresses. She just wears those old pants. The kids these days…." Her countenance fell and her shoulders hardened into the reserved condition she had displayed hours earlier. It was obvious to her that rather than her father being pleased with her, he was pleased with himself that she had justified what he "had been saying all along." On such small threads do our children hang. She had attempted to take a new course, one that could have made a great difference in her life, but his preoccupation with himself had shut the door in her face. He was not mean or cruel or angry—just insensitive, absorbed with his own performance, perhaps carrying latent irritation at having been ignored so long. He had a chance to join hearts with her, but he missed it.

Can you see that in such simple, day to day matters hangs all of child training. Until we tie strings of fellowship all else is vain, even harmful. If you would train your children and you are prevented from using the rod, you still have at your disposal a tool that most of my readers have never effectively employed—continuous fellowship with their child. If you can create an atmosphere of trust and good will, you will greatly reduce the need to spank the small child, and nearly eliminate the need in children 8 or older.

After you have established fellowship with your children, the next step in training is to gain their respect as a person of principle. Your children must know that you answer to, and act as representative of, a rule of law that is higher than your own personal preference. You have boundaries that you adhere to and expect them to do likewise. By reverencing boundaries in your own life you communicate that there is a Lawgiver higher than your own feelings and impulses. If the child is made to feel that he or she must obey you only because you are bigger or tougher, or because you have control of the resources, then your influence will extend only until they are big enough to rebel without severe consequences. But if the child treasures your fellowship and wants to please you, and on top of that the child wants to please the God that you please, then you have a solid foundation for training. The only battle left is the child’s flesh.

Many parents have found, all too late, that religious instruction given in the context of permissiveness works to produce atheists and infidels rather than Christians. I personally know many families that took their children to church and talked spirituality while indulging the flesh in food and pleasure and indulging the soul in irritability and pettiness, with the result that their children grew up to resemble sons and daughters of Baal rather than children of a holy God. Children dragged through that kind of confusion are far harder to reach with the truth of Christ than are the abused and abusing sons and daughters of prostitutes and dope peddlers. I know whereof I speak. Besides dealing with hundreds of such cases, some of my own relatives serve as the best examples.

So, on a foundation of fellowship and respect for God the lawgiver, you are ready to deal with that indomitable enemy of all the sons of Adam—the flesh. Even when your child wants to please you and wants to please God, he/she is going to feel the constant pull of the desires of the flesh. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other so that [your child] cannot do the things that he would." Here is where the mechanics of training are inaugurated. Your young child is composed of two opposing elements—elements that were in harmony before the fall of Adam—the flesh and the spirit. The spirit is that inner man, the soulish self. The flesh is that nonmaterial biological conglomerate of tissue, bone, and blood that is endowed with passion and drives.

The spirit can receive instruction and make decision based on values, whereas the flesh is indifferent to good and evil. Like any animal or plant, the flesh seeks survival and propagation. It battles within seeking to maintain a stability that promotes health, and it strives without seeking zones of comfort and pleasure. The body has no built in governor that predetermines moderation or sets limits. It would eat what tastes good, and it would eat it now. It would rest rather than work and take rather than give. The body cares not how it affects others or what might be the long-range consequences. The body neither knows nor cares that present actions will result in cavities, obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, or venereal disease; it just pursues the line of immediate pleasure. Where there is not an active, mature, trained, and disciplined mind exercising control, the body is a self-destructive fungus.

The bottom line you must recognize is that the infant is born with all of the passions of body but with no capacity for self-restraint. Your three-year-old has active bodily drives but no understanding or will to moderation and self-restraint. The child will be in his early to middle teens before he can function so as to be self motivated to the point of subjecting the body to the spirit. You can have a child with a submissive heart, but he cannot exercise his mind to self-restraint.

Herein is the parental responsibility: While your child is in the process of maturing, before he can govern himself, it is your responsibility to function as his spirit, as his governor. You will act as his conscience, his sensor, advisor, instructor, chastiser, rebuker. You will say no to his flesh when he cannot. You will be ever alert, vigilant, on guard to detect any uprising of flesh. You will strengthen his resolve to stand by the rule of law and deny the flesh. You will spot laziness and lead him in an attack against it. You will spot selfishness and see that it is not gratified. In short, you will never allow it to be a pleasing experience to indulge the flesh. He will be caused to find rest and peace in one path only—the path of holiness and self-discipline. Your job is to make all evil counterproductive and unrewarding and to make all righteousness and discipline to be delightful and joyous.

At this point the parent would have the rod as an enforcer against the monster of flesh. When the flesh runs away with the spirit and captivates the will, when the child turns on you like an angry dog and refuses to give ground, the rod can restore his respect for your authority. It is your final tool against the power of the body to commit mutiny and take the will captive.

But our subject is: "What can you do if you are denied that ultimate power to subdue the flesh?" You can fully apply all of the above measures so that you do not come to that place where the rod is necessary. Yet, we must face the obvious truth that no parent is going to create a net of training so tight that the kids don’t occasionally slip through. There will be times when a spanking is appropriate. But you are prevented! Then use your power as the caretaker and dispenser of all privileges and responsibilities to make his actions totally counterproductive. If you can’t spank the flesh, starve it with an embargo. Stand your ground and do not let the little fellow find satisfaction in his pursuits. Stay on duty, demanding obedience until he surrenders his will to your persistence. If there is a way to deny him access to some means of indulgence that relates to the offense, then by all means as governor of the island on which he lives deny him normal privileges until he complies.

The one—most important—principle is to never allow his rebellion to be successful. Always win the contest. You can do this because of your position as banker, cook, house cleaner, playtime supervisor, work detail manager, etc. Stand your ground. If you develop a reputation as a winner of conflicts, you will be home free. If you develop a reputation as a vacillating wimp that whines and complains about how you are treated, they will run over you like a discarded aluminum can. The key is to win. Always win. Stand by your demands. Be just. Be reasonable. Be consistent. Be tough. Be there all the time, ever in his face, loving, laughing, smiling, and demanding compliance as foreman of the home.

Without use of the rod, you will be handicapped but not crippled. You won’t do as good of a job as you could have done, but with determination and vigilance, you can do a better job than 99% of the other Christian parents who have full freedom to use the rod.

No Greater Joy
1000 Pearl Road
Pleasantville, TN 37033

I hope you have enjoyed this article as much as I have.

In His Grip,
Laura

Are You Listening To Me?

2010-10-20T22:17:00.004-04:00

Some days I feel like I'm walking in stride with Jesus pretty well... other days, it's more like I can't get into rhythm with Him. He's saying, "left, left, left, right, left". And I'm tripping & fumbling & concentrating really hard, but just not getting it. These past few weeks have been like that.
God has been trying to speak to me about little things, but I've been way too busy trying to get "things done" to listen.

We were camping. Everyone was sitting around the campfire enjoying a hot cup of tea. Our little Anya asked for a cup. We got it for her, but the Holy Spirit told me it was too hot, not to give it to her. So, I gave it to her & told her to just hold it because it was too hot to drink. She spilled it almost immediately & burned her little leg. I am ashamed even as I type those words. Why didn't I listen?

I went to get a pair of pants for my dear hubby out of the laundry room. I grabbed the green pair, but saw the brown pair. The Holy Spirit whispered, "Grab the brown pair too." "Nah", I said, "we'll be folding clothes later. I'll just bring them up then." I went back upstairs with the green pair. When D (my nickname for Daniel) saw the green jeans he commented that he would really like the brown pair because he's been cutting wood & painting in them, so they would work perfectly for another "dirty" day. GRRRRR!!!! I sent Kathryn downstairs to get his brown pair. I'm sure she was wondering how I knew exactly where they were. :)

I decided that it would be a good idea to take the kids to K Mart to pick up some shoes. It's a 1/2 hour away, but D have forgotten some things on his last job that I needed to pick up anyways, so why not make the trip. Sounds good, right? Well, I certainly didn't pray about it & I wasn't comfortable with it even as I made those plans, buuuuuuuutttt.... I had already told everyone. I didn't want anyone to be disappointed, so off we went... I had to make an unexpected trip to where Ryan & Rose were cutting wood to relay a message for Daniel. 1/2 hour... Had to have lunch... $20 Had to feed baby, so we went to the park... Met a friend there... Her lunch took a long time to prepare... 1 hour... Off to K Mart... Found shoes... Amen! Went back towards home... TOTALLY forgot to pick up the stuff at D's work site... Groceries... I sent Kathryn in because I had to feed the baby again... 1 hour... We got home at 5:30 pm. Seriously, it was crazy. The evening went down hill from there, trying to feed a starving, tired infant, keep Gabe, Luke & Anya calm (they've been in a car all day) while we get dinner ready, etc... Why do I forge ahead with my plans when I know that they are not what God wants?

The lesson in all this is that God truly cares about every intricate detail of my life. He wants to save my little princess from being burned. He wants to save me an extra trip to the basement for that infamous pair of jeans. He wants me to plan my day according to His plan for my day. He wants me to make that cup of coffee or that phone call. He wants to pour out His blessings, even in the little, minute details in my life.

Today, I listened. I turned around when I passed the farmers market, thinking if I waited they would probably be gone when I came back through. They were closing for the season in 10 minutes. I struck up a conversation with one of the farmers. I hadn't seen this man in 20 years. I lived less than 5 miles from him when I was a teenager. He said he was just thinking about my mom & wondered how she was. I live an hour and a half from my hometown!

I listened. I put on my old Columbia coat. I haven't worn in in a year and a half. I checked the pockets... a dollar bill, a set of keys & some rubber bands... I went to the hardware store for D, after my chat with the farmer. He needed paint chips for an upcoming job. I needed every shade of white that Benjamin Moore had. As I paid for my other purchase, I thought about how I was going to keep these paint chips together & not have them spread all over the van. Aha... a rubber band. I was elated!

I listened. I called our customer ahead of time. His wife & he wanted to meet me & asked if I could come a little later. We had a wonderful visit! They enjoyed meeting the baby & I pray God was glorified by our conversation.

It's simple little things that make a profound difference. Today was a great day!

Am I listening? Lord, help me to never forget these simple lessons that You teach me every day!

In His Grip,
Laura

Jenny's Pearl Necklace

2010-10-07T17:13:00.004-04:00

Jenny's Pearl Necklace

Author Unknown

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her piggy bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores. She went to the neighbor, Mrs. McJames, and asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother had told her that if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then may I have your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then will you give me your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay, Honey. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. When she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace. With the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that He can give us beautiful treasure. Isn't God good?

Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing... God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

A note from Laura

I read this 5 years ago & have kept it. I ran across it the other day and just couldn't throw it away without sharing it. What a reminder of how Jesus is Lord & I need to be willing to let go of people & things that are not God's best for me. Maybe I should just let go instead of wrestling all night & ending up with a limp. :)

In His Grip,

Laura

It's All About The Process

2010-09-23T15:14:00.002-04:00

I had a light bulb moment the other day! It's very exciting to me, although to some of you, it may be, "DUH!!!"

It's all about the process!!! This parenting thing...

It doesn't work too well when I'm trying to train a little one to go potty on the potty & I get upset because she hasn't got it down yet. I want to cross it off my to do list.

It doesn't work too well when I am sitting down to teach Gabriel phonics or math & I get upset because he's not doing it right.

It doesn't work real well when I'm busy typing a blog post & I get irritated because I'm being interrupted by the girls to check their narration projects.

I realized that I can apply the "reap what you sow" principle to training & teaching my children. Little by little, precept upon precept, I will teach Gabriel to "blend" two letters together. Then, someday in the future, he will be able to read words. Then, a little later, he will be able to read a book. I don't have to treat it like a "to do" list with a "get 'er done" attitude. I can enjoy the journey & leave the results of my diligent effort in the Lord's hands.

My "get 'er done" attitude is great for finishing chores, accomplishing a task, or organizing... But it doesn't work real well on the most important people in my life, my husband & children. I'm ashamed to admit that so much of the time, I've not taken those moments that God gave me to look at that bug or listen to a story... to look into their eyes & show them I care.

My prayer is that God will transform my heart & help me to be much more relaxed with my family, enjoying the moments that make up our journey. This process of parenting will be going on for many more years to come.

Lord, redeem the time. Thank you for convicting my heart.
Help me to enjoy the journey & trust You with the outcome.

He Is Called

2010-09-13T12:23:00.004-04:00

As we've "officially" started our school year, I've been reflecting on the beginning of our home school journey. I was very excited to home school! I had various motives, from wanting to be "just like them" to wanting to save my children from the world. Daniel, on the other hand, didn't want anything to do with it. My emotions were very strong. I was angry. I pouted. I called friends. I called a friend of mine, an older, Godly man, a father figure for me. I told him how I was feeling. "Laura, if you are meant to home school, God will call Daniel." "Fathers are called to home school." Talk about taking the wind out of my sails. Here I was, wanting to do the "right" thing, and God was saying, "Trust me & wait."

Maybe a year later, school was getting ready to start. I still wanted to home school badly. We didn't have any money for curriculum. But Daniel said that if God wanted us to home school, He would provide the curriculum. I called friends again, women who had been homeschooling for years. "What curriculum did you use for...?" A Godly friend said, "Ask the One who called you?" Talk about taking the wind out of my sails. Here I was, trying to find the "perfect" curriculum, and God was saying, "Trust me & prepare."

So I prayed. I researched. I decided on a curriculum that would give Rose & I time together. More intimate, less structured. I called Nancy, the local home school group coordinator. She was giving me ideas. I said, "What I really want to do is Five In A Row." "Oh my gosh, I am the Five In A Row queen. I have all the books you need & you can borrow them all!" "WHAT!?! Did I just hear that correctly? No way! Oh yeah... God is good!"

The next year came. I really wanted to home school Kathryn, too. Daniel was not interested. He was concerned with the amount of time it would take to home school both girls. Would I have enough time to take care of the little ones? I didn't pout so much this time. I prayed. I prepared. I ordered a curriculum that both the girls could do if God changed Daniel's heart on the matter. Daniel started working with this guy. He didn't have any kids. But, as they talked, Kit convinced Daniel that Kathryn really didn't know what was best for her, that the public schools were not what was best... Within a couple of months, Daniel told me to pull Kathryn from school.

Ryan told us 2 weeks later that he wanted to be home schooled, too. He couldn't see the benefit in spending 9 hours a day away from home when his sisters "had it sooo much easier." I will elaborate on his story in a later post.

That was 2 years ago. It has been a struggle at times. It has been a process, a journey. Our home is constantly changing & growing.

This year, we have a fresh vision & focus. We have Gabriel, Lukasz & Anya who have their own special "class" now. Gabriel, because he loves it from last year. Lukasz, because I want him to get lots of practice speaking (there is a lot of rhyming in this program). Anya, because she wants to be apart of the group (she's not a baby, you know). We have a curriculum that helps to teach all of them in a one room school house type setting with the Bible as the main history book. We will learn how the Ancient Egyptian culture relates to the men in the Bible. Kathryn is focusing on Algebra & writing. Rosalie & Mama will be spending some focused time on math & math & more math. Ryan is gaining more & more skill as a carpenter. He's working through his Stewardship math class that I probably need to take right along with him & his world history that he's realizing he MUST complete if he wants to read the next book on his list, "What He Must Be To Marry My Daughter" by Voddie Baucham. We'll do one or two scrap book pages a week to put into our notebooks, to keep track of what we're learning & to give them an outlet for their natural creative abilities. We'll continue to take care of our garden, put up the veggies & prepare for winter. We'll go to the Sprinkler Lake Nature Fest, the planetarium for Christmas, the Saginaw Children's Museum & possibly the Creation Museum. Most importantly, we'll build another year's worth of memories, learn a lot of lessons, learn a lot about the grace & mercy of our Saviour, that He would chose us for this journey.

I am so thankful that God granted me the grace to listen to those hard words that Gary told me years ago. I am positive that our home school journey would be very different today, if I had continued in rebellion against my husband & not honored him even when he told me "no." I am also positive that God has poured His blessings down on us because we allowed Him to work in our home.

Jesus has changed my heart so much since the "beginning". Now, instead of trying to fit in or impress others... instead of trying to shield them from the world out of fear... Now, we just want to be obedient to what God has called us to do, to shut out the "noise" of the world, so we can look them in the eye & instruct them & train them in the way they should go.

In His Grip,
Laura

I Just Wanted To Hear Your Voice, Honey

2010-09-02T16:10:00.003-04:00

Our family went over to a sweet, older couple's house last Sunday. It was totally last minute. Both hubbies forgot to mention that we were stopping by after church. :) But it was so nice. We sat outside. The kids got to play & run & catch frogs. The women chatted & the men "discussed" the business at hand.

But one things sticks out in my mind & in my heart. We were talking about fathers & daughters. He said that he still calls his 1st born once a week, "just to hear your voice, honey." My first reaction was a little envious twinge. But my second & strongest was that sweet reminder that my Father in heaven just wants to hear my voice. Prayer, to me, is not a set of ritualistic words that I must say so that "God will hear me properly" and then He'll do what I say. What if I had the audacity to believe that I am the "one that Jesus loves."... He just wants to hear my voice??? I please Him??? Just like a Daddy I know, rushing in as soon as he hears his little girl fuss & saying, "Daddy's home. I've gotcha. Hi Izabella." That's how God feels about me, his daughter.

I used to have a bumper sticker that read, "I'm a princess because my Daddy is the King of Kings!"

^{I John 3-1}Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:

^{Zephaniah 3: 14-17}Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

^{Hosea 3-14} Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

^{John 21-7} Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"

In His Grip,
Laura

The Beauty Of The Lord

2010-08-21T13:59:00.009-04:00

As I "walk along the way", I have the privilege of seeing "The Beauty Of The Lord" all around me. Of course, that's when I'm paying attention. As I've watched this summer FLY by, I wonder how often I've been too busy to notice Him.
One occasion that sticks out clearly in my mind. I bribed the kids... If you do really well with all your chores, we'll go to the beach later. We finally made it to the point at 7 pm. It was chilly. It was windy. But I promised. As I sat there feeding the baby, watching the girls play in the waves, the boys play in the sand, I was anxious. I had so much to do. It was almost past their bedtime. I'm cold. We should have come sooner. Daniel has my camera. The video camera doesn't have batteries charged. I went from enjoying them to thinking to enjoying them to being ready to go to enjoying... You get the idea. I stood up and turned around and looked up. There was the sun, just the rays, peaking through the clouds pointing right at the light house. In that moment, God spoke directly to my anxious heart, "Be still & know that I am God! Relax. I'm here."
God is so amazing...
We went to the beach another time.
It was beautiful.
But that one cloud...
We waited out the first shower in the pavilion. The sun came out. We went down to the beach. I sat down. The kids ran into the lake. It started to down pour. It started to hail. I started to laugh. It stopped raining. The sun came out. A dear friend brought coffee. Daddy called. He came to fly kites. The kites got tangled. The kids had fun.
God is amazing...
I watch Daddy, playing with his little girls, telling them how beautiful they are. I watch him swoon over his littlest one. I remember him 6 years ago, scared to death to be a daddy to little girls.
God is amazing...
I watch our lives change, our hearts change, like a butterfly coming out of a chrysallis, struggling to be set free from the chains that bind us... God is working in the struggles... Helping us to see Him... Helping us to relax & enjoy the journey... Helping us to be thankful for each other... Helping us to look outward, to be servants, to be "doers of the Word", to love others, to speak the truth...

I will declare the beauty of the Lord... He's all around...

In His Grip,
Laura

It's a weed... well, maybe it's not!

2010-08-12T20:34:00.005-04:00

As I said in an earlier post, this is our family's first real vegetable garden, beyond tomatoes & peppers. But if you were to drive into our yard, it would become obvious that we've been gardening for awhile. Our yard is full of flower beds. I LOVE the cottage garden look & feel, where there are flowers everywhere with no real rhyme or reason to it all. I love having veggies mixed with flowers mixed with herbs. And I have weeds. Some of these weeds have been pulled over & over but still seem to rear their ugly heads. The past few years, though, I've been letting some of those "weeds" have their way in my garden. Letting them be & discovering some amazing things about them.

Like plantain... ALL over our yard, without weed killer it would be utterly impossible to get rid of this "pest". After a little research into the herb world, however, this little weed has very powerful astringent properties making it a miracle cure for mosquito bites, to say the least!

Another good one is stinging nettle. This thing is PAINFUL!
If you are going to pull this one, you must wear leather gloves, as to not be stung by it's little hairs that cover it's body. After more research, I found it was possibly good as an antihistamine & very good at increasing circulation. This is a short testimony of its healing powers...

I had no idea of the true healing power.by Editor on May 29, 2009

My dad is a type two diabetic. With this he has also been diagnosed with neuropathy. His nerve endings "died" and according to his Dr. was going to have to have fingers, toes, and eventually feet and hands amputated as they died. We were out harvesting stinging nettles for tea a few years ago, when he decided he was going to pick them for me so I didn't have to wear
gloves he could just do it himself. He picked for 45mins. When he started
to get feeling back in his hands. He was so joyous not have had feeling at all for three years in his hands or feet. He proceeded to take his shoes off and walk all over the nettle plants until he started 'feeling' the burn. Praise the Lord! I knew it was good for diabetics as a tea I had no idea of
the true healing power. God is so awesome. Blessings, S. C

Two that I have routinely pulled from my garden are very good & good for you, purslane & lamb's quarter. We have started cultivating them & adding them to our salads.

The only reason I ever thought these were weeds is because someone told me they were. I trusted that someone without ever doing more research on my own.

Reminds me of my own life. What is it that I have believed just because someone said it. I didn't check into it. I didn't do any research. I didn't really even think about it. I just believed. I'm learning though. My husband said to me one time, "The hardest thing for me was to realize that everything I've ever known was wrong." That is a profound statement.

I have always believed that being bold was wrong, that sticking up for what was right, was just being a trouble maker, starting problems, being dramatic. Now, I realize that I must stand for what is right no matter how someone reacts. My duty is to stand. Their reaction is not my fault. How freeing! Maybe boldness is not a weed... Maybe the "stinging" that someone feels when I am bold is really God trying to wake their conscience up...

I have always believed that I must say things subtly, trying not to offend, trying to be politically correct. Paul was not politically correct. Peter wasn't politically correct. Jesus was not politically correct. Actually, these men were the exact opposite most times. Maybe being politically correct & sacrificing truth is really just creative manipulation & lying. Definitely a weed... Maybe the truth does hurt sometimes...

I've always thought that if I talked about my feelings, my emotions, then no one could argue with me, because they are mine. But, sometimes those emotions & feelings are WRONG! They are not based on fact, but past experiences, etc. Sometimes, my feelings don't matter. I need to suck it up and obey. Stop complaining & do it.

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Die to my flesh & pick up my cross & follow Him.

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Focusing on my feelings instead of on Him is a weed...

There's more... I pray that I will continue to be to be shown things that are weeds & things that are not.

I pray that I will not be open minded but Christ minded. That as I seek the mind of Christ...

1 Corinthians 2:10 - 16

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. ¹⁴The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
¹⁶"For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make ye free.

Lessons From Our Garden

2010-08-08T21:48:00.010-04:00

This is our first year that we have had a big garden. It's the first year that we have planted anything, save tomato plants from the nursery, let alone from seed. I read a few different books about gardening, different types of beds, different ways to garden. After talking with Daniel and a confirmation discussion with a local farmer, we decided on raised beds. This took a lot of extra work in the beginning of the year, but we won't have to build these beds again, just add compost in the fall.

From the beginning, we've prayed over our garden, asking God to bless it, protect it & help it to be fruitful. He is answering our prayers!

We have cucumbers planted with corn planted beans planted with sunflowers planted with beets & carrots. We have squash planted amongst a different type of corn. Carrots with tomatoes, basil with peppers, watermelon with chamomile. Kale, cabbage & brussel sprouts together. It's all so beautiful, planted this way. I wanted to experiment with it, see how these plants grew interplanted, see how well the harvest went.

Some lessons I've learned... Plant the beans at the edge of our garden boxes. It is way to hard to hunt for those beans when there in the middle of the row. Do not plant them next to cucumbers. Can you say "picky"?!? Plant more beans. Plant more peas. Don't wait to put up the trellises. Plant from seed. Even our tomatoes, planted from seed in imperfect conditions, are doing wonderful!I'm sure the lessons will continue. I expect them to.

Some family lessons... Keep it fun! Keep the kids with me. Whatever project we're working on, work on it together instead of breaking up the group to do 2 or 3 projects at one time. Remind them at the beginning of the year how much fun it is to have a scavenger hunt for these cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, beans & especially potatoes. Let them eat it right out of the ground. They love picking the lettuce & eating it for snack!

Another lesson in the importance of the little things... Daniel is insistent on family prayer before meals, thanking God for our food. He is the driving force behind this. I get busy, don't take the time to sit down to eat in the middle of the day, etc & forget, but Daddy does not forget. Gabe & I went out to pick our first potatoes. We spread apart the hay to search for a potato, to see if there were any ready to pick. We found one, then another. We found a huge one & Gabriel picked it up & said, "Thank You, Jesus!" at the top of his lungs. My heart just about burst. And I quietly said, "Thank you, Jesus, for giving us this gift of a child and this gift of food."

I wish I could say that I have been absolutely, 100 % enthusiastic about this whole garden thing. I have not. I've been overwhelmed at times. I've complained about the hard work. I've said, "You just don't understand!"
And yet, through it all, even through my bad attitude, God has been faithful to provide for us, faithful to teach us, faithful to show us His glory & goodness.

I wouldn't trade these lessons for a little bit of free time, for "me time", for a little more "book work", for anything. I asked the girls the other night, "Was all the work in the spring worth it? To be able to go & eat the food that you worked for. Was it worth it?" Their answer was a resounding, "Yes!"

God is good!

Rock A Bye Baby

2010-07-30T22:47:00.006-04:00

Oh, the joy of having a new little baby again. Her sweet smell. Her sweet smile. The joy of nursing this little one, connecting with her, nourishing her, helping her to grow. I absolutely LOVE to rock Bella to sleep. She has her "position", like she is in her sling. On my hip, left arm tucked, head on my chest. As if on cue, she is asleep in 5 minutes or less. As a side note, this comes in very handy in church. :) I'll often sing her a little song as she doses off. Then it's off to bed for her much needed nap. She is oblivious to the world around her, cuddled in her little sanctuary, her crib, safe & secure.

What about me? What about you? Are we asleep, oblivious to the world around us, huddled in our little sanctuaries, safe & secure?

Have you been rocked to sleep by a complacent spirit that lays like a wet blanket over the modern church of America?
Revelation 3:15
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou was cold or hot.. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Have you been rocked to sleep by the sweet words of a pastor who tell you what you want to hear?
2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Have you been rocked to sleep by the lullabies that you sing on Sunday morning that sound really pretty,are about how God does great things for us & have a nice beat, but are far from Scriptural?
Have you heard the new song "Love Has Come" by Mark Schultz? I LOVE this song! It has a great beat. It feels good. But as I continued to listen, something wasn't right. "Every knee shall bow. Every tongue confess, that God is love & love has come for us all. Every heart set free. Every one will see. That God is Love & love has come for us all." That sounds beautiful, but it is WRONG!
Philippians 2:5-11
⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Every knee will bow, every tongue confess when Jesus comes back NOT as this worldly love that we think of but as righteous, just, perfect love.
Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Those types of songs are so dangerous because they are part truth & they sound good. And they are deceiving many people into believing that God is love, love in their mind, human love. Therefore, they have no worries because "a loving God would not send anyone to hell."

Are you safe & secure in your little sanctuary? We have Sunday School, Sunday am & pm service, Wednesday night service, men's Bible studies, women's Bible studies, and the list goes on of programs & classes that are available to the church body any night of the week in any town across the country. We are well fed, fat & happy, if we want to be. But are we going out?

Jude 1:21-23 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

In our life, we have experienced this. We went to a church in town. They had a great worship team. The pastor could give a good message, a few Scriptures taken out of context, a half dozen different versions of God's Holy Word to make it easier to understand. *sarcasm* Daniel was involved in the men's group & I led a women's Bible study. BUT, something was wrong. We couldn't tell you what. We just knew that something was missing.
Through a series of events, God made it very plain to us that needed to leave. When we were invited to this church in "the ghetto" of Northeast Michigan, we went for my ma in-law. We walked in. Nothing unusual. Pews. Hymnals. Baptists in suits. But when the pastor started to preach, he held up his Bible and asked us to stand because this was God's Word and it is Holy.
I am reminded of the song, "We are standing on Holy ground. And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. For we are standing in His presence on Holy ground."
We left the church changed. My heart soared that day.

Since then, God has gradually removed the "wet blanket" of complacency and set aflame this burning desire in our hearts to rescue others from the same fate.
God has put us under the teaching of a man who doesn't care what we WANT to hear, but tells us what we NEED to hear. He is bold & zealous & God has used his words to startle our sleeping spirits, to awaken our consciences, to put us on full alert. There is not a Sunday that goes by that we aren't squirming in our seats, not because we can't wait to get out of there, but because the Holy Spirit is there, testifying that we must change. We have sin that God wants to remove. We lust after things. We are silent when we should speak. We compromise our beliefs so that we will be liked by our Christian friends. You know, it would be pretty hard to get Izabella to sleep if I kept poking her every couple of minutes.

Oh, the music... it has become an idol in this country. We will change churches, start new churches, spend unGodly amounts of money on equipment, all in the effort to have a good worship service, so it's pleasing to our "itching" ears. God says, "make a joyful noise". The heart of the worshiper & the truth of the words are far more important than whether we like this "style" of music or not. Worship is supposed to be about Him, how great He is, how worthy He is.

For me, this has been the hardest reality. I enjoy Bible studies. I enjoy fellowshipping with other believers, talking with friends, being actively involved in church. I am much more comfortable there. I'm accepted. I belong. But, I started to realize that I could easily spend 4 hours a week in some type of church activity all in the name of Christian service. I did not have time to serve my husband & be his helpmeet. I did not have time to disciple my children in the way God has called me to.
I did not have time to serve the people in my life that need the love of Jesus.
The perfect analogy for this is the Dead Sea. It is continually
fed by the rivers & streams coming off the mountains in the area, but NO rivers drain out of the Dead Sea. So, as water evaporates, the sea becomes saltier & saltier making it deadly. No fish or sea life can survive in the Dead Sea, only certain bacteria & one type of algae.

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.

I have been so comfortable living my own life, doing my "church" thing, for so long, that I truly became oblivious to the world around me. The fact that families live in cardboard boxes, that babies actually die of starvation, that people are isolated & lonely all around me didn't bother me. Until now. Now, I see their faces in the lines at Walmart. The people are starving for human contact, just eye contact, just conversation, just to know they are not invisible. Now, I ache for them. I must move past the "ache", the "pain", and "be a doer of the Word". I'm slowly starting to give up "my life" and let God direct it. He has told me where to go, who to call, what to do. He can be so bossy and insistent some times.

As we were talking the other day, my wise husband said something like this to Ryan. Don't look to do something "big" for God. One person matters. That young man at church who is just a train wreck. He's hurting so badly that no one wants to be around him. Love him. That's "big". He matters to God.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

Ephesians 5:14-17 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

My prayer is that this message will be taken as it is intended. I am so far from where God wants me to be. He and I have so much work to do. I must speak the truth. I speak it in love. I love you. I love Jesus. We must pick up our cross & follow Him to be His disciple.

In His Grip,
Laura

How do you do it?

2010-07-16T22:05:00.004-04:00

The pic above is Lukasz & Anya! Just to make me smile & remember!

Today, it's about me. I need this. I've heard it again, so to prevent my head from blowing up like a huge balloon, I will be totally honest.

How do you do it? Daniel & I have 7 children, ages 17, 14, 11, 5, 4, 2 1/2 & 4 months. We home school them all.

So, here's our secret. We don't.

After Lukasz was born, I had this huge realization that I could NOT do this mothering thing on my own. I didn't have the knowledge, the patience, the endurance, the anything to be the mother of 5 (at that time) children.

That's when Jesus came in and saved the day. I realized I couldn't live off of a daily quiet time (or the illusion of). I needed Him every hour. I needed His help for EVERYTHING! I need Him to give me the strength to keep my mouth shut. I need His help to give me the patience to speak at the right time. I need His comfort when I feel lonely because I don't have time for daily phone calls to friends who understand.

I don't want to give the impression that we have it all together to anyone ever. Okay, maybe some times I would like people to think that I have it all together. But then, all the pressure is on me to perform. Then I have to get my wonder woman cape on & fly around saving the day. The thought makes me laugh.

Now, I'll be really honest. I am constantly struggling to be consistent with the kids. Right now, there are dishes on the counter, crayons on the table, laundry piled up. The younger kids went to bed at 9:30 pm, older ones are getting ready to watch a movie with me (which I'll probably fall asleep during). We are in the middle of no less than 3 home improvement projects. I'm planning 3 more in my head. My 2 year old screams every time someone touches her & then I caught her big brother pinching her as he walked by to watch her scream. They call each other & sometimes me "poopy head". The other day, we were at a carnival type thing with at least 200 people there. I had the baby in the shade, the younger ones were with siblings. I went to check on them and no one knew where the little ones were. We found them. They were completely fine, but still... I had a fit. It was Kathryn's birthday & I planned on taking her shopping to pick out an outfit, but I forgot to tell her that. So, she went all week thinking I wasn't planning on getting her anything. Sometimes, I get mad at my husband. Sometimes, I'm disrespectful. The sassy, head nod Shaniqua thing that the girls do... they got from me. (I'm going to buy them a bobble head doll that looks like them.) Daddy & Ryan are in the process of teaching the little boys how to arm pit fart... at the dinner table.

Do you get the picture? I'm just me. Daniel is just Daniel. And ya know what? It's okay. We're workin' on growing up together. We're workin' on staying young together. We're workin' on being more like Christ together.

I'm giving up my dream of having this perfect little refined family to show off at church on Sunday, but stepping into REALITY. We have a very imperfect, large family that truly loves the Lord & wants to give Him glory & I'm just praying that I will step out of the way & let Him do His thang... Because when I am weak, then He is strong. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So, next time I hear that question, I'm going to answer it honestly. It's not me. I fail every day. It's HIM! It's all about HIM! I pray you see HIM!

Get Dirty!

2010-07-08T08:56:00.008-04:00

I've been watching my kids play in their sandbox. It is their favorite place to play these days. It used to be just an ordinary play area until Mom added WATER. Last year, I would not allow them to put too much water in there. "Too dirty!", I would shout. This year,I say "We'll just take a bath before lunch time." Now, they have full access to their own hose. They've made rivers, lakes, mountains, caves & canyons. They've gotten their boats to float down stream. And they've gotten DIRTY!!!

When we garden, we do not wear gloves. It is very calming to go into the garden & just start pulling weeds. It is monotonous. It takes no thought. There is instant progress. And I'm getting DIRTY!

That dirt, if it has not been "fertilized" with chemicals, is full of billions of bacteria, GOOD bacteria. That good bacteria is so important for our health, for our immune systems. There are numerous articles on the link between colon health and overall health. Here are two that I have found to be very helpful to us. The Case For Healthy Bowels & Bacteria, The Soil, The Gut & Detoxification. (Do not substitute this for medical advice from a professional. I am just a mom with a few opinions & real life experience)

There are a few things that we, as a family, avoid like the plague. "City water" is treated with chlorine. Chlorine kills bacteria. All bacteria. The good, the bad, the ugly. Antibiotics kill bacteria. Not all bacteria, but they cannot tell the difference between good & bad. Ever eaten TONS of yogurt while you on are an antibiotic to try to prevent a yeast infection? Yeast infections are caused by too much yeast, not enough good bacteria to "eat" the yeast. Antibacterial soaps & hand sanitizer not only kill the surface bacteria but also enter the body & kill the good bacteria. All these things, when used on a regular basis are actually doing MUCH more harm than good.

I implore you to do some research & see if what I say is true.

So, the next time your kiddos want to run in the mud. Let them. Get in there with them. GET DIRTY, Mom! Make a mud hole for them to create in. Build a garden. Who cares about having to give them another bath? The joy on their faces is SO worth it!

Oh, The Thinks You Can Think

2010-07-01T17:39:00.002-04:00

I have loved Dr. Suess FOREVER! I loved to read "Horton Hatches The Egg" as a child, loved to read "Fox In Socks" or better yet, pick it for Cheryl to read when I was a teenager working at a day care and love to read any Dr. Suess book to my kids today. If I get to pick the book, you can bet that at least ONE Dr Suess book will be in the mix.

I loved the imaginative illustrations when I was little. I loved to improve my speech and see how fast I could read it as I got older. Now, I love seeing the "bigger picture" behind so many of his stories. I don't know whether they are Dr. Suess's bigger picture or just what "I" see in them. Doesn't really matter to me. It's cool!

Today, I was reading "Oh, The Thinks You Can Think" again, when I actually noticed the front cover. It is a picture of these Suess birds, walking one by one, eyes closed, in a circle. Huh... Isn't that what happens if we're not paying attention? If we are just going through life, believing what everyone else is saying, doing what every one else is doing...

When we first started the process of homeschooling our Rosalie, I called every one I knew that was homeschooling to get their opinion on what curriculum was best. I remember one very wise woman that said, "Why don't you ask the one that called you?" My first thought was, "I called you." Then I got it. God called me to homeschooling. He has a plan for our family. Ask Him what we should be doing. Since that day, I've tried to do just that. Although I LOVE to talk about curricula & what is working for people, I know that God has a plan for OUR family that will be different from every other home school family out there. Every time I start to compare myself to what others' "school" looks like, I get anxious, confused and discontent.

I don't want to follow others path, walk with my eyes shut, going around in circles.

I want to think for myself, pray for myself, seek for myself what is the right way for our family to go. Then go!

Think left and think right and think low and think high.
Oh the THINKS you can think up if only you try!

Love to Read!

2010-06-23T11:32:00.006-04:00

I love to read! What I read has changed through out the years, from romance novels when I didn't know any better to biographies of missionaries and the latest from Eric Ludy on being a bravehearted warrior for Christ, not just a side liner.

I pray that I am teaching my children to LOVE to read, but I cannot stop there. I must teach them what to read & how to read it. Unless it is the Word of God, everything must be read with a look at Scripture. Does this line up to the Bible? Does it contradict it? How? Is it worth reading?

Romance novels are obviously out of question. They are so obviously not from God. No brainer. How about books written to my preschooler? How about the "Llama Mama" series or Junie B Jones? How about the Twilight series or Harry Potter? Hold these popular titles up to the light of Scripture. What do we find? "Llama" is a spoiled little boy who, in the one book we had, threw a huge tantrum in the store and then got a big hug & because he helped pick up his mess, got to go out for ice cream. Yes, children throw tantrums, but why would I read a cute little story about it to "agree" with the story, to confirm to my little toddler that it's okay, everyone is doin' it.

We are very careful about which books I read to my children, especially any story that has been written in at least the last 10 years reflects secular humanistic thinking. The subtlety amazes me. And keeps me on my guard.

"Twilight"... Read into the history of the vampire myth. Dracula means "the son of the devil" and it was first inspired by the life of Vlad the Impaler, a Romanian ruler in the 1400's who burned, skinned, roasted & boiled men, women & children. What would we do with a book that glorified the life of Hitler, forgot about his tortures and made him out to be a wonderfully, romantic, sometimes violent hero. Would it be okay? Would we tell all our friends on facebook how excited we were that the next one was coming out?

Our children are sponges. They believe what we tell them. They absorb everything around them. We are responsible for what they are absorbing.

But, according to Scripture, I am called to guard my heart as well. Just because I am an adult, does not mean I can & should read anything & everything, just because someone else recommended it.

Daniel & I have said to our children that one of most dangerous places for a Christian to go is the local Christian bookstore, specifically Family Christian Bookstore. Go in there with your guard up, looking for a particular book. Do not browse the latest and greatest best sellers. You may find "The Shack" or "Velvet Elvis" to be front & center as you walk in the door. Even the Christian romance books, if they cause me to be
discontent with my hubby, then I should not read it. It would be sin for me. Many modern day Christian books are full of the self-help gospel message that says "if you do this, this & that then you will be the most organized, most loving, best wife in the whole wide world all with the goal of getting your husband to do what you want." What's wrong with that, right? It goes against the gospel message.

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Of course, if it was that blatant, we MAY see the folly in that message, but it usually is not. It is confusing. I Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace... If God is not the author of confusion, then Satan is.

In Noah Webster's book, The Blue Back Speller, he writes, "The basis of all excellence in writing and conversation, is truth - truth is intellectual gold, which is as durable as it is splendid & valuable."

All this reading... All this information... What is lacking? Am I reading the unadulterated, uncompromised Word of God, the Truth? I can read to my heart's content, soaking it up like a sponge and be fully and deeply satisfied.

And then, once I've read this Word, once I've gotten my Word for the day, am I going out and DOING it?

Kathryn and I were talking about that yesterday. As usual, as I was talking to her, God was speaking directly to my heart. The conversation went something like this... "Kathryn, reading all these inspiring stories about great missionaries & being excited about what they did is GREAT! But, if you don't put it into practice on your mission field today, it's just words & emotion." OUCH! So, where is my mission field? Where is Kathryn's? It is where ever God has us at that particular time. Right now, it's at home, in Walmart, in church. Where ever we are.

Two points... Think of the song "Oh, be careful little eyes what you see" and pray and seek God on everything you are reading and reading to your children.

My lesson... All this reading, if not followed up by action, is just Satan's way to keep me from being a "doer of the word".

James 1: 21-25 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted work, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

This blog today is not my own, not my thoughts, but an outpouring of what God has laid on my heart. It's a message to me, really. I pray you will be blessed by reading it as much as God has blessed me by writing it.

Why Am I A Health Nut?

2010-06-15T00:40:00.005-04:00

There was a time...
When Kraft Mac & Cheese & hot dogs was my favorite dinner...
When Lucky Charms & Honey Nut Cheerios graced my cupboard...
When I could be caught eating a whole row of Oreos (man, were they good!)

Then, one day, a seed was planted by a Dr that I worked with. He was a health nut! He saw me eating those fabulous oreos and commented on how gross they were. I looked at him in horror! "Gross! These things are AWESOME!!!" Then he informed me that they were loaded with Trans Fats. Deer in head lights look... What are trans fats? These nasty man made things that your body can't get rid of. Huh! I had NO clue! And I continued to eat my oreos...

That seed that Dr P planted started to grow. I became a little more interested in eating better. A little less likely to feed my kids white bread with Jif peanut butter...

Then Lukasz was born. When he was 18 months old, we figured out that his nightly screaming sessions and "loose" stools were because he was lactose intolerant, not something he would grow out of. So, we switched his milk. Then he got eczema. We love our pediatrician, but his solution was put this steriod cream on him a couple times a day, bathe him less, etc... But, WHY does he have eczema?

Our journey continued from there, researching common causes of eczema... wheat sensitivities... eliminate wheat... Okay, "everything" that we ate had wheat in it... no cereal & no bread... We slowly eliminated those things. Lukasz's eczema disappeared!

Then, Daniel was allergy tested. There goes the soy. Soy byproducts are in many processed foods... tuna, bread, crackers... More label checking... bye, bye soy...

During my research, I came across many articles warning against corn syrup. I approached Daniel about eliminating corn syrup as well. After a while, he agreed to throw out the corn syrup. Corn syrup is in EVERYTHING!!! Unless you do not eat processed foods.

A few months ago, No Greater Joy ran an article about GM foods. It opened my eyes to even more truth concerning the food we eat. I ordered the book, Seeds of Deception, and was absolutely floored by the deceit and corruption of the FDA.
Now, we are working diligently to eat all organic and grow our own food from heirloom seeds. I'll post some pictures of our garden soon.

We are seeing a little more of the picture every day. Again, the question is, why am I a health nut? Soy is a GM food. Most corn products are GM foods. In a recent study, one group of hamsters were given GM soy, the other non- GM soy. In the 3rd generation, the hamster family that was fed GM soy was completely infertile! Why does this matter?

My daily prayer, my purpose in life is to train my children to be warriors for Christ, to be God's army, so that they can train their children to be warriors for Christ, so that they can train their chil..................
Oh wait... there may not be a 3rd generation in the Zarzycki family army if we don't make changes and teach our children why these changes are NECESSARY for the cause of Christ.

I'm not a health nut. I'm a warrior for Christ who does not want ANYTHING to stop her family from giving God all the glory and honor that is due HIM!

Now, I'll go back to the beginning. We're a real family. We have ice cream every once in awhile. We were at a birthday party today. We had cake & ice cream. But, as a rule, we do not eat processed food & avoid those things we know are harmful to us and our family.

We have made these changes in our eating lifestyle over the course of 9 years. In the last 3 years, we have made a more diligent, consistent effort to change.

In His Grip,
Laura

I HIGHLY recommend www.mercola.com for information on a healthy lifestyle.
The book Nourishing Traditions has been a huge help to me in determining what is healthy and what isn't to eat. It is more like an encyclopedia than a cook book!

Friends

2010-06-08T23:23:00.009-04:00

God and I have many conversations. Most of them sound nothing like the Psalms... no flowery words... Just Him and me, while I'm changing a diaper, cooking dinner or picking weeds... Our conversations lately have been more often and more fervent... Lord, what's going on with me? I don't like this. I know it's right. I know You are working, but I'm not likin' it, just so You know. That's been the tone lately. But as I wrestle with Jesus, He turns my head toward my children and I SEE it.

I see our children playing with one another. I see Lukasz & Anya jumping on the trampoline that their big brother spent 4 hours on a Saturday putting together for them. They're giggling, falling, rolling... I see Kathryn & Rose helping each other do laundry & pick up the floor so that they can chat. Kathryn helping Ryan get his clothes ready so that he can go out of town again, talking all the while. Sitting with one another on the couch reading a story. Wrestling on the floor. Rocking the baby. Changing a diaper. Playing house. Fighting over toys. Building a HUGE sand castle. All this has happened this week in our home. Our children are friends. They love one another. Side note: The world says that siblings will hate one another and rival for attention. LIE!!! In an atmosphere of love, even when there are many children & Mama & Daddy can't possibly spend one on one time with them all regularly, if children are taught (by example) to love & respect one another, they will. (our kids have their sibling rivalry issues, they fight, they bicker, they touch one another and make the other scream, they take each others' toys, but they are friends...)
And I would miss the blessing of being their friend, being apart of this adventure every day if I spent my time on the phone, on the computer or going on play dates and gallivanting around town.

Now, don't get me wrong, I struggle with this, sometimes more than others. Right now, more than other times... But when I look at them and realize the choice I have to make. I cannot be my kids' friend and build strong relationships with them and do those other things... I have to make my choice. A little note here: The world has told us for far too long that we cannot be our children's friend or that as they get older they will not want to spend time with us. LIE!!! God brings families together and if we will be obedient to Him and love our children and enjoy them and smile at them and have Joy... Then they won't be able to resist being around their greatest coach, best confidante, the ones that they know have got their back.

I have friends outside these four walls, but not many. When we talk or get together, we are uplifting one another in prayer, seeking Godly wisdom and exhorting one another to fight the good fight. I have chosen these women intentionally because they are fighters, with great attitudes, who seek victory in their lives and aren't going to settle for mediocrity. They read the Bible and actually believe what it says! What God can do with women that believe Him and act on what He says!

My prayer is that I will be more like that Titus 2 woman:
^{Titus 2: 4-5
4}Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

How I want to bring glory to my God by what they see in me and my family, my children, my grandchildren... I must be busy at home, so that no one can malign God's precious Word.

In His Grip,
Laura

Our family sings together alot and this is a favorite of ours...
Love Will Hold Us Together

Bravehearted Warriors

2010-06-04T19:27:00.005-04:00

We've been asked the age old question more times than I can count.

What are ya goin' for, a baseball team? I used to just smile & nod.
Now, I smile and say, "No baseball team. An army. We are training our kids to be warriors for Christ. They are needed."
I say that, but what does that mean.

We are totally dedicated to the task. We live the life we want to see them emulate. We can't be lukewarm and cowardly and expect them to be on fire and courageous. It's not going to happen.

We recognize that they are in training.
In a real boot camp, the cadets are being trained for battle, being trained to fight and to defend.
Our job, then, as parents is to relentlessly train our "cadets" for battle. To fight for the truth. To defend the truth.

They must know the Truth, study the Truth and believe the Truth. In today's world, they must believe that there is an absolute truth, not a truth for me and a truth for you. We can't all be right!
John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me."

We guard our "base" with extra diligence, making sure that there aren't any "enemies" in our midst, undermining our authority & training. Anything or anyone, (even grandparents) who even insinuate that our children should not obey their parents is against God, 5th commandment.

We are training them to recognize the enemy. This is very frustrating these days because Satan is a slick one and his tactics are oh so subtle. He dresses himself in nice Christian clothes, speaks fluent "Christianese", he's in most Christian book stores... Like I said, he's a slick one.

1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

This is a war! Their life is at stake!

We are training them to "test" what they are being told. It doesn't matter who says it.

Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Does it match up with Scripture? If it's against the Bible, it's a lie. Even if it sounds good. Even if it feels good. Even if it makes sense. If it's against the Bible, it's a lie.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.

I would not send them out to battle without me until they were fully trained. That's the tough one. Can you imagine if our troops were sent to battle with 3 days training? What would happen? They would get slaughtered! So, we don't send our kids into enemy territory a.k.a socialistic educational facilities. Their goal is to teach them what to think, not how to think. And their perspective is NOT God's therefore I must not give them any influence in my "cadets" lives. They will go out into the world, to seek and save the lost, to mentor their peers once they are trained. Not before.

Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and thou risest up.

The most important thing that we do, is pray over and for our children continually, not with fear and doubt but with faith and confidence that His Word is true, it will not return back to us void, that He is taking our heart felt effort and molding our children's hearts to be more like His. I beg for His wisdom and strength to not give up, to not give in, to keep up the good fight and finish this race well.

Now, I know, that some may say this is a little over the top, a little obsessive, I mean, they're just kids. Let them go here, do this, be free. Well, to that, I say we have fun, but we aren't a "kid centered family". We're a family, a team, we live life together. Whatever we do, for the most part, it is together. And we enjoy it. I don't want to share my time with them. It's just too short!

Still think we're obsessive...
A little statistic for you to ponder... 70 - 85 % of kids that grow up in Christian homes leave the faith after their freshman year in college!!! Were they ever faithful? Were they trained to fight the good fight in "real" life, not just on their video game?

I'll say it again.

We are in a war! The enemy is real! He is after our children!

Satan, you will not have them!
They are His!

Here We Stand!

The Yoke

2010-05-28T22:53:00.005-04:00

It seems funny & weird & awesome when I KNOW that God is talking to me, teaching me & leading me. This week, for instance... I went to Bible study where we were talking about

Matthew 11:28-30 (King James Version)

²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Well, we live in a small, farming community and our church consists of many wise farmers. So the discussion went into a yoke, how to train a young, wild horse by putting it in a yoke with a steady, older horse. As I was sitting there, I was thinking of myself & how pointless it is to dance around in a frenzy & get all worked up over things, when I'm attached to Old Faithful, Jesus, who's not budging. He's steady & strong & carrying most of the weight.

Then I started to think about my children and how that same principle,

the yoke, can be used when training them.

Slow & steady. A little bit at a time.

Keeping them next to me. Calm, cool & collected. In control.

THEN, I came home, got every one in bed, read for a little bit, checked my email & read a post from Simply Charlotte Mason that read...

Help Strengthen the Will

When I learned this principle, it changed the way I looked at my child. I had been thinking that my child had a strong will, and it was my job to dig in my heels and butt heads with her to show that my will was stronger. I was my child’s opponent in the battle of the wills.

But once I understood this principle, I suddenly realized that she did not have a strong will—one that had enough power to choose what was right even when she wanted what was wrong. She had a weak will that constantly chose the easy path of “I want.” It was my job to help her strengthen her will to be able to choose what was right, even when she didn’t want what was right. I was not her opponent; I needed to be her coach.

Then, I read this...

Last week we discovered that, according to Charlotte Mason, what we often call a strong-willed child is really a child with a weak will. Today let’s talk a little about how to help our children develop strong wills that can choose to do what is right even when they don’t feel like doing it.

I grew up around horses, and I distinctly remember my father warning me about letting my pony run to the barn at the end of a ride. “It will get into the habit of running to the barn,” he cautioned. “And soon you won’t be able to control it.”

Once when I was visiting some friends, we took some of their horses out for a ride. After a while we turned back for home, and I found out how scary an out-of-control horse can be. As soon as the horse I was riding saw the barn, it took off. It didn’t matter how hard I pulled on the reins or tried to turn its head. That horse was going where it wanted, and I had no way to stop it.

Okay, Jesus. I get it. Take your yoke upon me.

Rest.

Be cool. Be calm. Be in control. I get it.

I love that my Lord & Savior delights in me and

is carrying my burden as we walk along this journey.

Jesus is personal! Jesus is alive! Jesus is God!

In His Grip,

Laura

Why "Uncommon"?

2010-05-27T13:58:00.008-04:00

"Our Uncommon Life", this concept was birthed from the song "Uncommon" by Greg Long. Daniel & I were sitting at the park for "Praise On The Bay", enjoying the sun and our family. We'd just found out we were expecting our 7th blessing and we were a little overwhelmed, to say the least. This young, country style college band got up to play. And they played this song. The goose bumps and tears came simultaneously. See, I've never really wanted to be different. I was the wall flower who just wanted to fit in. It didn't work. Fast forward to today. I'm older, but I still struggle with being accepted. Daniel doesn't care, which makes it worse for me... But, God is faithful and He is working on my heart and helping me to stand tall and be bold and honest.
We have 7 children, can't hide that & wouldn't want to. But, it is "uncommon" and the questions & comments are often, like every time we go out in public. "Wow, you've really got your hands full!" or "Don't you know how that happens?" are common statements FROM TOTAL STRANGERS. I'm not complaining! It helps me to have an answer for my faith, to be bold & honest about what a blessing these little ones are. But at the same time, I have to be very careful that I don't answer with an arrogant, pious tone because let's be honest. Our oldest, Ryan, Kathryn & Rosalie are from my first marriage. Gabriel was who brought us together, Lukasz & Anya made our heads spin. It wasn't until we heard a sermon by Voddie Baucham "Family Driven Faith" about the absolute blessing of children, that we repented of our attitude about children and received our blessing, Izabella, 11 months later.
So, when I say "Our Uncommon Life", I don't mean better, just different. That song reflects my heart... I'm ready to be different, wanting to stand out for HIS glory, not my own. Lord knows that we can do NOTHING without HIM!!! If there was any doubt of that, all I have to do is think about who we were before Jesus came and rescued us!
This is only the beginning...

In His Grip,
Laura