I just recently found a blog called 'Janet's Journal'. I've really enjoyed reading her writings from the perspective of a stay-at-home, single mother of 3. I asked her permission to post her post on my blog because I think it's something that we all need to think about. I think the church has done a terrible job ministering to single parents. I know this post spoke to my heart and I hope it speaks to yours as well.
Blessings,
~Mrs. B
ps.- Janet designs websights so if you have that type of need, contact her. I'm sure she'd appreciate the business! (o:
The Single Keeper at Home and How You Can Helpby Janet W.
I am a keeper at home; however, I am a single woman. I want to give some perspective and hope to single women whose hearts’ desire is to be at home with their children. I believe it is a command for women to be keepers at home, regardless of their circumstances. Titus 2:3-5 reads "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 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." (emphasis mine) Did you see that? For a mother not to be a keeper at home is blaspheming the Word of God! The Bible doesn’t say that becoming single changes that. Some may say that these verses apply only to that day and time in which this was written. I don’t think we can pick and choose what verses we obey or when we obey His Word. His Word is Truth and never changes. God meant what He said and said what He meant. He created the family and knows what is best! We can trust Him for that!
I have been single for over 5 years now because of an unwanted divorce. I have three beautiful daughters, who I’ve always homeschooled. They are 13, 10 and 8. I never dreamed I could remain at home with my girls and keep homeschooling them. God has been so good to honor the desires of my heart, and my desire to do things HIS way!
When I first became single again, I panicked, did what I was told from church-members, and took a part-time job at a grocery store. After all, all single women have to go to work, right? The hours were in the evenings so that I could homeschool in the mornings. Every week, I worked three straight days, from 2PM until midnight. It was hard, fast-paced work. After a while, my family was falling apart. The devil was working, and I began to see very quickly that I had no business being out of my home! My mother kept my girls, and she did the best she could, but she was not training them at all (It was not her job, was it?!); they were only being watched and fed. The girls were getting out of control, and I was too exhausted to homeschool properly. It took me days to recuperate from those three working days, and then it was time to go back to work. After working for five months, I started begging God to send me work to do from home. Within one week, I had four children, besides my own, to care for daily!
Some may think that having seven kids to care for every day would be daunting, but I was so thrilled to have them! God had answered my prayers, and I could be there for my daughters again! God helped me schedule all the children and things went very well. This was a summer job though, and all but one child returned to school in the fall. That was ok, because the Lord had allowed my website designing business to start making a little money here and there. I also received some child support, but not a lot.
Eventually, for various reasons, I quit keeping children in my home, and was able to be with my girls exclusively. God sent me customers that needed website work done every now and then. In time, child support increased even more, but still things were very tight. More than anything though, God cared for us through His people. We had no car for a year, but we prayed and waited patiently and confidently. I was not going to disobey God and leave my home to go to work just to buy a vehicle. My girls deserved my best, which was my time, not possessions!
One day, a wonderful lady from our church called to see if I wanted their used minivan. I told her I could not afford it. She said "No, we want to give it to you." That was God!! My daughters and I just cried. My girls saw God their Father taking care of us. When I prayed, I honestly expected a beat-up old car, for which I would have been extremely grateful. But God exceeded it with a nice minivan, of all things, that ran perfectly! I never ever thought I’d have a minivan. Another family gave us a perfectly good piano! Another prayer answered! Last year, we were given a good used washer and dryer set, after we’d done without a dryer for some time. Many of God’s children have sent love gifts of money, many just in time. One friend took care of bills when my house was about to be repossessed for past due taxes. This friend also takes care of the girls’ school books and other school expenses whenever the need arises. God’s hands are truly the hands of His people!
I want to make it clear that we in no way sit back and expect folks to help us. But it is how God works to meet needs in our situation and others. Money will not fall from the sky, although it could, if God so chose. God lays things on the hearts of others, and they reach out to help. I will not refuse blessings and answers to prayers that God sends! When you refuse help, you are robbing that person of a blessing. You also are refusing God’s answer to prayer! How can we refuse God’s provisions?? How prideful that is!
I know that I’m very blessed to have child support. Some women may not have this. Whether you do or not, but still need additional income, I urge you to seek to find some sort of "cottage business" like the Proverbs 31 woman had. She found something she could do at home to make money for her family. I believe with all my heart that God will answer your prayer and abundantly bless you! God longs to see women being joyful keepers at home! I know of one single, homeschooling mother who, along with her five daughters, cleans houses and businesses. I know other single mothers who run home daycares, write articles, make beautiful handmade items to sell, etc. There are so many possibilities! Ask God, in faith, what to do, KNOWING that He WILL show you! It may take some time for you to be at home full-time, but God will do some "great and mighty things, which thou knowest not!" (Jeremiah 33:3) I never, ever thought that I would really make it as a website designer, but oh, how God loves to prove us wrong and surprise us, even with our doubting, worrying hearts!
I further urge you single sisters, and even married sisters in dire straights, to accept help from different sources. It should come from the church first, but could also come from charity organizations or the government. I know many Christians feel one should not accept charity, but God has made it available to us, and it would be wise, for our children’s sakes, to take it, be thankful, and use these resources to continue rearing our children for the Lord. Many feel that "if you don’t work, neither shall ye eat." Well, I work VERY hard at home-- obeying God. The work God gave me to do is to be a keeper at home. This is a full-time Christian ministry! I take care of my children, I homeschool them, I keep my home, I am available to others, and work in my cottage business. Even with severely cut living expenses, sometimes there is just not enough money, and if you can get some help-- that will further enable you to do God’s will-- then please do so. Don’t let pride keep you from accepting help and, therefore, not obeying God by keeping your home. Many Christians will accept government checks for foster children and/or adoptive children, but condemn other forms of assistance. There really is no difference. In light of the fact that many churches and families no longer support the widows or help the poor as they should, it is a necessary evil. I’m just so thankful for any and all help that I receive. I don’t become wound up in my pride; my focus is my CHILDREN’S needs, and being at home with them. I cannot adequately express how important and vital it is to the welfare of the Christian family.
I want to give ideas to those who want to know how to help single mothers who are striving to raise their children for the Lord. (This would probably also be a blessing to single fathers, mothers with husbands in the military, or to two-parent families who are in dire straits.)
**Pray for them. Pray for their strength-- spiritual, physical and emotional. One of the biggest problems I have is being exhausted in all ways because I do it all alone-- all the time.
**Encourage them often. Tell them they are doing a good job. There is no one at home to tell them, and often they doubt they are doing any good at all. It is tough to keep going down such a long, hard road alone.
**Ask them about their lives. I have found that many people will not ask me about my life, other than a quick "How are you?", probably because they are afraid of pouring salt in my wound, or they just don't know how to relate to me. I have been in many situations where the ladies would go on and on about their lives, but never wanted to really know what was going on in mine. (And yes, I spent quite a lot of time showing interest in them first.) Single mothers would like to be included in conversations also.
**Offer to take their children to appointments, lessons, or other activities. One parent cannot do it all, and ofttimes, for the mental well-being of the single parent, activities are severely limited; OR the mother is run so ragged that she loses her physical, mental, and emotional health. Imagine what it is like to have NO ONE to go pick up a gallon of milk for you, or to run by the pharmacy for medicine for a sick child (or a sick mama!). Those small errands add up and exhaust a single mother. Imagine what it is like not to have someone come home to you at the end of the day, to relieve you of the children for just a little while, for someone to field a multitude of childish questions, for someone to be your cheerleader, or for someone simply to give you a much-needed hug and to take care of you. No, there is no one. A single mother has to handle the children, and all of life’s problems and situations alone all the time. One of the things I want to hear so often is "You heard your mother. Now go and do what she said."
**Offer to help them financially in some way. This could be paying for music or other lessons that are just impossible for the single mother to afford. This could be something small as paying for a magazine subscription for the children or for the mother. These things are luxuries. It could be buying a pair of shoes for a fast-growing child. It could be by funding homeschool books for a homeschooling family. It could be to pay one bill for them at one time, or committing to continually pay a certain bill until things are a lot better for them.
If every local church member would give even $5 a week or month, what a difference it would make in the life of a single mother! It is a terrible shame for a mother to have to return to work after becoming single again, no matter the reason why. The children have already suffered the loss of their father, sometimes their home, and often a depletion of finances. They should not have to lose their mother also! How much more they need their mother in the home full-time to give them stability and love!
Folks, we must realize how necessary it is for a mother to be at home with her children, no matter what the age of the children (teenagers need just as much or more supervision than toddlers do) or the circumstances! We must get back to Bible living!
It is also a terrible shame for fellow Christians to "live on flowery beds of ease", while some do without the necessities of life. Did Jesus live like this? Jesus had no place to lay His head, but I’m seeing people that hoard their possessions, accumulating more and more, forgetting that we are just passing through, and that we are here to glorify God and minister to others. I am so appalled by the lack of compassion that I’m seeing by "Christians". Acts 4:34-35 shares how the early church treated each other: "Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." (emphasis mine) Where is the compassion for others, especially "those of the household of faith"? (Galatians 6:10)
It’s not wrong for families to have possessions-- things that they have worked so hard for. But where is the concern for the souls of little children who need their mothers? Are not mothers the best teachers for these little children of God? If many would help just a little, what great things could be accomplished! Will you be like the Good Samaritan and help, binding their wounds and giving them care and shelter, or are you going to be like the other "religious" folks, looking the other way and passing on? (Luke 10:25-37) Jesus said to and "Go, and do thou likewise" just as the Good Samaritan did.
**Call a single mother sometime and ask if they have a specific need that you can meet. It’s so hard to ask for help, and they really ought not to have to ask often. Call and see if they need some repair work done to their house or vehicle. If the mother has no health insurance, help her get to the doctor when needed. In doing some of these things, you can relieve so much stress from a single mother’s mind so that she can concentrate on her noble and heavenly task of fitting little ones for Heaven. It is VERY difficult to do any good at all when you live with constant worry and stress. Even small things people normally take for granted every day can become enormous problems for a single mother-- like a child needing new shoes or having enough gas in the vehicle.
**Do not brag on your good fortunes. Just as we would not go on and on over a new baby in the presence of someone who can not conceive or who had recently lost a child, it is thoughtless to share all about your fortunes and luxuries that a single person cannot possibly even dream of, who is terrified deep in her heart of what tomorrow will bring for her financially, who struggles with the basic needs of life. You have no idea who may be about to lose her home or have her electricity turned off. Please also be careful about mentioning romantic gestures that you have received from your husband, when a single mother has no husband to love her. It is not that you have to be on eggshells around them; it is just that you can cause pain without realizing or meaning to. I can testify how hard it is to balance being happy for your friends' blessings, yet hurting because you are in very hard circumstances.
**Don’t expect things from them, just because they come easy to you. As a matter of fact, we shouldn’t do this to anyone. I have been misunderstood because I don't attend a lot of activities outside the home. We must remember that others are in completely different situations than we are, even if we have been in one quite similar. We may have strengths, gifts, abilities, and energy levels that others may not have.
**Don’t make light of or dismiss their feelings and longings for a spouse. Often a single parent longs for a spouse, but are told that a man/woman cannot meet all their needs. (They are told this by married people who have never been in their shoes.) Nobody can meet every need, but everyone craves friendships and most people deeply desire a spouse. We were created to need other human relationships. There is a place in our heart that only a spouse can meet. GOD HIMSELF designed it that way! Please don’t make light of their heart’s cry. It can be the worst anguish of all.
You cannot imagine how much you’ll bless a single mother and her children until you get to Heaven! Believe me, God will richly multiply your blessings. Matthew 25:40 says "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." This is Kingdom work that will last for eternity, and that will bless generations to come-- simply by insuring that a godly mother stays in her home when the odds are against her. If you doubt the value of a godly mother, remember Susanna Wesley. Without her, we would not have had two of the greatest Christian leaders of all time-- John and Charles Wesley.
To those dear ones who have shown my family God’s love over these years, I humbly and deeply thank you. God will multiply your gifts many times over.
(The above article was originally published in The Women of Simplicity Companion Magazine. It is being updated occasionally as needed.)
Note from Mrs. B--I obtained permission from Janet to post her article. Please do the same before posting it on your own blog. (o:
Friday, April 21, 2006
"The Day God Spilled The Paint"
Someone e-mailed this picture to me and I just had to share it.....it's just so amazing! Click on the picture to enlarge and it'll be even more breath-taking.
The east side of the Carrizo plain, in the Temblor Range, about 50 miles due west of Bakersfield , California .
The Day GOD SPILLED THE PAINT!
The east side of the Carrizo plain, in the Temblor Range, about 50 miles due west of Bakersfield , California .
The Day GOD SPILLED THE PAINT!
When Queens Ride By
"John and Jennie Mangrave had eager plans when they married and took over the old farm. But their great faith dwindled as the first years passed. John worked later and later in the evenings. Jennie took more and more of the heavy tasks upon her own shoulders and had no time for the home and children. They were no further on, and life had degenerated into a straining, hopeless struggle."
The first time I read this it made a big impact on me....and every time I reread it I glean something else.
To read the rest of the story, go here.
The first time I read this it made a big impact on me....and every time I reread it I glean something else.
To read the rest of the story, go here.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
ICK!!!!
Here is another reason to either homeschool or have your kids in Christian school.
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." ~Revelation 22:20b
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." ~Revelation 22:20b
Murphy's Oil Soap
O.K........I'm in LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, with Murphy's Oil Soap!!
How come I had to wait until I was 37 years old to know about this wonderful product?! Mrs. Wilt asked on this post about cleaning hardwood floors and one of her commenters talked about Murphy's Oil Soap so I bought some. My kitchen cabinets look GREAT!! And so do my baseboards, walls, and painted furniture. And the smell.........oh my.....if they bottled it as perfume, I'd wear it!! (o;
So I just wanted to let you know in case, like me, you weren't aware of this wonderful elixir.....after you're done cleaning, your house (and hands) have the most lovely, clean smell.
How come I had to wait until I was 37 years old to know about this wonderful product?! Mrs. Wilt asked on this post about cleaning hardwood floors and one of her commenters talked about Murphy's Oil Soap so I bought some. My kitchen cabinets look GREAT!! And so do my baseboards, walls, and painted furniture. And the smell.........oh my.....if they bottled it as perfume, I'd wear it!! (o;
So I just wanted to let you know in case, like me, you weren't aware of this wonderful elixir.....after you're done cleaning, your house (and hands) have the most lovely, clean smell.
Our Friendship -Mrs. B and Mrs. R
Mrs. B and I (Mrs. R) have been friends for almost 4 years now. I met Mrs. B when my husband (fiancé at the time) and I began attending the church that Mrs. B and her husband attended. We were attracted to each other pretty quickly because we had so much in common. We both love to read, we both enjoy discussing Biblical topics, and we both have very similar Biblical convictions.
Through the last four years our friendship has endured, even though we haven’t lived in the same state for three of the four years. The key to our long distance friendship is communication. We e-mail daily and we talk on the phone once a week.
Also, we are very respectful of each other’s schedule. We don’t even live in the same time zone, but we find a good time to talk. We talk when our husbands are at work, so that we don’t cut in on each other’s hubby time.
When we talk we try to stay positive with our conversations. We try and steer clear of gossip. We speak positively about our husbands and we don’t discuss every little detail of our marriage.
It is a very good friendship that has grown through the many events in our lives. I am very thankful for my good friend, Mrs. B.
Mrs. B~
I've always been the kind of person that has treasured my friendships. I don't take my friendships lightly and I don't have tons of friends. Oh, I have quite a few people that I like, love, care about, and would do anything for......but I like having just a few close friends. And Mrs. R is one of those few, cherished friends.
Mrs. R and I (Mrs. B) have seen a lot of changes in each other's lives in the four years of our friendship....one of those things being my husband's job change and us moving to a different state. And as she mentioned above, our friendship has endured and I think is even stronger now than ever. I've seen us both do a lot of growing up in the last 4 years and I think that is a big key......we both grew.
One of the things that Mrs. R did for me that I'll never forget is......when my husband and I moved, we had to move into a hotel, to live, for 2 1/2 months....with 2 large dogs. That was a scary thing for me......new job, moving to a state where we knew NOONE, the hotel being an hour away from where my husband's job was, so I was alone for much of the day, and pretty much being confined to the hotel room all day. Oh and I forgot to mention, all of our belongings were being stored by the moving company so I had no access to e-mail except the few times we could go to Kinkos.
We had pre-arranged to have a P.O. box so that our mail would be forwarded and when we arrived on our first day into the city we checked our P.O. box and what was waiting for me?.....a card/letter from Mrs. R! It just brightened my whole day and I remember feeling like 'This is going to be o.k.' But that's not all....she faithfully wrote to me at least once aweek and a lot of times twice a week. We became penpals. I still have every letter she wrote. I would read them over and over and it helped me to remember that even though I didn't know anyone, I still had my best friend who cared about me, missed me and wanted to keep in touch with me.
Mrs. R doesn't have the time to have her own blog but she graciously helps me with mine. If she didn't talk me through it, over the phone, I still wouldn't know how to add links to my side bar. (o; She reassured me that 'Yes, I could figure out the 'techie' stuff" and "Yes, I'll be able to think of enough stuff to write about." She is a constant source of sincere encouragement to me.
My ideas of what makes a 'true friend' have changed (and hopefully matured) over the years. Reading 'Are You Serious About Marriage', the book I posted about earlier in the week helped me to see some of my faulty thinking about friendship. I used to think that you had to tell each other 'everything' and be together quite a bit but that has not proven to be the case. Mrs. R and I have spent more of our friendship living far away from each other than we have living close, so we don't get to spend much time together. I think the distance enables us to share but not intrude. We are a part of each other's lives but we both believe and know that God and our families come before anything else. Sometimes in this modern day and age I think we have a tendancy to reveal too much and are too intertwined in each other's lives. To quote 'Are You Serious About Marriage?' Mrs. Zakula says "We have so much free time in our generation. In previous eras, women were forced to be more focused on their families. If a woman did not work morning and night, there were not clothes for the family and food to eat. Husbands were working morning and night to bring in what little monies they could. Husbands and wives were fulfilled in each other in their mutual effort to bear and rear children, and provide shelter and food. Fellowship with other women, except for wealthy folk, was pretty much limited to Sunday church or an occasional visit."
Please don't misunderstand. I'm not saying it's wrong to have friends or spend time with them. But we must be very careful that we don't neglect our families for friends and 'personal fulfillment'. I've had some unhealthy friendships in the past.......friendships where my priorities were wrong and gossip took place. Mercifully, God removed us from each other's lives.
I'm so thankful for my friendship with Mrs. R!
I'm also so thankful for my new blog friends. It's so wonderful to communicate with such like-minded sisters in Christ. (o:
Through the last four years our friendship has endured, even though we haven’t lived in the same state for three of the four years. The key to our long distance friendship is communication. We e-mail daily and we talk on the phone once a week.
Also, we are very respectful of each other’s schedule. We don’t even live in the same time zone, but we find a good time to talk. We talk when our husbands are at work, so that we don’t cut in on each other’s hubby time.
When we talk we try to stay positive with our conversations. We try and steer clear of gossip. We speak positively about our husbands and we don’t discuss every little detail of our marriage.
It is a very good friendship that has grown through the many events in our lives. I am very thankful for my good friend, Mrs. B.
Mrs. B~
I've always been the kind of person that has treasured my friendships. I don't take my friendships lightly and I don't have tons of friends. Oh, I have quite a few people that I like, love, care about, and would do anything for......but I like having just a few close friends. And Mrs. R is one of those few, cherished friends.
Mrs. R and I (Mrs. B) have seen a lot of changes in each other's lives in the four years of our friendship....one of those things being my husband's job change and us moving to a different state. And as she mentioned above, our friendship has endured and I think is even stronger now than ever. I've seen us both do a lot of growing up in the last 4 years and I think that is a big key......we both grew.
One of the things that Mrs. R did for me that I'll never forget is......when my husband and I moved, we had to move into a hotel, to live, for 2 1/2 months....with 2 large dogs. That was a scary thing for me......new job, moving to a state where we knew NOONE, the hotel being an hour away from where my husband's job was, so I was alone for much of the day, and pretty much being confined to the hotel room all day. Oh and I forgot to mention, all of our belongings were being stored by the moving company so I had no access to e-mail except the few times we could go to Kinkos.
We had pre-arranged to have a P.O. box so that our mail would be forwarded and when we arrived on our first day into the city we checked our P.O. box and what was waiting for me?.....a card/letter from Mrs. R! It just brightened my whole day and I remember feeling like 'This is going to be o.k.' But that's not all....she faithfully wrote to me at least once aweek and a lot of times twice a week. We became penpals. I still have every letter she wrote. I would read them over and over and it helped me to remember that even though I didn't know anyone, I still had my best friend who cared about me, missed me and wanted to keep in touch with me.
Mrs. R doesn't have the time to have her own blog but she graciously helps me with mine. If she didn't talk me through it, over the phone, I still wouldn't know how to add links to my side bar. (o; She reassured me that 'Yes, I could figure out the 'techie' stuff" and "Yes, I'll be able to think of enough stuff to write about." She is a constant source of sincere encouragement to me.
My ideas of what makes a 'true friend' have changed (and hopefully matured) over the years. Reading 'Are You Serious About Marriage', the book I posted about earlier in the week helped me to see some of my faulty thinking about friendship. I used to think that you had to tell each other 'everything' and be together quite a bit but that has not proven to be the case. Mrs. R and I have spent more of our friendship living far away from each other than we have living close, so we don't get to spend much time together. I think the distance enables us to share but not intrude. We are a part of each other's lives but we both believe and know that God and our families come before anything else. Sometimes in this modern day and age I think we have a tendancy to reveal too much and are too intertwined in each other's lives. To quote 'Are You Serious About Marriage?' Mrs. Zakula says "We have so much free time in our generation. In previous eras, women were forced to be more focused on their families. If a woman did not work morning and night, there were not clothes for the family and food to eat. Husbands were working morning and night to bring in what little monies they could. Husbands and wives were fulfilled in each other in their mutual effort to bear and rear children, and provide shelter and food. Fellowship with other women, except for wealthy folk, was pretty much limited to Sunday church or an occasional visit."
Please don't misunderstand. I'm not saying it's wrong to have friends or spend time with them. But we must be very careful that we don't neglect our families for friends and 'personal fulfillment'. I've had some unhealthy friendships in the past.......friendships where my priorities were wrong and gossip took place. Mercifully, God removed us from each other's lives.
I'm so thankful for my friendship with Mrs. R!
I'm also so thankful for my new blog friends. It's so wonderful to communicate with such like-minded sisters in Christ. (o:
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
My New Outfit
Here's a picture of an outfit I just ordered. To see it closer and to see where I got it go here. I also ordered some pink shoes to go with it. I have to buy most of my clothes on-line because I am plus size. And because I live in a very small town with very little shopping options available. I praise the Lord for the internet so that I don't have to walk around naked! (o;
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
The Folded Napkin
I heard an Evangelist preach a sermon on this once, a long time ago, and while getting ready today God brought it to my mind again. John 20:1-7 is where it is in the Bible but I'm especially referring to verse 7 which says "And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself." The napkin was not just laying there with the discarded grave clothes......it was separated from the grave clothes and folded neatly.
God doesn't just put things in the Bible for no reason, which means this action has significance. But what is it? Well, to understand it more fully you have to go back to the Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and the Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was set perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare to touch the table until the master was finished.
Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table because in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"
Imagine the despair the disciples were going through. They had seen miracle after miracle and even when Jesus tried to explain to them that He was going to die but He would be coming back (John 16:16), they still didn't understand (John 16:17). So when they watched them crucify Him it really shook their faith. Then after 3 days, they saw an empty tomb. Not only did they see an empty tomb, but they saw a folded napkin in that empty tomb! I'm speculating here, but as my Preacher says, 'Let's use our sanctified imaginations'. I really think that when they saw that folded napkin God spoke to their hearts and said, "He's not finished yet, He's coming back!" I think that even before He appeared to them the folded napkin brought to them, a little glimmer of hope. I think they understood that the folded napkin meant something.....after all, they were all Hebrews and undoubtedly knew the tradition. I believe that was their first clue that He was coming back....and He did. Jesus appeared to all of the disciples and more than 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Praise the Lord! I also believe that the folded napkin has significance for us today. I believe a correct application can also be made that He is coming back for his own (the saved) someday.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
~~1 Thessalonians 4:16-18~~
I heard a sermon on this subject preached several years ago but I wanted to review some of the facts of the Hebrew tradition so I used this site to refresh my memory.
God doesn't just put things in the Bible for no reason, which means this action has significance. But what is it? Well, to understand it more fully you have to go back to the Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and the Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was set perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare to touch the table until the master was finished.
Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table because in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"
Imagine the despair the disciples were going through. They had seen miracle after miracle and even when Jesus tried to explain to them that He was going to die but He would be coming back (John 16:16), they still didn't understand (John 16:17). So when they watched them crucify Him it really shook their faith. Then after 3 days, they saw an empty tomb. Not only did they see an empty tomb, but they saw a folded napkin in that empty tomb! I'm speculating here, but as my Preacher says, 'Let's use our sanctified imaginations'. I really think that when they saw that folded napkin God spoke to their hearts and said, "He's not finished yet, He's coming back!" I think that even before He appeared to them the folded napkin brought to them, a little glimmer of hope. I think they understood that the folded napkin meant something.....after all, they were all Hebrews and undoubtedly knew the tradition. I believe that was their first clue that He was coming back....and He did. Jesus appeared to all of the disciples and more than 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Praise the Lord! I also believe that the folded napkin has significance for us today. I believe a correct application can also be made that He is coming back for his own (the saved) someday.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
~~1 Thessalonians 4:16-18~~
I heard a sermon on this subject preached several years ago but I wanted to review some of the facts of the Hebrew tradition so I used this site to refresh my memory.
The Tea Pot
There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially tea pots. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful tea pot. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful."
As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the tea pot spoke. "You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a tea pot. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out,'let me alone', but he only smiled, 'Not yet'."
"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the tea pot said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting dizzy!' I screamed". But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.'
Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as He shook his head, 'Not yet.'
Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'There, that's better,' I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.'
Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, 'Not yet.'
Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself. And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.'
"I want you to remember then", he said, "I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up.
I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked.
I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you."
MORAL:
God knows what He's doing (for all of us). He is the Potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, so that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
".....Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?" ~Isaiah 45:9~
I read this at Mom of 9's place.
One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful tea pot. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful."
As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the tea pot spoke. "You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a tea pot. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out,'let me alone', but he only smiled, 'Not yet'."
"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the tea pot said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting dizzy!' I screamed". But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.'
Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as He shook his head, 'Not yet.'
Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'There, that's better,' I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.'
Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, 'Not yet.'
Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself. And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.'
"I want you to remember then", he said, "I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up.
I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked.
I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you."
MORAL:
God knows what He's doing (for all of us). He is the Potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, so that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
".....Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?" ~Isaiah 45:9~
I read this at Mom of 9's place.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Has he Succeeded?
Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming and intimate, abiding relationship with Christ. However, if they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So...... let them go to their churches, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but STEAL THEIR TIME so they can't gain that close relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels......Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!!!!"
"How shall we do this?" shouted the angels?
"Keep them busy in the NON-ESSENTIALS of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to SPEND, SPEND, SPEND and BORROW, BORROW, BORROW. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their EMPTY lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments soon their home life will offer no escape from the pressures of work!! Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that STILL, SMALL VOICE."
"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CD'S and their PC's going CONSTANTLY in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays un-Biblical music, constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and FALSE HOPES. Constantly have 'beautiful' perfect-looking people on the convers of magazines and on TV so that they will become dissatisfied with their spouse because they think EXTERNAL beauty is what's REALLY important. That will fragment those families QUICKLY!!"
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to AMUSEMENT PARKS, SPORTING EVENTS, CONCERTS, and MOVIES instead. Keep them BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions."
"Go ahead, let them be involved with soul-winning; but crowd their minds with so many GOOD CAUSES that they have no time to seek power from Jesus, through prayer. Soon they will be working in their OWN strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. IT WILL WORK! IT WILL WORK!"
It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more BUSY and more RUSHED going here and there. I guess the question is: HAS THE DEVIL BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT HIS SCHEME?
You be the judge.......
~~Author Unknown~~
"How shall we do this?" shouted the angels?
"Keep them busy in the NON-ESSENTIALS of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to SPEND, SPEND, SPEND and BORROW, BORROW, BORROW. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their EMPTY lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments soon their home life will offer no escape from the pressures of work!! Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that STILL, SMALL VOICE."
"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CD'S and their PC's going CONSTANTLY in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays un-Biblical music, constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and FALSE HOPES. Constantly have 'beautiful' perfect-looking people on the convers of magazines and on TV so that they will become dissatisfied with their spouse because they think EXTERNAL beauty is what's REALLY important. That will fragment those families QUICKLY!!"
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to AMUSEMENT PARKS, SPORTING EVENTS, CONCERTS, and MOVIES instead. Keep them BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions."
"Go ahead, let them be involved with soul-winning; but crowd their minds with so many GOOD CAUSES that they have no time to seek power from Jesus, through prayer. Soon they will be working in their OWN strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. IT WILL WORK! IT WILL WORK!"
It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more BUSY and more RUSHED going here and there. I guess the question is: HAS THE DEVIL BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT HIS SCHEME?
You be the judge.......
~~Author Unknown~~
Home-Sweet-Home Meme
What is your favourite room in your home? Why? What is it like?
*This is hard because I really like all of our home.....but I'd have to answer our living room. We bought a brand new red leather sofa and 2 chairs that coordinate with the sofa (we had the chairs upolstered with fabric that we chose). The room has a book case that my grandfather made for my grand mother out of real cherry wood and in the corner on a big easel is a needle point taken from the famous painting 'A Young Girl Reading' (you can see this at the Ladies Against Feminism site in their header). I watched my grandmother make it when I was a young girl....I treasure it and it is BEAUTIFUL!! The walls are a rich, golden yellow which plays nicely off of the red accents. We also have my childhood piano in there (even though I don't really play). I also love our dining room. We recently bought a beautiful new dining table and chairs and I love the crystal chandelier that I bought on-line. The dining room is the first thing you see when you walk into our home.
What is your least favourite room in your home? Why? Can you bear to share?
*Our upstairs bathroom. Our house was built in 1963 and the wallpaper is the original wallpaper. Our bathtub, sink and toilet are blue.....once we change those things it will be nice.
In which room do you spend most time? Why?
*Since starting my blog, that would be the upstairs bedroom/office! LOL Honestly, we use all of our house. Our home is a tri-level that's about 2300 square feet and we use all of it!
Which room do you try to avoid? Why?
*There isn't one.......decorating is a process and I decided long ago that I wasn't going to only like the 'perfectly decorated' rooms in our home.
What was the last thing you bought for your home?
*A lovely towel set for our downstairs bathroom. Some pictures for the same bathroom. Then I used a small, old round table that was in my grandmother's house, in a corner. Then I put some silk, purple hydrangeas in a vase with marbles and a candle and some potpourri on the table. My husband said that when I was done that the room was transformed.....which made me glow! (o:
What was the last thing you made for your home?
*I don't sew but I'm pretty good at figuring out other uses for items, instead of what they're intended for.
Name one pet hate that you think makes for a less sweet home.
*Papers everywhere and things that are not put away.
Specify one quick tip for a home sweeter home!
*Be satisfied with where you're at in life. Everything in your home may not be 'ideal' but it's your lovely spirit that makes it 'home' for your family. Beautiful decor without a lovely spirit is dry and stilted.....and it just sucks the beauty right out of your home.
I tag anyone willing to post in the comments section or with a link to her own blog! :o)
Hat tip: Mrs. Wilt
*This is hard because I really like all of our home.....but I'd have to answer our living room. We bought a brand new red leather sofa and 2 chairs that coordinate with the sofa (we had the chairs upolstered with fabric that we chose). The room has a book case that my grandfather made for my grand mother out of real cherry wood and in the corner on a big easel is a needle point taken from the famous painting 'A Young Girl Reading' (you can see this at the Ladies Against Feminism site in their header). I watched my grandmother make it when I was a young girl....I treasure it and it is BEAUTIFUL!! The walls are a rich, golden yellow which plays nicely off of the red accents. We also have my childhood piano in there (even though I don't really play). I also love our dining room. We recently bought a beautiful new dining table and chairs and I love the crystal chandelier that I bought on-line. The dining room is the first thing you see when you walk into our home.
What is your least favourite room in your home? Why? Can you bear to share?
*Our upstairs bathroom. Our house was built in 1963 and the wallpaper is the original wallpaper. Our bathtub, sink and toilet are blue.....once we change those things it will be nice.
In which room do you spend most time? Why?
*Since starting my blog, that would be the upstairs bedroom/office! LOL Honestly, we use all of our house. Our home is a tri-level that's about 2300 square feet and we use all of it!
Which room do you try to avoid? Why?
*There isn't one.......decorating is a process and I decided long ago that I wasn't going to only like the 'perfectly decorated' rooms in our home.
What was the last thing you bought for your home?
*A lovely towel set for our downstairs bathroom. Some pictures for the same bathroom. Then I used a small, old round table that was in my grandmother's house, in a corner. Then I put some silk, purple hydrangeas in a vase with marbles and a candle and some potpourri on the table. My husband said that when I was done that the room was transformed.....which made me glow! (o:
What was the last thing you made for your home?
*I don't sew but I'm pretty good at figuring out other uses for items, instead of what they're intended for.
Name one pet hate that you think makes for a less sweet home.
*Papers everywhere and things that are not put away.
Specify one quick tip for a home sweeter home!
*Be satisfied with where you're at in life. Everything in your home may not be 'ideal' but it's your lovely spirit that makes it 'home' for your family. Beautiful decor without a lovely spirit is dry and stilted.....and it just sucks the beauty right out of your home.
I tag anyone willing to post in the comments section or with a link to her own blog! :o)
Hat tip: Mrs. Wilt
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