Organizing and Homemaking Links and Advice!

In June I told you I was "going back to school"  and I have! I promised I would be sharing with you some things I have been learning and so here you go! 

Places online and products that have blessed me!:

http://www.deeprootsathome.com/

http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

http://www.raisingarrows.net/

I bought these wonderful videos on homemaking and highly recommend them! So blessed by the simple example of this keeper of the home!


5 simple pieces of advice that have helped me tremendously!:

#1. Don't put it down, put it away. I have to repeat this to myself through out the day! so hard to do when you have lived a life of putting things down rather than putting them away. Which brings me to number 2.

#2. Everything has a place and there is a place for everything. Now putting things away rather than putting them down only works if those things have a place to go. I can't believe how much cleaner my home looks when I have a place for everything! If there is no place and I don't have room then I give it away. Which brings me to number 3.

#3. Get rid of what you don't use. Sounds so simple doesn't it?! But it's not! Here are four reasons it's hard to get rid of stuff and four reasons you still should.
1) "I might use it someday." Go on a major purging expedition in your home. Go through each room (with your kids if you want) with giant black garbage bags and have one bag that represents things you definitely want to give away and then another "I might use it someday bag". Then, take the ones you are giving away and load them up in your car and drive them to the thrift store THAT DAY, don't delay or the bags will probably just lay around. Next, take your "I might use it someday bags" and put them in some closet. Go to your calendar and skip three months ahead exactly and write: "Get rid of those bags". Whatever is left in those bags (that you didn't have to take out because you didn't have to use it) is what you take to the thrift store THAT DAY that you wrote on the calendar three months in advance. If you didn't use it in the last three months you probably won't use it. Worse case scenario you have to go to a thrift store and buy one. Just as a note, I have only regretted one thing I have gotten rid of: my massage table I paid like 500 bucks for that thing and sold it for 75 and now I wish I could give my husband and kid's massages on it. But considering the hundreds (yes hundreds) of things I have gotten rid of, having only one regret isn't bad :) 
2) "Someone gave it to me." Yes, and someoneS are going to continue to give you lots of things. You shouldn't be bound to keep things just because someone gave you something. People who know me well know I don't keep things and so they give to me sparingly and that is okay because I am upfront with people that material gifts are definitely not my love language. More stuff means more things to find places for (see #1 and #2) which means more of my time which means less time doing the things I love which means more stress. I have gotten rid of quilts, pictures, drawings, glass thingeys and souvenir  stuff that people have given me. So just a heads up, don't buy me anything. Hang out with me instead. Pray for me. Bless my children with a trip to the library or park. Try to do the same in communicating this to your loved ones. Let them know what would really bless you: a cup of coffee, free babysitting, email encouragement... things that don't clutter your home and make you feel guilty for throwing away! I have had to tell my parents and my husband's parents to give each child one present for Christmas and their birthdays. No more than that. One special gift is plenty and less likely to be thrown in the trash :)
3) "It's pretty." There are lots of pretty things out there. Now, I don't have a problem with having a few pretty things I really love. Like this one chalk board I made out of an old painting my daughter had. But the key is to have just a few pretty things. Some people think way too many things are pretty when really they are just adding to the messiness of their homes and making their overall homes less pretty. 
4) "It's a sentimental object." Oh yes. This is probably the toughest for people. At times, even hard for me. I still have my mom's mother of the bride dresses from my sister and my wedding. Not sure why. I think I'll get rid of those asap. I just took my wedding dress to a wedding dress consignment store and that was a great call. I do have a few pieces of my mom's jewelry as well... but that's about it. I don't think I struggle with this one as much as most but it saddens me when I see people unable to let go of sentimental things. Not just one or two things but people who have closets just of things they don't want to get rid of. Things that serve their current living situation or family in no way. Things that add to the clutter and messiness of their homes all in the name of sentimentality. Pray and ask the Lord to help you sort through why you are attached to something and see if it would be best overall to part with these things. They are just things. "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. "Col. 3:1-2  “Don't lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth. and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; 20: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor. rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and steal." Matthew 6:19-20 Which brings me to #4. 

#4. Keep an eternal perspective. When it comes to clutter ask the Lord to give you an eternal perspective. Everything, I mean EVERYTHING that you can set your eyes on will not come with you. It is all temporary. But the ministry you provide out of your home serves an eternal purpose. The way you keep your home will effect your ministry in the home in positive or negative ways. You do view homemaking as a ministry right? It's a ministry to your children, your husband and all your guests. Remember, people before things, always! Practicing hospitality is a command not a gift some people have and it is a command much easier to live out if you have a orderly, non-cluttered home. Pray the Lord helps you to view your home from the perspective of eternity. 

#5. Your morning begins the night before. This little saying has helped me to enjoy my days much more. When I spend too much valuable evening time on the computer and not enough time sweeping, doing dishes, setting out clothes, finishing up laundry, writing my to-do-list/schedule for the next day, I always pay for it in the morning. How our mornings go often determine how our entire day will go. So don't waste your evenings! Use them for your mornings!

source: thewordshared.net

How about you? What is one practical piece of homemaking advice that you use daily? Which one of my pieces of advice spoke to the most? Share in the comments below!

Why More Kids?!

"I couldn't handle 5 kids!"

"I was done at 2."

"I just don't have the patience for that many kids."

"Why have more kids? How are you going to have a relationship with each of them?!"

I have heard these statements and questions many times. "Why have more kids?" I like to reply with: "Why not?" I don't know about you, but many of my own answers to the "why not?" are selfish. 

We are allowing God to plan our family size because:

*I want everyone that God wants here, here.

*I don't want one little person to be missing from our family.

*I know that God uses children to refine us in major ways to make us more like His Son.

*I believe He designed us to have children. He designed us with a desire to be intimate and out of that intimacy He designed conception. (p.s. I know intimacy has more purposes than just making babies) Preventing pregnancy goes against His design and His desire to bless us with the wonderful gift of a child! 

*Children are forever. I don't like messing with deciding if a little one that lasts forever exists in the first place. That's too big of a decision for me.

*My husband has the conviction to let God lead in all areas of life including family planning. 

*Children are presented as a blessing, gift and reward and why turn that down from our Creator? He presents debt as a curse and children as a blessing... it seems our culture is embracing the wrong one.

I am not doing this:

*Because I want a whole bunch of kids.

*Because I am so good at being a mom (I am not a very good one. Especially with babies.)

*Because I want to earn extra points in heaven.

*Because I love being pregnant (I hate it actually because I have 9 month all day "morning" sickness). 

Here I am with our second "reversal baby". Chloe Marie.

So.... What are your reasons for the way you "family plan"?

Further Reading: 
My first blog post about our vasectomy reversal

Love these thoughts from Barbie at "In the Nursery of the Nation" 

Kelly Crawford with Generation Cedar

A neat interview by Holly Elliff on Revive Our Hearts

My Favorite Places Online!

The internet can be such a blessing... and a distraction. Let's use it more for the blessing part and look for ways to build ourselves and our homes up spiritually! 

Here are some of my favorite places to do that:

Looking for some awesome audio messages on godly womanhood?! 
https://www.reviveourhearts.com/resource-library/programs/p/Revive%20Our%20Hearts/topic/Womanhood/ 

A great resource for bible study! 
https://www.biblegateway.com/

Our associate pastor's wife's blog! I met her through her wonderful blog! 
http://jessconnell.com/

I have been following Kelly's blog for years and have been so encouraged! 
http://www.generationcedar.com/main/

Another great resourse for bible study! 
http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Got questions about the bible or Christianity in general? This place has solid answers! 
http://www.gotquestions.org/

Our church website and audio sermon page! 
http://woodlandchristian.net/messages.php?show=messages

Endless sermon options here!
 http://www.sermonaudio.com/main.asp

Looking for solid homeschooling info?
 https://www.christianheritageonline.org/

Looking for godly tv? Hard to find I know. Look no further! Joni did an awesome job creating a tv series that will build your family up! 
http://www.joniandfriends.org/television/

Headcovering Movement

There seems to be much talk about headcoverings around me lately. In person and on the web.

Here are some great online resources/links I would recommend if you are wanting some further reading/studying.

This one is a short book written by India Evangelist K.P. Yohannon.

Here is a great sermon on why wearing a head covering is not cultural but biblical:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=731&v=pe8BZ_Lbwsc

Here are a number of great articles too: http://www.headcoveringmovement.com/articles-series

Great video answering why the passage is talking about an actual head covering and not saying that your covering is your hair: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqzYQR2olF4


Ladies! Don't do what every one else is or isn't doing around you. Decide for yourselves what the Scriptures say. Be sure to read my post on why I wear a headcovering to public worship. 

1 Cor. 11:2-16

Instructions for Public Worship

2 I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. 3 But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.[a] 4 A man dishonors his head[b] if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. 5 But a woman dishonors her head[c] if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. 6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.[d]

7 A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory.8 For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man. 9 And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man.10 For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.[e]

11 But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. 12 For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.

13 Judge for yourselves. Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head? 14 Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair? 15 And isn’t long hair a woman’s pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.

Another Reason to Not do the Cry it out Method

I still have regrets from when Johnny was an infant (you can read why I am no longer babwise here: http://mrsscottlapierre.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-i-am-no-longer-babywise.html). I did "cry it out" with my first three babies but I really let Johnny cry it out.... for over an hour at a time... because he was inconvenient to me... yuck.

So thankful for the new freedom I have found in mothering my infants. I don't dread having babies like I did before because I no longer see them as an interruption/nuisance... I see them now as a baby that needs his/her mama and I am so thankful for breastfeeding! Breastfeeding is such a blessing not only for the baby but for the mama too! I love the comfort I can bring my little one now without feeling guilt or like I am ruining my baby... 

This link brought further confirmation that with my next baby I will not be letting them cry it out hours at a time (p.s. I do allow a little crying it out when I have fed them, burped them, changed them... done everything I can AT NIGHT... I often wear them during the day. I only had to do this like two times with Charis. And as I have said before, I never sleep with my babies). 

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/fussy-baby/science-says-excessive-crying-could-be-harmful

AS I HAVE SAID ON EACH OF MY BABY FEEDING POSTS, I POST FOR WOMEN WHO ARE IN THE POSITION I WAS IN: FEELING GUILTY FOR NURSING OR PICKING UP MY BABY WHEN THEY WERE CRYING. I AM NOT HERE TO ARGUE OR TRY TO CONVINCE WOMEN WHO LOVE BABYWISE TO STOP. I REMEMBER BEING AN AVID BABYWISE MAMA AND NOT LISTENING TO PEOPLE LIKE ME :)

My Relationship With the Computer

Relationship according to dictionary.com is: a connection, association, or involvement.

I don't know about you but I think I am too connected, too associated and too involved with my computer and not connected enough, associating enough or involved enough with my children, my home, my husband... my REAL LIFE.  

I have a burden for women and found facebook to be a great place to minister to them... but I was finding that my ministry to them was taking place over my ministry at home. Let's just say ministry on the internet was becoming a distraction. 

Isn't it interesting that God instructs OLDER women to teach the younger women (Titus 2:4-5)? I am thinking more and more that God might mean older women with no children left in the home or much older children at home because 1) they are not needed as much in the home and 2) the older women are to be instructing and training the younger women to: "love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands..." That is all ministry that must happen or can happen IN THE HOME (without the help/need of the computer).

If younger women are busy on the computer all the time they don't love their husbands and children as they should, they don't work at home with all diligence keeping it orderly and clean as they should and maybe even their husbands are losing out because they are so distracted and consumed with social media/the internet.

The computer basically can pull us in so many directions and can actually take us away from our children even if they are in the same room as us. You know what I mean, the all too familiar situation when one of your children is trying to get your attention and you keep shooing them away because they are interfering with another facebook chat or when you don't hear them talking to you or trying to show you something because you are entranced with another blog post on how to love your children. 

I often think of my mom now that she has passed away and all I have is memories; they are like little snapshots/photos in my mind. This is what I see: I see her at the counter top eating her white rice with Tabasco sauce, or I see her walking past me as I lay lazily on the couch watching tv while she is carrying another load of laundry to her room to fold, or I see her cooking in the kitchen (my mom was known as an amazing cook) and sadly I see her mostly as a drunk drinking one glass of wine after another. Those are the images in my mind. I naturally now ponder how my children will remember me... what will be the snapshots in their minds when I go to be with the Lord? Will they think of me in the kitchen? Will they picture me doing laundry? I fear they will picture me on my laptop. That is what I am so convicted about. The computer can make you think you are building relationships while the most important ones are losing out. I want my children to picture me playing with them in the front yard. I want them to remember me teaching them their school work. I want them to remember me baking with them in the kitchen or cuddling with them (not distracted) on the couch.

God has been challenging me greatly in this area and I am eager to change. I don't want to ignore this conviction only to regret it big time later. EVERYONE says: "Oh these years go by so fast." Why would I want to waste these fast years with my children on the computer? Last night when I was thinking about this post I came across this: http://www.wholeheartedhome.com/tips-clear-information-overload-wholehearted-wednesday-101/ and I really appreciated some of the challenging questions she asked in regards to our relationship with the computer/social media. Be sure to check it out! I am not sure what my "life-long" relationship with my computer will look like but here are some boundaries for me now:

1. No computer until I finish my bible reading. 
2. No facebook. 
3. No blogging unless kids are sleeping or out of the room playing outside or something. Basically no blogging when I am around my kids. (including reading blogs)

Three simple rules that will help me with my relationship with my computer but more importantly my relationship with my family.

Everyone has struggles, everyone has things in their life that distract them and pull them away from God's best. This is one of my struggles, this is one of those things I have to fight.  

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1. Do you go to Facebook (or one of your other social media platforms) first thing in the morning before making your bed or taking a shower?
2. Do you start scrolling down through your newsfeed on Facebook and forget why you got online in the first place?
3. On Facebook, do you feel obligated to listen to every single music or video clip even though you think they are ridiculous?
4. Do you have 6-8 email accounts that are jam-packed with pending or unanswered mail? (I have 5 email accounts, so this is not unrealistic.)
5. When you open your inbox, do you become anxious with “information overload” before you even open the email?
6. Do you lose track of time on Twitter, Google +, Facebook, or Pinterest as you stress over the avalanche of twaddle?
7. Do you find yourself compulsively eating junk food while reading online?
8. Are you becoming sadly behind on your dishes, paper-clutter, laundry, and undone projects, as you spend increasing amounts of time online?
9. Are you irritable with your husband and children? Snappy? Can’t look away from the screen when they talk to you?
10. Are you playing Facebook games?
11. Do you become frustrated from the electronic information you need to process daily?
12. Do you become overwhelmed because you can’t get to the blogs or e-books you’d really prefer to process?
13. Do you sit at your computer for more than an hour without getting up?
14. Do you constantly check into your social media accounts and email (even in the bathroom) because you are afraid you’ll get behind?
15. Are you subscribed to more blogs than you can possibly read and you feel bad when you finally delete them?
16. Has reading your Bible become dull and so boring that you tire after reading 2-3 verses?
17. Before making a decision, do you check with your online friends first before asking God for wisdom?
18. Do you read so many posts that you are skimming and hardly reading them, feeling like you have to comment, “Like” and “+1″ all those in your niche?
19. Is your Kindle app full of books you will never have time to read because you are inundated with the ever-flowing avalanche of electronic information??
20. Did you forget to hydrate with 8 glasses of water? Electronic devices dehydrate you. Did you realize that?
21. When you make it to the end of your day, do you feel really guilty that too much time was wasted online and you didn’t live real life?

- See more at: http://www.wholeheartedhome.com/tips-clear-information-overload-wholehearted-wednesday-101/#sthash.cBqYRrtW.dpuf

• 
  

1. Do you go to Facebook (or one of your other social media platforms) first thing in the morning before making your bed or taking a shower?
2. Do you start scrolling down through your newsfeed on Facebook and forget why you got online in the first place?
3. On Facebook, do you feel obligated to listen to every single music or video clip even though you think they are ridiculous?
4. Do you have 6-8 email accounts that are jam-packed with pending or unanswered mail? (I have 5 email accounts, so this is not unrealistic.)
5. When you open your inbox, do you become anxious with “information overload” before you even open the email?
6. Do you lose track of time on Twitter, Google +, Facebook, or Pinterest as you stress over the avalanche of twaddle?
7. Do you find yourself compulsively eating junk food while reading online?
8. Are you becoming sadly behind on your dishes, paper-clutter, laundry, and undone projects, as you spend increasing amounts of time online?
9. Are you irritable with your husband and children? Snappy? Can’t look away from the screen when they talk to you?
10. Are you playing Facebook games?
11. Do you become frustrated from the electronic information you need to process daily?
12. Do you become overwhelmed because you can’t get to the blogs or e-books you’d really prefer to process?
13. Do you sit at your computer for more than an hour without getting up?
14. Do you constantly check into your social media accounts and email (even in the bathroom) because you are afraid you’ll get behind?
15. Are you subscribed to more blogs than you can possibly read and you feel bad when you finally delete them?
16. Has reading your Bible become dull and so boring that you tire after reading 2-3 verses?
17. Before making a decision, do you check with your online friends first before asking God for wisdom?
18. Do you read so many posts that you are skimming and hardly reading them, feeling like you have to comment, “Like” and “+1″ all those in your niche?
19. Is your Kindle app full of books you will never have time to read because you are inundated with the ever-flowing avalanche of electronic information??
20. Did you forget to hydrate with 8 glasses of water? Electronic devices dehydrate you. Did you realize that?
21. When you make it to the end of your day, do you feel really guilty that too much time was wasted online and you didn’t live real life?

- See more at: http://www.wholeheartedhome.com/tips-clear-information-overload-wholehearted-wednesday-101/#sthash.cBqYRrtW.dpuf

• 
  

1. Do you go to Facebook (or one of your other social media platforms) first thing in the morning before making your bed or taking a shower?
2. Do you start scrolling down through your newsfeed on Facebook and forget why you got online in the first place?
3. On Facebook, do you feel obligated to listen to every single music or video clip even though you think they are ridiculous?
4. Do you have 6-8 email accounts that are jam-packed with pending or unanswered mail? (I have 5 email accounts, so this is not unrealistic.)
5. When you open your inbox, do you become anxious with “information overload” before you even open the email?
6. Do you lose track of time on Twitter, Google +, Facebook, or Pinterest as you stress over the avalanche of twaddle?
7. Do you find yourself compulsively eating junk food while reading online?
8. Are you becoming sadly behind on your dishes, paper-clutter, laundry, and undone projects, as you spend increasing amounts of time online?
9. Are you irritable with your husband and children? Snappy? Can’t look away from the screen when they talk to you?
10. Are you playing Facebook games?
11. Do you become frustrated from the electronic information you need to process daily?
12. Do you become overwhelmed because you can’t get to the blogs or e-books you’d really prefer to process?
13. Do you sit at your computer for more than an hour without getting up?
14. Do you constantly check into your social media accounts and email (even in the bathroom) because you are afraid you’ll get behind?
15. Are you subscribed to more blogs than you can possibly read and you feel bad when you finally delete them?
16. Has reading your Bible become dull and so boring that you tire after reading 2-3 verses?
17. Before making a decision, do you check with your online friends first before asking God for wisdom?
18. Do you read so many posts that you are skimming and hardly reading them, feeling like you have to comment, “Like” and “+1″ all those in your niche?
19. Is your Kindle app full of books you will never have time to read because you are inundated with the ever-flowing avalanche of electronic information??
20. Did you forget to hydrate with 8 glasses of water? Electronic devices dehydrate you. Did you realize that?
21. When you make it to the end of your day, do you feel really guilty that too much time was wasted online and you didn’t live real life?

- See more at: http://www.wholeheartedhome.com/tips-clear-information-overload-wholehearted-wednesday-101/#sthash.cBqYRrtW.dpuI am not sure what my life-long "relationship" with the computer will look like but for now here are a couple of boundaries I have set: 1. No computer until I have done my bible reading. (too often the computer/social media come before a Christian's relationship with God.)Those are my three simple rules. I think they will help my relationship with the computer and more importantly my relationship and ministry to my family.Everyone struggles in different ways. Everyone has to fight the good fight in different ways and make God and His calling on our lives a priority in different ways. This is one of my struggles and this is where I have to fight.  

Maybe you can relate? My friend shared this verse with me about this topic: 
 
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Cor. 10:13 

I am sure this temptation is common among many women. We are social beings and are looking to socialize to the extreme through our computer screen. Our children and husbands desperately need us to socialize with them. God is faithful! If He is convicting you in this area and you are looking for a way of escape AND WILLING TO FOLLOW THROUGH He will guide and direct you! Pray and seek His will in all things, even in your "relationship" with the computer/internet. 

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands..." 1 Thess. 4:11 

 

You can read the follow-up/part 2 to this post here: http://mrsscottlapierre.blogspot.com/2014/08/my-relationship-with-computer-part-2.html

God told me.....

I have been having a great discussion with ladies on a group page called "Sister to Sister" on facebook. I initially posted this article: http://www.donotbesurprised.com/2014/03/beth-moore-prophesies-coming-outpouring.html warning my sisters in Christ about the direction Beth Moore seems to be going and received quite a bit of feedback on whether or not God speaks to us outside of His Word.

I have been having so many thoughts whirling around in my head because of this post and I knew I couldn't do a facebook post with a million words long so I decided to do a blog post as a response instead.
 
First, let me say why I think this topic is so important: God doesn't like people speaking for Him when He didn't speak. Not only does He not like it, it makes Him angry.

"A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape." Proverbs 19:5

"I have not sent them,' declares the LORD. 'They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.'"-Jeremiah 27:15

People prophesying lies in God's name is nothing new. When someone says: "God said...." when He did not say, they are prophesying lies in His name just like people did in Jeremiah's day. Look at God's response again: "Therefore I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you." Yikes. No thanks. God takes speaking for Him pretty seriously and so should we.

Many times I wonder if people are really just speaking the delusions of their own minds.
"Then the LORD said to me, 'The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and THE DELUSIONS OF THEIR OWN MINDS." Jeremiah 14:14

Whenever I hear a Christian say: "God said to me...." I shudder a bit... I wonder: "Do they know what they are really saying? Do they understand that they are speaking for God?"

I think the words: "God said.." are becoming too commonplace. People say it like they are speaking for their buddy or their neighbor, not the Creator of the universe.
Some things I do believe in: I believe God works through His Holy Spirit and His Word (the bible) to guide us, teach us and convict us. I also believe that God does not work the same as He did in the Old Testament and I believe Hebrews 1:1-2 explains this perfectly:


"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the Heir of all things, through whom also He created the world."

That seems pretty clear to me: God spoke in past times through His true prophets who could honestly say: "God said to me..." but in these days, we know, He spoke through His Son and the Word of God which John 1 describes as being one in the same.

Does this mean God CANNOT speak to us? Audibly even? NO. He can do WHATEVER He wants. Do I think it is as common as many make it out to be? Absolutely not. In fact, some of the things people claim that God is telling them is often just flat out silly. When God spoke in the Old Testament through His prophets it was with great purpose, it was clear and it was obviously from God.

God would have the same advice for us today that He did for those in Jeremiah's day:

"Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have." Jeremiah 29:8

Secondly, I think this is so important because of how it often shakes young believers and sometimes "older" believers' faith. "Why doesn't God talk to me like He does to 'so and so'?... Maybe I'm not saved... Maybe I don't really have a relationship with God since I never hear from Him."
 
Thirdly, how do you decipher from "God speaking" and your own mind or deceitful heart? Some of my most charismatic friends have quoted God saying many things that never came to pass or were just flat out lies. One friend told me: "God told me 'this is the man you are going to marry'" Well... that guy ended up marrying someone else. She also said: "God told me that I am going to die very soon." That was 12 years ago. Speaking falsely for the Lord can also be just flat out embarrassing when it is proven to be a lie!

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9.

Wouldn't you rather err on the side of caution/godly fear and not say "God told me"? Wouldn't you rather say I feel like this or that? Quoting God is a way bigger deal than quoting your friend or even someone like the president. Unless you are sure, beyond the shadow of ANY doubt like Paul on the way to Damascus, I would never say: "God said..."

Lastly, people often talk about God speaking to people in the bible as if it was happening ALL the time. Not so. With the times in the Bible that record God speaking, we have to remember that they occur over the course of 4,000 years of human history. God speaking audibly is the exception, not the rule.

I appreciate gotquestions.org's thoughts on God speaking today: "God does speak to people today. First, God speaks to us through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Isaiah 55:11 tells us, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” The Bible is God’s Word, everything we need to know in order to be saved and live the Christian life. Second Peter 1:3 declares, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness." God can also “speak” to us through events—i.e., He can guide us through arranging our circumstances. And God helps us to discern right from wrong through our consciences (1 Timothy 1:5;1 Peter 3:16). God is in the process of conforming our minds to think His thoughts (Romans 12:2). God allows events to occur in our lives to direct us, change us, and help us to grow spiritually (James 1:2–5;Hebrews 12:5–11). First Peter 1:6–7 reminds us, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." God may sometimes speak audibly to people. It is highly doubtful, though, that this occurs as often as some people claim it does."

My husband did two messages on this very thing a couple years ago! Please feel free to listen here and here.

I would like to conclude with these two loving warnings from the New Testament:

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." 2 Peter 2:1

Why I Am No Longer "Babywise"

I guess I am officially Babydumb. I was an avid babywise mama (which some of you KNOW) with my first three kiddos. Especially my first one. I felt like I had lost my mind and babywise seemed to bring some sanity. Rhea, my first, seemed to be the perfect "babywise baby". But there were times I would let her cry and cry and cry... I regret that now. FOR ME babywise was really to feed my selfishness. I am not saying this is the case with all babywise moms, but it was undoubtedly the case for me. I didn't want to be inconvenienced by a needy baby all day and night so the idea of letting my baby cry in the room and having a book tell me that I had every right to do so made that selfish side of me very happy and content.

Fast forward to baby number three. Johnny.

He was sickly. I have my suspicions at this point that it was actually vaccines that made him terribly sick. He was in the 1 percentile for weight and 103 percentile for head circumference... his head kept growing and his body kept shrinking. It was terribly frustrating and scary. I was told to stop breast feeding him or they would have to tube feed him... so I stopped. Johnny was sickly and needy and I "babywised" him. Big regret. I wish I would have nurtured him... comforted him... ran to him instead of running away from him... I still cry about it to Scott....

Our fourth was born on February 6th 2013. Charis (greek word for grace) Hope LaPierre. Man oh man, she is so sweeeeeetttttt :)

I felt different this time. Charis is our first "reversal baby". I felt more thankful this time than ever before. I was looking forward to being a mom more than ever before. For the first time I wasn't viewing my newborn as a nuisance... but as a gift. Not as an inconvenience but as a blessing. I was seeing her not as "work" but as a baby to enjoy. Such a difference. I found myself not wanting to let her "cry it out" (which often turns into "screaming it out"). I wanted to hold her longer.... nurse her longer and more often... but I felt guilty for that!

Then I found these four articles from aboverubies.org:

1. Breastfeeding God's Way
2. Baby Three Changed My Heart
3. Why Does My Baby Want To Suck All The Time?

4. Breastfeeding, Bell Bottoms and Birth Control

They encouraged me GREATLY! I felt like they were confirming my mothering instincts and allowing me to ENJOY being a mom of a baby!

Here are a couple quotes from the above article that in particular encouraged me:

"Hindsight is always 20/20. Mothering my first two children, I was selfish and controlling. I didn’t want to lose sleep! The book said to let the baby cry. Slowly, I became numb to his cries and my heart turned to stone. Even my husband would ask to pick up the crying baby to rock and comfort him, but I said, 'No, the book says…' Mothering this way is such a beautiful picture of the love of God! Is it always easy? NO! With every baby I learn more about dying to myself. But, knowing my breasts comfort my little ones brings much peace to me. Now my husband has the opportunity to comfort and rock his little ones too!"

"I was full of great intentions as I set out to nurse my first baby—nearly 50 years ago! My mother was by my side to encourage me in the way she thought best—to feed my baby on a four-hourly schedule. But sadly, this way brought me heartache and frustration. Every time my baby woke before the four hours were up, I paced the floor in agony waiting to feed him. My heart ached while my baby cried...(the fourth baby she transitioned to not scheduling) But, now I was in a dilemma! I was enjoying life, but the old wives’ tales haunted me. I certainly wanted to do it God’s way. I cried out to God for direction. He was faithful and revealed His truth to me through Isaiah 66:10-13. In this passage God likens Jerusalem to a nursing mother. As we read the passage we see God's plan for nursing mothers. We do not even see the word "food" mentioned. Instead. it talks about satisfying, consoling, delighting, and comforting. The revelation hit me. Nursing is not an alternative method to bottle feeding. It is total mothering! It is ministering to the total needs of the baby, whether it is for hunger or emotional security. This “freeing” way of mothering blesses mother and baby. Not only does the mother meet the needs of her baby through sucking, but God provides natural contraception. It takes a lot more sucking than scheduled feeding provides to hold back ovulation."

I could quote so much more but don't want this post to be a bajillion words. The part in particular that resonated with me is how God likens Himself to a nursing mother.... nursing is not just for food but for consoling and comforting. I love to console and comfort Charis now. I only wish I could go back and do that with my other three...Thankful for this opportunity the fourth time around!

This post is not meant to offend people! It is meant to encourage mamas who are maybe on the fence in their nursing "style"/approach. It is for moms like me. Moms who feel guilty for nursing their babies. That is sad. Nursing is such a gift to mama and baby! It is a privilege to be able to comfort our babies!

I still did some "sleep training" with Charis. She has never slept with me (just doesn't work... tried it numerous times... and it doesn't work for my husband either). She sleeps in her crib happily and peacefully. She looks forward to going to bed. She slept through the night as early as my boys did (whom I did babywise with). She is happy and so am I. I no longer dread the newborn stage and I am thankful.

p.s. sorry to all my mom friends that I shoved babywise down your throat... now I will be trying not to shove babydumb down other mom's throats.

UPDATE: This is by far my MOST READ POST EVER. So I decided to give an update on how it is going with my second "non-babywise" baby. I have included six tips to help your baby sleep without "babywising" them. Check it out here! 

How Many to Have...

I found this awesome article over at Resolved to Worship. Such a great analogy. Encouraged me greatly. Let me know what you think!

"The fruit of the ground is a reward and a blessing."

"The fruit of the womb is a reward and a blessing."

If a farmer plants as many seeds as he can without consideration for the ground, the health of the plants, etc.
...and thinks the fruit of the ground should be God's area and we should NOT get involved whatsoever in the number of seeds planted, or the spacing of the seeds, or the size of the garden which he can reasonably and responsibly care for...

...the seeds will produce fruit of course (it is the nature of the creation) and he will have more plants!

However, the ground will suffer, the plants will not be healthy (because there are not enough nutrients in the soil to supply that many plants), and the plants will ultimately be neglected since there are more plants than the farmer has time to weed, prune, fertilize, and care for.

Likewise...

If a man plants as many seeds in the womb without consideration for his wife's body (the ground), the health, training, discipling, educating, providing, and loving of the children, etc. and thinks the womb should be God's area and he and his wife (the farmers) should not get involved in the consideration of the number of seeds planted, or the spacing of the plants (children), or the size of the garden (family) which they can reasonably care for, the seeds will produce fruit (children--it is the nature of the creation)...

...they will have more children.

However, the wife's body will suffer as well as her emotional state, the children will not be healthy (because there is not enough emotional, spiritual, and physical nutrients in the parents to supply that many plants/children), and the children will ultimately be neglected to some degree since there are more children than the couple have time, energy, and resources to weed (rebuke), prune (discipline), fertilize (teach, train, disciple), and care for (love and meet their emotional needs).

The farmer is responsible before God to be a good steward of his land and the fruit of the land.

The husband and wife are responsible before God to be a good steward of the womb and the fruit of the womb.

They are responsible in God's Word to provide for them, bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, keep their hearts turned to each of them, and provide a rich example of the love of Christ for the church as the children observe their love for each other and how they relate to each other.

Therefore, since we want to walk in a manner worthy of Christ and the gospel, we must have the same attitude as He had (emptying ourselves, humbly serving, and willing to lay down our lives for others) and to think about the interests of others (our wives/husbands first, and then the other children) more than our own interests (reputation or self-esteem or own desires).

Parents should remember, having children is not about them, it's about Christ. And if all of life is about Christ, then it is about others. So the question about how many children should a couple have can only be answered by each couple accurately understanding their abilities, gifting, health, and God's provision with an attitude of stewardship before God for His glory.

One farmer may have planted 10,000 seeds in his plot and there stands 10,000 stunted corn plants because the farmer did not accurately assess what the ground could supply and he care for.

Another farmer may have planted 1000 seeds in his plot and there stands 1000 healthy, fruitful corn plants because the farmer did accurately assess what the ground could supply and he care for.

Which farmer brings more glory to God in his stewardship?

One husband plants as many seeds as he feels like and his wife allows in her womb and there stands # of children (the number is not important) emotionally, spiritually, physically, neglected children because the couple did not accurately assess what they could reasonably care for.

One husband plants seeds wisely and lovingly guided by the Holy Spirit in the womb of his wife and there stands # of children (the number is not important) emotionally, spiritually, physically healthy children because the couple did accurately assess what they could reasonably care for with the Lord's fulness and strength.

Which couple brings more glory to God in their stewardship?

One couple may not pray or seek the Lord in his (their) stewardship because the law (what is being taught by some as God's law) is "have as many children as God wants you to have". On the other hand, another may have their children conceived and birthed out of faith in fellowship and prayer with Jesus Christ. They may have 1 child after many attempts or they may have 10, but they come together freely and with excitement because they are living by the Spirit, in fellowship with God, and with His attitude for His glory.

So the most important consideration isn't how large the family is, but are they walking by faith, in love with God, living with the attitude of Christ for His glory..."

Sweet Encouragement

This is A. Ann over at Resolved to Worship. Which is another one of my all time favorite blogs. There are so many things to admire about this woman! This little list she made encouraged me so much:

*All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

*Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

*Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

*Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

*Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

*What other people think of you is none of your business.

Link Love

I go to some of my favorite blogs and one of my favorite things to find is a "link love" post. It's where they share some treasured links they have found in their browsing endeavors. I wanted to do the same for you.

Here is a great one on 70 great things about having children.

Scott and I are planning on getting a clothesline. This link will show you 10 reasons to get one! (just scroll down a bit)

This one gave great ideas for outdoor fun as a family.

Now I talked about wanting to live out on some land with some good friends. But this is a little too much. :0)

Enjoy! and let me know whatcha think!

More Homeschooling Goodness

I suppose homeschooling is on my mind since most children that go to school are back at it after a hot summer. One of my favorite bloggers says that we should always be preparing for the NEXT season. Rhea is 2. I plan on starting some sort of "schooling" with her when she is four. I am studying different techniques and thoughts quite a bit, so that, when the time arrives I am prepared (or some what anyhow!).

I wanted to share some goodies I found with ya all!

• Over at Sprittibee I found a HUGE list of homeschool links.

• Kelly Crawford recently made a post titled: Homeschool Help!

• And finally Jamie over at Rose Cottage gave some GREAT reasons as to why she home-schools

My Kind of homeschooling...

In researching homeschooling I have found the Charlotte Mason method to be my favorite so far. I have pasted below an excerpt from a website describing her methods. If you want to see more click here.

Charlotte Mason was a British educator who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Her method, the Charlotte Mason method, is centered around the idea that education is three-pronged: Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.

By “Atmosphere,” Charlotte meant the surroundings in which the child grows up. A child absorbs a lot from his home environment. Charlotte believed that atmosphere makes up one-third of a child’s education.

By “Discipline,” Charlotte meant the discipline of good habits — and specifically habits of character. Cultivating good habits in your child’s life make up another third of his education.

The other third of education, “Life,” applies to academics. Charlotte believed that we should give children living thoughts and ideas, not just dry facts. So all of her methods for teaching the various school subjects are built around that concept.

For example, Charlotte’s students used living books rather than dry textbooks. Living books are usually written in story form by one author who has a passion for the subject. A living book makes the subject “come alive.”

She taught spelling by using passages from great books that communicate great ideas rather than just a list of words.

She encouraged spending time outdoors, interacting with God’s creation firsthand and learning the living ways of nature.

You can see many other living methods she used on this methods chart.

Many homeschoolers have adopted her philosophy and methods as they seek to educate the whole child, not just his or her mind.