The Will of God

I was reading Passionate Homemaking and came across this wonderful quote:

The will of God —

nothing less, nothing more, nothing else.”

— F. E. Marsh

Love it!!! 

To my children...

Above All Else
by Debby Boone

So much to say and just a lifetime left to say it.

How quickly time passes.

If I had my way, I'd keep you safe within my arms

While the storm of life crashes.

I won't always be with you, my child,

But words I can give.

When the winds of hope are dying down,

These words will live.

Above all else, know God's the One who'll never leave you.

Look to Him above all else.

He is love you can depend upon, a heart set to care.

If in the darkest night you should be lost, He will be there.

He’s the Everlasting Father,

In His hands you’ll never fall.

He’s the One who holds it all,

Above all else.

He’s the Author of your laughter,

He’s the Keeper of your tears,

He’s the One who you must fear

Above all else.

He’s the Giver of the kingdom

Bought for you right from the start,

And He’ll ask you for your heart

Above all else.

So much to say

And not enough time left to say it.

Just love the Lord

Above all else.

Whatever You Do...

I saw this picture on a new blog I found this morning - At the Well, In Pursuit of Titus 2.

The Liturgical Year

I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior when I was in second grade. I still plainly remember praying the sinner's prayer with my pastor in my little Baptist church and later being baptised.


Things have changed a lot over the years, but one thing still remains the same - I love Jesus and want to the best of my knowledge follow Him and His teachings.


I was blessed to be brought up in church every Sunday, but have learned that I wasn't taught all that was in the Bible. I can remember the day that I first talked with a friend named Robbie about God at church camp. I had never had a conversation about God that I could remember with another person - outside of my salvation prayer. He was real in my heart, but not a conversation to be spoken about. I like the song by Avalon "Everything To Me" - Jesus became more than a story. He jumped off the page to me that day. There was no turning back.






When I got to college, I was continually challenged. I joined Campus Crusade and was expected to share my faith. That was so funny to me - I wasn't (still not) one to talk with people I didn't know. My best friend - Daria (a true evangelist) - would make me go with her to talk to girls in our dorm. We would walk in to McDonald's and Daria would say "Let's go sit with that girl all alone, I'm sure God brought us all together for this". Kelly, full of faith, would say "You go ahead, I'll wait here" Daria was so good and patient with me. I ended up in New York City for the summer, sharing about Jesus with everyone I met from men in homeless shelters to officials in the UN building. I still don't talk with strangers much, now mostly my children - my true disciples.


After college I joined a non-denomination church and a whole new world of the Bible opened up to me. Praise and Worship was wonderful. I felt like I could reach up and touch the hem of God's garment. It was as if Jesus was physically in the room. It was such a growing time. I learned of God's power to heal, our responsibility to tithe, the wonderfulness (I know that's not a real word - but it was a real feeling!) of a home group - like in Acts 2.


We've been out of church several years now (another post later maybe) and have had to seek God on my own and with Artie. Still more growth. I have learned that I don't have to have a room full of people or a pastor to teach me about the scriptures. I learned about being mentored by a Titus 2 woman and the joy and privilege of being a Keeper at Home. God kept teaching me more and more.


Lately I've been learning about how the Bible fits in with our year - the liturgical year - the Biblical calendar year. I had heard of that before, but had no idea what it was or how it fit in with my life. I have met some Catholic ladies online and have learned so much from them. I love the way they fit Jesus and the Bible into their everyday lives. My two favorites are Dawn and Elizabeth. So, in our school we have been learning together. We dove into Advent the first day of December and were so blessed. We followed with Christmas and Ephinany, and I guess in a way - Ordinary Time as well. The girls and I learned together during the week and then the whole family joined in on Sundays.


So, sometimes I wonder why I wasn't taught all this growing up. (Here is a good article talking about some of this) God is so vast, I guess I will always continue to learn more and more.


So, the next season in the liturgical year is new to me. Lent??? We've always celebrated Easter, but never the preparation period before. So, I would love to hear if your family observes Lent. What do you do? We're at a new (to us) church, so I don't know what they will do. Guess I will wait and learn. Our new church did celebrate Advent each Sunday, so who knows.





I will try and blog a little of what we learn and do. Now that Troy will be home for school too, I think this will be a wonderful time to focus on Jesus each day and remember all He gave for us.

Mrs. Connie

God is so good. I thought I would introduce you to one of my best blessings God has given me. Most of you have heard of Connie. All the time I find my self saying "Connie says ..., Connie does it like this...., Well, I know that's bad, but God was faithful to Connie and..." She has been such a source of encouragement to me. I have been reading her teachings for many years now. She holds such a special place in my heart. It's funny to me that we've never met in the "real world" - the feelings I share for her are so much more "real" than for many of the people I am in contact with in my life (there are some exceptions - you know !) :-)

Jim (Connie's husband) passed away last year on Terry's birthday. He was such a doll. Connie would write to the ladies and every now and then - Jim would send out an e-mail to the husbands. Artie always was so blessed to read Jim's writings. He would always tell the men to work hard and love their wives and children. A man who didn't support and love his family - that was unthinkable to Jim - not a Man in the true since of the word.




Connie's Story....

Jim and I met in 1966 - he was 25 I was 18. He was wild and so was I. When we met he had already been in and out of prison for about seven years, and was going back again for two years. We married in the prison six months later. Soon after I had our son. A few months later I miraculously came to Christ. Because of the prison term I didn’t live with my husband for another two and a half years. After being home a year he began a crime spree.

He deserted us over and over again. I had nowhere to turn except to God. No one knew where my mate was. Some of the time my heart would rage like a forest fire out of control on the dry and windy land. I would run and scream like a woman out of her mind searching for her mate in the raging fire. I’d scream curses at God only to faint from exhaustion and weep bitter tears of repentance. I’d get back up, begin running again and fall again and again until finally I’d surrender my will to Christ’s will. And then I’d wait, maybe for another six months, knowing God was in control.

In the beginning I thought about divorce. Well, wasn’t that what a woman does if her husband leaves her repeatedly? And yet Jim kept coming back and repenting. He would mysteriously end up at my back door after being missing for four or five months, looking like a mad man. But beneath the dirt and sun-parched face he was still mine.

I’d bring him in the house, give him dinner, and speak peace and rest to him. I’d run the bath water for him to wash and feel like a man again. Compassion would rise up in my heart - I had the Lord, and my Jim didn’t. I would reverence and praise him.

I would shut the door on the world and be alone with my mate. No matter what he had done to me, we were still one flesh. He was my first and only husband - a terrible, ungodly, unfaithful husband, but he was still my husband. His healing came again and again as I forgave him and opened my love to him. I held nothing back.

There would be times when putting dinner on the table, I’d notice he was awfully late. I’d listen for the car and begin running again and again to the window. The old familiar fear would rage, knowing that he had deserted me again. This scene happened about thirty times in the first twelve years of marriage. He would suddenly disappear without warning. The children would run in from play crying, “Where is daddy, where is my daddy?” I’d tell my little baby Jimmy, “Daddy is sick but Jesus is going to heal him.” I taught my little ones to pray, “Thank you, Jesus, for bringing my daddy home.”

His mother died and no one could find him. My prayers went out to God day and night and seemingly to no avail. The years went on and the crimes continued as if I had no God. I felt like a motherless and fatherless child. I was completely exhausted and my mate committed still another crime and went to prison for almost four years.

I loved him. I felt he was demon possessed and yet he was my husband. Yet at times I hated him. Your arms and legs belong to you even when they hurt, you can’t cut them off. I was like this about my husband. He was mine. I hated it when he deserted me, but I was married to him no matter what. Adultery to me was the worst of all sins. At night before I entered my marriage bed alone I’d cry out to God to keep me pure even in my dreams and that I would never dream of another man.

Many mornings I’d wake up and think, “Lord, why did you give me another day to live?” Often the world seemed so black to me but sweet Jesus would come to me and speak life and joy into my tired and depressed soul. One time God supernaturally took all my burdens away. I forgot he had left me. It was so hilarious. I even wrote myself a note to remember to pray for him.

The day-to-day message from the Lord was, “Now Connie, you just get up out of that bed. You straighten your shoulders and you believe God. This problem isn’t bigger than God. Don’t you prepare your day as though Jim won’t be home. You get up and prepare your home for a miracle.” Each evening when my husband was gone I’d fix supper for him and put his plate at the head of the table. No one was allowed to sit in his chair and no one was allowed to bad mouth him. I ran the house as if he were home.


I survived and lived on the Word of God. I whispered His name all day long. He walked with me in the valley of death and guided me to a straight path.

All our phone conversations at the prison were censored. I’d speak faith into the phone and say, “I’ll see you in a few days, honey.” The guards thought we were planning an escape because Jim had been given a 10-year sentence! People laughed at me and said that he would always leave me and be in and out of prison. The prison guards told me that Jim was institutionalized and was hopeless. Hopeless or not, he was my husband. I knew I could never forsake the Lord by not forgiving my own husband. Also, as a young wife I wanted to be a teacher of women when I got older and I knew I couldn’t be divorced. I’d sing, “Keep me Jesus as the apple of thine eye.”

The Lord would tell me to speak to the mountains in my life and not doubt in my heart. I would speak to the mountain, which was Jim. I would woo him and call him home with my prayers. Every muscle in my body cried out to God to save him. I fasted and prayed continuously.

Jim was healed in 1979. After he had been in prison for the last four years and home for about three months, he asked me to have another baby, our fourth. I was so fearful and yet was praying for Jim to be healed. I said No. I was not going to have another baby. I walked away from him and the Lord spoke to me. “Connie,” He said, “You have come this far by faith. Don’t give up now.” After much heartache I obeyed the Lord my God.

“Yes,” I told Jim, “I’ll have another baby for you.” I placed my future in his hands. When Jim saw that I still believed in his life as a human being something released within him. The fear left his eyes and He was delivered. He lifted his hands up to His Father and received the anointing of a sound and unfettered mind. He began to slowly give more and more of his life to Christ. He took over the bills and began to work steadily.

The Lord did exceedingly and abundantly more than I could ask or think. He gave me joy unspeakable. He showed me He was there all the time. Satan had come in like a flood but the Lord raised such a standard against him. All Satan did was build me a grand testimony.



God gave me a new batch of fruit. I had David in 1980, Dan in 1982 and Mary in 1985. We now have six children. I was queen in my palace. I raised the children for Christ and to honor their daddy. I taught them to jump when daddy walked into the room. I taught them to get Daddy a cup of coffee or honor him in some way.

The guys at work say to my husband, “You don’t go out and drink and party.” Jim says, “I have a wife to go home to. I spend my time with my family.” One guy said, “Boy, when work is over you run home.” The guy thought something was wrong with him!

I sit here thinking of Jim and the man he is now. He has been home sitting at the head of our table for twenty years! Who is this Jesus we serve? Surely He is the Son of the living God - a God who saw me crying and feeling so forsaken, a God who knew the very moment Jim would be healed. Jim is my walking miracle to always remind me that nothing is impossible with God. He showed me that if we don’t give up we would see the glory of God.

Proverbs says, “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.” A woman must gain the trust of a man such as this. His healing comes as he feels safe enough to give Christ his heart and his wife his heart. When Jim was healed he went from not seeing me to taking care of me. He turned from Satan and took dominion over his Eve. He came into his responsibilities as a man. I come under my husband and I don’t desire to do anything else. I don’t always agree with him and I tell him I don’t. But in the end his word is final. I want to be as Esther and not as Queen Vashti.

Dear wives and mothers, don’t give up give up on your husband. He sees your heartache. He won’t leave you or forsake you if you trust in Him. I know for I’ve been to the other side.

Connie



Here is a link where you can read more of Connie's writings - http://happyhousewifery.com/ There is also a Yahoo group if you want more. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hidden_Wisdom/

I first read Connie's testimony when I was in the hospital with Bobby when he was young and having problems with his breathing in a little tiny magazine - Kindred Spirits. I couldn't wait to get home and look her up online. When I found her group and realized I could actually talk with her - I couldn't believe it. I had no idea what lay ahead of me. She's a hoot to know. She has an attitude, she's a storyteller, she's a writer (who doesn't believe in only one way to spell a word or the normal use of punctuation), she's a visionary, a Revolution leader, she is not one to do things the way other people do them (kinda like Noah building an ark when everyone else was just standing around laughing at him).

I have gained so much strength from her. Survived things I don't know if I would have been able to make it through without her teachings. Everything she teaches points you back to Jesus and his role for you to be a Keeper at Home. May you all be blessed as I was.

Elisabeth Elliot

I found this short video of Elizabeth Elliot on Chats with An Old Lady . I so love Elisabeth Elliot!!!! She is such a godly example of what a woman should be.

Thanks Gina



Now, if I could just be that kind of servant here in my own house!!!!