The Simple Woman's Daybook...

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Outside my window...the sun is just rising.  The sky is faintly pink and it looks cold and quiet across the snowy yard.
I am thinking...about the strange week ahead.  Not quite past the holidays, definitely not back to normal and not quite fresh and New Year either.  A strange week.
I am thankful for...a warm home, healthy kiddos, a well-behaved puppy, a loving husband, a patient God.
From the learning rooms...Emma cannot wait for each new day.  She keeps saying, "What's next MomE?"  Caleb is continuing to declare that he "wants to obey" well past the time that he should have done so. 
From the kitchen...Taco Tuesday was such a hit we will keep it in the New Year.  I think I will consider some variations, like other Mexican side dishes...or the occasional enchilada, quesadilla, etc.
I am wearing...still in my jammies...I'll get to it soon.  Something WARM.
I am creating...curtains.  I am going to make some for our SS room.  The sun hits the kids in the eyeballs during the lesson every week.  The other teacher has them, as does the nursery.  They are a lovely warm brown with understated turquoise paisley.  Half-shash.
I am going...to a friends house to play with her new Cricut and let my kids get out of the house!
I am reading...Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney
I am hoping...the puppy doesn't mind being alone this morning.  I have guilt about ever leaving the house.  Sigh!
I am hearing...cartoons and little voices as they awake this morning.
Around the house...the Christmas things are put away.  It all feels so wonderful to have my house back! 
One of my favorite things...petting warm puppy belly...in addition to my normal coffee and Bible mornings!
A few plans for the rest of the week...ham and bean soup for New Year's...and letting the kids stay up late for the first time.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

WIW: Coffee & Donuts...a deep thoughts!!

God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, “No, I do not believe there is a God. I know there is a God.”

~Ernest Boyer, Jr.

She Who Kneels Before God
Can Stand Before Anyone

~Unknown

Tolerance without dialogue is a euphemism for indifference.
~Count Miklós Cseszneky de Milvány, Hungarian aristocrat.

"Humility is a virtue, not a neurosis." 

~Thomas Merton

Merry Christmas!

"Maria?" "Yes, my love, I'm here."

"It hurts, O God, it hurts! I fear

The worst for me tonight." "Rest now

Dear Joseph, God will not allow

Your faith more pain than it can bear."

"Maria, are the children there?"

"The little ones have gone to stay

With Zechariah for the day.

The eldest keeps his vigil still,

And prays for hours on the hill

Behind the house. He's fasted for

A week now, Joseph, since before

The priest imposed the quarantine.

He loves you very much." "I've seen

His love. I thought two years ago

When we missed him in Jericho

And had to search Jerusalem

In anger, ready to condemn,

That he would be a callous lad,

But now at fourteen years the glad

And unassuming boy, who reads

The Torah late at night and pleads

For me in prayer, has run the shop

For these two years without a stop,

While I lie here and rot with some

Unknown disease. I've heard him hum

A Psalm of David as he changed

My stinking clothes and then arranged

My mat and sat me up to drink

Some broth that he had made. I think

That he's the greatest joy I've had,

Maria, though I'm not his dad."

"Mine, too, dear Joseph. It's as though

He bears it all. The children go

To him and cry when I am weak.

He sits them down and helps them seek

Their comfort in the covenants.

He wins complete obedience

For me, and brightens every hour.

He has a strange and winsome power."

"Maria, do you think that he

Could come and lay his hand on me

And use the power to make me well?

Sometimes I feel like I'm in hell

With these blind eyes and fiery pain.

And worst for me is all the strain

Of seven children you must bear.

Could he not heal me with his prayer?"

"He's praying now up on the hill."

"What does he pray? What is his will

For me?" "Pure love, my husband, love."

"And what is this pure thing made of

If not a father's health?... Forgive

Me, my Maria, as I live

I love the boy. But if the word

The angel spoke is true, we've heard

Messiah in our home for years.

And don't the prophets say that tears

Will all be wiped away when he

Appears: the blinded eyes shall see,

The deaf shall hear, the lame shall leap

The dumb shall sing and all who weep

Will shout for joy? And should I quell

The hope that he could make me well?"

"I asked him last week, when the priest

Had left, if he could not at least

Relieve your pain, or give you sight,

Or help you sleep well through the night."

"What did he say?" "He said in sum,

‘Tell Dad, my hour's not yet come.

The timing of the Lord of Host

Will make a widow and a ghost.'"

"Strange recompense for nurturing

The Son of God, the mighty King!"

"O Joseph, we have seen too much

Of God and grace to doubt that such

A Sovereign plans but for our good,

For he can heal and heal he would

If it were best." "What does he pray

Up there, Maria? Did he say?"

"He didn't mention much detail,

But only that your faith not fail.

He says there's something worse than death,

And loss of faith, not loss of breath,

Is what he fights. He's gotten slim

From fasting." "Would you please fetch him?

I want to say goodbye." "I know

The place; I'll hurry now and go."

"Your father wants to see you, son;

I think his life is almost done.

Come, hasten with me to his bed."

"He's here, my love, beside your head."

"I heard you in the synagogue

Once say that there's an epilogue

To life. And then you looked at me.

You knew. Already you could see

The last short chapter of my days:

The gathering dark and distant rays

Of dawn. And now I thank you, son,

That you fought for my faith and won.

Your intercession on the slope,

Your fasting and your love gave hope.

Nor do I doubt that you and I

Will meet again with God on high.

I bless the night that you were born!

May all the world that night adorn.

Maria, come, light him a flame.

Though darkness gathers, praise his Name!" 

~John Piper --Jesus @ Desiring God

The Art of Pretending...

My children are great pretenders.  Here they are "making believe" that they are cooking a fabulous Christmas dinner.  They know it's not real food...but they are "attempting to cause it to be so" in their imaginations. They "act out" tasting the food...but their bellies aren't actually filled.

In a world where Jesus, the way, THE TRUTH, and the life, is considered just a relative thing...I need to be careful.  Because, is it pretending if only WE know the TRUTH?  We as parents KNOW Santa is "make believe"...but if we tell our children he is real...aren't we tricking them? 

I remember...riding in the car with my Dad...many moons ago...and asking if Santa was real.  My Dad said, "Well, how do we know what is true?" My answer came from what my family had already taught me.  "Well, it would be in the Bible, right?"  My Dad agreed.  I said, "Is Santa in the Bible?"  My Dad said, "No, he's not."  AND THAT WAS IT...not major disappointments...just TRUTH.

I hope that I am equally prepared for just such a wonderful and openly honest discussion...I don't want to risk whether "they'll figure out what's real eventually"...I want to ALWAYS point to truth and where it comes from...GOD'S WORD.

This is heavy on my mind...I was just faced with a man a few weeks back who, TRULY, no jokes folks, said that he could find no more proof of God's existence than he could for the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.  OUCH!  Among other things, he said, "Have you ever seen him?" and then he sang..."He knows if you are sleeping, He knows if you're awake, He knows if you've been bad or good...so be good for goodness sake."  UGH, cringe!  I shared my sadness for his disillusionment and my heart's desire that he learn of The Truth that I know from God's Word.

We share the story of Saint Nicolas and his generous spirit in giving to poor children....so they know how such traditions start...but we all know that any packages marked, "FROM SANTA" on Christmas day are just pretend....because Christmas in our home....is about celebrating Jesus, the Christ's birth. 

And maybe even more important...every day life is about Him too!  Day in and day out...every day of the year we are striving to teach them these truths.

As my children open gifts, at any time of the year, I want them to know about the ONE TRUE GIFT.  The MOST IMPORTANT GIFT ... Jesus...who grew up...and died for the sins of the world.  AND... 
1 Cor. 15:3-4, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures"  Yes, at Easter Bunny time...we share that too...HE IS RISEN!!

HIS-Story at Christmas and ALL THE TIME!

This Sunday I was reminded that God is the Pre-eminent One.  That's one of those words that I know what it means in context but ended up looking it up later...and boy, does it ever describe God--distinguished, peerless, supreme.

Have you ever been struck by God's Sovereign use of history?...How He used rulers and events...political climates?  For example, that a census would be taken at just the right time...so that not only would Mary and Joseph be in Bethlehem, to fulfill Micah 5:2, but at the exact time the baby would be born!? And, we all know that babies aren't predictable.  Well, unless you're God that is.

Our Pastor shared some interesting Historical facts with us Sunday.  Things that pointed to God's use of world events in HIS story...and although I knew some of these points of history I'd never placed it around Christ's birth.

You know in Luke 2 where it talks about "Caesar Augustus said all the world should be registered"...well, turns out that his full name was Gaius Octavian..the nephew and eventually adopted "son" of Julius Caesar.  AND...Octavian's sister, Atia, was married to Marc Antony....who cheated on her with Cleopatra.

As any good brother would, he took him to war (well, it probably had more to do with Marc cutting off the grain from Egypt)...and Octavian won (they committed suicide remember)...and he gained major control of Rome...and ruled over them during a peaceful and stable period.  He oversaw the building of the Roman roads, etc.  Which not only established for Mary and Joseph an easy access to refuge in Egypt from Herod but also...put road structure in perfect shape and location to spread the gospel when the disciples went out to share the good news with all the world.  Neato, eh?

I think what really stuck with me as I put together ALL this information...is that God is BIG and has no trouble keeping track of, or taking care of, His own.

His plans will be fulfilled.  He always keeps His promises.  History, and everything in it, is HIS!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, LOVERBRAINS!

Today, at 7 o-clock I will be married for 7 years to my Loverbrains.

Here are 7 things I LOVE about him:

1.  He's brilliant but humble.  I find that his quiet way of doing things always sets him in good position with his peers and bosses.  He doesn't need to put himself ahead...God blesses him...and it all works out fine. 

2.  He always ALWAYS kisses me first when he comes home.  To the point where he trips over the kids and puppy who are literally clamoring for his attention.  I asked him why once...and he said that he wanted them to know that I come first!

3.  He's a wonderful DadE...He owns bathtime as his special job.  He lovingly washes and jammies our babies.  It not only saves me back aches but also gives me some quiet moments to play the piano or be by myself!

4.  He enlarges my mind...as I try to understand his world of math and science.  At the same time, he doesn't make me feel stupid...he patiently explains things to me and listens intelligently to my days full of defiant three year olds and playdoh castles.

5.  He encourages me to be involved in ministry...even allowing me to drive separately to choir practices each week.  That means he dresses the Sweet Boobahs back up and gets them all ready for the PM service alone.  WOW...he does tights and hair ya'll!  So cute.  He knows how much it means to me to sing at church!

6.  He is patient when I don't feel well...especially with all these unexplainable and unpredictable migraines...he lovingly sends me to bed and takes care of the kids.  He never makes me feel guilty...but just plugs on.  Even when he is tired...he takes care of me.  In sickness and health!

7.  He puts God first...each morning he reads his Bible in the kitchen while I read in the living room.  The house is quiet except for the turning of my pages and the clicking of his Kindle.  And then we get together and talk about what we're reading/studying and we pray or share thoughts and issues.  Each evening he reads the kids SS paper with them and talks to them about God.  These things I treasure!

So, I love you, honey!  Happy Anniversary!!

PS...Happy Anniversary to Barbara and her honey who let us share their special date.  She also gave me this idea last year!

The Week in Words...

 To begin...some Christmas quotes I've been saving up...

The only blind person at Christmastime is he who has not Christmas in his heart.
--Helen Keller

I never realized God's birth before,
How He grew likest God in being born...
Such ever love's way--to rise, it stoops.
--Robert Browning

You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father's face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift.
--John R. Rice  

Were earth a thousand times as fair
Beset with gold and jewels rare
She yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle,
Lord, for Thee.
--Martin Luther

Thanks be to God for His unspeakable Gift--
indescribable
inestimable
incomparable
inexpressible
precious beyond words.
--Lois Lebar  

I love this quote...I think it is from Mere Christianity...but I'm not sure!
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."  C. S. Lewis


I had heard a quote by an R. Stedman about the "secret of the Christian life being borrowed diety" but as I searched for it...I read his work called "Prayer"...and liked the following...
"Oh," you say, "I'm not in rebellion against the Spirit of God. Why, I'm a Christian. I don't rebel against him." Let me ask you: "What kind of life are you living? Is it God-centered, or is it self-centered? Is it to please yourself that your activities are done and your desires aimed?" Then you are in rebellion against the Spirit of God, and to have him dwelling in you means the total collapse of all that revolt until you are saying, "Lord Jesus, whatever you say, your word is my command. I am ready to obey." It is not our relationship with Jesus Christ which counts before the world, it is our resemblance to him."  ~Ray Stedman Prayer