A Few Family Favorites

God has been so gracious to encourage me in housekeeping and parenting through several Christ honoring blogs, and they have directed me to great books, great ideas and great practices.  So, in hopes to encourage a few of you friends who may be searching for good finds, just like I am, I am going to tell you of just a few books that are family favorites.  We seek to only put the best into our minds and the minds of our children, so that is why, I believe, our search will never end:)  I have also added a few favorites my girls love to play with.  I hope you have fun looking into them and see whether they will work for your family! 

Adam Raccoon series of Parables for Children by Glen Keane
    ~ Reinforces Biblical truths with fun stories and great pictures.  Annabelle is addicted to all of them.  They are free from our church library, but you can also get them used for really inexpensive.
The Year at Maple Hill Farm
   ~A great, detailed way to teach about the farm and the months and seasons.  We don't own this one either...we just get it from the local library.
Pickle Chiffon Pie
   ~This is for fun.  A silly way to teach kindness and consideration for others.  This was no where to be found, so I had to buy it, but i was worth every penny.
The Illustrated ICB Bible: The New Testament
   ~This Bible is the whole Bible, word for word in the ICB translation, and the pictures are drawn comic style.



Woodkins
~ An easy way for little hands, 18 months and older, to dress up dolls.  Pieces of cloth can be put between two pieces of wood, and voila, the doll is dressed.  Easy as that.
Lauri Puzzles
~ These are great, now that Annabelle is 3.  Before, she couldn't really do them well, but now she is learning her letters while having fun.
KUMON cutting and tracing workbooks
~ These need supervision, and they are more for working together, but Annabelle loves them.

Mornings...First Things First

I mentioned recently that God had been showing me that I need "to number my days so that I may gain a heart of wisdom."  Our lives are short, and we need to entreat God to guide us in living faithfully to make the most of our time.  And if we can gain wisdom by numbering our days, and if "by wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches" (Proverbs 24:3-4), then I must seek God in guiding me to number these days He has so graciously given me.

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."  Ephesians 5:15

I have taken a careful look at my days...

I only have two little ones, so our days aren't nearly as structured and demanding as some families, and it is very easy to think I don't need a plan.  However, my time is not truly mine.  In Scripture, it is clear that we must guard our hearts and minds, because sin is lurking to devour and it can so easily entangle us.  I don't want to be lazy, and I want seek God with my whole heart. 

The choices I make today will directly affect the choices my family and friends will make tomorrow.  Just as the sin of one can affect the whole body of believers, so can the faithful living of one encourage the whole body. 

And here I am, thinking on my days.  My mornings.  My chores.  My meals.  Free time.  Our evenings.  How can I make the most of my time?  I can get so caught up in finding the right way to parent, to clean house, to plan meals, to educate my children and to be a wife, and yet I must remember that God wants our heart.  Before I try to be the best mom and wife I can be, I must seek God and give Him my whole heart.  I do not want to labor in vain (Psalm 127) and do not want to make plans without God's guidance, remembering that God will direct my steps.  (Proverbs 19:21) Plans are tricky.  Culture can cloud our judgment.  This is why our plans must be brought to Him day and night, so that we can renew our thinking.

With that said, I take pen to paper and seek to order my days, so that I might redeem the time to glorify God.  I remember that all my time is holy.  Laundry.  Cooking.  Discipline.  Walks.  All I do is a sacrifice to God, with gratitude.  In all things, I can enjoy Him, whether it be daily duty or fun fellowship. 

A plan is best.  Everyone schedules differently, and each family works differently, but a plan is best.  We can so easily wander, and we need something that brings us back to the goal.  The goal of training our children to love God with their whole hearts.  The goal to enjoy God throughout the day.  The goal to be disciplined.  This calls for a plan.  Loose or srtict, by the minute or a flow chart, it does not matter, but we must have a plan. 

I have found that whatever needs to be accomplished in the day, must be done first.  If the day falls into shambles, or if sickness takes over, or if a friends needs care, what must get done needs to be done in the morning, before the day begins. 

My tme with the Lord is essential.  My time in prayer, quiet before my Maker, and my time in His word that promises to bring peace, hope, restoration and guidance, must be done before the sun is up and the children wake.  Psalm 5:3 says, "O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch."  I want to seek God's truth in the morning, pray over my day and my concerns and watch with expectancy to see what God might accomplish that day.  It is a sacrifice to wake early, and it is a sacrifice done more easily when I go bed earlier the night before, which is a discipline I am still learning.  Any mom knows that if a morning goes not as planned, it is hard to change the flow for the rest of the day.  Mornings must be intentional and directed toward the Lord. 

I now wake between 6 and 6:30 so I may spend time with the Lord, shower and be ready for the day, and if time allows, spend time in personal endeavors. 

I have found that I can become more irritable and less patient when I am trying to do what I want to do, whereas, if I order my days with God by my side, then I can plan a day where the necessities are accomplished, fun can still be had, and the home can be orderly. 

I pray that you are encouraged to seek God in the morning!

**Pictures taken on a walk today with the girls.  Learning about bees and flowers, singing Amazing Grace, and enjoying sweet fellowship with a friend. 

Quiet Days

The Simple Life and Quiet Days.

In the past week, we have been graced with more rain than I can ever remember.  I have enjoyed it thoroughly and am soon going to miss it.  We couldn't really go anywhere, so we stayed in for days, reading books, playing puzzles, baking, and painting.  It forced us to enjoy the simple pleasures in life that God gives us each day.  No Trader Joes or Target.  No playdates or Starbucks runs.  No distractions. 

Recently, God has challenged me to "number my days, so that I may gain a heart of wisdom."  (Psalm 90)  Making the most of each minute, as a child of God, a wife and a parent.  This rain has given me a great opportunity to see all the areas where I need to improve.  I need more self-discipline and more structure, and God is slowly showing me how to honor Him more in my time.

So often, the things we fill our days with can distract us from the greatest treasures that are with us each and every day.  And our lack of self-discipline and vision for our days can make living with our family difficult, when God means for familly to blessing.  But, I will save those thoughts for another post. 

But as for now, I will continue counting my blessings...won't you join me?

#141 A quiet morning before anyone in the house stirs.

#142 A quiet day with the girls, painting, water coloring, baking, reading, puzzles and games.

#143 The sound of the rain.

#144 The new and glorious hum of our fancy new heater

#145 The gift of Financial Peace University, 2 years ago, that taught us the lost art of living beneath our means and without debt, which enabled us to have the cash to purchase the heater debt-free, and most importantly, stress free.

#146 Neighbors to share eggs and butter with:)

#147 Fresh baked cookies with a sweet little Aunt

#148 The gift of the Psalms and Proverbs, a way to refresh my mind each day.

#149 Good friends, new and old.

#150 My knees to kneel in humility before my God, whom I can do nothing without!

#151 A sweet afternoon celebrating a couple soon to wed

#152 Although I love the rain, I praise God He has placed me in SoCal where the promise of many sunny days are just around the corner:)

#153 A good friend to shed some tears with.

#154 Laughing...Pastor Hegg, you are hilarious!

I pray you are encouraged to sit quietly and enjoy God, our creator and Father, our Savior. In creation. In family. In duty. His pleasures surround us, we just need to turn our eyes on Him.

Is God Enough?

If You washed away my vanity
If You took away my words
If all my world was swept away
Would You be enough for me?
Would my beating heart still sing?

If I lost it all, would my hands stay lifted
To the God who gives and takes away?
If You take it all, this life You’ve given
Still my heart will sing to You

When my life is not what I expected
The plans I made have failed
When there’s nothing left to steal me away
Will You be enough for me?
Will my broken heart still sing?

Even if You take it all away
You’ll never let me go
You take it all away and I still know

That I’m Yours, I ‘m still Yours
Oh I’m Yours, I’m still Yours

~Kutless, It is Well album, I'm Still Yours

I hope this song can encourage many of You to lean on God in all things. He is enough. He is all we need. Today, as I listened to this song, I began to cry, praying that nothing will steal my heart away and that God is always enough for me. I pray you are encouraged and I was by these wise words.

Will my hands stay lifted?
Will my beating heart still sing?

I pray so!

A Little Habit to Excite Prayer

This morning, before the sun had risen, I found myself awake with little Ava who was ready to begin the day. As she ate and played and I relaxed on the couch with my coffee and Bible, I was amused at all that she did to entertain herself. She ended up taking her socks off, putting them on her hands, and pretending to be daddy who puts gloves on his hands to clean out her wound (which is almost healed, btw.) She was pretending to put a new band aid on Mickey, and she was saying all the things we say to comfort her.


She listens. She watches. She mimics.


Habits. They are an amazing thing. They are so easy to fall into.


I have annoying habits, like picking my nails, and I have sinful habits, like using harsh language and a mean voice when I am frustrated. And I have seen and heard these habits manifested in my girls, both picking nails and raising voices. It makes me cringe to think of all the sin I have modeled for them.


Enough of bad habits. I have too many. Nate and I are ready to intentionally choose good habits that will glorify God and create a humble and worshipful spirit in our family.


Thanks to some wonderful advice, Nate and I decided to enhance prayer time each night, by creating a prayer book filled with all of our Christmas card pictures. Each night, we pray over one family in the book. The girls love seeing the pictures, and now Annabelle looks forward to prayer time and asks to do it. We have begun adding pictures of others that we never received pictures for.


It is a small habit, but as I know all too well, small habits can become lasting ones, and that is the ultimate goal. Praying for others daily and lifting their cares and burdens to God. Humbly lifting our eyes to God together and sharing His love for others. I am so excited to make this a lasting habit.



What spriritual disciplines do your family practice? Ann @ http://www.aholyexperience.com/ encourages us to focus on spritiual disciplines each Wednesday. Check it out!

His Name is Vuzo

I would like you to meet Vuzo Elieza Vuzo, and he was born on October 4, 1997.

In the midst of the blur of the month of October, beginning with the birth and death of our baby boy Paul, we were cared for beyond imagination. We were loved and prayed for. It began by having 27 people in our hospital room, praying with us, singing praises to our God and reading His comforting words. People cried with us and remembered the wonderful Sunday when he was born and we got to hold him in our arms.

Only God's people know how to truly love, because we know True Love.

Alongside prayers and hugs, we received enormous amounts of money as gifts to help us pay for the burial and memorial, and many also gave in hopes we would take a trip or do something to relax and enjoy ourselves.

With all this money, we felt burdened. The burial was more than paid for, and we were so grateful to have the excess, but we continued to pray for God's guidance. Three months later, we still had the money, and God reminded us of what really restores the soul. When we can give out of gratitude to our Lord and Savior, then we can experience joy and true love.

"'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; nake, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And whend did we see You sick or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the exten that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" Matthew 25:35-40

God reminded us that many children can be loved just as we had always hoped to love Paul. Once we decided we were going to give the money to children in need, I was so excited. By body tingled with excitement each moment I thought about it. We finally dwindled down all the amazing options to Compassion International, Sleep Sweet, and Samaritan's Purse.

It was so exciting to get Annabelle involved in the process, showing her videos and pictures of children in need. She couldn't believe some girls don't have milk to fill their bellies, "cozy" beds to sleep in, and God's word to fill their minds. And now, even more applicable, she can't imagine people not having doctors to make their sisters "all better". It was easy to get her on board. We told her that we were doing this to show love to others, just as others have shown love to us and as Christ has shown us true love.

We decided to pick a boy sharing the same birthday as Paul to support and love on. He is a part of a Bible program in Tanzania through Compassion International, and we can't wait to partner with this ministry to show Christ's love to someone across the world. We also gave a bed to a child in Uganda who was accustomed to sleeping on the ground through Sleep Sweet. And through Samaritan's Purse, we gave money to provide families with a dairy animal, clothes, and the ability to attend Bible classes.

To all of you who gave of yourself...monetarily, through prayer, through hugs, and through tears...we say THANK YOU. The love of God has been so evident to us, and we praise Him for His many blessings in all of you who shared in this time of suffering with us. Please continue praying for our family's ministry and for our new member of the family, Vuzo.

With Love,
Deb

The Need for Clean

Reunited. And loving it.

3 days and 2 nights in a hospital. IV antibiotics. Surgeons coming in to drain Ava's infection and absess. And now the real work begins. This MRSA infection can stay alive on any non porous material for up to 90 days.

Thank you for your prayers.

We have disinfected EVERYTHING we own. The girls get baths with bleach daily, and we shower with antiseptic daily. It feels great. Between hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes and bleach, the word around here is CLEAN. We think we are the track to ridding our family of this nasty bacteria, but we know it is in God's hand alone.

This bacteria came into our home two years ago, and it has plagued us ever since. We hadn't suffered from an outbreak for 6 months or so, so we thought we were in the clear. But nothing is worse that seeing it attack my sweet little Ava. I never want this to happen again.


In between crying and cleaning the other day, I began to realize the connection between this nasty bacteria and our sin that so easily entangles us. Sin so easily penetrates every part of our life. We want to cleanse ourselves from it, because it is deadly, and we know the negative results of living in sin all too well. We never want to experience it again, and yet it still plagues us.


I praise the Lord He promises to cleanse us from all our sin. We aren't "cleaning" in vain, even though it may seem like this world is hopelessly plagued with sin. One day, He promises to bring us to a New Heaven and New Earth, where there is no more pain and sorrow, and no more sin.

Praise the Lord.


In the last year, I have experienced a life that reminds me so often how much pain and sorrow is in this world, and what a great promise it is to live in a world where there is none. There is much to lean on God for and rejoice in, and today I am reminded of that.

I am also reminded that to rid us of sin and refine us now, it may be painful. God needs to prune us. We have had to explain this to Ava countless times this week, as she went through many times of pain. Annabelle would say,"No mama, don't hurt her. Don't take her band aid off Don't take her to the hospital. It will hurt." But I would respond, "Oh honey, it has to hurt now, so that it can be all better. We want her all better, don't we?"

Pain now is for our good. God wants us to grow, but He must tear out the weeds and prune us so we may flourish. What a great reminder for my family and me.

Thank you for joining with me in this journey.

As I look at my scar from MRSA and Ava's healing wound, I pray it can remind me of our need for Jesus to cleanse us from sin. We must cling to what is good and abhor what is evil. Just a little speck of sin will infect the whole, just as one part of our house can hold this bacteria and infect each of us living in it. I pray we can all be reminded of our desperate need for a Savior and His amazing promise to save us from this world NOW and FOREVER. Life can be abundantly full NOW. We don't have to wait!

And I am learning that part of this abundant life NOW can be experienced by counting His blessings...His grace upon my life.

So I continue...

#78 Dr. Diego
#79 Surgeon Shaul who was used by God to rid Ava of this infection
#80 A husband who said, "Once again Debra, I wouldn't want to go through this with anyone else!"
#81 A sweet nurse who calls Jesus her Lord and Savior, who consoled us and helped us laugh.
#82 Dear friends like you who remind of the greatness of the body of Christ
#83 The sweet pleasures in life...a hug from a sister, and tear shared with a sweet friend, chocolate covered pretzels:)
#84 A new week...a fresh start...
#85 To see Annabelle and Ava kiss each other, and hearing Annabelle say, "Mama, I love her!"

The Art of Sacrifice

On the heels of committing each Monday to counting 1000 graces and giving thanks to our gracious God, I have already been tested in my true devotion to the idea. My dear sweet Ava is suffering from MRSA just as I have for two years now. While I had to endure 9 months of carrying baby Paul knowing he would be born and be carried straight to heaven, I would often catch myself saying, "Wow, in comparison, MRSA isn't so bad. I would be fine with having MRSA my whole life now." It is funny how trials change. Or better, it is funny how we change our definition of trials as we grow and have to endure more of them.

Joshua began his years of war at Jericho and at the end of his 5-7 years of battle, he fought the bloodiest war yet. He had no chariots, no horses. The enemy had 300,000 men, and he lacked numbers. God still encouraged him, like He always did, but Joshua did not delay in attacking offensively. He obeyed immediately and enjoyed victory in the end. He did not stop fighting after Jericho, and he knew there was more to come.

I want to be like Joshua. I thought the hard times were over when I had surgery for MRSA a year ago. I had to stop nursing Ava, have the infection removed, and pack an open wound for three weeks. But then, months later, we found out Paul would not be able to live with us here on earth. I prayed for "a break". I prayed for "easy". And relief came when he was born, and the waiting was over, and I knew he was with Christ. I thought it was over. But, I have now learned. My sweet little Ava is lifeless and feverish. She is on antibiotics and sleeping lots and eating less.

I want to be like Joshua. I want to take this head on, ready to fight for God and ready to win. But I do not wage war against flesh and bone, but a spiritual war. I will not let despair take hold. I will not focus on the pain. I will dwell with the Lord and remember His goodness and trust in His faithfulness He has proven. I want to live a life of gratefulness to God no matter what this life may bring. This is why David calls it a sacrifice of praise to our God. It is hard. But it is pleasing to God and healing to the soul. Of course, I pray God heals her and we don't have to do the hospital routine with IV antiobiotics and surgery, but I make my requests known to Him and worry about it no more. I make it my life mission to be grateful for ALL things.

"Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You." Psalm 63:3
"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High." Psalm 50:14

So I begin.
God, I am grateful for Tylenol and antibiotics.
I am grateful for a husband willing to do the dirty work.
I am grateful for Annabelle who has a heart of gold.
I am grateful for a rocking chair to rock my precious babe.
I am grateful for hot water, bleach and detergent to wash away this nasty bacteria.
I am grateful for fresh air.
I am grateful for a pharmacy just minutes away (who know my name, by the way:).
I am grateful for a concerned mom's email with love I can feel!

Ahhhh, now that is better. Thank You Lord for setting my heart straight.


God is good. All the time. Psalm 145, the psalm I invite you to memorize with me...says that God is kind in all His deeds and near to all who call on Him in truth. Praise the Lord.

Please join me in giving thanks. It soothes the soul!

Extravagant Simplicity

Because Christ came, I can hope. Because of Christmas, I am now free. 2010 can be a year of newness because God loves me; Christ saved me; and the Holy Spirit will change me. So simple, yet so extravagant!!! How blessed are we to be called children of God.

What is my goal this year? What dirty areas of my life do I need washed white as snow? This year will be marked by humble praise. Humble praise to my holy Creator, Loving Father, and Savior. I have found that any area in my relationships and days that I struggle with all have to do with pride. Not a new concept, I know. However, if I approach all things with humility, not self-abasement, but a proper understanding that I am sinful and God is perfect...I deserve nothing, and yet He gives me life abundantly...I can love because He first loved me....then and only then can I be in the right mind to face each day's trials, annoyances and emotions God's way and not my own. Humility will lead to praise. I am thoroughly enjoying counting 1000 graces, and I have so quickly been reminded that in order to count blessings from our gracious God, I must be humble.

A heart of thankfulness. While dreading housework, loneliness, discipline, the mundane and frustrating, if I faithfully force out words of praise, my heart will change and joy will resurface.

Praise God for His extravagance.

I pray you can find joy this year in humbly coming before Him with praise. I pray that no matter what battles you must fight this year, you do not lose hope, because Christ has come and promised victory.

________________________________________

*Photo: New buds from the lemon tree my dad gave me in memory of Paul.