Strength and honor are her clothing and she laughs at what is to come.

Strength and honor are her clothing and she laughs at what is to come.
Strength & Honor

Friday, November 7, 2014

Christian Poems

"True Christianity"
How many times have we heard this phrase " Don't judge me by the way I dress! You can see the outside, but God can see the rest".
Have we forgotten what God said? " By their fruits they shall be known!" What irony! That we should say as an excuse; "God knows my heart" and right he sure does! For He wrote: The heart is desperately wicked! So which one is worse? The judgement of a man who can be fooled with a smile or that of a God who knows our every sinful thought and the things we've been hiding for quite a while? We say: Where does the bible say it's wrong? When we haven't even opened the book in the past month! We question: What's wrong with just one hug? But did you know that's where most pregnancies first begun? We say: Well the bible doesn't say tattoos are wrong! But we forget it does say : Don't be like the world. I mean how far do we have to go to call it sin? When remember God sees the desires we've kept within. We sure want Gods blessings but we run from commitment. Then we say: Well it's just not my conviction! Well what if a husband who cheated on his wife would use the same excuse as that? Would we still agree with that? Yet how many times have we been unfaithful to God? Assuming that sure nothing we do is wrong.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Spend less & Enjoy More

This morning as I was thinking on our budget for our next trip when I came across an old bank statement. It was quite a surprise. As I looked through it and began to highlight all the unnecessary spendings in that one given month. I decided I wanted to see our average spending on things we really didn't need. I highlighted the following purchases;

1.Eating Out
This included fast foods, ice cream shop, Starbucks , fancy restaurants and etc.

2.Online Purchases
While not in all cases, but in my case all my online purchases fell in the category of  "unnecessary "
Most included : shoes, apparel, toys for my son and etc.

3.Department Stores
It takes one to know one. If you're like me and you're being honest about your spendings you know the cold truth that if it was purchased at a department store it most likely was not a 'need'.

4.Thrift Shops
As I looked thru my bank statement I knew I could not include the thrift shop as a 'need' .
As much as I can tell you how cheap their stuff is and how much you will "save" I gotta admit every time I go in there my bank account is minimized and never maximized.

Those where my top four categories. If you have some others go ahead and add them to the balance. It was shocking as I added such small amounts how it accumulated  into a large sum pretty quick. I was surprised to see that I was spending around 1,100 per month. What? That's like three car payments ! Imagine all I could've saved. Where would that money be? Maybe I would've payed off a debt. Maybe we could've helped a needy family in church. My head was spinning I couldn't believe I was that person behind every purchase. I realized one thing. LITTLE can Become THOUSANDS!

The next thing that came in my head was the verse I had heard at the previous ladies conference I had attended " A wise woman builds her house"  and also Proverbs 31:10-31. We see the pictures of a wise woman. A godly woman who is wise in her spendings. You see what God  allowed me to understand was that He wants every part of my life to be pleasing to Him, yes even the way I spend my money.  I was convicted and ashamed of how badly I had handled my finances in the past. As we learn and grow together let's seek Gods guidance in every part of our life. As women of God and specially as keepers of our home, let's begin to make choices that are wise, that will bless our husbands, our children and at the end even we will reap the benefits. Having more is something our culture has become obsessed with. More clothes, more gadgets, more pleasure, more , more, more. As a wise woman we most be filled in Christ, satisfied in His providence for us. After all when we walk close to Him on a daily consistent manner we will experience more joy, more peace, more blessings and more satisfaction. God always gives the best at no cost to us.

I'll end with this final verse found in Isaiah 55:2 "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?


Wednesday, February 26, 2014

When God Becomes a Burden

Do you see bible time and prayer as yet another chore?
As a homeschooling mom I can tell you many times I have struggled in this area as well. As moms and women we tend to get so busy and find our rest in social media or a few T.V. shows. The thought of adding yet one more thing into our "busy ' schedules can be terrifying, just the thought can make us feel exhausted. We almost want to scream, another one!?
 
However God never meant for it to be so. God meant bible study and prayer to be a garden of rest, a fountain of water and a place of peace. In our twenty four hours a day we have given priority to things God never meant to be there in the first place. We occupy our time and minds to things that will have little or no impact in our lives or others. Here are some tips that will help us renew our strength  and return to that garden of life that God has designed for us.
 
1. Work Life
Many of us have taken the role of working women when the husband has not stepped up to his responsibility, or when parents cant afford our college tuition. This situations are moments where we will need Gods grace and much sacrifice to allow God in our busy schedules and remind ourselves that the greater the task the greater the need there is for Gods guidance thru prayer and bible time. However for some of us work has become a stumbling block in our walk with God. We have focused on achievement and gain more than on godliness and service to our Lord. God uses work to provide our need but we should never abuse that to provide our wants. Lets cut back in work hours whenever we can. Sometimes this might mean giving up on luxuries or living on less income. Yet every sacrifice is worth it. If your job is taking the place of God in your life than we know something is not right. Pray and search your heart, it just might be that we are giving the best of our energy, heart and strength to material gain that will never satisfy.
 
2. Socializing
There has never been so much pull from social life on the family as there is today. Well with all the social networks and media that is available at our fingertips twenty four seven, lets add all the family gatherings, church activities, girls nights, outings and trips. While some socializing with Christian friends is needed we can mistakenly allow it to over power our lives and consume the little time we have left in our hands. We must learn to say no and begin to give God that time back. This can be the toughest when you have your phone lined up with notifications and emails accompanied with missed calls and messages. Turning our phone off can be another great aid. Lets take the steps necessary to allowing God to be our priority, who we follow and whos company can change us and help us love those around us even better.
 
3. Household Duties
The dishes are piled up and the rest of the house looks like a tornado just hit. I can relate to the feeling and the desire to desperately clean every inch and every corner. I love keeping my house clean and also allowing my family some space to make a mess knowing I will come back and clean it up after. I want them to enjoy a clean home and at the same time feel free to relax in it. One tip I can say with this is get up a bit earlier. When you eliminate other time wasters as mentioned above you will be surprised how much time you have left to do house work. Waking up a little bit earlier gives us the motivation we need to start our day on the right foot. It also provides the perfect moment to spend in peace and quiet with The Lord. While my family sleeps I can make some time for me and My God. This will energize you, and fill you with joy . The chores of the home will become easier as you approach them in a better attitude and as you clear up your mind from social media and noise. Take one task down at a time. Eliminate distractions like reading thru old notes you find, or watching T.V. while you fold the laundry. Texting or talking in the phone can also slow you down. Decide you will concentrate on the ask and not let anything you can control distract you. Time management makes a big difference.
 
There's many other tips I can share but talking about time, I don't want to take more of your time away. God bless you and remember to choose God first and He will help you with everything else.