Tuesday, February 28, 2012

First We Have Coffee and I Will Share With You?

This blog is all about Jesus Christ and you! Sometimes a little bit of me too as I share my heart but basically Jesus and our Godly Homes. I started this blog several years ago when our family was doing a little class at our local homeschool workshop on A Godly Home. I thought it would be nice to have a place with a reading list etc. for folks to refer back to. It's evolved and gone round and round but ultimately it's about Jesus. It's about His hand in our lives and how we can open our homes and make Him Lord, not succumbing to society's distractions. Staying clear with the plumb line of the Lord! : )

I thought I'd share with you a few little things that ministered to me this morning and things I found to be just plain helpful. *big smile*

I've been reading this book:

First We Have Coffee

I can honestly say this is one of the most precious books I've read in a long, long time...I've read excerpts outloud to my family and almost go into tears each time as the goodness of the Lord is shared by the author as she tells true to life stories of her home and especially... Mama.

If you've ever seen the wonderful old movie, "I Remember Mama" (1948) you know what I mean...but this book is all about the Lord and His faithfulness and goodness.

This excerpt was an especially touching one, the full story gets even better:

I needed shoes! I always needed shoes! Our bank account consisted of 'My God shall supply all your need." He did, but not my way!"

The coming of the missionary barrel was an annual event. Every outdated relic from the gay nineties seemed to find its way into that barrel: moth-eaten furs, threadbare silks and satins, and shoes of all sizes.

I ran! I had lived through enough missionary-barrel debuts! How Mama made dresses out of those costumes I never understood. She cut apart old coats and suits and sewed beautiful coats, lined with silk. She cut off buttons and salvaged trim, and saved them for the right project. Much of the cloth she saved for quilts. We had no shortage of quilts!

"Margaret," Papa called. "We have shoes!"

That was the last thing I wanted to hear. "I'm sure they don't fit." I kept running.

"Margaret!"


I stopped. And returned - to stare in horror at two pair of high button shoes. One pair was brown, and the other black...


...Mama sensed my distress. Tenderly she placed her arms around me and quietly, but firmly reminded me that we had prayed for shoes. God answered, not the way we think is best, but God heard and answered. Mama never allowed sympathy to obscure a deeper lesson.

Mama continued, "Pride is a terrible thing, Margaret. It is not so important what we put on our feet, but it is important where your feet go. Sometimes we have to put on hard things - like the shoes - so God can keep our feet on the right path. If you worry more about how you look than about what you are, you will have many lessons to learn. Someday you will look back and say that this was an important lesson to learn. Remember this, God always answers prayer, but not always your way. Wear your shoes with a thankful, humble heart. Shall I tell you the secret to happiness?

"Oh yes Mama."

As she gathered me in her arms and stroked my hair, she whispered softly, "A thankful heart, Margaret. A thankful heart."



Oh and the story even gets better....A little girl shows up at Sunday school with no shoes at all...just red wool socks....Perhaps I will write more excerpts next time. But trust me, as a self employed Realtor Broker's wife, (my husband receives only commission when a home sells), our bank account is the same as Mama's family. Many times I've had to make-do, adding this, or dying that... or perhaps literally counting coins to buy ballet shoes for my little ones.


There are many other excerpts that are so touching. This one is especially on my mind as well... The little brother falls on a fork and it plunges through his lip....

Mama held him in her lap, holding his lip in place with a cold cloth. We girls gathered around the rocking chair as she prayed, "This child belongs to God and Jesus never fails. Touch this mouth with Your healing power, Lord." Softly she crooned, "Savior like a Shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care," .....For hours she sat, with the lip clamped shut. She continued singing softly and praying, meeting another test. I followed instructions and cared for the children - and made the coffee for Mama.

By the time dawn came peeking through the windows, Gordon's lip was perfectly healed.



I haven't finished the book yet but so felt led to share these excerpts with you all, perhaps it is something special from the Lord for someone?


Well that's my little "Share and Tell" I hope it glorifies the Lord and gives you encouragement. I want to be just like Mama don't you?

Here are some other links that were very helpful to me this morning:

What to Clean if You Only Have 15 Minutes

This would be good for someone like me. : )

Fancy Inexpensive Dinner Breads

This is great, I haven't tried it but like the versatility and the fact you could have the groceries on hand when you need to round out a meal! Yay! : )

Set Apart Girl "Unhealthy Blogging"

This article on blogging was so helpful to me! I don't know about you but I've noticed so many blogs are becoming less and less Christ centered, blogs that used to be more Christ centered. It was glaring last Christmas especially. Some called Christmas present tags:" Holiday tags". Some ignored Christmas altogether. One blogger wrote they found it distasteful for Christians to talk of Christ and their beliefs at Christmas time? And the person claims to be a Christian? I don't understand what is going on or worse yet I think I do, but it does seem to be a temptation for some to turn blogging into just another rat race and popularity contest or maybe just a wee politically correct? I thought Christians stood for what they believed and cared for others, and I think we do if we are abiding in Christ. : ) I sometimes sense serious, seasoned, sweet Christians being dismissed at times and I think that is so sad. The article covers a full range of blog problems and pitfalls. Very good warnings.

I hope we can all be considerate bloggers not ashamed of Christ. : )

May we keep close eye on that plumb line of the Lord,

Love and blessings, ~Amelia

Monday, February 20, 2012

Purity and Dating

"Don't date anyone who doesn't love Jesus as much as you do." ~Josh and Anna Duggar

Josh and Anna Duggar on Purity and Dating. I hope you will find this helpful and encouraging. It's so great to see the Duggar family hold on to their convictions. My husband and I have four single daughters, ages 18 to 29 and sometimes we are a little disappointed when we see so many who have let go of godly convictions.

The Duggar Family has also endorsed Rick Santorum.

Hope you enjoy the video:

Josh and Anna Duggar from FBC Bentonville on Vimeo.




Have a sweet week, love, ~Amelia

Friday, February 17, 2012

So You Say You Aren't a Sensitive Person? 'Boys Town' (1938)



I've been under the weather and didn't take my meds yesterday thinking I was okay. Well, perhaps you know the outcome on that. Everyone say... Relapse. A doctor's visit may be forthcoming? We shall see but it's getting a bit depressing.

I lay on the couch talking to the Lord and then decided I would treat myself to a good ol' movie. I think the Lord enjoyed it too. : )

Boys Town (1938) A really nice site for the movie and the real Boys Town. Interesting quotes will be found here as well.

This is one of those movies you could take the good Lord to! And that's the only kind in our book. : )

The brief scene described below gets to me everytime as the movie opens, this synopsis is from tcm.com. To me? Words can't adequately describe this scene and it makes me emotional everytime I see it. You see...It seems there are always those who are ignored or shunned for various reasons no matter what the age; perceived class or status, liberal or conservative, specific religious doctrine, insecurities or shallowness of the shunners, blah, blah, blah etc. and so many times by cliquish groups or factions of people. I'm sure it breaks Christ's heart. I know it bothers my heart many times.

Some may say...Well I'm just not a sensitive person.

So you say you aren't a sensitive person? Maybe you should pray about that. Pray you would be a sensitive person.




As Dan Farrow prepares to go to the electric chair, he indicts society for its part in his crimes. As he tells Father Edward Flanagan, "If I had only had one friend at twelve, I wouldn't be here." Dan's words haunt Flanagan and when he returns to Omaha he decides that he will open a home for boys in trouble. With a small stake from kindhearted pawnbroker Dave Morris, Flanagan starts the home but constantly must sway people who think that his philosophy "there's no such thing as a bad boy" is naive.

Boys Town won 2 Oscars and another 3 nominations.

Watch it: 'Boys Town' (1938)

Boys Town is still in Operation today.


“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”
~Galations 6:2


Article: Bearing One Another's Burdens
Institute of Creation Research


That's all for now... Love to All, ~Amelia

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Christianity Or Culture?



Rick Santorum with Bella

“This child…can do nothing but love me.” Santorum observed, “That’s me with the (Heavenly) Father—I am so profoundly disabled in His eyes.”


~Rick Santorum



Albert Schweitzer:

"Ethics is nothing other than Reverence for Life. Reverence for Life affords me my fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, assisting and enhancing life, and to destroy, to harm or to hinder life is evil."


Albert Schweitzer was consistent in his beliefs and I appreciate that.

This sermon by Paris Reidhead is considered a classic and mentions Albert Schweitzer's consistency...The sermon is found at the top of the list of recommendations on Sermonindex.net:

Ten Shekels and a Shirt by Paris Reidhead


Praying for our nation, may we return back to the Lord as a Church and nation. Will we take our marching orders from the culture or the Lord? Has anyone else out there noticed and been troubled by the trend to worship the culture?



14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14


Take care now, Love, ~Amelia

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Are You Driving Yourself and Your Family Whacko?

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Photo by Robert Stock

I read this article this morning and I wanted to stand and applaud!
Are You Choosing a Dirty House?


This article is from the
Living on a Dime newsletter and it's not what you think...

This article is much about perfectionism and grandiose identity and may I say pure-dee selfishness many women have, and I'm sure many men folk may have the same. Let's just call it for what it is: Pride. Yuck. Gross. Pride.

The poor kids in these families, and may I add the poor grandkids too?

One book that helped me years ago is: Don't Be a Slave to Housework.

It goes down to carpet color etc. There are things we can do or not do to make our load easier.

"There is a verse in the Bible that says 'Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.' (Proverbs 14:1) Measure everything you say and do by asking yourself this question: “Is it going to be for the good of my family and build it up or is it just the way I want things done even if it tears down my family?”


And I ask: Will this matter for Eternity???

For me in homeschooling, many days, most days I had to put my blinders on as I taught my little blessings. If my baby was sick that day or I was sick or one of my little girls started crying or I started crying?????? Close the books for the day! : )

I learned that if the very basic things were done, and I mean the basics which for our family meant needed clothes or towels washed, dried and in a basket and a hot supper for all we were in good shape!

To heck with the rest.

That's my take on things. I'm 51 years young - old ...Whichever way you would like to look at it, my baby is 18 and a senior this year and trust me, you won't regret a cobweb or two or not having matchie-matchie-poo-poo everything.

You WILL regret not spending enough time with your children or spending too much time being an idiot perfectionist. Yes, that's what I said...An IDIOT perfectionist.

Say NO to Idiot PERFECTIONSIM. Say NO to PRIDE! And that goes for perfectionism in homeschool curriculum too. Do what works for YOU and your precious CHILDREN. Do the core (stop comparing with others) and venture out on what you want, those talents, stop detailing your family to death! And let's not forget the beginning of wisdom, a healthy fear of the Lord. : )

His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Amen.

For an Audience of One.... That's me, Amelia... Love to All! And that's the truth. I love the Lord and people enough to tell the truth on things.