The children & I had a WONDERFUL time attending the OCEANetwork Home School Conference in Portland, Oregon this last weekend! One of the things I loathe about these conferences is that feeling you get that you've been beat up by a speaker & you feel like a complete failure as a home school mom. Not so at this conference! It was a total encouragement! I'm SO glad we went (even though Daddy couldn't come) and plan to attend every year from now on, Lord willing!
If you are a home schooling family & are able, I would encourage YOU to attend a home school conference near you by clicking on this link: Great American Homeschool Conference Go to the tab that says conferences & scroll down to look for your state. Most of them have already taken place for this year, but you can still check out what's coming up in your area by familiarizing yourself with your state's home school group's website.
Maybe you've just begun having children and you know that you want to home school, but don't know where to start. These conferences are a GREAT resource!!! And, they are a great resource for families who need encouragement who have been home schooling for years. Where ever you are in your stage of home schooling, you won't be disappointed by attending these conferences.
Both of my teen children told me just this morning how they don't ever want to miss another conference again! (This is the first year we've attended both the OCEANetwork AND the Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington) I was so encouraged by their determination! Their young minds are fertile soil that will raise up the next generation of children in the fear & admonition of the Lord! There is a LOT of HOPE in that! The Lord will be glorified, He will bless their efforts & continue to further His kingdom!
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
6.28.2011
3.10.2011
From the Heart...the healing of my marriage
This was an article that I wrote almost 10 years ago, for the magazine ‘Crowned With Silver’, January/February, 2002 issue. I just thought I would write it up and post it here on RITR. Please let me know your thoughts.
Only ten years ago I would have thought Crowned With Silver was ‘behind the time’ and ‘too old-fashioned’ for my ‘tastes’. Now, however, I find it as a source of nurturing to my God-given feminine role as wife and mother!
When I married my husband 12 years ago, I had no idea what marriage was about. I didn’t know that you each came in with an individual role. I had absolutely no desire to have children as that would ruin my figure too much. I contemplated divorce after only six months of marriage but knew that this was not God’s will for marriage.
I even began to plan ways, in my head, of how I could divorce ‘biblically’ so that I’d be free to remarry! What utter wickedness!! Every time I tried to devise a plan, the Holy Spirit would remind me of my wickedness and cause me to see how utterly unfaithful I was being to the man I vowed to stay married to no matter what!
Even though, at the time, I would never have considered myself a feminist, my world view had certainly been influenced enough to think like one. I needed help!!! I went to counseling; the counselor only listened and got paid with no real input. I spoke to many of my trusted girl friends who encouraged me to divorce since I wasn’t happy. But the Holy Spirit’s urging was much more compelling than all the wicked, shallow advice I received.
After consistently hearing the Word of God taught and preached, the Lord slowly and carefully began to show me areas in my life that needed some major changing in order to restore my marriage. He caused me to remember testimonies I had heard of broken, seemingly hopeless marriages that God miraculously pieced back together, therefore, confirming to me that He WAS able to restore MY marriage.
He showed me how dominating I was; how I constantly tried to overthrow my husband’s role as head. He showed me how important it was to surround myself with godly women who were not afraid to tell me what I didn’t want to hear. He showed me how I needed to pray continually for my husband and how in those prayers, that I needed to show genuine thankfulness and gratitude to my Heavenly Father for having given me a husband at all!
Finally, and most importantly, He showed me how I needed to find out from His HOLY WORD what marriage was exactly…how He designed it; what were our roles, how I was to submit to my husband’s headship, etc.
He is so gracious and faithful in restoring marriages to anyone that trusts Him and obeys.
All too often, the world does so well to paint pictures of marriages that are ‘perfect’ and that live ‘happily ever after’, yet God’s intention for marriages is one to teach us submission; to serve on another; showing us our individual faults; disagreeing but at the same time accepting each other’s views graciously; dying to ourselves daily for God’s glory and honor; working hard towards loving each other even under the most difficult circumstances. This is all very hard work! Only when we take this challenge of hard work and willingly obey our Father’s instructions do we see the most beautiful, wonderful union take place.
Four years into our marriage, the Lord blessed us with our first child and now I am pregnant with our fourth! We are excited to see where He will take us in this journey of marriage. We have certainly not arrived. Every day, new challenges occur that are sent our way to teach us something. The most joyful thing about those challenges is that they are sent by a loving, caring Father who knows that we learn best by trials.
‘…Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.’
James 1:2-4
So, I would encourage you to persevere, to love your husbands, love your children, pray for them, find out ways to encourage your husband, show him that you are thankful that God put you together in this life. Keep a watchful eye on your motives; don’t expect anything in return. When you have had bad thoughts about your husband, make a list of things you are thankful for about him. God will honor your efforts with blessings beyond comprehension. He can restore any marriage; no challenge is too difficult for His infinite power.
Finally, I am enclosing a booklet on modesty that has tremendously changed my outlook on what we wear as Christians. Many times Christians think that our modern way of dressing has no relevance to the attitude in our heart and that anyone who confronts this issue is only being legalistic. Our outward appearance reflects our heart’s appearance. Please read this booklet thoroughly and if allowed, I’d like to make it available free of charge to anyone who would not be afraid to be utterly challenged on this issue. This is something that MUST be confronted in the church today.
All glory, honor and power be His,
Mrs. T.
12.02.2010
Definition of a homemaker
After reading my last post, one of my dear readers asked that I explain what a homemaker is. At first, I was a little surprised that she would ask me to do this because I FOOLISHLY assumed that "everyone knows what a homemaker is!" Right? But when I began thinking of a definition to post, I realized that I couldn't come up with one that would apply to every woman out there as we are all going through different stages in life. Going to the Word of God for a definition was my first thought...
Titus 2:3-5 says: "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS, to LOVE THEIR CHILDREN, to be sensible, pure, WORKERS AT HOME, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored."
Then, I wondered how a dictionary would define a homemaker...
Titus 2:3-5 says: "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS, to LOVE THEIR CHILDREN, to be sensible, pure, WORKERS AT HOME, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored."
Then, I wondered how a dictionary would define a homemaker...
American Heritage College dictionary defines a homemaker as: "One who manages a household."
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary defines it as: "one who manages a household especially as a wife and mother."
I found it most interesting that Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language did not have "homemaker" listed as a word! Perhaps because during his time, it was most common to see women at work in the home, rather than in a workplace outside of the home, therefore, making the word unnecessary.
As I thought to come up with a definition myself, I wanted to be thorough in helping my readers understand the many tasks that are involved in homemaking & what makes homemaker's lives different from anyone else's. But again, I couldn't come up with one in general that would apply to every woman for obvious reasons. What I did come up with are questions to ask oneself; questions that I asked myself when wondering how I would define "homemaker"...
When you wake up every morning, what is it that you do throughout your day to make the *building* that you live in a HOME? What is it that you do that makes your husband and children want to be there? Is your husband respected & loved on by you? Are your children secure in your love & guidance? Are they warm & fed? I find that when I neglect those basic needs, (that I can & should fulfill), I dishonor the Word of God. Just like Mrs. Bouma says in the quote I posted: "The mothering, the nurturing, the comforting, and caring..." are all things that a homemaker does everyday. There's much more to it than that, but these are the basics. I could add SO much more to that like: decorating a home, or managing the finances, or meal planning, or delegating responsibilities, or..., or..., or...!!! These are all part of homemaking. I fail at doing them all perfectly at least EVERY day! At times, they can seem overwhelming, but by God's grace & faithfulness, the fruit that is harvested from being a committed homemaker is MOST rewarding! I count it a privilege & an undeserved blessing to be allowed this task. I wouldn't trade it for any other job on earth!
I found it most interesting that Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language did not have "homemaker" listed as a word! Perhaps because during his time, it was most common to see women at work in the home, rather than in a workplace outside of the home, therefore, making the word unnecessary.
As I thought to come up with a definition myself, I wanted to be thorough in helping my readers understand the many tasks that are involved in homemaking & what makes homemaker's lives different from anyone else's. But again, I couldn't come up with one in general that would apply to every woman for obvious reasons. What I did come up with are questions to ask oneself; questions that I asked myself when wondering how I would define "homemaker"...
When you wake up every morning, what is it that you do throughout your day to make the *building* that you live in a HOME? What is it that you do that makes your husband and children want to be there? Is your husband respected & loved on by you? Are your children secure in your love & guidance? Are they warm & fed? I find that when I neglect those basic needs, (that I can & should fulfill), I dishonor the Word of God. Just like Mrs. Bouma says in the quote I posted: "The mothering, the nurturing, the comforting, and caring..." are all things that a homemaker does everyday. There's much more to it than that, but these are the basics. I could add SO much more to that like: decorating a home, or managing the finances, or meal planning, or delegating responsibilities, or..., or..., or...!!! These are all part of homemaking. I fail at doing them all perfectly at least EVERY day! At times, they can seem overwhelming, but by God's grace & faithfulness, the fruit that is harvested from being a committed homemaker is MOST rewarding! I count it a privilege & an undeserved blessing to be allowed this task. I wouldn't trade it for any other job on earth!
11.30.2010
Homemakers are INDISPENSABLE!!!
"If we choose not to do this very special job (homemaking), it will simply not get done. The mothering, the nurturing, the comforting, and caring that fills the committed homemaker's day will simply be lost & impoverished. Children will not get the spiritual guidance they need. Lonely teenagers will not be listened to. Many people with problems will not be ministered to. Many sick folk will go unvisited. A special human quality will disappear from our culture.
Women can give up their jobs as clerks, engineers, sales people, doctors--other people will step in and the world will go on as smoothly as before. It will be business as usual. The groceries will still be sold, trucks loaded with merchandise will still roll across our highway, and Wall Street will carry on." (maybe? maybe not?)
"Not so with homemaking. We are the special people into whose hands the country and the world have been entrusted. When we leave this job, the world does not go on as before. It falters and begins to lose its way. We homemakers are indispensable."
~Mary LaGrand Bouma
Women can give up their jobs as clerks, engineers, sales people, doctors--other people will step in and the world will go on as smoothly as before. It will be business as usual. The groceries will still be sold, trucks loaded with merchandise will still roll across our highway, and Wall Street will carry on." (maybe? maybe not?)
"Not so with homemaking. We are the special people into whose hands the country and the world have been entrusted. When we leave this job, the world does not go on as before. It falters and begins to lose its way. We homemakers are indispensable."
~Mary LaGrand Bouma