Shouting From the Hilltops!!!!!!

Normally our daughter is in children's church but since our church had a conference in St. Louis recently, she came to "big" church with us.  The past 6 months she has been talking about salvation, crying about wanting to go to Heaven and asking lots of questions.  This past Thursday night before church I showed her again Romans 10:9 and explained on the resurrection.  Then we went to church and the associate pastor preached about the resurrection and Katie was paying attention.

Then came altar call and my husband and I knelt at our pew to pray but Katie was still standing.  She asked me if we were going to the altar and I said no.  Then she asked if we could go again and I said no, my husband then told her no and with the most sincere eyes that were starting to water, she said, "But, I want to pray for salvation!"

My husband went with her and she prayed for salvation!!!!!!!!  I was crying of course!  It was awesome and then I thought of the scripture on how it is the PREACHING of the Word that saves, so she needed to be in "big" church to hear the preacher!

I've prayed while she was in my womb and then at night while she was sleeping as she has grown up.  Her salvation was of the utmost importance for me as nothing else really matters does it?  If Jesus came back tonight to take us home, Katie would go too!  How sweet your sleep is when you see your child love Jesus like you love Jesus!!

Satan has been upset ever since Thursday night as he has attacked our family left and right, but I want to let him know that he can't have my child, she isn't for sale!!!!  I will continue to train her up in the way she should go and instill a Godly view of the world in her life and pray she keeps God foremost in her life!

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Matt. 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  
Matt. 19:13  Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
Matt. 19:14  But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven

More American Than Christian?

“We’re not raising a man who happens to be biologically capable of having children. We’re raising a woman, a wife, a mother…’it sounds so radical!’ Yea, it probably does. You know why?’ Cause we’re a lot more American than we are Christian. We do the same thing everybody else does. And most times in the exact same way. After step A you take step B. Why? ‘Cause everybody does it, and if you don’t, you’re messin’ things up. Keep your prosperity in check. There’s a whole lot of women out there who have bought the lie that says you can have it all, and the fact of the matter is, you cannot. And you were never meant to. Nor were men. There is a role for us to play, you weren’t designed to have it all.

But here’s what I’m wondering: why would anyone who has been given the incredible gift and privilege of being able to bear and grow in them a life - 9 months – why? Why? To have a symbiotic relationship between your body and theirs; between your heartbeat and theirs. That’s why. So that they know your smell. So that they know everything about you. Why do they come here and the first thing they desperately need to do is nurse? So that from your breast they look into your eyes. Why? ‘Cause God designed you to nurture them. And you know what our culture says, that’s not good enough. You need to go share Adam’s curse ’cause Eve’s curse is not enough for you. That’s what our world says. And our world says as soon as you can, you rip that baby from you and hire somebody else to do what God created you to do instead. That’s what our world says. God says, ‘I’ve given you to this man to be his suitable helper.’ What does our world say? Well, let him go find somebody’s else’s wife to be his right arm, and then you be the right arm of some other man. That’s what our world says.

When we have the greatest gift, the greatest calling, and the greatest opportunity in the world, because the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world…There is nothing more beautiful, nothing more powerful, nothing more precious than authentic, strong, submissive womanhood, and there is nothing that is in shorter supply, except, authentic, strong, passionate, protecting, providing manhood. And as a result our houses are not order, they are in complete disarray. And we are raising men who are weak and have not been given permission to stand up and lead their homes, and women who are unprotected and completely dissatisfied because somebody told them they could have it all, and rather than enjoy and embrace this incredible powerful gift of womanhood and motherhood, that instead they should go out and share Adam’s curse and pay somebody else to do the menial job, the menial task, of raising and nurturing their children. God help us. Don’t buy the lie.” ~ Voddie Baucham, Getting Our Houses in Order (Part 2 of ‘The Children of Ceasar’)

I Know "Her".........

Years ago when I first became a Christian and got married, I had anticipated having children.  Upon voicing this, I was told that I would go to hell if I had a child because my husband was called to preach and a child would hinder his ministry.  (He was told he was called at that time but God is the only one who has the power to call and he will tell us if we are!)  This was tragic for me as I had always desired children, but upon hearing it from someone I trusted, I submitted and tried to quell the desire inside me for three years.  It was many nights of crying and forcing myself into submission because this must be what God wants I thought.  Then, we started learning that a lot of things we were taught by that individual were not correct.  Up came the hope that maybe I could have a child without risking my eternal future or "hindering" things.

So, I asked the question and was covered in sympathy as the pastor told me that I would NOT go to hell for having a child and it had nothing to do with hindering my husband or the ministry.  However, I couldn't even trust his answer, I didn't trust anyone anymore.  One night while sitting on my couch, I asked God to just show me someway or somehow that it was ok and that I could let go of the fear of "putting a child before God."  It was then that I felt the Holy Spirit and as I remember it, started crying and this verse jumped out at me on the page:

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. ~Genesis 18:19

I knew beyond any doubts that God was giving me His blessing to conceive.  God KNEW me!  God knew that I would raise children up in His ways and to do His will!  It was so moving for me and something I haven't forgotten.  No man or woman could ever tell you different, once you've had an experience like that!

After receiving that from the Lord, we made an appointment with my OB-GYN doctor to find out what we needed to do to prepare for pregnancy.  What happened next shook my world up again.  I was told that I may actually be sterile and even if I could conceive, it would probably take about two years.  I was devastated and hurt.  I called out to God, questioning all this as He had just given us His blessing for children and I couldn't understand this.  We tried anyway but I didn't believe I would get pregnant.

A preacher came to preach a revival at our church weeks later.  He was preaching a message so strong about how God was saying "TRUST ME!"  He said it over and over and God reached down and squeezed my heart so strong.  As he preached, I felt that I was pregnant, the baby was inside me at that moment and as the preacher echoed the words, "TRUST ME," I decided to trust God that I was.  After that, I shared with his wife about how I was believing I was pregnant, even though the doctors told me it was most likely not probable.  She seemed sincerely happy for me as she saw my bright eyes of desire for a child.

I was pregnant!  I had actually been 5 weeks pregnant already and we had conceived the first time we tried, despite the doctor's dismal outlook.  During that message from God of "TRUST ME," I was pregnant!  Katie was in my belly all that time and all I had to do was trust completely in God and not man, not a doctor, not anyone but God.

God had given me a blessing!  That is why I'm so adamant in my standing up for women desiring children and those that may try and stop God's blessings.  I'm here to tell you today that God wants to bless you!  Give it to God and TRUST HIM!

A Change of Heart

The past few weeks have been some of the hardest of my life and a time or two, I had wanted to request prayer even on this blog for my husband and I.  However, through all of it, God was showing me that I needed to stand more steadfast than I have ever stood before!  There is so much He has taught me and I feel like I've taken some giant steps in God this past week than I have in a long time.  I just wanted to share and you might not understand because I'm not giving the whole story of what was involved but maybe you can relate in some way:

  1. Not to care what he said/she said - you know its mostly SHE said LOL.  Come on ladies, women are emotional and some act like children when they get their feelings hurt.
  2. Stand up to others about their criticism when needed - not in a harsh, critical way but rather telling them for example "Hey, I get it that homeschool isn't your thing, so you can please stop reminding me every time you see me?  If you can't keep it to yourself, maybe we shouldn't hang out anymore." or "Can you just stop talking about how you are doing more for God because you are preventing children?  I get it that you don't share my views so its probably best you don't talk about it when you around me." 
  3. Stand up to others that are busybodies - simply start saying that is none of your business.
  4. Tell the devil to shut up more!! - I think a lot of times I let what others say to me or about me get to me too much and I'm going to start telling the devil to shut up more!  When comments or insults are made against you or something you do, you know its the devil trying to get to you, don't let him!
  5. Stand alone if need be - my husband and I are learning that God wants us to just stand for our convictions, even if it means alone sometimes and to lay low, so to speak, and let God handle it.  I think this may be my greatest victory lately - realizing that God called me to homeschool, that I'm one of the nutty KJV only's, I won't take an abortion pill to keep God's blessings away and that I don't care what others say or think about that.  I would rather go overboard for God than come up short.  I learned that God gave us these convictions and he wants us to keep them, no matter who insults, ridicules or doesn't agree - we are steadfast and not wavering for ANYONE.  Anyone can stand with a group, but who can stand when you are seemingly the only one holding onto a certain conviction?  Will you stand with Jesus or will you cower to the crowd?  An amazing test for us and I'm glad to say we're passing it, thanks to Jesus!
  6. Pray more for my enemies - for those that think a certain way about me, criticize me and treat me unfairly - I'm going to start praying more for them.
  7. Stop analyzing others - you may not get this one but all through my life I realized from not only what I know about myself but from those that have known me well have said - I'm a left-brainer!  I have a strong analytical mind, I understand a lot of times more than the average person but it has become a problem for me.  I honestly see some people's situations clearly and solutions but I have to realize they don't and my brain is better spent on my own family and life.  Out of wanting to help a friend, I've gotten met with defensiveness and that is when I realized - its time to stop trying to help everyone see what I do.  A man of God was the last to tell me this about myself and after hearing my husband and parents say it for years, I finally accepted that I was different than most.  Now, I'm on a road to learning how to understand right-brain dominant people and let my friends have their problems and flaws, without analyzing it and showing them how to fix it.  I will reserve that for those that ASK me too lol. ;-)
  8. Let things roll off like water off a duck's back - I tend to analyze as I said above, which is good for things in my life but not for things that others say that hurt.  I need to learn the skill of, as soon as I hear it, to let it roll off of me like water off a duck's back.  Tell the devil to go away, pray to God for help and pray in the Holy Spirit for strength.  Then if it comes back in my mind later, to shoot it down again and do the 3 steps above.  I'm sure I could figure out a lot of things from analyzing what someone said to hurt me but what does it profit but more hurt to me?  It's time to let things go......

I'm sure there will be more, but for now I'm learning more about my mind and the left-brain dominance that has pervaded me most of my life.  I'm so thankful to the man of God that actually came out and said it because he made me feel that I'm not some problem, but rather that I don't use the same of the brain that most people do lol.  If only my prior pastors would have said this in my life, I may have had this breakthrough years ago but I suppose through it all - I learned to trust in Jesus!  Now, I'm on a new road to understanding myself more and realizing others don't analyze like I do, they don't see things like I do and they probably won't care that I'm left-brain dominant!  My husband does though, he knows me so well and once we started reading about my mind, he knew and I knew that was me!  

I also prayed for God to give me something to do to distract me lately from all that is going on and He did!  I'm partaking in one of the largest cases in our state and I can't say much more but God answered my prayer and its something that a left-brain dominant, analytical mind is perfect for! ;-)