When we first moved to Kansas five years ago, all I knew about the state of Kansas was what I learned from watching The Wizard of OZ: obviously I knew nothing.
Well, since moving here I have done so many new things, and grown used to doing things differently.
1. I learned how to garden. My mom had a garden when I was growing up, and to my shame, one of my mom's most embarrassing stories about me comes from when she told me to go weed the garden and came home to find me sitting on a bench by the garden "raking" the weeds.
2. I have learned how to can and store up food for the winter. When we lived in Wisconsin, I played around with canning -- making blueberry freezer jam and freezing corn (thanks to generous people who donated blueberries and corn to Northland every year). Now I've learned how to can tomatoes, salsa, jellies, green beans, applesauce, and so many other things. I'm hoping to learn how to can venison this fall if we get a deer, and maybe eventually to dehydrate fruits and jerky.
3. I've learned how to make bread from scratch, okay I do admit I knew how to do this before we moved to Kansas, but not to the extent I do now. I tinkered with making rolls, and used my bread machine to make bread on occasion, but now we don't buy bread unless we are traveling (and I don't use my bread machine except to make cinnamon rolls).
4. I've learned that I can make my own flour -- I had no idea this was even possible until we moved to rural Kansas. JA bought an ice cream pail of wheat from the Co-op to use as a sermon illustration, and that wheat must have sat in my fridge for several months (at the time I didn't know it didn't need to be refrigerated). I finally asked someone, and I borrowed a friends wheat grinder, stored my flour in the freezer and used in recipies. Last fall, JA let me buy my own wheat grinder, and since January have been freshly grinding wheat to use in my bread. In fact, we haven't bought any flour since January.
Mrs. Kimbrough's cookies made with freshly ground wheat :)
5. JA has learned how to clean our own wheat (I know this isn't me, but I did all the research!!!). We have been buying our wheat directly from the Co-Op. You can't beat $7 for 50 pounds of flour. JA has been sweet enough to clean the wheat for me (pouring from bucket to bucket in front of a fan), and has already cleaned almost three bushels of wheat this year (we've only used up one bushel so far).
6. We have begun making our own laundry detergent. This has been fun, and the kids love helping to grate the soap. (I'm hoping to learn how to make my own dish washing detergent soon).
I have learned so much on the practical side of living, but one of the most important lessons I have learned since we have moved here is the importance of being a good steward of what God has placed in my care. Whether it is the money my husband earns, the health of my children, the education of my children, the beautiful home we have, or even my own time, I must take careful account of how I care for things.
I am still working on becoming a good steward of my time, I find it so easy to waste a few minutes here and there, I will be working on this over the next few months, and hopefully becoming a better steward of my time will allow me to find more time for blogging about how God is working in my life and the lives of my children.
What do you do when your car won't start at 8:30 at night, and you find yourself stranded in a town where the only people you know are the Walgreens clerk and your daughter's violin teacher? Well, as my kids found out on Tuesday -- You Pray. Pray that someone with jumper cables comes and can start your car for you. When that doesn't work, you pray that you can find a place to sleep for a decent amount. Well, God answered our prayers. We rejoice that our car decided to not start in the parking lot of Hastings College. This was a blessing, because at 8:30 at night we were able to call campus security to come give us a jump start. The battery of our van was not interested in a jump start, so we asked them if they happened to have an empty dorm room we could sleep in for the night so we could get our car towed in the morning.
The security guard went and talked to who I assume was the dorm mother of the dorm adjacent to the parking lot. They had an empty room on the same floor as the women's bathroom. I state this because we ended up spending the night in the men's dormatory, so it was a HUGE blessing to be so close to the women's bathroom with two little girls. The dorm mom even had some extra bedding.
Isn't God amazing! Yes, my preference would have been for the car to have started as soon as we finished violin lessons, but that was not God's plan. My preference would have been that the security guards could jump start our van, but that was not God's plan. God's plan was for us to spend the night in a college dorm room with all of our kids and enjoy an evening of reading fairy tales, as well as telling Bible Stories, and sharing small beds with multiple children. The kids enjoyed this adventure -- You should have heard them talking with the man who came with an extra vehicle to drive us to the service station (J.A. rode with the tow truck and we squeezed seven people into a six passenger vehicle).
While I didn't plan for us to spend the night away from our home, I am thankful for a quiet evening away from technology (we even limited the use of our phones so the batteries wouldn't die) to play with our kids. Hopefully they remember this night as having been God's plan for us and I pray we passed the test of teaching our kids to turn to God when trials come and not becoming anxious.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
I am thankful today for a cup of hot coffee to help wake up.
I am thankful for the opportunity to read my Bible and to have an over abundant number of Bibles in my house while many people around the world don't even have one.
I am thankful for the pile of laundry I have to fold -- it reminds me that we have plenty of clothing that have been given to us.
I am thankful for coupons which have helped us stretch our budget this past year.
I am thankful my children love going to the dentist and the doctor.
I know I neglected to post yesterday. Sundays tend to be very busy and tiring days for us, and so I try to stay off the computer as much as possible.
I can hardly believe we are three days away from Thanksgiving. This year has simply flown by, but it also seems like this pregnancy has lasted an entire year. This is the first pregnancy that I have had where I have been pregnant in every season of the year. I must say I will be overjoyed with this bundle decides to make his presence known outside of my body.
However, things I am thankful for today include:
** My father-in-law. While I have never met him, and have only talked with him once on the phone before he died, I am very thankful for the way he raised his children. This Thanksgiving marks the tenth year since he died. I just praise God for the life of this Godly man. I look forward to the day I get to meet him. My kids are always asking about Grandy and what he liked, and what he did. They also enjoy speculating about what Grandy is enjoying right now in Heaven. I thank God for the spiritual heritage he has given my children, and I pray that our children will one day say the same things about us.
1. My baby's very strong movements today. Friday, Saturday, and for most of the day yesterday I did not feel any movements. However, he seems to have gotten his second wind and has not let me forget his presence today -- thus avoiding a call to the doctor :)
2. I am thankful for my husband. The last couple of days my hips have been so sore that it is extremely difficult for me to even walk across the room (rolling over in bed is nearly impossible). J.A. has been so helpful with the kids and around the house so that I could rest. He even took it upon himself to schedule an appointment for me with the chiropractor -- so hopefully next Monday will come quickly :)
3. I am thankful for my waffle maker that I received last Christmas -- I love being able to have Belgian Waffles once or twice a week. I even found some mulberry syrup we made last year in the freezer, so we enjoyed some fruit on our waffles this morning.
4. I am thankful for a dentist who calls to remind us about our appointments. I have missed so many appointments over the last two months, that I was thankful to receive a phone call reminding me that the kids have their appointments tomorrow morning.
5. I am thankful for Pizza Hut's Book-It Program and that it allows Homeschoolers to participate. This means tomorrow we get to enjoy pizza for lunch before we head down to my parents house.
6. I am thankful for this blog which allows me to let our extended family members know what is going on in our lives, and especially what the kids have been up to. I know this past year I have not been very consistent, but I am thankful for those of you who have continued to visit my blog even in my absence.
7. I am thankful for the opportunity to take a breather tonight and sit down and play some games with my family. I need to be constantly reminded to not be so task oriented and focus on the more important things of spending time playing with my children. I know before long they will be gone.
8. I am thankful for our church members and how they interact with our children. They always take time to smile and talk and shake hands with the kids -- often talking with them as they would adults and not treating them as annoyances. The result -- my kids love going to church, and they love interacting with the people at church.
9. I am thankful for the new garage door being installed! We can finally park our van in the garage again. (The van got stuck in the garage this summer, so we haven't parked it in the garage in case the same problem happened again when we didn't have the time to mess with it).
While there are two more days till Thanksgiving, I am not going to be able to guarantee a post either tomorrow or on Wednesday. We will be heading down to family, and getting on the computer will be down at the bottom of the list. I hope and pray you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you will make an effort to focus on what God has done for you.
Five more days until we remember and celebrate the first Thanksgiving and how the Lord provided and brought the pilgrims through their first hard winter on the North American continent.
As I think about that first Thanksgiving, I become even more thankful for what I have. I can't imagine the struggle the pilgrims faced when they landed with very little food, no shelter, and about to face a terribly cold and harsh winter - completely unprepared. Yet, God brought them through and they were able to plant crops and receive a wonderful harvest the following fall. And then they offered up a feast in Thanksgiving for what God had done for them.
These are huge things, but things I take for granted. Outside the weather is just above freezing, and it hardly even crosses my mind to give thanks for the beautiful house (with indoor plumbing and heating). I don't even have an idea of what it would be like to go hungry -- something I don't think most Americans can fathom. Even the poorest of Americans don't have to starve -- with food banks, government assistance, churches, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters -- Every American can enjoy enough food to survive (notice I say enough food -- meals don't have to extravagant or large. I think most of us would be surprised by how little we need to consume in order to live.)
So today, I am thankful for grocery stores and restaurants. With these stores even if my garden does not do well, I know I can still have a source for fresh food and all the necessities to feed my family.
I am also thankful for indoor plumbing. I can't imagine having to go out in the cold to use the outhouse or having to empty a chamber pot every morning (especially in my current condition). God truly has blessed our nation by providing these for us so that to an American it is a necessity and not just a privilege.
I am thankful for natural gas and for the intelligence that determined how to pipe this gas into homes in order to heat homes (I think a wood stove or fire place would be fabulous but would also increase insurance costs). I love being able to push a button to make the house warmer when I'm cold. This is one that I am going to have to remember to be thankful for as the winter comes and the drafts start slipping through the house. I can't complain about the drafts because at least we have heat :)
I am also thankful for the invention of the freezer (I'm just jumping from one extreme to the next). Over the course of the past three days I have been able to make and freeze 34 meals. This means at least of month of not having to prep and cook supper! Without the freezer or refrigerator I would not be able to look forward to a small break from cooking after Gabriel's birth.
God has provided so many blessings and comforts to our home and family that I can't even begin to name them. I hope I will always remember to rejoice in the blessings and the little things and not take for granted what God has provided for us.
We have had quite a full day already today, and I haven't even had the kids do any schoolwork :)
1. I am thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling which allows me to be able to plan for us to have off the entire week next week so we can go visit family.
2. I am thankful for Kara's diligent work today. She sliced almost 20 apples this morning for our Apple Pie Pork Chops (a freezer meal). This afternoon she peeled 12 carrots and sliced the celery stalks for our Apple Cider Stew (also a freezer meal). I really enjoyed sitting down at the table and cutting veggies with Kara and carrying on a conversation with her.
3. I am thankful for the fourteen freezer meals (five recipes) that are already done up and in the freezer. We have ten more recipes to make up and freeze which will result in about 40 more meals. This means that I will have almost two months worth of meals made up and in the freezer for after Gabriel's birth :)
4. I am thankful for the opportunity to get together twice a month with other moms. We had a wonderful time trying to catch up on our individual projects and visiting with each other. It is a blessing to be able to share our struggles and encourage each other to seek after God during this time.
5. I am thankful for a husband who was willing to spend his evening last night cutting up a roast for our freezer (I don't like handling meat unless it is cooked).
6. I am thankful for the blessing of a restful and full nights sleep last night.
I hope you are taking time in the busyness of this Holiday Season to consider the big and little things that you are thankful for each day. I would love to have you comment and share some of the things you are Thankful for.
Today, I am thankful for many things, but due to my own tiredness and inability to focus tonight I'm going to stress only one.
I am thankful for organizations that help make me aware of issues going on in our country that I am not typically aware of. One such organization is One Million Moms.com. If you have never heard of OneMillion Moms, I encourage you to go check out their website. They are helping give mothers like me a voice to let businesses and other companies know how I feel about their support of inappropriate TV shows as well as inappropriate ad campaigns. A recent one that I participated in involved Wrigley's Chewing Gum. Apparently Wrigley's has put funny sayings on the inside wrapper of the gum. I don't have a problem with this, but I do have a problem with my children unwrapping gum and reading a statement about undressing you with your eyes. This leads my children's thoughts down a road they have no business going. One Million Moms notified me by e-mail of this either yesterday or today. I simply clicked and was able to use a form letter and adjust as I saw fit. E-mailed Wrigley's and have already received confirmation that Wrigley's is pulling this saying out of their gum packages. If you are a mother looking to have a voice and let companies know what you don't want them supporting. Come join One Million Moms.
James 3:2-6 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
Like fire, the tongue's sinful words can spread destruction rapidly, or as its accompanying smoke, those means can permeate and ruin everything around it. I must carefully guard my tongue that it be used for good and to build people up rather than to bring pain and destruction.
As a mother of several young children I find that it is often difficult to bridle my tongue. I love my children dearly, but their are many times that their fighting, arguing, or constant asking for food (ie. candy) can strike a nerve. When I explode in anger or frustration, my tongue is no longer guarded. Raising my children is such an important task that I cannot afford to allow my tongue to destroy my children. I know how hurtful words can be -- they can be the making or the breaking of a person.
For example, I do enjoy watching the biggest loser. This season, Ada is a young lady on the show who has lost two brothers and almost lost her third brother in a car accident. When her parents found out about the accident they accused Ada of trying to kill her third brother also. Now, I know this is an extreme example, but I'm certain you can imagine the damage those words caused even though they may have simply been said in anger or fear. Now I don't know whether or not her parents meant it when they made this statement. But simply stating it is enough for a child to be convinced that her parents believe that the deaths of her two younger brothers is her fault.
I MUST carefully guard my words. Words I say in haste without examining how they will be received can cause hurt in my children that I cannot reverse.
My prayer today is that I will bridle my tongue and seek to encourage and exhort my children. My goal is to affirm each of my children for things they do or say at least three times throughout the day today.
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and I am finding I have so much to be thankful for. Today I am thankful for
1. a kind neighbor who was willing to give me a ride home from the funeral. I was able to go prepare things for the meal and didn't have to stand out in the cold for the graveside service.
2. having a successful day of homeschooling despite all of the extra things thrown into this day. I'm always thankful when we are able to get everything done that's scheduled (although I am also thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling).
3. we are able to rent the home we wanted to rent for our extended family vacation to Yellowstone next summer. Also, I am thankful that we were able to get it for a better price than we were originally quoted.
4. a daughter who enjoys music and who today practiced without arguing or complaining. Violin practice is becoming much easier and getting done quicker now that the complaining is reduced.
5. that my kids think they are cats, cows, and horses. If you were to stop in my house unexpectedly, you may find a couple of girls crawling around meowing and a two-year old riding a stick horse saying "Nay", and another boy who will be anything from a dragon (Thanks to "How to Train your Dragon") to a lion. They are a constant source of entertainment. Let me adjust this statement. My four-year old is now a "Hero" with his spider man shirt and a purple flowered cape :)
Wow, I almost forgot to write what I'm thankful for today.
1. I am thankful for a six year old daughter who is relatively responsible and an handle pushing a shopping cart with both of her brothers in it so I can push the cart with groceries.
2. I am thankful for a good friend who needed to go visit someone in the hospital today so she was able to accompany me up for Kara's violin lesson -- This allowed J.A. to stay home and study and prepare for a funeral tomorrow.
3. I am thankful that we are in the middle of November and I can still walk around outside comfortably without a jacket during the day.
4. I am thankful and excited about all of the yummy food that we are going to make this week and put in the freezer so I don't have to cook the month after Gabriel is born :)
5. Most of all, I am thankful for the precious gift of salvation that my Lord has given me. Without it I know I would be a self-centered, selfish and unloving mother to my children. God's Word has incredible power to turn a life around.
1. I am thankful for the strong movements Gabriel has everyday. I'm so thrilled that in a month I'll be cuddling a new little baby (or at least I hope it's only a month longer).
2. I am thankful for the privilege to teach my children at home. And I am thankful that as of today we are all caught up with school.
3. I am thankful for the delicious cup of fake eggnog that I am enjoying, and for the easy recipe to make it much lower in calorie and fat than the real stuff.
4. I am also thankful that with the exception of my doctor who delivered Andy, I have always been blessed to have a Christian doctor -- even as a child my doctor was a believer.
Wow, it's hard for me to believe that we are only two weeks away from Thanksgiving. I am so far behind on everything I had planned to get accomplished before Thanksgiving. However, I am thankful that most of what I "planned" to get done is simply part of "my agenda" and not necessarily what NEEDS to be accomplished. I will be including a longer list today so I can take a good break from the computer tomorrow.
Today there is so much to be thankful for. Last night the weather forecast included snow. Today we woke up to a comfortable fall day.
I am thankful for the privilege to be able to have my own Bible, and to be able to provide each of my children with their own Bible/Bible Story Books. This week I have enjoyed making my personal time with God the first thing to start the day (usually while J.A. fixes breakfast). Since the kids are usually trying to talk with me during my reading, I have had each of them get a Bible or Bible story book to read. This has freed me up to be able to dig a little deeper in my reading and not just a quick surface study. As a result, my week has gone so much smoother than it normally does.
I am also thankful that I don't have to fix supper for my family tonight :) With what may be our last football game in town today, we are going to go and enjoy the tailgate party -- free dinner and a football game -- Andy will be floating on top of the world!!
I am thankful that my computer charger is still working. One of the kids knocked the cord out of my computer this morning. The pin got bent and broke off. I thought all was lost and I'd have to order a new charger. JA the smart and intelligent man that he is said I should plug it in to my computer anyways and see if it would still provide power. Hurray it does!!! Of course, it may be a good thing to spend several days away from my computer :)
I am thankful for the opportunity to school my children at home. While we don't yet know how long we will continue to homeschool (we are taking it year by year based on our schedules and the kids needs), it has been a joy to be able to have a flexible schedule and to be able to identify characteristics in my kids that I may not have realized had I not been working with them.
I am also thankful for how God so specifically works in our lives. Wednesday, Kara stole a piece of candy from her brother. JA and I talked with her about it, and then I took the kids to Kids4Truth. The lesson of the evening was on STEALING! Isn't it great how God uses others to help reinforce the training we are giving our young children.
I am also thankful for where God has placed us. We are living in a small rural community with very few places to take the kids for activities (other than shopping and the library). This has helped me to not be so focused on getting out of the house but to enjoy the simple things that our community has to offer -- such as taking the kids to the health fair, going to football games, and enjoying those community events as they come up and making them a priority rather than just an optional activity.
I am thankful for wonderful parents whom I can call and ask to pray for me when I know I am going to have a rough day.
I am thankful for the wonderful invention of computers. I am a horrible letter writer, I hate talking on the phone, and I'm not very good at communicating. But, with J.A.'s mom in Africa I want my kids to know their grandmother. Thanks to Skype the kids are able to visit with and see their grandmother regularly. And while I know she doesn't like it when the sound goes out on her end, it's probably a blessing since all four kids are usually clambering and talking at once. I'm looking forward to being able to show off our newest addition to her when he chooses to make his grand entrance.
I could go on and on, but Kara is beginning her violin practice now so I need to be more attentive to her.
James 2:13 "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."
John MacArthur writes "A person who shows no mercy and compassion for people in need demonstrates that he has never responded to the great mercy of God, and as an unredeemed person will receive only strict, unrelieved judgment in eternal hell. Mercy triumphs over judgment. The person whose life is characterized by mercy is ready for the day of judgment, and will escape all the charges that strict justice might bring against him because by showing mercy to others he lives genuine evidence of having received God's mercy.
I must be careful not to judge others, but to be merciful and concerned about them in their need. I often find this difficult because I get frustrated by people who are too lazy to work and provide for their families. We can be very quick to judge, and the Bible is clear that we must not judge but be merciful. God is the supreme judge. He will judge people or their actions. God's command to me is to not judge but to be merciful. I can be merciful by providing food to a family who is struggling -- sometimes this may be groceries, and other times it could be a single hot meal. Passing on clothes my children have outgrown to children whose parents can't afford it. Taking a few minutes out of my day to drive someone to a doctor's appointment. However, if I "show mercy" but am judging in my heart, I am not being merciful. Mercy is an attitude of the heart that exhibits gratitude for the great mercy God has shown towards me. It is exhibited by the pouring out of mercy and help to those around me.
I am thankful for so many things. Here are just a few for today.
I am thankful for those men and women who have faithfully served our country and fought for our freedom.
I am thankful for the opportunity to take my kids to Kids 4 Truth every Wednesday at a good friends church.
I am even thankful for the various handprints that are currently all over my front window because it's a daily reminder that Ezekiel can walk, run, and climb like every healthy boy. In fact, thanks to his year of therapy he is a healthy boy.
I am thankful for indoor plumbing and the ability to take hot baths/showers.
What are you thankful for on this beautiful fall day.
I am thankful for the sunshine coming through my front window.
I am thankful for the ability to sleep in till 7:30 because my kids all overslept after a late night last night.
I am thankful for God's Word which convicts and teaches me how to obey God.
I am thankful for the sounds of my children's laughter as they awake this morning.
I am thankful for God's provision of food and the oatmeal that I am about to go prepare for breakfast.
"Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Have you ever met a person who says one thing and does the opposite? This type of person is not one whom you respect. James warns the believers in this chapter that we should remove all filthiness and sin from ourselves so that we can truly hear God's Word. However, it is not sufficient to attend church and sit attentively under the preaching of God's Word. We must HEAR and OBEY God's Word.
In training our children, we struggle with teaching that the heart attitude and actions must reflect each other. We could be ultra strict and create miniature robots who obey simply out of fear of punishment but inside their heart rebels with every directive. This is not the type of child we long to raise. We long to have children who obey God's Word out of love for God and a desire to show that love. However, we also must be careful not to be lax in discipline. For we must teach them that sin has consequences.
Yesterday, I called my kids in for lunch and asked them to put bowls and spoons at the table. The bowls were placed and then all of the kids sat down around the table giggling and laughing. I repeated the directive to place spoons -- they heard, but not one of them got up to follow through. What a clear example of how we often approach God's Word. There have been many times that I have attended church, heard the preaching, returned home and forgotten what the sermon was about -- I cannot act upon what I've heard if I have not taken the time to reflect on it and apply it.
JA recently told me a story of a man they had attending their church when he was a boy. This man, with long hair and a lifestyle of sin believed on Christ. He came faithfully to church. J.A. asked his dad "Why don't you preach against smoking, and the specific sins in this man's life?" His dad's response was get people in the Word of God and the issues take care of themselves. Then in a sermon JA's dad read the verse "long hair is a shame to man." The man's immediate response was "What, that's in the Bible!" The next week the man returned to church with the shortest hair cut.
This is the immediate act of obedience to God's Word that we each must strive for.
Today I am thankful for good health. For four (and Lord willing soon to be five) healthy children. My husband is healthy, and God has graced me with good health and an easy pregnancy (with the only difficulty being heartburn).
I am also thankful for good friends. This morning I was up at 6:00 and met with three friends to exercise and do aerobics. I love having friends who challenge me to treat my body as the Temple of God. My friends also help keep me from going overboard with the things that I do.
I am also thankful for our van. Modern Transportation is such a blessing. Without it we would not be able to see family as frequently as we do, nor would we be able to allow our oldest daughter to take violin lessons (since her lessons are a 1 1/2 hour drive away every other week).
James 1:19-20 "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
I have a problem. I like to talk, and I enjoy sharing what I learn with other people. However, the Bible is very clear that it is better for a person to be quiet than to share all that he knows. Verse 19 reminds me that I need to be an eager learner -- learning from a variety of sources and circumstances. While I am to be learning, I must also be careful of whom my teachers are. Everything I learn must be compared with the Bible to make sure that I am learning truth and not lies. Then, I must also be slow to speak. Just because I know something does not mean I need to share it with everybody I meet. For example,
when we lived in Wisconsin I was going to a chiropractor for my headaches. After about three sessions I quit going -- why? because every time I went the chiropractor spent the entire time telling me why vaccinations were so horrible for my children. Now, I tend to think of myself as a somewhat intelligent person, capable of making informed decisions. With my children I have researched everything from what type of diaper pail to use to which vaccinations are considered questionable, and I did not appreciate having this doctor's opinion forced on me at every turn.
I must be careful that I am not like that chiropractor sharing information just because I know it. There are times when I may need to share what God's Word says in order to help another believer, but I must be wise with the timing and make sure that what I am saying is what God says and not just my own opinion.
With 18 Days until Thanksgiving, my friend Jenny has challenged us to list things that we are thankful for.
1. I am thankful for children who love to read and learn
2. I am thankful that we were able to finish painting/redoing our bathroom before the baby came.
3. I am thankful for a warm and comfortable house to live in.
4. I am thankful for family that lives close enough to join us for family celebrations such as the kids birthdays and Thanksgiving.
5. I am thankful for the new bicycle helmets my children were able to receive at the health fair last week (This saved us almost $100).
We serve an awesome and amazing God who knows our needs before we even know them. He has blessed me with an amazing family.
