I Saw Jesus in You

I love hymns. So many times we sing and don't think about the meaning behind the words. There is a song that we sing at church from Majesty Music that is called I Saw Jesus in You. I just wanted to share the words with you. They say so much.

When I enter Heaven's glory and I see my Saviors face,
I will offer Him ten thousand years of praise.
Then I'll find that special one in whose life I saw God's Son,
And thru tears of joy with trembling lips these words I'll say:

I saw Jesus in you, I saw Jesus in you.
I could hear His voice in the words you said- I saw Jesus in you
In your eyes I saw His care, I could see his love was there.
You were faithful, and I saw Jesus in you.

When I stand before my Father to receive my life's reward,
And my soul is bathed in God's eternal day,
When this race on earth is run, and God sees the works I've done,
More than anything I long to hear my Father say:

I saw Jesus in you, I saw Jesus in you.
I could hear His voice in the words you said- I saw Jesus in you.
In your eyes I saw His care, I could see His love was there.
You were faithful, and I saw Jesus in you.

Such a simple song but what wonderful words. It is such a good reminder that our testimony is so important. If we are believers in Christ, others should see Jesus in us. There should be an inner joy and hope that we have because he lives inside of our hearts. Our children should see Jesus in us. Behind closed doors in the comforts of our homes when it is just family. Sometimes, this is when we are at our worst. This is the most important time. Children raised in a home where it is evident that Jesus lives within their parents are significantly impacted for the Lord. I pray that others will see Jesus in me, that my family will see Jesus in me and someday when my race on earth is run, and God sees the works I've done that my Father will say, "I saw Jesus in you."

Dispelling the "Perfect Family" Myth.

Most women struggle with the perfect family myth. We look around at other families and admire how wonderful their life looks. For me, the perfect family is all sitting together side by side in a pew at church. The father next to the mother and the 10 children are next to mother, listening intently to the preacher. The family is well groomed. They have full bellys because their beautiful mother made a healthy, delicious meal for all of them before leaving for church. At the meal, father led in a Bible reading, they prayed together and sang a hymn. After the service, they go home to a feast that they share as a family on Sundays between services. The children are all clothed in dresses and suits that mother has made for them and father is gazing lovingly at mother, thinking of all of the blessings that they have made together. Father is so proud of beautiful mother because she is so kind and loving to him and the children. Mother homeschools and father works from home. Each day is predictable and everybody is just PERFECT! Are you puking yet?
As wonderful as this life sounds, there is a little word call REALITY! I struggle with this little word. Reality is real. Reality is what we live everyday. Reality is Sunday morning when you show up smiling at church, you couldn't find your shoes before walking out the door, the baby threw up on you after you got dressed, the children spilled milk, the dog peed on the floor, Dad was grumpy, You thought of making a nice breakfast but it turned into a granola bar in the car and you have no clue what your making for lunch. Reality is that the children are not perfect. They fought in the car, mom raised her voice to be heard and dad threatened to pull the car over and give a spanking to the next person who made a peep.
Some days, I don't like reality. It exposes everything that we are in our flesh. SINNERS! Parents try their best to be good examples to their children but somedays we are just plain failures. Children are a blessing but they can make a mom want to pull her hair out. REALITY is what makes us know that we need the Lord. We are not perfect. We never will be on this earth. I have learned that the families that I looked at and thought were perfect, when I got to know them, they were not. They had hard days just like my family. They were sinners too! I am not insinuating that we should not try our best but don't let the" perfect family myth" be a discouragment to you because the "perfect family" dosen't exist.

Embracing Our Sacred Calling

What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow.
_ Martin Luther

I am reading a great book from Vision Forum called, Passionate Housewives Desperate for God. I thought I'd share a few excerpts with you on this topic.

Eve was Adam's perfect complement,his crowning glory, she was created for the purpose of completing and helping him. They were now one flesh for as long as they both shall live(Matthew 19:6)-"heirs together of the grace of life:(1Peter 3:7).
In serving as your husbands helper, a wife performs many roles that are valuable. She is to be his solitary lover( Genesis 2;24, Song of Solomon 4; Proverbs 5:19), his counselor (Proverbs 31:26; 1 Kings 1:16-21), and his closest friend(1Peter 3:17; Ephesians 5:33). She has the honor of mothering his children( Genesis 1:28, 3:20, 24:60) and keeping their home (Proverbs 31:27, 1 Timothy 5:14; Titus2:4-5). In all of her tasks, she seeks to further him as a man. She embraces his vision as her own.
The scripture is very straightforward that a woman's duties are to be home-centered. There is a great blessing that comes when we allow God to transform our hearts and we walk according to our unique calling. Proverbs 31 tells us that the wife and mother who "looks well to ways of her household" will receive praise from her family: "Her children arise up, and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her." She is a crown to her husband and viewed as a woman of invaluable worth (Proverbs 31:10). Her ministry is her family, and "her own works" praise her in the gates(Proverbs 31:31).
Being a keeper at home is a holy mission; it is a rewarding duty that we as women are to be passionate about. As a part of our sacred call, we are to wisely build a godly, spiritual home(Proverbs 14:1) by helping our husbands.
Ladies, we have a great and glorious work before us. Keeping the home has been entrusted to us by God. Under the leadership of our husbands, we are to train up our children in the way they should go; we are to create beauty and comfort within our homes; and the work of our hands should reflect productivity. We are to worship alongside our children, teaching them the laws of God (Proverbs 6:20) night and day (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). We are commanded to practice hospitality to strangers and friends alike (1 Peter 4:8-9)- sacrificing in love a portion of ourselves (1 John 3:16) to those who enter our homes.
Using our gifts and talents to glorify God in our role as helpers to our husbands, imparts a quiet lesson to a watching world and communicates true contentment in the lovliness of womanhood. We need not be desperate! With joy in our hearts and purpose in our steps, we can walk confidently in the role that God ordained for us since the beginning of time:

Thus saith the LORD, "Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."(Jeremiah 6:16).

Quality time

Did you ever feel like everyone wanted a piece of you? I think if you are a mom then you know what I mean. I have 3 children. Many of you have several more than me. Many of you homeschool. We all know the balancing act of wife,mom, teacher, child trainer,housekeeper, cook,bill payer, chauffer, etc..........the list goes on and on. Sometimes it feels like a mom is pulled in so many directions that there is no time for what really counts. No time for the REAL reason that we home educate our kids. I don't know what your real reasons are but I'm sure some of you do it for similiar reasons that my husband and I decided when our adventure first began. First and foremost, we wanted to raise Godly children. We wanted to spend time in the word with them, praying with and for eachother, memorizing scripture, learning hymns. We wanted them to experience life with their family not away from their family. Our hope was that the strongest influence in their life would be God's word.
Reflecting on what our priorities were and still are.........I ask the question to myself, "How important is it that we finish every math lesson in the book? How important is it that the house be spotless? How important is it that I return every phone call? How important is it that I finish that novel? How important is it that we run here or there?
There are so many things that can sidetrack us and pull us away from our priorities. Is it more important that Autumn and Emma learn how to treat eachother kindly and get guidance from me in a disagreement or that the floor got mopped? Is it more important that my phone life be tended to or that my 2 year old get the proper training? Is Math more important that family Bible time and scripture memory? They both are important but many days Math gets done and devotions do not. Where are my priorites? I often find myself having to focus and get back on track. Getting pulled away by the many demands of a mom can cause me to lose focus and get side-tracked. I am thankful that I have a husband who calls me out on things when I'm headed in a direction that is not where my priorities are. I am thankful I have a husband who shares the same convictions and goals for our family. I am thankful for my friends who share in the same struggles and are an encouragement to me when I feel like I've fallen short. I am thankful to the Lord who gives me guidelines in his word so that I don't need to wonder what my role is as a woman. I know I am to love my husband, train my children and be a keeper of my home. I am thankful I have the holy spirit to convict me when I lose focus of what I know God has for me. A friend of mine said to me not to long ago, "Decide what you want to do and give what you want to do your all." "Put your whole self into it and enjoy each moment with your kids. Soon enough they will be grown and you can have a spotless house, talk on the phone at great length, finish your book and run errands all by yourself. " The time we have with our children is to short to be side tracked with things that just don't matter. If you hear me complain about being overwhelmed, please remind me that nothing is more important than quality time with my family. When your overwhelmed, I'll encourage you!

Sledding day with Dad!?

Well, today was sledding day. We didn't know it was sledding day until Damon announced it at 10:30a.m. Autumn was doing school work. Emma was playing with Jonas and I was doing laundry. SCReech! Put the brakes on............we're headed in a different direction for the day at 10:31 after the sledding announcement. I tell Damon that I need an hour to get everybody ready. My hair was wet and in a towel and everybody was still in their pajamas.

11:30- We leave for our exciting day. All bundled up in snowsuits. Minus the adults. We were just wearing long underwear and regular clothes.
11:31- Jonas is screaming,"I so hot!"
11:32- Jonas has taken off his mittens and hat.
11:50- Driving around trying to find the hill.
11:55- Do we take a right or left? We decide on a left.
12:00- We made the right choice! We are at the hill.
12:02- We are out of the car, gathering sleds, headed out for the first run.
12:03- Jonas is in the sled being pulled by Dad.
12:04- Jonas is crying, "I to cold!"
12:05- Damon is headed for the first run with the girls, Mom is trying to convince Jonas that sledding is so much fun.(He's not buying it).
12:06- Mom is carrying Jonas to the sledding hill.
12:07- Mom is carrying Jonas to the van.
12:08- Dad and the girls are sledding with the sled that has W-D 40 sprayed on the bottom( Dad's idea).
12:09- The W-D 40 must not be working because the 3 of them are stopped on the middle of the hill, looking at eachother. Damon gets off and the girls continue on the sled a little faster.
12:15-12:30- A few more runs down the hill.
12:30- Everyone is headed back to the car for hot chocolate.
12:35- The girls are complaining how hot they are in their snowsuits.
12:36- Jonas says, "I a good boy, I pooped." (A little confused about potty training).
1:00- We are back home!
Wow! Wonderful sledding experience. I think we'll try it again tomorrow! I posted some pictures so scroll down and take a look.

Jicama

I always like to try new things when I have the extra money in the budget. Tonight we tried jicama. It actually dosen't require much extra money. It was only $1.12 at Super Wal-mart. It is a tasty vegetable that looks like a very round potato. It is crunchy and sort of sweet. The flesh of it looks like a white potato but not the same texture. It was phenomenal! We dipped it in a yogurt dip. It would be great on a vegetable tray or in a salad. I liked it all by itself. The yogurt dip I make is made from 8 oz. of plain yogurt with a knorr vegetable soup mix packet mixed together. Just some of the soup mix not the whole package. You have to season it to your taste. A little treat for all you health nutz!
While we are on the topic of food, I wanted to mention a great website that I frequently visit called Hillbilly Housewife. There are so many recipes on this and for those of you on a tight budget there is a $45 menu and a $70 menu for a whole week of grocerys. The $45 menu had a lot of beans on it. Great for the health but a word of caution for the tummy! This year for Christmas, the girls and I made several of the hot drink mixes for gifts along with cookies or canned jams and jellys. I have heard from a few people that they loved the Mocha Cafe mix.
I have had a lot of fun with this sight. It teaches you how to make so many things from scratch.
As I am able, I will let you know about other things I come across that I think are worth sharing with you. I know many of you are furiously frugal and live on a tight budget. My family often jokes," If anyone knows how to pinch a penny, it's Angel." I think even if I was a wealthy woman I would still enjoy the thrill of saving my cents.

Happy New Year!

It is 11:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve. I do not see this hour very often anymore. The girls have challenged me to stay up until midnight. I am struggling to keep myself awake while they watch a movie so what better time to blog! If I don't make any sense, you now know why.
My in-laws were here from New Hampshire this past weekend. We had a nice time with them. I also got to spend time with my grandparents, father, mother and brother and his family over Christmas. It made me think about the blessing of family. To often we take for granted grandparents, parents, spouses, children, etc....... I have known many of you who have lost family members. Losing someone you love is so life changing. It makes one realize how fragile life is. It also makes me realize that our life is not our own but God's. We are in the palm of his hand and none of us know the day or the hour that we will take our last breath. It's so important to let eachother know how much we care about one another, to smile when we see someone we know. I often think about how much my kids see a frown or disapproving look on my face. I am certain that somedays they see an ugly face more than a smiling one. I will have to work on that. Life is a gift from God and one that I would like to try and not take for granted. Tomorrow..........I will try to remember to smile more and count my blessings of faith, family and friends. How about you? Happy New Year!