A word of encouragement

My brother and sister-in-law just had their seventh baby, and for the 4 day weekend, my parents have all of their kids. My mom called me this evening.

"Becky, I just want you to know how much I can really appreciate all you and Andi do to keep your houses clean." We laughed at the energy it takes just to keep up with the kids. She then said, "Yeah, if I were doing this every day, I would need a maid!"


I really needed to hear that! This is a challenging time of life. I'm not a big weenie. Thanks, mom! You're the best!

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Cultivating a Heart of Thankfulness

This morning I read:

"And in their heart they put God to the test 

by asking food according to their desire." Ps 78:18

Great verse to teach the kids, right? Especially when you've served a new casserole that looks funny. Or the chicken is grilled a little darker than they like. Or that new vegetable isn't their favorite. Or the pizza has the wrong kind of sausage. Or they don't like the crust of this kind of bread. Or...

It should almost be put on a plaque and hung in the dining room over the hutch. Uppercase Living, the company that makes wall stickers, should catch on and turn this into a product. Wouldn't every mom order it?

As I read it this morning, it struck my own heart. "Asking for _____ according to their desire." What do I put in the blank there? I ask for: time to myself, more time with Lee, obedient kids, less time doing housework, a vacation, more time with friends... (Can you tell my love language is time?)

What, in your life, do you want to go more according to your desire? A different job? A different spouse? A different house? More kids or frustrated with the kids you have? More money, more things, more _______.

The Bible does say that we are to ask. However, what is our attitude supposed to be like? Are we to ask with a grumbling and complaining spirit, like the Israelites?

"Be anxious for nothing,  but in everything by prayer and supplication 

with thanksgiving  let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6

With Thanksgiving

The rest of Psalm 78 rehearses all that the Lord has done for them!

"But He led forth His own people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock." (78:52)

We are in the wilderness, the time between the redemption with the blood of the Lamb and the promised land. He is guiding us as a shepherd guides His flock. Can life get any better than that? What do I have to complain about? I need to trust Him! I need to take His plan for my life each and every day and THANK HIM for it.

Wow, I needed this reminder. I hope it blesses your day too.

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When I want to run away

Do you ever feel like escaping? Running away? Just yesterday I did. It wasn't for bad reasons or really terrible trials, but I found my heart constantly wanting to flee, and I had to fight to keep it in line.

While washing dishes, I had to sing to avoid complaining. While doing laundry, my daughter laughed as I repeated over and over, "I'm thankful that we have clothes."

I finally succomed at rest time and escaped into a book. This is a Christian Fiction book that many friends have raved about, but I just didn't like it. It was gruesome and harsh, and it left me feeling worse than when I started. I finished it, because that's just how I am when I read a book, and I was left empty and irritable.

After the bedtime and pick-up routines were over, I longed to run away to a resort in Cancun that I loved so much. I dreamed of just packing our bags and catching a plane that very night.

Where do you run when you want to escape? I was reminded yesterday that all of our "escapes," though not bad in and of themselves, are just temporary pleasures that cannot satisfy. An evening with friends. Reading. Movies. Vacations. Parties. They all bring temporary joy, but not joy that lasts. That only left me feeling discouraged as I plopped into bed, ending the day.

I woke up this morning with a groan, and then immediately cried out, "Oh God, I don't want to start my day this way!"

I turned in the Psalms to chapter 71, and I was encouraged with verse 1. "In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge." The Psalm goes on to praise God for all that He has done for us. That's what I needed, more than a night out with friends or a trip to Cancun. I needed my heart to be renewed in thankfulness.

When my heart was embittered

And I was pierced within,

Then I was senseless and ignorant;

I was like a beast before You.

Nethertheless I am continually with You;

You have taken hold of my right hand.

With Your Counsel You will guide me,

And afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;

You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;

I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,

That I may tell of all Your works.

Psalm 73:21-28

Here's the funny thing: All of those good things I escape to only bring joy when I am already filled up with the joy of Jesus. I don't understand it completely, but when Jesus is in the center of my thoughts, everything shines brighter.

"Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed." Ps 34:5

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Praying in the new school year

As I begin to plan the next school year, I've claimed this as my theme verse:

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. (I Samuel 12:23).

Prayer and teaching - pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

Prayer. When your children wake early and your husband comes home late, when do you pray?

God knows the heart of a mother. I've found that posting scripture around the house is a huge help, reminding me to pray for them. In my bathroom, I have a sheet posted on the door of scriptures to pray for your children. I also have been trying to pray over them at night as I tuck them in, rather than giving a quick kiss and running off to do my own thing.

Often, I will wake in the middle of the night for no reason, and instead of tossing and turning, I ask God, "What do you want me to pray about?" These have been sweet times with Him as I sit in the stillness and listen for Him. If we're memorizing scripture, I'll pray through the verses. Sometimes I'll be convicted of an area of sin, and other times a name will come to my mind.


"On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night." Psalm 63:6


And though all of this is good, I'm going to attempt a concerted effort to reclaim the morning time for Him. I've cleared a special spot in my closet for prayer, and I hope that if I'm quiet enough, I can slip in there and pray without waking the family! We'll see how it goes. :)



Reading through the Psalms has been a huge inspiration. It essentially a prayer book for the believer!


"Save me, O God, for the waters have threatened my life!" (69:1)
"God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us." (67:1)
"Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer nor his lovingkindness from me." (66:20)
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (51:10)
"O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places." (43:3)


I mark prayer passages in green in my Bible. This is another way that prayer becomes a natural thing instead of a forced habit. Praying the words of God gives me confidence to approach Him.

When do you make time to pray? I'd love more suggestions. The more I talk to our Heavenly Father, the more I want to talk to Him!

"O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water."  (63:1)

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Cleaning out the pantry - update!

I need to blog more. I have so many ideas bouncing in my brain, when I finally sit down and write them out, it will be one long post that no one will read!

No time for that now, but I will give a quick update on my toddler's eating habits. After a day of screaming at me for juice, granola bars, and candy, he gave in. He's drinking water (with a drop of lemon juice) and eating raisins, pineapple, soft tacos with re-fried beans, apples, carrots, blueberries, and more!

Can you say... amazing??

Cleaning out the pantry!

Goodbye Granola bars, chips, cereal, crackers, cereal bars, candy, and other crunchy snacks.

That is just about the list of everything my toddler eats.

For two weeks, (notice I'm not saying forever), I'm going to only offer fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and whole grains. I'm also removing sugar and juice. Eventually, he'll get hungry, right? At least that's the plan. And then hopefully he'll eat.

When my oldest daughter was two, I removed all processed food from the home. No boxed pastas. No instant meals. It had to do mostly with a food coloring issue. But recently, convenience has been winning the food war. It's just so easy to grab a granola bar and be off instead of peeling and bagging veggies. To take a Gogurt out of the freezer instead of blending blueberries in plain yogurt. To throw corn dogs in the toaster oven instead of making a fresh salad.

So for a couple of weeks, I told my kids that I needed their help to fix Kevin's terrible eating habits.

This morning, I made steel-cut oatmeal and frozen fruit smoothies. He didn't eat either of them. Then at lunch, I offered watermelon, meat, cheese, and a few whole wheat crackers. He ate the watermelon and the crackers.


It's going to be interesting, especially with a day camp next week that I'm working and all the kids are attending, but I'm going to give it a good try.

Any tips? I'll have to let you know how it goes!

Psalm 33

Praise to the Creator and Preserver.
Got a minute? Read Psalm 33 out loud, to yourself or your family. It was one of those Psalms where I couldn't pick just one verse to highlight! 

Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;
          Praise is becoming to the upright.
Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
          Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
          Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

For the word of the LORD is upright,
          And all His work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
          The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
          And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
          He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the LORD;
          Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it was done;
          He commanded, and it stood fast.

The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations;
          He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
          The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
          The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.
 
The LORD looks from heaven;
          He sees all the sons of men;
From His dwelling place He looks out
          On all the inhabitants of the earth,
He who fashions the hearts of them all,
          He who understands all their works.
 
The king is not saved by a mighty army;
          A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a false hope for victory;
          Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
 
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
          On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
To deliver their soul from death
          And to keep them alive in famine.
 
Our soul waits for the LORD;
          He is our help and our shield.
For our heart rejoices in Him,
          Because we trust in His holy name.
Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
          According as we have hoped in You.

Psalms Summer Reading Plan

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