Read This......

 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:


Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
 

Ephesians 1

 

So why should I worry?  Why should I be discouraged?  Look what God has done for me, is doing for me and will do for me!  My heart can take comfort and rejoice in the greatness of God toward me. 

 

May your heart be encouraged and blessed,

The View From Here

This is the view from the top of our hill.  You can see a long way. 

It seems like you could see forever. 

Seeing forever....

Do I have an eternal perspective?  Am I easily bogged down by today's problems? 

 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.


For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

2 Corinthians 4:6-9, 16-18

Blessings,

The Father's Love Letter

Do you ever feel that no one loves you?  God the Father loves you very much.  Jesus came to show us the Father.  (John 16:25)   Here is an awesome letter written to explain how much God loves us.   It is all Scripture verses set in the style of a letter.  Soak up the truths of God's love.  Be encouraged and comforted.  Click HERE for the letter.

May you be richly blessed,
 

God and Blackberries

My lovely daughter, Julia, wrote a beautiful post about her views of God and blackberries. I encourage you to go over to her blog and read it. It will bless your heart.
Have a blessed day,

Practical Steps to Have Peace

My sweet husband gave an awesome teaching on peace this past Sunday in our home church. I wanted to share the notes with you. Ever since Sunday, I have been more aware of my level of peace. I can't say that it is always where it should be. I admit that after a peaceful day I crashed last night. But I believe that the whole point is not being perfect in keeping my peace but in regaining it as sooon as possible! And, yes, I have my peace.

One interesting point is the word "keep". The children and I are studying the medieval age. The castle was designed with a very strong section in the middle called the keep. If the enemy attacked the outer walls, the lord and his people would take refuge in the keep. There they could withstand a siege for a very long time until help came. The notes show how the Strong's concordance defines the word "keep" in Philippians 4:7.

Practical Steps to Have Peace

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.


1) Confess your sin before God.

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

1Pe 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.


2) Cast all your cares upon Him.

Psa 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Psa 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

3) Be thankful.

1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

4) Guard your thoughts.

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Mat 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Mat 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

5) Receive God’s promise and blessing of His peace.

Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.



Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psa 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psa 37:6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


Keep=G5432
φρουρέω
phroureō
froo-reh'-o
From a compound of G4253 and G3708; to be a watcher in advance, that is, to mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at gates); figuratively to hem in, protect: - keep (with a garrison). Compare G5083.

6) Be vigilant.

Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:



May you have a peace-filled day!

Have You Heard? Part 2

Let me begin by saying that I did not intend my last post to be an extensive review of the CDs by Victoria Botkin. Just a few comments of my opinion of them.

What I neglected to say was, if you are a new homeschooler, you MUST listen to these CDs. If you have been homeschooling for a little while and still have younger children, you MUST listen to these. If you are burned out on homeschooling or just frustrated or your kids hate homeschooling, you MUST listen to these.

They are that good.

'Nuf said.

Blessings,

Have You Heard?

Recently, a friend loaned me the CDs of Victoria Botkin's Curriculum Advice. I had wanted to hear them, so I was excited. After listening to them, I was not disappointed! My daughter is a graduating senior this year. I have two more children coming up. You are never too old to learn something new!

There was valuable information on both CDs that will improve my home educating as I continue on this journey. Some of what they said(most of the family speaks on the CD) will help me to better articulate what was already in my heart. I was encouraged, fortified, challenged and instructed.

I believe you will be, too.

Pressing on,

Wonderful Series: "To Find Rest for my Soul"

My friend over at She Looketh Well is posting a wonderful series. It is a week long and is so timely for me. Her words have touched me and reminded me that I must give up my worries, cares and concerns minute by minute if necessary and release them to God. He is faithful and will do all for me if I just let Him!

So often, I try to work things out for myself. No wonder I am overwhelmed and feel exhausted. I'm trying to do God's job!

Casting my burdens on Him

Trust

Ceasing Anxiety

Take His yoke and lean on Him

Thankfulness

All things we need to be reminded of frequently. It's time to find rest for my soul.

How about you? Need some rest?

Go over to Michelle's blog and get the scriptures and full insights.

Seeking Him,

Housekeeping Requires Intellect and Skill

I just read a great post by my friend Dallas at Abounding Treasures. It describes how housekeeping requires intellect and knowledge, skill and resourcefulness. I totally agree. Being a stay at home mom takes work, lots of work. It's not a mindless existence. It encouraged me and hopefully it will encourage you, too.

Blessings,
Gloria

Enough of the Mullygrubs!

Have you had times or even days where you were in the mullygrubs? Things had been difficult, life was a challenge and it got you down?

I understand that there are events in our lives that are hard. Life will not be easy. But I think our perspective on life is what is important.

I have a dear friend whose son, in his 20's, was in a serious car accident. He is now paralyzed from his chest down. He is on a ventilator so he can breathe. He can barely move his arms. We are all praying for his healing and recovery. He's been like this for about 5 months now. I have to tell you that this has been a real wake-up call for me.

I have rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed with it 12 years ago. I really don't like to talk about it because I'd rather not focus on it but have people see me for who I am. It has not been easy but God has been gracious and I have generally been doing very well with it. But there are times when I get discouraged and just want the pain to go away! So thinking about this young man has helped me to be truly grateful.

I can walk, I can speak, I can breathe!! My difficulties are slight in comparison. I can do so many things!!

The Bible says "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." Ps. 150:6. So I should always be praising God! Using that wonderful gift of breath for His praise and glory!

This is not meant to be a rebuke but an encouragement. We all have so much for which to be thankful. So let's get up out of the mullygrubs and see things from a better perspective.

Take a deep breath and praise the Lord!

Blessings,
Gloria

Click here to read the blog about the son of my friend. He can use all of our prayers. Thanks.

Botkin Conference: What an Experience

I did a lot of unit studies when my children were younger. I had a form for unit study planning that included 4 "F"s. Here is my review of the conference using these 4 elements (except I changed the Field trip to Friends because the whole conference was a field trip!)

1. Facts-

• A two day conference one hour from home that went from 8:30 am to 9:30 pm. We drove home on Friday to sleep in our own beds and to feed our chickens. A little extra time on the road but so worth it.
• Topics that included defining the home, church, brother/sister relationship, patriarchy, courtship, biblical femininity, honoring parents, state of the union, and hope for the future, among other things.
• Access to quality reading material for purchase.
• 500 like minded people, babies too, in one room.

2. Friends-

• The opportunity to meet and fellowship with like-minded families from all over the country.
• We met a family that lives near enough to get together on a regular basis!
• We also met people we had found online through blogging and got to see them face to face and share a hug!
• Friends we had met before but don't see often were there, too.

3. Fun-

• I found out that the Botkins don't have "fun", they work (as quoted from one of their children). But I think what they really mean is that they don't waste time in useless pursuits that don't have any real meaning. What they do is enjoyable to them.
• We had so much "fun" learning more about what the Bible says about raising our families for His glory. I had "fun" being challenged and convicted by the insightful comments of the Botkins. These things are fun for me!

4. Fundamentals-

• The Bible is the foundation for all the fundamentals. It is the only true guide for raising our children and guiding our own lives. We heard the Word over and over, often quoted by the Botkin children. I was thrilled to learn that some of the things in my heart were really on the right path. I just hadn't been able to express them or maybe put my finger on it specifically. Conviction and not condemnation tugged on my heart and that of my husband over certain issues. It is a call to come up another level. It was also reassuring to see the fruit of the labor of raising one's children in the way of the Lord.
• I was impressed with the sense of humility in the Botkin family. They were very earnest and passionate about their message. We were made to feel as their equals and yet they were serving us the entire time.
• The experience was a fine tuning of our direction; fleshing out more of the details of our journey. It was also an encouragement to persevere. Don't give up or give in. It will be worth it in the end.

Lastly, a thank you to the Botkins themselves for laying down their lives this weekend to serve, encourage and exhort fellow believers. They did it at personal cost as most of them were struggling with illness. God bless you abundantly for all you did for us!

Now if the Botkins do this again, let me encourage you to go and learn. I know that I'll be checking to see if I can be there too.

Blessings,

Gloria