Great Post

Eveyone needs to head over to Stacy McDonald blog
and look at it. This wonderful lady has put into words what has been my heart's cry recently. You will be blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope every single one of you have a great Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be thankful for!

Thank-you for being my cyber-friend, or real life friend in some cases!

Differing Thoughts

Wow, I am processing so much info lately. Differing thoughts on so many issues. Divorce and remarriage within the church, whether or not teens should date, and vaccines - whether they are safe or not. It is very hard to state your view point on these without sounding pious and very hard to tell someone it is flat wrong to do or not do any of these, when only one (divorce/remarriage) is addressed in the Bible.

I have enough to answer for myself when I stand before God, even sin I have done after I became a Christian. I know I am forgiven for I have confessed and God promises to forgive, but scripture still says I will give an account. So...

Even among professing Christians (and maybe because so) these issues can become so heated and even nasty. Just because my daughters won't date until they are ready to make a decision about marriage doesn't make us any "holier" than those who do let their children date. We all have made decisions regarding our children and feel that is best.

Vaccines are another big issue. We vaccinate. Just because others don't, does not make us any less saved or holy. I would never assume that about people. We have researched and prayed more about this decision than any other we have made as parents - including dating or even homeschooling. I have had a super super sick baby from a vaccinatable disease. Although - Praise GOD - he is better, I would never never wish that on anybody. And, I thank God I was an experienced mama for if not, I would probably have lost it when he got so sick.

Love is what God commands from us. Even if a person is divorced on non-biblical grounds and remarried, does that make them any less saved than me? No, how crazy to think that. Does it make me have any less faith because I vaccinate? What if I thank God for vaccines? Is that blasphemy because I don't trust him enough to take care of my kids without that? I don't hardly think so. If I have prayed and feel God has directed me to vaccinate, and others pull clearly biased info out to prove to me why they are so bad, what is this? Is this edifying? What if I say I feel this is where the Lord has led us? Why, when there is no scriptural basis for not vaccinating your children, do people feel it such their mission to point out why I am wrong?

I hope I never come across as knowing it all. I would never tell someone they are not in line with God because they don't vaccinate or date or eat shellfish or wear clothes of 2 different woven fabrics!

I have to lay my head down knowing I made the best decision I could, after prayer and discussion with my husband, for the children God has given me. Why oh why when there are hurting people all around us do we waste time on this issues? Hurting mamas who can't feed their babies, hurting daddies who can't provide safety for their families.

I yearn for heaven thinking about this, and yet pray for more time when I think of others who won't be going because they don't know, and I absolutely shudder to think that yet others are so turned off because of our actions as Christians they don't want any part...

Conference

The conference we went to was wonderful! Michael Farris was great, what he said was great, the books I bought have proved to be great - although I have only read one whole one yet.

We have been busy and fighting colds, but enjoying our weather and time together! I hope y'all are too!!

Mothering

Just returned from part one of the home school conference we are attending this weekend. I just sat and listened to a dear man give very real encouragement to homeschooling mama's. Mothering is natural to mama's, so natural in fact that God does not have to command us to do it in the Bible.

Michael Farris said it is as natural as breathing for us mamas to love and pray for our children. He also stated the importance of teaching our kids to love God, not just about God. Young adults are leaving the church and faith in record numbers. It is scary.

God can use us to impact many. God doesn't need a large number, he needs faithful followers. I want to be that faithful follower!!