Obedience Brings Blessing

Last night, my daughter's fan was blowing papers she had pinned to her wall, and creating a ruckus preventing her from falling asleep.  I took the papers down, and was just reading one as I ate my breakfast.  It fed my spirit, so I thought I'd share it with you.
My daughter and I have been attempting to read through the bible this year.  This was started by my father who gives his grandkids a daily walk bible for Christmas when they are in sixth grade.  For the next year, he sends daily emails that go along with what we are reading.  It has been fun communicating with him daily, and a blessing to be reading the bible with my growing daughter.  There has been one central theme my dad has been pointing out: Obedience (to God) brings blessing, disobedience doesn't.  This is evident as you read through everything the Jews went through in the Old Testament.
God's Nature (obedience brings blessing)
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faith, self-control, virtue, purity, wisdom, justice, honesty, fairness, sincerity, knowledge, understanding, grace, mercy, excellence, forgiveness, compassion, devotion, truth
Satan's Nature (disobedience doesn't)
Rejection, hatred, violence, jealousy, envy, condemnation, shame, pride, guilt, lying, lust, greed, covetousness, revenge, retaliation, slander, critical spirit, fear, unforgiveness, unmerciful, self-pity, gossip, self-centered
The paper I just read brought it to a different level.  Obedience isn't just the then commandments and other "big" things, it's all the little things as well.  This really hits home with my marriage.  When I am obedient to God, I am not selfish or prideful.  This brings blessing to my marriage.  The moment I let anything from Satan's nature into my life, my blessings end.  The joy and peace are gone.  So, the question is, who am I serving, the Lord or Satan?  Will my life be filled with blessings or curses?  Will my life radiate light or darkness?
Dear Father, I desire to only serve You.  May my life shine forth Jesus' light so that all will know that I belong to You.  May I be different from the world, set apart for You.  Please work in me the little things so I will be a servant to You and none other.  May my thoughts and deeds be pleasing to you alone.  Thank You for Your love and blessings.  In Jesus name I pray-- Amen

Double Challenge

**DISCLAIMER:  I am not an expert, just a Mom and Helpmeet.  Here is a great site that I go to for expert help: everythingessential.me.


My little man is home sick today.  Yesterday he was complaining of a sore throat, and was obviously congested.  Add to that an hour of football practice in the rain followed by an hour of football practice in the cold.  This morning he awakes miserable and tired.  This all leads to a challenging conversation with Hubby.  Challenging because we do not see eye to eye.  I could say annoying instead of challenging, but when I think of it, he is probably annoyed with me as well. 
Hubby's point of view is this (as I see it): Little Man is sick.  Little Man is in football.  Little Man needs to miss as few practices as possible so he can play in the game.  Get Little Man to Urgent Care for antibiotics.
My reaction tends to be: Are you kidding?! 
This of course gets me nowhere good.  So I choose to not say that out loud.  :) I agree about not missing practices.  I disagree about antibiotics.  It is my view that antibiotics are way over used, and we are headed down a dangerous road toward super-bugs and drug-resistant bacteria.  Our bodies are stronger than people think.  We just want immediate results, and hate to be sick.
So, I have a challenge before me.  A couple actually.  1.  Don't be a jerk to my Hubby just because he has a different point of view.  2. Be very diligent in my care of Little Man so he will get better quickly!
So, here is the plan:
1. Lots of liquids!
2. Two Epsom salt baths combined with essential oils.
3. Essential Oil application all day long.
4. REST.
Last year we started using essential oils, and discovered that they work.  Today I will be using a blend based on doterra's On Guard product.  You can buy doterra oils on Amazon, or you can sign up with their company and order every month.  I don't buy doterra oils because we just can't afford them.  I buy other oils from Amazon because they are less expensive, but are still 100% essential oils with no fillers.  I figure I need to honor God by staying within my budget.  I trust that He will take care of us with the resources He's given us.  I have bought the ingredients for this blend and just combined them to make my own.
Anyway, I am rubbing this blend (orange oil, clove oil, cinnamon oil, eucalyptus oil and rosemary oil) on Little Man's feet, wrists and behind his ears pretty much any time I think of it.  I want to get a good dose into his system.  I will also rub his back several times today using the doterra Aroma Touch technique.  This link will take you to a short video showing you how to do this.  There are many other videos explaining the hows and whys. 
This conversation with Hubby and the looming football practices and games are actually helping me to step up my game as we attack this cold so I guess I shouldn't be irritated by it.  Instead I welcome the challenge.  Hopefully I will be writing a victory post soon!


Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom an guidance as I attempt to nurse Little Man back to health.  I pray for grace and respect as I interact with my husband.  Please bring us to the same page in our thinking.  May we kick this sickness without the need for doctors and antibiotics.  In Jesus Name I pray-Amen

Power Mom Gets to Know Her Family

Power Mom. Making choices for the better of her family. Well, I suppose we should get to know our families then. For example, I've tried to follow cookie cutter meal plans in the past, trying to be efficient and thinking that if it worked for that family, it must work for mine. But, I didn't even think of my family's likes or dislikes, and they always backfired. Meal plans are good, but they must follow what my family enjoys to eat or else it is worthless.
I am writing today in my pjs, and I am a bit nervous about it. I feel a pressing need to hurry up and get on with things of the day. This is because I have gotten to know my family. Will-boy is up and enjoying a video game or two while we wait for Ellie and hubby. They always sleep late. They are natural night owls, while Will and I enjoy the mornings. I used to think that I could lounge around in my pjs doing my "own" things while I waited for hubby to wake up, only to be frustrated later when I didn't have time to take a shower, or whatever else, and I was still in my pjs at 11 or noon because things started moving too rapidly once everyone was up. Finally, now, I realize weekends are just happier if I get up, listen to the Daily Audio Bible, get dressed and eat breakfast. That's why I really feel the need to get up and get going. The unpleasant feeling I get when I don't still lingers in my mind. Point being, pay attention to YOUR situation. Don't rely on what others do, their lists and how they think life should go. Use them for ideas, but then pay attention to YOUR family, honor YOUR husband, and ask God to show you how to be the wife and mom they need. He will give you the power.

Power Mom

As I rolled out of bed before everyone else in my family today, I realized how powerful I am. I am Mom. My choices make or break things for this family. I could stay in and sleep as long as the rest of them, but the morning would then be hectic and unpleasant. Instead, I choose to rise early, get myself ready, pray for my family, and set us up for the day with a good breakfast and things in order, ready to go.
Power Mom...not a mom who seems to have it all together, or rushes around always busy. Not a mom who works out at the gym or who manages a career. These don't give us power. Our power lies in our choices. Do we pursue our selfish desires, or do we sacrifice for our family. And, is it really a sacrifice? It's a pleasure for me to serve my husband and family. In fact, it's why this blog is so sporadic. They always come first. Life goes so much smoother that way, and I love it. Really, I don't need "me time" if my mind is set in the right paradigm. The paradigm of being the helpmeet I was created to be.
So, off I go...a quick bath while I pray for my family. Then I will pack up what we need for our day and help them enjoy the time we have together this morning eating a healthy breakfast that will feed our bodies. We're not perfect, but wow, this morning I just realized how powerful my choices are. Am I going to be a Power Mom, or a Martyr, "poor-me" mom? I choose Power Mom.

Purpose Found

"...no man is complete wihout his wife. You were created to make him complete, not to seek personal fulfillment parallel to him." Created to be His Helpmeet

God has really been hammering this lesson home during the past year and a half. It was about that long ago that I dropped out of all my "ministry" and other commitments and started focusing on how I complete my husband. During that time I did struggle with, "but what is MY purpose?" Finally, I got it. If I am a wife, that is my purpose. My husband and family are my ministry. By being involved with them in all that they do, I am constantly in the "mission field". I don't need extra things to do with a church. I complete my husband, that is my purpose. I am his gift from God. God created Eve to complete Adam, and we are no different. Since I have embraced this and all it entails - mainly losing myself and my selfishness - I do see a difference. Duane and I are more involved with things together, and I love it. We are a team. Not pursuing two lives parallel to each other, but we are on the same team...and I complete him...beautiful.

So, any wives reading this, I encourage you to think about how you complete your man. You are God's great gift to him, does it show?

Genesis 2:18.... Proverbs 18:22