Lessons from Job

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Job 1:21b

This is not a topic that I expected to be writing a devotion on...but God put this is my path and I wanted to share it.  I recently read thru the book of Job with several friends.  It was a group of women reading it and several of them have been through immense pain in recent years.  I knew it would open up some interesting discussion, I had no idea how much.  As we discussed and reflected on the entire book we were able to pull out several major points from it, I thought some of them may jump out at you too.
-Reading through the word and being immersed in it is so important before the struggles hit.  We all felt that the book of Job is probably easier to reflect on when you are not knee deep yourself. 


-Jobs friends were one of the greatest lessons for us.  When going thru a struggle sometimes it is better to just be there for a friend (quietly) than to try and explain the mind of God.

-Sometimes the younger people around us have great advice, we should be open to their wisdom too!

-Bad things happen to everyone, we live in a sinful world and it is part of that.  God has a big plan, much bigger than us!

-When we are suffering, it's okay to express what we are feeling to God.

As we headed into our study we were all a little nervous about if we'd get much out of it.  It was so nice to walk away from it amazed by what the Lord had just laid before us.  Have you checked out Job lately?  You won't be sorry you did!

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the gift of your word and the pure, relevant examples you provide us from it.  Help us to never neglect this gift and to be constantly growing in it.
Amen
-

Piercing Words

She opens her mouth with wisdom,

And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue

Proverbs 31:26

Hannah is such a beautiful example of a virtuous woman on several accounts.  We regularly examine her prayer life and dedication to the Lord despite infertility.  But as I was reading this account again today something jumped out at me.  Hannah was mocked by her husband's other wife: "And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her" 1 Samuel 1:6 and it goes on to say in vs. 7 that it went on "year after year."  Ouch.  Imagine having to live with someone who says mean things to you regularly for years.

We have all experienced pain because of the words of a person around us.  Sometimes the words can dig deep and hurt for days (okay, even years), others we are able to brush off.  What I love about this account with Hannah is that it does not record her retaliating with words, it records her praying and going to the Lord.  There is clear pain, it talks of her not eating and weeping but along with the pain she takes it to the Lord.

I think there are two things on this topic that we can take away from this story

 1)A reminder that our words can be absolutely devastating and we should choose them carefully: Proverbs 31:26 talks of a woman using her mouth for wisdom and kindness - may we always strive to be that woman.  

2)When the words of others hurt us we need to take it to the Lord.  The guidance, wisdom, and peace he will provide us with are exactly what we need.

Heavenly Father,

Please help us to choose our words carefully.  Our children, friends, family, and spouses need to hear words of wisdom and kindness just as they do from you.  And when others words hurt us, remind us to turn to you in that pain and forgive freely.

Amen

Becoming a Virtuous Woman

10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life. 

This chapter of Proverbs gives us a lot to live up to doesn't it?!?  And this is just a couple of verses...there's so much more!  This week we're going to start with a couple verses in this chapter and we will pick up a few more next week.


So what does it mean for us when it says that her husband safely trusts her? Our husbands should be able to trust that we aren't talking badly about him to others (a reasonable expectation not just for our husbands but for anyone we encounter).  He also needs to trust that you will keep his private thoughts between you and him.  He can trust us to take care of his household when he is away.  He can trust our faithfulness to him as a partner and confidante.  


13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle. 


The next point in this chapter shows us that a virtuous wife is a hard worker.  She clothes her family - okay we don't have to make our own clothes today...but we do have different clothing challenges.  Fighting with a toddler just to put clothes on them, providing weather appropriate clothing, tying shoes, changing diapers, combing hair, and let's not forget shopping for all of that and getting a good price...the list goes on and on.  She makes sure there is food provided. She uses money wisely.  She exercises.  She works and works and works.    I don't think this is news to any of us.  But take heart, when you are working hard to care for your family you are fulfilling the "virtuous woman" described so beautifully here!


Heavenly Father,
Thank you for providing this chapter to us as a guidelines in being a virtuous woman.  Help us as we strive to be a trustworthy wife and a hard working wife.  
Amen

Dive in

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

For three summers I've been trying to get my oldest son to swim.  In order to swim he has to put his face in the water.  He has been afraid.  He's always been a pretty easy going child.  I can usually tell him something and he'll trust me at my word.  But not on swimming.  It doesn't matter how many times I tell him:
"I'm right here it will be okay."
"The lifeguards will keep you safe."
"The water isn't going to hurt you - close your mouth and close your eyes and it will be okay."
"In fact it will be fun.  If you will just relax and trust me..."

Over the past two weeks he's had a development.  We did private lessons for one week in June and he made headway in that - but still did not want to put his face in the water.  We decided to give it another whirl and sign up for the group lessons.  By the third day he had decided he wanted to jump off the diving board (into a lifeguards arms).  I didn't think he'd do it.  But he walked right up and jumped in without hesitation.  Today (one week later) we spend almost two hours in the pool with him learning to swim under water for the first time and having me time how long he could stay under water for.  The confidence and peace that came over him was amazing to watch and such a good reminder for me.  I knew all along that if he would just trust me and try it - he would be good at it!

Often there are things that I try to control and don't just trust God on.  We try to go about things in our own way - thinking we know best.  God provides us with so much guidance in his word.  When I do let go and dive in, the situation becomes easier or makes more sense.  Whether we like it or not, God is always in control...now to have the patience to let him be!

Heavenly Father,
You provide us with guidance in your word on how to be a great mother and wife.  Please help me to use that guidance and not try to do it my own way.  Help me to trust you as I raise my children.  
Amen

The fruit of the spirit

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23


I have the fruits of the spirit listed on the overhang in my kitchen.  The words are big, at least 6 inches tall.  I did this earlier last year not only as a reminder to myself as I mother my children and love my husband, but also to help my kids think about them.  It's always interesting to review them with my oldest son and get perspective on how we're doing with each of them.  Our general consensus is that love is a pretty easy one for us right now.  Whenever I hear words coming from the kids I don't like you will hear me say "Show Love."  We also can find lots of joy, I think that is an easier one with young children in the house...we find lots to laugh and smile about.  Peace can be a challenge...especially amongst siblings.  Patience...I definitely lack in that one in my approach to parenting I often try to hurry them up or lose my patience with their learning to do things.  Kindness as a mother can reflect my lack of patience.  I often have to make a conscious effort to show kindness in my reactions to life's little moments.  Goodness is obviously hard, I'm a sinner!  Teaching my children goodness is a privilege in Christian parenting.  There is much to teach them outside of earthly goodness!  Faithfulness, I love this one because it applies to my role as a child of God and being faithful to him and that trickles down to my role as a wife and even a mother.  Gentleness, a daily struggle for me and my children.  Choosing to react to things and communicating in ways that aren't hurtful to each other but build each other up.  Someone once said to me that you don't need to scold a child for spilling milk, they already feel bad about it...I often think about that as I choose the words I'm about to use.  Lastly Self Control, the kids and I agree this is a hard one...we have to choose do the right thing, not always the easy thing or fun thing sometimes.  I have this one hanging right above my refrigerator :).  Learning these attributes has been a great way to help my kids learn about becoming Christ-like and giving me solid examples of what I expect from them.


Heavenly Father,
Help me to reflect you in all my words and actions and help me to teach my children to do the same.
Amen

Be Still

Be Still, and Know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Life brings change, a lot of change, constant change, and a whole lotta out of our control change.  For weeks I have been preparing my instrumental and piano students for their recital, to take place today.  Yesterday I spent the entire afternoon baking 8 different batches of cookies and other goodies to serve at the recital.  This morning I got all my needed supplies ready and took them over to the school in preparation for the recital.  I spent the afternoon celebrating the graduation of a local high schooler.  When I returned home I found that we had no power.  The recital was supposed to happen in just over an hour.  But if power was out at my house, that meant it was out at the school too.  I quickly called the principal and he made plans with me on what to do.  Ultimately we decided the best option was to cancel.  Not only did we not have power but the weather outside was really bad.

Isn't it so frustrating when you work hard on something only to have it completely fall apart?  Sure, it's not the worst thing that can happen in life.  But when you work hard on something and you stress about making it great and it doesn't happen it doesn't feel good!  Although people mean well, I'm always entertained when someone says "This too shall pass."  As moms we encounter a lot of situations that are frustrating, exhausting, and overwhelming.  No they aren't cancer or bankruptcy or something devastating like that.  But in the moment they are a lot to handle and they cause stress!

How awesome is it to know that there is one plan that absolutely will not change, God's plan for our salvation.  There are so few guarantees in our lives, but this is one you can bank on.  I know that on a day like today when I have dealt with a lot of  "out of my control" circumstances, it's nice to have a peace about knowing where my future absolutely lies.  Perhaps remembering to "Be Still and know that I am God" will help me as I encounter the big and little situations that life sends my way.

Dear God,
Today as life doesn't go the way I plan, please help me to handle that in a way that is a positive example for my children.  Thank you for being the God that doesn't change, for providing us with scripture that doesn't change, and for securing salvation for us.  
Amen

Priority Check

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24


As mothers we are constantly challenged to be on top of everything...we need to be organized, have a clean house, cook yummy food, help out at school, have well behaved children, the list could go on and on.  If you are like me you have probably figured out trying to accomplish all this can drive you to the brink of insanity.  All of these things can trump the most important thing we need to be doing...Growing HIS kids.  I've recently been pondering some of the priorities in our family and been working on a list of reminders.  So far here's what I have come up with:

-Do my children know that God's word is a priority to me?

-Do my children regularly see that I pray about the big and little things in life...do I stop and pray with them at times other than meals and bedtime?

-Do I use God's word as I teach them, encourage them, admonish them?

-Is Scripture visible throughout our house...on walls, on decor, in books?

-Do I shield my children from ungodly influences, including those both in our lives, in music,  and on television?

-Do my children see me with my Bible open and being read, not just their Bible, but me making his word a priority for my own growth as well?

-Do my children see worship as a priority and a part of our family life?

-Do I ask them forgiveness when I mess up?

-Do I regularly encourage them to show love and grace to their siblings...and am showing them more love and grace than nagging and fighting?

Nothing is more important to me than raising my children in Christ.  If that means the dishes have to wait a little while, then that's okay!  Don't let the daily chores of motherhood push aside the most important one!


Heavenly Father,
This week as I am challenged by all the things that need to be done, help me to turn my eyes to you.  Help me to encourage my own children as they grow in faith.  Help me to make that my number one job to accomplish each day.
Amen


- 

Be Loud

Make a Joyful noise unto the Lord.

Psalm 98:4 

The Good Friday Tenebrae service has always been one of my favorite services in the church year.  Approaching it with small children doesn't quite have the same feeling as my child-free days.  For me, small children and evening services are always stressful and my children are noisier than I would like.  That combined with the fact that they have the "I can't stop moving because if I do I'll fall asleep" syndrome is a lot to gear up for.

Last year I was excited about the Tenebrae service knowing that my 5 year old would really enjoy it and get something out of it this year for the first time.  As the service progressed and the church got progressively darker, we were both into it.  My little 3 year old was also pretty interested.  At the end the slamming noise occured, indicating Jesus death, and it made little 3 year old Lucy jump.  I whispered to her it was okay and to be quiet.  To which she yelled out (or so it felt in the quiet darkness) "Be Loud Be Loud Be Loud."  She was loud enough that even though we were in the back of the church, daddy could hear her up front.

Once I got over my embarrassment, I thought about how great it actually was that she was excited.  Jesus died, that was the bad part and it was done.  Now came the part to be excited about, he rose and won the victory for us.  Good Friday to is a time for silent reflection and many of us will leave church in that state.  But isn't it great that the silence of death doesn't last?  The quiet of death is broken by the resurrection on Easter!  And we can "be loud" with rejoicing!

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the gift of your son.  Please help us to remember today the greatest gift ever given and to be loud in sharing that gift with those around us.
Amen

Helping those suffering a Miscarriage

 And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

1 Samuel 1:11

Miscarriage or baby loss is an uncomfortable topic for many Christians.  I would be lying if I said I didn't feel the same way.  Many families go through it privately and you may not even know it has ever happened.  For those who do share the information it is almost impossible to know the right thing to say to a family going through that loss and it is easy to feel helpless.  It is even harder to be a comfort when you haven't been through it yourself.

Two years ago today we were enjoying a vacation with family and I was days shy of 12 weeks pregnant.  I began to lose that baby and my life changed dramatically.  I've never experienced anything so emotionally painful.  I also had not known too many people close to me who had miscarried.  As we returned home and came back to our ministry, I found great solace in my congregation and the friends within it. 

Since that time, three other members in our congregation have also lost babies.  I never would have imagined in that moment two years ago how God would take that awful time and make it so that I could offer support to my friends.

How can you help someone who is going through a miscarriage?  Every person is different and all the ladies around me have had a different reaction...but here are some ideas for reaching out to them.

-First and foremost pray a lot

-Offer them help with their other children (if they have them) but know that they also may want them around for a distraction.  I needed a break at times but at others just wanted to hold my kids close.

-Offer to make a meal for them.  Even a simple lunch of mac n cheese and chicken nuggets made my day brighter.

-Encouraging them in remembering that baby...don't make light of it.  We planted a tree in our yard and gave our baby a name.  These were my ideas, but my friends supported me and didn't make light of my desires to remember this child.

-Help them if they are sad in public.  I know I lost it on mothers day in church and started crying right in the middle of communion.  It was a blessing to me that a friend was standing there next to me.  She linked arms with me and led me back to my seat.

-Some people just need time and space.  Know that that is okay too!  If you have offered support and help and it has been rejected, know that is your friend is hurting in ways you may not comprehend.  Give them the space they need and in time she will be ready to get back to "normal."

As Christians we have hope for a reunion with these children we never got to hold on earth.  That doesn't erase the pain, but it does help ease it in time.  

Praise God for your healthy babies today!

Heavenly Father,

What precious gifts our children are!  Help us to reach out to women who so desperately want a baby and can't have one.  Help us to be of comfort and help to those suffering loss.  

Amen

I need to Praise the Lord

Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord.  

Psalm 150:6

One of the sure signs of spring, at least in rural farmland where I live, is birds singing early in the morning.  As I've awakened to that several times recently it brings to my mind the verse above.


How often do our children and husbands hear us nag, criticize, complain, gossip, etc?.  These things are easy to do!  But along those same lines how often do they hear us praising the Lord?  There are so many things to praise  God for each and every day!  Our children need to learn from us to Praise him for both the big and little things in life!  Let's face it, there are days when I am just as thankful for not burning dinner as I am for beautiful weather.  


Today I am going to try to Praise God more for the blessings he gives us and I'm going to encourage my family to do the same.  I'm going to make a conscious effort to Praise God out loud each hour today, will you join me?


Heavenly Father,
You bless my family beyond measure each and every day.  Forgive me when I don't acknowledge those blessings.  Thank you for the greatest of all blessings, your son Jesus!

Sleep

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8


I memorized this verse  when I was 16 years old.  The Northridge earthquake had recently struck our home and it happened at 4:3O a.m.  Sleep evaded me, I was terrified of another huge earthquake hitting.  A close friend, living in Colorado at the time, sent me a letter containing this verse and encouraged me to memorize it.  I soon found myself reciting this verse over and over as the months of aftershocks continued.


This is a verse that has remained close to my heart.  As a mother, sleep is often hard to come by for a variety of reasons.  And although this verse does nothing to help with sick kids or crying newborns, it does bring a peace over me when I am up at night because of worry.  It's easy to stay up and worry about our children, sickness, money, severe weather, and all sorts of troubles we encounter.  


It's also a verse that I have found helpful to share with my kids as they are afraid of sleeping or having nightmares.  


We have a great God who is more powerful than any danger and problems that we encounter.  There is a peace in knowing that he always has me in his care.


Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the peaceful rest you provide us with to refresh and renew ourselves as mothers .  Please help us to remember that even as we sleep you are in control and watching over us.

Idea Day: Family Devotions

Every other Friday is going to be an "Idea Day" where we share some different ideas revolving around spiritual growth within our families.  

Our first topic is Family Devotions.

If you aren't already doing family devotions, getting started can seem like a challenge.  Here are a few tips I've gathered from other moms for getting started:

1:  Work family devotions into a time that is already part of your daily routine, for example eating dinner.

2:  Keep the length appropriate to the ages in your family.  As the kids get used to it, you can add more to your devotion time.

3:  Keep your devotion book out in the open, trust me your kids will remind you.  We have a devotion loving 3 year old who has had complete meltdowns waiting for "otion" time.

Here's some ideas of what some of our contributors do:

Tamara
We use "My Devotions" from Concordia Publishing House and they work great with our 10 year old! They have a journal activity each day at the end of the devotion which is fun! We have always had a song that we sing together, same song, but it is special to us! We also make up a prayer. We take turns, each of us having a responsibility every night and switching them around from night to night in a rotation. For our family of three we have Bible reader, devotion reader, and Prayer leader.


Heather:
Our devotion time is right before bedtime each night. We use the "Little Visits 365 Family Devotions" series from Concordia Publishing House. Our kids have memory work from Sunday School that we begin with, then we work on learning a "Hymn of the Month." We read the daily devotion from our book, and then end with time for each person to pray. Our one year old is always the last to pray, and we all sing a prayer together for her turn. 

When we first started doing family devotions a few years ago, we were just reading out of Little Visits. If you are just beginning a devotion time with your family don't feel like you have to go all or nothing. Start by reading a short devotion or bible story, or say a bedtime prayer together. "A Child's Book of Prayers," also by Concordia Publishing House, is a good resource for this time too.


Christine:
We usually do our devotion time at the end of dinner as the bedtimes of our kids are all at different times.  We like devotions that we can work questions into, questions that either our three year old or six year old can answer.  After we read our devotion we have a prayer time where each family member shares "Something they are Thankful to God for" and "Something they want to ask God for."  

Ideas from other moms from facebook:

Cheryl:  We have a little altar area set up that has candles and a cross with the appropriate liturgical color draped on it. We light the candles and follow the service of Evening Prayer in LSB. Caleb enjoys leading the service as we go through it.


Laurie:  We now access the Higher Things daily devotion and my husband reads it to us after dinner. We love it! Age appropriate for Abby, a high schooler, and usually a hymn verse at the end.


Heather: We do Portals of Prayer before breakfast, but then for our prayer we try to mix it up and pray for someone else at the table for the day ahead (sometimes the person across from you, sometimes the person to your left, sometimes for yourself, etc.). At dinner we usually read from one of the kids' Bible Story Books (we like Egermeier's and The Beginner's Bible) and then say a prayer (in the same way as above) for the day just ended.

Now it's your turn...What does your family do for devotion time?    

Train Up a Child

Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

As we raise our children they are reliant for us on several things. Food is a biggie. They start out on formula or breastmilk, both of which have to be fed to them by us. Then they get to start cereal and other baby foods, both still require our help. As they continue to grow they become more able to feed themselves, but we still control what they are getting. We as mothers know that they need to have balance and what foods are good for them. Throughout their childhood we will continue to help them with their food. Although the responsibilities will ease up, even at 17 we will still be making at least some of those decisions for them.


Even more important is that we are Training up our Children to know our God. It starts as they are new babies and we bring them to baptism, to church, singing songs to them, and praying for them. As they become toddlers it gets more interactive and we are able to see those little brains processing Jesus and what he means in their life. We are given no greater or more important responsibility than to raise up these little ones in Christ.


That is no easy task. Trying to sit thru church with a toddler is often exhausting. Finding tuition money to put our chidlren in a Christian school can be a challenge. Making time for family devotions after a chaotic dinner can seem impossible. Sitting down and holding your child tight while you pray with them, when all you want to do is have your own time, can make you want to rush.


But it also leaves us with great joys! Is there anything better than hearing a little child sing at the top of their lungs at church; or have your child come home and share something faith related that they learned that day? Watching them take in a Bible story and enjoy it. Or hearing them request to go to Church and Sunday School. To see your children soaking up Jesus is amazing!


God works in these little lives just as much as he works in ours! That is the purpose of this new devotional blog: To encourage you as a mother as you go about the most important of all your daily jobs: the Training Up your of Child. Each weekday one of us will share a devotion with you and every once in awhile we'll throw in some ideas for you about how we do things in our families. We look forward to our daily visits as we all strive to Grow HIS Kids!


Heavenly Father,
Through your words and your son you have provided us with examples and guidance to help us as we navigate parenthood. Please lead us as we interact with our children today. Help our words to be ones of encouragement, love, and faithfulness; words that will help our children be drawn closer to you. We thank you for giving us each of these precious children.
Amen