The prayers of a wife...

"The implications of woman’s origin are profound. Her
dignity and worth, her necessity, her role in life and marriage,
and her unique beauty have been established by God from the
beginning. She was made to be a man’s faithful helper. 
And there is no greater help she can offer him than her prayers on
his behalf to the One who alone can provide perfect, sovereign
help. 

When the psalmist sings, “I lift my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?” he answers his own
question with the words, “My help comes from the LORD who
made heaven and earth.” 

You are not sufficient succor for him. A stronger Hand must come to his aid. 
Blessed is the wife who pleads often for this mighty Hand to keep her
husband’s life; who begs for him at the gates of Grace. This is
the sort of woman who fears the LORD, feels her own weakness,
and finds refuge and righteousness in Jesus Christ. 
She wants God for her husband. She is to be praised." 

by Andrew Case in "Prayers of an Excellent Wife"

These are my thoughts today. 
I want God for my husband. 
I am so feeble, fickle, selfish and corrupt. 
My help will fall short every time.

Thank you Lord for the chance to be a "helpmate" to this man you have gifted to me. 
Use me to help him, honor him and love him and may I pray for him with fervent zeal as if his life, our lives depended on it. 

Our lives do depend on it Lord...for we depend solely on you. 

Busy seasons...

Thought you might enjoy this little snippet from "GirlTalk"...a sweet blog by Carolyn Mahaney and her three daughters. All godly women with good things to share.
This one was especially applicable to me today...well, everyday for that matter. :o)

Whew! After devotions, exercise, grocery store run, beds made, dishes done, house straightened, laundry underway, Chad homeschooled, soccer carpool completed, editing project for my husband finished—I can finally attempt to write a post
Life is busy!
And it’s not just me. Whether you are a student, holding down a job, or caring for a family—the fall season unfailingly fills our lives with lots to do.
So what does it look like to glorify God in the midst of a busy season?
The first must-have to survive—and even thrive—during busy seasons: humility.
I still remember the wise and helpful counsel my husband CJ shared with me many years ago when I was having one of those “I just can’t get it all done" breakdown crying sessions. When he finally got the chance to speak, he said: “Carolyn, only God completes His to-do list. We are not God. We are finite creatures with serious limitations. Therefore we need to humble ourselves by accepting our limitations and draw upon God’s strength to simply do what we can.” CJ’s advice not only helped me then, but continues to benefit me to this day.
Here are 3 simple ways we can be mindful of our limitations as we make our to-do lists these days:
1.      Separate the-really-do-matter items from the really-don’t-matter items—of course doing the really-do-matter items first.
2.      Simplify the really-do-matter items where possible. (e.g. pizza for dinner or store-bought cookies for entertaining.)
3.      Trust God for all the things on the list that don’t get done.
Let’s honor God by responding to our “endless” list of to-dos with humility—joyfully accepting our limitations and simply doing what we can.

 Sound familiar?

Praying you are trusting God today with all things while being diligent with the time you do have...and then humbly accepting when you cannot do it all.

That's what I'm working on today...and everyday. :o)

Of learning and growing...

Alot of this has been happening around our home as of late...learning and growing.

Growing in my understanding of grace...

learning how small I really am and how big God and His story really are...

Growing in my knowledge of the glory of God...

and learning that I am NOTHING without Christ.

Not to mention, children growing like weeds...

And doing school, where they aren't the only ones learning! 

Kids learning their books of the Bible...

Amelia growing to 18 pounds!

Me growing in my love for my husband...

and learning that unconditional is the only way to love...

Alot of learning and growing...and it makes for a busy, but fruitful season of life.

So my updates may be fewer with more time in between, but know that we are busy growing!

And that's a lot of work!

Blessings as you grow & learn...

A Beautiful Day...

Yesterday, Josh and I had our second "lunch date" since I've been out of the hospital.  We started this new thing where I go to his office (or wherever he's studying) and bring him lunch.  It's not just a date for us to hang out...it has a deeper purpose.  

We use it to discuss calendar, childcare, future plans and more.  Sometimes we dream.  Or we talk about our children's latest parenting needs.  Or we pray.  Or we talk about finances.  Or we talk about us. But whatever we talk about, we get to sit and look each other in the eye, listening and engaging...without the sweet distraction of our children.

We've tried something like this before, but it was always in the evening, at the end of the day.  The problem with that time slot is that usually we are both tired from the day and end up falling asleep before we can even start a discussion! 
 
The problem however wasn't that we didn't want to but that it was the wrong time of day!  We figured out that if we used a lunch time during the week, we both felt like we were accomplishing all we needed. 

He was in a working-mode and able to put his full mind and attention to discuss the needs at hand.  And I felt like it was a treat to be with my husband in the middle of the day, talking about important stuff...minus the kids!  And we were both giving each other and our marriage, the quality time it deserved. Not just the leftovers at the end of the day...when we're both exhausted.

So I am very excited.  Being a woman who thrives on a plan, these meetings are a boost to my confidence and a vital part of Josh & I staying connected in the midst of busy and full lives.


This would definitely be more difficult however, if it weren't for our current living situation.  Auntie Tarah (and occasionally Uncle Mac) have cared for our children in order for these lunch "dates" to happen. And we are very grateful!

So since we just had one of these "dates" yesterday, I thought I would share with you my renewed motivation to stay the course. I come away encouraged in my role, confident in my husband, thankful for my Savior and excited for the days ahead. 

It truly was a beautiful day...with many more to come, I pray.

Tools to fight...

This morning, the kids and I began memorizing scripture again. I am afraid we had to take a serious hiatus while I was on bedrest & in the hospital. I missed it and so did they! They were very excited as I wrote out the verse this morning with bright markers (a favorite thing of mine, remember?) and put the paper up on the fridge.
There are obviously so many verses in the Bible to chose from. Where to start? I decided to use the Fighter Verse Program.  It is a list of scripture selections designed for weekly memorization.  (There's even a website/blog specifically about the Fighter verse for the week and some deeper thoughts.)  I believe they were originally from Bethlehem Baptist Church and Pastor John Piper. There are 5 different "sets" of verses, all chosen specifically to encourage the believer to fight for faith, hence their name "Fighter Verses". 

We started with Set "A" and I just jumped in on the first one, Deuteronomy 7:9. 

We said it 5 times and the kids repeated it after me. Then I would say it and leave a blank for them to fill in.  Childrens' minds are incredible.  They were both rushing ahead of me after only the 3rd time through.  Ella said "Mom, let's do another one!".  So I gave in and wrote out another one. :o) 

So, the McPherson children are working on these 2 verses this week.  With our goal of learning them both before daddy returns from T4G late Thursday night.  (Remember how much I like goals!) We'll see how it goes and I'll let you know.

In the meantime, how's your scripture memory bank? Full? Probably not, if you are anything like me.  As I heard once from a wise and experienced woman (who had memorized almost half of the Bible), "You just have to start".  Even if it's just a short verse.  Just start somewhere!  Blessings as you fill your mind with tools for the fight!

A few morsels...

Here's some tidbits from my reading & life as of late...stuff that's encouraged my heart, deepened my faith or brought a smile to my face:


-"Self-humiliation for Simeon consisted not of belittling the gifts that God had given him or pretending that he was a man of no account, or exaggerating the sins of which he was very conscious.  He went about it by consciously bringing himself into the presence of God, dwelling thoughtfully on his majesty & glory, magnifying the mercy of his forgiveness and the wonder of his love.  These were the things that humbled him--not so much his own sinfulness but God's incredible love."  
spoken of Charles Simeon in the The Roots of Endurance, John Piper, pg. 112


-"But when the goodness & loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."   
Titus 3:4-7 (ESV)

-“Unbelief says: S0me other time, but not now; some other place, but not here; some other people, but not us.  Faith says: Anything He did anywhere else He will do here; anything He did any other time He is willing to do now; anything He ever did for other people He is willing to do for us!  With our feet on the ground, and our head cool, but with our heart ablaze with the love of God, we walk out in this fullness of the Spirit, if we will yield and obey.  God wants to work through you!”

A.W. Tozer, The Counselor (excerpt from Ray Ortland's post)

-"My mommy is soooooo beautiful."  
spoken by Ella Mae McPherson the other day, as she sat daydreaming.  (Thanks for sharing that Tarah...it made this mommy smile.)

-"Thou Great Being who made and rules the world, put Your Spirit in my husband with perfect power and bear His fruits from his life. 
May he be a loving man; a joyful, peaceful man; a patient, kind, good husband. Make his soul and actions abound with faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control, for against such things there is no law. By Christ Jesus crucify his flesh with its passions and desires.
Let him not grow weary in doing good, for in due season he will reap if he does not give up. And may he never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the
world has been crucified to him, and he to the world (Galatians 5 & 6)."  
from Prayers of an Excellent Wife, by Andrew Case (this is what I have been using as a guideline, while I work at praying intentionally for my husband...download it free and enjoy.)

-"Wisdom without power would be pathetic, a broken reed; power without wisdom would be merely frightening; but in God boundless wisdom and endless power are united, and the makes him utterly worthy of our fullest trust."
J.I. Packer, Knowing God, pg. 91 


Be encouraged today.
Persevere.
Pray.
Grow in faith.
Be in awe of Him.
And thank him for his grace.

Reading, reading, reading...

These days of bedrest and the inability to care for my husband & children have been difficult days.  For almost 6 weeks now, we have been in this schedule. 
Me in Wenatchee, the kids and my husband in Leavenworth. 
Our wonderful family stepping in to care for my children around the clock. 
Seeing the kids 2 days/week. 
Seeing my husband sometimes only one day/week.

It is giving me such an appreciation and renewed love for being the manager of our home. 
For being the mother of our children.  The supporter for my husband. 
The food-maker, discipline-enforcer, puzzle-helper, fort-creator, peace-keeper, silly-dancer, heart-monitor, attitude-changer, and husband-lover.
All of this and so much more. 
I miss it all so very much.

But in an attempt to stay focused on what I CAN do during this time, Josh & I have created a syllabus of "stuff" that I am trying to complete during this time.  We are looking at about another 8 weeks of the aforementioned schedule.  And we have decided to look at it as a season that I will not experience ever again and one that I must take full advantage of.  I am without much responsibility (except to care for our little baby girl in my womb) and am required (by my doctor) to be in Wenatchee, away from my family & home.

This offers something I have not had in a while...time to read.

So here is the "syllabus" that Josh & I have worked on.  It may get a little tweaking, but for now I am excited to work on it daily...hoping to redeem this very unique time.  I post it to encourage others and for you to see the list and then pray for me as I endeavor to savor each of these titles!

I will post updates every once in a while to say I have finished a book. And let you know what I thought.  For now, let's start with the list. (not listed here is my continuation of our church's daily Bible reading plan for the year...I am not quite done from 2009, but am keeping at it.  And loving it!)

1. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy, Piper (Done...Dec. 22nd!)

2. The Hidden Smile of God, Piper (need to order...)

3. Filling up the Afflictions of Christ, Piper (need to order...)

4. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, Piper/Taylor (all lectures are online at DG)

5. What’s the Difference, Piper (Done...Dec. 23rd!)

6. Gospel-powered Parenting, Farley

7. The Pleasures of God, Piper (Chapters 1-5, 8, Epilogue & Appendix)

8. Biblical Womanhood in the Home, Demoss (Done Jan. 5! Second time I've read this one...)
(reprinted as Becoming God's True Woman)

9. Knowing God, Packer

10. The Doctrines that Divide, Lutzer (Chapters 9-13)

11. The Ministry of Motherhood, Sally Clarkson

12. The Big Picture, Roberts (need to order)


Other reads include:

The Well-Trained Mind: A guide to classical eduction at home, Bauer & Wise (just borrowed it...need to order my own!)

Prayers of an Excellent Wife, Case (which I mentioned I wanted in my stocking...hint, hint, hint!)

From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying life from the inside out, Twigg

We've also included sermons to listen to and scriptures to memorize and meditate on. 
Whew...I have got some work to do. :o) 
But it is good and I pray that my time would be sweet as I seek the Lord in his Word and the words of His saints.