Tone of the Home

My home was quite peaceful last night - not quiet, but peaceful. The boys were in their room playing, my husband was sitting in the kitchen keeping me company while I baked cookies, Christmas music was playing in the background, and our conservative Christmas decorations and lit candles added a comforting atmosphere to the home. I wish every evening could be like last night, but that would be far from reality. I realized the main factor last night was the absence of the television. Aha! There were no strangers visiting us through the tube! There were no restaurants tempting us to participate in gluttony. There were no half naked women prancing in front of my men. There were no couples turning my living room into a temporary motel. There were no lessons on foul language. Reporters weren’t reminding us about the struggling economy. There were no women trying to persuade me to look like them, and there were no advertisers tempting us to spend money. No wonder the house was peaceful! All those outsiders were turned off and away. It made such a difference that we kept the television off all night.

I'm not looking for a perfect home, just a peaceful home and this peace must begin with me. When I have peace, I have more patience, I’m more loving, and I’m in a better position to hear God’s voice. I believe the mother sets the tone in the home. Chaos is created and disorder is designed, yet a peaceful mother is a praying mother and a praying mother is a powerful mother. Something as simple as having soft spiritual music in the home is enough to keep the enemy away because he can’t stand a peaceful environment and he sure can’t survive in a praise atmosphere. I know I will have to compete with the popular television, but it's worth a little effort. I thank God for the Prince of Peace and the peace He has already placed in me. Let's embrace our peace and share it with our family.

Proverbs 3:17 (NKJV)
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
perfect peace,

Breaking Point

All women have a breaking point. There is a point in your small world of tolerance that allows you to go only so far. Many of us don't know our breaking point until we've reached it and before we know it, we've gone off the deep end. Being a wife, mother, bookkeeper, cheerleader, nurse, teacher, mediator and whatever other hats we wear can exhaust us to the point of no return. Frustration levels shake and irritation sets in. Learn to take a break before YOU break! Get to know yourself enough to know when you've had enough. Don't push yourself so hard to please others, but love yourself enough to keep your sanity and your peace of mind. Enough is enough! Do you know when enough is?

All Powerful

This morning after seeing my husband off to work, I sat outside and watched the rain, thunder, wind, and lightening light up the dark sky. How can I not believe in an all-powerful God? How can I allow simple matters of my life to rock my boat? If God created the heavens and the earth, how can I not trust him with my life? If He created me, how can I not trust him to make decisions for my life - after all, I was created for His purpose! What an awesome God we serve. Life is simple when we realize we have no power, but are empowered by an all-powerful God. Put your life in His hands and watch Him work!

Pain and Suffering

I hardly ever get sick, but last week my body ached off and on. What I thought was a 24 hour flu turned into a 96 hour lesson on pain and suffering. One night while in the shower, I pictured Jesus on the cross and saw the blood running down his face and body. His face showed the level of excruciating pain He was experiencing. He didn’t die of a quick death, but had to endure a slow, painful death with a lot of suffering. Even the days leading up to His crucifixion were full of pain and suffering. While carrying the cross, He reached a level of exhaustion no Mother will ever reach. He even endured a meaningless, intolerable beating. As I stood in the shower, my aches and pains, all of sudden, seemed minimal. I began to praise God for taking me back to the cross. Yes, God is my Healer, yet I should be willing to sometimes share in the suffering of Christ. My goodness, can I endure a little pain from time to time? If God allowed His son to be bruised, why wouldn’t He allow me to be bruised? Even when I’m going through a storm, I would rather be delivered, than go through. When I’m hot, I turn on the air. When I’m cold, I turn on the heat. Good grief! Being sick and experiencing the pains and sufferings of life doesn’t change my relationship with Christ, but it sure does challenge my relationship with Him. I began to praise God in the shower for this life changing revelation and I asked for strength and mercy in my sickness. It’s amazing how my simple, yet sincere praise energized me and made me feel better. Focusing on the cross offers peace, deliverance, healing, and everything else Christ suffered and died for, but when we take our focus off the cross, we lose our power. My sickness was just another way of God getting me to the place where He can use me.

I Peter 4:1 (NLT)
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.

No Time For Pain!

Remember the commercial from way back that sang a song about a woman not having time for the pain? I believe it was an aspirin commercial or something. Well, I've been singing that tune for the past couple of days. I thought I had a 24 hour flu, but it has continued into the 48 hour time frame! I definitely don't have time to be sick! I put my mind and my body in auto-pilot and I'm doing what I have to do while taking frequent breaks to rest my body and nap. I hardly ever get sick, so this is unusual to me. I even had the nerve to feel a little guilty for feeling bad, but I got over it quickly. My goodness, does a Mother have to have permission to get sick? Give me a break! I'm drinking as much water as I can, taking my soy shakes, and getting lots of rest. I'm not a medicine person, so I'm letting nature take it's course. I haven't got time for the pain!

Happy December!

I can feel my December schedule beginning to take me to a level of stress I don't want to visit. Okay, breath in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. I don't have to do everything I'm asked to do and I sure don't have to go everywhere I'm invited, so my stress level is in my hands. I create my own stress and I choose not to go there this holiday season. Relax, release, relate (smile). Besides alot of baking, I really don't have alot to do, but there is alot I would like to do. I love to entertain, so I will limit myself to plan one gathering this month - yes, just one. I can do it, I can do it! The important thing is to remember the reason for this special time of the year. Celebrating the birth of Christ is such a joyous occasion and to incorporate this in every thing we do this month, makes it more meaningful and will definitely bring God glory.
Happy December!

A Spiritual Note

Start your day not only on a positive note, but on a spiritual note. A note of love, peace, and joy.

Our attitude determines our behavior, so let's allow our mind to lead us through a day full of things that will bring God glory. Our walk, our talk, and our thoughts can be controlled. Choose to think on things that are beneficial and fulfilling to your mind, body, and soul.

Dust Bunnies

While moving furniture last night, I noticed a few dust bunnies hidden in corners that I would have never seen. Little did I know these sneaky dust bunnies were waiting to deliver a Life Lesson for LaVender. It wasn’t enough that I had to dust and vacuum, but I had to endure some painful pruning. The house appeared clean from the surface, but it would take more than surface cleaning to pass any inspection. A few things had to be moved in order for those dust bunnies to be visible and the same is with my life. My spiritual walk may appear all right, but God is aware of all my hidden sins and private thoughts. He knows my heart and knows exactly what things in my life need moving in order to pass His inspection of righteous living. I choose not to remain stagnant in my spiritual walk, so in order to grow, some things must be moved – it’s time for some changing and rearranging. My heart is in need of deep cleaning – surface cleaning just won’t do anymore. Me? A dirty heart? Well, if we’re honest with ourselves, we all have a few hidden dust bunnies. We may appear to be an always loving Mother, supportive wife, and steadfast Christian, but we know behind closed doors, we allow the enemy to have his way with us. With another year rolling around, I sure don’t want to take old dust bunnies with me. I want to start with a fresh anointing and a stronger desire to follow Christ. I know the devil will be busy and I can never reach perfection, but God knows my heart and will assist me with His almighty power. What better way to show my thankfulness than to clean those hidden dust bunnies!

James 2:10 (NIV) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.