Marriage~ Submission

Submission...a heavy topic to be sure! I could never begin to give my advice on this, or any topic apart from the Word of God. For me, the Lord used, and continues to use this matter of "submission" to draw me into a deeper relationship with Him.

In order to become submissive as a wife, we must first be submissive to the Lord. To try to do so any other
way would be to come in through the back door. Submission as man would define it is, "the act of yielding to power or authority, a yielding of one's will to the will of a superior without murmuring, surrender of the person and power to the control or government of another, obedience, resignation." While all this is true, we also need God's perspective on submission as laid out in His Word.

1 Peter 3: 1-6 has greatly ministered to my heart in this matter. "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also WHO TRUSTED IN GOD, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement."

In case you hadn't noticed, our outward beauty fades day by day, but submission is an inward beauty that never fades. The Lord sees and places great value upon this inward beauty called submission, a meek and quiet spirit as the Bible defines it. This is what He would desire us as wives to excel in above our outward beauty. It is a tool in the hands of God to perform surgery on the heart of your husband to mold it and shape it into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.

It is through your submission to the husband that God has placed over you that you are in reality submitting to God Himself! We need to let the character of God determine the kind of wives we will be, not the character of our husbands! By submitting first to God, we can master this completely... Submission to your husband provides a pleasant atmosphere in your home for which the Holy Spirit can do His work of conviction in the hearts of those that live there. It is a work that the devil seeks to destroy in many homes, for he does not want to see men becoming more like Christ and he most definitely does not want marriages to stay together! He is in the business of breaking up homes... That is why submission is of great value to God for His voice can't be heard when there is stubbornness and arguing and pride present. It may seem a vulnerable position for us to be in as wives, but as Sara trusted in God, you and I need to trust in God as well and not be anxious about so many things. God will honor our submissive spirits by giving back to us tenderhearted and loving husbands who have responded to the Lord's moving in their hearts. What a special calling we have in being submissive. We are laborers together with God for the good of our homes!

Don't let the devil get you to believe that you are going to lose out or get taken advantage of if you submit to your husband....he is a great deceiver. He tried in Genesis 3 to get Eve to doubt God's Word and God's way, and he will try to do the same to us as wives today!

As a young Christian, I made the mistake of marrying an unsaved man and then found myself in the position of having to submit to one who did not care about the things of God at all. So began my rough and bumpy journey into submission and a deeper understanding of who God is... What looked to be the worst road to travel has become the road that has led me closest to my Lord. Don't be afraid to travel down this road called "submission" for you will miss out greatly on knowing the God of this universe in a most intimate way! I encourage you to trust Him and lean upon His Word for the strength, understanding, and guidance that only He can give to those who truly desire to be submissive wives. Do we submit then to anything at all our husbands ask of us?

In Colossians 3:18, God lays the boundaries out for women when it comes to submission. "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord." If our husbands ask us to go against what God would clearly consider sin, then we are not to submit to this, but rather to God's Word. For instance, if your husband is asking you to watch pornography, you would decline because God clearly calls looking on the nakedness of another sin (Mt. 5:27). In this case, Acts 5:29 would be the verse to obey, "...We ought to obey God rather than men." It is a delicate subject to be sure and one that should be sought out with much
prayer!

By

Pam R & S
Copyright 2009

It's In The Valleys I Grow

So fitting....I love this poem...God is so good!!!

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,

Full of sorrow, trouble and woe,

It's then I have to remember

That it's in the valleys I grow.
If I always stayed on the mountain top

And never experienced pain,

I would never appreciate God's love,

And would be living in vain.
I have so much to learn,

And my growth is very slow,

Sometimes I need the mountain tops,

But it's in the valleys I grow.
I do not always understand

Why things happen as they do,

But I am very sure of one thing ...

My Lord will see me through.
My little valleys are nothing

When I picture Christ on the cross

He went through the valley of death;

His victory was Satan's loss.
Forgive me Lord, for complaining

When I'm feeling so very low

,Just give me a gentle reminder

That it's in the valleys I grow.
Continue to strengthen me Lord,

And use my life each day,

To share your love with others

And help them find their way.
Thank you for valleys Lord,

For this one thing I know ...

The mountain tops are glorious,

But it's in the valleys I grow!
~ Jane Eggleston ~

Marriage 1 Peter 3 VS 1 Through 5

The wife is like a mirror. If she complains, the mirror becomes blurry. He can blame all the troubles on her and forget his own problems. But if she is humble and responsive then the mirror is clear, and he can see his own faults. He might not admit them, but be assured he sees them.

1 Peter 3:1-5
Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;


While they behold your chaste conversation [coupled] with fear.

Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

101 Reasons to homeschool your kids

The world we live in ........

1. Teens Bare All on Phones
January 13, 2009
Cincinatti, OH
"If I were to go through the cell phones in this building right now of 1,500 students, I would venture to say that half to two-thirds have indecent photos, either of themselves or somebody else in school," said Jim Brown, school resource officer at Glen Este High School. Turpin High School Principal Peggy Johnson thinks that the results would be similar - about 50-50 - in her building.
2. NEA's radical plan for your kids
July 25, 2008
Washington, DC
The nation's largest teachers union, the National Education Association, attracted 9,000 delegates to its annual convention in Washington, D.C., over the Fourth of July weekend. Delegates sported buttons with provocative slogans such as "Gay marriage causes Global Warming only because we are so hot!" "Hate is not a family value," "The 'Christian Right' is neither," and "Gay Rights are civil rights."
3. Sex Scandals May Cost Helix High Its Charter
July 12, 2008
San Diego, CA
Grossmont Union High School District Governing Board President Larry Urdahl still can't believe that four Helix High School teachers violated students' trust by allegedly engaging in inappropriate relationships with them.
4. Teacher lets Morningside students vote out classmate, 5
May 24, 2008
Port Saint Lucie, FL
Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class. After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.
5. 1 in 4 Teen Girls Has Sexual Disease
March 11, 2008
Chicago, IL
At least one in four teenage girls nationwide has a sexually transmitted disease, or more than 3 million teens, according to the first study of its kind in this age group. A virus that causes cervical cancer is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in teen girls aged 14 to 19, while the highest overall prevalence is among black girls—nearly half the blacks studied had at least one STD. That rate compared with 20 percent among both whites and Mexican-American teens, the study from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.
6. Anti-Union Group Will Offer Nation's 'Worst Teacher' $10K To Quit
March 11, 2008
Washington, DC
Critics who say unions block education reforms and make it virtually impossible to fire bad teachers will offer 10 instructors it deems the nation's worst $10,000 to quit their careers. The Center for Union Facts, a Washington-based nonprofit, will launch a campaign Tuesday spending $1 million on ads and a billboard in New York's Times Square. It also says it's starting a Web site with data documenting how far unions go to protect bad teachers.
7. Assistant Principal Charged With Lewd Acts Involving 13-Year-Old
March 6, 2008
Los Angeles, CA
An assistant principal of a South Los Angeles middle school was charged Thursday with lewd acts involving a 13-year-old girl on and off the campus. Steve Thomas Rooney, 39, was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, according to Deputy District Attorney Darci Lanphere. Rooney -- the assistant principal at Markham Middle School -- is charged with three counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child and two counts of lewd acts upon a child. All of the charges are felonies.
8. Teacher caught yelling at kids
February 26, 2008
Houston, TX
A teacher is caught on tape yelling at 4 and 5 year olds by Texas parents told their daughter had behavior problems.
9. 8-year-old boy returning to class as girl
February 8, 2008
Castle Rock, CO
An 8-year-old boy is preparing to return to his home school district in Colorado as a girl, so school officials are designating two school restrooms as unisex facilities, and preparing to counsel other students on the issue of transgenderism.
10. Judge blesses teaching students homosexuality is innate
February 5, 2008
Montgomery County, MD
A member of the school board in Montgomery County, Md., which has been working for years to overcome obstacles to its program that teaches students homosexuality is innate, has told members of a group objecting to the lessons to go away. "To the other side, I say get out of town, shut up, quit costing Montgomery County taxpayers money for litigation, and we're right and parents believe we're right," board member Pat O'Neill said in a report in the Portland, Ore., Examiner.
11. Sex-ed curriculum includes field trip to buy condoms
February 2, 2008
Port Saint Lucie, FL
A campaign has been launched by concerned parents and others in Florida where a school board has adopted an explicit sex ed curriculum that includes various how-to lessons for students as young as fourth grade, and in one incarnation proposed field trips for children to purchase condoms and then talk about their experience.
12. Schools worker pleads guilty to sex charge
January 29, 2008
Nashville, TN
A former Metro schools employee pleaded guilty Monday to sexual battery and misconduct charges stemming from accusations that she inappropriately touched two teenage students. Erica Keyonta Bell, 33, was an in-school suspension monitor at Gra-Mar Middle School in 2005 and early 2006, when Metro police began investigating complaints that Bell had fondled a 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl several times on school grounds over a monthlong period.
13. School counselor charged with having sex with student
January 28, 2008
Lexington, NC
A counselor for Thomasville City Schools has been charged with having sexual contact with a student. Stanford L. Ray, 50, of Browning Drive, was charged with sexual activity with student by school personnel other than teacher, school administrator or student teacher, which is a felony. He had not been arrested as of late Monday afternoon.
14. Former school sentry on trial for sex abuse
January 28, 2008
Rochester, NY
A former school sentry in the Rochester City School District is on trial today for sex abuse. Andre Johnson faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted of sexually abusing ten boys. Police say some of the abuse happened on school property.
15. Principal Removed Following Sex Allegations
January 28, 2008
San Antonio, TX
A South San Antonio Independent School District elementary school principal has been removed from his post in the midst of a sex investigation involving a student, police said. Michael Alcoser, 41, was recently relieved of his duties at Carrillo Elementary, school district officials said in a letter sent home to parents.
16. Sex acts in school alleged
January 28, 2008
Lancaster, PA
A teenage girl told investigators how she and a teacher kissed and had intimate sexual contact inside Warwick High School over a two-year period, according to police documents filed today. Todd Nicholas Sheerer, 29, of 3471 Coronet Ave., Lancaster, the Warwick High School band director, was charged late Thursday with corruption of minors by two area police departments for his alleged relationship with a 17-year-old girl.
17. Teen Suspended For Sex Offender Warning
December 14, 2007
Gig Harbor, WA
Last week, Raydon Gilmore found a 16-year-old fellow student at Gig Harbor High School listed at the Washington State Sex Offender Information Center, a Web site that lists the state's level 2 and level 3 sex offenders. "Then it hit me that I was in P.E. freshman year, and this kid was there for a while and he was my neighbor at my locker," Gilmore told KIRO. The 16-year-old was convicted of indecent liberties and using force.
18. Teacher of the Year Convicted for Child Porn Possession
November 16, 2007
San Diego, CA
A former history teacher at a San Diego-area middle school has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a charge of possessing child pornography. Forty-year-old Tyrico Tyler was also ordered Friday to register as a sex offender.
19. Neb. teacher in student sex case fired
November 13, 2007
Lexington, NE
The Nebraska middle school teacher accused of having sex with a 13-year-old student and fleeing to Mexico with him has been fired. Without public comment, the Lexington School Board voted 6-0 Monday night to terminate Kelsey Peterson's contract. The sixth-grade teacher had been put on administrative leave late last month after allegations surfaced that she was having an inappropriate relationship with the student. Peterson, 25, fled Lexington with the boy, a former student of hers, on Oct. 26. They were found in a mall parking lot in the border town of Mexicali, Mexico, on Nov. 2.
20. Tutor: 'I've taken to fondling' the students
October 16, 2007
Cleveland, OH
Two-and-a-half years later, the mother learned the numbing truth: Former tutor Phillip Distasio had molested about a dozen boys during the three years he worked at PEP Harbor School in Cleveland. "Now, when I walk into a school, I wonder what's the motive when I see a guy in the school -- because of Mr. Distasio," the mother told a judge before the confessed pedophile received 26 life sentences last December. "This guy made my son into a freak." Distasio's case is one of 246 that the Ohio Department of Education has labeled "confidential," keeping secret the details of what he did. The state will disclose only that Distasio was convicted of a sex crime.

Read the rest at www.101reasons.org

Spring Blog Header 'Personalized' Offer

Ok... I am offering this new spring header for your blog. I will personalize with your Blog Name and a verse you would like. For this offer I will need up to a week to complete :)

Casting My Care

As I struggle I have to remember...God is in control.

Casting My Care
Lord I continually set before you

My requests and all my needs

With thanksgiving I come unto you

My concerns unburdened to thee

I wait for your intervention Lord

In quietness of soul and mind

And worship at your footstool

Leaving my cares behind

And Lord I express my thanks for you

For all you are to me

I thank you Lord that I matter to you

Though at times I cannot see

Because of the circumstances in life

The things that I go through

I find my eyes are on the storm

When they should be looking to you

So help me Lord each precious day

No matter what life brings me

To carry on with hope and faith

And to rest in you with peace.

© By M.S.Lowndes.

Shout Out "April"......Here it is, Finished

Hope you like it

Pictures from the week.....

Austen helping in Blake's classroom




Last weekend...Tavis and Blake with Wayne





April helping Austen with his math (last Friday)









Blake Helping Mom.... with the dishes

Fabulous Friday..... Week Review

Fabulous Friday


Psalm 119:49-50
Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
This [is] my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

It has been a tough week, I must say a big struggle for me. I have just been clinging onto Hope. God always has a purpose through every storm. I want to grow from it rather then to get bitter about it. Today will be nice, we will spend the day with our sisters in Christ! It is always refreshing, and uplifting. I'm not sure of our plans for the weekend yet. Wayne has been working a lot and has had some struggles at work. I am praying we can spend some family time out doors....if the weather will allow us too.

Next week we are making it a week of NO TV, Video Games, and Computer from 8-6pm. It seems we have let the Games and TV get out of hand again. So this will be good for us. I will be doing my blogging before the kids get up in the am. I am hoping to get caught back up on the Love dare, we are going at it slow.

It was a busy week but somewhat productive. I stayed on top of the house cleaning until Wednesday....then it all piled up. We got all caught up last night. The boys and I have been swimming 3-4 days a week at the YMCA.
Austen and I worked at the school yesterday for half a day. Today we are off to our homeschool Friday group!
Have a Blessed Friday,
Brandie

Wednesday~ Weight Loss '5 Essential Weight Loss Foods'

1. Millet: A well-balanced diet should consist of whole grains instead of refined grains like white rice and pasta, and millet is a beneficial and delicious staple of this category of food. This non-glutinous grain is over 10-percent protein, has high amounts of fiber and B-complex vitamins, and because it isn't an acid forming food, is easy to digest.

2. Asparagus: When losing weight, it's important to favor chlorophyll-rich foods, including asparagus. Asparagus is a nutrient-rich vegetable packed with folate, vitamins A, C, and K, and fiber. Asparagus also contains a carbohydrate known as inulin (not to be confused with insulin) that promotes healthy bacteria in the large intestine - which in turn promotes a healthier digestive function.

3. Pomegranates: Eating a balanced diet to lose weight should include eating fresh fruits, and pomegranates are a wonderful example of a healthy, nutritious fruit that has antioxidant properties and will help prevent cancer. While the benefits of drinking pomegranate juice have gained a lot of attention recently, you will be more likely to lose weight by eating the fruit fresh to increase your fiber intake and keep the calories down.
4. Pine Nuts: Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pine trees and are considered an essential ingredient in the tasty Italian mixture pesto. Chinese medicine uses pine nuts to improve gastrointestinal tract and digestive functions, and pine nut oil is even used for appetite suppression. Pine nuts and other nuts are a tasty part of a well-balanced diet intended for weight loss.

5. Green Tea: It has been found that consuming large amounts of coffee and caffeine can lead to food cravings, increase one's appetite, and induce stress-related eating. Green tea is a wonderful alternative to coffee in that it does provide a little caffeine but also contains beneficial antioxidants. So drink up!A healthy diet also includes lean proteins like chicken breast, legumes such as lentils, and other whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. While fad diets may promise a large amount of weight loss in a short period of time, there's almost a guarantee that you will put that weight back on-and then some!

Eat five smaller meals a day, avoid processed foods, chew more slowly, and incorporate more healthy foods into your diet-starting with these five.

Dr. Mao

Homeschool~ Following Directions

Following Directions

What was I going to do? My son had studied all week long for this test, and if I accepted the way he had answered the questions, he would receive a score of 100%. However, there was one huge problem troubling my grading-he hadn't followed the directions. Although I had reminded him to read the instructions thoroughly, he had written his response in the blank instead of circling the correct answer. So what was more important, the fact that he knew the answers or that he had failed to follow the directions?

After praying, I decided to let my son be his own judge. Surprisingly, he was tougher on himself than I would have been and said, "Mom, it wouldn't be fair for me to get an A on this test." Together, we decided he should be penalized by receiving one grade lower for his failure to pay attention to the directions.Not following the directions usually has a more severe consequence in real life. That fact was first discovered by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When dealing with a Holy God, you simply can't skip over important details in His directions like don't eat from "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Genesis 2:17). Today, Christians continue to skip God's commandments when they feel it restricts their way of life. Thinking they're able to do God's will their own way, they fail God's test because they didn't follow His directions.Is your life one that reflects God's divine instructions from His Word? Do you skip over those passages that test your character like "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord" (Ephesians 5:22), and "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world" (1 John 2:15a)? God doesn't give instructions to make your life more difficult. He gives directions because He loves you and wants you to succeed in living for Him. Will you choose today to follow His direction in those areas you've been avoiding and receive His grade of "well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21)?

Lord, forgive me for thinking I can ignore Your directions and not suffer as a result. Cleanse my life today of those things that shame Your name, and help me to walk in a manner worthy of Your love. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

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My Week~ Schedule and Deep Cleaning

1) Austen's Dresser (get rid of clothes that are to small)
2) Blake's Toy Shelves
3) Austen's School Desk

Not much for this week...I will barely be able to keep up on my regular list of house cleaning! But, small goals I know I can accomplish and feel good about it!





This week's Events

Monday~ Grocery Store and Swimming
Tuesday~ Cleaning, Post Office & Pharmacy
Wednesday~ Doctors Appointment, Swimming, and Church
Thursday~ Work In Blake's Class am, Evening family swimming
Friday~ Homeschool Group Day 9:30-1:00pm, Meeting 6:00

Marriage~ Help Meet~ Reverence

God admonishes us ladies to see that we reverence our man.

Eph 5:33
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife [see] that she reverence [her] husband.

~ Make A New Habit

Try to show your husband noticeable esteem at least 3 times a day. Plan small habits you can establish that will make easier to remember, until giving him reverence comes naturally.

~Traits Of A Good Help Meet

1. She acknowledges the "good traits" in her man.

2. She speaks of her husband with esteem.

3. She defers to him.

4. She never responds to him with scorn or ridicule.

~Getting Serious With God

The word REVERENCE appears 13 times in God's Word. Eight occurrences have to do with reverencing men. Look up and consider each of theses uses of the word reverence. As you read, you will understand from God's Word what God requires of you in reverencing your husband. Make a list of ways you have not shown reverence to your husband, and then make a list of things you are going to start doing to correct them. Always keep in mind that, when you reverence your husband, you are reverencing God. It is God's will for you to do this service to your husband .

~ Taken From

Created To Be His Helpmeet By Debi Perl (Chapt. 13)

Reflecting on Todays Love Dare~ Note For Mrs. House

From What I posted on My Love Dare Blog www.daretolovechallenge.blogspot.com

This dare is really important, we really are NOT taught this in the world.
God has a perfect design for marriage but when we ignore the manual in which we should go by.......marriages are in shambles!I fell into the trap of lies that society taught.......When you have fallen out of love, or when things got to tough....It is time to move on with a divorce! Huhhhh! Marriage is very dear to my heart, I guess because the Lord has done absolute miracles in my own marriage. I have a GREAT desire and calling from the Lord to share what the Lord can do in your marriage if you are only open to cling to the HOPE in his Word...The Bible!

Now I must confess I am a work in progress.....My marriage is not where it is suppose to be but I really have a great desire to get there, and I know I have come a long ways from where I began.Yesterday, in fact was a day we totally regressed to some of our old patterns......fighting that flesh, and guess what we gave into the flesh I am sorry to say! In order to stay on top of your marriage there has to be some key things in place.

I love today's dare and I pray we can all take heed and learn from what God will teach us in these up-coming weeks of the Love Dare.

Lord,I am so weak, in the flesh and struggle to walk in the Spirit. You have given us this SPECIAL tool in our walk with you, but there are times we just lay that tool down and forget it is there to use. Forgive me Lord for my sin in my marriage, the pain and hurt I caused. I pray Lord, that you would revive my marriage again and help us grow to be examples of what a godly marriage looks like. Help me to focus on my shortcoming and work to be the godly wife, and not to focus on my husbands shortcomings. I feel like we are so far from that Lord, but I do know there is always HOPE, when you YOU are involved, when we allow your Spirit to work and move in our lives. I thank you for all you have done in my marriage and I look forward Lord to see what blessings you have in my marriage.Amen...

PS...To MY dear Sister In The Lord.....CAREY

I thank you for your gentle reminder yesterday, when I shared my struggles. You are a gem! I appreciate your friendship, and cherish it! There is nothing like godly counsel...points to the TRUTH in a loving gentle way!! God Bless you sister. Please Forgive me for my attitude in that moment!

Weekend Fun!!!

It has been a fun weekend so far. Yesterday we did our School at the church, and April did some math with the kids. After we were done we did some shopping. Austen needed some new shoes....ugh he wears a size 12 in men's...I can not believe it! He is now officially 6 ft tall. We had a great time with April shopping.

It was then time to head to the YMCA...my sweet hubby got us a membership!!! I really have wanted to re-join for a long time. Swimming makes such a difference, because of my back. It was fun to chat with Mrs. House (My dear pastor's wife).

The House boys stayed the night with us and then Wayne dropped off Austen and Pat to go airsofting for the day. When he got home we got ready and took the younger boys into Vancouver to the mall and did some shopping. My sweet Hubby took me to my FAVORITE store! (CJ Banks) I was bummed though because they didn't have much on the clearance racks. After the mall, we took the kids to Sonics a big treat for Blake, his favorite place to eat! From there my sweety took me to Kohl's, I had never been there before, but WOW I found lots of things there! We have been talking about getting a communication system for our motorcycle so we can talk when we ride, so we went to the motorcycle shop and FINALLY bought one!!! I am so exited now to go riding again! Wayne has been saving for some time to get one, part of our late Valentines gift to one another.

And Tomorrow is Church, I am looking forward to being back in the house of The Lord tomorrow!!

Hope you all have a BLESSED weekend!!