Aren't They Cute?

Aunt Debbie,

Abigail wants you to know that your pig is being well cared for. She is now a princess, complete with tiara and jewels. :-)

Modesty In Dress

From today's Seeking Him Devotional

October 20, 2008

Modesty Quiz 2

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: What do you believe about clothing and modesty? Here’s a quick true-or-false quiz to help you get started thinking about the issue.

“True or false? Modesty means being outdated, dumpy, and unattractive.”

Nancy: That’s false. We may not be able to wear all the popular trends, but it really is possible to be modest and fashionable.

“Our clothes and appearance reveal a lot about our values, characters, and beliefs.”

Nancy: That one’s true. A woman’s clothing and appearance are powerful nonverbal communicators of what she believes.

“What I wear isn’t anyone else’s business. I should be free to dress however I want.”

Nancy: And that’s false. Everything we do, including the way we dress, affects others. As Christian women, we want to be sensitive to the men around us and not put any temptation in their path.

Would you ask God to help you glorify Him in what you wear?

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

This transcript is taken from the nationally-syndicated
daily radio program Seeking Him with Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

What are your thoughts on ladies' dress? Do you have any personal thoughts on dress guidelines or boundaries you'd like to share? Do you ever struggle (as I do) with dressing to be attractive for your husband while remaining "above reproach" with regard to modesty?

If you would like to subscribe to these daily e-mails, visit www.reviveourhearts.com and subscribe to the Seeking Him Devotional.

Love...

...is ever ready to believe the best of every person. 1 Corinthians 13:7 (Amplified Bible)

Today, I learned first-hand how important it is to "believe the best of every person." There was a misunderstanding today. Somebody was offended by something that I said and told me so in no uncertain terms. They completely misunderstood what I was trying to communicate and the heart behind it. They were obviously hurt.

It saddens me that they were hurt. But the truth is, I am hurt as well. Not because they misunderstood me, but because (although we have been friends for a really long time) they presumed the worst about me. They didn't take the time to clarify before attacking my character. I don't think I have ever been so hurt myself over a miscommunication before. I have forgiven them the best I know how, though I know it will likely be an ongoing process.

Habit Challenge Will Start Again Soon!

The last Habit Challenge was such a success that I am ready to do it again. We will start the next habit challenge a week from tomorrow. It will go from Wednesday, October 22-Tuesday, November 11th.

If you'd like to join us, please let me know in the comments. You will need to prayerfully choose a habit that you commit to doing every day for 21 days. The key is to start small and commit to follow through every day for 21 days. Then, you will have a new, positive habit that will come naturally to you (or at least more naturally than before!)

For more information on choosing a habit, go here.

As before, we will have regular check-ins, but I hopefully (with the help of my hunky techie/husband) will be able to figure a way to do it off-site. so as not to totally clog my blog with Habit Challenge Check-in posts. :-)

I am not sure yet what my habit will be this time, but I know I will also commit to maintaining the habit of going to bed on time. It has made a huge difference in my life in so many ways.

Thank You

I just want to take a moment to say, "thank you" to the man who has given me one of the most precious gifts anyone could give me. My husband works very hard (he is at work right now, in fact) so that I can be home with our children full-time.

There were seasons of my life when I had little appreciation for the ability to stay home. Although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I actually felt like it was I who was doing them a favor. But as the Lord has matured me, and through other events in our lives (including a 3 year stint of working part time outside of our home), I have come to realize that I am one of the most blessed women in the world to be able to be with our children all day, every day.

I get to be here when they have a question about God, when they choose to open up their hearts, when they are scared or sad, when they just are playing but it's oh, so cute! I wouldn't trade that for anything.

In order for me to be home, we have made a lot of sacrifices, but I feel so rich...all of the sacrifices are worth it. SO worth it!

There is so much more on my heart, but words fail me. I just wanted to say, Thank you, Honey. Thank you for taking care of us.

For Layna

Layna, I am so proud of you sticking with this challenge. Spending time with the Lord, in my opinion, is the most important habit anyone can choose to form. You did great!

And now, here is your haiku:

It's a miracle.
A busy college student
Seeks first His kingdom.

For Elly

Elly, I am just so thrilled that you joined us "late" and finished so well. That shows me that you don't look for excuses. You did great!

Here is your haiku:

She made up her mind.
She listened to her body.
Her body says, "Thanks!"

For Tami

Tami, you did so well! Although (like me) you didn't quite make it to 19/21 days, I can tell that you have given it your best and I have enjoyed walking through this challenge with you.

Here's your haiku:

Physical training,
And serving Hubby breakfast,
Both godly habits.

For Missy

Missy, I am so very proud of you! You were the only one of us who finished with a score of 19/21. You were diligent and I am so glad that you now have the blessing of a more orderly home.

Now, a haiku for you!

Tackling a big job
One half hour at a time.
Look what you've done, Girl!

Sleep. I highly Recommend It.

I have been going to bed around 10pm each night, giving myself close to 8 hours of sleep. I can't tell you what a difference this has made in my life!

Before, I would get to bed on an average time of 10:45. I always got up on time faithfully, but for some reason, early rising did not make me go to bed early like I had always heard. Before, I was not as much sleepy as "dragging" all of the time. This also led to feeling overwhelmed easily and snacking more frequently since I would think I needed something to "perk me up." Not to mention my former caffeine addiction. (Okay, to be honest, I still have some addiction, but I drink less than one cup of coffee in a whole day and I don't need it first thing in the morning.)

I can definitely say that I won't have any trouble continuing this habit after the Habit Challenge is over. I feel so much better...it is enough motivation to get to bed on time. Everything is better when you are well-rested! (And you DO get more done!)

Habit Challenge, Day 10!

How's it going?

I was in bed on time last night, but not the night before since we got to San Antonio late!

He Is Great!

That's why He does great things with small seeds. This morning, I had a thought to not sweeten my coffee as a small way to deny myself. (In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says that if we want to follow Him, we must first deny ourselves...even before taking up our cross.) Then I thought, "That's silly...it's not big enough to be a real 'sacrifice.'" Then I felt like He said, "I do great things with small seeds."

That was encouraging to me!

Don't deny Him the opportunity to do great things with your small seeds today. Have faith that He sees, He cares and He is pleased with every seed that we sow to Him.

Marriage Advice From A Couple Of Experts

Priorities Part 1

I have been wanting to post about priorities for a while now, but every time I thought about doing it, it seemed like I had too much to say. But I am going to give it a shot...at least get started anyway!

I am mainly going to focus on prioritizing our time. I don't know if this is the most important way to prioritize, but it is the way that I have learned the most about in my own walk and the way that has borne the most fruit in my life. However, please don't overlook the other ways we show priorities: resources, thoughts, attitudes, I am sure I am missing something! :-)

Almost everyone expresses a "need" for more time. My husband and I always chuckle when we think back to college days. We thought we were "so busy." Ha! We had ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD compared to now. I am not even going to go into our schedules, but trust me when I tell you, we have a lot more on our plates now than we did then. And we both worked more than one job in college while being actively involved in church (leading small groups) and school full time.

Then when we had our first child...same thing...we were "so busy." Then #2 came along. Then the famous saying, "One is like none. Two is like ten." Now we have three and we are outnumbered, but I am sure those who have more than 3 think we have a lot more time than they do. Are you getting the picture? (By the way, please don't "hear" criticism in this post. There absolutely is none...just an attempt to help.) :-)

Also, believe me when I tell you that I am more peaceful and in control of my time now than I was then. What I mean is, I feel a lot more confident that I am accomplishing what He has for me to do on a daily basis. I don't constantly have that "I am behind" feeling like I did then. Now, sometimes I do feel that way but it is usually because I have not been doing what the Lord has told me to do or because I am comparing my accomplishments to others' accomplishments or to what others think I should be accomplishing.

A couple of years ago, I learned a truth that has has revolutionized the way I look at time. Before Jesus died, one of His last prayers included this phrase: "I have finished the work which You have given Me to do." I believe it was Nancy Leigh DeMoss who used that verse to apply it to time management. The truth is that Jesus did not heal everyone or talk with everyone while He was on the Earth. There were many, many "good" things that He simply did not do...and many lonely and hurting people that He did not touch. BUT He did everything that the Father gave Him to do.

Think about that. It's not about what WE think we should do...what seems best to us. It's about what The Father has for us to do in this moment. And, "I just don't have time" simply is not an excuse for not accomplishing what the Lord calls us to. Either it's not His will or we spent the time He allotted on something else. We may have had the best of intentions, but it just was a waste of time.

I love the phrase, "Haste makes waste." It is true on so many levels...one of which is the fact that when we are too hasty to decide to do something without consulting with the Lord, we just waste time. His time.

Speaking of priorities, I need to get back to home duties right now. Let me know your thoughts as well as anything you might like to be addressed on the topic of priorities.

More to come!

I Just Want To Say...

I love Jesus!
And He loves Me!

His Promise Part 4

I just have to share really quickly that I have been experiencing another evidence of His promise to set me free from being enslaved to food!

When times of depression, fear, anxiety or boredom some, I am usually tempted to eat. Eating has always been a way to escape and a way to make myself feel better.

My goal, obviously is to resist temptation, but lately when I have given in, there has been little to no pleasure in eating. I thank God for this. Although in the past I would eventually feel worse after eating for the wrong reasons, I would feel better for a little while at least. This is a big change and an answer to prayer.

This morning I have been dealing with some tough things. And this on top of a taxing day yesterday. I ate breakfast even though I was not hungry. I just assumed I would...then later, in an attempt to numb some pain, I poured myself some cereal. I didn't even want to eat it. It was just like, "this is what I do when I am sad." For the first time in a situation like that I admitted to myself that:

a. I did not even want the cereal.
b. It would not make me feel better.
c. I would actually feel worse later.
d. His grace was sufficient.

My first instinct was to dump it in the sink, but I don't have a disposal so I quickly dumped it in the toilet! Isn't that funny?

I am starting to see that my bad habit patterns are more of the reason I go to food as an idol lately. Not because that is my desire. It reminds me of something I learned in my training as behavior analyst. When analyzing the function of a behavior, sometimes it's just, "this is what I do...this is what I've always done."

Praise God! Even though I am going through a tough time, He encouraged me with this. I am so grateful to Him for doing the work that He promised to do. It is all His doing!

"When I am weak, then I am strong!" 2 Corinthians 12:10

Habit Challenge Starts Tomorrow!

Okay, Bird, Debs, Layna, Missy, Tami and...Me! Habit Challenge starts tomorrow! I will do my very best to have a check-in post every day and I encourage you to pop in and let us know that you are on track. Just a word of encouragement: think how great you will feel once you have completed the challenge! Don't give up. Persevere and make this a priority.

Let's go!

Have Your Weapons Ready!

Here is an exercise that some of us in the book discussion participated in and I have found it to be a big help. We focused particularly on food-related issues, but it could be applied to any area where you are consistently tempted and need a quick "reality check." If you have these scriptures already "ready" in your mind and even on cards, then when temptation comes, you have an immediate weapon to use against the devil when He tempts you to believe lies. Similar to the way Jesus combated satan in Matthew 4.

Below is the discussion question and my answer in bold:

List the three main times or situations where you are tempted to overeat. Some examples are: stress, anger, greed and depression. Next to each tempting situation (or "trigger,") give a Bible verse that you can memorize and call to mind to help you to resist the devil. (See page 67.)

worried: Psalm 94:19, Proverbs 12:25
tired: Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:31
food-related gathering...feeling "entitled" or like I should eat since "everyone else is:" Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 3:7-8

Depressed: didn't get to this one...but I'm hoping someone else does this one. :-)

And if you are interested in starting some scripture memory as part of the Habit Challenge coming up, this might be a good place to start. An example of a small measurable habit to form over a 21 day period might be to choose three scriptures to write on index cards. Choose one scripture each week to read, say, 3-5 times per day. Hopefully by the end of the week you would have it memorized. The next week do another and so on.

Habit Challenge Time.

Well, it's been a while, but I need another habit challenge. I have fallen back to my old ways of staying up too late while still waking up early. I feel so sluggish! My new habit? Be in bed by 9:45. Lights out by 10:00.

Do you have a new habit you'd like to form? They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. so let's do it together! The challenge will begin Wednesday and go through Tuesday, October 7th. Here are the rules:

1. Your habit must be measurable. For example, "I will get dressed before 12:00 each day." :-) Not, "I will try to get dressed earlier in the day."
2. Your habit must be a small step forward from where you currently are. If you don't currently read the Bible on a regular basis and want to form the habit of reading daily, your habit might be, "I will read at least one chapter or 10 minutes every day." Not , "I will read 5 chapters a day."
3. You must commit to "doing" your habit EVERY DAY. That is the only way this will (hopefully) become a habit. If there are exceptions, name them up front. For example, my commitment to going to bed by 9:45 will not apply to Friday nights.
4. Is it too much to ask that you check in every day to let us know how you are doing? At least check in a couple of times a week. If you would like to check in daily, let me know in the comments and I will post a check-in post every day. I could use the accountability!

If you need some ideas, habits can deal with:
*sleep habits
*time with God/in the Word
*eating habits (One of my past habits was to sit down while eating.)
*relationships (Encouraging your spouse daily would be an example.)
*exercise
*cleaning/de-cluttering your home

I have to admit I am a little scared. I am not completely confident I can do this, but I have to try. I have been dragging the past couple of weeks and I think lack of sleep is the culprit.

Oh, and I have a prize this time! If you successfully "do" your habit for at least 19/21 days, I will write a haiku about you! (Hey, that rhymed!) Yes, can you tell I am sleep-deprived? ;-)

His All-Sufficient Grace

I found this jewel-of-a-quote on Christina's blog, My "Thin Within" Journey. She is quoting The Book, "Thin Within" which is quoting Kay Arthur:

Don't struggle in self-effort to be better. Don't determine that you are going to 'try harder.' Acknowledge your need of His all-sufficient grace and go forward, surrendering and trusting in the power of God's transforming grace. 'As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him' (Col. 2:6). You were saved by faith; therefore, you are to walk in faith. It may be one step at a time, but walk. You can say, 'I can't,' as long as in the next breath you say, 'But God, You can.'

I just LOVE that!!