In the Nursery of the Nation

Review of Trim, Healthy Mama {and a Giveaway!}

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

I didn’t want to read this book. Although I kept more padding after my last pregnancy than I’ve ever kept in my life, I still didn’t want to read it. Why?

It overwhelms me to think of colossal diet changes.
I have no interest in diet fads that eliminate certain food groups, like fruit and bread. I've been there, done that and bought the ebook.
I like chocolate. I like muffins. And don’t even talk to me about coffee.
I don't jump on bandwagons easily. If it's on the top ten list anywhere, I'm suspicious.
And even if I could get past all that, I knew huge diet changes simply had to transfer into a higher grocery bill. I’m feeding an army and I have to be careful.

Nope, no interest. Leave me alone, healthy mamas. I’m doing just fine, K? I’ll just keep enjoying my coffee and learn to love my new love handles.

I changed my mind.

I changed it because I heard testimony after testimony from women I respect who said just implementing a few of the changes the authors recommend would leave me with more energy. I was officially intrigued. By the end of the day I usually feel like a boneless chicken. More energy sounded fabulous. I put in an interlibrary loan request for the book because I thought it was too expensive.

Our library was slow.

I contacted the authors and they gave me a free book to review. Yes, there are advantages to blogging. And so here is my take on Trim, Healthy Mama.

The book opens describing four different types of eaters.

They are:

1. A raw food purist

2. A meat-n-taters gal

3. A woman who is called drive-thru Sue

4. A whole-grains fanatic

Incidentally, I have been all of these eaters at one time or another. You will probably find yourself in one of these women too.

Explanations

There is an explanation of what exactly is causing most of us ladies to be fat and unhealthy (insulin) and why we’re not doing ourselves any favors by eating banana smoothies (yes, even if they are green) or pounds of apples. I admit it, I was suspicious. But the authors make a compelling case for working with our changing metabolism as women. Sure, give the kids the apples and oranges. But moms should eat fruits that keep our insulin levels balanced and not on a roller coaster all the time. Didn’t know your insulin levels were on a roller coaster? Me neither. But I learned a lot.

A Little History: Atkins Vs. South Beach Diet

In the 80’s and 90’s everyone told us fat was bad. Everything on the shelf sported “fat free!” Trouble was, the sugar content was higher to compensate for the loss of taste. Enter the Atkins’ Diet. Dr. Atkins said eat all the protein and fat you want but no carbohydrates. We all stocked up on bacon and eggs and consumed loads of those nasty pork skins that smell like you-know-what when you open the bag.

A few years later came the South Beach diet, which I know nothing about because I was still doing pork skins. But I hear that it was similar to Atkins, they just advised less fat.

The authors of Trim, Healthy Mama conclude that there are some truths to both of these diets in that they help control blood sugar and insulin surges. But eating this way is hard to maintain because who wants to be deprived of bread and sweets forever? The authors show us how to indulge in some sweets and healthy breads (with real butter, of course) without spiking our blood sugar. High blood sugar = insulin spikes. And it's all about the insulin, gals.

Most importantly, they never scolded me for drinking coffee, but actually encouraged it.

So there went two of my hang-ups with why I didn’t want to read the book.

What about the cost of the food?

I have been eating with some of the Trim, Healthy suggestions for three weeks now. I have not noticed any change in my grocery bill. While the authors do make recommendations for some special, you-can-only-get-this-online ingredients, they are not needed for most of the recipes.

The purpose of learning to eat this way is not to lose weight, but to be healthy and have energy. However, I have lost that excess baby weight plus a few pounds. I have read countless testimonies of people who have significant weight to lose, and are doing so by implementing these changes. Even better, I have more energy due to exercising the way the authors suggested.

I Just Said the "E Word"

I almost skipped the exercise chapter because I despise exercising. But again I learned a lot. Statistics were given to prove that our current trends of exercising are not doing us much good to burn fat. That means that elliptical machine I torture myself with on rare occasions probably isn't helping a lot. Well. Except for the sermons I listen to on my iPod as I sweat. But all that energy doing cardio exercise could have been better used with short bursts of energy (like ten minutes' worth. Who can’t handle ten minutes?) and strength training.

In other words, a ten minute run with intermittent sprints, will do us more good than a one hour steady cardio session.

Sweets and Chocolate

The authors recommend using Stevia, Truvia or NuNaturals as your new sweeteners because of their low glycemic index (meaning they don't cause a significant increase in blood sugar.) However, I tried using Truvia and it made me sick. Stevia tasted terrible. Although I didn’t try NuNaturals (I’m not going to buy “special food” remember?), I searched out the Trim, Healthy Mama Facebook page and discovered others were using Coconut Sugar with success as well.

I strolled over to my hand-dandy Wal-Mart and there it was on the shelf just sitting there smiling at me. I have made the book’s sweet recipes using Coconut Sugar and have continued to maintain the weight loss. Coconut sugar (which isn’t actually sugar from a coconut) has a higher glycemic index than Stevia, but nowhere close to table sugar.

But truth be told, eating the THM way (that it to say—becoming aware of insulin spiking foods and/or combinations of them and avoiding them) has made me crave sweets less.

The Cost

I held off buying this book because of the price, but: it is worth the price. If you can't stomach the $35 then you could try the digital version which is only $20. You can buy it here. It is like buying three books (619 pages!!) because the first part of the book explains the why for the diet changes, the next portion explains the how and the third portion is full of recipes. There are also chapters on hormone imbalances and how to cure them naturally, an exercise chapter (which remember, I almost skipped, but was so pleasantly surprised with the recommendations…that work!) and also a chapter on marital intimacy.

Who the Book is For

This book is for married women. Trust me. The end.

Who the Diet is For

The diet is for everyone: husband, children and even grandma included. This isn’t a fad diet, but changes that can be made to your liking and pace, that are overall a healthier way of eating. Even if you don't have weight to lose, you will learn a lot about how to eat by reading this book.

I do believe the book to be balanced, although as with every book we should read it with radars at attention (discernment). The two sisters writing are very different, one is more of a purist and really educated me at times, while the other uses the microwave and helps us identify short-cuts if we want to use them. ( I like her.) The ladies write in a conversational style and I especially like that they were humble enough to share their past mistakes and extremist tendencies that they now regret.

Serene and Pearl, authors of Trim, Healthy Mama are giving away a copy to one of you. The giveaway will run until Monday.

And now I'm off to go exercise. For ten minutes.

What about you? Have you read the book? What did you think of it?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dirty Nails and Goat Slobber

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:19:00 +0000

We can encourage boys to get dirty because life, for a man, no matter what his occupation, is going to be dirty at times. He’s going to need the fortitude to get his hands into the grease and mud that life throws at him, whether it’s literal or figurative. The point is not that masculine boys must always love to get dirty, but that they are willing to get dirty if it is required of them.

Read the post at Raising Homemakers

Large Family Living: Table Chores

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

How does a large family get the kitchen cleaned up after mealtime? Where there are no oxen the manger is clean, but we have a LOT of oxen around here.

Here I'm going to share how we get it all done. Everyone in the family has a job to do and completes it to keep the dishes clean and the kitchen ready for the next meal.

When age appropriate, children get "promoted" to a harder job after they are trained by the child currently filling that position. We are about to make promotions again and that is one reason for this post. I want to remember "how it used to be" because pretty soon, we'll change it up.

This is how we make it work for now:

Breakfast

Monday thru Thursday I prepare breakfast, usually something simple.
Stephen (6) takes the dishes to the sink, wipes down the table and sweeps the dining room and kitchen.
Silas (4) pushes up all the chairs.
Sarah Grace (8) empties and loads the dishwasher and starts it again. She wipes down the counters. (This takes her a good while, about 45 minutes sometimes--but she is so encouraged when she gets a big job done like her sisters can do! :)
On Friday and Saturday, Savannah (16) and Shelbi (17) cook breakfast and clean the kitchen, including mopping it and cleaning the microwave and other extras like cleaning out the pantry, etc.

Lunch

I prepare lunch every day once we finish school projects.
Sarah Grace (8) clears the dirty dishes from table, wipes it clean and sweeps the dining room and kitchen.
Savannah (16) unloads and loads the dishwasher, wipes down counters and often bakes something delicious.
Seth (12) takes out the garbage.

Supper

I cook supper every night with Shelbi and Savannah assisting me. They cut up vegetables, make dessert, whatever I need them to do.
Seth (12) clears the table, wipes it down, sweeps the kitchen and dining room and takes out the trash.
Savannah (16) unloads/loads the dishwasher, wipes down counters.

How does it work in your house? Do you try to even out the kitchen chores?

What is the Secret to Happy Home Life?

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

J.R. Miller, The Secrets of Happy Home Life:

“What are some of the secrets of happy home life?

The answer might be given in one word – Christ.

Christ at the marriage-alter;

Christ on the bridal journey;

Christ when the new home is set up;

Christ when the baby is born;

Christ when a child dies;

Christ in the pinching times;

Christ in the days of plenty;

Christ in the nursery, in the kitchen, in the parlor;

Christ in the toil and in the rest;

Christ along all the years;

Christ when the wedded pair walk toward the sunset gates;

Christ in the sad hour when farewells are spoken, and one goes on before and the other stays, bearing the unshared grief;

Christ is the secret of happy home life.”

HT: NCFIC

Common-Sense-Gone-Controversial: The Training of Young Children

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

I can't remember anymore when I didn't have preschoolers. And one thing I have learned is that what a child struggles with at two, he will struggle with at twenty if we are not there to train him in love, during these crucial years before age 5. While he may learn to hide his issues later on in life, when needed in order to fit into "normal" society, the root character issues will still be there.

Although we must not let fear of the future rule us or shape the expectations we have of our children, the truth is we have a duty to train their outward behavior now, when they are young.

The realization that only a genuine conversion of the soul by God will effect the child's spiritual state before Him should undergird everything we teach our little ones. But as parents we don't wait on the heart of the child to accompany the outward behavior. It would be foolish to wait until a pure motive accompanied the child's actions, before we began training a child not to throw things, to come to us when he is called, or not to pulverize his sister.

This used to be common sense. A no-brainer. But in our "enlightened" generation these simple truths have become controversial.

God has given parents the authority and duty of shaping their children by training their flesh in the malleable years. Biblical authority has been so distorted by society that the training and instruction of our children has been labeled as a wicked thing. But this is false.

The Bible commands parents to teach our children to obey us (Eph. 6:1, 4) and to require them to honor our authority. And if we are not shaping our children then we can be sure they are being shaped by someone. Either way, their lives are being molded. The question is, who is doing it?

Expecting obedience and teaching them to honor, with love and gentleness, is showing them a picture of God's relationship to His children.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. Heb. 12:6

We can't do it perfectly. I blow it very often. But just because we don't do it perfectly, doesn't mean it shouldn't be before our eyes and what we're striving for. Our ultimate goal is to lead our children to Christ.

Many times throughout the day small children need correction, sometimes for the same offense repeated again and again. Here are a few practical points I endeavor to be faithful in:

1.) Speak in Quiet Tones

This won't work if Junior is headed for a busy highway, but in normal circumstances I have found that speaking softly requires the little one to stop what they're doing, quiet down and strain a bit to hear me. A loud, stressed sound trains a child to only respond when this type of voice is used.

2.) Look Him in the Eyes

I try to stoop down to the child's level and maintain eye contact with him when I'm correcting him. If I can't stop and kneel then I will at the least cup his face in my hands and gently coax him to look at me.

3.) Take Your Time

Again, these are in average circumstances, not when you're in a dangerous situation and safety is at stake. But when possible, I try to give the child correction with words that are slow, deliberate and chosen well, instead of throwing out harsh rebukes willy nilly. Words, according to Prov. 18:21, are a matter of life and death.

4.) Use Biblical Terminology

"Were you considering your sister more important than yourself?" rather than, "You were mean to your sister."

or

"Are you using self-control?" rather than "Quit doing that!"

5.) Use Role Play

Re-enact the scene that just caused the need for correction, coaxing the child to behave in a God-honoring way.

6.) Encourage and Love

Show love and affection and remind him that no matter how many mistakes he makes, he will always be loved by Mama...your love is not dependent on his good behavior.

Verbally give him encouragement for what you see him doing right. Always be watching for an opportunity to encourage his heart. Somewhere I read that for every correction we must give, we should strive for ten encouragements. And again, we can use Biblical terminology in our encouragement, such as "You were patient with your brother just then!"

7.) Model Repentance.

Ask forgiveness when you sin against him. Because we all do. And we are thankful to be freely forgiven.

7.) Give the Gospel

Teach him that his actions are sin against God and tell him that sin is why Jesus died for us. Help him understand that his offense is against God and not just something that irritates you. We can begin to help our little ones understand that even on their best behavior days, God does not love them more because of it (and neither do we).

We can use these opportunities to turn their attention back to Christ each time, if we will just take the time (see #3).

8.) Build Cords of Fellowship

I try to keep corrections as short as possible and move on to restoration (hugs and fun times) .

May the hearts of the parents and the hearts of the children be turned toward one another and may God set our feet on the right path as we lead our children to do the same.

Is there anything you would add to this list? What are some other tips to help our little ones be lovingly trained in righteousness?

Weekend Links: The New Legalism, Being a Burden to Your Children & More

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Sat, 11 May 2013 11:54:00 +0000

Latest trends in evangelical circles say real Christians must be living "radically different." Who defines what is "radically different?"

"I continue to be amazed by the number of youth and young adults who are stressed and burnt out from the regular shaming and feelings of inadequacy if they happen to not be doing something unique and special. Today’s Millennial generation is being fed the message that if they don’t do something extraordinary in this life they are wasting their gifts and potential. The sad result is that many young adults feel ashamed if they “settle” into ordinary jobs, get married early and start families, live in small towns, or as 1 Thess 4:11 says, “aspire to live quietly, and to mind [their] affairs, and to work with [their] hands.” For too many Millennials their greatest fear in this life is being an ordinary person with a non-glamorous job, living in the suburbs, and having nothing spectacular to boast about."

Read The New Legalism: Missional, Radical, Narcissistic and Shamed.

Choosing life in the big and small:

"Far from having done our part when we carry a baby to term, we can continue to choose life every day. Every day we choose the life of another over our own life. Every day we can lay down our desires, our selfish ambition, our self-importance, and choose life. And of course this is not unique to mothers — every Christian has the means of fighting for life by laying theirs down for those around them."

Read Jancovic's The Real Life of the Pro-Life Home

Talk About Counter-Cultural Thinking. I love this post by Russell Moore.

"I want to live long enough to be a burden to my children."

"I certainly wouldn’t want my children, when I’m elderly, to have to suffer in caring for me in the throes of dementia or cancer or paralysis. But when I peel that back further, in my case, the real issue for me is simple: pride.

Read Russell Moore's Do You Want to Be a Burden to Your Children?

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Whose Thursday Is It?

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Originally published 2/16/12

Whose Thursday is it?

The question comes from me. Because they always know whose Thursday it is.

For almost a year of Thursdays now, each child goes to lunch alone with Mama. They choose a restaurant they'd like to eat at and perhaps an errand to run before heading back home.

Will it be a chatter Thursday? A little magpie with a Texas drawl that chooses a fried chicken lunch and asks non-stop questions like just how long does it take for front teeth to grow back? And Mama, do you really think Solomon would have cut that baby in half? And why does that lady have a hole in her pants? And how many more days is it til the baby comes, Mama?

Maybe it will be a young man Thursday. The day that the door gets held open wide for Mama, heavy items are kindly lifted, and the gas is pumped by a man-cub shivering in the cold. A slightly-squeaky-voice-Thursday and a let's-go-to-a-pizza-buffet-so-I-can-eat-as-much-as-I-want-to-Thursday. And can we stop and get some more guitar strings before we head home, Mama?

Maybe it's a sober, let's-enjoy-the-quiet-lunch-Thursday with a young woman who continues to blossom before my eyes, who surpassed me in grace and beauty long ago. It's a let's-talk-about- worldview-and-politics-Thursday, and can-we-drop-by-the-library-Thursday. Oh, and do you want me to drive? We'd better stop by the grocery store because you know we're out of ______, Mama.

Perhaps it's a McDonald's Thursday. The day that two little cowboys unstrap their holsters and toy pistols for a brief moment. Mama runs ragged and she pretends that it's really not that noisy in here and the food really is tasty and she chooses not to think about the cooties lurking on that slide or the creepy toys in the Happy Meal. It's a watch-what-I-can-do-Thursday and a we're-hyper-and-loving-it-Thursday and just five more minutes please, Mama?

It could be the favorite corn dog stand and let's-get-a-lemonade-Thursday with a precious 15 year old that wears a permanent mischievous grin . The day I laugh til my sides hurt and we browse the store aisles and pick our jaws off the floor at the styles and decide to shop for shoes instead. It's a Mama-can-you-turn-up-this-song-Thursday and better-stop-for-more-goat-feed-because-I'm-almost-out-Thursday.

I love Thursdays.

It's the ordinary. It's the every day. It's the string of familiar that make up the memories.

Make the most of your Thursday today...

When There is No Joy to be Found in Motherhood

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

This is a letter I recently received:

I prayed for 2 years to be able to stay home with my daughter and son I was then pregnant with. When my son was born 2 years ago, the Lord answered that prayer. Today I have a 2 and a 4 year old. I'm so thankful to have the privilege of being home with them; however I'm having major problems. I feel like I'm just drained, I find myself not wanting to spend time with them. I just can't take the constant needs, wants, cries, fights, spills and so on and so on. It starts the second they wake up. Especially my 4 year old daughter is just discontent with everything, if I give her this, she wants that, if I give her 2 she wants 3. I can't stand waking up to the immediate demands. I'm praying, begging the Lord to change my heart and help me find joy in being with my children. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. I feel guilty that I do feel this way, like I'm squandering a huge gift God has given me. I just want to be content and have joy in being with my kids.

First of all, dear sister, if we were face to face we’d have some chocolate and share a hug and you’d hear my empathetic tone. That’s because I have been right where you are and probably every woman reading this has been too.

Motherhood brings great blessings, love and laughter, and yet there are also times I cry after a hard day. We are all weak, frail humans and God knows we are but dust. In every home, not just yours, the days are full of sweet and wonderful moments, as well as hard ones. Harsh words are exchanged, messes are made and life simply isn’t one continuous rainbow.

What do we do when we don’t have the “joy, joy, joy, joy down in our hearts?” We can’t stay in that place of feeling dejected and gloomy because it is sin. We must repent of our inward complaining spirit because even when the dishes are piled high, the baby's diaper just had a blow-out and the four-year-old isn’t (seemingly) responding to discipline, we are still called to be a joyous people:

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Psalm 33:1

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit Romans 14:7

And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength Neh. 8:10b

Jesus had joy as he was going to the cross (Hebrews 12:2) and so I know he can empower me through his Word and Spirit to have joy even when I don’t feel joyful. He has given us everything we need that pertains to life and godliness...even joy in the midst of constant demands that leave our flesh ripped to shreds.

David lost joy at times, and he prayed that God would “restore” his joy. (Ps 51:12)

And so I think you are right when you say you are praying God would give you joy. The Lord hears the cry of His people. Keep praying.

Breaking Down the Problem

Sometimes identifying why we feel a certain way can help us take those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and I want to offer you some possibilities of why you may feel as you do. You mentioned that you prayed for two years to be able to stay home and God has answered that prayer. I certainly don’t know this about you, but it could be possible that motherhood was over-romanticized in your mind. Motherhood is work. Hard work. It’s why many people avoid having children, or send them off to the state to educate or even abandon them altogether. There are even support groups now for women who have abandoned their children.

Motherhood is not for the faint-of-heart and the sooner we understand that, the easier our adjustment will be. Take this gentle creature, for example:

Isn't she lovely? I love this photo. But I look more like Big Bird when I’m pregnant, than this serene and noble lady here. One would never dream that behind this dignified countenance she has hemorrhoids, varicose veins or a variety of other unpleasant maladies that accompany pregnancy.

What about this photo?

Another beauty. This child appears to be accepting correction from her mother so tenderly, doesn't she? Yet reality is it is very hard work to raise up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. To be consistent in training them to obey. To teach them the ways of the Lord and discipline their minds to memorize the scriptures.

There must be a balance before us of proclaiming the nobility and greatness of motherhood—because it is noble and great (this is the next generation, people!) —and the hard truth that sometimes life ain’t purty.

All of this to say, ask yourself if your expectations are realistic for what life with two littles should look like. You are in the planting phase of motherhood and that requires a lot of weeding.

Motherhood is wonderful, fun, exciting, fulfilling and a beautiful blessing. It’s also a self-denying, exhausting work that requires the Lord’s strength.

Entitlement

Our brains are so pickled in feminism that we don’t realize that many times we have problems with entitlement. In a world that tells us we "deserve the best," this is not a popular message. I mean...

I am entitled to drink this coffee while it is still hot.

I am entitled to have a night of uninterrupted sleep.

I am entitled to some me-time (I do not think “me time” is always wrong, but we can easily be off-balance. Read: What About Me Time).

Feelings of entitlement, that we deserve this or that, can make us inwardly seethe and become bitter because there is always this battle with the flesh going on. We don’t “deserve” anything in this life, except the burning fires of hell. Anything else we get are sprinkles on a big ol cupcake. There is great freedom in giving over your rights to another. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24

Many times I have felt discontent and sorrow rising in my heart, when entitlement was the root issue. I love Amy Carmichael’s poem “Calvary Love.” I have read it often when I think I just can't give anything else up for my family. Her words call me back and refresh my spirit.

The Four-Year-Old

I have eight children and they are all over the map in how they respond to discipline. Some have been more compliant while others have been strong-willed. I would encourage you, that being strong-willed can be a blessing but must be a quality that is redeemed by the Lord. I wrote a little about strong-wills right here.

But what you are describing does not sound like a child who is honoring your authority over her (Read: When Your Daughter Isn’t Pollyanna). The kindest and most loving thing you can do for your daughter is teach her to honor and obey you. It would take an entire blog post just for that statement, but I want to recommend a few resources for you: Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Ted Tripp and Doorposts' For Instructions in Righteousness are two very practical books. Also, Rachel Jancovic’s Loving the Little Years would be a great encouragement to you.

Talk to Yourself, Don't Let Your Self Talk to You

Sometimes, we must choose the joy for ourselves, not waiting on the feeling to arrive. If we play the part of a joyful mother, many times our hearts will follow later. (Read: You Have to Choose It). We can recite the scriptures, meditate on them and dwell on whatever is good (Phil. 4:8), refusing to let the Enemy bring us down.

Preach the gospel to yourself.

We have to understand who we are as Christians positionally, before we can understand what it means for us practically, and we must remind ourselves of it everyday. Jerry Bridges, in his book Respectable Sins says a lot about preaching the gospel to yourself. However, here is a good explanation as well. Many of us don't realize who we are in Christ, and how we are to abide in Him.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4

Sister, again, I have felt like you have. Persevere and weary not in well-doing. The Lord is your strength. I pray the Lord will give you the joy you seek in this season of motherhood. You said rightly that it is a precious gift.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Domestic Warfare

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

One of the greatest tactics of the enemy is one of luring us into compromise. Another powerful tool of his? Distraction. If the enemy can distract us via the god of mammon or lure us into thinking our Biblical role as women can be accomplished outside the sphere he designed for us, he has won a great battle.

Where is the sphere the Lord designed us for? The home.

Homes today are larger and more beautiful than ever, yet they stand empty all day existing only as a place to grab a bite to eat or sleep a few hours. Life, we reason, happens outside the home.

But this is not consistent with what the scripture teaches.

A woman's job and influence in her home is paramount.

Read Domestic Warfare at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home.

Rise and Shine O Blog of Mine! {and some changes}

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

These people. I love 'em more than anything.

I’ve missed ya'll! Sometimes life has so many details that the mind gets full to bursting and we need to pare down. Our spring days have been full of new drivers, new walkers, new work projects for my husband, pregnant dairy goats that are threatening to explode and also a few fun homeschool projects.

But I’m so thankful to the Lord for this little place to share my heart with you. I’m ready (I think—ha!) to get back to it.

This blog exists, firstly, as a service to the Lord.

Next it is for my own family—as a memoir of sorts and also for us financially. I need to be able to write about striving for godly wife and motherhood…while striving to be a godly wife and mother. I am no different than each one of you reading. I struggle and limp along at times or make poor choices that I regret later. I’m no saint folks, and I struggle to find balance just like you.

Lastly, this blog is a service to you. I happen to believe that I alone have the kindest and most loyal blog-readers around ;) Ya’ll have cheered my heart through your comments and emails more times than I can count and you are a blessing to me. Thank you.

Changes need to be made due to my own time issues and managing it the way the Lord would have me to. Some of these will disappoint a few of you, some will (I hope) be glad, and some of you don’t give a hoot one way or the other.

Change Number One: Topics

I’m going to be writing more practical posts. Posts about large family management, recipes, homeschooling how-to’s and general homemaking tips. These type posts require much less time for me in the think tank. While part of me asks, "Will sharing how to keep asparagus fresh really matter in the grand scheme of life?" Yet, I know that it is all a part of "looking well to the ways of the household." So yes, I think God does care if we keep our asparagus fresh.

Change Number Two—Letters

Some of you have been waiting on return emails from me for months. I might as well go ahead and admit defeat. I’m not going to get around to it. I will answer them in a blog post. That way I am accomplishing two things at once. Therefore, if you’ve been waiting on a return email from me for a thousand years or you’ve been holding off on writing because you thought I was too busy—go ahead and write it. I’m going to put it into a file and answer it publicly (won’t use your name or distinguishing details).

Change Three—the Big One

I have added a facebook page for In the Nursery of the Nation. I know this will disappoint some of you. I still mean every word of the post I wrote 18 months ago called Why You Won't Find Me on Facebook, warning homemakers of the dangers of too much time online, and particularly my hesitation toward facebook. Here is what has changed since then:

I don’t spend near as much time blogging as I did at the writing of that post. At the time I simply couldn’t imagine adding anything else, but the words come quicker now, as well as a steady growth that no longer requires me to post as often. I also don’t spend near as much time online learning my Lilla Rose business as I did then. That’s behind me as well. It’s up and running itself now.

Google Reader is going the way of the dinosaur which is a major subscription option for blog-readers. Also, I will soon be switching to Wordpress and that means that those of you who use blogger's feed will have to subscribe differently as well. A Facebook page is just another way to get blog updates.

I can update a facebook page far easier than I can update the blog. I can update from my phone while stirring a pot of soup and not have to wait for a turn on the computer. I can share past links, encouraging articles from around the web, or simple words of encouragement from my heart that, I pray, will give you a boost too. Most importantly, I can ask you gals what I should fix for supper.

That said, I don't really know what I'm doing there and some who at first "liked" it have already come to dis-like it after just a few days. Ha! Probably because I post too often or am just generally annoying. Admittedly, I am awkward on there but if you have patience with me I think sooner or later I will get comfortable in my own Facebook skin.

My desire is not to set up a blog kingdom, but to continue to encourage you in the Lord and keep balance in my personal life as well. I appreciate those of you who pray for me. Time management, I think, is a struggle for most everyone.

Tell me what's been going on at your house and what you have been doing to enjoy spring! I would love to hear from you.

Soli Deo Gloria,

When the Blog Goes to Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:47:00 +0000

Ya'll, I need a break. I have too many things on my plate right now, and need to free up brain space in some areas.

I'll be back in two weeks. Perhaps three. Maybe even four.

Thanks for your understanding :)

The Path of Servanthood

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 02:10:00 +0000

I've been reading through Proverbs 31:10-31 a lot lately.

One of the things that strikes me the most about this virtuous lady is her utter selflessness. She isn't focused on furthering her career, padding her bank account, or receiving praises for her personal accomplishments. On the contrary, she seems to be focused on the needs of others--her husband, her children and her community.

It bumfuzzles me that homemakers are often labeled as a poor, oppressed breed of women. Yet when I look at the Proverbs 31 woman I see:

She is well-dressed.
She has plenty of food to eat.
She is physically fit.
She enjoys a well-ordered, emotionally stable life.
She is strong, dignified and yet cheerful.
She has a lasting beauty.
She doesn't sit around wringing her hands about the future. She is secure and content.
Her husband, who is well-respected in the community, thinks she's awesome and remains unwavering in his faithfulness to her. He brags about her to his friends and tells her she's one in a million.
Her kids are crazy about her.

So who wouldn't be overjoyed to have these blessings?

But how did she attain all these benefits of life? Certainly not by insisting that her husband get busy and help do his share of the household chores (though there's nothing wrong with men helping out), or by sitting around with an idle mind and hands.

She received these blessing by choosing the path of servanthood--making the needs of her family her chief priority, second only to her relationship with Christ.

We are never more like Jesus than when we are serving Him and others, and there is no higher calling than to be a servant.

Helping Widows in Distress {Mae's Handcrafted Soap Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

This review and giveaway is on behalf of a dear friend and sister in Christ who unexpectedly lost her beloved husband in February of this year. He left Mae and a young son behind, reeling from their loss. Mae’s husband had been out of work for a year, living off of a small military pension. The family, understandably, had to cut back on expenses - one of which was their life insurance policies. His sudden death now leaves Mae and their son with very little income (less than a couple hundred dollars a month). Because of different personal situations, she is currently ineligible for benefits like Social Security. Mae homeschools their son, and thanks to The Home School Foundation, she will receive a grant to cover homeschooling supplies and curriculum. She is asking the Lord to provide for her son and herself through her small businesses, one of which is making soaps and other body products. As you can see, the situation is dire for this sweet widow and her son, but we know that God is able to do more than we could ever think, or ask (Eph. 3:20), and we hope that you will consider joining up with us to help by supporting her business. We're asking you, dear readers, to seriously consider the call of James 1:27—to care for widows and orphans and consider Mae's Handcrafted Natural Soaps for your next soap purchase.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1: 27

Please pass this on by sharing this giveaway on Facebook and Twitter.

Have you read about all the harmful ingredients in store-bought soap yet the thought of making your own is too intimidating? Would you like to wash with a gentle lather safe enough for a baby's skin? Then let me introduce you to Mae’s Handcrafted Natural Soaps. These natural soaps made with real tallow will delight your senses! Mae lovingly makes all her soaps in small batches to ensure the highest quality. She uses the best of the best ingredients: real tallow is gentle on your skin while at the same time is used for the bar's hardness, which means it doesn't get mushy in the shower. Olive oil is added for further gentleness along with a touch of coconut oil for a fluffy lather.

Only high quality soap scents or essential oils are used, and even then they are added with a light hand. Mae's bars give you an absolutely delicious scent you can enjoy in the shower, without becoming obtrusive during the day. Even her coloring agents are of a natural origin. These unique combinations make long-lasting, gentle bars that your whole family will love.

Bambi's Review

Ladies, Mae is a personal friend. She taught me and my daughters how to make soap a couple of years ago, spending precious minutes on emails to explain it all to us. She has spent time helping me in other ways over the years, and she was a real prayer warrior on my behalf last fall when Serenity was sick. A Godly lady--she is one. I am so thankful for an opportunity to help her in a small way.

This is Mae, isn't she lovely?

Her soap is fabulous. I recently had a bar sitting by the kitchen sink to use and the fragrance was lovely. However, it didn't stay there long because my daughters stole it away to their own "powder room," those soap thieves. Not only will you be helping this widow if you buy her soap, you will get a terrific product.

As you may notice, this is a large, concentrated effort to help Mae via dozens of bloggers and others. Go to Mae's Handcrafted Soap to purchase.

You Can Win Natural Handcrafted Soap!

Would you like to win some of Mae's Natural Handcrafted Soap for yourself? Well, here's your chance! Enter below and be one of SIX winners for a $25 credit that you can use to select your favorite soaps from Mae's delicious selections.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you'd like to give a donation, you can send via Paypal to RaymondBenevolentFund@gmail.com. Please remember to choose "Personal" giving so the Raymond family doesn't incur fees with your donation. If you need more details on how to do this, please contact sarahevan5@aol.com and she'd be happy to send you directions.

Weekend Links {a Diverse Selection of Good Reads}

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 14:12:00 +0000

What caught my eye this week:

Have you ever been stereotyped? Do you care? Me neither.

But I do care about this--the homeschooling movement has grown to such a degree that there is division in the ranks. There are the cool homeschoolers and then there are the rest of us. Boo. Boy, I bet Satan is having a high-ho, knee-slapping good time with this.

Cindy, at Getalong Home, responds to an article she read that said these words:

These were not the stay-at-home-moms in long skirts that I expected. The face of homeschooling is changing. We are not all religious extremists or farmers, and our kids are not all overachieving academic nerds without social skills.

Read: Stereotypes

I loved the 4Moms Q&A this week. These ladies are just full of pearls. With 35 kids between them, they oughta be. I loved this question as well as Kim's answer. Very practical and wise advice.

How do you deal with lying when there is no hard proof of who didn’t it, though you strongly suspect who did it?

Read the Q&A post here.

I love the nuts and bolts of homeschooling though I don't write much about it here. Maybe you do as well? If so, maybe you've asked yourself if cursive writing was something that is worthwhile to teach anymore. I want my children to learn to write legibly, but in our day would our focus be better spent on keyboarding? Just things I've pondered. (I would love to know your thoughts on this.)

This post about teaching cursive writing was great.

Read: Should I Still Teach My Child Cursive?

Lastly, this link came to me this week via Tim Challies' blog:

I saw a billboard on the way to the airport that read: Thou shalt not commit adultery. It advertised a website that specialized in extra-marital sexual connections for those interested in a little cheating.

A short post about the pleasures of sin... for a season. A great warning for all married folk.

Read: Thou Shalt ~~Not~~ Commit Adultery

Have a wonderful weekend, all of you! Bright and sunny here today so I predict dirty feet and tired children at bedtime tonight.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits...Ps. 103: 1, 2

Watch Me

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:05:00 +0000

Maybe I'm hormonal this morning or maybe I've had too much coffee, but this video choked me up. "Watch Me" is 4 minutes full of little gems and portions of solid teaching. Made me wanna do a back flip.

One of my favorite parts (paraphrased): "We're all watching and learning from someone whether we realize it or not."

Then how do we discern if what we're learning is right?

Many of us are so sure that what we have learned and how we have watched others live, is right. Others that we respect for one reason or another seem successful. But who defines success? How do we know, according to God's standards, what qualities truly are worthy of our respect?

It's also a call to disciple others. Purposefully. By sharing truth and in living it.

Email readers will have to click through to view the video

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Cor. 11:1

Naive, Unsophisticated Children {And the Evil That is Out to Get Them}

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:38:00 +0000

There is a common line of thought that says too much sheltering of children will produce naive adults that cannot function in the real world. In the case of homeschooling this is just an extension of the age old "What about socialization?" question. (As if the child who spends seven hours a day, five days a week in an artificial environment unlike any he will ever encounter as an adult, will be better prepared than a child whose main role models are mature adults.)

But ironically, this myth also abounds within the homeschool community. Could it be possible that we decry the "What about socialization?" remarks but on some level we truly are still worried about it?

We fear that our children will stand shocked and bewildered when someone uses profanity in their presence or they aren't savvy to the words and phrases that other kids use to speak of illicit sex. We fear that the latest movie or pop star will be discussed and our kids will awkwardly stand there not participating because they have been too sheltered from the world and haven't heard of these things.

Parents assume that the best way to know evil is by experiencing it for ourselves and so we expose our children to evil, but only to the degree that we deem appropriate. Yes, that sounds good. And look it's right there in the Bible in the book of...wait. Nope, it's not there.

God never intended His children to know evil. He wants us to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. Satan is the one who told Eve to taste for herself. And he wants us to fall for that same old lie.

Moms, our task is not to bring up children that fit in with this world. Are your kids weird? I hope so. I hope they seem like they are from another world. If we are fitting in with the world then we are conformed.

The challenge of every parent is to raise up children who love God with all their hearts, souls, minds and strength. Children who have a living and vibrant relationship with Christ, shining a light that penetrates darkness with righteousness and the gospel. We want more than just "good kids". We want kids who enthusiastically love truth and hate evil and who have a burden to go out and change this world--not fit in with it.

We want them to know the difference between right and wrong because of:

1.) A good overview of the scripture. I can teach my son more about immodest women and the flattering and seductive women of the world, through the use of scripture. He doesn't have to experience it.

2.) We can teach them the major doctrines of the Christian faith as well as teach them theologically rich hymns.

3.) We can teach them from biographies of true heroes--men such as Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor, David Livingstone and William Carey.

4.) And we cover it all in prayer, that God would bring the increase of all we sow. We pray He would sustain them when they are one day out on their own and that their love for Him would motivate their choices once they are outside our protective walls.

We pray that the "faith of their fathers" becomes their own.

Shaping Them in the Greenhouse

One thing is to be sure: Our children will eventually be exposed to lifestyles and choices that are foreign to them. But we, their parents, are the shapers of their "want to." Shaping them happens in the home--the greenhouse for tender plants that protects and shelters them until they are ready to be transplanted outdoors.

Children are going to develop an appetite and hunger for what they are fed. If all we feed them is junk food why would we expect them to grow up and eat nutritious meals? And if we allow our children to listen to and partake in pop culture, why are we surprised when they develop a listening ear to (or outright embrace of) the world's philosophies?

Our children will one day have the freedom to go places, do things and spend time with who they wish. Has their "want to" been shaped by you? One day their decisions will not be driven by what they are afraid we, their parents, think. Their decisions must be driven instead by a strong sense of the presence and holiness of God.

Weekend Links {Daughters, Sons and Reading Recommendations}

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 14:23:00 +0000

I hope all of you are having a blessed weekend and are keeping your eyes focused on our risen Lord Jesus! I haven't done much blog "pleasure reading" this week, but wanted to share a few links related to what's been on my heart lately: daughters, sons and preparing them for life. I have (soon to be) three young adults, friends. Still not sure how and when this happened, but it must have been around the same time that I developed a wrinkled neck.

My daughters and I have been reading aloud the book Why Isn't a Pretty Girl Like You Married? (And other Useful Comments) by Nancy Wilson We have been convicted at many points, me especially! Thankful for the Lord's work in our lives.

So I wanted to point you to this older article we also read by the lovely Botkin gals this week over at Visionary Daughters about how a young woman spends her time.

"You have well summarized the feelings of many young people of our generation. We have seen this malaise strike many young people reaching the threshold of adulthood — an increasing sense of the passing of time, the brevity of life, and a growing realization that we could be doing more with our lives. College girls and daughters at home alike fret about “spinning their wheels” — being always busy and accomplishing nothing. The truth is that we could all be doing more with our time… but we will continue to waste it until we recover the biblical understanding of time: Whose the time is and what it is for.
Part of the problem of our generation, sometimes referred to as the “entitlement generation,” is that we think our time is ours. What do we want to do? What do we want to see accomplished?
We must begin by recognizing that the time is God’s, and should be devoted to doing what He would want done. What are His priorities? Do we understand His mind well enough to know? He is the King and we are the servants, and time is one of many assets He has entrusted to His stewards to invest in His interests (Matt. 25:14-29)."

Read: Am I Wasting My Life

My daughter Shelbi posted a review of a great book this week that I think will be added to all highschool aged students of our homeschool. Shelbi reads a lot and when she officially tags a book as "a favorite" we all take note and act like we were going to read it anyway.

"I’ve read several books by Christian creation scientists, all dedicated to refuting evolution (and showing how truly laughable it really is), while providing impressive amounts of scientific evidence for the fact that God created the universe about 6,000 years ago. I expected that Ken Ham’s “The Lie: Evolution” would be the same type of book, but it turned out to be something much better."

Read: The Lie {Evolution} The Key to Defending Your Faith

This next article was on Raising Homemakers this week, in the Raising Sons category. In speaking of protecting her sons, Mary (of The Encouraging Home) correctly points out...

"I want to beg moms and dads to teach your girls how be ladies and to be modest and ask if they really see how they are dressing. I want to ask moms to be modest."

Read: Protecting Our Sons

I also want to point you to a new page I've been working on here at In the Nursery of the Nation, Recommended Reading. It's a work in progress.

Complaining Mothers and Blog-Theology

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:45:00 +0000

I received this note the other day from a reader:

Thank you...Seems there has been a trend recently in blogs I’ve read of talking about how hard parenting is and they aren’t precious a lot and it’s ok to want to escape…I know that is not God’s will for me...

I really appreciate her thoughts because this is something I also see as a weakness in the blogosphere. In an effort to avoid pretense, we share too much ugliness. In an effort to "be real" (honestly, sometimes I get so weary of that phrase) and try to identify with others, we neglect to speak or write truth.

I understand that it is a balance because it's correct to strive for humility and transparency. I too have failed at it many times, I'm sure. But according to the unspoken rules of the blogosphere, if you have nothing bad or "real" to say, it's not going to be received. At all costs, you must not appear to "have it all together."

No one has it all together.

But friends, if someone in the virtual world is making you feel better about your sin, you need to find another blog to read.

It is sin to perpetually stay in a place of motherhood where you are joyless.
It is not a sin to fail and ask the Lord's forgiveness and help to do better.

It is a sin to remain in a place of anxiety and frustration and cast blame on others for it (like your children for instance, or the fact that you have no mentor).
It is not a sin to take negative thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

It is not right for a blogger to refer to her website as a Titus 2 encouragement, if she is not encouraging you to love your children, but merely complain about them.

Motherhood is a beautiful gift of God. Messy at times. Noisy often. But sometimes we act as though we are martyrs, giving up something grand for a life of abysmal slavery.

Be discerning. A mark of Christian maturity is discernment. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14

And you can't have discernment if all you have is blog-theology. Yeah, I just made up that word. It means you are internalizing a steady diet of blog posts and nothing else.

The Lord has given us the precious job of training up little hearts for His glory. What a privilege and honor. How dare we complain?

When He Doesn't Lead

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:57:00 +0000

We all want one.

We’re wired that way.

If we don’t have one we’re liable to manipulate the relationship in order to feel like we have one. Leading him to lead, you know. Women are attracted to leadership because God has made us to be led.

We all want a husband who provides, protects and leads us spiritually.

Maybe we even see a sister who has one, and we covet her husband. Oh we don’t really want her husband, we reason. We just want our husband to act like hers.

Avoiding the Bitterness Trap: Contentment, Forgiveness, Humility

My husband is a leader, and a kind and good one too.

But even the best leaders fail. There are times my husband fails, is short-tempered or is not full of courage.

I am thankful for the Lord’s work in his life over the years because these times are fewer than they were when we first got married (read: Father's Day Tribute or Why a Blue-Eyed Preacher Still Has My Heart). Experience is a great teacher. That and a lot of grace.

We must pray for our husbands faithfully, that God will make them men after his own heart. But as we wait, the Lord is working in our hearts too, developing contentment and trust in Him. Developing a spirit of meekness—a quiet yet strong resolve to trust God. We must be tending the relationship with our eternal Husband because He is the only one who meets every need we have.

We must learn an attitude of forgiveness. Forgiveness must be the theme of our marriages, knowing that we too fail in the commands God has given us, specific to wives and mothers. Here is a quote by one of my favorite authors, Dr. R.C. Sproul. It really rocked my world last week:

"To demand from others what the Spirit Himself patiently endures is to exalt ourselves above God."

What is God patiently enduring from me? Oh my…too many issues to count. How can I not patiently endure the sin of my husband?

Lead Me

I love the song below and so does my husband. The lyrics clearly reveal the heart of a woman who wants to be led by her husband, and the inner battle the man has with leading his family. He correctly realizes He must be led by God first, before he can then lead his family.

The most important prayers we can utter for our husbands are that God will draw him by his grace and that he will cultivate his relationship with the Savior first.

Email viewers will have to click through to watch the video

Nations Are Gathered Out of Nurseries

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 01:24:00 +0000

I love this excerpt from The Golden Gems of Life:

The home is a seminary of infinite importance.

It is important because it is universal, and because the education it bestows gives color to the whole texture of life. The things said there give bias to character far more than do sermons, lectures, newspapers, and book.

No other teachers have acknowledged the divine right to instruct children that is granted without challenge to parents.

The foundation of our national life is in their hands.

They can make it send forth waters bitter or sweet, for the death or the healing of the people.

The smallest bit of opinion sown in the minds of children in private life later issue forth to the world and become its public opinions,

for nations are gathered out of nurseries.

A First Birthday Letter to My Daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:48:00 +0000

On Serenity's first birthday, I encouraged all of the other children to write a prayer for her. Assuming that I can keep track of the prayers, we'll give them to her when she turns twelve.

I wrote a letter to Serenity as well, to keep in my journal. I wish this was something I would have thought to do when all of my children turned a year old, but sadly I didn't (although I do have many other letters I've written to them all over the years, whether it be in my journals or notebooks we have written back and forth in).

As I was reading over Serenity's letter last night I thought it might be encouraging for other moms too, so I took a portion out to share.This is a piece of the original letter that actually could have been addressed to any of my daughters, not just her. You can read it over at Raising Homemakers:

A Letter to My Daughter on Her First Birthday

Weekend Links: Day of Small Things, When No One at Church is Like Me & More

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 01:41:00 +0000

Yes, I know there isn't much left of the weekend, but I'm squeezing in these fantastic links, just under the wire.

1.) Have you ever been discontent with your home? Too small, too old, too something?

Our nine kids share one sink, one toilet, and one shower. Because we don't all fit in our eat-in kitchen, we split up to eat. We have no entry way, so we crowd into our eat-in kitchen when coming home and pile 22 shoes in a corner.

This post struck a nerve in me. Read Natalie's post over at Keeper of the Home: Keeping Your Home When You'd Rather Have a Different One.

2.) My friend Trisha knocked two homeruns this week and I couldn't choose which one to highlight, so you get both of them.

Ever been discouraged at church?

The single woman is part of the body. The mother with many littles is part of the body. The divorced mother is part of the body. The woman who loves theology is part of the body, as is the woman who has no clue about antinomianism or latitudinarianism. No matter how "different" we are, the fact that we've been redeemed means that He has given us the blessing of being just right for one another. Will we choose to be so?

Read When No One at Church is Just Like You

3.) In this post, Trisha also sheds light on why we should welcome those sometimes awkward or embarrassing fertility-related questions from strangers:

Feminism has declared women are no different from men and that our bodies are our own. Abortion has declared life is worthless. And every one of us will be forced at some point, feminist or not, to taste their poisonous fruits, whether it's around the dinner table when our daughters insist they want to be single and pursue their dreams and not be shackled with the burden of children, or when they're forced to give their lives on the front lines of a battlefield. We'll taste it when men let the door slam in our faces or refuse to give up their seats. We're tasting it in a multitude of ways, right here, right now.

Read Why I Welcome Intrusive Fertility-Related Questions and Pats to the Pregnant Belly

4.) Some of you know I have a particular dislike for facebook and I'm still waiting on someone to change my mind. Everytime I log on there I feel as if I just walked into a crowded room and everyone is yelling at me at the same time. However, if anyone can change my mind, the wonderful Carmon Friedrich can, and I've found myself checking her new facebook page several times this week. Go to Day of Small Things and get regular doses of biblical encouragement.

Lord's Day Meditation

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 01:40:00 +0000

We shall grow in grace, but we shall never be more completely pardoned than when we first believed: we shall one day stand before the glorious presence of God in his own sacred courts, and see the Well-beloved and wear his likeness, but we shall not even then be more perfectly forgiven than we are at this present moment.

C.H. Spurgeon

All About Serenity

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 03:21:00 +0000

We're getting ready to celebrate one year of life with Serenity Brenlyn. Her birth was well-documented and so I'm going to tell you everything she's up to these days.

Her Style

Serenity takes the prize for hairiest Moore child ever. To many of you this will not seem like that much hair, but for us, it's quite unusual.

She looks adorable regardless of whether her hair is fixed or not, therefore she often looks like this:

Or this:

Or when a nap and bit of perspiration are involved, she may even look like this:

But let's not dwell on that. ~~On Sunday mornings~~ Usually, she looks more like this:

You'll never see Serenity in a pair of shoes. I don't know who the genius was who invented Mary Jane socks, but I feel certain it was a mom with a full-figured infant. Serenity wears Mary Jane socks because shoes won't fit her. But she's okay with that. She has great fashion sense and knows how to rock the socks.

Her Online Presence

She once modeled a book.

She once modeled a flexi-clip.

She once modeled a Lilla Rose hairband.

No autographs, please.

We don't know where all this is leading, but thus far she has remained humble about her fame.

Nicknames

We're big on nicknames in the Moore house. One reason is that babies always seem too small for their names at first, but also because Kevin sorta finds that it's his gift to come up with humdingers. It's one of those family eccentricities that no one would find funny but us. Right now in this house we have someone named "Free Free," "Harry Det" and "Babwhah". See, we're nuts.

So here are Serenity's nicknames:

Renny (That's not so bad. That one may stick her whole life.)
Ren-ma-fren
Renny-the-Pooh
Gul
Olren

Her Song

Somehow Kevin has also managed to pull out a song for each of the kids when they were babies. Here is Renny's song:

Well, she's my girl Renn--y
And she's not very skinn--y
And her Granny's name is Winn--ie
And she doesn't have a penn--y
But she's my frenn-y

All silly nonsense, but sung in such a way that makes her grin and if we're lucky, she'll dance a jig.

Her Stats

Serenity was not our biggest baby at birth, but she quickly caught up in size to our largest baby (Shiloh at 10lbs 12oz) and surpassed him. All of our children have been chunky, but this girl takes the cake (no pun intended) and we were most grateful to God for her healthy size when she was so ill last fall. We were told that babies with pertussis could have trouble eating, drop pounds and have a terrible time of it. Not our gal.

(Don't let this pitiful photo fool you. She was having a great nap.)

Playing peek-a-boo in the hospital crib. God truly gave us much grace through this trial with Renny last fall.

Weight: 30lbs

Clothing size: 24 months

Teeth: four on top, four on bottom

Communication

Serenity is jabbering a lot and says,

"Mama,"
"O-oh,"
"dog"
"no no"

She can also wave at you, play pat-a-cake, blow you a kiss and best of all...

give you five,
on the other side
and in the hole
(you're too slow)

Nutrition

Serenity is still nursing strong and I have no plans to stop anytime soon. She nurses 3 or four times during the day and will wake up sometime during the night from her crib, and join us in our bed where she can nurse again if she likes. I am thankful for the benefits of extended breastfeeding!

She is also eating table food that I mash or puree for her. Some of her favorites: avocado, banana, carrots, broccoli.

Transportation

She isn't walking yet, but will stand alone and think about taking a step. I'm not rushing her to walk. One of the symptoms of being ~~an old~~ a seasoned mom is wanting to prolong the precious baby stage that passes too quickly.

Sleeping

Renny usually just takes one nap during the day, but if she wakes up early (before 7am) in the morning, then she'll take two naps. She sleeps for 1 1/2 to 2 hours each afternoon and goes to bed around 7:30 PM. She stays in her crib until around midnight and then joins us in our bed where she will gladly nurse back to sleep. Some nights she is restless and disturbs us, but usually not and we love having her with us. Sometime later I will get serious about her sleeping in her own bed, but overall I'm a big softy and things like this do not stress me out.

Likes and Dislikes

She likes this doll. She's a real good mama, just a little rough.

She likes Instagram. Here she is saying hello to her cousin Rosie.

She likes to feed herself thank you very much.

She also likes to take a bath.

She likes to sing Jingle Bells and does the solo part of "ha-ha-ha."

She likes to go outside and watch the horses, but she does not like to get too close. She's terrified of the horses.

She does not like to be forced into Sarah Grace's ergo against her will during a game of house. Not that that happens much around here.

She does not like to be strapped into the stroller.

She also does not like to ride in her carseat for more than a few minutes.

She does not like loud noises.

We can't even remember what life was like before this sweetie was born. Her brothers adore her, her sisters can't keep their hands off her and she has nine sets of eyes observing her every move, watching to see the fun thing she will do next.

Funny how many would say you couldn't possibly love your eighth child the way you do your first or second. Any mama who has eight children will dispel that myth quickly. The love doesn't get divided up, it just multiplies.

Happy Birthday, Serenity.

When Mama Is Eeyore

noreply@blogger.com (Bambi) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:27:00 +0000

Rejoice Always.

Pray without ceasing.

In everything give thanks.

1 Thess. 5:16-18

Why is it that we let our rejoicings get tied up to our circumstances?

I'll rejoice Lord...when my baby sleeps through the night.

I'll rejoice Lord...when my husband starts to lead in our home.

I'll rejoice Lord...when we move into a bigger house.

I'll rejoice Lord...when we've ridden ourselves of all this debt.

But the truth is, there is no rejoicing apart from Christ. Our ability to have joy as a Christian has nothing to do with our circumstances, but everything to do with keeping our focus Godward.

When Jesus healed the paralytic in Matthew chapter 9 he said, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."

Forgiveness.

Here is our reason to rejoice. A clear conscience, burdens removed and sins casted as far as the east is from the west. The wrath we deserve from God now appeased because of Christ.

Washed...restored...and made right with God...this is why we rejoice.

As Christians we begin to get accustomed to forgiveness and we start to take it for granted. We become complacent in our joy and allow discontentment to creep in.

Contentment, cheerfulness and a rejoicing spirit must be cultivated as we serve others. These are not qualities that pop up naturally.

God loves it when we give cheerfully (2 Cor. 9:7). So instead of grumbling to ourselves or reveling in a persecution complex if we find ourselves alone in the kitchen with no helpers, or serving family members too young or too oblivious to appreciate it, we must choose to rejoice in the Lord.

A new book won't whip us into shape and give us the joy that we long to have. The latest blogpost-gone-viral will never be enough to satisfy a hungry soul.

They're just band-aids. Cheap ones at that.

God brings us blessing and happiness when we give ourselves to Him. When we walk in the fear of the Lord, worshiping Him, obeying his commands and striving to be faithful in applying what we learn, we'll be too busy rejoicing in the Lord, and we won't be glum about our circumstances.

Thankfully shared at Getalong Home