Are you a "JOYFUL Mother of children"?

I recently came across this verse again from Psalm 113:9:

He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!

It got me thinking about the phrase "joyful mother."  What a wonderful thing!  Doesn't it just make you think of a happy housewife running around her home with a smile and smiling children all around... a clean kitchen... no toys on the floor... and the aroma of fresh baked delicacies?  I admit, that's my first thought.  But when I think more about it...of course, that's not reality.  Maybe in "Leave it to Beaver," but not in the real world.

Putting that verse in the real world...my real world, I totally understand what it means and what God is trying to show us.

God has not created the institute of family and motherhood to be full of anxiety, frustration, burdens and shackles.  He created us to be a JOYFUL mother of children!!  (And if any dads are reading this too, just insert "Joyful father of children!")

What exactly does it mean to be "joyful?"  It's not jumping up and down with excitement and having feelings of ecstasy all day long.  Cause, let's face it, last week when TWELVE of us got stomach bug (and let me remind you that there are only 13 stomachs residing in our whole house and one of them is my pet fish named George--and even HE looked queasy last week) I wasn't feeling like jumping up and down cause I loved motherhood so much.  😳   

To me, being joyful as a mother is being content and having a peace in my heart that I am exactly where I need to be, doing the most important job in the universe: caring and loving children that God has given me as gifts.  It is KNOWING who you are as a mother... that your job matters... that you are changing lives and making a difference in the world as you raise future leaders and world-changers who will go out and bless and impact the world for Christ. 

That, ladies, is our job description as mothers.  Pretty cool huh?

Our culture will tell you that "just staying home" is not impressive at all. That you are "just a housewife."  Isn't that sad?  I have to remind you that our culture does not value what God values.  And if you are a working mom, don't let them tell you that that job is more important than being a mom to your children. Some women need to work, but don't believe for one minute that your mom job is not as important.  It is one billion times more important!!!  Nobody can love and be a joyful mother to YOUR children the way you can.  There is no substitute!!!

So, if your first thought of motherhood is just feeling overwhelmed with laundry, cooking, snotty noses, crying and tantrums (you and the kids), spit up on your clothes and dirty diapers, then I encourage you to view motherhood through God's eyes. The Bible is TRUTH, and anything else you might feel or believe different are lies... so listen to the voice of truth! (You'll be glad you did.)
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.  It can only come from God.  Sure you might feel moments of being happy without God, but you won't know true JOY unless the Holy Spirit of God lives in you.   So that is the first step.

2 Peter 1:3 tells us that God has given us EVERYTHING we need to live a godly life.   A godly life includes joy!!!  So if you are mothering in your own strength, barely surviving....trying your best to put on a fake smile and not yell... it won't work.  At least not for long.  You need to by faith, read what the Bible says about motherhood, children and joy and begin to walk in it with the joy of the Lord as your strength... not coffee... or "me" time... or escaping to social media...

You, my friend, can find amazing joy in the midst of dishes, laundry, crying, and cooking because of WHO lives in you and is helping you to do everything that He has called you to do.  With Him, you CAN be a joyful mother of children!!!!

I truly LOVE my job.   I gave up a pretty good paycheck and career 23 years ago for my current job.  I admit, at first it was a VERY hard adjustment for me.  But God has taught me what a privilege and honor it is to do the job He has given me to do--caring and raising and loving 10 beautiful souls for His glory!!   I can't imagine a job that would bring me more joy and contentment.

If you would like that in your life, whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, pray and ask God to give you a vision for how He views children and motherhood. When you catch a glimpse that the King of Kings thinks that your job is super important and that you are the absolutely most qualified person for the job of raising your kids, you will have to smile at the prestigious position you have been given.

It won't always be fun.  It won't (for sure!) be easy. But it will make an impact for eternity and affect generations to come.  I give you permission to tell culture to take a hike.  YOU can be a JOYFUL mother of your children.  You can smile and enjoy your kids. You can LOVE being a mom even if at the moment you don't like the current task at hand.  You can have that inward contentment and peace in your heart that only God can give... so go on!

Be JOYFUL!!!!!!

On "Super Confessors" and Super Religion...and How they Lead only to Death....

I recently saw an article about Pope Francis recently nominating 1,000 "Super Confessors" in the Roman Catholic Church.       The article basically says that these "missionaries of mercy" were "created" by the Pope to forgive very serious sins that typically only the Pope or high church officials can forgive.     And, "thanks to their SPECIAL POWERS, they can also absolve fellow priests from serious transgressions."  This is heresy.

By Casa Rosada (Argentina Presidency of the Nation), CC BY-SA 2.0,
 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25183515

As a "non-Catholic" I have seen over the years in the news so many instances of the Catholic Church changing  long-held beliefs. Beliefs that have been in place for thousands of years.  Changes in doctrine, the way they handle mass, and "giving in" to make themselves culturally relevant.  It seems to have started in the 1960's with the 2nd Vatican Council and only gotten worse.

This particular event, however, is so obviously contrary to Scripture that I had to comment.   I have always wondered why a Catholic was required to "confess" to a priest in the first place.



1 Timothy 2:5

"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,"

That clearly says that there is ONE mediator that goes between God and man--JESUS!  Not 1,000+

Along with the changes since the 1960's, there are dozens of Catholic teachings that just flat-out contradict Scripture.       

Lest I be accused of just "Catholic-bashing,"  sadly, Evangelical Christianity has not fared much better in the last century.  I've heard it said that the modern Christian church is just ONE generation behind culture in what it deems morally "okay."  I don't think you need examples to know that this is true.  American Christianity is no longer Biblical Christianity.      The common factor and failure in both of these situations (Catholicism and American Christianity), is that it is based on religion and following rules and not relationship.     Whether it's Rosary beads and Hail Mary's  or saying a "sinner's prayer" and showing up for church with no change in your sinning.....religion leads only to hell.     The Bible says that "all your righteousness (works) are as filthy rags."     

How then can we be saved?

• Acknowledge you are a sinner (Romans 3:23)
• Realize that the payment for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23)
• Know that heaven is "perfect" and to go there we must be too (Revelation 21:27)
• But, we cannot earn our way there by being "Catholic enough" or "Christian enough" (Ephesians 2:8-9)
• Good News!  Jesus paid the penalty of your sins! Because of Him you are declared "Not Guilty!!" (2 Corinthians 5:21)
• All you need to do or CAN do is trust in Him (nothing else works!) (John 3:16  John 1:12)
• You can KNOW you have eternal life (1 John 5:13)

Retrieved from:
 http://www.justtflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Cross-Easter.jpg

Basically, when you truly realize the seriousness of your sin to a Holy God....and realize you are DOOMED to eternal punishment....that is BAD NEWS.   Then, Jesus comes and says, "I've paid the price for her sins....she is FREE!"   If you truly GET THAT......how can you not jump for joy and give everything to serve this Savior of yours?     You WANT to serve Him/love Him/tell others what He has delivered you from!  You start to hate what God hates (your sin!!!)  and along with salvation is repentance (which means to turn your back on your sin and STOP SINNING).     "Cleaning up your life" doesn't save you, though.....but Because you are saved you WANT to live right to please your King!  That is so different!!!!     So, if you have been stuck in a life of religious "do's and don'ts" and rituals and trusting in your religion...just stop...it is doing nothing for you!!!   Trust in a God that loves you and wants to be in relationship with you......you will never find joy and freedom until your life is in His hands and you are free from the burden of religion.   

Eating the Fruit of the Spirit?

Photo By en:User:Daderot. - First uploaded to en:wiki on 5 Apr 2005.

So, this post is a bit off the wall.   I woke up last night at 3:31am, and I felt like I should pray for one of my dear friends.  While praying for her, a thought struck me that I had never thought of before.   Because of Christ in me, the fruit of the Spirit of God also fills me...so because of this position in Christ I can live my life FULL of : love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

So the Bible says that if we are Christ-followers, we WILL bear fruit. (evidence in our life that Christ has become our Lord.)

"Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them." --Matthew 7:17-20

Those who are Christ-followers have fruit.  But fruit is not meant to just hang on trees.  That's when it hit me!  Can someone really EAT the Fruit of the Spirit?    So I ran to Google (later in the morning after I woke up again) and typed in :  "can you eat the fruit of the spirit"  and would you believe...Google had NO idea!!!!!!

So I thought about it!!!  WE are called to represent Christ to the world!  What does the world who doesn't know Christ NEED?  Do they need LOVE?  Uh yeah!  How about JOY?  Yup!  PEACE?  Definitely!!!  PATIENCE? Yep!  KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL?  YES, Yes, Yes, Yes Yes!!!!

Where can those who don't have those fruit FIND it?  Well, since they are found in CHRIST alone, you can reason to say that Christ-followers should exhibit these fruit MOST in their lives in our culture!!!  (Not cause we're so amazing (quite the contrary!) but only because Christ who lives IN us shows His nature THROUGH our lives..it's nothing we do but all about what HE does!!!)

So, if you've got fruit...don't let it ROT on your tree....I don't believe that God gives us fruit to rot or to eat just ourselves but to share it to a needy and dying world who NEEDS these very FRUITS in their lives too!    

It says in Psalm 34:8,   "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him." We are Christ to this world. Let the world "taste and see" our fruit that God has given us so they can know of His goodness!!!

So...go on....let your fruit be shared with this lost and dying world. They have no hope without Jesus...and the world NEEDS this fruit!!!

So You've Made a "Decision" to Follow Jesus? So What!

As a follow-up to my previous post, I wanted to share another idea that Francis Chan shared in his sermon Why Are We Here?    It is the concept that we hear frequently in Evangelical circles:  "I've made a decision for Christ."     

 Chan goes on to explain that last year he "made a decision" to run every single day of the year.  Even if it was only 1/2 of a mile, he made the decision to do it.   So, on January 1st, he got together with a bunch of friends, and, even though it almost killed him, he ran 4 miles.   Fast forward a few months....at that point, he had run a total since January 2nd of about 4 miles all together.     He "made a decision," but did it actually change his life?   Many people "decide" to follow Christ.....and other than calling themselves a "Christian" after that day, nothing much has changed in their life.

I think this goes along with the heresy of "the sinner's prayer."  The false teaching that if there is an altar call or "invitation" at church and you repeat a prayer after someone "asking Jesus into your heart" that you are deemed a "Christian" and are on your way to heaven.   It doesn't matter that you never had an encounter with God, you never repented from your sins, and you never gave up your life to be under Christ's control.   

Folks, an encounter with God is like being hit by a Mac-Truck.  You can't have an encounter with the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings and the Lord of lords and remain unchanged!

If you have "made a decision" or prayed a "sinner's prayer"  please see if your life has fruit of the evidence that it was a true conversion to Christianity.    

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ --Matthew 7:21-23


13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. --Matthew 7:13-14

Who is Driving your Car?

So we watched one of those sermons today.  One that leaves you thinking and chewing on what you heard and realizing that you can say, "Wow, that was a good sermon!" and call it a day....or you can sincerely ask the Lord to let it penetrate and change your heart.  

While watching Francis Chan's sermon Why are we here? Meaning of life, Biblical Salvation, I had a couple things that seared into my brain cells ideas that I haven't thought of in a long time or maybe EVER.  

The first is a simple concept:   The idea that we are zooming around space, on a ball at thousands of miles per hour around a burning hot star 93 million miles away.  If we were just a tad closer, we'd burn up in seconds, and if we were farther, we'd freeze to death.   And we think we are in control.   

The thought was that if today was your last day spinning around on this planet, how would God want you to spend your day?  How do you know it isn't?    Who are you living for---and will it matter in 100 years??

Secondly......imagine your life is represented by a car.     You are trucking along and encounter Jesus.  Some people think he is nice to have around for emergencies---when they are sick or in financial distress....so they put Jesus in the trunk.  

Other people want Jesus as a closer part of his life....so they invite him into the back seat of their life.  They can chat and hang out, but nothing too committed.   

Others ask Jesus to be in the passenger seat.  They really want to chat and have fun together. They even want intimate conversation and sharing,  but they still want to be the one steering the wheel and deciding what to do and where to go with their lives.    (This reminds me of the old bumper sticker that was around in the 70's and 80's  "Jesus is my Co-pilot" )   (And I'm realizing how that goes against true-Christianity) 

Finally some realize how utterly pathetic they are in their own strength, get out of the driver's seat, ask God to drive and steer the car, and give Him full control.    

Chan challenges us to see where we are in that analogy.

Think about it a minute...where is Jesus in your "life car?"   

This led to a great discussion in our family about what salvation is ----and how is affects our whole lives.

I admitted that I feel Jesus IS in the driver's seat of my life, but that I had a tendency to grab the wheel and help him when I got nervous and lacked faith.     Anyone else relate?    Do we treat Jesus like a teen-aged driver?   

Let our prayer be like the famous Bluegrass song  "Jesus Take the Wheel"   and never touch it again.....let us have a pre-determined "YES, LORD!"    That means that before Jesus even asks, we have already said, "YES!" to whatever he asks of us!!!