"Whatever you do whether in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Col. 3:17

Regarding the quote from yesterday, I just wanted to say that everything that we do in this world, we can do to glorify the Lord. The world can watch us as we handle car parts, insurance policies, and handle political legislation. These things do matter, when we look at Who we are doing them for, and our attitude towards doing them. Even taking out the trash can be done for the glory of God.

The purpose of the quote is to show how important mothering is, and that it is eternal.

Dave and I firmly believe that we are all called to be missionaries (Mark 16:15) as we carry out the tasks that God has given us, no matter how mundane or seemingly insignificant. So, as we as mothers carry out our God-given task in the home, we can still shine our light before men as we go the grocery store, get gas at the gas station, and other various ways we do the mundane. And, as we are carrying out our job in the home, our husbands and others can be shining their lights before men in the workplace, no matter what job it is...it can be done for His glory!!

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

As I Prepare....

...for speaking this next week, I have come across such great Scripture and inspiration in the book, Womanly Dominion by Mark Chanski. It is a great book!

Here's a great quote:

"I know that some jobs don't really count, don't make much of a difference, don't actually matter that much, don't have much lasting significance. Not so with mothering. I know that in some jobs the worker is only handling cleaning equipment, or car parts, or computer keyboards, or insurance policies, or court cases, or political legislation, or stockholders' funds. Not so with mothering. A mother is handling things of a far greater magnitude. She's handling never-dying souls. She's daily conducting heart surgery on eternal spirits whose forever destinies are influenced most profoundly by the hands that rock their cradles, wipe their noses, spank their fannies, open their Bibles, prepare their after-school snacks, and turn off their bedroom lights. Those motherly hands are molding characters which will become men and women who will turn the world upside down either for good or for evil. Now that's a job that counts. " Womanly Dominion, page 108-109

What do you think? If you are a mother, do you feel like it counts this much?

This is LOONNGG overdue, but since I wasn't blogging at the time, you'll have to bear with me! This summer I had the wonderful pleasure to meet Sheri in real life! We have been e-mail friends for a couple of years now, and it was such a privilege to meet her and her precious little ones! Sheri is refreshing just to be around, a beautiful woman (she was Miss Iowa, for goodness sake), and such a godly woman who loves the Lord and her family.

I was so blessed and encouraged to spend time with her, I only wish we lived closer to each other!

Sheri is in the middle of a wonderful series on her blog called, A Peaceful Home. You need to go check it out!

Have a blessed day!

The Retreat

As I mentioned previously, this last weekend I attended an Above Rubies retreat. I went with dear friends and had a wonderful time. I don't think I have ever felt so encouraged and inspired in my role as a wife and mother as I did this weekend.

I took pages and pages of notes, and I'm amazed at how much Scripture Nancy Campbell used in each of her talks....she knows her Bible!!

There are so many things I could share that I took away this weekend, but here's a few things that really stand out to me. All of the following was shared by Nancy:

"They (your children) will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:5

We are raising arrows to go out into this world. We should be training them for battle. We have to get our children ready to face the battles against the world and the evil one.

We need to teach them how to be able to speak. They should be well equipped with His words of truth when they go out into the nation (whether that be our daughters becoming mommies and training up their own children or our sons going out into the workplace). They should be able to speak to the leaders and know how to implement change.

Before we can teach our children, we ourselves have to be ones that speak up for truth. It's time we rose up to speak up, write up, phone up, and train our children to speak up. Our children will catch our vision as they see us standing up for truth.

We do not need to be ashamed of the gospel....we can take the Word out as we go about our daily life (at the grocery store, when we have people into our home, etc.), and challenge people. We just need to make sure that we are speaking the truth in love (with grace). 1 Peter 3:5 reminds us that we need to be ready to give an answer to everyone that asks you to give an account for the hope you have within you.

So, how can we do it? It is only through the power and the anointing of God that we can speak up and train godly seed to speak up as well. 1 Corintians 1:5 ....we are enriched in Him because we have Christ in us.
We need to get on our knees before God and ask Him to give us the strength to train our children in the way that they should go. Then, we need to teach them how to speak, first in the home using speeches and by asking them questions to challenge their thinking. And, we need to teach them, drench them, ground them in the Word of God!!

And, on another note, she had so many wonderful things to say about the power that we have as mothers in the home. It is the most powerful job on earth. It may seem mundane, but it is not....we are dangerous to the devil!
This was so encouraging to hear, as I am speaking on this topic next week here!

Well, I hope what I shared from the weekend encourages and inspires you!
Blessings,

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful and helpful comments on the last post. I suggest that everyone reads the comments on the last post if you haven't yet.

I enjoy hearing from all of you! I found some great resources and new to me websites.

The Things We Do has a GREAT new blog called Hope Chest of Wisdom (a sweet blog intended for her daughter) and she has a great list of modest clothing links in the sidebar...go check it out!

Sheri introduced me to two new places to find skirts... Below the Knee and Be Precious. I love finding new resources!

And, if you like to sew, The Handmade Dress has some really beautiful dress patterns for girls.

On another note, here are a few pictures of our day before I went to the Above Rubies retreat on Friday. Some gracious people invited us to their property to make apple cider and feed their fish. It was SO fun!!


I had the most amazing time at the retreat!! I am so energized and refreshed, and I also met several of my blog readers...how fun! Stay tuned for a full post about the wonderful retreat.


Blessings,

Cold Weather and Skirts

A sweet blog reader from Canada e-mailed me and asked for advice on how to wear skirts and stay warm in the winter. I am no expert, but since I lived in Alaska a while back, I can appreciate just how uncomfortable it can be to be cold!!

So here are some ideas....

Wear thicker, heavier-weight long skirts. I have found some at New Creation Apparel, Lands' End, J.Jill, and Pendelton Woolen Mills. I also found a cute skirt I would love to have here at Boden. My favorite skirt finds have always come from Goodwill (which can be hit or miss).

Then, wear something under your skirt. Whether it be leggings, tights, or my personal favorite, silk long underwear (they are breathable, soft, and thin), an extra layer underneath will greatly help in keeping warm!

Add a knee-length boot for extra warmth. I am no fashion expert, but I think it looks really cute to wear boots under a long denim or wool skirt.

Those are just some ideas off the top of my head....do you have ideas to share for our Canadian friend and others? Do you wear skirts in the winter, and how do you stay warm? I'm thinking maybe Hannah and I will have to do a Week of Skirts, Fall Edition...maybe soon.

Well, I'm off to an Above Rubies retreat with friends this weekend. I can hardly wait! Have a blessed weekend!

MAF

Recently I have had a nunber of e-mails asking about where we serve as missionaries and what organization we serve with. We serve in Kalimantan, Indonesia (although we are currently in the States on furlough). We serve with the wonderful organization, MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship). My husband is a pilot/mechanic and he serves the people in Indonesia through his use of the airplane (among other things).

And, by the way, if you go to the MAF website here, you can get a free book called Jungle Pilot, the story of one of the first MAF missionaries, Nate Saint. I hope you enjoy it!!

Blessings!