My youngest brother who shall go by Soldier has been intensely touched by the recent killings and capture of the troops who were from Fort Drum NY. This was his home base for four years. He is 24 years old and has lost two close friends who were killed. And have two more friends who are in captivity. Now at this point, I must say if anyone feels the need to post anti-war comments I will use discretion and delete those that i see fit. I am in whole and complete favor of the war. My brother’s testimony of the changes he has seen in his 3 six month terms in Iraq notes that amazing transformation. So therefore unless you have been there yourself I have no need for speculated or media driven comments that have been proven to be clearly one sided. So that being said, here is the details of the request. He is suffering from guilt due to the fact that he wasn’t there to help. This is very common for every war or military action throughout all of history. He also is feeling horrible that he will not be able to attend the memorial services at Fort Drum. He has received a lot of contact from both fort drum officials, other military buddies and from some of his buddies wives. It’s not like normal life where guys only stay connected with their guy friends but also with their whole family. They are just friends either. They are family who have experienced some very tragic experiences. And just like a true family who goes through real trauma and survive the come out stronger and closer than ever before. Thank you for your prayers at this very difficult time for him!And please take a minute to listen to Michael W. Smith’s Song FRIENDS which Soldier just told me that in chapel at basic training they would sing this to those graduating and leaving boot camp. These friends are graduating…hopefully into glory
Category: Christian
Spare the Rod….
Spoil the child as the Proverb goes. being a believer I do believe in spanking. It is laid out in Scripture. However where do you draw the line. It is a thin line sometimes very gray and muddled. Unfortunately unlike some other principles and rules laid out in the Bible the idea of discipline is vague in some areas. I wish God would have laid out the things deserving of spankings and those that are just not worth the energy it takes to administer discipline. So what has prompted this post? Well it’s the culmination of many many things over the last couple of years. Probably most of all conversations with friends who also have children. Let me start off by saying that I have been blessed with two children and a third on the way. Tornado is almost two and ladybug is almost 9 months. Their names are fitting for their personalities. Tornado is a VERY strong -willed independent smart VERY active little boy. He definitely causes me to get my exercise and stay mentally sharp. Luckily I can still move a little quicker than he can though that will slowly decrease over the nest few months. He’s a great kid and very inquisitive. Lady bug is just that. She sits on the floor and plays quietly until one of three things happens, she poops, she gets tired or tornado loves her too much! Other than that you don’t even realize she is there most of the time. I have a friend who has a compliant 16 1/2 month old and has begun to alienate some friends, me included. You see she seems to think that SHE made her daughter the way she is, in which she really must realize that she had nothing to do with it and that all the constancy in the world only makes a compliant child better! However my thought go to the verse “do not provoke your children to wrath?” I have seen that in my son. And for that I am sorry! As I have discovered with a strong willed child that Eventually consistency turns into abuse, and my friend will never understand that until she has a strong -willed child of her very own. And at that point I am concerned for her child because she is not very flexible and not very understanding. I’m not perfect. And I am not so sure that “BREAKING a CHILD’S WILL” is Biblical. I don’t want to “break” my child’s determination for the main fact is that’s what will give him the drive in life to do great things. I am here to correct and guide, protect and be a good steward of the gifts God has give to Hubby and I. I am raising a child who can think for himself and not bow to every command. That is why my husband is the way he is. He had the correct balance growing up. And as a final note if you think back to the parable of the prodigal son, it is difficult for me to see who really is the prodigal son. I am willing to say that I am pretty sure that punishment was fair between the two brothers growing up. You can see that in the response to the son who complains to the dad about how he is treating the returning son, and the father said I would have done the same for you. In that case to had a compliant child and the rebellious child. But in the end of it all the rebellious child understood his wrong and repented and humbled himself to ask forgiveness but the compliant child probably lived the rest of his life in bitterness and anger. What outcome would you rather from your child? the choice is clear to me!
A young Mom Update
First of all let me get something off my chest! Can I just say it drives me nuts when people think they know somebody and their situation. Big named people get the raw end of the deal in my opinion. We on the outside build them up to a god/goddess status and then when they come crashing off the pedestal we built up for them we think they “can’t hack it.” Now I would just like to point out that celebs are people too> They are humans and sinners just as we are. God loves them just as much and He wants them to be brought unto Himself. He longs for them to be His children as well no matter what they have done or said!
That being said I have an update on the young woman I posted about. I got some great responses for this prayer request. This young woman the day I posted attempted suicide. My heart has been burdened for this young mom for some time. For those of you who have not read my other post here is a brief summary. I know of a young mom who is two years younger than myself. She has two children about 12 months apart. She was recently diagnosed with Postpartum depression and is seriously ill. She attempted suicide the day I last posted. I appreciate all of your prayers for her. Well I don’;t really think I would have gotten such a positive response had I told you who she was. Now for the identity of this young mom…she is the young Brittney Spears… Yep you are shocked aren’t you. maybe appalled. .if you only knew it was her perhaps you would not have been so compassionate. Wait a minute that’s not what Christ intended. He had compassion on the least liked and loved…real sinners..harlots, tax payers, gentiles, those who were demon possessed ..real outcasts of society. Now I do say we should condone what she has done but what I do say is love her for the pain she has experienced. She is a lone and she needs prayer. And most importantly she needs SALVATION!
A young mom
I know of a mom who is not doing so well. She has two kids who are VERY close together in age. She tried committing suicide yesterday and most importantly she doesn’t know the Lord. She is getting help, but what will really give her peace is becoming a child of the King. I will share her name later on this week but what a perfect time for Christian women to come together through the Ultimate Blog Party to pray for this mom, her children, her salvation and those she comes in contact with. I will tell you she has been diagnosed with post-pardum depression and is truly struggling with life in general. As fellow moms and women won’t you bond together and pray for her!
Where has all the chivalry gone?
First off let me say two blogs in one day…WOW!! It has been a rather slow day in mommy land. Dishes are done, clothes finally all folded and put away, Ladybug had a very long nap and tornado has blown apart his room yet again; but all in all a pretty silent uneventful day; oh yeah and hubby had classes .
I was working on some filing that needed to be done when I kept running across all these articles based on de-stressing your life. When I read the subtitle to most of the articles i was shocked to discover that the majority of them are based toward working women.
Now at this point I would like to place a disclaimer for the rest of this post. Working is not a crime. Many women have to work to help in the financial area of life not to mention all the single moms and single women out there who support themselves and their families. My hat goes off to you especially you single moms. I’m not quite sure how you do it.
My problem lies in contentment and fulfillment in life. there are millions of working moms who are out there trying to be fulfilled in their work. They are striving to climb the corporate ladder and sacrificing everything including their marriages and their families. Why what are they trying to prove. They are just as good if not better than the male counterpart. That is exactly what God was talking about when He was handing out the punishments in the garden of Eden and He told Eve “You will long for your husband”. That didn’t mean physically or emotionally but positionally. We have taken away our right to be protected by desiring the right to reveal ourselves in public..IE. topless beaches, freedom of expression in wearing next to nothing.
Two and a half years ago I was in the middle of a project for a class I was taking while my husband was in seminary. At that point we had no children and there wasn’t one in sight. I came across a book called “Free to stay at home” An amazing book that helped shape my decision making for the rest of my life. I was at the time working 40 + hours a week and couldn’t do anything at home. My goal was trying to make as much money as I possibly could. Now that i think abut it, it was the stupidest mindset I could have had. I was killing myself at minimum wage!!! Then I stumbled across a verse every Christian woman has read at least once in her life and that was Titus 2:5..The famous Keepers at home verse.
Now a quick side note. the Bible was originally written in Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. The Greek in the afore mentioned verse means to stay at home. Well I asked my husband what this all meant and he went to the original text. He explained that keeper meant a woman who stays home. Note is does not mention anything about her having children, just a husband. This blew my mind. I had no idea what to do with that. I was going against God’s word. I then began to read more carefully Free to Stay at Home. God really convicted my heart and I quit my job before the semester ended.
Now all that said, I had to deal with a lot of comments, some from our pastor at the time and some from friends and some from parents…especially mine. I had to make very sure of my convictions and be able to defend them. I became at peace. I had a lot to learn before I would become a mother and I wish I had learned it all, but it came slowly. As a woman I am fulfilled but my fulfillment does not come from a job, the things we own, the husband I have , the children I have or the place we live but from Christ a lone. He is the source of my satisfaction and my fulfillment. Things of this earth will fade away, they will rust and mold and return from whence they came. My family will perish. The thing I will cling to is the hope of eternal life when I placed my faith in Christ alone
That being said, Any questions?