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Home ….. what a sweet sweet word. Or is it? It should be. It should be a sweet place, a stable place, a safe place.

The older I get the more I see what a wicked place this world has become. There is no peace because most folks don’t know peace. It seems wherever we go is a mission field. We are bombarded by bad news, crime and wickedness on every corner. Bad news in other parts of the world, bad news in the schools, bad news in the political realm, and from what I hear bad news everywhere. The more technology advances the more opportunities to hear bad news. And yet the Good News is still the Good News but it seems so often stifled by bad news.

Our homes need to be a safe place for our families to run to, to hide from the bad news and bask in the Good News.

What kind of news is currently playing in your home as you read this? Is the TV on? What is playing? Is it proclaiming the good news of the overcoming power of Jesus, or is it proclaiming the bad news of troubles? How about on the radio? How about the reading material on your coffee table, or side tables? How about the reading material on your nightstand? How about what is currently pulled up on your computer screen?

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”   ~ 1 Corinthians 15:33

If bad company corrupts good character then bad news most certainly can corrupt a good mood. We are influenced by what we surround ourselves by. Too much bad news can make us discouraged, grumpy and depressed. Surrounding ourselves with the hope, love, and good news of Jesus’ overcoming power however makes us believe that all things are possible.

I encourage you to change the station to some good news, and sometimes it is even necessary to changes the crowds we fellowship with. If you want to be a better mother, surround yourselves with friends who love their children. If you want to be a better wife don’t listen to women who badmouth their husbands. Surround your family with love and you will all become more loving. Surround yourselves with peace and you will feel peaceful. Proclaim that the King of all is the King of your home and you will feel safe.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33

Especially this time of year keeping a peaceful atmosphere in the home can be quite a challenge. Everybody is rushing here and there. The date on the calendar seems to be watching us more than we watch it. Even fun things can be stressful when there is a deadline in site. Places to go, people to see, errands to run. And when we get home, things to make, things to bake, folks to call and all for what sake?

Oh yeah, for Jesus.

Yet often in all the hustle and bustle He gets pushed back. We think, we can pray after we make pies. We think we can worship later. We think we can study at night, but by then our eyes cannot stay open. Our homes often become Grand Central Station instead of a place where the Spirit of God inhabits.

There is an answer, and it is the same answer in December as it is in July.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

~ Matthew 6:33

Give your day to Him, and put Him in your day and it will all work out. You will have peace in your home. Your children will be less stressed, and your steps will be guided by the King of the universe.

He may even tell you to throw half of your activities out the window and show you the ones He appreciates. I mean it is all about Him anyway, right?

Return to your first love, Jesus. He is waiting for a little attention.

Love and Blessings to all, Penny.

As families grow we begin to establish things. We have a way of setting schedules, routines and general guidelines. We figure out what works best and settle into it. We often begin to do things automatically, kind of like being on “auto pilot.”  We make our roast a certain way and usually with the same vegetables. We serve the same type of breakfasts. We celebrate Holidays in the way each and every family has decided is best for them.

Each truly Christian family grows hopefully according to the unique and personal way the Lord has led them. They set standards for behavior and do’s and don’ts. They have convictions.

Usually as the family grows they share with their children why they do things the way they do them. At least in the beginning. But after a few years folks tend to settle into routines and traditions and sometimes do them without thinking anymore. Often we don’t even think about these things but we can still give an answer when asked why we do what we do.  But can our children?

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Some families get to the point that they never do the “daily” talking with them.They don’t explain why they do things anymore. They can sometimes go 2 or 3 generations without explaining. Folks sometimes get so busy they forget that children don’t learn automatically. Just as we teach them their alphabet before they can learn to read, we must teach them the reasons we believe the way we do.

In our house we have a “morning meeting” every day where we gather as a family and share scripture together. I have watched more than once as my husband shared the Gospel with the children. They listen intently with wide eyes. What is sometimes so routine for us is new to them. They respond with awe and wonder. Watching their response is just as awesome. So is the look on their faces each and every time we share something new about our Lord and why we serve Him.

Don’t assume that your children or any family member just “knows” why you serve the God you do. Share your testimony, share your love, share why you believe. Then watch the miracle unfold.

blessings to you and yours

Thought I would share with you some yummy fall goodness. My daughters visit with an elderly neighbor about once a week and this morning Georgia made him a Gingerbread cake.

When the seasons change around here we like to reflect it with not only our home decorating, but also the smells of home. And we don’t like to keep it all to ourselves.

I encourage you to bring some fall goodness into your home in the way of fresh apples, fall branches, and anything else that reminds you of fall. Then go the extra step and do the same for someone else. Share some fall goodness with someone else.

The beginning of a seasonal change is a great time to visit with neighbors or loved ones who don’t get out much. If you don’t have anyone in mind, ask at your church or visit a nursing home. There is nothing worse for a lonely person to sit and watch out the windows at the seasons go by. Share some of that lovely homey family love, and you will be also sharing Jesus’ heart.

My daughter asked me once if I ever had a burning desire to go somewhere else and share the Gospel. I got to share with her that we are right where God has put us, He has made the people we minister to our people. In fact I get a little offended inside when someone talks bad about our area.  Yes it is full of corruption, drugs and crime, but God loves these people and so do I. I have a love for the folks He has put us in front of because this is His choice for us. So I am content. It starts in our own backyard.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ~ Acts 1:8

I do not have to look for “hungry folks” somewhere else. Yes I live in a land of spoiled rotten greedy Americans yet there is a needy person on every corner. The contentment from God is realized when I ask Him to point me to the ones He has prepared. Casting pearls before swine just makes the one casting bitter and angry. Yet it is not the swine’s fault. Their time will come. It is our job to seek God and follow His leading. He knows where to cast the net, sometimes He chooses to catch folks one at a time and some days is by the handfuls. And other days it is crowds. I am thankful it is not crowds daily, although if it was His choice I suppose He would give us the stamina to deal with it.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. ~ Matthew 7:6

One of the most precious women at our church is one who probably doesn’t think of herself as an evangelist, yet she is. She is also a prayer warrior and she probably does as much or more for the Kingdom of Heaven as any preacher in town. She simply obeys what the Lord puts in front of her daily. She shares with her neighbors, her grown children’s friends, her husbands co-workers. She is diligent and persistent. She doesn’t shout from the rooftops but she lives it and speaks to whomever the Lord leads and He leads her to the ones that are ripe harvest fields.

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ~ Luke 10:2-3

What would happen if we tried to harvest apples before they were ripe? We would frustrate ourselves and waste the entire crop. So it goes with those the Lord has us minister to. Look for His leading. Seek Him. Listen carefully. And He will cover you and even protect you from the wolves.

Two years a go I became a grandma. I had always hoped I would transition right from having my own little ones into having grandchildren. It pretty much happened that way, there is a 6 yr. gap  between our youngest and our first grandchild. My little granddaughter and my youngest daughter are great friends, and I love watching them together. With our own children there is such a sense of responsibility that makes parenting fun but also a job. A very worthwhile and rewarding job but still not something you can just sit back and watch happen. Parenting requires us to participate. Grand parenting is totally different.

Grand parenting brings a whole new light on how everything is viewed. I get to sit back and watch. I get to observe. I get to enjoy the adventurous spirit in my granddaughter that sometimes wears her parents out. I get to laugh a whole lot. I get to notice who she gets which traits from and smile about every one of them, good and bad. I get to see a blessing in everything about her sweet two year old life. I have always told everyone that two year olds are my favorite, I love that age. But now I have an even better point of view.

I have learned that every stage of life, every season has it’s blessings, and that we can learn from every age if we will open our eyes and our hearts to be teachable.

I have always been a parent that takes parenting serious, sometimes folks I know think I take it too serious. I know however that it has eternal consequences so I determined long ago to give it my all. I love my God, and I love my children with all of my heart. I will run this race and finish well, yet I am also learning to stop along the way and smell the roses. We all have roses in our lives, they are the sweet smelling experiences. Yes they often comes with thorns but the sweet aroma and the soft touch overcomes the thorns and makes the rest all the sweeter.

My dear sisters, I encourage you to fill your homes with roses! Not literally, although that is nice too, but figuratively. Look around you and recognize all the sweet experiences and lovely days just waiting to happen in your own home. Baking with your daughters, gardening, fixing something with your son, sitting on the porch swing with your hubby. Enjoy life! We live on a working farm, and we work hard, but at least once a day, everybody stops what they are doing and just enjoys each other’s fellowship. It may happen over a glass of iced tea or a bowl of ice cream. It is not planned, but I have come to notice it happens all the time. Taking time to smell the roses and recognizing how much you are blessed with. We don’t have to go on vacation to enjoy time with our families, it can and should happen everyday, right in our own homes. Take a look around you and count your blessings, I bet there are more than you can count .

I love living in the South, my children say, “yes Ma’am, and yes Sir”. I love when we go anywhere, there is  the southern hospitality and polite manners. But I love it even more so in my own home. Our homes should be a haven of politeness, sweet talk and peace. But all too often it is, “hey, get me that”, and “I don’t want to.” My dear granddaughter, who is two, has gotten very vocal in the last few months. She surprises you when she opens her mouth because she doesn’t sound like a two year old, she speaks like a much older child, probably because she is the oldest and has heard mostly adult talk.  But at one point her favorite phrase was, “huh”. Just about anytime you would call her to talk her she would say, “huh”. Now “huh” may not be rude, but it isn’t very Southernly sweet or even what we would call polite. We all wondered where she got that from. We all joked around (we do that a lot here) and accused each other. Then I stopped to listen. We all said it! How embarrassing!

Have you ever stopped to just listen to your family talk to one another?

Sometimes around folks we are familiar with with get lazy with our manners and speech. Seems like we should be even more polite to those we love but it tends to go the other way. As mothers we can steer this in the direction we want. How we speak to our family will generally be duplicated by them. If we speak quietly they will usually speak quietly, if we speak energetically they will usually do likewise. I encourage you to stop and listen. Do you like what you hear?

When my children were all little and they were asked to do something I required the answer, “ I would be happy to.” Even if they weren’t happy to, Momma’s silly phrase usually put a smile on their face and they sooner or later got “happy to.” I find myself still saying that to other folks today, even in e-mails.

It is up to us dear wives and mothers, we can fill our homes with the sounds we like. Determine what you would like to hear, and start with yourself. They will follow. A good rule of thumb is to think a minute first and contemplate how Jesus would speak. He is full of authority and yet full of love. He responds to every situation in love. Let us fill our homes with the sounds of love .

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ~  Ephesians 4:29

May 31st is my wedding anniversary. 25 years this year. I have been married longer than I have not been married. 3 of our 8 children are now adults. When you get to this stage you start appreciating memories. And you start really paying attention to the ones you are making. Good memories sometimes happen on accident, but most of the time they are the result of priorities. One of my married daughters favorite things to do is eat Sunday supper with us then watch the Walton’s. Not because she likes the Walton’s, we have all seen them a million times, but because it was always a family event. Now she gets to include her family. I never planned to make the Walton’s part of my children’s memories but I did intend to make family together time part of their life. Our children appreciate the time spent together as a family and will have lots of fond memories long after they are all grown. They will have memories of working together. They will have memories of Georgia’s spicy Mexican food and homegrown hot peppers. They will have the memory of every horse they ever fell off of, and chuckle about it. They will remember daddy’s endless prayer walks. They will have memories of home.

All too often home life happens on the go in between destinations. For most families these days if memories are made of family time it is just an accident. What happens in your home today will become a memory to be carried by your children and yourself. What will they remember? Will they remember praying together and seeing the Hand of God at work? Will they remember those family meals around the supper table? Will they remember back when the oldest was courting? They will most likely remember what is the most important to the parents.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

My most common memory of my childhood is being home alone, my parents working too much. Their careers were very important to my parents. I know they loved me and I loved them, but those are my memories. I remember a vacation or two because that was our tradition. Family time once a year, called vacation. That was my parents’ goal. Our memories will become the results of our goals. As I said I loved my parents but I do not have the same goal for my family. I want time spent together to be the priority, the norm, not the exception.

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.  Proverbs 28:18

We cannot specifically create a memory, but we can set the stage. We need a vision for our family, a purpose a plan, and goals to get there. No matter where you are in your family life and marriage it is not too late to set some goals. Many many years back, 20 years or so,  we started some family traditions. Every morning we meet together, we share God’s Word and talk about what He wants from us. Every evening we all meet at the table at an appointed time for supper. Every body. Every night. Then again before bedtime we meet again for prayer. Our daily family memories happen between our family traditions. Whether we are planting a garden, shoveling manure, watching a new calf be born or tearing down a barn, we have fun memories which sometime don’t seem like the funnest things at the time, but like the over watched Walton’s DVD’s they become part of who we are, because we did it together. My children will have stories to tell their children.

After 25 years of marriage I am not just looking back, I am looking forward. I am anticipating the day when all of my children are married and I have oodles and oodles of grandchildren and they all gather around as the parents share stories of growing up together.

When you meet someone for the first time do you automatically go off of everything you have heard about them or do you watch and listen to see who they really are? Is that a new thought?

Most folks have heard something about the bible. But sadly enough most have heard wrong. Did you know that many of todays common scriptures people quote are not in there?

Tell me where it says any of the following.

1. Good people go to Heaven.
2. She or He has a good heart.
3. God says we should unconditionally love each other.
4. God will help those who help themselves.
5. The rapture is coming.
6. All things work out for the best.
7. God loves everyone the same.
8. Come as you are.
9. No one expects you to be perfect.
10. Hell is not a real place.
11. God doesn’t send good people to Hell.
12. We aren’t supposed to judge.
13. Me and God have it all worked out.
14. All roads lead to Heaven as long as you live a good life.
15. You don’t have to go to church to be saved.
16. We are supposed to forgive and forget.

Many of those are outright lies, most have no scriptural basis at all and even the ones that are remotely scriptural are sorely twisted. Yet folks quote them everyday. And most believe them. That is why they have no real relationship with the Lord. I challenge you to not only get in your word but to begin to answer folks with real scripture. I am challenging myself to the same. We need to get back to our roots. We need to strengthen and water our roots. It isn’t enough to just study your bible for yourselves we need to share it.

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.^{[a] 5} Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 

Deuteronomy 6:4-8

We need to share real answers with folks not just remix the same ole ones. Because the same ole ones aren’t getting anyone anywhere.

What is on your to-do list this week? If it looks like mine it is full to overflowing. And every item is worthwhile and full of value and even God approved. Yet little of it will matter much 100 years from now.

Even in the busiest of times, and even in the midst of all we do for the Lord, ministering to Him should always take first priority. Ministering to Jesus? How can that be? Why should that be?

Ministering to the Lord is worshipping Him, putting Him first, acknowledging that He is who He is. It isn’t a one time event. If He can make each and every day then He deserves our gratefulness each and every day. And since we are mere men and women we need reminding, daily reminding whom we serve and whom we love and recognize as being our savior. He is God, He doesn’t need it we need it. But He desires it. His love for us is so immeasurable that we cannot even comprehend it. We have no idea the joy it brings Him when we stop and give Him some of our time. Time is not something that can be purchased. What we get is what we get, and none of us knows exactly how many days we have. There are a lot of things in this world that can be put off but giving our creator praise is not one of them.

It is during our time with Him that we hear His voice.

It is during our time with Him that we are healed.

It is during our time with Him that we receive direction.

It is during our time with Him that we recognize our calling.

We hear often preached today that we are kings and priests, but few remember the place of the priest, it is face first before the Lord. What a wonderful way to start each day.