A Lovely Word

Homemaker = HOME + MAKER

home: a house or other shelter that is the usual residence of a family or person; the place in which one's domestic affections are centered; any place of refuge or residence

maker: one who makes or manufactures

The Bible says that women are to be homemakers (Titus 2:3-5). I am to be one who manufactures a center for domestic affections, one who makes a refuge for my family.

Unfortunately my heart is prone to wander. Being a product of my generation, I am well endued with a sense of adventure and independence. Add to that my natural fascination with the new rather than the familiar. Hence the need for regular reminders.

Reminder: I was created for His purposes, not my own. This is to be my main focus: His will, His call, His plan. He intended for me to discover His will and follow after it. And for me that is homemaking. Still. Until the end.

Ahh. This is good. This is very good. Just remembering and obeying is good. Very good.

Sometimes we are necessarily away from the homefront. And sometimes it is appropriate. But often enough, it is not. I am simply being distracted or making imprudent choices. Shocking, isn't it.

Therefore I have discovered a new question which has become my companion these days, a real friend:

If I am not here today, who will "make the home"?

Simple, I know. But sometimes simple is just what I need. It's as good as a "slap up the side of the head", if you will. And, yup, sometimes I need those, too.

Prayer Snippets

~ Miguel, a young man from Spain, has been visiting with us for a while now. He is already such a part of the family. Merrick loves him. He will leave us on October 6th and I will be sad to see him go. He is polite, genuine, interested, caring. Lord, I pray that You will fill his heart with fresh vision for serving You with his life.

~ Today Miguel, Rick, and Merrick took off for Maine where they will gather up Danica and Jameson with their belongings and make the trek home tomorrow. She will be here until the 9th of October. Hooray!! This mom can hardly wait! Lord, please bring them safely home and prosper their journey in every way.

~ Brietta and Daniel continue the vigil in Syracuse and are finding more and more success. Baby Aubrey is nursing more often and with greater efficiency. That is great news! Complete success on that front will most likely yield a ticket home. And we all know that is highly desired by a weary mom and dad and their young ones back home. But to see God's provision all along the way has been a wonderful reminded of His great faithfulness in all the details of our lives. Lord, let Your Name be glorified as Your faithfulness is witnessed by many!

~ At home, mom is busy with her daughters sorting clothes, making lists of every article owned as well as "items to be purchased" lists. Guitar, violin, and piano are being practiced, books are read, vocabulary written out, and maybe even some cleaning of those dusty corners. I bowed out of the Maine trip for just such purposes. May our days be fruitful, oh Lord.

~ A weekly neighborhood book study is yielding good discussion. New moms, seasoned moms, tried and true Christians, searchers, young believers - all meeting together to talk about life issues. It is good. May Your Hand be upon all we say and do for the furtherance of Your Kingdom in our lives.

~ And may you all be blessed by the knowledge of the Holy One which is understanding!

Faith That Sets Apart

So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17

I just responded to my daughter's wonderful entry on Faith being a Friend. Hers was an always timely reminder of the preciousness of our faith. In the midst of a lost and dying generation, we shine as lights in the darkness. Why? Because we have faith.

As clearly stated in the above scripture we must have the Word active in our lives, cultivated in our hearts, daily transforming our minds if we hope to have faith that endures and reveals His victory. In order to walk through the storm and fire and make it through to the other side with joy and peace, we must have faith. We must stand upon the Word of God.

Take in the Word today. Make provision to take in the Word of God everyday. Study the Word. Sit under the Word as it is broken before you by precious saints in the house of God.

It is substance and nourishment to feed our souls. It is the sword we wield in battle, the washing agent that cleanses our minds of tainted worldliness. It is the source of true faith. True faith. Not positive thinking, not trust in man's finest counsel, not our best effort, but faith in God, the Living God.

The Word. God's treasure. It is living, powerful, true. Take time to treasure it and make it yours. Take time to strengthen your faith in Him, the One True God. Take the Word of God, His gift to us.

Patriarchs
Psalm 103.17

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children -

Thursday evening was finally coming to an end. A baby, born in the midst of turmoil, had been transported to intensive care far away. Young parents were now separated by hours and miles; she was left behind to heal from the wound inflicted on her infant's behalf, he was keeping vigilance over the babe in a plastic crib with tubing and wires in place.

The young mother's father at last arrives home. I hear him dial the phone, placing a call to her husband's father far away in Pittsburgh. "Larry, I thought that as the fathers and grandfathers, we should pray together." They begin in earnest faith to intercede on behalf of their progeny.

As I heard - as I comprehended - as I realized what was transpiring, I paused in breathless expectancy. All of creation seemed to stand still for a moment in time. "Hush! Something wondrous is happening. Power is being tapped, faith is released, God is on the move. Patriarchs are agreeing in prayer, speaking blessing over their children's children."

There could be no doubt. God would hear. He would listen. This was a prayer of His own making - this was a patriarchal blessing. The undeniable weight of their words resounded beyond this finite realm reaching into the secret place, laying hold of eternal truth. These were the patriarchs - declaring truth, denying the prince of this world, honoring the Lord their God, the God who had shown Himself faithful to them and theirs through the years. Two patriarchs were beseeching the God of heaven and earth for His perfect will to be accomplished: blessing upon their children's children.

I realized the peculiar specialness of the moment I was witnessing. God was thoroughly invested in this juncture because this was His plan from the beginning - the unity of patriarchs serving their posterity. He intends to build from generation to generation, imparting strength and glory successively. Here was a moment of eternal consequence; His was a vehement involvement. This exigency would allow His great faithfulness to find motion. With restrained passion He was watching and waiting for the cry to come so that He could unleash the fullness of His power and vengeance upon the enemy of His people.

It has come! Behold and tremble, all you who would set yourselves in opposition to the Lord's own children! See the mighty power of the Lord of Hosts!

It has come! Behold, you saints of the Lord who stand by night in the house of the Lord! Stand and see the salvation of the Lord!

It has come! Behold, all the earth and all therein! How wondrous is His glorious Name in all the earth; let His Name be praised forevermore!

Remembering

Sitting in the waiting room at Crouse Irving Memorial, my mind tries to comprehend that just 8 1/2 years ago I was here as the mom, doing what my daughter is now doing. This time around I am Nana. Amazing.

At any rate, we brought our Brietta here an hour ago after Daniel called to say that she could come and nurse the baby. Hooray! She quickly washed, prettied up with a touch of makeup, and we made our way over. In no time it was evident that little Aubrey was more interested in cuddling and sleeping. Her Mama was happy with that, to say the least.

Meanwhile, a grandson in CA is celebrating his first birthday (the date was actually yesterday, but the celebration happens officially today.) Life moves faster and faster as the celebrations of life multiply. And I've suspected those celebrations will increase for me. These are years of reaping. Sowing has yielded a bountiful harvest which loudly proclaims the faithfulness of my Great God. I join with the song of praise and declare that His Ways are Holy and True. Forever I will sing.

Forever! Amen.

United

The hospital waiting room was filled to overflowing with Christians praying fervently. Online blogs were updating prayer warriors throughout St. Lawrence county and far beyond, including Pittsburgh, CA, and Albany. Faithful brethren were calling to agree with me in prayer for this new baby girl's life.

I cannot express the empowering of concerted prayer. Mountains take on new proportion. Fear is transformed to boldness. Daunting circumstances are revealed for what they truly are: opportunities for just such display.

Relegated to joining the battle from my family room chair due to some sort of sickness, I felt strengthened knowing that multitudes of requests were going before my Father's throne. A mighty army equipped for battle through His precious blood was refusing the enemy's plan for destruction.

And the world was watching. Nurses and doctors saw and wondered. Unity and love such as this is a marvelous testimony.

I stand in awe of the Body of Christ, His Bride. He has done wondrous things.

Prayer and Praise

This is what's important to me today. She's beautiful.

Code Orange

Pain. I am in pain!

If you feel so moved (and please do!) pray for healing from severe neck pain. We don't know if it is virile in nature or a pinched nerve or something else altogether. I am prone to a "crick in my neck" every now and then but this is way over the top. I feel almost undone! Practically immobilized! Pathetic, actually...

So, pray if you would. Please.

A Kiddo-type Day

Immediately upon entering my home this morning she emptied her "pack-pack" of all sorts of pink frills and accessories (as any true "Fancy Nancy" disciple would.) She quickly slipped into the heeled pink and purple slides, donned the boa trimmed sheer pink skirt, floated the matching boa edged sheer pink cape over her head (it is permanently tied in a knot which defies even this well-experienced grandmother), then finished her outfit off with a flourish: a spangled pink tiara was fixed atop her long, golden, dancing curls. Oh, a correction is in order. She then finished off her outfit with an almost instant smile, blue twinkling eyes, and a declaration of being "a princess!" I could see right then and there that this would be fun.

While Uncle Merrick did school, the three grandkiddies busied themselves in Nana's family room with Little People and Playmo-feel. Gabriel soon joined Merrick for our out-loud reading of Columbus by D'Aulaire. Two little men snuggled next to me, Mama and Nana, on the love seat. Sweet.

Lunch was now the order of the day. As the meal was winding down, I looked up to see Bronwyn bringing one pink and purple heeled shoe to her ear. With her best phone voice she begins, "Hello. Camilla, hello. I'm in my office now."

*pause*

Her little mind quickly flips through mental note cards. Just what do grown up secretaries ask next?

"So, how is your lipstick?" she quipped in earnest tone.

*grand pause*

Camilla tried to regain composure as she considered how to respond. How is your lipstick? The innocent question echoed in her head and mine. We caught eyes and held back our snickers (well, sort of...)

Ah, yes. Little ones (plural) were in my house today. I know for many of you this is everyday stuff. Once upon a time it was everyday for me as well. But suddenly those days seemed so long ago as once again my lunch room filled with multiple cute little voices chirping and quipping (Uncle Merrick is now the big kid on the block), creating delightful moments of laughter. May I say it again - sweet.

There's a saying old - says that... we should enjoy them now, while they're young. I used to wonder at that comment: is it cynical, or not? I suppose it can mean many things to different people.

But I do know this: childhood slips by. Take it from me - make sure it does not go by unnoticed.

Life Lessons For a Little Guy

As I strolled through the hallway I spied an attachment for the vacuum cleaner on the floor.

"Must be the little man left this behind," I mused. "I'll take care of it for him."

I reached for it only to catch sight of a three foot section of vacuum cleaner pipe gracing the music room carpet.

"Hmm. Guess I'll grab that, too."

Crossing the room, I glanced sideways to see the power head carpet attachment on the dining room floor.

"What is this? Something in every room?"

Sure enough, there was. As I sought to recover this last item I looked ahead into the front room. There, snaking through and around love seat legs, across the carpet, and into the doorway was the cord leading to the vacuum itself.

"Hmm. Looks like little man's definition of 'All done!' leaves room for improvement."

Smile. Sigh.

"Add that to the list."

Strength To Lend

Does your husband ever blow it? If he's a normal, everyday guy, then the answer is, "Yes!" We all have experienced a time when he forgot to pick up the essential recipe ingredient on the way home from work. The guests are scheduled to arrive and you need that salt for the stew! Or maybe you've had this one happen. You hinted to him that you really are tired of the fruity smelling lotions and would love a flowered scent next time. A week later he excitedly hands you your birthday gift: peach and orange body cream with matching foaming soap. Whoops! Guess he wasn't listening...

We all know that we need to be mature enough to overlook such errors. After all, even we make mistakes. ;)

But how do we do with the big mess ups - the really, really big ones. Lost jobs, for instance, due to poor performance. Or financial disasters brought on by bad decisions or management. A major purchase that goes sour, even after you told him it didn't look like a wise investment. And now the family is left holding the bag, so to speak, facing the squeeze, cutting the corners, going without. Or dealing with embarrassment. Or bending over backwards to cover sin. How are we doing now?

I know it isn't easy, but that is the time, ladies. That is the time to pull out the stops, dig deep, and stir up faith. If God can't cover your marriage and family in your failure, if He can't provide in spite of error, if He can't turn this awful mess into good, we have the wrong Champion.

Chances are your husband knows he blew it. And even if he doesn't know now, God can show him. I'm not recommending that you pretend there was no mistake made. Acknowledge your awareness of the blunder, even your disappointment. Extend forgiveness, but then move on. I said, move on. Your husband doesn't need you to dwell on it. He needs his help meet to remind him of the greatness of the God he serves. He also needs to know that you are still with him in this adventure called serving the Lord with all we have. Words that release faith into the situation are apples of gold in silver settings. The power of life and healing, comfort and encouragement are yours to speak.

Yes, I know. It comes back to haunt you from time to time. If so, deal with it in God's prescribed way. Pray. If you need to talk with your husband about it again, do it with humility, not blaming him for your struggles. Instead put the blame where it belongs - the enemy of your soul is taunting you, trying to make you believe that your husband's mistake has left your marriage and family undone. Tell your husband that the battle is on and humbly ask him to cover you in prayer against the enemy's attack. Begin to function in the yoke together again. The enemy can never stand against a united offense in the spirit.

These are the times that make us strong. Our roots go deep and our spiritual muscles are exercised. We learn to stand and to wield a sword and shield. It takes strength to be a help meet sometimes. But He won't call us to do something without providing all we need to accomplish it.

So rise up, woman of God. Be all that you can be. Get in rank and file and do great things. The world is waiting for such women. Chances are our husbands are, too. And we will be called blessed.

Homemakers Who Don't Gossip

This morning I concluded an eight week class for young ladies. Together we have been studying Titus 2:3-5. When asked to review the topics covered each week and then comment on what was significant for them, I was pleased and a bit surprised by the responses.

The discussion on the destructive nature of slander had changed the whole mode of conversation for a particular group of friends. They now keep one another accountable and are quick to repent and change the course of topic whenever it gets negative. Hallelujah! If the whole church practiced what these young girls have learned, how blessed would be the body of Christ!

There were a variety of other answers given as well, but the subject studied that impacted them the most was homemaking.

One young lady said her life was changed in the past few weeks in several ways but what she learned about the art of homemaking was most significant. She had always thought of women who were solely homemakers as weak. With tears in her eyes she acknowledged that reading Proverbs 31 revealed a different type of woman. She now recognized the strength required to do that job successfully. "My calling has been made clear to me through this," were her closing words. Precious beyond measure.

One of my daughters who has been attending commented that many things discussed were of value but she, too, was highly affected by our talk on the power and value of a Godly home. "I understood once again why I love to come home. And I realize that that's what I want to do someday," she said, referring to creating a place of peace and refuge for husband and children.

The Bible is amazing. It never grows old. Titus 2 means as much today as it did the first time I looked at it. The principles are timeless. How I love the Word of God. Young women were touched, molded, and changed forever through the living, washing, renewing Word.

As the class ended, I concluded that with those kinds of results, it was well worth the effort.