Raising Girls Is Not for Wimps

Proverbs 22:6 Says “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” As a mom of 3 girls, some days this task seems so daunting. I pray every day that God would give me the wisdom and strength to do this very thing.

As my girls get older, it seems like there are more and more things that I feel like I have to protect them from and educate them about so that they can make wise choices. And the older they get, the more this weighs on me. Recently, I had “the talk” with my oldest daughter. So, now there’s a wide range of topics that are cropping up because of this new subject. I’m not saying that this is a bad thing; it’s just one more way that she is growing up and becoming a young woman. Our conversations have become way more deep and laced with way more questions than they’ve ever been. I’m constantly praying that I have the right words to say in these precious times and that I can protect her sweet spirit while teaching her about purity and God’s design for her body.

With three girls in the house, something that is always interesting is their emotional clashes. At any given point, our house can quickly go from a house full of laughter to one or more girls crying or screaming. It’s those times that I just have to shake my head, give hugs, and prepare for the days when I’ll have 3 teenage girls in the house at one time. (Pray for me.) 

I grew up in a house with 2 brothers, and I am in the middle. I longed for a sister my entire life. So, I try to teach the girls to appreciate and enjoy their sisters. To treat them well because hopefully when they grow up they will be the best of friends. Sisters are supposed to be there to tell secrets to, comfort each other in sad times and laugh with each other in happy times. I see that developing already in the girls, and it brings so much joy to my heart. I love the times when I catch them snuggled up on the couch together enjoying a movie. Or when my oldest takes the time out of whatever she’s doing to read a book to my youngest. I encourage them often to help each other and to spend time doing things together. Of course, this is not easy. There are many many times when this results in screaming, arguing, crying, etc. But we have to work through it and learn how to love each other, speak with kindness to each other, and compromise.

I love having three girls, but it is not for wimps. There are days I crawl (literally) into bed, waiting for sleep to come and enjoy the blessed silence of three girls asleep for at least a few hours. Having three girls definitely has its challenges, but it certainly has its benefits.  It takes constant prayer and reminding yourself that you cannot do anything without God’s help. I love that my girls know Jesus. That they all enjoy learning more about Him through His word. Some of my favorite times are when we are in the car traveling somewhere and hearing them all singing a praise song together without realizing they are doing it. Or when they seek out children on the playground at the park who look lonely or who have a disability and can’t play with all of the other children, and play with those children so that they make other children happy. Those are the moments when I feel like I’m doing ok. Those are the moments when I am so proud of them and look forward to seeing what else God has planned for their lives. 

By Lisa Powell/@mamaof3gs 

 

Mercy vs. Truth

A few months ago, I was challenged to pick a word to summarize what I needed to work on the most this year. The first word that came to mind was mercy. A lot of people commented that they thought this was an odd word. How could mercy be hard? What is so difficult about showing mercy? Some said that I seemed like too nice of a person to have issues with showing mercy. However, this is something I have struggled with.

I have been hurt many times by many people. I may be quick to forgive them, but I have issues showing mercy. The problem is truth gets in the way. The truth hurts sometimes. I’m not talking God’s truth, by the way; I’m talking about truth as we perceive it. Let me give an example. When my husband says or does something that hurts me in some way, my truth says “What a jerk!” “ He doesn’t deserve me ever being nice to him again!” and “He doesn’t really love me or he wouldn’t treat me like that!” But mercy says, “He’s your husband. You made a promise to love, honor, and cherish”, “Treat him the way you want to be treated,” and “Love him the way Christ loves him.” But mercy is SO hard for me! If someone hurts me, I want him/her to hurt. If someone is mean to me, I want to be mean to him/her. If someone makes me feel left out and alone, I want him/her to feel that way too. And THIS is why I am committed to working on mercy.

In one of the books I use during my devotion time, Sparkling Gems from the Greek, I came across a passage this past week that was talking about Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus and how Jesus never treated Judas with the way truth said he should be treated. He showed him mercy beyond any mercy we’ve ever known. Jesus knew what Judas was going to do even before Judas knew he was going to do it, and yet he chose to show mercy. There were a few sentences in this passage for that day that struck me right in the heart.

“If that person chooses not to respond to the mercy, grace, and patience that is being poured out to him through you, he will have to live with the results of his decisions. Just make sure that you fulfill what God is requiring of you in this relationship. It may seem difficult to do, but you need to be thankful that God has kindly entrusted you with the responsibility of giving that person another chance!”

Ugh. Right in the heart. God has entrusted me. Me. If He is the God of second chances, why do I feel like I cannot give people a second chance? How would the lives of the people around me change if I chose to show mercy instead of responding to the truth of the situation? What a witness to them if they could see God’s love and mercy through me in the way I treat them after they have hurt me!

So that’s my word I’m working on, and I’m doing pretty well…this week.

Luke 6:36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. 

By Lisa Powell/@mamaof3gs 

Where Has the Time Gone?

For some reason, lately I’ve really been thinking about where all of my life has gone and what I’ve chosen to do with my days. As I’m writing this today, I have been alive for 13,605 days, give or take a few. That thought makes my heart kind of sink. That’s a lot of days!! What have I done with those days? I believe that every day is a gift from God. I truly do. But I haven’t always appreciated that fact. I think back to my wild rebellious days and wish I could take them all back and do something worthwhile with that time. In a certain regard, I would not take back those days because they were a part of making me who I am today. However, it almost sickens me to think how much time I have wasted.

Now I’m married and have three beautiful daughters, and I think even more so now I realize how every day is a gift. I try to take time to stop what I’m doing and listen to them. To hug them extra long and take in the smell of their sweet skin and feel of their soft cheeks on mine, because I know that all too soon, they are going to be grown up and on their own. I want them to grow up feeling loved, safe and taken care of. I want to do fun things as a family and make memories that will last a lifetime. I don’t think every day has to be memorable. I know that’s not realistic. But I want them to have great memories of their childhood when they are my age.

So there is one thing that I have been feeling lately has robbed our family of these quality times. TECHNOLOGY. Xbox, tablet, phones, handheld video games, computers, TV. We are surrounded! We have had a really, really, really long winter. And in part because of this, I have let my kids (and husband) be on technology way more than they really should be. So now that it’s nice out, it’s become a really hard habit to break. It’s almost as if we have forgotten how to be a family. When the opportunity arises to be together and spend time together, it’s as if we don’t know how. It’s almost like a drug addict trying to get clean. The kids usually ask at least once “Can we play xbox? Can we play on the computer?” Sitting and reading a book, playing a game, writing a story, or doing a puzzle have become foreign to them. And, quite frankly, it’s all my fault. I have allowed them this access to technology, and they have been sucked in. 

So my plan for the summer is to break them of their addiction to technology. To reintroduce them to all of the fun things that childhood has to offer, before it’s too late. Before they have lived over 13,000 days and wonder where all of those days have gone. I want to teach them to be aware that every single day is a gift from God. And to teach them to live every day to the fullest. To spend time together, as a family, with their sisters, with their friends, with their family. To make memories, and to follow their dreams. Because I want more for them than being addicted to technology, and I think God does too!

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days. That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

By Lisa Powell/@mamaof3gs

Time for Some Spring Cleaning!

I’ve never been much of a spring cleaner! My house is usually “good enough” that I don’t take the time to do thorough spring cleaning, especially with a hubby and three little kids in the house! However, this year I came across a website called imperfecthomemaking.com and they had a fabulous spring cleaning checklist. It went room by room with an extensive checklist of things to do in each room to get cleaned out and organized. So, I printed it off, and hesitantly dove in. 

The checklists for all of the rooms consisted of things like “wash windows, dust all trim, wash floors, sort through xyz and get rid of things you don’t use any more," etc. It was a very labor intensive process, but so rewarding as I finished each room. It took me almost a week to do the downstairs, mostly because I homeschool and have other responsibilities, so I could only do a little a day. 

 

As I was working one day cleaning the playroom, it occurred to me that perhaps it was time to do a spiritual spring cleaning. Maybe it was time for me to evaluate my priorities and get rid of things that are taking me away from things that are important to me. So, I have refocused. I have started making my time with God more of a priority. Every night, I have started putting headphones on and listening to praise and worship music while I read my bible and my devotion books. Shutting out the outside world and focusing on God and my relationship with Him. It has been amazing! I’ve focused more on my relationships with my family and friends and the things that really matter; the things that build me up and encourage me. I feel refreshed and renewed just in the few weeks I’ve been doing this. I think this is something I will do every spring from now on. When it’s time to clean out the closets, it’s time to clean out my life!

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.

By Lisa Powell 

I Don't Wanna!

Having three young girls is often times very exhausting.  Homeschooling them adds a unique stress to that too.  There are many times that I wake up in the morning with at least two of them screaming or crying, and I think "I don't wanna!!"  I don't wanna spend all day correcting their poor behavior.  I don't wanna nag them to do their chores. I don't wanna nag them to do their schoolwork.   I don't wanna break up another fight.  I don't wanna clean up another mess.  The list seems endless. 

However, every single day something will happen that will make me realize why I do what I do.  For instance, yesterday was a crazy day.  We have been snowed in for a few days, and we are all starting to go a little nutso.  The girls have been fighting more and are moodier than usual.  We had had a LONG day of homeschool, and this mama was ready for a break!  So we agreed that we would each do one chore to tidy up the house, get in our pjs, pop some popcorn and watch American Idol together.  And so we did.  But in the bustle of getting all of the above accomplished, I heard my 3 year old say "My sister is so kind!" speaking about her oldest sister who is 10.  It was the sweetest and most sincere thing I have ever heard.  We had a very nice evening together relaxing and spending time together.  When it was time for bed, I found my middle girl who is 6 kneeling in her bed silently saying her prayers all by herself.  It brought me to tears. 

Life as a homeschool mama of 3 girls is tough.  It ain't for wimps!  Raising three girls to love the Lord, respect their elders, care for the poor and needy, love the unloved, honor their father and mother, treat others with love and kindness, work as unto the Lord (even in their schoolwork), take care of what God has given us, and still have fun and enjoy being kids, is EXHAUSTING!  But in those glimpses of time when I see them stopping to help others, giving hugs to strangers, telling each other "I love you" and really meaning it, praying the prayers that only a childlike faith can pray, and seeing a glimmer of what kind of God-fearing young women they are becoming, it makes me say "I WANNA!" I wanna invest time and love into them now so they can grow up to become everything God has for them.  It ain't easy, but I wanna!!

Proverbs 13:24  Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

Proverbs 29:17  Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.

Lisa Powell

Surrendering All to God

Surrendering All to God

Submitted by Lisa Powell

Just Say Jesus

November 17, 2013, will be a day I will remember for the rest of my life. It was a Sunday, but that was the only normal thing about that day.  My oldest had spent the night with my parents, and so I only had my two youngest with me as we got ready for church that morning.  My husband had driven to church separately because he's on the worship team. It was my niece's birthday, and I had made her cake.  We were going straight to her party after church and so I wanted to take the cake and presents with us to church so we wouldn't have to come all the way back home.  I had my middle child go out and open all the doors for me while I took the cake out to put in the van.  I shut all the doors, but did not know that she had gone back out there later and accidentally let our dog into the garage where the van was.   I had gone back into the house to get the presents, and she came running back into the house yelling that our dog had eaten the cake!!!   I couldn't believe it! I salvaged what I could off the top of the cake, and we headed for church.  When we pulled into the church parking lot the bank clock said 65 degrees.  After church we went to the local grocery store and bought my niece another cake.  My husband was not feeling well and decided to go home instead of going to the birthday party. As we headed out of town and to my brother's house for the party, the bank clock read 75!  I had a really bad feeling about how the weather felt.  There was a tornado watch already, and the weather people were saying there was a 90% chance there would be a tornado that day.  The wind had really picked up while we were in church.  It was nearly blowing our van off the road as we drove east from Rantoul to Gifford to meet the rest of my family for the birthday party.  As we were driving, my middle child commented how "funny" it was that there was a tornado watch and there was a tornado on the Wizard of Oz cake I had made for my niece.  

When we arrived at my brother's house, we ate lunch while keeping an eye on the tv.  Within a few minutes, a tornado warning was issued, and we sent the kids all to the basement to play and to be safe.  In the meantime, my dad called me outside to hear this eerie noise.  It was this constant roaring noise.  Like a jet plane flying over, but constant.  It was the scariest sound I have ever heard, and I hope I never hear it again.  We decided all of us needed to go into the basement.  Once we all got down there, we realized my dad was not there with us.  I went upstairs and found him outside still listening to that eerie noise overhead.  Suddenly it started to hail. We turned to go into the house and get into the basement.  As soon as we turned towards to house, the tornado sirens went off.  When we got into the basement, I ran to my three girls and my niece who were in the closet.  My brother and the rest of his family were in the bathroom, and my parents and aunt and uncle were in the laundry room.  As soon as I got into the closet, I grabbed my three girls and pulled them down on my lap and grabbed my niece and pulled her onto my lap, wrapped my arms around all of them, and held my hands together as tight as I could.  Within seconds, we could hear things start to hit the side of their house, and windows were blown out.  I reached over and grabbed the closet door and pulled as hard as I could to shut it.  I could feel the force of the suction pulling at my clothes.  I was more scared than I have ever been in my life.  All I could think to do was pray, but nothing would come out of my mouth but "JESUS!"  HAVE MERCY ON US!"  I said it about five times, I think, and it was suddenly very dark and very quiet.  

We made the children all wait in the basement while we adults went upstairs to assess what had just happened.  It was like nothing I have every seen before.  A tornado had ripped a path right through the middle of town.  Gifford was destroyed.  Many of my brother's neighbors and friends came out of their basements or crawl spaces to nothing above them.  Their entire houses ripped off the foundations.  All of their worldly possessions gone.  Our family had eight vehicles there, all of them were destroyed.  Our van had the window knocked out by some baby's high chair tray.  It was in my van.  My brother's house was damaged severely, but still standing.  As we looked around Gifford, we became very aware of how protected we had been.  The tornado came in the west side of town, ripped a path through town and exited the east side.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were stranded at my brother's house the rest of day.  No one was being let in or out of town.  There were power lines down everywhere and gas leaks.  There was no electricity, gas, or water.  My husband was anxious for us to get out of town and get home.  He was ready to see me and the girls and know that we were ok.  Right after nightfall we decided to take my two oldest nieces and bring them to stay with us for awhile, and my parents took my other niece and nephew.  As we were driving home that night, my oldest niece was sitting in the front of the van with me when the song "Just Say Jesus" by 7eventh Time Down came on the radio.  I could not stop weeping.  The reality of what we had just lived through hit hard.  

Much has happened since then.  Cars have been replaced or repaired.  Houses have been torn down or fixed.  Many have moved out of Gifford; hopefully some will return some day.  Thousands flooded the town for weeks after the tornado wanting to help lend a hand in any way they could.  Every time I hear that song on the radio I think about that day.  

"When you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
The name of Jesus
If the words won’t come
Cause you’re too afraid to pray
Just say Jesus
Whisper it now or shout it out
However it comes out
He hears your cry
Out of nowhere he will come
You got to believe in it 
He will rescue you
Just call out to the way
The truth, the life

When you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
There is power in the name
The name of Jesus
If the words won’t come
Cause you’re afraid to pray
Just say Jesus
There is just one name
Strong enough to save
There is just one name
There is just one name
Jesus

When you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
There’s still power in the name
The name of Jesus
If the words won’t come
And you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus"

When I was afraid and did not know what to pray, I just said Jesus.  He heard me and protected me and my family.   Two houses down from my brother's the next two blocks are completely gone.  Even though many houses were destroyed, not a single person was killed.  That is a miracle.  I'm sure there were many people in town that day calling out to Jesus.  There were many stories of families whose houses were destroyed or totally blown away and yet no one in their house was harmed.  Just amazing stories.  

 

 I will never forget that day.  The sounds and sights will forever be etched in my memory. That day has changed my life.  All the little things seem so insignificant now.  I find myself thinking "this does not matter" more often now.  I constantly remind myself things could have turned out very differently that day.  I could have lost my daughters.  I could have lost my own life.  I could have lost any or all of my family members that were there that day.  But I didn't.  Jesus protected us all, and I thank Him for it every day!  

By Lisa Powell

Living Proof Live

October 25-26, 2013, I attended the Beth Moore Living Proof Live conference in Springfield, IL, with my mom, aunt, and sister-in-law.

 

I love the way Beth Moore teaches.  She always is able to simplify scripture in ways that give me new insight I had never had before.  This weekend was no different.  The theme for this conference was "A Reach Beyond the Breach," the life of John Mark.  She talked about how John Mark and Barnabas were cousins, which I didn't realize, and that he went on Paul's first missionary journey, but then left for no explainable reason.  

 

Beth Moore refers to him as "Quitter Boy" for the rest of the weekend.  Later on, Paul and Barnabas argue about whether or not to let John Mark come with them again.   A breach has been made between Paul and Barnabas because of John Mark.  A few years later though, something has happened (that we are never made aware of)  that has repaired John Mark's relationship with Paul, and when Paul is writing while under house arrest, John Mark is listed as his coworker.  Paul is later martyred, and in Peter's letters he mentions John Mark as son.  John Mark would go on to write the Gospel of Mark.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main points that Beth Moore highlighted over the course of the weekend were:

1.  We can't keep riding on the coat tail of somebody else's faith. 

2.  We don't always thrive in the spot where we're so special.    (We don't realize how special we are to Jesus because we're so busy trying to be so special to people.)

3.  We will all fail, but the question becomes  "will we fail well"?

4.  To have a comeback we actually have to come back.

5.  Integrity refuses to enlist loyalty on the side of it's offense.   (Where loyalty reflects lovelessness, it is never noble.)

6.  Pressing in with Christ, our relational pattern can completely change.

7.  Those around us are reading the gospel according to us.   (What are they reading?  Hope or hopelessness?  Negativity or uplifting?

 

 

 

A few things that stuck out to me as I was listening and taking notes:

-We need to help mend the breach between people, not help widen it.  When we hear others talking negatively about others, we need to stop it and not add to it.  Especially within the body of believers in Christ, we are to  be united. 

-Peter and Mark got along so well because they were both former failures.  God used them both to do incredible things, but if they both would have just given up, God may not have used them the way He did.  The question is WHAT DO YOU LET JESUS DO WITH YOU NOW?

I feel like God had me go to this conference to hear two things.  One, I need to stop widening the breach between me and my husband.  When I want to nitpick, nag, or say something unkind, I need to stop it and concentrate on speech and behavior that will close the breach.

Also, Beth Moore talked about the people that were home praying for Peter's release from prison, that when Peter came to the door they didn't believe it and said it had to be an angel.  How often am I like that?  Feeling like my prayers will never be answered?  The second thing I needed to hear was that I need to stop acting like the people that were praying for Peter that really didn't believe their prayers could be answered.  I need to pray for things and expect God to answer because He is ABLE. 

2 Timothy 3: 1-9  But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, trecharous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God---having a form of godliness but denying its power.  HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM!    (This is scripture I highlighted in my notes which almost gives me chills because you see how all of these things are true in our current society.)

By Lisa Powell

The Curse of the BFF

I used to have a school days book that my mom recorded all of my keepsake information in about school from K-12.  Starting in Kindergarten, the question was asked "Who is your best friend?"  I remember even from when I was really young always feeling pressure to have a best friend, a BFF.  Growing up in a fairly small school district, I always had a group of close friends, but always longed for a best friend.  It seemed like everyone around me had a best friend.  Someone that she always hung out with, talked on the phone with, someone to be inseparable with.  As I've grown older...much older...this desire to have a best friend has never left me.  I've always had close friends, and some that I considered my best friend, but then something always happened and we ended up drifting apart.  It is something that has been a constant longing in my life.  Lately I've been reflecting on how many great friendship moments I've missed out on because of my longing for a "best friend."  Why do I feel like my life is lacking something because I do not have a best friend?  What's wrong with having lots of great close friends? 

 

Now in today's culture the terms BFF and BESTIE seem to be everywhere.  My three young daughters are no strangers to the terms.  However, I have found myself being very careful with letting them label their friendships.  I do not want them to fall in the BFF trap that I have been lost in since Kindergarten.  I want them to appreciate all of their great close friendships and not get caught up in having one BFF.  I want them to look around at all of the great girls in their lives and count them all as blessings, instead of feeling left out because they do not have one specific BFF.  I feel like as a culture, we are setting our kids up for disappointment with stressing the BFF or BESTIE terms.  Maybe that's too negative of me, but I'm just trying to be realistic. 

Just recently I've come to terms with a lot of stuff in regards to this matter.  I've had numerous people trying to be sympathetic attempt to encourage me with things like "Jesus is your best friend," or "Your husband is your best friend,"  or even "Your mom is your best friend."  And while there may be truth in each of those statements, they are not the same as having that BFF that everyone is talking so much about.  So, I'm choosing to be grateful for the amazing group of people that I am blessed to call my friends.  God has brought SO many wonderful people into my life through so many different circumstances.  And those true friends, the ones I know would be there for me at the drop of a hat, that pray for me, and would never turn their back on me, those friendships are the ones that mean more to me than some BFF title.  I prefer to think of that term now as Blessed Forever Friends.  Because my life has been blessed forever because of those people who I can truly call my friends,  I refuse to get bogged down with negative feelings about myself because I do not have a BFF.  And I refuse to let my daughters grow up feeling that way about themselves.  I want to break the curse of the BFF for myself and my daughters. 

By Lisa Powell

Beware of Wife???

I was in Hobby Lobby the other day getting a few items for a class that I'm teaching at our homeschool group when this sign caught my eye.

At first I chuckled at the sentiment, but then I caught myself.  When I thought about it, I realized how really not funny this is.  I don't want my husband to "beware" of me.  I want him to feel like he can tell me anything without fearing my reaction. 

Several verses started flooding my mind of what kind of wife God's word calls me to be and what I should/should not do as a wife.

Proverbs 31: 10-12
A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
 Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

Proverbs 19:13 A quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.

Proverbs 21:9 Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

Proverbs 21:19 Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.

Proverbs 27:15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm . . .

Those are just a few.  The Bible warns against being a wife whose husband would need this Beware of Wife sign.  The sign may be cute, but it won't be hanging in  my house.  I want to have a relationship with my husband so that he would want a sign that says "Blessed By My Wife."

 

by Lisa Powell

Have You Read This?

My Husband is Not My Soul Mate

Submitted by Lisa Powell

Read This!

The Day I Stopped Saying "Hurry Up"

Submitted by Lisa Powell, "I'm sobbing over here! I do this to my kids all the time!!!"

Overload

I came to a not-so-shocking conclusion about myself today.  I overload everything.  I overload the sink full of dishes until the task seems overwhelming.  I overload the washing machine until I can smell the belt burning and it finally breaks.  I overload the dryer with clothes, and then complain that it takes 2 hours to dry a load of clothes.  I overload the laundry hampers procrastinating about doing laundry for as long as possible, thus making myself miserable when it cannot be put off any longer.  And then there's my life.  I overload us with things to do, places to go, people to see.  I am on overload in every aspect of my life.

As I was unloading the dryer today and realized how fast a load of clothes dried because I did not have it overloaded, it occurred to me what effect overloading does to my spiritual life.  When I overload my physical life, social life, home life, things can get very bad very fast.  Usually we are all tense with each other, and all of the "fun" is sucked right out of whatever I have overloaded us with.  And my spiritual life suffers tremendously when I overload every other aspect of my life and make no room for my spiritual life.  So today, I'm committing to try to stop being an overloader.  I'm going to focus on my spiritual life first and fill in the rest later. 

Matthew 11:28  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

I think this applies to those of us who are overloaded.  Give it all to the Lord, and He will give you rest. 

 

Lisa Powell

How Satan Used Burned Chicken

 

 

Tonight was another game night.  We've had games every night this week between our two girls, so suppers have been quick so we could get out the door.  Tonight was no exception.  I had bought 10 lbs. of chicken leg quarters on a really good sale at our local grocery store and had thawed them during the day.  When my husband got home early from work, he offered to grill the chicken for me.  Great.  I had had a really long day with our 3-year-old, and I welcomed the chance to sit for a minute in blessed silence while he started supper.   He asked for help getting the chicken ready to put on the grill.  Again, no problem.  He took the chicken out to the grill, and we were good to go....or so we thought.  I just mention that we just got a new grill a couple of weeks ago and are still getting used to how to set the temperature, etc.  About 10 minutes after he had placed the chicken on the grill, my husband comes in the house and tells me that all of the chicken is ruined.  He turned all 3 burners on high, like he used to do with our old grill, and the temperature got up to 700 degrees inside the oven and totally burned all of the chicken.  I mean, total charcoal, no saving it, no nothing. 

And here's where Satan comes in.  We immediately start fighting about the chicken.  I mean fighting.  Screaming, yelling, blaming, you name it.  It wasn't pretty.  I'm not proud of it, just trying to be real people.  And we didn't let up.  Satan really got to me too.  I was thinking extremely negative thoughts about my husband.  Totally ludicrously stupid thoughts.  THAT'S how you know it's Satan!  When something like that pops into your head that you think later "Why would THAT even be there?"  It's probably Satan!  Satan had my husband and I really fighting this awful fight over BURNED CHICKEN!  We had let this happen.  Only much later could I look back and realize what had happened.  Did I really care about the dang chicken?  No way.  Was I frustrated that we had very little time to make anything else before the game sure, but it was not something we should have fought about.  But Satan knew that he could use burned chicken to get us to fight, to think thoughts about each other that no married couple should ever think.  OVER BURNED CHICKEN!

John 10:10 says "The thief (Satan) comes ONLY to steal and kill and destroy." 

John 8:44 says "When he (Satan) lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."

Don't let Satan use petty things like BURNED CHICKEN to cause problems in your marriage.  I am going to try to be more aware of this the next time something like this pops up in our marriage because I'm sure it will.  But next time, I'm going to try to be ready to recognize what the cause of our problem is and refuse to let Satan get his way with our marriage. 

Lisa Powell

Lessons from the Corn Wagon

We live in the country. We have a corn/pellet stove that heats our house in the winter.  We also have a small corn wagon that we store corn in. This morning I was outside and noticed this terrible smell coming from that area. I went over to the wagon and what I discovered turned my stomach for many reasons. Apparently my husband and I assumed that the wagon was empty. We also apparently thought the wagon was dry. Both were very very incorrect. What I discovered was some of the smelliest and most rotten substance I have ever encountered and hope to never encounter again. As I was shoveling it out and holding back the urge to vomit, the thought occurred to me that this wagon of disgusting rotten corn is ME!!

Me? How? The wagon full of rotten corn reminded me of me because it made me think of my "hidden sins."  The sins I have in my life that I don't want anyone to find out about, or maybe the sins that I haven't confessed to God because I'm so ashamed, or maybe the sins that I think are "not that big of a deal" so they go unrepented.   Whatever the case may be, all of those sins are still sitting there, rotting away my relationship and closeness to the Lord.  What I realized as I was shoveling out the corn wagon grossness was that this is what my sin is like to Jesus.  The sins that I commit daily turn His stomach too, if left unrepented.  He wants me to acknowledge my sins on a daily basis and come to Him with them and ask for forgiveness.  It's a free gift that He offers to me, and yet sometimes, I choose to not accept it.  I choose to think "it'll be ok."  And just like me thinking the corn wagon was "ok," it's not.  The unrepented sin sits in my heart and soul and rots.  It spoils my relationship with Jesus.  It keeps me from being closer to Him and feeling His presence.  And just as I had to shovel all of the rotten corn out of the wagon, I realized that I needed to get rid of all the unrepented sins in my life.  I needed to acknowledge them all, everything weighing on my heart and spoiling my relationship with Christ, and clean out my heart, ask for forgiveness, and be ready to be filled again, just like I did with that yucky corn wagon today. 

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and His word is not in us."  1 John 1:8-10 NIV

Lisa Powell

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RUBY: Share your testimony with us.

I grew up in the Lutheran church. My parents were both believers, and we went to church every Sunday, read the Bible at home, prayed, etc. But, as was the story with many of my friends at church, when I grew up I realized that my faith was not so much my own as it was my parents’. It wasn’t personal to me. I graduated high school and spent the next few months really struggling with some hard issues in my life. I lived at home through college, so there were some really difficult months between myself and my parents, all due to my own rebellion and bad choices. I was lost. I met my husband Josh the spring of my first year in college. He was from a Christ-following family, and he knew his Bible forwards and backwards. I knew he prayed, and I knew he read his Bible often, and I was drawn to that. I started going to church with him at his family’s church, and saw how people there seemed to really have a relationship with Jesus, which was new to me. I always knew who Jesus was and knew that He loved me, but this felt different. Shortly after meeting Josh, I rededicated my life to Jesus. I wanted to have a relationship with Him and live my life in a manner that was pleasing to Him. Throughout the past 18 years since then, I feel like I have grown stronger in my relationship with the Lord. He is everything to me. He has been with me through many difficult times in my life where I felt like I had no one, and felt hopeless. But then, I am reminded in His word about how I have hope in Him. That He loves me and wants what is best for me more than anyone else. He is my strength, my joy, my hope, my peace, my comfort, my provider, my healer and my GOD.

RUBY: Share a favorite Bible verse and/or inspirational song, and why

this is a favorite.

Hmmm…this is a hard one to narrow down!

Probably my favorite verse is Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I draw strength in this verse on an almost daily basis as I am reminded that I don’t have to do everything on my own. God is always there, wanting me to put it all in His hands and rest on Him.

As far as songs, I love music! God speaks so much to me through songs. There are hundreds of songs that I can say have changed my life or lifted me up when I needed it. But there are two songs that immediately came to mind when I saw this question.

1. Great is Thy Faithfulness: When my daughter was first diagnosed with hearing loss and had to be fitted with hearing aids, this mama struggled with feelings of “why God?” I was at Bible study one night during this time, and we sang that song all together and it was like God spoke the words straight into my heart. No matter what the circumstances of my life are, great is His faithfulness. He sees the whole plan for our lives before we are even born. He is always in control, and His ways are always best for us. An overwhelming sense of peace came over me as I chose that moment to praise God in the midst of my struggles.

2. Stand in the Rain by Superchick: This song came on the radio during a very dark time in my life. The beginning lyrics are: 

 

She never slows down. She doesn't know why but she knows that when she's all alone, feels like it’s all coming down. She won't turn around the shadows are long and she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down. So stand in the rain. Stand your ground. Stand up when it's all crashing down. You stand through the pain. You won't drown. And one day, what’s lost can be found.
You stand in the rain. 

This song was a reminder to me that even though what I was going through was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced, if I just continue to stand with God through it, I would make it through the rain and He would restore what was lost. Every time I hear it to this day, it still brings back those feelings I felt that day, and I remember what God has brought me through.

RUBY: I was so thrilled when you agreed to be a part of RUBY Magazine. Tell us about your involvement with RUBY Magazine.

 

Ha! I’m sure a lot of people are wondering who is this person! Courtney Winkler has been one of my best friends for many years now! Our husbands went to the University of Illinois together, and we became fast friends! In the many times we have visited Chad and Courtney, we have had the pleasure of meeting some of their friends from church. When Courtney asked me to contribute to RUBY Magazine I was thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful community of believers!

RUBY: Tell us about your family.

My husband Josh and I have been married 15 years this year. We live in the country a few miles northeast of Champaign, IL. We have three beautiful daughters, Olivia just turned 10, Addison will be 6 in a couple of weeks, and Charlotte just turned 3. We have a very close family. Josh’s parents live just a few miles down the road, and my parents live less than 2 miles down our road! Our siblings are all close too! It’s great to have all of our family so close.

We attend Christian Life Church in Rantoul, IL. Josh plays guitar in our worship band, and I teach kindergarten on Sundays.

Josh is a Senior Research Engineer at Creative Thermal Solutions in Urbana, IL. He has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and is way smarter than I could ever dream of being! He has worked at CTS for 6 years.

I have a degree in Elementary Education, and I taught at a Christian school in Champaign, IL for 5 years before I had our first daughter Olivia. She was born with hearing loss in both ears and was fitted with hearing aids before her 2^nd birthday. When she was 4, I decided to homeschool her for Kindergarten and have been homeschooling ever since! Olivia is very smart and very active. She loves being outside. She plays basketball and softball. She is also in 4-H learning about cooking, cake decorating and horses.

Addison is also very smart. She is our little goofball! She is always making people laugh and saying funny things! She LOVES making people happy! I call her my little lovebug because she is always hugging people. She brings smiles to many people’s faces. She is starting t-ball this summer and loves to do crafts and read.

Charlotte is quite the little whippersnapper. She is very outgoing, very talkative, and very cute! She thinks she’s 6, even though she just turned 3. She loves being a big girl and doing big girl things.

We have a very active chocolate lab and 3 lazy cats. We love living out in the country, going for family bike rides and walks, and being outdoors as a family.

RUBY: You used to teach in a classroom and now you homeschool your three beautiful girls. What do you consider to be the best aspect about teaching?

I did. I taught 2^nd grade and 4^th grade. Being a classroom teacher and now a homeschool teacher, I think the best aspect of teaching BY FAR is seeing that light bulb go on above a child’s head when they really truly understand something for the first time. I love it. When I taught 2^nd grade, a lot of the students were already reading, but there were always a few that really struggled. To see them struggle for so long and then one day something clicks in their brain and they are so excited! That’s the best! And now to be homeschooling my own children and to see that moment happen for them is awesome! My middle child, Addison, knew her phonics families forwards and backwards and was reading small words and stories. But whenever someone would ask her to read something to them, she would get really frustrated and tell them she couldn’t. One night my husband Josh and I were sitting together after dinner, and she came running up to us with a book shouting the title “SHARK IN THE PARK!! IT SAYS SHARK IN THE PARK!!” She all of a sudden realized that she could read books!! And she’s been reading everything she can get her hands on since then!

RUBY: Tell us about one of your favorite field trips you and the girls have taken.

One of my favorite field trips we have done is to go to this park that has many different kinds of trees. We spent the morning doing bark rubbings, collecting leaves and seeds, and identifying the trees. Then we had lunch and spent the afternoon playing at the park. It was not what I had planned for that day, but it was so fun to just relax with the girls all day. They all had a blast gathering leaves and seeds and trying to find tree types that we had not found yet. It was a beautiful day, and it was nice getting away from our regular routine for a day. 

 

RUBY: Are there any websites/sources you would suggest to other homeschooling parents?

We use Bob Jones University for our curriculum. I love it because scripture is infused into every subject. The website for that is www.bjupresshomeschool.com. I also get most of my teaching ideas from Pinterest. If I’m looking for a idea for how to make learning about clouds, for instance, more fun, I go to Pinterest. It’s like having hundreds of websites all linked together. I love it. Other than that, something really important I would tell homeschooling parents is try never to buy anything new. I get almost all of our curriculum on ebay used and pay a fraction of the retail price. I get as much as I can used and then buy new only what I cannot find used. It saves a TON of money. We also belong to a homeschool group that meets weekly for fun classes. It is a great way to connect with other homeschool families and allow the girls time with other homeschool kids their ages. The website for our group is www.chc1.net. Most areas have a homeschool group similar to this. You would just have to do a google search for one in your area.

RUBY: I've been to your house, and you are extremely organized. Share some of your organizational strategies.

Ha! I laugh at this question because my house looks like a tornado hit it right now. I can’t stand clutter. So I try to declutter my house as much as possible. For instance, I sort my mail every day standing by the garbage can. It either goes in the trash, or it goes in my bills & important papers basket. Also, baskets hide a multitude of sins. I like to put everything in baskets or containers of some sort. It gives everything a neat and clean look, even if what is in them might not be the same. I will also take a day every now and then to go through all baskets and drawers and dump them all out and sort them into the places where the items should actually be. In addition to that, I also have a basket that is reserved for quick pick ups when company is coming over, especially last minute. I put everything in the basket that I do not have time to put away and then clean it out after the company has left. I try to teach the girls how to keep things picked up too. We have a 5 minute clean up time every night before bedtime so that we aren’t waking up to a messy house to start our day. In terms of organization, I try and put kid stuff at kid level so that they are responsible for putting their things away. For instance, I have the girls put away their own clothes from the time they are old enough to recognize a picture of clothing. I make labels for their dressers that say their name and have a picture of what kind of clothing goes in that drawer. Charlotte, my youngest, does not have a dresser, but I got her those 3 drawer plastic storage units. They are low to the ground and perfect for her to do herself. And she LOVES putting away her clothes because she feels like a big girl because she’s doing it herself.

RUBY: How may we contact you in order to make a further connection?

My email is mrspow@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook at Lisa Maxwell Powell. My twitter name is MamaOf3Gs.