looks like my dirty little man is paying more attention that I thought
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Neil is Learning Phonics!!
My wild little 14 month old boy already knows 7 of his letter sounds! He doesn't know any of his letters yet but he is already learning their sounds thanks to Jennifer and a LeapFrog dvd we started Camden on. Camden has all but 3 or 4 down already and we have been working with her at different times during the day. A couple of weeks ago I asked her what sound the letter K makes and before she could even answer Neil (who was sitting in the corner playing with blocks) said the sound perfectly! I thought at first it was just a concidence but after asking him several more I was suprised to find he actually knew them! Kids really are sponges and have the ability to learn things really quick. I am really blessed to get to be apart of all of these new developments in their childhood and would not have it any other way.
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Refreshed and Ready to Go!
Sometimes financial stresses and having two children so close in age can be a lot on me but after reading another stay-at-home mom's blog the other day and taking a couple of days to refresh myself I feel like I can take on the world! (or at least my own little world...)
My friend Lindsey told me about the blog Kelly's Korner. She is basically a stay at home mom that blogs about her life, nothing that extravagant but what she wrote the other day really made a difference in my spirit and attitude. I believe God used her to give me a much needed pep talk.
Shortly after I was able to have some time away from the kids and actually shopped for myself for the first time in a couple of years! A few days after I got to have a girl's lunch without the kids as well and it was so much fun to get to have almost 2 hours of uninterrupted adult conversation. I'm going to make an effort to do things for myself more often and to be a more positive person. So here I am refreshed and ready to go where ever this life takes me.
I've copied what Kelly wrote on her blog that day for anyone that is interested in reading it...
She actually got this from another blog so I went directly to the source and copied it from the original author. It's long but spoke volumes to me.Motherhood as a Mission Field
June 16, 2011
by: Rachel Jankovic
There is a good old saying, perhaps only said by my Grandfather, that distance adds intrigue. It is certainly true — just think back to anything that has ever been distant from you that is now near. Your driver’s license. Marriage. Children. Things that used to seem so fascinating, but as they draw near become less mystical and more, well, real.
This same principle certainly applies to mission fields too. The closer you get to home, the less intriguing the work of sacrifice seems. As someone once said, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, there is not any kind of awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People are not pressing you for needs you might have, how they can pray for you. It does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because it is as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home.
Home: The Headwaters of Mission
If you are a Christian woman who loves the Lord, the gospel is important to you. It is easy to become discouraged, thinking that the work you are doing does not matter much. If you were really doing something for Christ you would be out there, somewhere else, doing it. Even if you have a great perspective on your role in the kingdom, it is easy to lose sight of it in the mismatched socks, in the morning sickness, in the dirty dishes. It is easy to confuse intrigue with value, and begin viewing yourself as the least valuable part of the Church.
There are a number of ways in which mothers need to study their own roles, and begin to see them, not as boring and inconsequential, but as home, the headwaters of missions.
At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field.
Faith Makes the Small Offering Great
If you are like me, then you may be thinking “What did I ever give up for them? A desk job? Time at the gym? Extra spending money? My twenty- year- old figure? Some sleep?” Doesn’t seem like much when you put it next to the work of some of the great missionaries, people who gave their lives for the gospel.
Think about the feeding of the five thousand when the disciples went out and rounded up the food that was available. It wasn’t much. Some loaves. Some fish. Think of some woman pulling her fish out and handing it to one of the disciples. That had to have felt like a small offering. But the important thing about those loaves and those fishes was not how big they were when they were given, it was about whose hands they were given into. In the hands of the Lord, that offering was sufficient. It was more than sufficient. There were leftovers. Given in faith, even a small offering becomes great.
Look at your children in faith, and see how many people will be ministered to by your ministering to them. How many people will your children know in their lives? How many grandchildren are represented in the faces around your table now?
Gain What You Cannot Lose in Them
So, if mothers are strategically situated to impact missions so greatly, why do we see so little coming from it? I think the answer to this is quite simple: sin. Discontent, pettiness, selfishness, resentment. Christians often feel like the right thing to do is to be ashamed about what we have. We hear that quote of Jim Elliot’s and think that we ought to sell our homes and move to some place where they need the gospel.
But I’d like to challenge you to look at it differently. Giving up what you cannot keep does not mean giving up your home, or your job so you can go serve somewhere else. It is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.
It is easy to think you have a heart for orphans on the other side of the world, but if you spend your time at home resenting the imposition your children are on you, you do not. You cannot have a heart for the gospel and a fussiness about your life at the same time. You will never make any difference there if you cannot be at peace here. You cannot have a heart for missions, but not for the people around you. A true love of the gospel overflows and overpowers. It will be in everything you do, however drab, however simple, however repetitive.
God loves the little offerings. Given in faith, that plate of PB&J’s will feed thousands. Given in faith, those presents on Christmas morning will bring delight to more children than you can count. Offered with thankfulness, your work at home is only the beginning. Your laundry pile, selflessly tackled daily, will be used in the hands of God to clothe many. Do not think that your work does not matter. In God’s hands, it will be broken, and broken, and broken again, until all who have need of it have eaten and are satisfied. And even then, there will be leftovers.
Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She is the author of "Loving the Little Years" and blogs at Femina. Her husband is Luke, and they have five children: Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months).
My friend Lindsey told me about the blog Kelly's Korner. She is basically a stay at home mom that blogs about her life, nothing that extravagant but what she wrote the other day really made a difference in my spirit and attitude. I believe God used her to give me a much needed pep talk.
Shortly after I was able to have some time away from the kids and actually shopped for myself for the first time in a couple of years! A few days after I got to have a girl's lunch without the kids as well and it was so much fun to get to have almost 2 hours of uninterrupted adult conversation. I'm going to make an effort to do things for myself more often and to be a more positive person. So here I am refreshed and ready to go where ever this life takes me.
I've copied what Kelly wrote on her blog that day for anyone that is interested in reading it...
She actually got this from another blog so I went directly to the source and copied it from the original author. It's long but spoke volumes to me.Motherhood as a Mission Field
June 16, 2011
by: Rachel Jankovic
There is a good old saying, perhaps only said by my Grandfather, that distance adds intrigue. It is certainly true — just think back to anything that has ever been distant from you that is now near. Your driver’s license. Marriage. Children. Things that used to seem so fascinating, but as they draw near become less mystical and more, well, real.
This same principle certainly applies to mission fields too. The closer you get to home, the less intriguing the work of sacrifice seems. As someone once said, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, there is not any kind of awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People are not pressing you for needs you might have, how they can pray for you. It does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because it is as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home.
Home: The Headwaters of Mission
If you are a Christian woman who loves the Lord, the gospel is important to you. It is easy to become discouraged, thinking that the work you are doing does not matter much. If you were really doing something for Christ you would be out there, somewhere else, doing it. Even if you have a great perspective on your role in the kingdom, it is easy to lose sight of it in the mismatched socks, in the morning sickness, in the dirty dishes. It is easy to confuse intrigue with value, and begin viewing yourself as the least valuable part of the Church.
There are a number of ways in which mothers need to study their own roles, and begin to see them, not as boring and inconsequential, but as home, the headwaters of missions.
At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field.
Faith Makes the Small Offering Great
If you are like me, then you may be thinking “What did I ever give up for them? A desk job? Time at the gym? Extra spending money? My twenty- year- old figure? Some sleep?” Doesn’t seem like much when you put it next to the work of some of the great missionaries, people who gave their lives for the gospel.
Think about the feeding of the five thousand when the disciples went out and rounded up the food that was available. It wasn’t much. Some loaves. Some fish. Think of some woman pulling her fish out and handing it to one of the disciples. That had to have felt like a small offering. But the important thing about those loaves and those fishes was not how big they were when they were given, it was about whose hands they were given into. In the hands of the Lord, that offering was sufficient. It was more than sufficient. There were leftovers. Given in faith, even a small offering becomes great.
Look at your children in faith, and see how many people will be ministered to by your ministering to them. How many people will your children know in their lives? How many grandchildren are represented in the faces around your table now?
Gain What You Cannot Lose in Them
So, if mothers are strategically situated to impact missions so greatly, why do we see so little coming from it? I think the answer to this is quite simple: sin. Discontent, pettiness, selfishness, resentment. Christians often feel like the right thing to do is to be ashamed about what we have. We hear that quote of Jim Elliot’s and think that we ought to sell our homes and move to some place where they need the gospel.
But I’d like to challenge you to look at it differently. Giving up what you cannot keep does not mean giving up your home, or your job so you can go serve somewhere else. It is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.
It is easy to think you have a heart for orphans on the other side of the world, but if you spend your time at home resenting the imposition your children are on you, you do not. You cannot have a heart for the gospel and a fussiness about your life at the same time. You will never make any difference there if you cannot be at peace here. You cannot have a heart for missions, but not for the people around you. A true love of the gospel overflows and overpowers. It will be in everything you do, however drab, however simple, however repetitive.
God loves the little offerings. Given in faith, that plate of PB&J’s will feed thousands. Given in faith, those presents on Christmas morning will bring delight to more children than you can count. Offered with thankfulness, your work at home is only the beginning. Your laundry pile, selflessly tackled daily, will be used in the hands of God to clothe many. Do not think that your work does not matter. In God’s hands, it will be broken, and broken, and broken again, until all who have need of it have eaten and are satisfied. And even then, there will be leftovers.
Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She is the author of "Loving the Little Years" and blogs at Femina. Her husband is Luke, and they have five children: Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months).
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Has It Been a Year?
I found this picture on Marvin's laptop and can't believe it has been a year since I took this picture! They are growing up too fast. (ignore the fake date at the bottom of the picture it was before I learned how to make my camera remove the date)
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Monday, June 27, 2011
Book Review
![Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back [Book]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vaDtes1eMQMOraCzB9YvU0ufT-amFAQSlcuWFl2rEh0jBonxONiXSmyDaDCQBVvlmVuQTpjgpFZcT7xNvHYemWwyZYQ65Sn5lRU4L1XBw4pdOzoZni9XHDqP2dZgTfn_kATjS39SyPTS_Y45-rUCRUPc2iYI8Ptg=s0-d "Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back [Book]")
After weeks and weeks of my mama "bugging" me to read the book Heaven Is For Real, I finally decided to find time and comply with her request. It's a very short book and really easy to read and I think everyone on the planet should read it! If you have ever lost a loved one you were close to or just would love to hear a first hand account of what Heaven is like this book is for you. I must say I was skeptical about reading it at first but while looking it over I noticed a small comment by Don Piper (90 Minutes in Heaven) and I was sold. Please take a couple of hours out of your life to be blessed!
Thanks Mama for insisting I read this book!!!
Below is a link to some shopping sites and if you live close enough to me I'll put you on the list to borrow it!
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&xhr=t&q=heaven+is+for+real&cp=7&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1069&bih=690&wrapid=tljp1309209387496010&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14662235089916891337&sa=X&ei=L_MITrSmH5TBtgeavKy7DQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEEQ8wIwAg#
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Memorial Day Weekend 2011
Better late than never I guess! Just found this post saved and I completly forgot to post it....
Sunday, June 19, 2011
What Real Fathers Do
All of my best laid plans fell through today when it came to giving Marvin a "perfect" Father's Day. My plan was to get up early and fix him a big breakfast before church then afterwards eat lunch at his restaurant of choice and end the day with him relaxing around the house and maybe even a nap. And nothing happened right!! Neil has been battling some type of virus and a double ear infection for most of the week so last night I decided that I would stay home with him and let Marvin and Camden go to church. Well Camden decided to pick up whatever he has and when we woke up this morning I realized that we were out of everything. And I mean everything! No eggs, toast, bacon, and only a half a cup of milk and some cereal. So he decided to just stay home with me and the kids....
We have also been experiencing some rather high indoor temperatures at the Sheffield residence so Marvin being the wonderful husband and father he is decided to make a trip to Batesville to get a window unit for our house. And he even let me and the kiddos tag along for the ride. But when we got home it didn't work and he had to take it back and get another one. Then he came home and installed it and even fixed the fan in the kitchen.
He ended the day helping me bath the kids and shopping at Wal-Mart for groceries so we don't go hungry this week. I guess there is always next year!
I am one very fourtunate woman to have him in my life...
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We have also been experiencing some rather high indoor temperatures at the Sheffield residence so Marvin being the wonderful husband and father he is decided to make a trip to Batesville to get a window unit for our house. And he even let me and the kiddos tag along for the ride. But when we got home it didn't work and he had to take it back and get another one. Then he came home and installed it and even fixed the fan in the kitchen.
He ended the day helping me bath the kids and shopping at Wal-Mart for groceries so we don't go hungry this week. I guess there is always next year!
I am one very fourtunate woman to have him in my life...
The kids did color him a card and make him a framed handprint poem, so maybe it wasn't all bad....
Monday, June 6, 2011
Outdoor Summer Fun
I am so thankful to have a fenced-in, kid and pet friendly yard! It's where we spend the majority of our time.
Sheba likes to get into things she is too big for.
Jake about to rest a while
Sweet Cat
I tried out this new thing on photo shop that allows you to fade out the colors. It looked great on the picture above and I demonstrated the difference in the pictures below. It kinda gives the photo an antique look.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Things That Made Me Happy In May :)
I have had a few extra helpings of stress on my plate lately and I saw a Facebook comment the other day that really made me stop and put things in perspective. It said "to find out how rich you are add up all the things in your life that can't have a price put on them". So I started thinking about the things in my life that make me truly happy and here are a few... planning our first family vacation to the beach with both of our kids, getting to clean my house all week so weekends can be focused on time with family rather than chores, being free to go when a friend calls last minute, and getting to watch my two precious angels grow and learn everyday!
This week is Vacation Bible School at our church and I was really looking forward to working it this year! However Camden came down with a virus and then passed it to Neil. Thankfully she got over it and was able to go on the 3rd day! I have been keeping Neil at home praying he will be well on Sunday so our whole family can be in the congregation to watch her perform with all the other children. Nothing blesses my heart more than to have my child excited about going to church and learning about God. I am so blessed to be a part of our church and I know that we are in the right place that will reinforce the scriptures, and Christian values and principles taught at home.
Below are a some shots from the month that has flown by!
This week is Vacation Bible School at our church and I was really looking forward to working it this year! However Camden came down with a virus and then passed it to Neil. Thankfully she got over it and was able to go on the 3rd day! I have been keeping Neil at home praying he will be well on Sunday so our whole family can be in the congregation to watch her perform with all the other children. Nothing blesses my heart more than to have my child excited about going to church and learning about God. I am so blessed to be a part of our church and I know that we are in the right place that will reinforce the scriptures, and Christian values and principles taught at home.
Below are a some shots from the month that has flown by!
Neil's new habit is putting his food on his head...
My sweet little girl.
Flowers in my yard that I didn't plant :)
There is just something cute about a baby boy in a diaper...
Just got through relaxing in her little chair, now time for more water fun!
Mrs. Pinion called me last Friday and said she could really use some company, so off we went!
Marvin setting up the pool for the first time a few Sunday's ago.
I am extremely blessed to have the most patient husband and wonderful father to our kids!
I would not want to go through this life with any other person in the world.
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Thursday, June 30, 2011
Neil is Learning Phonics!!
Labels:
Neil
My wild little 14 month old boy already knows 7 of his letter sounds! He doesn't know any of his letters yet but he is already learning their sounds thanks to Jennifer and a LeapFrog dvd we started Camden on. Camden has all but 3 or 4 down already and we have been working with her at different times during the day. A couple of weeks ago I asked her what sound the letter K makes and before she could even answer Neil (who was sitting in the corner playing with blocks) said the sound perfectly! I thought at first it was just a concidence but after asking him several more I was suprised to find he actually knew them! Kids really are sponges and have the ability to learn things really quick. I am really blessed to get to be apart of all of these new developments in their childhood and would not have it any other way.
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looks like my dirty little man is paying more attention that I thought
Refreshed and Ready to Go!
Labels:
Thoughts
Sometimes financial stresses and having two children so close in age can be a lot on me but after reading another stay-at-home mom's blog the other day and taking a couple of days to refresh myself I feel like I can take on the world! (or at least my own little world...)
My friend Lindsey told me about the blog Kelly's Korner. She is basically a stay at home mom that blogs about her life, nothing that extravagant but what she wrote the other day really made a difference in my spirit and attitude. I believe God used her to give me a much needed pep talk.
Shortly after I was able to have some time away from the kids and actually shopped for myself for the first time in a couple of years! A few days after I got to have a girl's lunch without the kids as well and it was so much fun to get to have almost 2 hours of uninterrupted adult conversation. I'm going to make an effort to do things for myself more often and to be a more positive person. So here I am refreshed and ready to go where ever this life takes me.
I've copied what Kelly wrote on her blog that day for anyone that is interested in reading it...
She actually got this from another blog so I went directly to the source and copied it from the original author. It's long but spoke volumes to me.Motherhood as a Mission Field
June 16, 2011
by: Rachel Jankovic
There is a good old saying, perhaps only said by my Grandfather, that distance adds intrigue. It is certainly true — just think back to anything that has ever been distant from you that is now near. Your driver’s license. Marriage. Children. Things that used to seem so fascinating, but as they draw near become less mystical and more, well, real.
This same principle certainly applies to mission fields too. The closer you get to home, the less intriguing the work of sacrifice seems. As someone once said, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, there is not any kind of awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People are not pressing you for needs you might have, how they can pray for you. It does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because it is as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home.
Home: The Headwaters of Mission
If you are a Christian woman who loves the Lord, the gospel is important to you. It is easy to become discouraged, thinking that the work you are doing does not matter much. If you were really doing something for Christ you would be out there, somewhere else, doing it. Even if you have a great perspective on your role in the kingdom, it is easy to lose sight of it in the mismatched socks, in the morning sickness, in the dirty dishes. It is easy to confuse intrigue with value, and begin viewing yourself as the least valuable part of the Church.
There are a number of ways in which mothers need to study their own roles, and begin to see them, not as boring and inconsequential, but as home, the headwaters of missions.
At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field.
Faith Makes the Small Offering Great
If you are like me, then you may be thinking “What did I ever give up for them? A desk job? Time at the gym? Extra spending money? My twenty- year- old figure? Some sleep?” Doesn’t seem like much when you put it next to the work of some of the great missionaries, people who gave their lives for the gospel.
Think about the feeding of the five thousand when the disciples went out and rounded up the food that was available. It wasn’t much. Some loaves. Some fish. Think of some woman pulling her fish out and handing it to one of the disciples. That had to have felt like a small offering. But the important thing about those loaves and those fishes was not how big they were when they were given, it was about whose hands they were given into. In the hands of the Lord, that offering was sufficient. It was more than sufficient. There were leftovers. Given in faith, even a small offering becomes great.
Look at your children in faith, and see how many people will be ministered to by your ministering to them. How many people will your children know in their lives? How many grandchildren are represented in the faces around your table now?
Gain What You Cannot Lose in Them
So, if mothers are strategically situated to impact missions so greatly, why do we see so little coming from it? I think the answer to this is quite simple: sin. Discontent, pettiness, selfishness, resentment. Christians often feel like the right thing to do is to be ashamed about what we have. We hear that quote of Jim Elliot’s and think that we ought to sell our homes and move to some place where they need the gospel.
But I’d like to challenge you to look at it differently. Giving up what you cannot keep does not mean giving up your home, or your job so you can go serve somewhere else. It is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.
It is easy to think you have a heart for orphans on the other side of the world, but if you spend your time at home resenting the imposition your children are on you, you do not. You cannot have a heart for the gospel and a fussiness about your life at the same time. You will never make any difference there if you cannot be at peace here. You cannot have a heart for missions, but not for the people around you. A true love of the gospel overflows and overpowers. It will be in everything you do, however drab, however simple, however repetitive.
God loves the little offerings. Given in faith, that plate of PB&J’s will feed thousands. Given in faith, those presents on Christmas morning will bring delight to more children than you can count. Offered with thankfulness, your work at home is only the beginning. Your laundry pile, selflessly tackled daily, will be used in the hands of God to clothe many. Do not think that your work does not matter. In God’s hands, it will be broken, and broken, and broken again, until all who have need of it have eaten and are satisfied. And even then, there will be leftovers.
Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She is the author of "Loving the Little Years" and blogs at Femina. Her husband is Luke, and they have five children: Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months).
My friend Lindsey told me about the blog Kelly's Korner. She is basically a stay at home mom that blogs about her life, nothing that extravagant but what she wrote the other day really made a difference in my spirit and attitude. I believe God used her to give me a much needed pep talk.
Shortly after I was able to have some time away from the kids and actually shopped for myself for the first time in a couple of years! A few days after I got to have a girl's lunch without the kids as well and it was so much fun to get to have almost 2 hours of uninterrupted adult conversation. I'm going to make an effort to do things for myself more often and to be a more positive person. So here I am refreshed and ready to go where ever this life takes me.
I've copied what Kelly wrote on her blog that day for anyone that is interested in reading it...
She actually got this from another blog so I went directly to the source and copied it from the original author. It's long but spoke volumes to me.Motherhood as a Mission Field
June 16, 2011
by: Rachel Jankovic
There is a good old saying, perhaps only said by my Grandfather, that distance adds intrigue. It is certainly true — just think back to anything that has ever been distant from you that is now near. Your driver’s license. Marriage. Children. Things that used to seem so fascinating, but as they draw near become less mystical and more, well, real.
This same principle certainly applies to mission fields too. The closer you get to home, the less intriguing the work of sacrifice seems. As someone once said, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, there is not any kind of awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People are not pressing you for needs you might have, how they can pray for you. It does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because it is as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home.
Home: The Headwaters of Mission
If you are a Christian woman who loves the Lord, the gospel is important to you. It is easy to become discouraged, thinking that the work you are doing does not matter much. If you were really doing something for Christ you would be out there, somewhere else, doing it. Even if you have a great perspective on your role in the kingdom, it is easy to lose sight of it in the mismatched socks, in the morning sickness, in the dirty dishes. It is easy to confuse intrigue with value, and begin viewing yourself as the least valuable part of the Church.
There are a number of ways in which mothers need to study their own roles, and begin to see them, not as boring and inconsequential, but as home, the headwaters of missions.
At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field.
Faith Makes the Small Offering Great
If you are like me, then you may be thinking “What did I ever give up for them? A desk job? Time at the gym? Extra spending money? My twenty- year- old figure? Some sleep?” Doesn’t seem like much when you put it next to the work of some of the great missionaries, people who gave their lives for the gospel.
Think about the feeding of the five thousand when the disciples went out and rounded up the food that was available. It wasn’t much. Some loaves. Some fish. Think of some woman pulling her fish out and handing it to one of the disciples. That had to have felt like a small offering. But the important thing about those loaves and those fishes was not how big they were when they were given, it was about whose hands they were given into. In the hands of the Lord, that offering was sufficient. It was more than sufficient. There were leftovers. Given in faith, even a small offering becomes great.
Look at your children in faith, and see how many people will be ministered to by your ministering to them. How many people will your children know in their lives? How many grandchildren are represented in the faces around your table now?
Gain What You Cannot Lose in Them
So, if mothers are strategically situated to impact missions so greatly, why do we see so little coming from it? I think the answer to this is quite simple: sin. Discontent, pettiness, selfishness, resentment. Christians often feel like the right thing to do is to be ashamed about what we have. We hear that quote of Jim Elliot’s and think that we ought to sell our homes and move to some place where they need the gospel.
But I’d like to challenge you to look at it differently. Giving up what you cannot keep does not mean giving up your home, or your job so you can go serve somewhere else. It is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.
It is easy to think you have a heart for orphans on the other side of the world, but if you spend your time at home resenting the imposition your children are on you, you do not. You cannot have a heart for the gospel and a fussiness about your life at the same time. You will never make any difference there if you cannot be at peace here. You cannot have a heart for missions, but not for the people around you. A true love of the gospel overflows and overpowers. It will be in everything you do, however drab, however simple, however repetitive.
God loves the little offerings. Given in faith, that plate of PB&J’s will feed thousands. Given in faith, those presents on Christmas morning will bring delight to more children than you can count. Offered with thankfulness, your work at home is only the beginning. Your laundry pile, selflessly tackled daily, will be used in the hands of God to clothe many. Do not think that your work does not matter. In God’s hands, it will be broken, and broken, and broken again, until all who have need of it have eaten and are satisfied. And even then, there will be leftovers.
Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She is the author of "Loving the Little Years" and blogs at Femina. Her husband is Luke, and they have five children: Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months).
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Has It Been a Year?
Labels:
kids
I found this picture on Marvin's laptop and can't believe it has been a year since I took this picture! They are growing up too fast. (ignore the fake date at the bottom of the picture it was before I learned how to make my camera remove the date)
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Monday, June 27, 2011
Book Review
After weeks and weeks of my mama "bugging" me to read the book Heaven Is For Real, I finally decided to find time and comply with her request. It's a very short book and really easy to read and I think everyone on the planet should read it! If you have ever lost a loved one you were close to or just would love to hear a first hand account of what Heaven is like this book is for you. I must say I was skeptical about reading it at first but while looking it over I noticed a small comment by Don Piper (90 Minutes in Heaven) and I was sold. Please take a couple of hours out of your life to be blessed!
Thanks Mama for insisting I read this book!!!
Below is a link to some shopping sites and if you live close enough to me I'll put you on the list to borrow it!
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&xhr=t&q=heaven+is+for+real&cp=7&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1069&bih=690&wrapid=tljp1309209387496010&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14662235089916891337&sa=X&ei=L_MITrSmH5TBtgeavKy7DQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEEQ8wIwAg#
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Memorial Day Weekend 2011
Labels:
kids,
Memorial Day,
Summer
Better late than never I guess! Just found this post saved and I completly forgot to post it....
Sunday, June 19, 2011
What Real Fathers Do
Labels:
Father's Day,
kids
All of my best laid plans fell through today when it came to giving Marvin a "perfect" Father's Day. My plan was to get up early and fix him a big breakfast before church then afterwards eat lunch at his restaurant of choice and end the day with him relaxing around the house and maybe even a nap. And nothing happened right!! Neil has been battling some type of virus and a double ear infection for most of the week so last night I decided that I would stay home with him and let Marvin and Camden go to church. Well Camden decided to pick up whatever he has and when we woke up this morning I realized that we were out of everything. And I mean everything! No eggs, toast, bacon, and only a half a cup of milk and some cereal. So he decided to just stay home with me and the kids....
We have also been experiencing some rather high indoor temperatures at the Sheffield residence so Marvin being the wonderful husband and father he is decided to make a trip to Batesville to get a window unit for our house. And he even let me and the kiddos tag along for the ride. But when we got home it didn't work and he had to take it back and get another one. Then he came home and installed it and even fixed the fan in the kitchen.
He ended the day helping me bath the kids and shopping at Wal-Mart for groceries so we don't go hungry this week. I guess there is always next year!
I am one very fourtunate woman to have him in my life...
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We have also been experiencing some rather high indoor temperatures at the Sheffield residence so Marvin being the wonderful husband and father he is decided to make a trip to Batesville to get a window unit for our house. And he even let me and the kiddos tag along for the ride. But when we got home it didn't work and he had to take it back and get another one. Then he came home and installed it and even fixed the fan in the kitchen.
He ended the day helping me bath the kids and shopping at Wal-Mart for groceries so we don't go hungry this week. I guess there is always next year!
I am one very fourtunate woman to have him in my life...
The kids did color him a card and make him a framed handprint poem, so maybe it wasn't all bad....
Monday, June 6, 2011
Outdoor Summer Fun
I am so thankful to have a fenced-in, kid and pet friendly yard! It's where we spend the majority of our time.
Sheba likes to get into things she is too big for.
Jake about to rest a while
Sweet Cat
I tried out this new thing on photo shop that allows you to fade out the colors. It looked great on the picture above and I demonstrated the difference in the pictures below. It kinda gives the photo an antique look.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Things That Made Me Happy In May :)
Labels:
kids,
Mrs. Pinion,
Thoughts
I have had a few extra helpings of stress on my plate lately and I saw a Facebook comment the other day that really made me stop and put things in perspective. It said "to find out how rich you are add up all the things in your life that can't have a price put on them". So I started thinking about the things in my life that make me truly happy and here are a few... planning our first family vacation to the beach with both of our kids, getting to clean my house all week so weekends can be focused on time with family rather than chores, being free to go when a friend calls last minute, and getting to watch my two precious angels grow and learn everyday!
This week is Vacation Bible School at our church and I was really looking forward to working it this year! However Camden came down with a virus and then passed it to Neil. Thankfully she got over it and was able to go on the 3rd day! I have been keeping Neil at home praying he will be well on Sunday so our whole family can be in the congregation to watch her perform with all the other children. Nothing blesses my heart more than to have my child excited about going to church and learning about God. I am so blessed to be a part of our church and I know that we are in the right place that will reinforce the scriptures, and Christian values and principles taught at home.
Below are a some shots from the month that has flown by!
This week is Vacation Bible School at our church and I was really looking forward to working it this year! However Camden came down with a virus and then passed it to Neil. Thankfully she got over it and was able to go on the 3rd day! I have been keeping Neil at home praying he will be well on Sunday so our whole family can be in the congregation to watch her perform with all the other children. Nothing blesses my heart more than to have my child excited about going to church and learning about God. I am so blessed to be a part of our church and I know that we are in the right place that will reinforce the scriptures, and Christian values and principles taught at home.
Below are a some shots from the month that has flown by!
Neil's new habit is putting his food on his head...
My sweet little girl.
Flowers in my yard that I didn't plant :)
There is just something cute about a baby boy in a diaper...
Just got through relaxing in her little chair, now time for more water fun!
Mrs. Pinion called me last Friday and said she could really use some company, so off we went!
Marvin setting up the pool for the first time a few Sunday's ago.
I am extremely blessed to have the most patient husband and wonderful father to our kids!
I would not want to go through this life with any other person in the world.
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