For the Children: Are you Saved? - Paul Washer

A Christian Woman by Elisabeth Elliot

“We are called to be women. The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman. For I have accepted God’s idea of me, and my whole life is an offering back to Him of all that I am and all that He wants me to be.” 

“God has set no traps for us. Quite the contrary. He has summoned us to the only true and full freedom. The woman who defines her liberation as doing what she wants…is, in the first place, evading responsibility. Evasion of responsibility is the mark of immaturity. The Women’s Liberation Movement is characterized, it appears, by this very immaturity. While telling themselves that they’ve come a long way, that they are actually coming of age, they have retreated to a partial humanity, one which refused to acknowledge the vast significance of the sexual differentiation. (I do not say that they always ignore sexual differentiation itself, but that they significance of it escapes them entirely.) And….by refusing to fulfill the whole vocation of womanhood she settles for a caricature, a pseudo-personhood.”

"Womanhood is a call...The strength to answer this call is given us as we look up toward the Love that created us, remembering that it was that Love that first…made us at the very beginning real men and real women. As we conform to that Love’s demands we shall become more humble, more dependent—on Him and on one another—and even (dare I say it?) more splendid."

A Family's Guide to the Church - Voddie Baucham

Can We Know Our Children Are Saved?

One of the ways I believe we can examine our children’s fruitfulness is their “heart” attitude in all that they do. Some questions to ponder:

1. Do they love God above all else?
2. Love His Word, music, worship, praise, people, church, activities and application of Christian world and life view to everything?
3. Do they want to spend “quality” and “quantity” time in the things of God?
4. Do they want to please their parents and do what is “just and proper” in the sight of God?
5. Do they have generous spirit and giving heart?
6. Do they obey those that rule over them, including their parents?
7. Do they respect their elders and those older than themselves?
8. Are they kind, tenderhearted, humble and forgiving?
9. Is their love shown in what they say and do?
10. Do they love God more than the things of the world, i.e., the lust of eyes, flesh and pride of life?
11. Is God in their future plans in education, career and marriage?
12. Have they made public profession of faith, exercised their faith and witness to others of their faith?
13. Are they obedient to the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper?

For more of this excellent article, please go to  http://reformedwomen.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/children-and-salvation/

For Mothers and Fathers

Mothers, touch your children,

Fathers, hug them tight,

Let them know you love them

morning, noon, and night.

Put your arms around them,

hold them near to you,

Feel the beating of their hearts,

the life that you made new.

Roll around the floor with them,

tease and laugh and play,

Listen to what they'll tell you,

they have so much to say.

Take time to get to know them,

see the colors in their eyes,

Appreciate that person

that deep inside them lies.

Let them run their fingers through your hair

and down your face,

Fill their hearts with words of praise,

make home their favorite place.

Cuddle with them on the couch

and watch a t.v. show,

Sing with them or share a book

and help their world to grow.

Take a walk into the park,

hold each other's hand,

Smell the flowers, feed the ducks,

build castles in the sand.

Mothers, touch your children,

Fathers, hug them tight,

Show them what a gift they are,

to love them feels so right.

Chocolate Chip Muffins!!!

From the girls: We love helping Mommy in the kitchen. This is one of our very favorite things to make. They are SSOOOO good! Please try them; you'll love them!

From the Mama: These are much-loved by my children. They are adapted (not by me) from a chocolate chip cookie recipe. I don’t care for chocolate so I left three of them without chocolate and added some pecans…then they were yummy! But (sigh!), my children are affected by the chocolate bug and they love them as they are. We doubled the recipe and two dozen weren’t enough to satisfy their cravings (of course, I was feeding 9 people, including me and hubby). I’m not really sure where the original recipe came from. Here goes!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffin pans by buttering or spraying.

In a medium-sized bowl mix together:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well and set aside.

In another bowl mix together these ingredients: (note from the Mama: I have found that 1/2 bag is plenty for us but the original recipe called for a whole bag; your choice!)

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir these together until well blended.

Then…

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the milk mixture and stir just to combine.  Stir in…

1 bag (11 ounces) of mini-chocolate chips 

1/2 cup chopped pecans or chopped walnuts (optional…we didn’t do this)

Then spoon your batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and cool for 5 minutes. Then, enjoy!

The Wiggles - Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport Feat. Rolf Harris

Rolf Harris "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"

hippo and dog singing the lion sleeps tonight

What Guys Think About Modesty

Pursue Femininity

"Don't just settle for being a Keeper at Home, make it your conviction. Don't just reject feminism, pursue femininity." ~Sarah Zes

Thoughts by Tasha Tudo

“Why do women want to dress like men when their fortunate enough to be women?  Why lose our feminity, which is one of our greatest charms?  We get much more accomplished by being charming then we would by flaunting around in pants and smoking.  I’m very fond of men.  I think they’re wonderful creatures.  I love them dearly.  But I don’t want to look like one!  When women gave up their long skirts, they made a grave error.  Things half seen are so much more mysterious and delightful.  Remember the term “a neatly turned ankle”?  Think of the thrill that gentlemen used to get if they caught even a glimplse of one.  Now women go around in their union suits.  And what a multitude of sins you could cover up with a long skirt if you had piano legs!!”

“I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It’s an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren’t stupid because you’re a housewife. When you’re stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare.”

“Life isn’t long enough to do all you could accomplish. And what a privilege even to be alive. In spite of all the pollutions and horrors, how beautiful this world is. Supposing you only saw the stars once every year. Think what you would think. The wonder of it!”

In Simple Things

Learn to like what does not cost much.
Learn to like reading, conversation, music.
Learn to like plain food, plain service, plain cooking.
Learn to like people, 
even those who may be very different from you.
Learn to shelter your family with love, comfort, and peace.
Learn to keep your wants simple.
Refuse to be owned and anchored by things and opinions of others.
Learn to like the sunrise and the sunset,
the beating of rain on the roof and windows,
the gentle fall of snow in winter.
Learn to hold heaven near and dear.
Learn to love God, for He surely loves you.

Author Unknown