Top Ten Posts of 2013!

Here are the top ten most-read posts of 2013. If you have liked, shared, commented on, or pinned any of these best-loved posts, I am grateful! Thank you!

#10 - Haven or Hollywood? (Pin it!)

#09 - How to Deal with the Fools in Your Life! (Pin it!)

#08 - Our Afternoon Routine (Pin it!)

#07 - Take cover! (Pin it!)

#06 - Confession of a messy mom. (Pin it!)

#05 - Unfulfilled Dreams? (Pin it!)

#04 - You just don't understand! (Pin it!)

#03 - Teaching children to sit through church (Pin it!)

#02 - No wonder she's not listening (Pin it!)

and the most-read, best-loved post of 2013...

#01 - Our Morning Routine (Pin it!)

Thank you all! I am waiting with great expectation for the lessons the Lord has for me to learn & share in 2014!

Writing as He moves me,

for His glory!

~Lisha

I may be sharing this at these wonderful Link-up parties!

If this has blessed or encouraged you, please comment, pin it, or share!

Unfulfilled dreams?

Photo credit: Molly Viglione Photography 2013
Sometimes I feel like a few of my big dreams have gone unfufilled,

but then I remember that God is not limited to my dreams for me.

Something that I've been wrestling is this:
would God give me a dream - a desire of my heart -  that He does not intend to fulfill?!

It's easy to run to a verse like Psalm 37:4 where it says 'He will give you the desires of your heart'. The old "build your theology around and hang your hopes on a single verse" - which is always, always a bad idea. Always. The idea that God is bound to give me whatever my little heart desires is just not in line with all the rest of Scripture. (Remember, Scripture also says the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things {Jeremiah 17:9}...so how do those two verses mesh?)

Without reading the verses around it, or taking in the whole counsel of God, I'd feel kind of iffy about God's ability to keep His Word, because truth be told, I have unfulfilled dreams in my heart.

At least, on the surface, I think I do. For example-

I want to be loved. I mean, LOVED!, by my husband. In the way that Christ loved His church and gave Himself up for her. I want to feel cherished, treasured, defended, taken care of, and valued - every day, all the time! But marriage has difficult seasons, and some days are just no-good and terrible. There have been years of our marriage when we have both felt lonely & empty for a myriad of reasons. It's not what either of us had dreamed up when we said we do for better or worse. But what about that longing to be loved? Has God forgotten about my heart?

Since I was in 4th grade, I've wanted to be a teacher. A middle school math teacher - yes, you saw that correctly. I am crazy, and I did write middle school math teacher. :) I taught in an excellent school for just 2 years before our oldest daughter was born. I have not regretted a day of being home with my daughters, but I often wish that I could have some way to connect with middle school students and impact their lives somehow in a school-type setting. God gave me the ability to teach - did He put me on the shelf when I started having children?

And I'd love to have a home full to bursting with little ones. Before Elizabeth was even thought of, I had a list of 14 names (first & middle) that I knew I just had to use some day. We've got three amazingly beautiful daughters, and one baby that we never really got to know. For now, three is just right; my days are full and resources seem limited with the ones we have - but I can't help the disappointment each month that comes when I realize that there will not be another little one, at least this time around. After almost a decade of being married, I'd hoped by now to have 5 or 6 sweet ones to kiss and squeeze and sing to and love on. God says over and over that children are a blessing, and I'm willing to receive as many as He'll give...why isn't He taking me up on that?

I've been praying for these dreams to come true for years. and that feels like a long time to wait!!

I was driving home from grocery shopping (alone) the other night and taking the opportunity to ask the Lord why, if He'd given me these desires, He wasn't fulfilling them. The desires I have are good ones, so how come my life doesn't look the way I think it should?!

My daughter, He started, you're not seeing everything the way I see it.

If you felt loved and secure all of the time by your husband, you wouldn't need to seek Me and My heart for you. You wouldn't depend on and abide in My love for you. I fulfill your desire to be loved when you spend time with Me and let Me remind you how precious you are. Don't look to man to love you - look to Me. And you'll be able to love him generously out of the overflow of My love, no matter what the years bring.

You are a teacher. I've given you three little girls who will one day be young ladies and they are learning from you, day in and day out. All those years of formal training were for a purpose. And I've placed you in a church with a thriving middle & high school outreach! I've given you the best of both worlds - you don't have to fill out report cards or attend staff meetings AND you get to impact the young ladies you love by speaking into their lives and taking them out for breakfast. And what about tutoring? I've given you that outlet so you can help them with math - while working from home.

And what's this talk about wanting more children? I've given you four - which is an infinite treasure!  If I never bless you with another, you have riches untold already. And how do you know I'm never going to call you to adopt, or foster, or carry another little one? There's still time! But not now, my dear. And what about all of the young ladies in your life whom you love like daughters? Just because they don't live under your roof doesn't mean you can't love them, too. 

Sometimes, He fulfills our dreams quite plainly for us. Or He may do it in a roundabout way {as we see it, anyway}. And then there are the times when He doesn't, because His purpose in not fulfilling that heart's desire is so that we'll remember that He should be the desire & delight of our hearts.

He keeps sending me back to Psalm 37:

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,

trust also in Him,

and He shall bring it to pass.

{Psalm 37:3-5}

When I'm about the business of first trusting Him, then feeding on His faithfulness, and then delighting myself in Him alone...then He gives me the desires of my heart because my heart will be in line with His! And where there's a desire that seems to be forgotten, I can rest in the truth that He knows precisely what He's doing. For my good, and for His glory...{see Romans 8:28}

Learning to delight in Him
and rest in His plan,
for His glory!
~Lisha

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Spending money, spending time

When I pay $2.50 for my favorite Dunkin Donuts treat, what does it cost?

Simply $2.50? No.

My husband works for an hourly wage. Let's pretend (for the sake of easy math) that he makes $10.00/hour. He works hard to earn for his family, and when I spend $2.50 for a coffee I must remember this:

he had to work 15 minutes to make enough to pay for that coffee.

And that's before taxes, tithe, etc.

So realistically, it's probably more like 25 minutes.

Image: ksoo.com

....is my coffee worth it, when I think about it that way? Or is my husband's time worth more to me than that?

God has been pressing this into my heart every time I think "Hey, I could use a ______ [coffee, meal out, other frivolous things]!" {Which happens a lot.}We are not in a season where money is abundant. It's super tight, each month. So I am not really at liberty to be essentially wasting my husband's time by spending his hard-earned money on things we don't need.

Does that mean we shouldn't try to budget for a 'date night', or fun family activities, or fun treats once in a while? ...well, no. But it does mean that I can strive as the manager of this home and as the overseer of the household budget to honor my husband by being prudent & creative with how we choose to spend the money he works hard to bring home.

I think know that my spending habits early on in our marriage would have been dramatically different if I'd thought of purchases in terms of how long Will had to work in order for me to be able to buy them. A $5.00 candle seems inexpensive until I realize that it means Will had to spend half an hour working to earn it. For $40 in clothing, or decorations, or fun fabrics - that's half a day's work for Will {assuming the $10/hr model}! I need to make sure those are real needs (and make sure Will & I agree) before spending that money.

I do contribute to the household budget in various ways - tutoring, child care, sewing projects for others, etc - and I realize that thinking of it in terms of "Will's money" or "my money" is not entirely accurate. Ultimately, our income totally belongs to the Lord (every penny!), and because we're married that means our finances are a team effort. But in our situation, my husband is the one earning most of the income, and one way I can show him respect is by doing my best to manage the income well. It communicates to him that not only am I thankful for the money coming in, but I respect the time he puts in each week that makes that income possible.

I share this because it's been so much on the forefront of my thoughts over the past few weeks! There is obviously so much more to budgeting and money matters that I don't touch on here, but I hope this will be helpful. Truly the heart of this matter is 'Am I content?' ...for me, it's too often 'no'. Wasting my time thinking about '...but that would be so nice to have!' means I'm not truly content in the Lord Jesus and where He's got me right now. It has become an exercise in choosing gratefulness & contentment.

Spending our resources,
for His glory!
~Lisha

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October 10, 2000

13 years and 9 days ago,

I was introduced to a young man.

A young man with a big beard and the most amazing grin I'd ever seen.

He remarked that he really liked my shoes, because they were bowling shoes. Real ones.

We hung out for a few hours with a small group of mutual friends,

played a ridiculously terrible game of pool,

and he assured me that he lost "in order to impress the ladies", which had to have been me,

since I was the only single lady in the group.

Single, because I'd just told my roommate that I'd sworn off dating at least for a whole year.

Fall semester 2000 - freshman year

13 years ago,

that young man called me up and asked me

if he had a girlfriend.

That was his way of asking me out, I think. I answered yes,

and his reply was "Thanks!"...and then he hung up on me.

He was no ordinary young man,

and my life has not had a moment of ordinary from that moment on.

Except for 15 minutes (when we broke up) in the spring of 2002,

(and then decided we'd try to make it work),

we've been together ever since.

That's almost half of our lifetimes.

Through the years. :)

I know my life would look vastly different had the Lord chosen another path for me.

And with all the work the Lord has done in my heart,

and the way He has been patience and gracious with each of us,

I would not dream of it being any different...
not one moment.

Happy 13th (dating) anniversary, Will. I'm really glad you made that phone call.


My love is not perfect,
but I'm thankful that God is perfecting it by letting me love you.
You are the second most precious gift the Lord has ever given me
(after my salvation through Jesus!!),
and I will praise Him forever for that. Even on the hardest days.

Love,
Lisha

PS Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?

Nutella vs joy

"Today is the kind of day when ____________ would make everything better!"

I say this every day. Fill in the blank with
a sweet tea.
a iced coffee the size of my head.
a couple of hours away from everyone. or days. weeks?
slices of chocolate cheesecake.
a pre-paid shopping spree.
a phone call from a friend.
an 8-hour nap.
a brief break from financial troubles.
...a break from life, in general.
being loved like I think I deserve.
etc.

Today was one of those days. Life is hard right now. Not bad, but hard. God has allowed some tough circumstances in my life because He knows fully and best which trials I need to make me more dependent on Him, so that I'll be more like Jesus - and I have quite a few lessons to learn! And today, oh man. I was confident that Nutella, straight out of the jar with a spoon, would have made everything better.

image from www.leftoverqueen.com

At least, I thought so in the moment.

I was doing the dishes this afternoon in between refereeing Elizabeth & Abby's playtime and keeping Hannah from destroying the clean living room entirely, because she didn't want to just sit down and play with her sisters or watch a movie or anything. I was tired, and caffeine-deprived. I had been fighting off envy, discouragement, and bitterness all morning, so I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. And I was praying for Nutella, or really for anything that contained chocolate. We don't have money for extravagant things like chocolate right now, so it would only come by divine intervention.

Am I not joy enough? {that still, small voice.}

What. No. Let me continue in my self-pity.

Am I, the Lord, who loads you daily with benefits, am I joy enough for you, right now?

Ugh. But I deserve Nutella. or Dove. or Hershey. Something, for all of the stuff I've been dealing with.

Seek Me first, and my Kingdom - seek your solace and your comfort, your satisfaction and your joy - seek them in Me. All of those other things that you think will make your life better are temporary, my daughter! They cannot change a lick of your situation - but I can change your heart, even if your situation doesn't change. Find your joy in Me. I will show you the path of life! In My presence is FULLNESS of JOY; at My right hand are pleasures forevermore!"

Sigh.

Every day is a fight. a battle against discontent, whining, grumbling, and giving up. Every moment I have to choose Jesus as my supreme Joy - not because He makes my circumstances amazing, but because He can do amazing things with crummy, barren, hopeless situations.

Yes, Lord. You're right (of course You are!) Forgive me for being so short-sighted.

(But I wouldn't mind chocolate every now and then....)

Learning to rejoice in the Lord always,
for His glory!
~Lisha

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Kitchen Creativity

As I wrote the other night in my post Q&A, Will thinks that I should blog more about the every day things that I do around here - cooking, homeschooling, etc.

So today's post has to do with being creative with just a few ingredients. Yesterday was shopping day, and I didn't get over to the store for a number of reasons. Thus, today's lunch was one of those "hmm, there's not much in the house...what can I do with what I've got?" lunches.

We've also been through various seasons where the money for food was limited - and I've found it's one of the best ways to work my creativity muscles! So, I'm thankful for the chance to practice creative cooking.

I think it's also beneficial for the girls, now that they are old enough to actually help me with meal prep. It helps them learn which foods & seasoning go together well - and which ones don't (trial and error!). It teaches them (& me!) spontaneity. It shows them that sometimes, they'll have to do without - and how to make do, joyfully...and tastefully.

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite dishes that were borne out of a mostly-bare pantry. And please - feel free to share any creative recipes that you have!

__________________________________________
Cottage Cheese & Frozen Fruit "Ice Cream"
(this is what we had for lunch today!)

1-2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
1-2 tsp sweetener of choice (I use a sugar/stevia blend)
frozen fruit of choice (I used a peach/mango/berry mix)

Put cottage cheese, sweetener, & frozen fruit in a food processor. Blend until the mixture is really smooth (resembling ice cream) - I let it go for 2-3 minutes. You can serve it immediately, but if you put this in the freezer for a little while it's pretty amazing. My girls like this as much as ice cream!

Serves 3 hungry little girls, about 1 cup each!
____________________________________________
English Muffin Garlic Bread
(one of Will's all-time favorites)

English Muffins (a 6-pack will make 12 pieces; 12 will make 24 pieces, etc)
butter
garlic salt
shredded cheese, Italian seasoning, etc

Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the English muffins in half (like you would to toast them, you know?). Put as much butter as you'd like on each half, then sprinkle with garlic salt to taste. Use Italian seasoning if you'd like. Place muffins on a baking sheet and bake for about 5-8 minutes (keep a close eye on them!); just as they are beginning to get golden, add shredded cheese if you want. Bake a few minutes more until the tops are a delicious golden color, or until the cheese is melty. Wait a couple of minutes before trying one!

(I'd plan on 2-3 of these for each person!)
__________________________________________
Wegg-affles
(Will wanted a fried egg sandwich one evening, and we had no bread left. But we did have waffles...)

2 frozen waffles
1 egg/egg substitute
1 slice of cheese
ham/bacon/sausage (optional)

Toast the waffles. In a small pan, fry the egg to your liking. Then place the cheese and/or meat on top of the egg to heat through. Make a sandwich using the waffles! THIS is actually Will's favorite kitchen creation.

(serves 1!)
_________________________________________
Berry-berry "Lemonade"
(...created on the day we didn't have any juice in the house)

Water, about 2 quarts
Ice
Frozen berries
a lemon
a little bit of sweetener
a dash of cinnamon

Fill a pitcher with some ice and a cup or two of frozen berries. Slice up a lemon and throw that it, too. Add sweetener and cinnamon, and then fill the picture the rest of the way with water. Stir well. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then enjoy! My girls now prefer this to juice (...and so do I!).

(I use my 2-quart pitcher for this, but I end up making it 2-3 times over because the girls drink so much of it!)
_________________________________________
Kind-of-like Fried Rice
(we eat this quite a bit!)

a pat of butter (or coconut oil, or olive oil...whatever you use)
2-3 cups leftover (chilled) rice.
1-2 eggs/egg substitute equivalent
2-3 cups veggies (carrots, broccoli, asparagus, peas, corn, green beans...whatever you've got on hand!) - precooked until fork-tender
salt, pepper, etc to taste

Heat butter over medium-low heat. Beat the eggs in a small bowl, then scramble them over medium heat till they are well-cooked. Add rice and veggies, and heat through. Add seasonings to taste (my girls also ask for a bit of soy sauce sometimes). Mix well and serve!

(This serves the girls & I for dinner, and there are never any leftovers!)
_________________________________________


What are your favorite recipes that were inspired by "what have we got here?"

Cooking creatively,
for His glory!
Lisha

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A Thankful November - 2012

Dear ones,

For the last few years, as November rolls around I take some time every day to pick a few things to be thankful for. Some days it's a whole mess of things. Some days, it's one overarching theme.

I do it because the Lord reminds me throughout Scripture to be thankful. To cultivate a heart of gratitude. Toward Him, because He 'has dealt bountifully with my soul' [Psalm 13]!! There is no area of my life where I cannot find something to praise God for!!

I invite you, friend, to join me on this month-long exercise in thankfulness. Whether or not you worship God - there is still much to be thankful for. However, if you do worship the Lord, you have an infinite amount of good things to offer back to Him in praise.

Here's my running list. What's on yours?

Grateful,
for His glory!
~Lisha

November 1: the Lord of hosts, who only does marvelous things. my husband, who is a gift from God to help me learn to be more like Jesus. three lovely daughters who forgive me readily and repeatedly. friends who love me enough to call me out when i've done something wrong. prayer. a new pastor for our church. a new month feeling like a fresh start...

November 2: for Beautiful You. for the young ladies i've mentored and the young-at-heart ladies who have mentored me. for God's constant provision and His guidance. for my mom and dad and 'little' brother ♥ for my "-in-love" family - the hunters & the hustons. that Jesus came to give abundant life, not just squeaking-by life!

November 3: for chilly mornings under warm blankets. for a big mug of warm tea. for early morning snuggles with hannahbear. for the anticipation of spending the day with friends. for all the ways God provides for our family. for the opportunity to have a home-based business. for the smells and sounds and sights of the holiday season. and that my memories of holidays past are rich with love and joy.

November 4: for communion. for the sun greeting me when i woke up this morning (thanks, DST)! for waking up to a bunch of clean dishes that were not clean when i went to bed last night (thanks, will!). for our church family (local and worldwide). that my girls share a room and i get to overhear some of the giggles, whispers, jokes, friendship, and playtime that happens when they're together there.

November 5: for a working heater in the car. indoor plumbing. strangers at the grocery store who stop to speak a word of encouragement to a hurried homeschooling momma, that this path is hard but worth it. coffee. that i live in a country where i'm allowed to vote, no matter how tarnished the system is. for the ladies (& men) who worked hard and sacrificed much to give me that privilege & responsiblity. daughters who will one day be managers of their own homes. for gracious landlords. for the God of wonders, who is holy and merciful beyond my imagination.

November 6: for washers and dryers and all kinds of modern-day appliances that making managing a home easier. for the next President, whoever it is, per Romans 13 and 1 Thess 5:18. for toddler words that are so cute, like "ebef" and "abbeeeee!" (h's names for her sisters). for the heartfelt prayers of little ones who trust God in a way that i don't yet. for conversations that happen between two people who completely disagree and yet still can love & respect each other. for getting darker earlier = girls ready for bed earlier. for the freedom to vote, and the richer freedom in Christ.

November 7: hoodie sweatshirts and fleecey pajama pants. generous offers of lots of boxes. mary poppins. prayer, and when God answers it in a big way. my neighbor, Merri (I'm going to miss you when we move!!!). a quiet phone, because no political calls are coming in. my SAHMmie moms (remember we're not meeting today, though!). that through this season i'm learning what it means that God's grace is sufficient for me. and that no matter who is Commander-in-Chief, Jesus is the Lord of the heavenly hosts!

November 8: the first snow of the year always reminding me of Isaiah 1:18. 11 hours of sleep. toast and tea being a perfect remedy for a yucky tummy. the conviction of the Word. will, my best friend. family photos, old & new. an extra productive day yesterday on the packing front.

November 9: friends who come to help clean & bring coffee. my brother-in-law Ben, who i've known since he was 10 and now he's...much older (happy birthday!). long fb chats with kimm. that nostalgic feeling that happens when digging through years of pictures, letters, cards, & child artwork. my husband's hard work that allows me to stay home & educate the girls - what an honor & privilege! indoor plumbing which allows for hot showers. that God has revealed what He wants a virtuous woman to be & do, and that He gives me grace upon grace to strive for that. 3 weeks till E's surgery!

November 10: my brother Jerel, who turns not-quite-30 today (happy birthday!). my Nana & Grampy and Grammy & Papa, and will's Grandma & Grandad and Gram & Grampy - for their examples & how they raised our parents. finding my glasses after losing them shortly after abby was born (i can see so much better this morning! woo!). cold but brilliantly sunny fall mornings. not having
too much money - it moves me to be a better steward of what we've got. not having too little money - it reminds me that God always provides for each and every need. how creative the girls are during playtime after i've packed up most of their toys. hazelnut flavored coffee, mint tea, and hot cocoa with those little marshmallows. getting cards in the mail. and lastly, that today is a new day with new mercies & sufficient grace. :)

November 11: the 'Romans road' (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, & Romans 10:9). that my gaining heaven is not contingent upon what I've done / haven't done / am doing / am not doing / will do / will not do - it is solely because i've trusted in Jesus & what He accomplished at Calvary. for the men who have filled the pulpit at JBC while we haven't had a full-time pastor. for the men and women among us who have served their country well and sacrificed much for it. and for new friends and warm hospitality.

November 12: for finding gift cards while packing - that still have the full amount on them! for an impromptu dunkin donuts breakfast date with my girls (thanks to the gift card). for the long list of things to be done and things we need in the next three weeks, because prayer works and i can't wait to see how He'll do it all. for grace even after a crummy start to monday morning. energizing/encouraging music. that i am not, but that He is.

November 13: for the truth of the Scriptures and that it never changes, ever. that my heart is deceitfully and continually wicked above all else when left to my own devices. that the justice due me is an eternity of God's wrath. that God intervened in the person of Jesus. that Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on my behalf, that the justice of God would be satisfied at Calvary. that Christ's death and resurrection won not only forgiveness of my sins but an eternal home in heaven, if i'm willing to accept & believe it. that i can stare hardship and death in the face and say "O where is thy sting? Where is thy victory?!" that God works all things together for good for those who love Him. that God keeps all of His promises and that He loves me fiercely & created me with a unique purpose that no one else could ever fill.

November 14: honey nut cheerios. chamomile tea. photos of will & i, that tell quite a story of the past 12 years. the tradition of Christmas cards. God's lovingkindness, which leads me to repentence & godly sorrow. this season of life with my littles (who are growing into bigs! stop!). the book of Proverbs. texts like "i was thinking of you today, how are you?" from faraway cousins, after a rough day ♥ cardboard boxes being a reminder that God is doing big things here.

November 15: for sore muscles, which mean that things are getting moved around & packed :) for the promise of a day spent with my girls and good friends in keene. for george winston and his music. for God's absolute sovereignty, so that i don't need to worry about anything at all - local or global. for all of the parents of my friends through the years who have loved me as pretty much their own. for the china tea set i found in the back of the closet and its memories of aunt bonnie's house. that the girls have been (mostly) good while their life is getting packed up around them, and patient with me when i am less than patient with them.

November 16: the inventors of the Keurig, modern washer & dryer, and electric stove. that Will gets the girls up and fed in the mornings so i can sleep in just a little longer. Oswald Chambers and all of the other men & women God has used through history to encourage and strengthen my beliefs & my faith. E&A being able to read. the freedom to homeschool my children.

November 17: for warm blankets. a night out at the opera. that like ancient israel, i often forget my God as i wander in a wilderness, but each time He forgives & provides. joy! a sink full of dirty dishes, because it means that we have enough food to eat. stickers & beads - two things that keep little girls entertained for a long time while mom is packing up a box or two. friday night being 'date night in' with take out and a fun tv show. honey vanilla chamomile tea, which sounds gross but is actually quite good. :)

November 18: that my mother in law is driving from NY today to surprise the girls. that my parents are on their way home from a visit to ME. for E's first loose tooth. for not having hot water this morning- it's a reminder that we are SO blessed to have the ability to even have hot water indoors. for our new pastor! for e being thankful for her "animal friends" (stuffed animals); a being thankful for her blanky; and h being thankful for bunnies.

November 19: Merri, aka the world's best neighbor. my SAHMmie friends and their willingness to be crafty & creative with my kids because it's not a strength of mine. and that they let me impose my math geekiness on their kids every now and again. a quick but dear visit with my mom-in-love, and for the little people singing disney princess castle thing she brought that has all of the girls occupied happily for hours. two weeks till moving day. davidcrowder*band. the awesome coziness of handmade quilts & afghans. people who can speak the truth in love.

November 20: for God and how He supplies strength when i have none. for waking up sick which reminds me to s l o w d o w n once in a while. for tea, and lots of it. for motrin and vitamin c tablets. for all the dust kickin' up around here which means stuff is getting cleaning and tossed. for friends who are willing to rearrange their schedules to watch my girls for a little while. for unexpected orders & show bookings. for will - oh, infinitely for will!

November 21: for a couple of hours without kids in the house to get about half of the living room cleaned & packed up (thanks, Rebeccah!). when a friend knows you well enough to not have to ask how you take your coffee (thanks, Elysia!). for the best PT in the world (H's, from Rise...) - Miss Becky :D for the blog. and the prayers & thoughts from friends & family. and that God is sovereign over every detail ever. the verse 'o wretched man that i am!! who will deliver me from this body of death?! i thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!!!' summing up my existence. lemon-poppyseed bread, and looking forward to mom's amazing dinner tomorrow. for a good, long cry being the best remedy once in a while - and for a husband who just knows that and lets it happen. 

November 22: for God. and all of His mighty deeds. like...
speaking the earth into existence.
speaking the heavens into existence.
breathing life into a man, whom he formed from the dust.
calling forth the waters to cover the the dry land.
withholding the waters from ever covering the dry land again. daily.
ten judgments on a hard-hearted pharoah and releasing His children from bondage.
stopping the earth to keep the sun in the sky, that israel might be victorious [joshua 10].
prolonging a king's life by fifteen years.
choosing to dwell in the form of man and live among His creation.
healing the blind, mute, lame, diseased, & tormented by speaking a word.
raising the dead to life. including Himself.
transforming a religious zealot into a passionate sinner-saved-by-grace.
and His mightiest deed: He, who knew no sin, becoming sin on our behalf, and bearing the outpouring of wrath that was due us...that we might be restored & reconciled to Him. ♥
what a God. what a Savior.

November 23: for family traditions. for ornaments that have survived the last 25 years and still go up every Christmas. for the santa candy holders, the snowglobes, the same 6 Christmas CDs we've been listening to for yearsandyears. for the mantle and the stockings. for my nana's handiwork. for the 'kid's tree' and for the santa hats. and that my girls get to be part of the lane family Christmas. and for my mom and dad who pull it all together every year.

November 24: that in a little over a week, E will be healing and we can begin unpacking. for paul's letter to the romans. for shortbread cookies. that will is artistic and spontaneous, to counter my practical and type-a personality. for finding 'the sandlot' and watching it last night. for aunts & uncles and the oodles of cousins. that God loves me where i am at but is not content to leave me there - He guides, teaches, rebukes, & encourages me till my character reflects Jesus.

November 25: for abbyisms. and elizabethisms. and the up-and-coming hannahisms. for church. for finally being done going through everything and now it's just packing up a few boxes here and there and cleaning. that God is the lifter of my countenance, my portion, my shield & defender, my teacher, & my King. for e telling me that her belly hurts - a reminder that in God's great faithfulness, the healing surgery is only days away.

November 26: for innocent and thoughtful questions from the hearts of my littles. for God's provision in ways i could not have ever expected. for this being the start of The Week When It All Happens. that my girls have learned to be content with simple meals and only one or two toys to keep them occupied. for older people at the grocery store who take the time to talk with (not at, or down to) my children and share a laugh or two. that nothing in allllllllllllll the world or universe can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus - nothing!!

November 27: so grateful today...for God's grace. that i don't deserve and never will earn. a gift - and oh, a marvelous gift.

amazing grace!! how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!! i once was lost, but now am found! was blind - but now, i see! 'twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace, my fears relieved!! how precious did that grace appear, the hour i first believed!!! ♥ [john newton]

November 28: for the wednesday morning mom's Bible study/SAHMs group. for friends who are willing to spend an evening packing up my kitchen. for my mom helping me out by doing our laundry so it's one less thing to think about. for will working hard in the midst of things that do not seem to be going 'our way'. for hugs when words don't really cut it. for the reminder to do everything i do to the glory of God - even packing boxes or wiping runny noses or breaking up a sibling argument. for octopotamuses. for tears of exhaustion that remind me to take Jesus up on His offer to come to Him when i labor and am heavy-laden, for He alone gives my soul rest.

November 29: for turkey soup & pumpkin bread for lunch (thanks rachel!). for finding e's first set of braces and recalling just how good God has been to us here in this home. for the anticipation of just how God is going to be to us in our new home. for everyone i've talked to at dartmouth this week, because they've been pleasant and patient and compassionate. for bartering. and finding new homes for some of our things. for a (relatively) quiet lunch time with will. ♥

November 30: I am thankful today for modern medicines & techniques that allow E a chance to heal and be healthier. for the surgeon who will be operating on her this morning and the nurses & doctors that will be taking care of her. that of all of the health issues I could have to walk through as a mom, that this is really not that bad. that I do not need to worry about any of the details, great or small, because God is not only going with us moment by moment but He already knows the outcome. that E knows that Jesus and His angels will be encamped around her in the OR. that there is not one single cell in E's body that God did not create, and that every moment of her life thus far has gone the way it has for a specific reason. ♥

giving thanks in November...and always,

for His glory!

~Lisha

Delight and Desire!

Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,

and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;

do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.
For evildoers shall be cut off;

but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more.
But the meek shall inherit the earth,

and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth.
The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.
The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow,
to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct.
Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but the LORD upholds the righteous.
The LORD knows the days of the upright,

and their inheritance shall be forever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,

and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the LORD,
like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.
The wicked borrows and does not repay,

but the righteous shows mercy and gives.
For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,

but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;

for the LORD upholds him with His hand.
I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his descendants begging bread.
He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed.
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell forevermore.
For the LORD loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; 

they are preserved forever,

but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.
The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice.
The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him.
The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait on the LORD, and keep His way,
and He shall exalt you to inherit the land;

when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power,

and spreading himself like a native green tree.
Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; 

indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;

for the future of that man is peace.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;

the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their strength in the time of trouble.
And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;

He shall deliver them from the wicked,
and save them, because they trust in Him.

Psalm 37 [NKJV] - www.biblegateway.com

I was meditating on this Psalm for a good part of the evening, and what a balm to my soul! With only 8 days to go until we know for sure whether or not the Lord is going to have us close up the Bible House (see my post Come and hear... for more details about this), it has been so easy to:

1) get angry and bitter and blame people for not shopping at the store;

2) pray incessantly that God gives us a better/different opportunity to serve Him right now; and

3) despair because we have fallen so far behind our bills while we know that there are ungodly people who are making more money than we are and spending it on ungodly and selfish pursuits & hobbies.

[God has broken my heart and His lovingkindness has led me to repentance for these things - for taking my gaze off of God and for having such ugly heart attitudes!]

And yet!! God has been pleading with me over the last few days (through His Word and through a dear friend who is not ashamed to speak truth into my heart) to just delight in Him and trust in Him!! Not to worry about His plan, for it is perfect and He already knows it. Not to delight in His plan, but to delight myself in Him!! And after I have made the choice to trust and delight in Him - He will give me the desires of my heart, because my desires will be in line with His heart for me. 

Oh, my Lord, show me what it means to just delight in You and all that You are, and to trust You (for You have never failed us!) - I only want to know You more!

By His grace, and

for His glory!

~Lisha :)

Come and hear...

Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will declare what He has done for my soul!
I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.
But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,
nor His mercy from me!!
[Psalm 66:16-20]


I feel like now is a grand time to declare what the Lord has been doing for my soul these past few months! He has been renovating my life in so many ways! Bear with me; my thoughts are unorganized. I'm about to pour out what's on my heart & mind...

My desire to know more about who God is and what He has done and is doing and will do is intensifying. Some people can't start their day without coffee; I find that I can no longer start my day well unless I've had ample time to read the Word and pray. What a difference it makes! No, it doesn't magically make everything go well; I mean that it makes a world of difference in the way that I react to what is happening around me. I still have days when kids pee on the floor or sisters fight or break things or scream at me or lie. I have days when people I love die or end a friendship with me or I'm berated for the choices I've made. But in all those things, there is a peace that passes all understanding; there is patience with some to spare; there is on my tongue the law of kindness and wisdom - all mine from the Lord if I'm but willing to take time to ask for it!

God is bringing peace and restoration to our marriage. I tend to be stubborn, selfish, and critical often with Will. And the Lord is convicting me and softening up this ugly heart. I am finding that the more I let the Word of Christ dwell richly in me - the more I just am so overwhemingly grateful for the gift God has given to me in having Will as my husband (corny joke time: I married God's Will!! pahahahahahaha. OK.)

Even though Elizabeth is testing her ability to be both openly AND passive-aggressively defiant, and Abby spends quite a bit of time some days standing with her face to the wall, and Hannah has a blatant disregard for the term "no" - I am finding joy! real joy! in loving and training my girls how to be women of the Word of God and enjoying the privilege of being their teacher (and all of the other roles that I get to fill). When I get frustrated with them (which happens often some days, especially those days when I haven't fed my soul with Scripture!) and snap, mock, or yell at them, God is teaching me and humbling me by giving them such forgiving hearts. A wife and mom - what a noble calling, for them that are called!

And most noticeably (for me), is the increase of faith in God as Jehovah-Jireh (The God who Provides!). Will and I were obedient to God's call on our hearts over a year and a half ago to start the process of opening up His Bible house here in town. We don't know what we're doing in the way of running a business - we just follow His lead. And there have been periods of time when we haven't heard His voice as clearly because like Peter, we've stopped staring at Jesus and instead looked around to realize He's got us doing something dangerous. "Lord! Save us! We're drowning! We don't have an income to rely on! Bills are due! Girls need shoes! Phones are shut off! Jesus! We can't do this - it's not natural!!"

And the reason it doesn't seem natural to leave a decently-paying job when you have a wife and three small girls at home to open a Christian bookstore in the middle of a recession is because IT ISN'T NATURAL. It's super-natural. All that has been accomplished through the Bible House is because God alone has orchestrated it. We're not faithful superheroes. We are a couple of ordinary, uninteresting people whom God has chosen to render others speechless and uncomfortable.

We have seen God's miraculous doings. When we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He adds unto us that which we need.

Lately, our faith in this area is being tested. We are going through a deeper refining. Though the Lord has always been faithful to provide for our true needs (food and clothing), it has been His way for the last four months to not allow completely for rent, hot water, electricity, college loans, car insurance, and other things. We have not shared this before - partly out of pride, for which I beg your forgiveness - and partly because we did not want people to think we felt that God was not providing and/or being unjust. Will recently made the decision, however (and I believe it's a wise and obedient one) that if the Lord does not provide all of the money that we need to pay late and next month's rent on time (January 5th), that he is going to take that as the Lord's sign that we are to close the store and move on to the next chapter of God's story for us. We are praying for a miracle!! To us, the amount that we owe is so great, so insurmountable, so impossible that it gets so easy to get sidetracked from the truth that God owns all of the money everywhere ever and can meet that need in a heartbeat. All of those weeks when we made less than $100 might have been because He wants to display His ability to provide huge things now.

I grapple with the reason why He hasn't done it yet. If He hates debt so much, why hasn't He allowed us to pay each of our bills on time?! We don't need more than that; just enough so that the collection phone calls stop and we don't live with the real possibility of being evicted. But God is sovereign, my friends, and everything He allows (good or bad) is used to glorify Himself and to make us more like Christ!!! And that is one of my deepest heart's desires, that I identify with Christ so much that people look at my life and their minds are blown because they see that Christ is REAL and ALIVE, working in my life!!! and that He came to set them free from their slavery to sin if they would just accept that gift!!

Bookstore or no bookstore, whatever God has for us in the coming days/weeks/months/years, I trust Him completely and absolutely. He may ask us to close the store because He's got something more amazing for us - another way that we can live a life that is dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus with people full-time - or He might provide the thousands we need in the next two weeks because He wants Will to stay behind the register for now. We don't know. We are waiting on His answer. And His answer will be perfect.

Come and hear, you who fear God. We are not doing anything extraordinary. We are following Jesus. And He is worth everything we've 'given up' and He will be worth whatever else we have to leave behind to go where He leads us.

By His grace, and
for His glory alone!!
~Lisha

The Bon Jovi Allusion (or: Livin' on a Prayer)

Hi, friends:

Will and I live dependent upon God's ability to respond mightily to prayer. Without a "steady" form of income, we rely on the Lord quite literally for our daily bread. and everything else you can think of. 

Rent.

Electricity.

Heat.

Gas.

Hot water.

Emergencies.

Diapers & wipes.

The Van.

Clothes and shoes.

Homeschooling books.

Cleaning supplies.

Paper goods.

Bathroom supplies.

...et cetera.

Like missionaries who are out 'in the field' - whether stateside or worldwide, we do not always know where the money we need is coming from. Unlike missionaries, we don't raise our own support. We consider ourselves to be a missionary family of sorts - offering the Word of God to the community around us full-time! Will's job is to be available for anyone who needs the Bible and to provide solid biblical resources (books, music, curriculum, in-depth studies, research volumes, etc). Because we are not joined up with any missionary group,  people rarely think of us as in the mission field!

We believe that God has called us to this mission (and it IS a mission, my friend. We have an enemy who hates what we do and throws discouragement and doubt at us daily). We are passionate about it; we counted the cost before diving into this venture and we are thrilled to be used of God in this way! 

We've had people tell us before to let them know if we need anything. Well, we do have a few things that we've run out of in the last couple of weeks. I'm asking that if you are so inclined - please pray with and for us. Along with this list, we've got some bills coming up that we are trusting the Lord to provide entirely for. We have seen and lived miracles of provision before, and know that the Lord will not forsake us now! 

[We have woken up to cases of diapers left on our doorstep. We've come home from church to find $543 in cash tucked in Hannah's carseat. We've received envelopes in the mail that simply say "FROM THE LORD" where the return address should be, with $100 gift cards tucked inside. We've prayed for a van, only to find out shortly thereafter that one had already been bought for us. Customers sometimes leave money with Will "for whatever needs we have." Friends - our God is REAL and He provides for His children!]

The other way you can help? Consider ordering your Bibles, books, music, jewelry, gifts, etc through the Bible House! Will can order almost anything and usually does not charge shipping (unless you need it super-fast). If you're part of a church group, you always get a 10% discount, whether its churchware, Bibles, curriculum for VBS/Sunday School, books for a study group, etc. Supporting us as we minister to the community allows us to...well...to continue ministering to the community! Bible Houses don't generate oodles of money. In fact, Bible Houses tend to operate on a very meager budget in the strength of a God who has access to all the resources on planet Earth [but who is waiting on and pleading with His people to pray!!! Just ask, people!].

Here's a brief list of material needs. Most important to us is that we are conformed to Christlikeness - not that our material comforts are met! I list only for those who have repeatedly asked what they can do.

-diapers (sizes 5 and 3) and wipes (the unscented kind). I handle a lot of poo on a daily basis.

-handsoap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.

-paper towels & toilet paper

-plastic wrap & aluminum foil

-sneakers & pants for Will

-sneakers (sizes 9, 9, & 3) & warm tights for the girls

God has taught us much about being content in all situations and about what TRULY constitutes a need. For example - cell phones and paper towels are NOT a need. They are modern conveniences. Food and clothing are needs. For His pruning and His joy I am so grateful!!! I would not trade this lean season for any other right now. Think of all the miracles we'd be missing if we 'made enough money' to cover all our own needs! Praise be to God alone who has used "not having enough money" to teach our daughters (and us!) that He can be trusted to provide in the most extraordinary ways - often through people and circumstances we never would have imagined!

You may have a cozy, comfortable, generic, risk-free, do-the-same-thing-every-day life. Trade that in for abundant life in the Spirit! Trade it for God's purposes! Trade it for never-a-dull-moment-in-Christ! Seek God's face, and His hands will guide you and show you the extraordinary things He can do with a life that is yielded to His plans!!

Living on a prayer,

for His glory!!

Lisha :)

A Very Hunter Update

...And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen! [John 21:25]


I feel like this verse is more than adequate to sum up what has been going on in our home and hearts over the past year. If I listed all that Jesus has done, you'd be reading this for a long, long time! And though I want to share all He's done, I know you have other things to do and other blogs to be reading and Facebooks to be checking, and I have a home that needs cleaning and a puzzle that needs putting together - so I'll cover the highlights.


Highlight #1: The Bible House is still open. Oh, friends, that the Bible House has not closed again is purely by the staying hand of the Lord and His blessing!! The inventory is still small, because we find that certain companies and indivduals (like our landlord) would appreciate that we continue to pay them what we owe - thus, no splurging on massive amounts of Bibles, books, music, etc for the store yet. We pray and hope that some day the Lord will provide for those things, but for now about 80-85% of the business we do is still from special orders and church groups, so having a large inventory isn't necessary. I cannot explain to you how thrilling it is to be used of God in this way - to be running a Bible bookstore right smack in the middle of downtown Jaffrey - when really Will and I have no business running a business. We have no business degrees, financial training, or anything that would qualify us to do this, except that God has asked us to do it. It may not be a success the way you define success, but we know that God is being glorified because we are walking in obedience to His calling on our lives!! And that is 'success' enough for us!


Highlight #2: Elizabeth is doing much better. As many of you remember, Elizabeth was hospitalized for about a week up at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD), because of some lifelong digestive troubles that got grossly out of control. I'll spare you the details if you haven't already heard them, but since we came home we have been so thankful that the Lord has been healing her slowly and surely. We've been taking her to see Dr. Josh at Jaffrey Chiropractic and we have been very pleased with the results that we've seen from good chiropractic care! So good, in fact, that Hannah has also started seeing Dr. Josh - she loves being adjusted, and we've seen major progress in her movement since she started going. This ties into...


Highlight #3: Hannah has the same struggles as Elizabeth did when she was younger. Low, low muscle tone and hyperflexibility mean that Hannah (at 10 months) has not rolled over yet, nor can she bear any weight on her legs. We praise the Lord that we have already walked this road with Elizabeth. The doctors at Dartmouth had prepared us to expect that Elizabeth might never walk or speak - and look at the work the Lord has done in her! So, whatever the outcome with our sweet Hannah - we know that the God who created her did it perfectly [see Psalm 139:13-14] and His purposes will be accomplished through her whether she ever walks or not [see Romans 8:28]. But we are very hopeful that Hannah, like her sister, will be fully mobile and talkative in a relatively short period of time!


Highlight #4: We have been without a van since April. The week before Elizabeth's trip to the ER that ended up in her being transferred to CHaD, our van sputtered out completely after a few months' time of almost-being-dead. And since we didn't have the money to a)have it towed, b)have it fixed, or c)fill the tank with gas anyway, it's been sitting there for the last five months. The Lord has been mighty and gracious to provide transportation to and from the grocery store and to do laundry about once every two weeks. Running errands, play dates, and other side trips have not been able to happen. And, if I may be so bold - spiritually speaking this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me (and consquently, my family). God has taught me how to love being home - really BEING home instead of being a 'stay at home mom' who is outside of her home more often than not. [Read my post Busy, busy, busy to get a glimpse into the work the Lord's been doing in my heart over the past 5 months!] I've gotten used to not having a way to get around whenever I want, and now that I've adapted, the Lord has seen fit to send the money and resources to fix our van. We received an amount of money recently equivalent to the garage's estimate of what it's going to take to fix the van. The garage called tonight, and as long as I can pay to register the van (pray with me! We don't have the money!) soon, the van is done and just waiting for us to pick it up! 


Highlight #5: Elizabeth and Abby start kindergarten very soon! At home! Yay! The theme for this year's curriculum for History/Geography/Reading is Intro to the World: Cultures. Science is an experiment-based introduction to biology, earth science, & physics. Bible stories, Memory Verses and the Firm Foundations weekly study make up the faith curriculum! Sonlight's Language Arts focuses on learning to read, and we use Alpha Omega's LIFEPAC Math program - which you can order through the Bible House!


There are many, many more great things which He has done. Our marriage, which has been rocky over these past many months, is being renewed and restored by a God who is about the business of binding up broken hearts. We are seeing the fruit of His Holy Spirit grow in our sweet children as they come to terms with their own sin and process the message of the gospel. He brings people into our home who need the love and hope of Jesus Christ poured into their hearts - and He has been pleased to let us be the hands, feet, and words of a Savior who rescues to the uttermost they that come to Him in faith!! He has miraculously provided for each of our needs in our most desperate hours (like when we can't afford toilet paper - toilet paper! Have you ever taken that for granted!? - and a friend shows up with a bag full of the stuff on your doorstep when you're down to the last roll!!). God has supplied toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, paper towels, soap, diapers, wipes, and iced coffees [ok. That last one isn't a necessity...] in direct answer to prayer when we lacked the money for them. And although He has not provided all of the money to pay off all of our bills yet, we know it's because He doesn't recognize "cell phones" and "car insurance" as needs. But He has not once left us without food or clothing or shelter. He has not ever failed us. And we are so thankful to be His and to be daily dying to self to see Jesus Christ magnified as the Lord of our hearts and home!


Friend - oh, friend! Trust Him in all things. Following Him to the ruin of life as you know it is exciting and beautiful. And it is of eternal worth. 


All for His glory and honor!
Lisha :)

Busy, busy, busy!

I noticed a couple of years ago that whenever someone asked me how I was, one of my top three responses was "Oh, busy!" And almost everyone I met understood, and justified my busy-ness because I have toddlers. I became entrenched in the cultural lie that it is normal to always be busy.

www.librarygrits.blogspot.com

I don't want to be busy anymore. I have come to loathe "busy."


Busy means "oh, I have to run here and do this and attend this meeting and bring my kids to drop them off here and I have to make and get to all these appointments and make sure I have some do-gooder things on my to-do list and...."


Busy means I don't have much time to spend with my God, minister to my husband, disciple my daughters or take care of my home - because I'm hardly ever there!


Ladies, if you are married and/or have children, the Lord does not desire for you to live a "busy" life. He desires for you to find your real, deep joy in Him and His calling on your life, which is 1) being a wife, 2) being a mom, and 3) caring for your home.

In Paul's letter to Titus, God says it is GOOD for women to love their husbands (of course!), love their children (don't we all?), AND to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, and obedient to their husbands. Those things are what God values in a wife & mom's life! Nowhere do you find anything exhorting you to over-book your life or your family's life with too many outside commitments.


Rather, the Lord desires that a woman live a FULL life. Full, not busy. There's a difference. The Proverbs 31 woman lived a full life. Her days were full of rising early to provide food for her household; to seek out the food and other essentials needed at home; to instruct the children and be a blessing to her husband in his work; and to stay up late providing for their clothing and home needs. Her days and her life were bursting with a massive investment of time in her family and her home. And you know what? She is praised for it. Because she was living out her God-appointed role joyfully. 


I want a full life. Full of time to soak in the Word and time to help Will run the Bible House. Time to do dishes, clean bathrooms, make beds, and cook healthy meals. Time to spend every minute necessary to teach my children about and how to imitate Jesus. Time to play with the girls and teach them how to effectively run their own home someday. Time to say to a friend "oh, yes, I'm available to watch your kids in a pinch", because I've got nothing much on the schedule. Time to invest in making my home a place where people can come, put up their feet, and experience the peaceful presence of Jesus Christ - because I've made my home a place for Him.


I reject a busy life. It's not that there won't be days when we have lots of things to do; it's that I defy the word "busy" to describe my general lifestyle.


Here's to a fullness of days in Jesus, and a lifestyle that is not dictated by appointments, lessons, and daycare schedules. Here's to enjoying each day and looking forward in anticipation to how Jesus can minister to others through me, because I am available. Here's to the joy of knowing that my life does not have to be busy to count eternally - the joy of a full life, thanks to Jesus.

For His glory,
now and forever!
Lisha :)

I'm sharing this post over at A Proverbs 31 Wife, The Modest Mom, The Better Mom, Splashin' Glory, The Time-Warp Wife, Growing Home, Teaching What is Good, Far Above Rubies, Cornerstone Confessions, Deep Roots at Home, Walking Redeemed, Raising Homemakers, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Hope in Every Season, I Choose Joy, Serving Joyfully, Simply Helping Him, and Essential Thing Devotions!

iLack

When he was writing the letter to the Philippians, Paul said:

If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:4-14]

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. [Philippians 4:11-13]

Paul knew that of all the things in this world that he could have - personal prestige, material goods, knowing all the right people in high places - that those things were not important compared to knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord. If you read through the book of Acts and the letters that he wrote in the Bible, you'll get to know a man who "used to be somebody" before he met Jesus, and who lost everything this world considers precious to follow Him (even his very life!). And he counted all that loss as TOTAL JOY!!

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If owning a home, a car, nice clothes, the latest book by the most popular Christian author, really awesome Christian CDs, video games, or anything else gets in the way of the ability to follow Jesus wherever He leads; if being addicted to constant communication with the world, or food, or caffeine, or exercise, or sleep, or entertainment, or (what's your addiction?) hinders a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord; if there is more talk about a car, weight, kids, dreams and aspirations, or life more than talk about the saving, healing, and redemptive power of Jesus Christ; if the iPad, iPhone, iPod and all other gadgets are more dear than the Word of God, then iLack what's important and iNeed to get my priorities straightened out and be willing to get rid of those things. God made me so that I would glorify His name, live in His presence, and proclaim His love to a dying, hurting, wretched world. Anything that gets in the way of that is rubbish. 

To many people, our life is strange. They can't figure out why, or how, we do the things we do. It's because we have seen what the mighty hand of a sovereign God can do with and for a couple of 'used to be somebodies' who are willing to count everything else in their lives as loss for the sake of knowing Jesus as Lord. We asked the Lord to strip away everything that was unnecessary to the work He has called us to, and He has been faithful to continually answer that prayer. What we lack in terms of the "American Dream", God more than abundantly makes up for in joy, hope, and love and a deeper faith in Him. And if the Lord asks everything of us, we're willing to give it if it means walking closer to Jesus. Do you think I am lacking in what's important because I don't have a predictable, comfortable, risk-free existence? No, my dear friend. iHave all iNeed when iKeep my eyes fixed on Jesus. :)

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And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. [2 Corinthians 3:4-6]

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [Hebrews 12:1-2]

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. [Philippians 2:5-7]

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. [Matthew 16:24-27]

(He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. -Jim Elliot)

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