Paratus Familia

Hello dear friends. Please do not think I have abandoned this blog. I have just let it rest a while, :)~!

Here is a wonderful blog I have discovered and been reading for the last few days.

I have added this to my daily favorites and suggest you do too!

Paratus Familia

Here is a little about the owner: Enola Gay

I am a christian, conservative, survival minded, homeschooling,off-grid, independent, home-birthing, Proverbs 31, Titus 2 minded 40 year old woman. I live with my husband and five children in our solar/generator powered shop on 30 acres. We are homestead types who try to do as much as we can ourselves, but understand the importance of community.

Enjoy!!@

Blessings dear friends!

Wonderful Blog To Visit

Yes They're All Ours


A little about this wonderful blog:

I am the very busy mom of ten children -- 4 girls, and 6 boys! The oldest is 25 and the youngest is 6. I've been homeschooling since 1990 and happily married since 1983! I've always enjoyed writing, and this blog provides the vehicle for me to share about my daily life with a large family. I also share my thoughts and reflections about whatever happens to be on my heart or about whatever the Lord is currently trying to teach me. I hope that you will be encouraged and blessed each time you stop by.

http://yes-theyre-all-ours.blogspot.com/

Please go and visit!

Blessings, Tracylea

Favorite Blog: Your Sacred Calling

Hello dear friends. My blog has sat unchanged for a few weeks. As many of you know I have started to homeschool my 11 year old ds, and my days have been really busy. I am sorry!

Back to A Mother's Apron and my favorite blogs.

I wanted to direct you to another favorite blog of mine Your Sacred Calling.

Here is a little about the wonderful owner Stacy McDonald:

I am a pastor’s wife, mother, grandma, conference speaker, co-author of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God, and author of Raising Maidens of Virtue. While traveling with my family, I have had the privilege of encouraging women all over the globe on issues pertaining to marriage, homemaking, chastity, and biblical beauty.

I became a Christian in my early twenties, after a lifetime of depression, wandering, and rebellion. I didn’t “find” Jesus; He found me, kicking and screaming. I am here only because of God’s Grace, period. I am so undeserving; yet, by His own sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus overwhelmed me with His mercy and made me His. I truly am forever in His debt.

My husband, Pastor James McDonald of Providence Church, and I, together with our children, moved from Southeast Texas to the cornfields of the Midwest. I am a native Texan. I love spicy food and Blue Bell ice cream; in that order. I can’t stand fire ants, sauna-style heat, tree roaches, and traffic.

Since moving to the Midwest, I have enjoyed the four seasons, cooler summers, and wonderful new friends! Two of our ten children are married; one is engaged; two adult daughters live at home; and the five youngest are still being homeschooled. Yes, I am still in the trenches with you; but, I am willing to share what I’ve learned so far on this exciting walk of faith! Won’t you share with me too?

Stacy's blog is a wonderful place to go and find God honoring information. And on occasion she will list some of her wonderful recipes. Enjoy dear ones!

Blessings, Tracylea

Favorite Blogs: Like A Bubbling Brook

I stumbled on this blog quite by accident (or not). And just love it. Even the name Like A Bubbling Brook is fun to say!

Here is a little about one of my new favorites:

Welcome to Like a Bubbling Brook!

I’m Jaime, a very blessed thirty-something mama, married for over ten years to the man that I adore, Pierre. He’s a minister who loves God and his family with his whole heart. In the very little spare time he has, he enjoys mountain biking and endurance cycling. A couple of years ago he completed a 100-mile ride!

Did I mention I love this man? He is a dream come true.

We have two boys. Our oldest, Gentry, is five. He loves it when we read together, play silly games, or when he gets to help me in the kitchen. He’s incredibly smart; just yesterday he told me all about the Wright Brothers, and how they owned a bike shop before they started building gliders! He is a sweet boy and loves to talk to anyone who will listen.

Our youngest son is Preston. He is such a happy little man, and so sociable! He has the most amazing smile… it lights up the room. Do you know the kind of smile I’m talking about?

We live a simple life compared to most, I think. We try very hard to be good stewards and glorify God with our health, finances, and time. We have personal convictions about doing our best to live without debt shadowing our lives, so that we may be able to work for God without unnecessary financial pressures, and so that we may be able to do more to bless others. We fulfilled a long-time dream and purchased our current home debt-free in July 2007.

We believe that it is primarily our responsibility to train and disciple our children. We just began homeschooling our oldest son last fall, and it brings me so much joy to witness those “aha!” moments in Gentry’s life as he learns and grows. It is an honor to teach him that God has a plan and purpose for his life, and that everything he learns has its roots in God’s word. Home education is a privilege we are grateful for.

We try to eat wholesomely. Many of the foods you’ll find in our kitchen are all natural, and almost everything we eat at home is made from scratch. Our dinners are healthy and usually cost less than $5 to make if I’ve properly shopped the sales and stocked up when prices were low. I try to share a healthy, "real food" recipe here on LABB at least once a week.

And me? I love to cook, bake, read, tend to my tiny garden, consignment shop, and cozy up with my family. I enjoy a good cup of coffee, as I sit curled up on the couch, Bible in hand, in the early morning hours. As a stay-at-home mama with a graduate degree, I have an insatiable itch to study and research just about any worthy thought out there. I also love the challenge of living well on less.

That’s our little family. I’d love to hear about yours sometime. Let’s keep in touch!

In His Service,

Jaime is so wonderful and her blog is wonderful too. Please go here to enjoy it. Blessings, Tracylea

FYI

A dear sister wanted to let me know that a site I had linked to did not seem to align with my Christian beliefs. I feel so blessed to have a sister in Christ that cares enough about me to mention this to me. So I have been thinking and praying about how to address this and have come up with the following statement.

A Mother's Apron contains links to many sites, most of whom I agree with, but a few that are not necessarily Christian sites. Some I agree with on some matters, and differ on others. Just because I link to them, or speak about something on their site, it should not be construed as an endorsement of all that is written on the website or their belief statement .

While I certainly will not lead you to a site that is sinful, I do not and can not check everything on each site. And while some sites I link to are members of a religion/no religion that I do not align myself with, the information that is contained on that site has some Christian value to me and I hope you.

Again, I will not ever purposely lead you to a site that is not good for you or me. But I may link to a site, owned by a group that shares a different religion/belief than I do, solely because of an article or information the site contains that may help us in our Christian walk.

And please, in the future, if you feel like something posted here is not a good fit, please let me know like this sweet sister did!

Blessings, Tracylea

(My beautiful son at his Baptism (2007), HE REIGNS)

He Reigns~Newsboys

It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Let it rise about the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word

When all God’s children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
All God’s people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Godlessness in the Last Days

2 Timothy 3

Godlessness in the Last Days

¹But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

⁶They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. ⁸Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Blessings, Tracylea

Communication and time management

Hello dear friends. I pray today is going well for you.

I was reading over at Women Living Well and came across a wonderful article about communication on time management in marriage. Courtney is correct when she says:

A lot of quarrels can be kept at bay if we are willing to ask our husbands their preferences and then be mindful of them.

I want to encourage you to follow her suggestion for week 5 of the Completing Him Challenge:

Week #5 Challenge: Make a list of 5 things you currently do and ask your husband to prioritize them for you of what is important to him. For example - a clean home, home cooked dinner, coupon clipping, service at church, having friends over for dinner, watching/doing sports with him, etc.

Read the full article here.

I am anxious to hear back how this works out. Please drop me a comment and let me know. I will post in the future my dh's responses. Blessings, Tracylea

Godly Direction

I have two wonderful books that I like to read yearly. Each for their own reasons give me a sense of direction of who I am and Whose I am, they are: Becoming A Woman Who Pleases God and Designing A Lifestyle That Pleases God by Pat Ennis and Lisa Tatlock

Here is an excerpt, on fear, from Pat Ennis' blog Unfading Beauty :

As you multi-task today consider memorizing and meditating upon these truths:

● God is with you and will keep you wherever you go (Genesis 28:15).

● You should not fear or be dismayed for the Lord goes before you; He will not leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8).

● God will provide divine power for the tasks He calls you to accomplish (Joshua 1:5).

● God will be with you throughout the assignment He has commissioned you to undertake (1 Chronicles 28:20).

● When God calls you into a difficult situation, you are to recall that the battle is not yours, but His (2 Chronicles 20:15).

● When you are protected by your Savior’s rod and staff you do not need to fear any potentially threatening environment—even death (Psalm 23:4).

● Because the Lord is your light, salvation, and the strength of your life you have no need to fear (Psalm 27:1).

● When you are afraid you are to trust in God—an act of the will, not the emotions

(Psalm 56:3-4).

● No person can subvert God’s protection of you (Psalm 56:11).

● God has provided an intimate place of divine protection for you (Psalm 91:1-7).

● If you delight in God’s commandments you do not need to fear evil tidings

(Psalm 112:1, 7).

● Fear is removed when you reside in God’s wisdom (Proverbs 3:25-26).

● You need not fear if you are God’s child because He is faithful to sustain you (Isaiah 41:10-13).

● Your sovereign heavenly Father controls even the most mundane events—therefore you can have confidence that He will care for you (Matthew 10:29; Luke 12:6-7).

● The peace that your heavenly Father gives provides comfort in the midst of turmoil (John 14:27).

● If you are a child of God, you do not have need to fear death or final punishment (Romans 8:14-16).

● Spiritual resources, seeking the welfare of others rather than your own, and a properly prioritized mind, not a spirit of fear, is a gift from your heavenly Father (2 Timothy 1:7).

● He who fears has not been made perfect in love (1 John 4:17-18).

The only positive fear recorded in Scripture is the fear of God. This fear is a reverence of God’s majesty, power, and greatness; as you embrace the biblical definition of fear you will most likely find the influence of the fear of man dissipating—thus increasing your ability to multi-task with greater proficiency.

Fear can truly overtake our daily lives, can't it? In this we learn that fear truly should be. But we are encouraged, aren't we sisters, by the Lords words. He teaches us that He is with us during all and we should only fear Him and not man.

To read this entire article by Pat Ennis at Unfading Beauty go here.

Blessings, Tracylea

Just as God leads me I would go;

I would not ask to choose my way;

Content with what He will bestow,

Assured He will not let me stray.

So as He leads, my path I make,

And step by step I gladly take,

A child in Him confiding.

~Lampertus Gedicke

Skip to my Lou

This is the blog I visit when I need inspiration and I am never let down!

Here is a little about the creator of these creations!

Welcome to Skip to my Lou!

From hosting a shrimp boil, celebrating holidays, making homemade scratch art paper, sewing gifts and throwing parties to cooking delicious food, you will find it all here at Skip To My Lou. The site is full of free patterns, downloads and I hope plenty of inspiration. Please hang out with me awhile and check it out!

Using my knowledge of arts and crafts (Bachelors Degree in Art Education) along with my practical experience (mother to children ages 17, 13 and 5), I love sharing my ideas so that so that you can make memories with your family and friends. I hope something you find here will help you experience the satisfaction of creating and the joy of celebrating.

Craft, Create, Celebrate… Skip To My Lou is a place to fulfill the passion for sharing the best in life.

Thank you for stopping by!

Cindy

Now go and vist! Skip to my Lou~!

Confess! Trust! FORGIVEN!

Blessing dear friends! Let us remember, during this day, the Lords wonderful forgiveness. Do not dwell on what he has put out of sight. Confess! Trust! FORGIVEN!

Psalm 32

A psalm of David.

¹ Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
² Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
³ When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
⁴ Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Interlude

⁵ Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Interlude

⁶ Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
⁷ For you are my hiding place;
you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory.
Interlude

⁸ The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
⁹ Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

¹⁰ Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
¹¹ So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Blessings and have a wonderful day! Tracylea

Favorite Blogs: Generation Cedar

Kelly at Generation Cedar is one of the most spoken about bloggers that I know. Her post are so heartfelt and true and often controversial. Kelly certainly is not afraid to call out sin~! I love this website, it should be among your favorites too!

Generation Cedar

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” Psalm 92:12

Welcome to Generation Cedar!

Every generation is known and named for something…we’ve got the “Baby Boomer” generation, Generation X, Y and Z.

Generation Cedar is named so because we desire to encourage families to raise the next generation for the glory of God–firmly planted and flourishing “like a cedar in Lebanon”.

We’re so glad you dropped in on our family-run website and business!

We are a very normal family with ups and downs, tears and laughter. Some days are wonderful, others, not so much. But we are sincerely striving to chase after God and allow Him to guide everything we do.

Kelly, a.k.a. “Word Warrior” writes for the blog, and has a passion for inspiring and encouraging women to build godly homes.

Satan is seeking whom he may destroy, but we believe the Lord wants to raise up strong families in the face of discouraging times…families who will bring Him glory and be a part of rebuilding our Christian heritage.

Our prayer is that you will find a refuge here; we have a strong community of like-minded friends and we would love for you to join us!

Favorite Blogs: A 2nd Generation of Homeschooling

A 2nd Generation of Homeschooling

A 2nd Generation of Homeschooling is a wonderful blog by my dear friend Lisa Metzger. This blog is full of Lord glorifying tips, good sound biblical advice and excellent ideas on biblical home education. Here is a little about Lisa:

Welcome! I am Lisa (Lively) Metzger, devoted helpmeet to Mark and 2nd generation homeschool mother to 8 children on earth and 7 in Heaven, resting at the feet of Jesus.

Lisa is in the process of moving from her old blog and transferring her information. So please plan on visiting often.

Enjoy!

Blessings Tracylea

Frugal tip: House Party

What is House Party you ask? Here are the details:

You've got questions, we've got answers.

What is a House Party^™?

House Party^™ lets people who really love something host a special event featuring a fun, free, exclusive experience sponsored by the world's leading brands.

Cool people sharing cool stuff. A House Party^™ is thousands of parties happening across the country on a single day, hosted by people just like you. Each event is sponsored by a leading brand and focuses on something cool–like a new product, hit TV show, or great cause–that the sponsor wants its best fans to experience firsthand and share with their friends. (Check out some of our recent events.)

You host. Everyone wins. House Party lets you share the stuff you like with the people you like, through a fantastic, free party experience. What's the catch? There is none: Our partners understand that if they share something good with the right people in a fun way, we'll all help spread the word.

What's inside the party packs?

Each event has a unique Party Pack filled with all kinds of free stuff to make your party a success. We've thrown all kinds of events: TV Viewing, Wine & Chocolate Pairing, Kid-centric, you name it.

Hosts of some of our recent events have received:*

Advanced copies of TV Shows

Sneak Previews of Movies

Board Games

Action-figures

Gourmet Chocolate

Gourmet Coffee Samples

Coffee Maker

Coupons

Special Offers

I have hosted three or four parties. One was a chocolate party, one a paper towel party and one a new show on Cartoon network party. It was so easy. The coupons and free items are wonderful and make it well worth your time. I apply for all the parties I think I would enjoy and get to host one in ten. Not alot, but not alot is expected of you.

To find our more information or join click here. Or send me and e-mail and I will refer you~!

Blessings, Tracylea

Blossoming In Grace

I just love this blog, Blossoming In Grace by Annalise. Here is some info about the author:

About Annalise

I seek to fulfill the high expectations set by God, by myself and my parents. I long to minister to young adults showing them how to resist the world's entrapment of rebellion and self-centerdness and how to live a life "worthy of the calling" they have received! I share how teens can live life for God, setting high expectations for themselves, using Scriptures as a guide tool.

I am 2nd generation homeschool graduate, who was adopted from Kazakhstan when I was 10 years old (my story here). I am the oldest of 8 children, so far, and I look forward to meeting my 7 other siblings (miscarried) in Heaven someday.

This fall I plan on studying to become a CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant), as I continue to babysit and work as a sidewalk counselor at local abortion mills.

Seeking to Please Jesus Always!
Annalise

Please visit this sweet blog and let her know I sent you!~ Blessings, Tracylea

Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Do not go to this site when you are hungry. I love to come here and look for hours. Sometimes I build my weekly dinner menu around things I have found here. Enjoy!



http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/

And by the way, when I read the title I always think "No kiddin'"!

Blessings, Tracylea

Path to Freedom

Here is my first recommended blog: Path to Freedom Urban Homestead. I have a dream to own my own self-supporting little spot one day, and this website is full of ideas and dreams. Enjoy!

Path To Freedom

About the Urban Homestead

In the mid-1980s, our family set out to do the seemingly impossible: To create what we dubbed an urban homestead and live a self-sufficient, low-impact life in the heart of the city. For years we worked steadily to transform our ordinary urban lot in Pasadena, California, into an organic permaculture garden that supplies us with food year-round.

Having found food security in our own backyard, we were emboldened to take further steps. We began powering our home with alternative energies and fueling our car with home-brewed bio-diesel. Along with new technologies, we also embraced the simple living of past generations. We kept farm animals for egg production and manure, used secondhand goods to decrease our consumption of earth’s nonrenewable resources, and taught ourselves a variety of back-to-basics skills. Through much hard work, and no small amount of blessing, our "urban homestead" now enjoys a dramatic degree of independence, with ever-decreasing environmental impact.

The journey is ongoing—and we are by no means finished—but we are grateful to have come this far. In 2001, we named our homegrown venture “Path to Freedom” and created this website —the first ever devoted to urban homesteading. We hoped that by documenting our personal experiences we could offer encouragement to those striving to live a simpler, more self-sufficient lifestyle. Eight years later, PathtoFreedom.com is now the largest and most comprehensive urban homesteading website, with more than five million hits per month. We believe that our family’s real-life experience is what makes the site unique: We aren''t just writing about the latest eco-practices and products; for more than two decades, we have been living the revolution. At our daily blog, "Little Homestead in the City," you can witness first-hand our struggles and joys, defeats and successes on this pioneering journey.

We now run a family of websites which offer goods and interactivity for others on "the path." For our expanded online outreach, non-profit organization, and progressive online stores, visit this link.

Please note that Path to Freedom is a noncommercial, family-operated venture. We devote countless hours to this site, and, despite the opportunity for profit, we remain committed to keeping it an advertisement-free forum. We do this because we believe in giving freely to others, a value upon which strong, healthy communities are built. We hope you will take this principle to heart, and will view this site not just as a place to “take” (answers, ideas, inspiration), but as an opportunity to “give” as well. Whatever you may gain by reading about our journey, please remember to “pay it forward” to others in some fashion. Together, we can ignite a revolution of spirit that will truly change our world for the better!

-- Jules, Justin, Anais, and Jordanne Dervaes

A little change here

You are going to be seeing a little change here at A Mother's Apron. A few weeks back I posted a frugal tip and thought I would follow each week with a new one. This was well received and I have decided to continue on with it. I have also decided to add links to my favorite blogs, similair to the A Mother's Apron facebook page, yet different. I will be "highlighting" some of my favorite blogs, not posts as I do on the facebook group, but entire blogs, each week. So hopefully we will see a little more activity here at A Mother' Apron Blog. Blessings dear ones, Tracylea

You will regret it............

I think it is our natural inclination to tell people when they are doing something sinful............but don't we all learn better lessons if we figure it out on our own?

"You will regret it", is a common phrase that people say, yet we seldom hear "you are going to hell if you do it".

But ultimately isn't that the outcome we should all be concerned about, going to hell or at the least displeasing God? The word regret sounds so much better than hell.

So if you see someone doing something wrong (sinful) maybe you should say, "you are going to hell". Would that stop them. It might!

I have a child who is straying pretty close to the "going to hell" line. I know what he is doing will cause him regret, but is it sinful? Yes, he has crossed that line. So should I tell him the truth. Yes, I think it is time. Will it be easy, no. But is it necessary, yes.

Matthew 18

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.^a]">[a]

¹²"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

A Brother Who Sins Against You

¹⁵"If your brother sins against you,^b]">[b] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ¹⁶But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'^c]">[c] ¹⁷If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

¹⁸"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be^d]">[d]bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^e]">[e] loosed in heaven.

¹⁹"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

²²Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^f]">[f]

²³"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents^g]">[g] was brought to him. ²⁵Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' ²⁷The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.^h]">[h] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

²⁹"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

³⁰"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³²"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' ³⁴In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

blessings, Tracylea

Be careful dear ones............

I think most of us have heard the following children's song at least once:

Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.
Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.
There's a Father up above, looking down in tender love,
So be careful little eyes, what you see.

Be careful little ears what you hear
Be careful little mouth what you say...
Be careful little hands, what you touch...
Be careful little feet, where you go...

But as with many songs we sing over and over again we often lose their meaning. But this little song has been playing in my mind over and over the last week, especially when I have been on the Internet. And the message is coming through loud and clear.

Be careful what you see, hear, say, touch and where you go. Got it. As the Bible clearly tells us :

Psalm 101 (King James Version)

¹I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.

²I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

³I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

⁴A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.

⁵Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.

⁶Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

⁷He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

⁸I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.

Ladies the Lord calls us to watch what we see, hear, say, touch and where we go! Not only are we to watch, there are ramifications if we don't! Pretty serious ones.

Blessings dear ones, Tracylea

Serve the Lord Jesus Christ

Romans 16:17-18 (King James Version)

¹⁷Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

¹⁸For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Wow, read that again.......and again............and again. That is so powerful. "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly....." Ouch.

I have been re-reading my copy of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald. In Chapter 10 Mrs. Chancey points out that we are all servants and true happiness is found in sacrificing for the Lord. Christ is our wonderful model in all this. (See John 10:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:15) As Mrs Chancey wonderfully points out:

"Over and over again, Jesus shows us that true living is found in joyfully sacrificing ourselves for others. It is found in dying to our own desires and wants so that we can pour ourselves out for Christ in the service of others. "

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald

Are you serving your "own belly" sister? Or are you a servant to our Lord? Do you die to self daily or are you faithful to the Lord when it is convenient? Prayerfully ask yourselves this, I have and I don't like the answer much!

Blessings, Tracylea

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother, turn your heart towards home!!!

"We have forsaken what is good with what is BEST. The days can be filled with many temptations, all enticing our souls, minds and our hearts away what is God’s best for us. I believe many of us unknowingly choose such busyness for our lives falsely assuming it is the norm, but what we really need is to just live more simply. Simplicity helps to restore peace and order.

Sometimes we need to pare away the unnecessary things in our lives. This might be saying no to outside activities or events. This might be stepping down from some ministry positions we have found ourselves in. This could be putting some of your favorite craft projects on hold to be able to do some real work around the home. This might also mean taking a long break from the internet if we find it always tugging at our hearts pulling us away from our first duties."

Posted By Mrs. June Fuentes

Read the entire article here ~!

Blessings, Tracylea

Job Description

Ahhh.......I love my job, don't you? Read Genesis 2:20-25 below. Isn't our God so good to us. He gave us a job description. Amen!

Genesis 2:20-25 (King James Version)

²⁰And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

²¹And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

²²And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

²³And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

²⁴Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

²⁵And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Choose to love

Kelly at Generation Cedar has really struck a cord with me today. Marriage is not about being in love, it is about choosing to love. My dh and I could not be any different. Our personalities, our likes and dislikes and our love languages are totally opposite. This can cause some real issues in our relationship, but our marriage works. I choose to love him. I choose to see God's will for my marriage and make it work. Is it easy? No! Kelly says:

Three responsibilities of Christians concerning marriage:

1. Understand the gravity of what your marriage says to the world about our Savior and purpose to say it well.
2. Pass the baton of marital faithfulness to your children and grandchildren.
3. Teach others around you–anyone and everywhere–about God’s design for marriage.

Please read the whole article here .

Make it work ladies!

Blessings, Tracylea

Children's Behavior

"Many parents have a struggle between their hopes for their children's behavior and what the children actually do. This is more easily solved than the parents think. There are three key elements to doing this.

(1) The authority of the parent enables the parent to act. Without this understanding, the parent will feel reluctant to make their child obey their wishes. They might try different means of persuasion, but they will feel powerless to do anything.

(2) Discipline with its accompanying chastisement makes sure the parents' desire for their children comes to fruition.

(3) The setting, communication and implementation of boundaries for the children. In other words, what are we going to tell our children to do and how do we get them to do these things?"

Biblical Foundations For Freedom
http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net

Every little bit counts

Ladies, I am starting a new weekly blog post called "Every little bit counts". Each week I will post a helpful tip for saving money. Here is the first one:

Have you heard of SwagBucks?

Swagbucks is a search engine that pays you to use it with 'swagbucks', which are electronic money you can use to buy things from their store (anything from amazon credit to guitars). All you have to do it sign up and search: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/slink1211 .

I want to say this does really work and so far I have had no ill effects from it. I have "won" enough points each month to buy two $5 Amazon gift cards per month. I wanted to do this for at least 4 months before I mentioned it. If you haven't already, maybe give it a try.

Blessings, Tracylea

Being a good friend

I am a very opinionated person.
Yes, I am.
And sometimes that offends people.
And it should.
But mainly I know it is not pleasing to the Lord.
And I want to stop.

I am very black and white in my thinking. And because I have a very strong opinions I can often seem closed minded or judgmental. I like to argue, too much, and am sinful in this area. When I tell a story, or my opinion, I seldom appear like there is room for a difference of opinion or facts. This has, over the years, caused me some problems. Problems with family and friends alike. In reality I am very open minded. I like to hear others thoughts and can easily be swayed on non-sinful things. I do think I admit when I am wrong and truly appreciate others pointing errors in my thinking out to me. But is that how I am presenting myself?

I have a friend who had to, very painfully I must add, pull me aside in Christian love and tell me she felt like I was trying to sway her feelings about people. What??? I was just telling you the facts. Or was I. She was right, I do try to sway people my way. I do add my opinion when not asked. I don't always tell the facts. I am opinionated and sinful. And He knows and forgives me. And has sent others to help me grow away from this behavior and to readily forgive me.

Praise the Lord for a friend who cares. Friends who see the need to help you grow in the Lord. I can only imagine how hard it is to speak to someone who is as strong willed as I am, in love. Yikes. I am so blessed to have friends who will do this. Thank you Lord for loving me enough to send this poor soul to help me mend my ways before it became out of control.

Do you have a friend like me? Is there something you have been trying to tell her and just can't get around to it? Friend I would encourage you to seek the Lord and with His guidance do it!

I may not always agree with others, but I love you Lord and want to glorify you in all I do. I pray that how I disagree or discuss with others can always be loving and make You proud. I praise you for your words and for bringing others into my life to hold me accountable. I thank you dear Lord for remembering my sins no more:

Hebrews 8:12 (King James Version)

¹²For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Blessings, Tracylea

Homeschooling

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. - William Butler Yeats

We have some concerns that our ds, age 11, is a pail being filled. We have, for the last few years, played with the idea of homeschooling. Now we are seriously praying about it. My son attends a wonderful Christian school, but he has a momma who really wants to homeschool him. We don't like what schools, public and not, have become. No one told me being a parent was so hard. I can only imagine how our God feels.


Blessings, Tracylea

Idols

"wives have many idolatrous affections. For example, how her husband behaves or treats her can easily become an idol even to the point of displacing the Lord Jesus Christ as her deepest affection and longing" Martha Peace in An Excellent Wife

We all have idols don't we: exercise, physical appearance, husbands, marriage, children, money, success, our homes. But our hearts should always be set on our Lord. We all look and try to get things we want and do not need, or should I say the Lord knows we do not need. Daily we should be devoted to pleasing, serving and seeking the Lord. There should be no room for idols.

If you are worshiping something other than the Lord, it is an idol. If you are willing to sin to get it or sin to keep it this is an idol. Is how your husband treats you becoming an idol? Is how you look in the mirror an idol? Repent and turn to God. Some of us may have to do this daily...........I do!

Ezekiel 14

¹Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.

²And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

³Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

⁴Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

⁵That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

⁶Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Blessings dear one, Tracylea

Budget......what stinkin budget??????

Again today I read in the paper of local government/schools having to close locations because there is not enough funding.

My local Library system announced this week that they "had" to close 6 branches of the library because of a funding deficit. Yet they have over spent their budgets in the past and just within the last two year built a huge library downtown that had many unnecessary luxuries added to it. (Not to mention that it was built wrong and had to be fixed.)

Can we say BUDGET?

Earlier this year our local school system announced they had to close two of our school and consolidate others, plus start charging for riding the bus and sports activities, because they too had a deficit. This school corporation built a huge football stadium a few years back, that sits empty most of the time, at a price of over $4 million dollars.

Can we say BUDGET?

Hmmmm.....this is starting to get out of hand. Just this week Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke out about our growing national deficit, here. I don't think I need to even go into the overspending of our government.

What if we ran our households like this.......oh, many of us do. But it is time for all this to stop. Stop incurring debt at home, schools, churches, cities and finally our nation.

I really like Dave Ramsey and his take on things: "Debt is dumb and cash is king". Dave has some wonderful free advice at his website and he has many books that you can check out from the local library. His baby steps are a wonderful start! But we all need to start.

If you are debt free, great, how about talking to others about how you got there. If not, the time to start is now.

Blessings, Tracylea

Our lives are real

There are many days when I feel utterly inadequate as a home-keeper, mother, wife and God worshiper. I was struck by the honesty I found in this article at Ladies Against Feminism. This statement from the article is so true:

Life is not picture-perfect, but the work is worth doing. Pretty touches are needed and wonderful, but when little ones are around, it is more important to teach and live than it is to have a home where nothing can be touched or put out of place. Our lives are real, and so is the mess… but, more importantly, so is the love.

Can I get an Amen sister!

http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/?p=503

Blessings, Tracylea

Great Authors Webinar Series

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Our husbands

1 Peter 3

¹Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

²While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

³Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

⁴But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

⁵For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

⁶Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Resurrection Sunday

Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior,
vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!

Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;
he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!