And in the morning, rising up a great while before day,
he went out, and departed into a solitary place,
and there prayed. Mark 1:35

Jenna from Feminine Farmgirl has put up a challenge for April ~ that of  Self-Control ~ diligence in spending our quiet time with the Lord each morning. Sometimes it is so easy to forgo that quiet time with the King of Kings, especially if we are I am running late, and it is not something that I am proud of.

It is that time when the tone for the day is set, and I carry His message through the day with me. This last month there have been very few days when I have not spent quiet and productive time with our Heavenly Father, as I have needed to call on His strength, guidance and wisdom in all things pertaining to our home and family. Perhaps it is good that He puts us through the difficult and trying times, for it is in those times that we are drawn closer to Him.

This last week has been particularly trying for me, as I have had stitches in my foot, due to dropping a bowl of cat dry food and the bowl smashing. My foot required stitching, and then developed an infection in it, but my friend, Gwenda prayed, claiming God’s promises and His mighty healing power. Guess what ~ the infection is gone!

My husband has been a tower of strength, as he has supervised the children while I have spent my quiet time with God, and this time is just so special. It is truly quiet time with our children studying, and I gain so much more out of the time spent with God, when there are no interruptions. I praise God that I have a husband who helps me to keep my appointment with God each morning and helps to make it special, and I praise Jesus for restoring our fellowship with God, so that we can spend time with Him, hearing His voice, praising Him and spending time in prayer with Him.

Why do we spend time in prayer and meditation with God? Because Jesus set us an example, that’s why!

There are those who would spurn the vocation of mothers,
And say that it’s inferior to the career of others,
I’ll have to admit that it’s not easy work,
It’s relentless and from it you cannot shirk.

It takes all your energy to be a mother and wife,
It requires daily commitment and a disciplined life,
It demands all your resources of patience and love,
Long-suffering and wisdom from God above.

It takes self-control and continual endurance,
It needs constant and faithful perseverance,
It is total sacrifice and forgetting your self,
You may sometimes think you are left on the shelf.

And what about time? It’s no longer yours,
It belongs to everyone else who comes in your doors.
Can you claim your own rights? No, they’re gone, too,
Like your right to sleep the whole night through!

It’s not so easy to crawl into bed with a book
Or go off and dream in some quiet little nook.
It seems like you’re totally losing your life
To be a good mother and a godly wife.

But oh, dear mother, please do not despair,
In God’s great vision you have a share,
You are fulfilling your destiny planned before Creation
Which is to nurture children and BUILD A NATION!

You are walking in the footsteps of Jesus your Lord
Who lived a life of sacrifice out-poured,
He didn’t cling to His rights with selfish futility,
He didn’t claim any privileges but walked in humility.

He gave up His own life to save millions of others,
This same principle is at work in the lives of mothers,
When you lose your own life you’ll find it again,
Glorious life – His life – even in toil and pain.

So lift up your head, embrace your calling so high,
You’re in God’s perfect will so you don’t have to sigh.
You may sometimes feel worthless – don’t listen to this lie,
For your influence will go higher than the clouds in the sky.

As you nurture and train your God-given seed,
As you sharpen these ‘arrows’ by word and by deed,
You shape the nation, you determine its course,
Your mothering is not wasted, but is a mighty force!

As your children leave home and go into the world
The stamp of your training will be unfurled,
Your influence will reach countries you’ve never been
And down the generations its extent will be seen.

Your work is so powerful, no wonder it’s tough,
But God is behind you, He’s the GOD WHO IS ENOUGH,
His strength and His wisdom are available to you,
He’ll stand behind His promises which are totally true.

He’ll always be with you right through to the end
As you follow His leading and deny the world’s trend,
Each morning you wake, your strength He’ll renew.
He’ll fill your home with His presence and His blessed peace, too.

Nancy Campbell

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8

Our heavenly Father, I do thank you and give You the praise, for:~

• Providing us with Home Help to help with the mopping and vacuuming while we so desperately need it.
• My husband – he has spent much time recently cutting firewood so that we won’t go cold this winter. The temperature today means that winter is on its way, and it won’t be long before we have to light the combustion fire.
• Our children, who have been a tremendous help in and around the home and our farm, helping with chores that my husband would normally do, not expecting anything in return, just happy to help.
• Friends - blogging friends and IRL friends in particular, who have taken up the mantle of prayer for us recently, and we have been hearing the answers to those prayers. Firstly, my back was finally diagnosed with having four disc bulges (one anterior and three posterior), and the physio is now working on repairing them. Then, we have been struggling with completing the housework each week, but now we have received an answer to that prayer in the way of Home Help – praise God!
• Farm-fresh goats’ milk – our goats are continuing to supply us with goats’ milk, enough for our cooking and for drinking, too.
• Our church, whose building is going ahead. We saw the plans yesterday, and it is very functional and beautiful.
• Balmy autumn weather – I know that it has to come to an end, soon, but I am relishing the time while the days are warm, sunny and the leaves are beginning to fall.
• Sending Your Son to die in our place, a substitutionary sacrifice, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Through Him our relationship with You is restored, we have access through Him to You and He lives in my heart.

Jennifer, from My Chocolate ♥ hosts Praise each week, and for this I am extremely thankful – care to join, pop on over.

I’m Having:~
Dilmah Green tea in my favourite insulated stainless steel cup. This cup keeps my tea warm for a very long time, especially when we are studying in the school room. My two favourite teas are Dilmah Green Tea; and Lemon and Ginger Tea.

I’m Feeling:~

• Happy in the knowledge that our heavenly Father knows our situation, and works all things together for good.
• Tired – I was in bed before 9:00 p.m. last night, and slept soundly until my husband woke me at 6:30 a.m. this morning, but being anaemic again might have something to do with that. I will be glad when they work out why I am anaemic even after 10 iron injections – I’m seeing a gastrologist in May.
• Ecstatic that our children are responsible enough to simply do their school work without too much prompting.

On my Mind:~
My daughter has a long stitch that we gave to her about three years ago – very brave or very stupid, which is it? I haven’t ever tried long stitch or any form of stitchery work for that matter. I wonder whether I have bitten off more than I can chew??? I have told her that the next day she finishes her school work early, we will make a start on it. Oh well, I shall have to cling to the Bible verse, and believe that:

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Thank you for joining me for Tea Talk, which is hosted by Ruth from Celebrate Friendship – care to join in the fun?

Sometimes, we I as a Christian, ‘say’ things without really thinking through the consequences of what I’m saying, and God says, “Whoa, wait – that’s not what I meant!” Then He goes through all sorts of ways to try and reinforce what He actually did mean.

Yesterday was one of those days, and God made sure that I really knew that the way that I was thinking was wrong, and I find it utterly amazing that God will use several different ways of reinforcing the same idea. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier for Him to use a brick to get His idea across!

To backstep just a little, I said that I wouldn’t like to be found in creased clothes when Jesus returns, but then one of my dear friends, Ruby said, “We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We each must have the wedding garment to enter the marriage feast on that great day!”.

Just to reinforce that point, Amanda came here with the idea of writing almost the same thing. She wrote, “Oh Ruby, you took the words right out of my mouth! I came back to say the very thing you said!!”. Now, as if that isn’t amazing enough, our Bible devotion this morning was all about false hope, and it stated that, “God’s standard of perfection, however, requires a totally sinless life. There’s no way any of us can ever be ‘good enough’. It is only through the sacrifice of the sinless Saviour that we are made righteous. God made Jesus ” who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

It is not important what we wear when Jesus returns, for we shall be,

“arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints”. Revelation 19:8

I truly look forward to the day when we shall meet with Jesus, and be arrayed in the fine linen of His righteousness.

Accept the teaching of the world

And hopeless you will be,

But trust in God’s eternal plan

If you want life that’s free. - Branon

Today’s Tuesday Treasures are true treasures – they are my dad’s National Service Medals issued by the National Mint posthumously. My dad worked as a Police Officer for twenty five years in the South Australian Police Force, from 21st August 1961 until he died on the 23rd November, 1986; and he loved his job.  To him it wasn’t just a job, but he lived for his work, and was a straight down the line policeman. To him, everything was either black or white – there were no greys. Hmmm – I wonder where I inherited that trait from!?? He was only 54 years of age and died of a massive heart attack.

To my dad, there was no time off – if he saw something happening that was wrong, he was a police officer and he simply did his duty. Dad was a very special person, and I know that these medals are only possessions, but they remind me of the very special character traits that he had – the tenacity to get the job done, honesty, forthrightness, responsibility, punctuality, reliability, kindness, gentleness and a person who was utterly devoted to his family and his career.

We also have Dad’s Certificate of Service hanging on the loungeroom wall – he was a man of integrity and we do miss him so. He never met his grandchildren, as he died five months after we were married, but I’m sure that he would have doted on them with the same loving kindness that he showed us.

Dad showed me how to budget well and it is only through him and his words of wisdom that we own our home and cope so well financially. There were so many things that I wish I’d said to Dad – thanked him for helping me to understand finances and for his love and that he was always there for me. I wish I’d said I loved him more often than I did. He didn’t often show his love outwardly, but more by the things that he did, such as fixing my old bomb of a car so that I wouldn’t get it defected.

During his last week of life, he came out to see us, and as he was leaving, he said, “I love you” – I think he knew that he didn’t have much longer on this earth, for he wasn’t one for mushy sentiment. I treasure those words more than any possessions, but how do his grandchildren remember him with only the words that were spoken to me? The few possessions that we have of his are all that will remain of a true gentleman one day, but I hope that our children know what a true treasure their grandfather was and is.

During his last few years on this earth, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, and I do so long to meet up with him again one day, but in the meantime, I shall rest in the knowledge that he’s with Jesus, safe in the everlasting arms.

Thank you, Mary for hosting Tuesday Treasures, for today’s treasures were a very special trip down memory lane -  a few tears, but more for the happy times than out of sadness, and the missing of a very special person,

my
Dad!

Father, I thank You that You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

Through skillful and godly wisdom is my house (my life, my home, my family) built, and by understanding it is established on a sound and good foundation. And by knowledge shall the chambers (of its every area) be filled with all precious and pleasant riches – great priceless treasure. The house of the uncompromisingly righteous shall stand. Prosperity and welfare are in my house in the name of Jesus.

My house is securely built. It is founded on a rock – revelation knowledge of Your Word, Father, Jesus is my Cornerstone. Jesus is Lord of my household. Jesus is our Lord – spirit, soul and body.

Whatever may be our task, we work at it heartily as something done for You, Lord, and not for men. We love each other with the God kind of love, and we dwell in peace. My home is deposited into Your charge, entrusted to Your protection and care.

Father, as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah!

Scripture References

Ephesians 1:3

Proverbs 24: 3,4 AMP

Proverbs 15:6

Proverbs 12:7 AMP

Psalm 112:3

Luke 6:48

Acts 4:11

Acts 16:31

Philippians 2: 10,11

Colossians 3:23

Colossians 3: 14,15

Acts 20:32

Joshua 24:15

Bible Verses Used

John 3:16Philippians 2:6-8


John 14: 1-4

John 3:16 underpins everything that happened to Jesus – the Cross, the crucifixion and the empty tomb. We are the “why” that happened. Jesus died for You! When Jesus stood before Pilate, He said,

For this reason I was born.

You could substitute your own name for “this reason“, and maybe then you would realise how important you are to Jesus. What was behind the extraordinary reason? You were! Jesus left everything that He had in heaven, just for you. It was all for You!

He was crucified for you, the stone was rolled away from the tomb for you, and when the stone was rolled away, it showed Jesus’ love for You. Regardless of who you are or what you’ve done, Jesus died for You!

You could be the most despicable, vilest, most hateful person and yet, He died for You. You are no less important to Jesus than anyone else. He died for the world. The flash houses of today would look like ramshackle beach shacks compared with what Jesus left behind when He came to earth.

Dr Maxwell Maltz was a renowned plastic surgeon, and He saw a woman whose husband was severely disfigured in a house fire trying to rescue his parents. The husband’s face was horribly disfigured, but he refused Dr. Maltz’s offer to help restore him to some degree of normality. His wife came back to see Dr Maltz, and he was surprised because he knew that her husband had refused his help previously. This time she asked Dr Maltz how much it would cost for him to disfigure her face like her husband’s, so that her husband would let her back into his life. Jesus was severely and callously beaten for us, tortured with the Crown of Thorns, flogged, mocked, spat upon and hanged upon the Cross at Golgotha where He endured the agony of the Cross for You, and all that He wants is to be allowed into your life.

The Cross is a universal symbol of Christianity, and yet we would never wear a guillotine around our neck, but we proudly wear the Cross which was the ultimate persecution that Jesus endured just for You! How did a symbol of torture become something of beauty?

The arms of the Cross show:~

Horizontal Band – The Breadth and Length of God’s Love

Vertical Band – The Depth and Height of God’s Love

The resurrection of Jesus Christ shows God’s Love for You! Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of Your love.

Jesus, You showed us Your love through the Cross, the empty tomb and Your scarred body.

I pray that you unshakeably take hold of God’s Love for You.

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
And go quickly, and tell his disciples that
He is risen from the dead;
and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28

• That you sent your only Son to die in my place, a substitutionary sacrifice – the Passover Lamb, so that I could live. Crucifixion was one of the most barbaric and cruellest of deaths, and yet, Jesus endured it that we might live. On the third day, He was risen from the dead and Jesus lives right here – in my ♥! This was the fulfilment of the Old Covenant and the starting of the New Covenant. His death gives us eternal life!

• For excellent medical practitioners, who seek to keep us fit and healthy. On Friday we all had a doctor’s appointment, so that we could have the ‘flu and Swine ‘flu vaccinations, but the doctor said that the rest of the family could have them, but not me, as I had a severe allergic reaction to the last Fluvax that I had, and was in hospital for three weeks. However, the doctor did say that my family could show their love by having the vaccination, which would prevent them from bringing home the ‘flu virus. Yay – I feel loved!

• For my husband and his ice-cream making ability – he made a batch of home-made Goats’ Milk Ice-Cream this afternoon, and it is absolutely delicious. For now, his pain management is under control, and I praise God for answered prayer, for helping my husband to be able to walk easily.

• For warm, autumn weather – enabling us to keep our store of wood for the colder winter months. For the moment, we are using a bar heater if it gets too cold in the evenings, and of course, there’s always the option of an early night if it’s colder than that.

• For friends, such as Janice, who is coming up to spend some time with us and helping us to cut firewood. Talk about friendship – I love this lady to pieces, and such love she has for us, that she is willing to take time out of her busy schedule to help us cut and load firewood. Of course I praise God for all our friends – internet, blogging and IRL friends, too.

• That we have helpful children, who without being asked will: -

1. Water the strawberries and parsley.
2. Milk and feed the goats.
3. Vacuum and mop our home, and that is such a BIG job.
4. Do dishes without arguing.
5. Keep their rooms tidy.
6. Do their schoolwork without having to be told.
7. Clean the shower and bath.
8. Clean their bedrooms and help with the rest of the housework.
9. Help with the cooking – making delicious cakes and stews.

• Physiotherapists, who work closely alongside doctors – I now have patches for my back pain, which sure makes everyday living a whole lot more bearable.

I pray that you have a wonderful and blessed Easter, as we commemorate the work completed on the Cross for us.