TRUTH X-POSED (For Women Only)

In Defense of the Pearls

2010-03-21T02:31:00.000-07:00

As you may have heard by now, 7-year-old Lydia Schatz was beaten to death by her parents who claim they were following the child training practices preached by Michael & Debi Pearl of No Greater Joy Ministries. The autopsy on Lydia Schatz showed she died from “blunt force trauma” being whipped for several hours after mispronouncing a word during a homeschool reading lesson, and needing someone to cast the blame on, fingers are pointing to the Pearls.

Now with all the outcry, many homeschooling parents and leaders are speaking out in blasphemous fashion to create an anti-Pearl movement among the conservative Christian community.

Barbara, a staunch Pearl critic says, “No one is blaming the Pearls for a specific death but for advocating beating a child into submission, beating a child until he cannot breathe or talk, and beating a child with a piece of plumbing supply.”

Makes you wonder if Barbara has actually read any of the Pearl’s material, because if she had she would know that they absolutely do NOT advocate any of the above.

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Michael Pearl -
IN DEFENSE OF BIBLICAL CHASTISEMENT:

The Bible calls it chastisement with a rod. We call it training. The spankings we give our children do not resemble punishment. We are not angry. We don’t lose control. We are not desirous to make children suffer for their misdeeds. Application of the rod is only a small but essential part of our training technique. You must first understand our position if you would fault us...

Our defense of Biblical chastisement should not be construed as a defense of all those who abuse this Christian duty. We believe the rod should not be used as a vent for parents’ anger. There is no place for vindictiveness or aggression in training children. The rod should not be applied at the end of an intolerance curve. Where the supreme motivation is anything other than the child’s good, the rod should not be used…

When state social workers molest children and abuse them, we do not stop all social work. We seek out the offenders and punish them according to their culpability. Likewise when some parents misuse their sacred trust and hurt their children in the name of spanking them, we do not abdicate our sacred duty to apply the rod as the Word of God has commanded…

WHEN IS IT ABUSE?
You are abusing the child when it starts doing harm to the child. Listen to your friends-especially to those friends that share your philosophy. Ask the opinion of people you respect. If they think you are abusive, get counsel in a hurry. Ask the opinion of your older children. If your child is broken in spirit, cowed and subdued, you have a problem. Children should be happy and cheerful, full of enthusiasm and creativity. If your children are fearful or anxious, you should get some counsel…

The Pearl’s teachings no way promotes or justifies violence against children. Rather, the book condemns such practices. If these parents actually read Michael & Debi Pearl's book, TO TRAIN UP A CHILD, they would have encountered numerous passages such as these:

Pages 50 and 51 say:
A CAUTION TO RECIPIENTS OF THE MILLSTONE AWARD
There are always some who act in the extreme. These individuals are capable of using what has been said about the legitimate use of the rod to justify ongoing brutality to their children. I can think of several right now. These abusers of their children would not in the least view themselves as such. They would call themselves "strong disciplinarians." "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matt. 18:6)...

FORMS OF ABUSE
The rod should never be a vent for parents' anger. In the daily course of life, many people experience anger and have an impulse to strike out. There is no place for this selfish, vindictive streak in the discipline of children. Where the supreme motivation is anything other than the child's good, it is inevitable that such behavior by the parent will assuredly create problems...

There is a political move to outlaw spanking. They say, "If you hit a child, he will grow up to be violent." They do not believe the Bible, and they judge others by their own experience. The only time they have "hit" their child, or been tempted to, is when they were angry. They are correct in saying that what they call "hitting the child" may cause him to grow up and use violence as a way of resolving conflicts. But they do not understand the Christian heart. Having never experienced it, they cannot fathom the self-restraint and love that motivates true Christians. The problem is that spanking is practiced by many people motivated by self-interest, and this is what the spanking abolitionists are seeing and reacting to...

These excerpts clearly demonstrate that the Pearl's have taken space in their magazine articles, web site and child training books to repeatedly urge parents NOT TO CAUSE CHILDREN HARM!

Even though Barbara admits to only reading a few selected quotes from the Pearl’s writings, her trusted line of defense is this: "While many people can eat the meat and spit out the bones, there are people choking on them."

That may be true, but this is no reason to get rid of the meat and blame the cow for choking, people just simply need to learn how to chew better. Further, it is irresponsible and unjust for Barbara and others to openly condemn a book that they haven't even taken the time to read. God says, "do not bear false witness against your neighbor" and those who are making these false accusations should be ashamed of themselves, but they will be held accountable on judgment day. I tried on several occasions to leave comments on Barbara's blog, but for some reason they won't get posted, I can only speculate as to why?!?!

As tragic as the recent death of this poor girl Lydia Schatz, I think it's absolutely ridiculous to blame the Pearls for what happened! Mr. & Mrs. Schatz are obviously just looking for an outlet so they don't have to take personal responsibility for their abusive and barbaric form of discipline. I mean, who even punishes a child for not pronouncing a word right, let alone beat them to death? Something is seriously wrong with the parents, and they certainly didn't learn that behavior from "To Train Up a Child." Anyone who properly implements the child training techniques outlined in that book (which is based on the Bible) have happy, obedient, loving and well-adjusted children. In fact, if these parents actually trained their 7-yr-old the right way when she was a toddler, there should be very minimal need for spankings as she got older - which is the whole point of the book.

Whoever condemns Michael & Debi Pearl clearly lacks Biblical wisdom or discernment, and should be strongly rebuked for slandering them in such a nasty fashion. If these people think the Pearls are to blame, perhaps they should also put God on trial since He is the One who inspired their teachings? The Bible repeatedly says we should discipline our children with a rod:

"He who spares his rod HATES his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly." - Proverbs 13:24

“The blueness of a wound cleanses away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.” - Proverbs 20:30

“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” - Proverbs 22:15

“Do not withhold correction from a child; For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod; And deliver his soul from hell.” - Proverbs 23:13-14

Clearly the Scriptures teach "beating a child with a rod," so should we dismiss the Bible and blame God for this Lydia's death? Of course not!

Of the one or two families who went to the extreme and violently murdered their children in an abusive rage, thousands upon thousands of families have seen the positive fruit in the Biblical child training techniques outlined by the Pearls. Furthermore, there are over a million more families who never disciplined their children and trained up terrors of society who have NO FEAR of authority while living in rebellion, killing their peers, raping women and committing every evil act under the sun.

As a Christian homeschooling mother of five who has so far successfully trained my children to be happy, loving, confident, obedient, respectful and well-grounded individuals, I still support the Pearls 100% without a doubt, and I will continue to value their timeless teachings, as well as share them with others!

Don’t be fooled by those who ignorantly seek to viciously vilify devoted believers like Michael & Debi Pearl, for these critics obviously have NOT read the manuscripts of No Greater Joy, nor applied the wisdom to their lives.

*Read => NGJ Response to the Schatz Case

Beatitudes for a Housewife

2009-10-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

I found this through Blessed Homemaking:

Author unknown- Taken from the Yankee Kitchen Cookbook, 1969

Blessed is she whose daily tasks are a labor of love; for her willing hand and happy heart translate duty into privilege, and her labor becomes a service to God and all mankind.

Blessed is she who opens the door to welcome both stranger and well-loved friend; for gracious hospitality is a test of brotherly love.

Blessed is she who mends stockings and toys and broken hearts, for her understanding is a balm to humanity.

Blessed is she who children love, for the love of a child is more to be valued than fortune or fame.

Blessed is she who sings at her work; for music lightens the heaviest load and brightens the dullest chore.

Blessed is she who dusts away doubt and fear and sweeps out the cobwebs of confusion; for her faith will triumph over all adversity.

Blessed is she who serves laughter and smiles with every meal; for her buoyancy of spirit is an aid to mental and physical digestion.

Blessed is she who preserves the sanctity of the Christian home; for hers is a sacred trust that crowns her with dignity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:
'Many daughters have done well; But you excel them all.'
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing; But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." ~ Proverbs 31:28-30

Why Women Are Unhappy

2009-06-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

by Phyllis Schlafly
EagleForum.org

The National Bureau of Economic Research released a study to be published soon in the American Economic Journal that shows women's happiness has measurably declined since 1970. It's no surprise that this has stimulated much comment.

This study covers the same time period as the rise of the so-called women's liberation or feminist movement. The correlation demands an explanation.

One theory advanced by the authors, University of Pennsylvania economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers, is that the women's liberation movement "raised women's expectations" (sold them a bill of goods), making them feel inadequate when they fail to have it all. A second theory is that the demands on women who are both mothers and jobholders in the labor force are overwhelming.

I'm neither an economist nor a psychologist, but I'll join the conversation with my own armchair analysis. Another theory could be that the feminist movement taught women to see themselves as victims of an oppressive patriarchy in which their true worth will never be recognized and any success is beyond their reach.

Feminist organizations such as the National Organization for Women held consciousness-raising sessions where they exchanged tales of how badly some man had treated them. Grievances are like flowers; if you water them, they will grow, and self-imposed victimhood is not a recipe for happiness.

Another theory could be the increase in easy divorce and illegitimacy (now 40 percent of American births are to single moms), which means that millions of women are raising kids without a husband and therefore expect Big Brother government to substitute as provider. The 2008 election returns showed that 70 percent of unmarried women voted for Barack Obama, perhaps hoping to be beneficiaries of his "spread the wealth" policies.

In the pre-1970 era, when surveys showed women with higher levels of happiness, most men held jobs that enabled their wives to be fulltime homemakers. The private enterprise system constantly produces goods that make household work and kiddie care easier (such as dryers, dishwashers and paper diapers).

Betty Friedan started the feminist movement in the late 1960s with her book The Feminine Mystique, which created the myth that suburban housewives were suffering from "a sense of dissatisfaction" with their alleged-to-be-boring lives. To liberate women from the home that Friedan labeled "a comfortable concentration camp," the feminist movement worked tirelessly to make the role of fulltime homemaker socially disdained.

Economic need played no role in the feminist argument that marriage is archaic and oppressive to women. A job in the labor force was upheld as so much more fulfilling than tending babies and preparing dinner for a hard-working husband.

Women's studies courses require students to accept as an article of faith the silly notion that gender differences are not natural or biological but are social constructs created by the patriarchy and ancient stereotypes. This leads feminists to seek legislative corrections for problems that don't exist.

A former editor of the Ladies' Home Journal wrote in her book Spin Sisters that the anorexic blondes on television are every day selling the falsehood that women's lives are full of misery and threats from men. Bernard Goldberg calls the mainstream media "one of America's most pro-feminist institutions."

According to feminist ideology, the only gender-specific characteristic is that men are naturally batterers who make all women victims. On that theory, the feminists conned Congress into passing the Violence Against Women Act (note the sex discriminatory title), which includes a handout of a billion dollars a year to finance their political, legislative and judicial goals.

The feminists whine endlessly using their favorite word "choice" in matters of abortion, but they reject choice in gender roles. The Big Mama of feminist studies, Simone de Beauvoir, said, "We don't believe that any woman should have this choice. No woman should be authorized to stay at home to raise her children . . . precisely because if there is such a choice, too many women will make that one."

The feminists have carried on a long-running campaign to make husbands and fathers unnecessary and irrelevant. Most divorces are initiated by women, and more women than men request same-sex marriage licenses in Massachusetts so that, with two affirmative-action jobs plus in vitro fertilization, they can create a "family" without husbands or fathers.

Despite the false messages of the colleges and the media, most American women are smart enough to reject the label feminist, and only 20 percent of mothers say they want full-time work in the labor force. I suggest that women suffering from unhappiness should look into how women are treated in the rest of the world, and then maybe American women would realize they are the most fortunate people on earth.

Homeschool Interview Questions:

2009-06-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

The following is a list of questions from a college student who was doing a report on homeschooling and needed to interview someone as a requirement for his project. Since he chose to interview me, I thought I would post them here as well:

Q1 - How long have you been homeschooling your children?

I have been homeschooling my children for about 5 years.

Q2 -Why did you decide to homeschool your children? What factors influenced you? Was there any particular person who influenced you to choose homeschooling?

Our government has given us the largest bureaucratic daycare and brain washing system in the world…the public school, and I love my children too much to have them become a victim of Darwinian dogma, or be severely dumbed-down with godless government indoctrination.

We decided to homeschool our children primarily for the safety aspect at first, then our main focus became motivated by our religious convictions to diligently teach and train our own children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. One factor that influenced us was Bob Enyart Live, a radio show that exposed the danger and corruption within the government schools and urged parents to pull their kids out. The person who influenced me the most was my late Aunt Debbie who was a pioneer in the homeschooling movement 30 years ago. She home-educated each one of her four children from kindergarten through high school - And I'll tell you that ALL four of my cousins are the most intellectual, sociable, well-grounded followers of Christ I ever had the privilege to know. Seeing the fruit of her hard work has been a great inspiration to me to homeschool my own kids.

Q3 - How did the public school system affect you as a person? Do you think things would have turned out differently if you had not attended it?

I would say that nearly everything I learned that was wrong, destructive, and perverted, I learned in public school! Throughout my jr. high and high school years I spent much of my time following my peers and experimenting with drugs and sexual promiscuity, cheating my way through each grade and conforming to a debased mentality commonplace within the classroom. Despite the efforts of comprehensive sex-education, I got pregnant and had my first child at the age of fifteen. The whole public school experience negatively affected me, not only in the area of academics, but morally and spiritually as well since I learned that standards of right and wrong are relative.

Of course, I do think things would have turned out differently or better if I had not attended public school, but family life also plays a significant role in how well a child turns out. With so much anger and pain from my parents divorce, and without a father in the home, it seems as though I was destined for destruction anyway, no matter how I was educated! The public school was just a breeding ground for delinquents, and I fit right in.

Q4 - What do you think would be the greatest danger your children would face if they attended public school?

Some of the dangers that concern me as a parent are the obvious cases of violence and school shootings which are becoming regular occurrences in schools today. The homosexual agenda is promoted and sexual harassment is rampant in the hallways and allowed in classrooms. Rape, molestation and other sexual crimes are also ordinary events at schools which I don’t want my children exposed to.

Less obvious dangers are in and around the system itself. Public schools teach gang-rule, severe competition, ultimate peer pressure, chemical dependency, sick vocabulary, horrible eating habits, emotionally disturbed ideas, immorality and a variety of other delinquent and destructive behaviors which are contrary to the wisdom and instructions found in God's Holy Scriptures.

But all those things are mere by-products of godless school teachings. The government’s objective is to completely usurp parental authority, which it is succeeding at. Government schools are by law secular, which means worldly rather than spiritual, or omitting God altogether. Christian kids should not receive an education and be yoked together with thousands of unbelieving kids all day long in a place where God is irrelevant to all aspects of life!

The Nehemiah Institute's worldview PEERS test shows that 83% of the children from committed Christian families in public schools adopt a secular humanist or Marxist socialist worldview by the time they graduate. In addition to that, the SBC's 2002 annual meeting, the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life reported, among other disturbing things, that 88% of the children raised in evangelical homes who attend public school, leave church at age 18.

So undoubtedly, the greatest danger my kids would face if they attended public school is losing their faith in God.

Q5 - What do you believe is the greatest advantage that your children have from being home schooled?

One of the greatest advantage my children have from being homeschooled is the mere fact that we get to spend time together learning as a family and studying the Word of God without the hostility of the secular world corrupting their minds. Our days are flexible, and we are not restricted by school bells and rigid schedules or limited by government policies. This allows us the freedom to operate our day in the best way that will maximize our family’s needs and reap the richest rewards that homeschooling has to offer. We don’t have to call in on sick days or miss school for vacations because we can learn wherever we are and we don’t have to answer to the school authorities.

Q6 - To be more specific, what is the greatest academic advantage that your children have from being homeschooled?

The greatest academic advantage my children have from being homeschooled is to be able to learn in a safe and stress free environment, and to have the one-on-one attention necessary to cater to their individual needs which will nourish their love for learning. They will not be forced-fed humanistic, New Age propaganda or compelled to study subjects that are boring to them, rather they will have the opportunity to study subjects that are of great interest to them, and learn specific skills that will help them succeed in their adult life.

Q7 - How do you choose a curriculum for your child? How do you decide which is the best one?

As Christians, the Bible is our core curriculum. Teaching basic phonic sounds is the primary focus so the children learn to read with ease. Once they learn to read, quality classic books are what we use to learn. For other academic subjects such as history, science, biology, ect., the best curriculum is one that is Christ centered since we believe that God is the Creator of life and He is author all subjects.

The goal for us is not academic success. Education is not just about what facts a child knows; it is primarily about how he becomes equipped for the battle, and how he lives his life once he is grown.

The most important objective with raising children is building their character with a strong moral foundation, not teaching them math, geography, and science. The main goal in child training is to train them to be obedient, respectful, to honor God, to learn His Word and to love each other. Once those things are in place, the academics will naturally follow with ease. (*Note: Homeschooling statistics reveal that children who are taught at home outscore their public school classmates in all areas of academics by a landslide.)

Q8 - One aspect that most people are concerned about is socialization. Some would argue that homeschooling deprives a child of a social life. What are your thoughts on this?

This is a common myth that segregating children by age with very little interaction with other adults, except their teacher(s), for 8 hours a day, five days a week is somehow a healthy and effective way to learn how to socialize properly. When people ask me about socialization, I say that this is the VERY reason why we don’t send our kids to public school. If I wanted my kids to be severely sexually harassed daily, experience fierce peer pressure, have poor self-esteem, pick up a few drug habits, disrespect authority, use foul language, learn about sexual immorality and perversion, embrace relativism, feminism and tolerance as virtues, or possibly get sexually molested by their peers and teachers, then I would send them to public school in a heartbeat. But I actually love my children and care about their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, so that kind of 'socialization' is not an option for our family!

Public education does not have some magical formula for people to deal with the 'real world'. In fact, I believe that the school environment puts kids at a disadvantage. There is no other circumstance in 'real life' where the conditions of a public school are duplicated, other than the prison system.

Q9 - How do you socialize your children?

I socialize my children by having them interact with people of all ages. We go to museums, the zoo, the park, library, the grocery store, a nursing home and other places on a regular basis during the week, which provides them with stimulating experiences where they can also learn how to communicate in a mature manner with a variety of people. I do like to limit outside influences that don’t align with our belief system, so my children primarily learn proper socialization with their siblings, friends, elderly neighbors and other acquaintances that have a strong moral foundation, hold each other accountable, and seek to edify one another in the Lord.

Q10 - A concern that many parents have about the public school system is its tendency to medicate children. What are your thoughts on this?

Parents should be concerned! The most unnatural thing you can do to young children (especially boys) who are growing and exploring is to force them to be confined to a classroom and sit still at a desk for 8 hours a day with little or no relief to express themselves. Despite the potentially dangerous side-effects of Ritalin (or other drugs), public school authorities now pressure parents to give Ritalin to their children so these kids won’t “act up” in school. Public schools across America are giving out powerful, mind-altering drugs to children as if these drugs were candy, yet outside there are signs that read, “Proud to be a Drug Free School Zone”. Such hypocrisy!

Naturally, most parents don’t want to drug their children just because they are unruly, bored in class, energetic or high-spirited. However, compulsory attendance laws force parents to send their children to public schools, and since it’s a “free” education, parents ignorantly comply. Just as school authorities resort to compulsion to get their students by force, so they apply the same compulsion against children and their parents to pressure parents into giving Ritalin to their kids.

So how do schools pressure parents? They threaten to expel the child, hold the child back a grade, put the child into a special-education class, or threaten the parents with prosecution for child abuse.

Q11 - When you attended public school were you ever medicated? If yes, what effects did this have on you?

No, I was never given medication, but my oldest daughter was from preschool to 2nd grade when she attended public school. I was told by the so-called “experts” that she had ADHD and needed the meds to sit still and focus, otherwise the couldn’t have her in the classroom. Naively I trusted them, and magically the pills worked to the teacher’s benefit. The meds made my daughter in a zombie-like state of mind, she lost her appetite and still failed to learn. We pulled her out after the 2nd grade, took her off the meds and she’s be progressing and doing great ever since.

Q12 - What advice would you give to parents who are considering sending their children to public school?

Well, it depends on if the parents are Christians or not. For the average unbelievers I would simply say, if you love your kids, pull them out of the public school before it’s too late. Oftentimes parents may get discouraged or feel overwhelmed with the thought of homeschooling their own children because the culture says parents are not qualified to teach if they don't have a "degree" in education. But a casual look at the products of today’s public schooled children quickly reveals that the so-called trained professionals are failing miserably at their jobs and producing immoral misfits who can barely read or write.

For believers, I would encourage them to have a biblical perspective when it comes to education, and remind them that it is their responsibility as parents to diligently teach their own kids in the ways of the Lord. I would let them know that God's design is for the family to be together; it was never to send children away from the home all day to be educated, especially to a godless humanistic, pagan seminary – A place where children are surrounded by heathens all day, where God is mocked and abolished from all aspects of life, and a place where all Truth is relative while all morality is tossed out the window.

I would tell parents who are considering homeschooling that if they love God and are committed to doing what is right, they are qualified to teach their children! No one can teach children better than their own parents because no one loves the children and cares more for their children's eternal salvation than mom and dad.

For Christian kids, there is no better place for education than in the home where children are loved, nurtured, attended to, and taught by their own parents.

Every Christian parent who is truly interested in the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of their children, their homes, and the future of our beloved America, should pull their kids out of public school and offer them an exclusively Christian education!

How I Homeschool:

2009-05-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

(Or at least how I strive to homeschool.)

This was a note I got tagged in on Facebook so I thought I would post it here as well:

1. What time do you get up?
Not as early as I would like to. Fortunately the kids aren’t early risers either, and they entertain themselves until mom & dad wake up – we are totally spoiled! Generally speaking, I like to have the coffee pot running & Bible time started by 9:30am. I know, I'm bad!

2. What do your children wear to school?
Usually comfy play clothes (not always matched), jammies, or the outfit from the day before since they either didn’t change before bed, or didn’t get dirty enough to change. If they can manage to keep their clothes clean, I’ll let them wear it all week – the less laundry the better. It’s nice not to have to conform to social pressures and school dress codes.

3. What curriculum have you tried and hated?
I only really hate anything that is teaching godless principles. I also haven’t really tried a wide variety of curriculum, but I do like the book “Learning at Home” – by Ann Ward. And I also adopt "The Moore Formula" which works well for our family.

4. Who is your most inspirational homeschooling role model?
My Aunt Debbie ~ The Most Virtuous Woman I Have Ever Known!

5. Charlotte Mason, unschooling or Classical?
Right now we do more of the unschooling method, but as the kids grow & mature, we will do more Charlotte Mason and Classical type learning.

6. Favorite response to “what about socialization?”
”Socialization” is the VERY reason WHY we don’t send our kids to public school. => So What About "Socialization"?

7. Favorite subject?
Theology & Home Economics.

8. Favorite field trip ever?
Road Trip across the country to Washington DC for Grandpa Kekoa’s memorial service was the best, but the children's museum & the zoo are fun too.

9. Best thing about homeschooling?
The freedom & unity in our family, opportunity for activism, along with the awesome responsibility of teaching my children Truth & watching them grow and learn in the Lord.

10. Sports, music, or art?
My oldest goes to horse back riding therapy once a week, the younger girls play piano, and everyone loves to color, draw pictures, paint, garden, do holiday crafts or sidewalk chalk.

11. Best one stop shopping for school books?
Dollar Tree, Thrift Stores, the Library, Amazon.com & used curriculum sales.

12. One subject you didn’t get to this week:
Geography.

13. What will you do when you run out of kids to teach?
Hopefully write articles & books, and do more pro-life activism, while enjoying grandkids on the side.

14. Ever give school books as Christmas or Birthday gifts?
Sure – We consider all learning materials to be a gift.

15. Better late or early (delay formal education at home, or start as young as possible?)
Better late than early from my experience & understanding. Forcing kids to learn concepts pre-maturely often cause kids to struggle or start developing “learning disabilities.” Delaying formal learning of allows children to understand concepts and retain info. in a fraction of the time.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in TRUTH." - 3 John 1:4

I Am a Domestic Engineer!

2009-04-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is my job description:

CEO of home management to ensure the tranquility, comfort, safety & security of life for all members within the four walls of our house. I am a wife, lover, friend, mother, relationship expert, spiritual advisor, master planner, organizer, childcare director, disciplinary, teacher, personal trainer, computer operator, counselor, nurse, budget shopper, van driver, cook, maid, laundry machine operator, administrative assistant, negotiator, delegator & civilization specialist.

There is no greater joy or fulfillment in life than being a good helper to my husband, and raising my children to walk in the Truth!

Child-Training Tips:

2009-04-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

I am dedicated to helping parents raise up obedient, respectful, happy & well-adjusted children who are a joy to be around by using successful biblical training methods! Children are a blessing from God and Christians should seek to honor Him by obeying His Word and rejecting worldly philosophies, especially when it comes to training & discipline!
The ultimate goal as parents is to learn how to diligently train up their children in the way they should go, with the fear & admonition of the Lord so they will not depart from the faith once they are grown. (Proverbs 22:6 & Ephesians 6:4)

Here are four basic principals for parents to remember:

1) If they're old enough to pitch a fit, they're old enough to get the switch!

Parents should never be held hostage by unruly, bratty kids who whine, cry, & throw temper tantrums to get their way! The parents who put off training until the child is old enough to discuss issues or receive explanations find their child a terror long before he understands the meaning of the word. Parents must reward every act of disobedience consistently with a swat so children will soon learn to associate the slight pain with the bad behavior which motivates them to stop.
2) Delayed obedience is disobedience!
Parents should never count to three or offer idle threats to their children because it actually trains them to disobey. As long as the parents remain consistent, the child will consistently obey. This "obedience training" is carried out in the utmost patience and concentration. The frustration experienced by parents is of their own ignorant making. Our problem is not "bad" children, just bad training. There are no exceptions, the "strong willed," the hyper active, the highly intelligent and the easily bored all need training, and training is effective on all.

3) Set the standards high for your children!

When parents are constantly making excuses for the disobedience and self-centered behaviors of their children, they end up justifying this form of domestic terrorism by lowing their standards and tolerating unacceptable actions. When you have such a low standard of expectations, don't be surprised when your children reach those low standards. Expect complete obedience and demand it!

4) Three R's: Right attitude, Right response, Right away!
It's not enough for children to simply obey a command, they need to do it without hesitation and with a cheerful heart. When parents negotiate with toddlers or compromise the rules, it is the making of a bitter, undisciplined, fleshly child--and eventually, adult. Demanding that a child be happy in his obedience trains him in self-control and contentment as well as good behavior.

Children are the hope for our future! As parents, we only get one chance to raise our kids - so we better do it right!

*Read Online: To Train Up A Child - by Micheal & Debi Pearl

What Do I Teach My Children About Atheism?

2009-03-07T00:21:00.000-08:00

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Being a fundamental Christian, homeschooling mom, often I am accused of indoctrinating my kids with religion (which is pretty much true), and the question sometimes arises:

"What are you teaching your children about atheism?"

I teach my children that atheism is the disbelief in God, or the denial of God’s existence. I also teach my children that in the Bible it says, “The fool says in his heart, there is no God.”

I teach my kids that atheists are liars. Self-deceived, sadly, but liars nonetheless because they reject Truth - Specifically, the Truth that is Jesus Christ. Deep down in their spirits, the knowledge of the Creator endures, but though much denial, atheists suppress this knowledge and exchange the Truth of God for a lie. Since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes are clearly seen, and atheists are without excuse for their willful ignorance! Atheists have became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts have been darkened.

I teach my children that they did NOT evolve from primordial slime, by a series of random chance events brought on by a “cosmic accident” billions of years ago, as the public schools will teach. Instead, I teach my children that they are fearfully & wonderfully made by the hands of God our Creator, created in His image and likeness, and their life has eternal purpose.

My kids will learn how irrational and illogical atheism is, and that it takes way more faith to be an atheist, than it does to believe in Christ. Our faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By our faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Atheists look at the majesty of Creation all around them and believe that it came into existence by an accidental, impersonal, amoral, unintelligent force which exists only in their imagination.

I am NOT going to raise my children to be "free-thinkers" and so open minded that their brains fall out, but I am teaching my children of God’s Holy Nature and His Absolute Moral Laws with conviction so that they will be solid in their faith. My kids know what is right and wrong, and that there are severe consequences for sinful behavior.

Our family has a tremendous reverence for God, and we are diligently indoctrinating the principals of God’s Holy Word to our children all throughout the day. We demonstrate our love and obedience towards God, and to each other by the way we conduct our everyday lives, by rebuking the wicked, warning the lost and uplifting fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Once our children are fully grown and out of our home, they will have the freedom to become atheists and live in rebellion if they want. But, I am confident that my children will never embrace atheism because the Word of God is written on their hearts and they will be smart enough to know better!

When parents train up a child in the way he should go, when he is older, he will not depart from it! That is a spoken promise from God Almighty, and Mama ain't gonna raise no FOOLS!

A Golden Nugget of TRUTH From Starbucks

2009-01-10T01:31:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are coffee junkies, and we go to Starbucks quite a bit to get our daily fix. As you probably know, on the side of the cup is a collection of thoughts, opinions and expressions by random people called, “The Way I See It.” Mostly, I read lame quotes about the environment, tolerance, art, diversity, gay pride, feminism, or other anti-Christ rhetoric, but much to my surprise, I read this little golden nugget of TRUTH on my Starbucks coffee cup today:

The Way I See It #99

"Success in life is that your kids want to spend time with you once they've grown up."
-- Paul Orfalea
Founder of Kinko's and author of Copy This!

Of course, this not the only thing I would use to consider if my life were successful, but it certainly is near the top of the list!

Feminists Can’t Defeat Motherhood

2008-09-26T00:46:00.000-07:00

(Pictured above are my two youngest daughters standing outside the largest child-killing facility in the nation.)

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"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD; The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth." - Psalm 127:3-4
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How self-centered, hard-hearted and cold-blooded does a woman have to become before she comfortably violates her created nature and proudly declares the “right” to murder her unborn child?

Since I have been blessed with 4 beautiful children so far, this kind of morally depraved thinking of these women nauseates me with the most profound distain. With all the joys motherhood brings, it’s somewhat hard for me to believe that thousands of liberal feminists have such a putrid view of pregnant woman, and diminish their role while equating it to merely being an incubator whose rights are being violated as she is forced to carry a worthless fetus to term.

In a desperate attempt to defeat motherhood, the radical pro-choice feminists must do more than make child-bearing a social inconvenience, they must sear the conscience of an entire generation of women and teach women to despise themselves by viewing their own wombs as the enemy of self-fulfillment. This means cheapening the value of women, minimizing the glorious gift of life which is only given to womankind, and redefining what it means to be a woman all together. Instead of being the blessed guardian of domesticity for society and embracing a fruitful womb, she seeks contentment by competing with men, and she cuts off the very seed of life by killing her own offspring.

The fundamental right to life is a universal right given to us by our Creator, regardless of a person's beliefs or religious background. A woman does NOT have the authority or the “right” to murder another person despite of how the government defines a person to be. The pro-choice extremist can continue to lie to herself by denying her divine design, but we are all accountable to GOD for our actions, and if a woman is so evil and selfish to take an innocent life within her womb, she will undoubtedly be punished no matter how hard her heart has become!

One way or another, we will all reap what we sow! ==> AbortionBreastCancer.com

So the reality is, while these feminists are out killing all of their kids and leaving no legacy behind, us right-wing conservative Christians are having children by the truckload, and they will be the ones taking over the world!

Chapter 3: A THANKFUL SPIRIT Created to be His Help Meet - by Debi Pearl

2008-05-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

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A wise woman sets a joyful mood in her home. Through laughter, music, and happy times, she creates a positive attitude in her children. She knows that a lighthearted home relieves her husband of stress.

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**GET RID OF THE "POOR ME" ATTITUDE!**

Highlights: A Thankful Spirit

- A downcast, unthankful attitude is a dishonor to God. (pg. 35)

- Discontentment is not a product of circumstances; it is the state of the soul...Thankful people have a view of life that begins deep in their souls, and outside circumstances just can't mar their joy. (pg. 36)

Proverbs 15:15 – “All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.”

- Joy begins with thankfulness. (pg. 37)
- Thankfulness is how you think; joy is the abundance it produces. (pg. 37)

Philippians 4:11 – “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”

**PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!**

- Practice having a thankful and merry heart! Quit practicing bitterness, sourness, hurt feelings and frustration. (pg. 37)

**BE THANKFUL! SMILE! COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!**

Colossians 3:15 – “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”

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TIME TO CONSIDER:

- Don't be discontent!
- Verbally show thanksgiving everyday.
- Thank God for your husband.
- Practice being joyful, thankful and content.
- Be willing to lay down your grivances towards your husband for the hope of a heavenly marriage.

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Closing Verse:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
- Galatians 5:22-23

2008-05-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Only women can be mothers. Have we forgotten this fundamental?

Only a woman can carry in her body an eternal being which bears the very image of God. Only she is the recipient of the miracle of life. Only a woman can conceive and nurture this life using her own flesh and blood, and then deliver a living soul into the world. God has bestowed upon her alone a genuine miracle — the creation of life, and the fusing of an eternal soul with mortal flesh. This fact alone establishes the glory of motherhood.

Despite the most creative plans of humanist scientists and lawmakers to redefine the sexes, no man will ever conceive and give birth to a child. The fruitful womb is a holy gift given by God to women alone. This is one reason why the office of wife and mother is the highest calling to which a woman can aspire.

This is the reason why nations that fear the Lord esteem and protect mothers. They glory in the distinctions between men and women, and attempt to build cultures in which motherhood is honored and protected.

In his famous commentary on early American life, Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville explained:

Thus the Americans do not think that man and woman have either the duty or the right to perform the same offices, but they show an equal regard for both their respective parts; and though their lot is different, they consider both of them as beings of equal value. They do not give to the courage of woman the same form or the same direction as to that of man, but they never doubt her courage; and if they hold that man and his partner ought not always to exercise their intellect and understanding in the same manner, they at least believe the understanding of the one to be as sound as that of the other, and her intellect to be as clear. Thus, then, while they have allowed the social inferiority of woman to continue, they have done all they could to raise her morally and intellectually to the level of man; and in this respect they appear to me to have excellently understood the true principle of democratic improvement.
De Tocqueville contrasted the American understanding of women, with European sentiments:

There are people in Europe who, confounding together the different characteristics of the sexes, would make man and woman into beings not only equal but alike. They could give to both the same functions, impose on both the same duties, and grant to both the same rights; they would mix them in all things — their occupations, their pleasures, their business. It may readily be conceived that by thus attempting to make one sex equal to the other, both are degraded, and from so preposterous a medley of the works of nature nothing could ever result but weak men and disorderly women.

The War on Motherhood

America’s glory was her women. de Tocqueville believed this when he wrote:

As for myself, I do not hesitate to avow that although the women of the United States are confined within the narrow circle of domestic life, and their situation is in some respects one of extreme dependence, I have nowhere seen woman occupying a loftier position; and if I were asked, now that I am drawing to the close of this work, in which I have spoken of so many important things done by the Americans, to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of that people ought mainly to be attributed, I should reply: To the superiority of their women.
But this birthright would be exchanged during the last century for a mess of pottage. Perhaps the greatest legacy of the 20th century has been the war on motherhood and biblical patriarchy. Feminists, Marxists, and liberal theologians have made it their aim to target the institution of the family and divest it from its biblical structure and priorities. The results are androgyny, a radical decline in birthrate, abortion, fatherless families, and social confusion.

Incredibly, the biggest story of the 20th century never made headline news. Somehow we missed it. It was the mass exodus of women from the home, and the consequent decline of motherhood. For the first time in recorded history of the West, more mothers left their homes than stayed in them. By leaving the home, the experience and reality of childhood, family life and femininity were fundamentally redefined, and the results have been so bad that if this one trend is not reversed, our grandchildren may live in a world where both the true culture of Christian family life and the historic definition of marriage are the stuff of fairy tales.

Many “isms” have influenced these trends-evolutionism, feminism, statism, eugenicism, Marxism, and more. But in the end, the philosophical gap between the presuppositions of the Atheists, eugenicists, and Marxists of the early 20th century, and the presuppositions of the professing Church in the 21st century, have narrowed dramatically. The goals of the state and the goals of the mainstream church have so merged, that the biblical family with its emphasis on male headship, generational succession, and prolific motherhood are a threat to the social order of both institutions.

Less than one hundred years ago, the architects of the atheistic communist Soviet state anticipated the death of the Christian family. They explained the need for destroying the Christian family with its emphasis on motherhood, and replacing it with a vision for a “new family.” Lenin wrote:

We must now say proudly and without any exaggeration that part from Soviet Russia, there is not a country in the world where women enjoy full equality and where women are not placed in the humiliating position felt particularly in day-to-day family life. This is one of our first and most important tasks...Housework is the most unproductive, the most barbarous and the most arduous work a woman can do. It is exceptionally petty and does not include anything that would in any way promote the development of the woman...The building of socialism will begin only when we have achieved the complete equality of women and when we undertake the new work together with women who have been emancipated from that petty stultifying, unproductive work...We are setting up model institutions, dining-rooms and nurseries, that will emancipate women from housework...These institutions that liberate women from their position as household slaves are springing up where it is in any way possible...Our task is to make politics available to every working woman.

In his 1920 International Working Women's Day Speech, Lenin emphasized:

The chief thing is to get women to take part in socially productive labor, to liberate them from 'domestic slavery,' to free them from their stupefying [idiotic] and humiliating subjugation to the eternal drudgery of the kitchen and the nursery. This struggle will be a long one, and it demands a radical reconstruction, both of social technique and of morale. But it will end in the complete triumph of Communism.

Lenin’s comrade Trotsky played a key role in communicating the Marxist vision of what he called the “new family.” Lenin and Trotsky believed in the overthrow of Christianity by destroying the biblical family. They sought to build a new state, free from historic Christian presuppositions concerning the family. This meant denigrating the biblical notion of male headship and hierarchy within the family. It meant eliminating any sense that there should be a division of labor between man and wife. This required delivering women from the burdens of childbirth and childcare. It meant adopting tools like birth control as guarantors that women could be free to remain in the workforce. Trotsky said this:

Socialization of family housekeeping and public education of children are unthinkable without a marked improvement in our economics as a whole. We need more socialist economic forms. Only under such conditions can we free the family from the functions and cares that now oppress and disintegrate it. Washing must be done by a public laundry, catering by a public restaurant, sewing by a public workshop. Children must be educated by good public teachers who have a real vocation for the work. Then the bond between husband and wife would be freed from everything external and accidental, and the one would cease to absorb the life of the other. Genuine equality would at last be established...

The most disturbing part of quotes like those above is how similar they sound in sentiment and spirit to voices today from individuals who claim to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ. Even more disturbing is how many of the anti-family social reforms are presuppositions of modern Christians in America. Presuppositions which have been fully accepted.

How America’s Conscience Was Seared Toward Motherhood

But motherhood is not easily defeated. It was here from the beginning and it has always carried the Church and civilization forward. Motherhood not only perpetuates civilization, it defines it.

At first Jamestown was a bachelor society struggling for survival. But she became a civilization when the women arrived. Plymouth, on the other hand, began as a civilization-families of faith committed to fruitfulness and multiplication for the glory of God, an impossibility without motherhood.

Motherhood is not easily defeated because God has placed reminders of its importance in the very bodies of the women He created. To defeat motherhood, the enemies of the biblical family must do more than make it a social inconvenience, they must teach women to despise themselves by viewing their own wombs as the enemy of self-fulfillment. This means minimizing the glorious gift of life which is only given to womankind. It means redefining what it means to be a woman.

But even this is not enough. To defeat motherhood the enemies of the biblical family must sear the conscience of an entire generation of women. This is done through the doctrines of social emancipation from the home, sexual liberation, birth control, and abortion — all four of which cause a woman to war against her created nature. Instead of being the blessed guardian of domesticity for society, she is taught that contentment can only be found by acting, dressing, and competing with men. Instead of being an object of respect, protection, and virtue, she sells herself cheaply, thus devaluing her womanhood. Instead of glorying in a fruitful womb she cuts off the very seed of life. Sometimes she even kills the life.

Years of playing the part of a man hardens a woman. It trains women to find identity in the corporation, not the home. It teaches them to be uncomfortable around children and large families---the mere presence of which is a reminder of the antithesis between God’s design for womankind and the norms of post-Christian societies.

But women are not the only ones with seared consciences. Men have them too. Consider that fifty years ago a man would have winced to think of female soldiers heading into combat while stay-at-home dads are left behind changing diapers. Today’s man has a seared conscience. He no longer thinks of himself as a protector of motherhood, and a defender of womankind. He comforts himself by repeating the mantras of modern feminism, and by assuring himself of how reasonable and enlightened he is — how different he is from his intolerant and oppressive fathers. But in his heart, modern man knows that he has lost something. He has lost his manhood.

To be a man, you must care about women. And you must care about them in the right way. You must care about them as creatures worthy of protection, honor, and love. This means genuinely appreciating them for their uniqueness as women. It means recognizing the preciousness of femininity over glamour, of homemaking over careerism, and of mature motherhood over perpetual youth. But when women are reduced to soldiers, sexual objects, and social competitors, it is not merely the women who lose the identity given to them by the Creator, but the men as well. This is why the attack on motherhood has produced a nation of eunuchs---socially and spiritually impotent men who have little capacity to lead, let alone love women as God intended man to love woman—as mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters.

Motherhood Will Triumph

There is an important reason why motherhood will not be defeated — The Church is her guardian. As long as she perseveres — and persevere she will — motherhood will prevail.

The Church is the ultimate vanguard of that which is most precious and most holy. She holds the oracles of God which dare to proclaim to a selfish, self-centered nation: “Children are a blessing and the fruit of the womb is His reward” - Psalm 127:3.

The Church stands at the very gates of the city, willing to receive the railing complaints of feminists, atheists, and the legions arrayed against the biblical family, and she reminds the people of God: “Let the older women teach the young to love their children, to guide the homes” - Titus 2:3-5.

It is this very love of the life of children, this passion for femininity and motherhood which may be God’s instrument of blessing on America in the days to come. As the birth rate continues to plummet, divorce rates rise, and family life in America dissipates to the point of extinction, life-loving families will not only have an important message to share, but thy will have an army of children to help them share it.

The Question:
Teacher: Susie what do you want to be when you grow up?

Susie: I want to be a doctor.

Teacher: How wonderful! And what about you Julie?

Julie: I want to be a soldier.

Teacher: How commendable! And what about you Hannah?

Hannah: When I grow up I want to be a wife and mother!

Teacher: [dead silence]...

After years of society belittling the calling of motherhood, something wonderful is happening — something wonderfully counter-cultural! In the midst of the anti-life, anti-motherhood philosophies which pervade the culture, there is a new generation of young ladies emerging whose priorities are not determined by the world’s expectations of them. They have grown up in homes where fathers shepherd them, where children are not merely welcome, but where they are deeply loved. Some of these women have been home educated, which means that many of them have grown up around babies and their mothers. They have learned to see motherhood as a joy and a high calling, because their parents see it that way.

And when asked about their future, these girls know their own minds. These are the future mothers of the Church. Young women who are not afraid to say that the goal of all of their education and training is to equip them to pursue the highest calling of womanhood, the office of wife and mother.

The Cost of Motherhood

Once a lady went to visit her friend. During the visit the children of the friend entered the room and began to play with each other. As the lady and her friend visited, the lady turned to her friend and said eagerly and yet with evidently no thought of the meaning of her words: “Oh, I’d give my life to have such children.” The mother replied with a subdued earnestness whose quiet told of the depth of experience out of which her words came: “That’s exactly what it costs.”

There is a cost of motherhood. And the price is no small sum. And if you are not willing to pay this price, no amount of encouragement about the joys of motherhood will satisfy.

But the price of motherhood is not fundamentally different from the price of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. In fact, Christian mothers see their duty as mothers flowing from their calling to Jesus Christ. And what is this cost?

Christian motherhood means dedicating your entire life in service of others. It means standing beside your husband, following him, and investing in the lives of children whom you hope will both survive you and surpass you. It means forgoing present satisfaction for eternal rewards. It means investing in the lives of others who may never fully appreciate your sacrifice or comprehend the depth of your love. And it means doing all these things, not because you will receive the praise of man — for you will not — but because God made you to be a woman and a mother, and there is great contentment in that biblical calling.

In other words, Motherhood requires vision. It requires living by faith and not by sight.

These are some of the reasons why Motherhood is both the most biblically noble and the most socially unappreciated role to which a young woman can aspire. There are many people who ask the question: Does my life matter? But a mother that fears the Lord need never ask such a question. Upon her faithful obedience hinges the future of the church and the hope of the nation.

In 1950, the great Scottish American preacher Peter Marshall stood before the United States Senate and he explained it this way:

The modern challenge to motherhood is the eternal challenge — that of being a godly woman. The very phrase sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now. We hear about every other kind of women — beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women, career woman, talented women, divorced women, but so seldom do we hear of a godly woman — or of a godly man either, for that matter.

I believe women come nearer fulfilling their God-given function in the home than anywhere else. It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife than to be Miss America. It is a greater achievement to establish a Christian home than it is to produce a second-rate novel filled with filth. It is a far, far better thing in the realm of morals to be old-fashioned than to be ultramodern. The world has enough women who know how to hold their cocktails, who have lost all their illusions and their faith. The world has enough women who know how to be smart.

It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure. We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right that socially correct

As we approach America’s national Mother’s Day celebration, lets remember that we are fighting for the Lord, and it is He who prioritizes motherhood and home as the highest calling and domain of womanhood “that the word of God be not blasphemed” - Titus 2:5.

May the Lord fill our churches with faithful mothers.

Doug Phillips
President, The Vision Forum, Inc.

Chapter 2: A MERRY HEARTCreated to be His Help Meet - by Debi Pearl

2008-03-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

~ The Joy of the Lord is My Strength ~

Highlights:
(pg. 26) - "A merry heart is the foundation of health and happiness. The day you have a merry heart will be the first day of rebuilding your marriage into the heavenly gift it was meant to be."

"A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance; But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." - Proverbs 15:13

**SMILE! BE CHEERFUL AND HAPPY!**

(pg. 28) - "Men are highly attracted to smiles. That includes your husband."

Does your husband see a happy, thankful woman on your face, or a pitiful grouch? Does he smile when he looks at you?

"A merry heart does good, like medicine; But a broken spirit dries the bones." - Proverbs 17:22

(pg. 30) - "Never demand that a man love you and cherish you because he ought to. Earn every smile and shared moment. Cultivate his love for you...He needs to hear gladness and appreciation in your voice when you speak to him."

(pg. 32) - "God stands with you when you stand by your man, but you will stand alone if you insist on standing by your rights. Always remember that the day you stop smiling is the day you stop trying to make your marriage heavenly, and the first day leading to your divorce proceedings."

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** TIME TO CONSIDER **

* Men, in general (your husband in particular), are repulsed by women who are pitiful, hurt, discouraged or sickly. When a woman regularly manifests a broken spirit, he will react in anger. Get rid of having a bitter, angry, resentful spirit!

* Make a decision right now to break the "poor me" habit!

* Wake up each morning with joy in your heart and a smile on your face!

* Establish a new habit of praise and thanksgiving by showing joy!

* What can you do today that will make your husband smile?

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Closing verse:
"Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving; And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; And His truth endures to all generations." - Psalm 100

An Open Invitation:

2008-03-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all you ladies out there. As I have mentioned in the past I've been wanting to start a study group going over the book, Created to be His Help Meet - by Debi Pearl.

Well, some young women in my church have finally started the group and I would like to take this opportunity to invite any of you wives who are interested in studying along with us online.

When I first read Created to be His Help Meet, it opened my eyes to the harsh realities about my selfish attitude, bitterness, resentment and foolish womanly behavior. The Godly wisdom offered in this book blessed my marriage, convicted my heart, and renewed my spirit in the Lord. This book is probably one of the best books for wives ever written and it's worth reading again and again.

WARNING: This book is NOT for the liberal, feminist-minded woman!
But if you are seeking to glorify God in your relationship so you can have a heavenly marriage made to last, this book is right for you!

You cannot find it in bookstores because it is too "offensive" so you have to order it online for only $12.00 plus S&H.

Our group meets twice a month and this week we are going to be reading chapter 2 - A Merry Heart & chapter 3 - A Thankful Spirit. If you don't have a copy already, just follow along with us until you can catch up. I am also going to be posting summaries of each chapter where you can discuss your personal convictions, ask questions, or simply share your thoughts and insights about how this book has helped your marriage.

Looking forward to it!

*Be sure to check out => Chapter 1: God's Gift

Verses on Marriage Roles:

2008-02-29T14:18:00.000-08:00

"And the LORD God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.'.. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:18,24

“Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” – 1 Corinthians 7:2-5

“Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God… A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man… In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.” – 1 Corinthians 11:3-12

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” – Ephesians 5:22-33

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.” – Colossians 3:18-19

“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear...Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” – 1 Peter 3:1-7

Great Quote:

2007-12-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

"Feminism is mixed up with a muddled idea that women are free when they serve their employers but slaves when they help their husbands." - G.K. Chesterton

Women's Rights

2007-11-19T20:18:00.000-08:00

Over on TOL some of the women have come up with this great list:

- I believe in the right of a woman to raise her own kids rather than to be made to feel that she's less of a person if she doesn't let somebody else raise them for her.

- I believe in the right of a woman to see past the lie that she should try for an impossible and unattainable goal of "having it all".

- I believe in the right of all women to be born.

- I believe in the right of a woman not to make a fool of herself on the T.V. show "Cops" when she's trying to take authority over a 6'5" brute of a man.

- I believe in the right of a woman to enjoy taking care of her husband, instead of being told if she does that she is a doormat.

- I believe in the right of all women to be satisfied with their appearance instead of swallowing the notion that everything about them needs to be nipped, tucked, or changed in some way.

- I believe women have the right not to be sexually exploited.

- I believe women have the right to discipline thier children in a way that's effective.

- I believe in a young woman's right not to be encouraged by the government to get pregnant as a teenager by telling her that they will support her and her illegitimate kids.

- I support the right of a woman not to be looked at as a hero for raising kids without a dad so that future women won't be encouraged to do so.

- I support the right of a woman not to be able to marry another woman.

- I also support the right of a woman not to have to watch other women "marry".

- I believe in a woman's right to realize that she can't do everything a man can do and that this isn't a bad thing.

BRAVO! Let's here it for women's rights!

Favorite Verses from Proverbs

2007-08-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

Especially for women with conviction!

The Book of Proverbs:

"Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe; Let her breasts satisfy you at all times, and always be enraptured with her love." - vs. 5:18-19

"A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing. " - vs. 9:13

"As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout; So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion." - vs. 11:22

"An excellent wife is the crown of her husband; But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones." - vs. 12:4

"The wise woman builds her house; But the foolish pulls it down with her hands." - vs. 14:1

"Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife." - vs. 17:1

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD." - vs. 18:22

"Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers; But a prudent wife is from the LORD." - vs. 19:14

"Better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman." - vs. 21:19

"A continual dripping on a very rainy day, and a contentious woman are alike." - vs. 27:15

~~~~~~~~~ ***ULTIMATE GOAL*** ~~~~~~~~~

Proverbs 31:10-30

"Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life...
She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy...
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land...
Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."

Six Figure Salary for Stay-At-Home Moms

2007-05-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

I’ve been receiving a lot of criticism and ridicule from liberal lesbians and flaming feminists because I am a loving wife, a homemaker and homeschooler who finds great fulfillment operating in the role God designed me to be in by staying home with my children and taking care of my family. I’m told that I’m, oppressed, brainwashed, ignorant, uneducated and I need to “get a job”.

Well according to new research analysis completed by Salary.com, stay-at-home moms would earn a six-figure salary if they got paid for all the hard work and endless hours they invest in their family's lives.

Raising children to be productive members of society is an invaluable contribution. But you don't get cold cash for that kind of work - Unfortunately, this society values only those economic contributions one makes outside of the home and women who choose to stay home instead of putting their children in daycare are looked down upon for not having a "real" job.

Running a household is more comparable, perhaps, to a top manager's job – a manager who in the workforce might make in the low six figures.

The job descriptions that Salary.com used to determine a mom's salary includes 10 jobs that moms do on an average day: housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, CEO and psychologist. This doesn't include the extra job as a homeschooler for those moms who choose to keep their kids out of public school and educate them in at home.

In calculating a mom's wages, Salary.com looked at the "overtime" that both working and stay-at-home moms put in each week.

"Mom works multiple jobs and rarely gets a break from the action, working an average of 52 hours of overtime," said Bill Coleman, senior vice president at Salary.com, in a statement.
According to the Salary.com survey, stay-at-home moms work a 92-hour week, with more than half the workweek spent in overtime.

Stay-at-home moms have a tremendous responsibility in raising their children and it’s extremely difficult to put a true price on an annual salary for stay-at-home moms because they are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week with only a few, if any, chances to relax.

While I may have given up a glamorous career in the corporate world with a paid salary and benefits to accept the unpaid position as a full-time wife, mother and homemaker, the rewards and blessings of raising my children and fulfilling God’s design for my life are absolutely priceless, and I wouldn’t change it for anything - even a six-figure salary.

So for all you ladies who love your family and value your children enough to stay at home to raise them yourselves - GREAT JOB & Keep up the Good Work!

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in TRUTH." - 1 John 3:4

FEMINISM DESTROYING AMERICA

2007-03-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

By Pastor Chuck Baldwin
NewsWithViews.com

When one searches to find the causes for America's rapid deterioration, there is no shortage of suspects. However, my thirty-plus years experience as a pastor, counselor, and researcher has convinced me that there is no greater threat to America's future survival than the overall negative effect that modern-day feminism has had, and is having, upon our homes and churches.

In just over three decades, the feminist movement has completely uprooted and rewritten the norm for American family life. No longer are women seen as nurturers and helpmeets. The push for "equality" has done much more than move America's women from the kitchen to the boardroom; it has moved them from under the arm and next to the side of their husbands to, in many cases, a place of independence from, and lordship over, them.

Wives and mothers today seem to take pride in their ability to "control" their husbands. At the same time, however, they seem to be oblivious to the fact that they have absolutely no control over their children. But neither will they allow their husbands (or anyone else) to discipline their children. As a result, today's kids are growing up mostly undisciplined, unrestrained, and uncontrollable.

Ask any teacher, Sunday School teacher, coach, or youth worker, and they will tell you the same thing: today's children are out of control! Many people have far more control over their pets than they do their own children.

Sadder still is the fact that the only answer anyone seems inclined to proffer is to put these kids on behavior modification drugs, which, as almost anyone knows, only exacerbates the problem. The problem with most children is not an inability to sit still and learn; it is the inability of parents to make their children sit still and learn. When it comes to making children mind, many parents today seem to be absolutely and totally helpless. I have never seen anything like it.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not one who believes that all of our marital and family problems are due to women working outside the home. I don't believe that at all. However, I do believe that any couple that places their personal careers or ambitions above their primary responsibility to raise respectable, honest, obedient children is not only failing their children; they are failing our country.

Selfish, materialistic, egocentric children do not make good citizens. They don't make good employees, good policemen, good teachers, good judges, good pastors, good congressmen, good physicians, or good role models. In fact, they don't make good anythings.

Ever since our politically correct society decided that America's fathers and husbands were no longer qualified to be the heads of their families, our society has fallen into chaos. America's dads are reduced to being the butt end of every comedian's joke, the fall guy in every sitcom, and the stupid buffoon in every television commercial.

However, it does not matter what Gloria Steinem and her feminist friends think about it, there is an established natural order for healthy, productive family life. Man has a natural headship responsibility to both his family and his community. When men surrender this responsibility, or when women wrestle it away from them, the entire family and social structures collapse. And that is exactly what is currently happening.

------------------------------------------------

I couldn't agree more! As women strive for independence in pursuit of a career, their children are left to suffer, feeling abandoned and being raised by practical strangers in daycare institutions. No wonder we have so many angry and unruly kids roaming the streets, and bringing utter shame to their parents!

"A child left to himself brings shame to his mother." - Proverbs 29:15

*Related article => Feminist Failures

Verses on Training & Disciplining Children:

2007-02-22T13:50:00.000-08:00

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” - Ephesians 6:4

"He who spares his rod HATES his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly." - Proverbs 13:24

“Chasten your son while there is hope, and let not your soul spare for his crying.” - Proverbs 19:18

“The blueness of a wound cleanses away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.” - Proverbs 20:30

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6

“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” - Proverbs 22:15

“Do not withhold correction from a child; For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod; And deliver his soul from hell.” - Proverbs 23:13-14

“The rod and reproof give wisdom; But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother…Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul.” - Proverbs 29:15,17

“If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:7-11

Verses on Patience

2007-01-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

Patience is something that does not come naturally for me, and ever since I became a Christian I have been praying to God that He would grant me a patient spirit. Unfortunately, God did not sprinkle magic fairy dust down and make me patient over night, but He gives me circumstance each day in which I may practice being patient and grow in my character. God also gave me His Word to meditate on, refer to and remember when I stumble and display acts of impatience.

Here are some of my favorite verses on patience that have helped me along my journey:

"A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly." - Proverbs 14:29

"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." - Proverbs 19:11

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools." - Ecclesiastes 7:8-9

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant; Love does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father." - Colossians 1:10-12

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." - Colossians 3:12-13

"We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone." - 1 Thessalonians 5:14

May the Lord be with you!

~ Dani

Favorite Verses from Philippians:

2007-01-23T17:25:00.000-08:00

Of course there are countless great verses in the Bible, but some of my favorite verses come from the book of Philippians:

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." - Phil. 1:21

Without Christ, my life would be worthless. I strive to live each day in a way which is pleasing to the Lord.

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." - Phil. 2:3-4

It is so important to maintain a spirit of humility and always seek to serve others with a Christ-like attitude.

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." - Phil. 2:14-15

This verse I try to meditate on daily because it is so easy to get caught up in grumbling and complaining about all sorts of things (dishes in the sink, piles of laundry, messy floors, traffic, long lines at the store, dirty diapers, ect.), and the negative thinking can really wear us down. More importantly, we misrepresent the Name of Christ by our constant bickering and ungrateful attitude.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." - Phil. 4:6-8

I love this verse because it is a good reminder to trust in God, pray to Him daily, be thankful for our many blessings and set your mind on positive things. It's amazing when you think negative thoughts you act in negative ways, but when you set your mind on Christ He renews your spirit.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Phil. 4:13

This verse says it all by giving us hope and strength in the Lord during out struggles.

Have a blessed day!

~ Dani

Revised Re-Assignment:

2006-12-31T18:50:00.000-08:00

(Originally posted February 27, 2006)

So here I am again on re-assignment in an attempt to regain focus and truly understand God's design for my life.

The purpose for this blog is mainly to serve as an escape from the constant controversy which takes place on my other blog on a daily basis for X-Posing the TRUTH to an entire generation trained not to notice.

We know that the TRUTH is offensive to most people, and the contents of my posts have generated quite a large diverse group of readers - Atheists and Christians, homosexuals and heathens - some who support my views and many who oppose and criticize what I write. Through it all, blogging and debating has been a great experience and lots of fun to say the least, despite the negative feedback.

**Highlight post of the Year => FINDING THE TRUTH ~ Guest blogger by my new friend Maxime from Holland.

Over this past year, I have been captivated by this whole "blogging" concept and the awesome opportunity to share the TRUTH in written Word on the World Wide Web. But over the past year I have noticed myself becoming increasingly involved in these blog discussion, and at times my mind was almost in a perpetual state of “blog thought” resulting in hypertension and sharp mood swings which were all dependent on who said what online. It’s totally lame and irresponsible, I know. But the real truth is that many of these debates were taking priority over my life and I was devoting the majority of my free time to practical strangers at the expense of my own children, husband and duties at home.

What good is sharing the "TRUTH" to the world if I am a bad wife or mother at home?

So it's time to re-evaluate what my assignment really is and what my assignment is NOT:

=> My assignment is NOT to Prove the Existence of God, demonstrate Proof of Creation or give SCIENTIFIC Reasons Why Our Earth is NOT Billions of Years Old to those who hate God and believe in we evolved from slime.

=> My assignment is NOT to prove that Abortion is Murder and the Death Penalty is a righteousand just punishment to those who are pro-choice moral relativists.

=> My assignment is NOT to demonstrate how utterly irresponsible it is for parents to send their children to Public School and that Homeschooling is really God's design for the family.

=> My assignment is NOT to point out that If God is for Suckers, then Atheism is for Cowardly FOOLS!

=> My assignment is definitely NOT to convince to Deb, the "Neurotic Christian Lesbian" that she promotes a false gospel and shows Hypocritical Love or that Homosexuality is a destructive and perverted lifestyle along with an abomination to the Lord Jesus Christ.

While all those things listed above are noble callings and good things to promote, when someone has a liberal relative worldview with no moral compass to judge Right from Wrong, trying to prove absolute Truth and morality to them is like chasing after the wind and it becomes a complete waste of time.

All the Constant Controversy going on becomes counter-productive when someone like lesbian Deb is rebellious towards God and comfortable in her own sin. No amount of Biblical references condemning her lifestyle will cause her to change or repent because she doesn't want to hear it. At a certain point, it becomes a frustrating fruitless effort and I just have to quit tossing my pearls before swine. Deb will have to answer to God Almighty one day and rest assured - He will NOT be too pleased with her.

These are the words of my friend, Puritan Bob who was an active member of many of these debates -- "This is why I don't generally dialogue with theological liberals, it's like climbing a mountain of jello, you can never really pin them down."

SO TRUE - SO TRUE!!!

When someone chooses to be Willfully Ignorant of the TRUTH, debating with them ends up being a useless, utter distraction just Like Climbing a Mountain of Jello .

For now, I need to return to My Assignment and avoid unnecessary distractions and worthless sources of frustration.

As a Woman, I am on Assignment from God to:
- Be a good wife, mother, and homemaker.
- Love my family and devote my life to their happiness and well-being.
- Help my husband reach his goals and honor and respect his authority.
- Teach and train my children diligently in the ways of the Lord all throughout the day.
- Create an atmosphere in my home which is loving, warm and welcoming.
- Minister to other women and encourage them to follow God.

When I operate outside of my God-given role, I become pitifully self-absorbed in a constant state of bitterness and anger. As a woman, I know I am the heart and soul of my home, and I have the power to either make everyone happy or make everyone miserable. If I have a broken spirit or a bad attitude my family will ultimately suffer, and I am not willing to let that happen. Plus, I receive the most joy and fulfillment when I opperate in the role God designed me to be in.

While I do believe God has called me to X-pose certain "TRUTHS" plaguing our culture, and it’s a lot of fun to engage in fierce debates with the lost, it can also serve as a distraction from the enemy, enticing me to compromise valuable time with my family. When I begin to lose focus on my first assignment from God, not only do I suffer, but also I cause my husband and children to suffer from neglect and poor treatment.

*REMEMBER THESE GREAT TIPS LADIES => A Wise Woman Builds Her House

“A wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” – Proverbs 14:1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I return to blogging here, I will continue to do a chapter analysis of the book Created to be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. Be sure to check back and find out how this book X-Poses the TRUTH for women about fulfilling God's plan as a wife & mother.

Personal Reflection:

2006-11-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

Created to be His Help Meet - Chapter 1: God's Gift

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lately, I have not been acting like the wise woman God has called me to be. I have been taking things for granted and I have not been as thankful to be loved as I need to be. Each day is a struggle, but I am trying to seek to make myself more lovely so that I can bring glory to God and have a heavenly marriage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Verses and thoughts to remember as I apply them to my life:

A Virtuous Wife!

PROVERBS 31:10-12 -- “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

If God created me to be my husband’s helper, then I should help him in his weaknesses, not hinder him or provoke him to anger. I should do him good in all that I do, no matter how many injustices I suffer or how wrong he may be towards me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quit Being Selfish!

PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4 -- “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

According to God, I was created to make my husband complete and be a good helper, not to seek my own personal fulfillment parallel to him. When I get distracted by my own selfish ambition, my marriage ultimately suffers as a result.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love is NOT a Feeling – Love is a Choice!

I CORINTHIANS 13:4-13 -- “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

This is such a great quote for me to remember: "A good marriage, just like anything worthwhile, takes doing the right things every day...every hour...every moment."

I need to make the choice each day to be patient and kind; to not be rude or easily angered. I need to make the choice to be forgiving, and to keep no record of wrongs suffered, even when I don't feel like it. Every moment I need to make to choice to believe all things, hope all things, and most importantly, to endure ALL things for the sake of my marriage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Lord,

Thank you for creating me to be a help meet for my husband. Please give me wisdom, compassion and understanding so I can be the Godly wife I was designed to be.

In Christ Name ~ Amen

Chapter 1: GOD'S GIFT Created to be His Help Meet - by Debi Pearl

2006-10-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

Find Out How This Book X-Poses the TRUTH for Women

About Fulfilling God's Plan as a Wife & Mother.
Created to be His Help Meet opened my eyes to the harsh realities about my selfish attitude, bitterness, resentment and foolish womanly behavior. The Godly wisdom offered in this book blessed my marriage, convicted my heart, & renewed my spirit in the Lord.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A wise woman doesn’t take anything for granted. She is thankful to be loved and seeks to make herself more lovely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 1 Highlights: GOD'S GIFT

(Pg.20) - "A good marriage, just like anything worthwhile, takes doing the right things every day...every hour...every moment."

"Then the LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." - Genesis 2:18

(Pg. 21) - "If you are a wife, you were created to fill a need, and in that compacity you are a "good thing," a helper suited to the to the need of a man. This is how God created you and it is your purpose for existing...You were created to make him complete, not to seek personal fulfillment parallel to him."

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing; And obtains favor from the LORD." - Proverbs 18:22

(Pg. 22) - "It is in your nature to be your husband's helper. Don't fight it!"

"An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones." - Proverbs 12:4

(Pg. 22) - "Regardless of who you are or what your talents may be, God's will is that you be a suitable helper to your husband."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** TIME TO CONSIDER **

* You have a choice in how good your marriage will be!

* Think of new ways you can be a good helper to your husband. Start today!

* A good help meet will have a passion for serving others!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Closing verse:
"For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man."

- 1 Corinthians 11:8-9

----------------------------------------------------

*Read my => Personal Reflection

A Wise Woman Builds Her House

2006-08-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

By Debi Pearl - No Greater Joy Ministries

=> A wise woman doesn’t take anything for granted. She is thankful to be loved and seeks to make herself more lovely.

=> A wise woman doesn’t allow herself to be a liability but strives to be an asset to the marriage bond. She looks for ways to make, save, and use money wisely. Her husband knows he is a richer man because she is his wife.

=> A wise woman seeks to be a part of her husband’s life. His interest becomes her interest. She looks for ways to help him in every endeavor in which he is involved. When he needs a helping hand, it is her hand that is there first.

=> A wise woman knows that his peace of mind (and sometimes, wise understanding) is something she can give or take away by her observations and conversation concerning circumstances or people. She limits her conversation to the positive.

=> A wise woman sets a joyful mood in the household. She uses laughter, music and happy times to stir the children to a positive, joyful frame of mind. She knows this light-heartedness helps take stress off her husband.

=> A wise woman gauges her husband’s needs. She seeks to fulfill his desires before even he is aware of them. She never leaves him daydreaming outside the home. She supplies his every desire.

=> A wise woman understands that her husband’s need to be honored is not based on his performance but on his position. She learns quickly to defer with enthusiasm to his ideas or plans. She looks for ways to reverence him. She knows this is God’s will for her life.

=> A wise woman is not pitiful, puny, or whinny. She seeks to be confident, capable and thankful.

=> A wise woman does not dream of what “could have been.” She sees clearly that she is not God’s gift to men; thus she is blessed in her present circumstances. She learns to be content.

=> A wise woman never expects anyone to serve her; therefore she is never disappointed. She is ready to help—a giver. By her example her children learn to serve cheerfully and energetically.

=> A wise woman doesn’t attempt to instruct her husband through feigned questions. Her questions are sincere inquiries concerning his will.

=> A wise woman is always learning. She is open to change. She is ready to hear. She wants to know. She doesn’t cloud her mind with the foolish folly of entertainment. She uses her time wisely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” - Proverbs 14:1

The Good Wife's Guide - 50 Years Ago

2006-08-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

(Originally posted January 2, 2006)

Taken from Housekeeping Monthly - May 13, 1955

This is a GREAT reminder for all the wives out there!

==========================================

- Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

- Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

- Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

- Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dust cloth over the tables.

- Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

- Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.

- Be happy to see him.

- Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

- Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

- Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

- Your goal: To try and make sure your home is a place of peace, order, and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

- Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

- Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

- Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

- Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

- A good wife always knows her place.

My Assignment

2006-08-07T23:00:00.000-07:00

Originally posted one year ago August 7, 2005

Unlike most women in corporate America, I do not have big dreams of pursuing a career and living an "independent" life full of glamour and success. Sure, it looks appealing to the outside world, but the reality is shallow and ultimately leaves a woman feeling empty inside.

To me, as a woman, there is a much higher calling in life than earning a college degree, becoming president of a company, wearing designer clothes, driving a fancy car and obtaining a good 401(k) plan. I want to make a real investment in my life here on earth...I want to have children, and lots of them!

I believe that the future of our nation depends on the success of the family. The family was the very first institution established by God, and when we omit God from the equation the family is destined to fail. Simply put, when the family breaks down, so does everything else.

Unfortunately, most people of my generation do not have the slightest clue about how a family is supposed properly function - And believe me, I am no exception! Most of us are the products of divorced families, government school, substance abuse, violence and a depraved mind-set seared with immorality. Most people in my generation never had qualified parents to set the right examples for them.

But there has to come a point in life when we must take responsibility for ourselves, quit being a victim of our upbringing and consciously choose to do what is right! All of the problems we face today are rooted in selfishness and lead to all sorts of wickedness.

God says in the Bible, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." (Hosea 4:6).

All of the problems we have today can be overcome through understanding and applying the Word of God.

Men need to step up to the plate and be the leaders God designed them to be, sacrificially and with love! Women need to quit focusing on themselves and start focusing on the needs of their loved ones! Once that occurs, we will begin to see a change in the family structure.

As a Woman, I am on Assignment from God to:
- Be a good wife, mother, and homemaker.
- Love my family and devote my life to their happiness and well-being.
- Help my husband reach his goals and honor and respect his authority.
- Teach and train my children diligently in the ways of the Lord all throughout the day.
- Create an atmosphere in my home which is loving, warm and welcoming.
- Minister to other women and encourage them to follow God.

To some, that may sound shallow, oppressive and degrading towards women, but I am fully convinced that women who follow the ways of the Lord will reap great rewards.

~ In Loving Memory of Aunt Debbie ~ The Most Virtuous Woman I Have Ever Known!

Selfish Syndrome

2006-08-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

(Originally posted March 20, 2005)

One thing I have learned during my short journey through life is that there is ONE MAJOR FACTOR in relationship problems, and that is…........SELFISHNESS!

Americans today are mainly obsessed with one thing, themselves! People are consumed with self-help books, self-indulgences, self-medication and self-fulfillment, which only leads to more problems, more diseases, more addictions, anxiety and depression.

Americans have adopted the “only look out for yourself” mindset, along with the “you’re number one” philosophy, meanwhile our country is sitting in a cesspool of selfishness and it is polluting our most important relationships.

But what about me, you say? What about my needs? Me, Me, Me!

It is this precise self-centered way of thinking that has paved the path of divorce and destruction all throughout our nation! If people would quit being so self-centered, and start focusing on the needs of others, we might begin to see a healing take place in our marriages and other relationships.

What are the most common Causes of Divorce?

Of course, many of the so-called “causes” for divorce would not even happen in the first place, were it not for a lack of commitment to the marriage, which is selfish in nature.

People all across America reject altruism, the view that self-sacrifice is the moral ideal. It is a foreign concept these days for someone to portray an unselfish concern for the welfare of others, or act in complete selflessness.

Many “experts” argue that the ultimate moral value, for each human individual, is his or her own well-being. According to modern Americans, many believe that selfishness is a virtue. Since selfishness is considered to be a serious, rational, principled concern with one's own well-being, it turns out to be a prerequisite for the attainment of the ultimate moral value.

Not only does selfishness lead to loneliness, bitterness and all sorts of destruction, selfish behavior is completely contradictory to God’s Holy Word! Successful relationships are not self-centered!

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:3-4

TOP GOALS FOR 2006

2006-01-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

1. Rise early everyday and prepare breakfast for my husband before work. Do not sleep in or go back to sleep. Devote the entire morning to doing schoolwork with the children. Consider the needs of my family first, rather than my desire to sleep longer. Stop being so selfish!

( Verses: Proverbs 31:15 & Philippians 2:3-4 )

2. Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Exercise more self-control and patience. Let all bitterness, wrath and anger be put away from me.

( Verses: James 1:19, Galatians 5:22 & Ephesians 4:31 )

3. Do all things without grumbling and complaining. Be more cheerful and maintain a happy home for everyone!

( Verses: Philippians 2:14-16 & Proverbs 15:13,15 )

4. Stop using God's name in vain! Do not use any foul or abusive language. Let everything I say be good for the edification of others. Be kind with my words and speak with wisdom.

( Verses: Exodus 20:7, Ephesians 4:29 & Proverbs 31:26 )

5. Be thankful. Pray more. Read the Bible more. Diligently teach my children all throughout the day in the ways of the Lord!

( Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 & Deuteronomy 6:5-7 )

My Aunt Debbie ~ The Most Virtuous Woman I Have Ever Known!

2005-07-30T00:44:00.000-07:00

In Loving Memory
Debra Lynn Thomas
01/17/55 - 07/15/05

At fifty years of age, sadly, my Aunt Debbie lost a battle with cancer. Physically her body is dead, but we all rejoice because she is alive with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. As it was written on the memorial page above her picture:

To live is Christ; to die is gain.

When I think of words to describe my Aunt Debbie, the Proverbs 31 woman comes to my mind. She was a woman of exceptional worth, far above rubies, and Christ radiated through her life. She possessed the character of a Saint, and her influence on my life will never be forgotten.

For as long as I can remember, my Aunt Debbie lived a humble life dedicated to serving the Lord. When I was growing up, my mind could not grasp the level of sacrifice she made for her family. She was an honorable wife, dedicated and obedient towards her husband, my Uncle Steve. She loved him and she respected him as only a godly wife could, and he trusted in her completely. She did him good and not evil all the days of her life.

My Aunt Debbie was the helper and homemaker God created her to be. In nearly thirty years of marriage, my Aunt and Uncle moved over twenty times, yet the foundation of their marriage never crumbled. Cheerfully, she followed him, taking their four children with them and settling wherever they landed. Every house they lived in my Aunt made into a home full of warmth, joy and a welcoming atmosphere.

Aunt Debbie was obedient to Scripture in all aspects of her life. Strength and dignity were her clothing, and the fruits of her labors are overabundant. Perhaps the most evident of these fruits are her children.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child the way he should go, and when he is older he will not depart from it."

My Aunt was diligent in how she raised her children and she was attentive to their needs. She loved the LORD deeply with all her heart, soul and all her strength. She understood God's commandments and pressed them upon her heart. She then impressed those commandments upon her children, and taught them of God’s holy nature all throughout the day. From the time my cousins woke up in the morning, to the time they went to bed, my Aunt was always there guiding them in the right direction.

She home-educated each one of her four children from kindergarten through high school - And I'll tell you that ALL four of my cousins are the most intellectual, sociable, well-grounded followers of Christ I ever had the privilege to know.

I was able to talk to my Aunt Debbie two days before she passed away, among my last words to her were, "You have done such a wonderful job as a mother. I hope my kids turn out like your kids." In a gentle voice she replied, "My, that is quite a compliment." "Yes, it is," I returned.

I remember having conversations with my Aunt Debbie and recalling the kindness and wise instruction she offered. Her thoughts and ideas always aligned with the Word of God, and she never compromised the truth. She had a reverence for God unlike any other, and she demonstrated it daily by the way she lived her life.

Aunt Debbie trained the younger women in her life to love their husbands and children. She taught them to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be obedient to their husbands so that no one would slander the word of God.

She smiled at the future, knowing she was living for Christ. Her beauty was stunning, but her confidence was in the Lord. She lived a modest life with a meek and gentle spirit, and she was a servant to all who knew her.

My Aunt Debbie had a calling to be a wife and mother, and she fulfilled her purpose beyond measure.

Less than an hour after my Aunt Debbie took her last breath, I was talking to my cousin James about how his mother influenced my life and how I aspired to be like her. James assured me by saying, “If you can even be half the woman my mom was, then you’ll be far above the rest.”

I couldn’t agree with him more.

The memorial service for my Aunt truly was a celebration of her life. She impacted everyone she knew and left a lasting impression of Christ in their minds. Her children rose up and blessed her. Her husband also rose up and praised her by giving honor to her life.

My Aunt Debbie truly was a virtuous woman and I am eternally grateful for her godly influence on my life.

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”

- Proverbs 31:30