"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."

Douglas Phillips

"Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it."
Patrick Henry

"The question to ask when we are spiritually weak: Are we spending time w/God in the Word & prayer. If not, our weakness is not a mystery."
Paul Washer

Encouragement to Fix Your Gaze on Jesus

“When you gaze upon the sun—it makes everything else dark; when you taste honey—it makes everything else tasteless.

Likewise, when your soul feeds on Jesus —it takes away the sweetness of all earthly things; praise, pleasure, fleshly lusts, all lose their sweetness.

Keep a continued gaze! Run, looking unto Jesus. So will the world be crucified to you—and you unto the world!”

-Robert Murray McCheyne

~Posted By Breanna

A Few Good Quotes

"One of the surest ways to shipwreck your faith is to not have a clear conscience."

Michael Lederman

"A longing for something greater, purer, higher than anything this world can provide (a holy discontent) is an evidence of the Spirit's work.  The closer we are to any given point, the greater and clearer our view. Distance yourself from the world's attractions. Draw near to Christ."

Paul Washer

"Let us cleave to Christ more closely, love Him more heartily, live to Him more thoroughly, copy Him more exactly, confess Him more boldly, and follow Him more fully."

J.C. Ryle

"To be prayerless is to be godless. He who does not hold daily deliberate times of communion with God does not know God and is surely still dead in sin and headed for hell. Where do you stand? The true Christian finds prayer a necessity and a delight (Psalms 27:4)."

Bob Jennings

“A Christian has no right to separate his life into two realms... to say the Bible is good for Sunday, but this is a week-day question, or the Scriptures are right in matters of religion, but this is a matter of business or politics. God reigns over all, everywhere. His will is the supreme law. His inspired Word, loyally read will inform us of His will in every relation and act of life, secular as well as religious; and the man is a traitor who refuses to walk therein with scrupulous care. The kingdom of God includes all sides of human life, and it is a kingdom of absolute righteousness. You are either a loyal subject, or a traitor. When the King comes, how will He find you doing?”

A. A. Hodge

"If we are to be holy, we must also see God as supreme over all things. And we must separate ourselves from the passions of this world and give everything that we are to him.
The man who is holy gives himself to God in passion and love for God. And the reason for everything he does is the glory of God."

Paul Washer

Posted by: Brittany

The Glorious Distraction of Love!

I read this post this morning on http://www.christyfitzwater.com 

and was very blessed and challenged by reading it.  

Would it be obvious to someone else that I am in love with Christ?  

Am I really in love with my God? 

  Just some things to meditate on. 

I sat in American history class in college, furiously taking notes, but every time the teacher paused I doodled on the side of the paper.

Matthew 
Matthew Fitzwater 
Mrs. Matthew Fitzwater 
Christy Fitzwater 

In cursive. In print. Encased in hearts. With swirls and loops. Should I write the F the unique way he does? (I decided yes, and 22 years later I still do.)

Willenbrecht
Fitzwater is so much easier to spell.

Love occupies the mind and oozes into every thought. (He smells so good in Polo. I can’t wait to see him tonight.)

God’s people are given the command to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV)  But this is no stiff command:  Love! It’s a heart-consuming, I wonder what He’s doing right now love.

Jesus.

Thinking about Him all the time.

If you want this kind of love for God, try some of these disciplines:

• “Swim in the Bible every day.”  -John Piper
• Memorize verses about God. Lots and lots of verses, until they permeate your thinking.
• Pray while folding socks and loading the dishwasher and waiting in the dentist’s office and browning hamburger and mowing the lawn.
• Every morning sing one hymn about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. (I highly recommend, Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross.)
• Listen to sermons that glorify God. (Tim Keller is my new discovery!)
• Read one prayer from The Valley of Vision every night before you go to bed.
• Hang out with people who are in love with Jesus and who talk about Him all the time.
• Let not even wild horses drag you away from attending church every week.
• Obey Jesus.
• Talk openly with others of your love for God.

The person sitting next to me in history class could glance at my notes and tell where my heart was.

The distraction of love is hard to hide.

~Posted by Breanna

I was reminded of this neat song this morning while doing my personal devotions.  I hope you all will find it a blessing as well.

~Brittany

"The Lord lets us go in our own wisdom & strength until we are weak, worn & confused. A hard but worthy lesson learned over and over again. We have nothing of the necessary wisdom or strength to accomplish the tasks set before us, but He has an inexhaustible supply of both.  Christ's limitless supply is appropriated through abiding in His word and prayer. There is no other substitute strategy!" - Paul Washer

 "Lord, let my primary concerns be heavenly ones, that your kingdom may come on earth, your will be done in me and in those I love."  - Elisabeth Elliot

 "The true way to handle a matter wisely is to trust in the Lord."
Charles Spurgeon

B.A.A.

Amazing Love: The Story of Hosea

A dear friend of our family shared this with us.  What a beautiful picture of God's love for His people.  A wonderful film for the whole family!  The book of Hosea shall never be the same to us. Thank you Isak for sharing this!  You have once again inspired us and helped us to see our Lord's love in a deeper way.  May we all understand this message and accept God's love and seek to love one another unconditionally.  There is someone very special in our life that we very much feel this way about. 

Everyday but Amazing Heroes!

This is truly a precious post written by Lisa Jacobson from Club31Women!  

And I can so testify about my Dad that he is one precious guy and 100% an amazing hero and so are my brothers!  I don't know where we would be without them and all that they do!

I hope you all are blessed by reading this post and encouraged as ladies to appreciate and show that appreciation for your heroes and that all of you guys will be encouraged to know that you truly are appreciated and though not usually recognized in the world, you truly are heroes and we are so thankful for you! 

(Make sure you listen to the amazing song by Paul Overstreet at the end of this post!)

 

 The Lone Ranger lives on.

No, really he does.

I know this because most every weekday our little boys run next door and watch him save the Western Frontier over at Grandpa's house. It's 3:00 in the afternoon and the whole house shakes as they come pounding down the stairs and go flying out the front door.

Slam! Slam! Slam! Three boys. Three slams. Without fail.

And even though this event takes place nearly each day, it's still a special occasion. The Lone Ranger. Grandpa. And Fruit Snacks. Our boys' world filled with goodness and heroes. Just the way it should be.

But boys aren't the only ones with heroes. Girls can have them too.

It's a fact. Because this girl is married to one.

Oh, I'm not saying that he can leap buildings in a single bound or save the big city from an alien invasion. He's more of an everyday hero. An ordinary, hard-working, honest sort of guy. Taking care of his wife and looking after his children. Standing up for what's right and watching out for those who are in need. Following God.

If you ask me, those are the best kind of heroes.

And probably the kind you married too. Simply doing what must be done. No one would ever guess that he's actually a superhero in disguise.

Even he might not guess it - but it's evident to you. So it might be about time to reveal his secret identity. He's your hero.

You might as well let him know....

You need him.
Like I need mine. Not too long ago I was looking for a rescue. It's not that I couldn't handle the situation on my own; it's that I didn't want to. Some guy went on the internet and started flinging insults. Against me. Personally.

So I brought my laptop over to my husband and showed him what he'd written. In his opinion, the whole thing was rather ridiculous (not me, the guy's accusations), but he went out there and defended my honor. I loved what he said and how he said it. But mostly I loved the way he protected me from this big Internet bully.

My hero. Girly sigh.

You lean on him.
And why not? It might sound out-of-step with today's independent woman, but - as capable as we are - I'm thankful to have a man I can rely on. He's the first one I'll call if there's an emergency or disaster. He's slain mice in the pantry. Mopped up overflowing toilets. Calmed down an out-of-control neighbor. And he's held me in his arms while I sobbed my heart out over a deep and devastating loss.

A true hero. Quietly loving me.

And you'd be lost without him.
Maybe this feels a bit over the top? It's not. My oldest daughter would likely have died if it wasn't for him. When she suddenly stopped breathing miles and miles away from any medical help, his quick thinking and fast action kept her going until LifeFlight could arrive. I could see it in the headlines:

DAD KEEPS DAUGHTER BREATHING. While Mom Watches and Weeps.

He never made it into the papers that day. But he should have.

A great hero. On the front page of my heart.

So in this day when the world is desperate for goodness and heroes, make sure your husband knows he's just the kind of guy for the job. Doing what he's doing. Honest. Hard-working. Looking after his wife and family. Standing up and watching out. Following God.

An everyday hero.

The kind you and I need. And certainly the kind this world could use right now.

He's a real hero.

In His grace,

Lisa is the happily-ever-after wife of Matt Jacobson, literary agent and writer, and together they enjoy raising 8 children. Please join her over at Club31Women, a blog for any wife, mother, or sister who is looking for Biblical encouragement and inspiration. 

 Visit: Club31Women.com

Find her on facebook: Club31Women

~Posted By Breanna