Our Heavenly Father knows

how to give good gifts to his children.

It was the day after Thanksgiving and the cheshire grin of our Daddy kept a secret in his briefcase. He called the family together and we sat around the living room and opened the briefcase to give us his handmade cards which he took time and crafted with care and consideration. Thoughtful and intimate and caring creations from our earthly father's hands. Enoch said that he thought that dad had a million dollars in that briefcase, like they show in the movies. No million dollars could be as beautiful as the cards and hand creations crafted in love that your father has bestowed upon you in gratitude to God for you.
Our Heavenly Father knows that we have needs and He is aware that those needs include money and we must trust that just as our earthly father took time and consideration to craft his love in a card; so our heavenly Father is crafting the right means for our needs and deliverance of this difficult time. We trust God and continue to trust God far past the inconsistencies of your parents.

Now, Thank We All Our God...

With hearts and hands and voices. Part of Thanking God with hearts and hands and voices is what happens in the preparation of the food which passes on traditions and love that will be carried from generation to generation.
The "mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won" happens for me in the labor for others around the food and the things that are a part of making memories. The memories, good, tolerable and even the sordid memories weave together the tapestry of what makes life and serving family interesting and hopeful, sometimes. The fact that I am not the only one who is in love with the children and husband that God has given me and the fact that, I am not the only one who has ever spent herself in this way, makes me a part of a long line of daughters of Eve who love to give and make the parts of life which we call family for the people in their lives. We are going to do it well and we are going to mess up over and over again, but God knows we are trying to do the job that God has given to us to His glory. I am thankful to be a part of the "maternity" of women. I am thankful to try to represent the love of God in motherhood and through the food and love of Thanksgiving. I love my family and I want them to taste that everytime I give them something. God's love is so much greater.

She gives physical food and spiritual food to her household.

I would never have thought of spiritual food in books unless Louisa May Alcott had considered herself a spinster of stories. I saw in scripture how God says that he "clothes the earth with corn". The Spiritual food that is needed is food to insulate the mind from the deadliest of diseases of mind and soul. There are things we see and hear and read which will stay with us while our souls endure. Taking captivity captive in the mind begins with honoring God and honoring your parents. I don't know how Hannah did it, but it seems that God was highlighting that, in that short span of time, she had raised Samuel; she taught him one consistent thing above the other things: to answer right away and in a respectful way. Respectful responding was so much a part of him, that the wickedness of Eli's household could not wash it out of him; try as they might. They probably made fun of that very thing, by calling him for no reason and snickering ,realizing he would always answered the same way. "Here I am!" Not "WHAT?" What do you want this time? What is it? ON the contrary, he answered humbly and consistently, "Here I am?" It is a mother's loving influence which can cause this tendency to want to please the authorities in life.

We can promote this or discourage this. Fathers, Mothers, Teachers, Authorities, do not provoke your children to wrath...BUT BRING THEM UP. God judged Eli in a way that he knew exactly what God was saying to him. God seemed to say-You raised your children to answer you any which way and they don't honor man or God. Don't ridicule the honor that was placed in this boy by his godly mother. You will not live to see the changes that I will bring to earth because someone prayed for the glory of God to be restored to His people.
Answer rightly, dear sons and daughters.

Two Nights ago I dreamt of the Queen of the South

visiting Solomon. I really never realized how godless the rest of the world was, until that dream. It was a splendid royal dream and a splendid entrance that she made, but for the very first time in my life I realized that the Queen of the South coming from the ends of the earth just for wisdom and being impressed with the Glory of God expressed in the functions and organization and wonder of Solomon's reign was a judgement because they were wicked people who were admiring the splendor of the goodness of God with His people.
She is linked with the Ninevites as rising in the judgement. In my dream, it was partly her fault that Solomon fell like he did. It was as though she carried with her, provocative illusions, which had not yet been seen or heard in the Kingdom of God prior to this time. I didn't realize that there were 2 sides to the rise of Solomon to world renown. One was that the world was exposed to God's glory and the other was that God's glory was exposed to the world.
Let us beware, children that we seek not the exposure that we have no immunizations for the sicknesses and emotional taxes that are a part of that exposure. There is no more intoxicating influence than pride on the soul. Dizzying and threatening to dislodge the most stallwart among us.

She is a THINK AND DO BOOK :>

She gives...


When I was a little girl we had think and do books, where we read and did exercises in the same book. Not the text book where you could read but not mark in it. I think that the woman in Proverbs 31 is not a textbook that you read only but a think and do book where you can sense her tangible loving works.

She gives food to her household.

Oh boy, how convicting a sentiment is giving food to someone else. It is against every human emotion to want to give away food. I have been on the feeding end of 7 children at the moment of their birth and not one of them said "no mommy, you first". They all greedily consumed from my body and would have eaten me alive if they would've had teeth, it seemed. Only the motherly love would have allowed them to do that. Over time and by God's grace, we learn to share food with others and share from ourselves.



Elimelech, when he looked for a wife for Isaac, his prayer to God seemed to say that he was looking for a woman who could "feed a bunch of strange camels and not complain!" He used wisdom and trusted God with the outcome of his search. Isaac seemed to be a doted on only child and he needed a woman who could live with that and love him still.
The woman in Proverbs 31 says not you my son. You need to live in peace with a woman who can share food with you and the household.
Yesterday, I ate my first subway sandwich, all by myself. I shared with no one. I gave no one, a bite or a lick. I hope I can go back to sharing again. Pray for me.

She rises, also, while it is yet night...

We are not talking about a fitful night sleep, like I had last night. Brooding and tossing over words said or not said in haste or in remorse. She rises with the producing mentality set before her. She rises to "make the donuts" so to speak. She rises to go to work on time. She rises to "clean the kitchen" and prepare her "servants": Mr. Dishwasher and Mrs. Coffeemaker and Sally Oven, etc. for their duties of the day. I love the scene in Spencer's Mountain where the father wakes every body up and he has to stoke the wood burning stove and the oldest son has to milk the cow and carry the littlest one to the potty and get himself ready for school. We have so gotten away from the teamwork that it is to get out of the house. This kind of teamwork is what builds a team. Let us do the work that is before us in the household to the glory of God and see if God doesn't bless it to raise us up to influence in this world.

She is like the merchant ships

Bringing food from afar.
In terms of mind food, to me, this means that she is able to take to task the farthest philosophies, in her home, for the glory of God. I love how they said that Ruth Graham was not afraid of contemporary music for her children. She sat with them and analysed the words and took captivity captive in their hearts. She blessed them by identifying with them in their identifying with the young people around them. Humanism, Communism, Idealism, Capitalism are no match for the heat of God's consuming fire of His word. We act like God is cowering in the corner afraid of the philosophies these young people are coming up with. He is greater than all, even their foolishness must bow in submission to Him. Tolerate no disrespect to God and take every philosophy to God in prayer and communication and stand in the gap for your children and your world.
Sometimes we steal youth from our younguns, by making them cross and elderly and cantankerous because of a bunch of do's and don'ts which are man made. I want them to dance, I want them to enjoy their youth, I want them to be young and excited about life and good things. We must be the ones to wrestle these foolish thoughts and ones into submission to God in their young days and not to the traditions of man.
God loves a joyful giver. If they sullenly have turned over their liberties to the traditions of man, it does them no good.

She seeks wool and flax...

She looks for ways to produce and not just consume. Don't we eat enough. Don't we use enough paper and cloth to fill a landfill, not to mention the fossil fuel. I met a young woman who made me aware again, of ecological ramifications of our choices in life.
What would happen if we were concerned to produce with the human beings that we love in mind? The industrial revolution is long past. We are aware now that we have children to prepare the world for. Someone will inherit the earth after we are long forgotten. What about them?
Knitting and crocheting and cloth and traditions are woven. We weave into the minds of our younguns much, for good and for ill. Let us beware that the air and water pollution is not intoxicating to the spirits of the people behind us as well as to their bodies.
Louisa May Alcott considered herself a spinster of stories to clothe the minds of the future generations. What kind of wool and flax are you spinning?

Sobrina en Espana reminds me

that I used to be 22 also. Adventure is a 22 year old setting out on the trip of a lifetime. Marriage was my Spain. Learning to live civilly with eachother. Learning to glorify God in my marriage was as far from me as Spain if not farther. I had no clue. I had no clue of the difficulty. I had no clue of the effort. I had no clue of the challenges. I studied every Biblical thing there was at that time and I was still shocked at the difficulty. Only God has grace and help for the sinful soul. I used to think I could sprint, but it is a marathon and I wish my special 22 year old daughter and niece the trip of a lifetime in wherever you go and whatever you do. Take the Lord With YOU!

Happy Birthday NETTIE!

She Does him...Good?

What is good? She does him, her husband good and not evil, all of the days of her life. Not just for a season or two.
There will be seasons when you are called to help other men in one area or another, but God's feminine liberation begins and ends at home. He is the only man that you are called to do good to all of the days of your life. Others may and will, come and go. I love the beauty of a woman like Sarah Palin, who was able to use her charmisma and public persona and capable speaking skills to beautify the election. With the bright sunshine of the feminine touch to the wrestling match of debate and contest. With her gloves on, so to speak, she duked it out for McCain and then went back to the rest of her life. We may be called to just such contests, but not your children and no job is worth the vow that you take for the rest of your life to DO HIM GOOD!

His heart could trust her...

Not just in front of his face was she faithful to the trust of his providence. Even behind his back, she was faithful. That means no frivolous spending without him knowing it. He knew that she wasn't taking advantage of his love and trust. It takes maturity and growth to get to that point. Help us, Holy Spirit.Your relationship will always test the limits of your loyalty.
The example of Abigail in the scriptures tells us that we mustn't stand with him in unrighteousness, but, in as much as it glorifies God to serve and to protect his interests; it is in your Godly best interests, to be faithful.
In I LOVE LUCY, there were clear examples of conservative old fashioned women who, although they were old fashioned, they tested the limits of financial fidelity to their husbands. It is not being old fashioned that we are to admonish people to imitate. How can a family be unified when we are fighting inside the heart of the family? You want him to give you his heart. And you want to treasure the heart of his financial dealings with whatever you have to give him.
The protector of his jewels.

She is not going to steal from her husband.

He is not going to have a lack of gain, because of her foolishness. Unfortunately, that is a difficult treasure to keep. Too many foolish errors in calculating, in wasteful spending in slowness and loss of provisions through sloth. These are all in vision in this verse. Let us develop our minds to see wastefulness and sloth among us so that we can grow to be the trustworthy ones in the family. Useful to God, useful in our family and useful in the world. Safely trusted, not to be stupid.

You are precious to me, dear children

not just because I birthed you. I love you! But, are you precious to God? He made us and takes care of us and He tells us what is precious to Him. Precious enough to take special care of. Her worth, it states, is far above rubies and then it goes into why.

Can you be trusted? Can you be trusted with your friends' and sisters' and brothers' secrets? That is fidelity. Can you be trusted to carry your share of the burden in love and not in disdain. This starts in the home. You are getting much practice learning and growing in fidelity and comradery. This is why I tell you to beware of only children. Because they learn early to look out for their own interests, which is also necessary for survival, yet, crushing to a relationship. Let them marry other only children, so that they can duke it out together and the love that is developed there is no less true. But learning to care for the needs of the whole and the relationship is your job on the earth, as children reared in a large and unified family.
Stuff is to be cared for, but people moreso.
Be trusted!
God takes care of the whole world, the people and the stuff! The entire care, is His for His glory and He waits His judgement until the sin rises over the top of the cup and then He has had enough. In wrath, we pray, remember mercy, O Lord!

Who, indeed?

Can find a virtuous woman or man? Who, even knows what a virtuous woman is? Mommies love to direct their children about who to befriend and who not to befriend. Quiet and good children...Ambitious and gregarious children, Hopeful and honest children, Generous and sensitive children. Stay away from the sneaky and selfish children, the sullen and timid children, the uninterested and self absorbed children, the uncurious and inactive children, most importantly in our family, those that cannot bear to listen and follow directions. If you cannot listen to father in devotions, we cannot bear to have someone like that in the family. We will tolerate you, but God has discipline for such.
I spent hours listening to your grandfather and God has blest every word, for good to my soul. I didn't understand why the children didn't want to listen. I know now that they had heard the words many many times. The first hundred times they were still new to me. Now, the words are precious in my remembrance. A cup of cold water to an elderly person is the time you would spend listening to the stories of the past. The word of God states that they "overcame, by the Blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony..." We receive testimony from the Word of God and from listening to the elderly testify of the grace that helped them to stand.
Listen to your elders and be virtuous. Stay away from those who would discourage you from that.

We can judge no one, if we do not, first judge ourselves

While self control is a fruit of the spirit, it is also a discipline of grace. As we grow from faith to faith, we can learn greater control over our passions and desires. When we stumble we must get up and reprove ourselves and grow from it. When we are opening our mouths for the speechless, if we are not considering ourselves, we stick our big foot in our mouths and have become ill-effective. Let me look at the Word of God with my own soul squarely in mind, so that I can learn to become an effective spokesperson to or for anyone else.

Psalm 106- In honor of our 44th President--Truly the Most High Rules...

Psalm 106


45. And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
46. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives .
47. Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.
48. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say , Amen. Praise ye the LORD.

Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord and who endure under tribulation and trust wholly in Him under the hand of the task master. God is great and greatly to be praised.

Open Your Mouth

For the speechless. Open your mouth for the people who can't speak for themselves. Not the animals, per say; but for the "disenfranchised" and oppressed. They used to call them that when I was in school. I wondered every time we prayed in school, they used to say and for all who are disenfranchised and oppressed. In my mind, I always wondered who that was. I never saw myself as one of them and I think that it is so important that children learn to pray outside of themselves on matters that are larger than them. I never got to ask Sister Anne, who are the disenfranchised and what does that mean anyway? It just stayed in my mind until my 25th Highschool reunion and she prayed the same prayer she prayed so many times when we were in school and I said to myself. I used to be the disenfranchised, but no more. I am an effective citizen now and developing effective citizens. I am a part of the process of the growth of our nation. Giving people the words to implore God to become a part of the process starts in kindergarten and before. "God, I am not worthy to recieve you, but only say the word..." Putting the words in the mouth of the children is nigh unto putting the sentiment into their hearts. If the Lord quickens those words into their souls. God enfranchises us and we are His!