What are the Desires of your Heart?

I wasn't sure what I was going to title this post. I thought of a few titles:

"Called to be a Mom"

"Seasons of Life"

"Your Identity in Christ"

I guess all these titles sum up what is on my heart today and has been for quite a few years. The Lord has brought it more into perspective the past few months. I've been meditating on a few scriptures lately.

One is Romans 12:1-2

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Another is Psalm 37:4

⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

How do these scriptures speak to me? First, to become that living sacrifice is to empty yourself of all desires that you may have or think you have that you might think are from the Lord. I'm not saying that desires you have had since youth are not from the Lord but sometimes they are not who God has called you to be. We may think it is, but how are we going to be certain? Thus, this is where the empting out of all our desires comes into play. Yes, ALL desires!!

The second scripture speaks loudly to my heart and spirit. I never have seen this scripture as such. I have always believed that when we delight in the Lord He will give us our desires we already have. Desires could be a large family, to stay at home mom, to homeschool, to work, to pursue a certain job or profession, to marry a certain young man, or to even marry at all. These are to just name a few. I know these are a few of desires that are usually in a heart of a woman of God.

The way God has revealed this scripture ties into the way I view Romans 12: When we empty ourselves to become a living sacrifice for the Lord and willing to give our whole being unto Him for His purpose, we then are delighting in the Lord. We are allowing Him permission to fill us up with His desires, not our own!! He now has an empty vessel to fill; To make us into whom He wants us to become. In this place we find our identity in Christ. By allowing this we then are not Christians who look the same, act the same, and dress the same. We are not following a sect of people, a doctrine, a belief, etc.... but we are following the Lord for who He wants us to become in this life.

I find such freedom in this truth. This also reminds me of the ever so popular scripture regarding our children...

Proverbs 22:6

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

I teach this to my children. What attracted me to homeschooling was the thought of "training" my children in the purpose that God had for them. Training them up in the callings and giftings of the Lord. As my children are getting older and becoming more aware of their relationship with the Lord, I daily encourage them to seek the Lord so He can tell them what He has created them to become. By seeking Him and delighting in the Lord, He will fill their hearts with desires. I find such joy to know that maybe God might call some of my children not to marry and devote their whole life to missions or the works of God (even though my mother's heart would say "I want grandchildren!" Yes, maybe one of them might be a daughter or son who has been given a delight to stay single and not marry, but give them a heart and life completely to the Lord. A daughter's work might not be in the home, but thousands of miles away in a remote village in Africa caring for orphans or teaching high school students the word of God. Yes, this brings me great delight!! You know why? Because I know they would be doing the Lord's perfect will. This is my desire for my husband and I, and for all our children.

When we come to the Lord, we naturally come with our agendas (desires) already. Some of those desires may be God given and will become stronger as we delight in Him. Then there are those desires that may soon be something of the past. These same desires will supernaturally disappear without us even realizing it. These can then be seen as "seasons of life" And yes, there are times when God calls us to do something and that season comes to an end. It happens to many of us in life.

It excites me to become aware of the fact that God may have new desires for us and those longings we thought we had might not be God's purpose for our lives. This is another way to be led by the Spirit of God. He leads us by giving us desires, and giving us peace in the midst of those desires.

There are many Christians who jump from job to job; activity to activity; town to town and not understanding where they belong or where God is calling them to be or who He wants them to be. I know because I was one of these Christians. Yes, I "sought" the Lord but never emptied myself completely to allow God and His will to take shape and mold me. I guess I can say I was led by doctrines, movements and what have you, thinking that maybe if I did this or didn't do that I was doing what God wanted me to do. And yes, there were also those seasons of life....

In some seasons I was led by the flesh and not by the Spirit of the Lord. I was following man or someone else's "word of the Lord" and not really seeking God for His ways. Yes, there are many out there who are following a "way of life" or a doctrine, and maybe thinking that is the "way" to the Lord or that is what God wants them to do. Maybe it might make them look more "godly" in the way they act, look, dress, way they worship, how they educate their children, how many kids they have or should have, I can go on....but you get what I'm saying.

My heart is not to put anyone down for what God has called them to do. I am just passionate for mothers, teens, and all families to empty themselves out of what they see around them (yes, even in the Church or christian circles/community) and delight in the Lord and allow His perfect will to take shape. We are not all called to be the same in the Kingdom of God and this is what the world needs to see. That God has a perfect will for each of our lives!!

Lastly, when we are doing God's perfect will there is a peace, joy, love, our needs and wants our supplied, health (no stresses or frustrations in His will), and all good things. And do you know what life Eternal is (John 17:3).....To KNOW the Father, and the Son who He sent!! To know Him!! When we know Him, we then walk in the fullness of His will for our lives.

I will end it here because I am ever so passionate in finding God's perfect will and could keep typing about this important subject! I encourage you to do the same--Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart!! He will not disappoint you!!

Blessings,

Chris

PS: Sorry about the typos and grammar errors. I just read this again and found more....oh well. Not going to fix them. :) I know you still love me. :)

Discouragement vs. Blessing

I know I am not the only one in life who feels discouraged at least once per week. Here is what goes through my mind during those times......

1. I feel like my house is always a WRECK

2. Laundry never is caught up. There is always some sort of growing pile in my laundry room.

3. I have no time to do "projects"

4. Am I doing enough for the kids schooling?

5. I hardly play with the little ones.

6. Why do I get so distracted?

7. When do I get MY time!!!???

Ok, not to bum you out or myself, let me list those things that are positive....on the days I am feeling good and my reality of my life :)

1. I love my quiet time with the Lord

2. I love talking to my kids about the Lord and life.

3. I love laughing and hanging with my older kids.

4. I am so blessed to have such beautiful, wonderful, caring, loving, children.

5. My kids are healthy!!

6. My husband loves me so much and never once complains that the laundry is not done or serving sandwiches for dinner.

7. I have such great friends.

8. I have a great church.

9. I am growing in the Lord with leaps and bounds. I 'FEEL' it.

10. With homeschooling I get to mold the children and train them up in their gift and callings.

I could go on!! But I'll stop right here.

I guess, when I am feeling bummed a bit, I need to list those good things in life.

On a side note:

My good friend has been coming over and helping me organize. It is so wonderful to have her come and bless me like this. We've been working in my kitchen. She spends a couple of hours with me. We chat and organize. HOW FUN IS THAT!!??

Here are some of my cabinets we tackled last week. I love opening up my cabinets and actually finding my salt, chili powder, and other spices. So now I don't have my meds and oregano right next to each other. ha ha ha!! Yeah, it was bad. I am a bit ashamed. :( These are the areas I would just ignore and tell myself "I'll get to it when I have some time to spare."

I don't have any before pictures just after. I know my cabinets look somewhat bare, I have to shop this week. These cabinets are only for those foods I need for the week. I have a large shelf where I store stockpile canned goods and other foods. Actually this shelf is bare also. Yep, when the budget is tight you can't stockpile much. :(

(Top shelf-pasta noodles, middle-pasta sauce, rice, drink mixes; lower-my baby goods)

(Top shelf- extra goods; middle-canned goods; lower-peanut butter, daily lunch stuff)

(Top shelf-Misc and some stock pile; middle-beans, packet spices; lower-non daily spices)

(Top shelf my meds, middle -my baking ingredients, lower- my daily spices)

Just got a call from my friend and she says she is going to look for more storage containers for me. Isn't she such a blessing. Thank You Lord for awesome friends!!!

Have a wonderful week!! Love you guys :)

Chris

Grocery Shopping and Meal Prep has become a Joy!!

Do you want to meet a mother of eight children who has no earthly idea how to grocery shop and prep good meals? You have come to the right place. It's me!!! Aren't you glad you came by to visit my home today? Oh, golly geee...I know you are....you can't stop loving me and my flaws.

These flaws are transparent. I am exposing them in hopes of later reading this blog in a few years, or maybe a few months down the road when I have been completely transformed into.....Ta Da....Martha Stewart!!

No.....wait.....hmmmmm.......Better Yet.....Rachel Ray....!!! Yeah, she is way more prettier.

Not that I think Martha is ugly...she looks awesome for a woman her age. I really do like her voice. I sort of want to be soft spoken like her.......ok, why on earth am I day dreaming of becoming like Martha Stewart.....HELLO......SOMEONE JUST SLAP ME WITH A FRYING PAN!!

Take a walk down memory lane with your good friend Chris. I will show you how my grocery shopping days have looked like. Oh no Must I expose this disturbing truth?

OOOOOOkkkkkkkaaaaayyyyyyyy.........

Here I am waking up and thinking...."hmmmmm.....we have no food....yep, grocery shopping day is today and I don't have one iota what I am going to make tonight or better yet for the rest of this week. I call my hubby and ask him "Hey babe, what is our grocery budget for the next few weeks" He gives me a total and think "Ok, I think I can work with this"....then praying to God for wisdom.

Now I am off to "plan". I stand in front of my stove, look up at my cookbooks, ponder....should I, shouldn't I, should I ..... use those cookbooks. Nah!! Better idea....the computer has plenty of recipes for me to pull from. I click on my emails read some mail that came in, return some mail, check some blogs......oooops... I'm supposed to be making a menu. Yikes!! I blew it again.... slap, slap, and slap again.

I then go on to one of those recipes sites, like recipezaar. I click on some and surf around for the perfect meals. I really don't want to make tacos and spaghetti again....please no!!! I want to show my family I can COOK! After a couple hours of searching, I am utterly exhausted and my eye balls are absolutely, cherry red from staring at the screen for two hours. I look down at my list of meals and think "Now I have to make the grocery list. Yuck!!" I take 30 minutes to make the list. I know, way to long!!!

Ok, that's done. Oh, wait....I have to save some money, so I pull and clip coupons. By this time, I have spent almost three or so hours just planning for my meals for the next few weeks. I'm sure it will get better, once I get to the store. :)

Off I go....with a few kids in tow. I drive by my regular Grocery store that is 5 minutes from home, but decide to drive 30 minutes to Super Walmart!! Brilliant!! Remember.....I WANT TO SAVE MONEY!!! I arrive at Walmart and start my shopping. Three long hours with two carts later I finally come to check out. I'm worn out, my kids are worn out and now we need something to eat because we are starving. I then spend 15 bucks at Mc Donalds. ha ha ha.....so much for saving money at Walmart.....ha ha ha!!

Once I get home it's time to unload the van...thank God for children who don't mind helping. We get the groceries pulled out of the bags and now I have to figure out where to put them. What a trip!! This is why I loathe grocery shopping. I don't know how to do it.

So to say all this. A few weeks ago, I was not looking forward to my next shopping trip and I decided to join e-mealz.com What do I have to loose!!! For $5 a month I get 7 recipes, and a grocery list to my store that is just 5 minutes down the road. The meals are all planned around the sales the store is having for the week. Yes, I spend a little more than what they say because I have to feed 10 of us. So, I add the extra money......but you know what????? It is so worth it and I am enjoying meal times. And yes, shopping too. Even though this past week, I felt like I spent a bit to much time there. Oh well....I'm learning!!

I feel like I am doing something really good for our family. Meal times are so important to me and I feel like I was failing miserably in this area. Even though I'm not using my creative juices to "invent" meals or what have you, but at least I'm happy, and in turn makes everyone else happy. Plus, they look forward to sitting down and eating. I even ask the kids to pick a meal from the menu as to what they want to eat that night. Thus far.....100% of the meals have been so yummy!!

And best of all.....I am learning how to cook. Yay!!! I was telling my husband that this is like discipleship in cooking. I have something to bounce from. I am learning and we are all happy.

Soooooo.....If you sometimes struggle with meal time....I Highly recommend....e-mealz!!

Taking Time to Sit at His Feet

Believe me...I am getting better.

You might ask....what are you talking about?

I am talking about my diligence in managing this large family of mine. Boy, it can be hard work. I tend to sometimes shut in and try to DO IT ALL myself. I then walk around grumpy because NO ONE IS HELPING. Hello? Of course no one is helping because I haven't asked.

WHY DO I HAVE TO ASK? DON'T THEY SEE HOW HARD I'M WORKING!! THEY SHOULD KNOW BETTER?

These are my daily mind struggles. I know for some of you this might be so easy to handle. Truly.... I can now relate..... just a bit to how my mother might have felt. She rarely asked us to help and then she would walk around grumpy and YELLING at us for not helping. You know what? I tend to do the same. I remember refusing to be like my "mother". I REFUSED to manage the home like her. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom :) She just didn't know how to teach us to do basic housekeeping.

I find myself doing the same thing. Yes, I have dusted my CHORE PACKS off for the millionth time! Yes, I have the kids help!! But I tend to not be consistent. I KNOW! I KNOW! I KNOW! CONSISTENCY is a MUST. But why do I keep stumbling. LORD HELP!!

Guys, I hate to be so negative but I am just sharing my struggles as a mom. I have read the books, I have done the chore charts, I have read almost everything that is out there.!! I think I have some deeper issues to deal with. :( Oh, boy....now I have to do some deep soul searching LOL!

I know the Lord in His great mercy is sitting on my couch just watching me walking around unorganized and not knowing where to begin. He probably has a smile on His face and just waiting for me to come to Him and let Him give me the answers I've been searching for.

"Lord, I've been to you so many times. Why can't I get it!! What is the deal with me! I need to obey, I know!!"

I haven't allowed the Lord to really minister to me in this area. It's like you have a child that you obviously know needs to be taught in say cooking, and when you instruct him or her, they are not really receiving all your instructions. They are so quick to get up and go. Well.....this is me!! Yep, I will sit at His feet about this issue for so long (a few minutes) and not allow Him to minister to me completely. I get up and go before He is finished instructing me. Do you see the picture I am trying to paint? So when this "child" tries to make the meal, they mess up the recipe and then comes crying because they "messed it all up". Reality is that they didn't mess it ALL UP, they just added that extra cup of sugar or forgot to put in the egg.

I need to take the time to sit at His feet and have Him minister to me. As I am typing this, I'm thinking "When am I going to have the time to do this." Ooops!! Instead of typing on this blog, I guess I should have been with the Lord. Actually, typing this out has helped me see my problem. :)

Thanks for hanging in with me and following my life :)

Love Ya,

Chris

Back to Fridays

I've decided to switch my deep cleaning days to Friday.  For some reason or other, Mondays were not working out as I planned.  I thought having the big cleaning day be on Monday would make my week easier coming back from the weekend.  Unfortunately it hasn't.  I found that I would still use Friday as a somewhat cleaning day also.  I can't afford to take two days off during the school week.

My sweet friend came on Friday and she deep cleaned my refrigerator and two of my cabinets.  I felt bad because I basically stood around and told her what to do.  She didn't mind though.  She was there to serve and didn't want me to get off focus with other things I had to do.  Sooooo while she cleaned, I checked school work.   I did somewhat help by throwing out the old food jars, etc...

I feel so blessed to have my wonderful friend come and help me.  She has been such a blessing to my family.  She is an amazing woman of God.  She is one of my top friends whom I sit and talk about the Lord with.  Yep...non stop.  We don't "surface" talk much.  Our conversations are very deep when we are together.  Since knowing her, I have grown so much in the Lord.  She is such an encouragement and example to me.  Before knowing her, she once worked as a family doctor and when she started having children she chose to leave her practice and stay home with them.  She has homeschooled her boys for years (they are older now), but now with much prayer she has put them in school.  I am so impressed by the fact that she would leave a high paying job to pursue those things that matter in life, FAMILY.   She is now seeking the Lord as to what her next phase in life will be.   She has not just touched my life, but many women's lives in our church and community.  She definitely has a heart like Jesus.  There isn't one day where she isn't out driving someone to a doctors appointment, helping them, visiting them daily at the hospital, counseling them.  Blessing them in so many ways.  She goes, goes, goes....Amazing.  I am so thankful she is my friend!!  :)

PS  I will have to post some pictures next time.

Till Then have a happy week :)

Chris

Feeling a bit better

Ok, so this past week was literally a week from..........  I don't know what came over me.  I really do think it was PMS.  I felt so overwhelmed about every thing.  I did have a few decent days.  I only check my email once and I didn't even go on Facebook or other's blogs.  I had to force myself to stay focused.

This past Friday, I was again, a blubbery mess.  Ahhhhhhh......Lord I need your help!!  I didn't do much but fold laundry.  No I wasn't on the computer at all.  I just didn't have much joy.  I had to be in the Lord's presence all day to not feel like I was going to bite someone's head off.  I was a very ugly person Friday.  I didn't know what I was going to make for dinner.  We usually eat pizza on Fridays but I didn't even want to think of making it.  Actually my daughter makes it, but still......Just the thought of her doing it was overwhelming.

Donnie's mom and Grandma calls in the afternoon and want to take us out to dinner.  Guess where?  The local pizza place.  Yay!!  God is so faithful and knows just when I need Him to show up.  Thank you Lord.

Oh and I do have another praise report.  This week as I was feeling very overwhelmed.  A friend of mine calls up and says she wants to commit herself to helping me on my cleaning day and help me clean and organize for a couple hours.  This means every week she will come and help!!  Wow......truly, God's love and showing He cares for me.  I am in awe of how awesome He is and how He comes through.

I am determined this week will be a blessed week.  I think my friend and I are going to tackle the kitchen cabinets and get those organized and cleaned.  I'll have to snap some before and after pics so you can see the difference.

Blessings

Tales of an Unorganized Housewife

I should rename my blog:  Tales of an Unorganized Housewife.  Ha ha!!  I've been feeling quite like this lately.   Everywhere I look there's a mess.   I've even had visions of Super Nanny coming to the rescue.  I've had visions of TLC, Trading Spaces coming in and revamping my home.  Or, better yet...Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover Home Edition saying "Good Morning, Tuttle Family!!"  Ha Ha!!

I realized that I have not been very diligent and focused with my hours the Lord has given me.  I could spend plenty of time chatting on Facebook, checking emails, or doing other types of "research" on the computer.  I could spend hours reading my bible!!  I would love that!!  But reality is---I CAN'T!  I have a house to manage and maintain.  Kids to teach!!  Plenty of that to go around, right?  I seriously need to get organized!!  I complain to my husband  "We just need to hire a housekeeper!!"  "I feel like I am being pulled all sorts of directions.  I don't even know if I'm called to this.  Let's put them all in school!!  I don't know where to begin:  Shower,  fold laundry cook, school, chauffeur, iron work clothes.....HELP!!"  

I know I sound like a mess.  I really think it's PMS.  Ha ha.  But wait, before you all come to my rescue.  I know what the answer is.....Throw myself at the Lord's feet.  He is the ONLY ONE to show me exactly what I need to do.  I do need to obey Him to enter into the REST he has for me.  I was reading in Hebrews today of how he has promised His children REST.  There is a rest that only comes from Him and only by obedience.  The way to this Rest is to DILIGENTLY OBEY.  Boy, I don't like that word, DILIGENT  :)  Being diligent sounds to hard.   But you know what.....Diligently obeying is the key to answering mostly all our problems.  If you know what the Lord's will is for your life..... when you obey what He has asked from you TODAY........you WILL ENTER into that Promised Rest....ahhhhhh!  Thank You Lord.