Friday 21 December 2012

Respected - Deliberate Love

Sorry that it took so long for me to talk about deliberate love again. I will make another post about it more in depth after the holidays. 
But I thought that in this crazy time, when its often just easier to do it ourselves and make our husbands feel useless or not needed, that we all needed a little reminder to slow down and let them be the man, take charge, and to get involved. 


Marriage, at its core, is all about respect for the other person - and respect goes both ways. But today's culture disses men at every turn. Men don't get respect from anyone, let alone their wives. Sitcoms portray them as dolts who are so inept that they can't figure anything out, as buffoons who think through their fly. Actresses announce, "I'm going to have a child," but there's no mention of a father, a husband. The pervasive mentality in today's society is: " Who needs a man? They're good for nothing!" So that means men are left hanging out there, feeling they're not respected, not needed, and certainly not important." 

~  Dr Kevin Leman,  Have a New Husband By Friday


Just to make you aware I do receive a small percentage of any sales made from this link. 


I have only just begun reading this book but already am enjoying it immensely.  I have had many friends recommend it and so far it has lived up to expectations. 



Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her  to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—  for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.  However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Ephesians 5:22:33


I am fully aware that I often struggle with showing my hubby respect.  That I want and need him. That without him things would be much more difficult and that he is greatly needed by my children and myself. 


From Dr Leman's words, I am not alone.  Our culture is showing men that they are not important or needed.   


Think of how wonderful your husband would feel if you made an effort all week to show that he is respected, needed, loved.  


How can we show them that they are respected and needed in our lives? There are so many wonderful resources out there about this topic. Here are a few links that I have found, I am sure there are many many more.  


Marriage Missions.com has a substantive list of 100 Ways You can Love your Husband His Way.


Power to Change has a great list of 10 Steps Toward Respecting Your Husband


I also found a wonderful list of 25 ways to Communicate Respect to your Husband without saying a word, found here at lovinglifeathome.wordpress.com


We need to remember that we are not made to live life like the rest of the world. The world shows us that men are not of value and we can get along without them. God shows us that he made men in his image, with purpose and value.  



Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,  in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:11-12




Baking with Daddy, it takes longer, makes a bigger mess, but is so much fun. 

Thursday 20 December 2012

All I want for Christmas is....

I was thinking today about Christmas Wish Lists.  Even when we don't do the whole Santa thing with our children we still often have them make a list of what they want for Christmas. 

Parents make it pretty easy on themselves by getting their kids to make a wish list. ( or if you have a kid that dreams big I guess it could make it a little harder. ie. I want...a pony, a baby brother, a car) 
Knowing what our children want makes it easier for us to bless them with their desires.  

Our Father in Heaven is the same, He wants us to tell Him what we want. He wants to hear us tell Him our desires, even though He already knows what they are. He knows us so intimately because He made us perfectly. He made those desires. He gave us our passions, our gifts and our shortcomings. He designed us and knit us together. 

Today I was messaging my cousin. Him and his wife have been going through some pretty rough things lately and are very discouraged.  The doctors have given them some rough news and they are struggling through what it may mean for their lives to come. 

I began to write a message that was an attempt at human comfort. You know the stupid things us humans say to comfort one another, that never really do much good. 

And then God reminded me that He has no respect for what our doctors have to say. 

We serve a God who is not bound by a diagnosis or prognosis. 

Do you remember the story of the sick woman who touched Jesus' clothing, I talked about a while back  (Found Here.),  from Luke 8.  She had been sick for 12 years, had seen doctors and healers and they could do nothing for her.  She reached out to Jesus and was healed. 

Our God is not bound by "how things work", or our supposed to work in the narrow minds of us humans. He can do anything, He created the world from nothing, and made humans from dust.  (no wonder Jesus could spit and make mud to on a blind mans eyes and give them sight. John 9)

I told my cousin, and I am telling you;  tell the Father what you want. He wants to hear you tell him.  Our words have power. 

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:22-24

The tongue has the power of life and death,
    and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21

I told him to join with his wife and to pray together. To speak out loud their desires, together. It is important to join together as a married couple and to pray and seek God together. If we are married, we believe God brought us together. And He did so for a purpose.  So we need to be joined together in our desires and in our prayers. 

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:19-20

God wants to give you what you desire. He gave you the desires of your heart, your longings.  Give Him your list this Christmas. 

You have granted him his heart's desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. 
You came to greet him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. 
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him-
length of days, for ever and ever. 
Psalm 21:2-4

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 
Matthew 7:9-11

My days have passed, my plans are shattered.
    
Yet the desires of my heart turn night into day;
   in the face of the darkness light is near.

Job 17:11-12


*Just remember:
 When we ask for things God doesn't always say "yes."
Sometimes His answer is "Not Yet."  Sometimes it is "No, I have something better."
Trust that He has a good plan for you and that His will is best.


Tuesday 18 December 2012

Light of the World


Our pastor sent out an email today asking us if we would like to help with his sermon this week. He was searching for peoples thoughts on Christ. Who he is and what comes to mind when you think of Jesus Christ. 

The immediate answer that came to my mind was that He is the light of the world. 

I love this song. Little A asks for it all the time.  We dance around (not to the acoustic version) and sing at the top of our lungs.  





There are some mornings when the light shines in my window and I roll over with a groan and hide my face the best I can. 

But there are other days, when the light shines in and I feel my spirit being lifted. Being filled by the grace and truth of the Son. 



In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 
John 1:1-5

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- the children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 
John 1:9-14

"Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. 
John 12:36

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:12

There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 
Matthew 17:2

May we remember this Christmas, that Christ Jesus, that was born so long ago, was the Light of the world.  He came to save and to shine light into the darkness.

"We live inside the dark, but thats not who we are, we are children of the day."


The Lord bless you and keep you; 
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. 
Numbers 6:24-26

Saturday 15 December 2012

School Shootings and Spiritual Warfare


This is an amazing article by Russell D. Moore regarding the School shootings that took place on December 14th.



School Shootings and Spiritual Warfare


I had heard about it in the early afternoon and was telling my husband about it. "What possesses someone to do something like that?" I said.

But thats just it isn't it. That statement hits the nail on the head.

A normal person does not do something like that, it just doesn't happen.

Anyway take a read. Moore explains it perfectly.


Friday 14 December 2012

A Home Owner Warning

WARNING to all New Home Owners:

Before you move into your beautiful new to you home; before you install brand new carpet, paint the walls, install baseboards, and move all your treasures into your beautiful new home, 
Have a plumber clean out your sewer line!



Last night my husband finally hooked up the washer and dryer (our poor children were running low on clothing, hubby and I were good, but I guess thats because we don't spit up or pee our pants). We did a single load so that the children could have clean clothes and hubby could wear clean pants to work (little man had spit up all over hubby's lap (teehee, kinda enjoyed not being the one smelling like vomit))

Then today while I was home with my own two kids and was babysitting a friends two little girls, I threw another load into the wash.  Then around 11 this morning, on my second load in the wash,  I went down to switch the laundry and found a small puddle around the drain. That's not good I though. 

I did not put anymore laundry in the wash.  Stepped around the yucky puddle and got the clothes from the dryer and put the other clothing in.   Nearly an hour later the buzzer sounded saying the clothes were dry. I went downstairs to get them out and found an even more nasty, larger puddle.  A disgusting, feces and toilet paper filled puddle that was still only around the drain.  

Hubby called the plumber in who charged us nearly $300 to unclog the line. They found a lovely gift from the previous owner and a bit of toilet paper clogs 

2 things I didn't know that the plumber told me:
1. The flushable baby wipes are not actually flushable and should not be flushed. 
2. They recommend not to use the thick, fluffy toilet paper, it is extra absorbent and swells in the pipe.

Apparently our house sewer line doesnt line up properly with the city line, so now they recommend having them put a camera down to see if the city is at fault for it so they can pay to fix it so that we do not continue to have the same problem.  

Anyway. I thought that all that I had to clean up this evening was the small nasty remnants from the yucky puddle and the plumbers.  

Wrong. 

So so wrong. 

I went into my craft room to look for something and had this thought pop into my head. (Thank you Lord for speaking to me as a still small voice) I walked over towards the corner of the room that shares a wall with my washer, and my foot felt something damp. I looked down and saw hubbies large duffle bag and thought "oh please, please be coming from inside the bag".  I heaved the bag out of my way feeling the bottom as I did, also wet.  I stepped forward closer to the wall and my foot sank and made a horrible sound. 

The floor was soaked.  

Upon further moving and reorganizing of my craft room, we found that the floor along one entire outer wall was is soaked and one other wall is 3/4 of the way soaked.  

I had to use the shop vac to attempt to pick up as much water as I could. The vacuuming pulled up the carpet out from under the sopping and starting to warp baseboards, and the underlay is also fully soaked.  Its just a giant sponge holding all of the water under our lovely new carpet. 

I vacuumed and vacuumed. Then I sprayed  poured on disinfectant and scrubbed it in. Then I attempted to clean up the nasty puddle which actually in itself was a lot worse than I expected. 

So as I sit and write this warning, our carpet is propped up with fans attempting to dry it and the underlay out, my basement wreaks of disinfectant, and my whole body aches both because of the awkward posture of using the stupid shop vac and because I took a horrendously hot shower trying to clean away all of the nasty from today. 


yupp, thats what caused the damage, a baseball in our sewer.

This is the dreaded baseball and my washer, and the wall that it shares with my craft room. 

You cannot tell by the photo but basically from the wall to the vac is soaked. 


This isn't even all of the water, I took this photo after vacuuming for less than ten minutes. 

The whole time I was cleaning I had a verse running through my head: 

Whatever your work is, do it gladly. Do it as you would do it unto the Lord and not for people.
Colossians 3:23 (worldwide english version)

I know that there are worse things that could happen, but standing in cold poo water soaked brand new carpets, that was not my ideal day. And I know that I was cleaning my own craft room, but I really really did not want to be doing that.  And it took everything in me to try to find Joy in doing it. To do it for Him.  So as I worked I sang a song that Little A loves to sing, well she loves a part of it, Give Me Oil in My Lamp. Apparently it is an old hymn: (here is the part I was singing) 

Give me joy in my heart keep me praising
Give me joy in my heart I pray
Give me joy in my heart keep me praising
Keep me praising till the break of day

Sing Hosannah,Sing Hosannah
Sing Hosannah to the King of Kings
Sing Hosannah, Sing Hosannah
Sing Hosannah to the King 




Lets have a Meeting


A week or so ago my sister and I went for coffee with the kids. It was fun to get to take Little A out for a coffee date with her Aunty. My sister and her husband just moved here at the end of the summer and we are all really enjoying having them around. They used to live rather far away and Little A had only ever seen them a few times in person and the rest was through Skype.

We were sitting there enjoying our coffees (I am not a big coffee drinker and made them lessen the expresso they would put in my drink, but still it was a lot more coffee than I am used too). Little A was enjoying her juice but kept looking at our drinks then back at hers. She pointed and said, " I want that." She couldn't figure out why her drink didn't have whip cream and drizzle like ours.

Being the generous mother that I am, I got tired of sharing my whip cream (my favourite part of my strong coffee drink), and went to ask the barista for a little serving of whip cream all her own. Fully prepared to pay for the extra whip, the barista said it was on the house and then managed to create a sundae of whip cream for my daughter (who I don't normally give sweets too).

It was a massive pile of whip cream, chocolate drizzle, caramel drizzle, and Smartie pieces. Her eyes lit up like it was a new toy. She was so so excited.  She even offered to share. It was so nice.  

When I got back from getting Little A's lovely treat my sister was laughing and had to tell me all about what Little A said while I was gone.  Of course just reading this doesn't do it justice since these little words came out of an almost two year old with a very serious matter of fact tone and came from the most adorable little face. This is how the conversation went:


Little A: " Let's have a meeting."

Aunty N: " What kind of a meeting are we going to have?"

Little A: " An Uncle K meeting."

Aunty N: "And what do we need to know if we are going to have a meeting about Uncle K?"

Little A: "He is big. And stwong."

Aunty N: "Oh and what else?"

Little A: "He plays the duitar. And the drums and the pilano."

Aunty N: "And what else do we need to know?"

Little A: "He is nice."

Aunty N: "Is he handsome?"

Pause.

Little A: "Yes"


She makes me laugh so hard some days.   I hope that it brought you a laugh.

She has never before talked about having a meeting. But she knows that when we go to the Church for the moms bible study her Uncle K is normally in a meeting and she doesn't get to see him.  I don't think I have ever actually explained what a meeting is, just that he is in one.

God Bless you today, and may you find some of His Joy in the little things today. (if you dont have a silly two year old to laugh at, you can always youtube some crazy animals, God has a great sense of humor and made some hilarious animals for us to enjoy)


- oh and on a side note, that little bit of coffee I drank with my sister, kept me up until 4 in the morning. Not an enjoyable thing.

Thursday 13 December 2012

Simple and Smelly


And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 
Luke 2:8-18

Last night while doing our advent book with Little A, they talked about how the shepherds were just normal guys. They weren't doing anything special. They didn't have to do much of anything to have their lives changed by the Lord.  

The angel came to the field where they were to tell them the news. All they had to do in return was make the choice to go into town and find the baby. 

Their lives would have been changed by what they saw. They probably weren't that amazed by the sight of a baby, a mom who just pushed out a baby, or the mess in the stable. What blew their minds would have been the sight of the angels and that God allowed them to get the first viewing of the baby that would be their Messiah. 

They were nothing special (and probably smelled really horrible).  Did nothing special. But they were chosen to see the most special thing that has ever happened.  The thing that had been foretold for so long. This miracle that would save lives. 

Without His birth there would be no death and resurrection. And without the death and resurrection we would never be able to spend eternity with the Father.  

He came to save the sinners. He came for the simple and the plain.  We don't have to be or do anything more than make the choice to follow, to trust, to believe.

Thank God! Cause I know I could never be good enough on my own.  I could never be sinless, blameless and pure. Jesus did it for us, lived blameless for us, and died for us. He was God's perfect son sent to live out God's perfect plan to bring us to Him. 

May you be overwhelmed today, with the knowledge that we are nothing special. We are not amazing or spectacular. We are just simple and living out our regular lives. 

But may God also overwhelm you today with His love and an understanding that He makes our simple into His spectacular. He uses us for His glory. If we are willing to follow, trust, and believe. 

God Bless.  
A

Wednesday 12 December 2012

We Moved!

Sorry for the silence lately but things have been pretty crazy and we finally just got out internet connected again last night.

We moved over the weekend. It was a whirlwind of boxes and furniture and people in and out. We had amazing help from some family and friends and we are ever grateful for them and all they did.

I was unable to be involved for most of the move because I was taking care of the little ones.  It was very hard to not be in there getting my hands dirty too and being in control of things.

Our house remains a disaster. There are boxes everywhere. Laundry that needs to be done but cannot because our washer and dryer remain uninstalled.  But we are in, and all the little things that need to be worked on can be done while we are here, together.

It has been so nice to have Hubby working on this house while we are here with him.  It is such a huge change from having him work all day at work and then come home to eat and leave to work on the renos.  Now when he has things to do Little A is right by his side trying to help.  She loves it, we all do.

We had two house showings this weekend. One Friday afternoon when I should have been in there attempting to finish all of our packing. And another Saturday morning at 9. We started moving at 10.  So those people got a lovely idea of what the house could look like as a storage unit but not really as a home.  But God has a plan and we are waiting to hear some good news, I am trusting that there will be good news soon.

I will share some more when things settle down, and when I actually have more than a few minutes of quiet to process all that God has been teaching me.

God Bless.
A

The view of our dining room the day of the showing. Who wouldn't want this house? ;)

Thursday 6 December 2012

Jesus' Birthday

Today we had a wonderful morning celebrating the birth of Jesus with some of our friends.
A couple of moms from our life group (bible study group) decided to through a Jesus' Birthday Party for the children of the life group.  It was such a great idea.

The kids made some adorable crowns for party hats to remind us that Jesus is King. Then there was a beautiful purple star birthday cake that the kids all blew out the candles on together.  We read the Christmas story from a children's bible and then the kids played.  They were also all given glow sticks to remind us that Jesus was the light of the world.

It was such a great morning and the kids loved it.

So much joy can be brought to little children by doing simple things like this. I had never thought about throwing a birthday party for Jesus. Likely because I have never had children old enough to enjoy it.  But now after this fun morning, I think that I would like to make it a tradition.

I have a friend that was recently talking about how her and her family always have a celebration for Jesus on December 25th. They have a cake for breakfast and sing him happy birthday and then read the Christmas story before opening their presents.  Her kids love it. Probably has something to do with eating cake in the morning, but it is a great and memorable tradition.

There are so many simple things we can do with our children to try to remind them that this season is about Jesus and not about Santa and presents. When we put a little effort in and do something fun and memorable, it will be something they remember for a long time.

Little A has been wearing her crown around since this morning and sings Happy Birthday to Jesus every few minutes. Then she talks about him and his mommy and how he was born.

Sure she can notice Santa Claus even when its a picture no bigger than an inch tall (even though we never talk about Santa nor do we do anything Santa related in our home). But the most important thing is that she is well aware that this is a time to celebrate Jesus. And I hope that never changes.


Wednesday 5 December 2012

In My Tummy

Last night as we were driving home from the new house after our prayer time, I was pointing out the Christmas lights to Little A. She got so excited about them once I told her that they were special Birthday lights for Jesus.  " They are to remind us that Jesus' Birthday is coming, and that He is the light of the world."

The rest of the way home she would exclaim, " There's more birthday lights!" "Look more birthday lights for Jesus!"

It was so much fun. I love getting to share her joy in this season. She is still to young to really understand all the craziness that we all get sucked into with the gifts, the food, and the stress. To her this is just going to be a birthday party for Jesus. 

As we were nearing our home she said, " Jesus was in mommies tummy." She says things so matter-of-factly it is hard not to just laugh. 


Holding back a giggle I responded, "No honey, E was in mommies tummy. Jesus lives in my heart." 

"Oh?" she responded in a puzzled voice, "Baby Jesus lives in my tummy."

"No honey he doesn't live in your tummy. He used to be in his mommy Mary's tummy but then she had him and he was in the manger remember the story?"

"Yeah, he is a nice baby." she paused, " He is in mommies heart."

"Yes he is A. Mommy asked him to come and live in my heart and take away my sins and take me to heaven. We just have to ask him and he will live in our hearts."

"Look more birthday lights!" distracted little almost two year old replies. 

I was slightly surprised to be having that conversation with my child already. She is just a month away from being two. I really didn't expect to be trying to explain salvation to her yet. 

I think that she was mostly just intrigued with the whole idea of babies in bellies since I just had little E and she has seen her aunties and my friends that are expecting. She knows that babies come from bellies. That mommy had little E at the hospital ( a place that she liked only because she rode an elevator). She also knows that Jesus' mom was Mary and his dad is Joseph (she talks about how its Jesus birthday, her birthday and then Joseph's birthday) 

This morning she brought it up again as we were driving to the store.  " Jesus lives in my belly" 

"No honey, he doesn't live in your belly. You can ask him to live in your heart. Do you want to?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, pray with mommy then...."

She sat there staring at me in the rear view mirror as I prayed and then she said happily, "amen."

"Jesus lives in my heart mommy." Says the most adorable almost two year old in a very serious ernest voice as she makes her mommies eyes well up with tears. 



They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”  But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
John 2:20-22

Jesus was not talking of the temple but of his own physical body. 
Yesterday we asked the Lord Jesus to come and be in our new home. 
Today our daughter did the same. 
What we did to our physical home she did with her spiritual home.  


Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 


Tuesday 4 December 2012

Written in Our Home

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord

and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. 
Isaiah 11:2-3

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 16:19

So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

Isaiah 59:19

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, 
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

Isaiah 54:17


“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:18-20

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:9-13


Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:7-8




Have you figured out where my head is at today?

We are moving this weekend! I am so excited and stressed. And I am starting to think about how much I will miss the house we are in.  It is our first home, where our kids were brought home to, and so many firsts were done here. 

Anyway, tonight we are going over to the other house to pray over it before we move in.  We didn't do this before we moved in last time and I regretted it.  

We were talking last week to some good friends who have been dealing with "creepy" things happening in there home.  A man died in a fire there before they purchased it.  In the time that they have owned it they have dealt with odd happenings here and there. But recently their daughter woke up in the night afraid and was inconsolable. The next morning she asked her mommy, " who was the man in my room last night?"

I do not tell you this to bring you fear. I tell you this to bring awareness.  


For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 (kjv)

Our friends had never prayed over their home. They had never claimed it as theirs and as the Lords. They had not yet stepped into their God given authority as owners of that home and given it over to God. This weekend they did pray over their home and have claimed it as theirs and as covered in the blood of the Lord. 

 There are powers of darkness that roam free in the world that we live in.  They have been sent by the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy. 

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:11-13

Far too often we sit back and ignore the attacks of the enemy on our families. We allow the spirits of greed, hatred, selfishness, anxiety, depression, addiction,  ... , to attack and harm our families for generations.  We allow the attacks to come and come and we write them off as nightmares and accidents and try to make up any excuse we can to not face it head on. 

Our God has won this battle already. He has conquered the grave. 

 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 
Hebrews 2:14-15

 Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.
Dueteronomy 7:21

It was not by their sword that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
    and the light of your face, for you loved them.
Psalm 44:3

We allow the attacks against us to bring us into fear and bondage.  We have been bought by the blood of Christ.  We are free.  

The Lord is my light and my salvation
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

We are at fault for allowing the attacks to succeed. We allow them to continue. We bring things into our home everyday that should not be there.  We allow darkness to come in and we allow things to take root in our hearts that should not be there. 

Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.
Dueteronomy 7:26



Tonight we are going to write the words of the Lord our God in our new home. His word is truth (John 17:17)
We will pray over every room and leave behind scriptures written on the backs of the light switches and plug ins. It would have been nice to write them on the doorposts and in the walls but we are at the end of the projects and those have already been done and in for a while. 

 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Dueteronomy 6:5-9

I will post a list of the scriptures we have claimed over our home so that you too can write them around ( and pray them over) your homes if you so desire. 




EDIT:

You must know that we dont believe that there is any "special power" in writing the words around the home in hidden places.  It is just a proclamation of what we believe and our prayers over our home.
We need to build our homes on a strong foundation and that doesn't come from what we write down.

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. 
Psalm 127:1