Family Economics Confernce 2011

Family Economics Conference with Kevin Swanson

March 11-12, 2011
Raleigh, NC

I'm excited about attending this conference and learning all we can about thriving in social and economic decline. Registration is now currently full, but you will be able to order the messages from Generations with Vision.

Here's some information about the conference from the conference website:

For six years, Generations with Vision has produced the Generations Radio Broadcast, addressing social, cultural, economic, and political issues from a distinctively Biblical perspective. We have chronicled the decline of the family, faith, freedoms, and the economy in America and the West, all the while building healthy, happy family economies out on the eastern plains of Colorado (a safe distance from the decline of Western Civilization). We are hopeful, outrageously optimistic, and incredibly blessed with fruitful families who love God and worship Him in our homes and churches. We hope and believe the 2011 Conference will play a role in salvaging our families and economies for the generations to come.

Here's a partial list of the topics to be covered at conference:

• Unemployment: What to Do When There's Nothing to Do
• The Proverbs 31 Family
• What Every Family Should Know About Starting Their Own Business
• A Vision of Victory for the Family
• The College Paradigm and the Family Economy
• How to Train Your Son to be Financially Prepared for Marriage
• Sacrifice or Slavery - Building a Christian Community for the Hard Times

Sounds great! I'm excited!

My husband first heard Kevin Swanson at a Vision Forum Father and Son retreat about 4 years ago and we have listened to his broadcasts since then. You can hear his daily broadcast, Generation with Kevin Swanson, anytime on SermonAudio.com We've learned ALOT from Kevin Swanson from listening to his broadcasts. The wide variety of broadcasts are very informative in regards to current events, like minded ministries, raising our children with vision, biblical worldview, etc. Kevin is very passionate and can be funny, too. We all enjoy hearing the broadcasts and highly recommend that you tune in on sermonaudio.com and hear his present and past broadcasts.

Daughter of Mine

Another free slideshow design by Smilebox

The Lord has allowed my daughter to reach her 12th birthday last month.

My daughter is precious to me. As a young lady, I dreamed of the day I would have my own little girl. I would buy little things like frilly bonnets to save for the daughter I believed I would one day have. My husband and I were delighted to find out during my second pregnancy that I was carrying my longed for baby girl. She has truly been a gift from God who was gracious to give me the desire of my heart. My daughter is the middle child between 3 brothers, all who love their sister.

My daughter is a faithful daughter. She is strong in her faith and convictions and takes her life as a child of God very seriously. I'm so grateful when she asks me, "Mom, am I doing better in this area of my life, or that area, etc." She willingly works along side me in our daily chores. She loves all things feminine and gives great importance to growing in the graces of a lady. She truly is a blessing to me. May you be blessed, my daughter.

A Weekend Just For Us

On our way out to the NCFIC Marriage Retreat. More to follow...

The Greatest of these is Love

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind;
love does not envy;
love does not parade itself,
is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely,
does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.

I Corinthians 13

A True Wife

A true wife makes a man's life nobler, stronger, grander, by the omnipotence of her love, turning all the forces of manhood upward and heavenward. While she clings to him in holy confidence and loving dependence, she brings out in him whatever is noblest and richest in his being. She inspires him with courage and earnestness. She beautifies his life. She softens whatever is crude and harsh in his habits or his spirit. She clothes him with the gentler graces of refined and cultured manhood. While she yields to him and never disregards his lightest wish, she is really his queen, ruling his whole life and leading him onward and upward in every proper path. -J.R. Miller

What a beautiful and inspiring words. What a lovely picture of a "true wife," and one that I want to emulate. To think that the Lord has created me as a help meet with the ability to inspirit my husband's manhood upward and heavenward with my life is truly amazing. This is most certainly a "high calling!"

Love

This month love is exalted and commercialized with the approach of Valentines Day. I will be posting a daily quote or two about love. The greatest Love being God Himself and in reference to the holy institution of marriage that He ordained.

Recently one of our Elders once stated that marriage and children are the two things that the Lord uses to sanctify us. Marriage allows us the opportunity to put aside our own selfishness in order to be a blessing to our spouse. Marriage is a picture of Christ and His Bride. Christ laid down his life for the Church and Christ is the head of the Church to whom she submits. My husband and I are newly discovering how this beautiful representation of marriage applies to our own marriage.

Marriage is often times not easy and when you do things your own way, it can be downright hellish, but when we follow God's ways it can be heavenly. We see the result of following our own ways by the thousands of broken marriages all around us. How sad this is, when by simply following God's pattern our marriages can be filled with joy and be an example to our children and a blessing to those around us.

Quotes by R.C. Sproul:

To submit to anyone less than Christ is difficult in a marriage. Yet it is Christ who commands women to be submissive to their sinful, fallible husbands. In this sense Christ is the silent partner of the marriage. It is hard for a wife to submit when she disagrees with her husband. But when she knows her submission is an act of obedience to Christ and honors Christ, it is much less difficult.

When the New Testament speaks of the church's glory, it is speaking of its dignity. By analogy, the husband is called to give himself to the purpose of establishing his wife in the fullness of dignity. When he uses his authority to destroy his wife's dignity, he becomes the direct antithesis of Christ. He mirrors not Christ but the Antichrist.

Where We'll Be This Weekend

Much to my delight, the Lord blessed my husband and I with the opportunity to attend this Marriage Retreat this weekend. I am so excited to be encouraged in my marriage and learn all that that I can in regards to the future marriages of my sons and daughter. Update to follow...

Jesus Christ is Everything!

Jesus Christ is Everything - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

My family and I were introduced to Paul Washer & HeartCry Ministry two years ago at the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference put on by NCFIC,whose Director is our elder, Scott Brown. Paul Washer's ministry and his messages have impacted our lives. The last week of the year 2010 and the first week of this year 2011 my husband had us all watch his videos posted on Heart Cry's Ministry website. We especially loved his teachings on the gospel and watched them several times so we could confirm in the minds of our children (and our own also,) what the Gospel is and what it isn't. The video entitled "Shocking Youth message," is also one everyone should watch. May Jesus Christ be our EVERYTHING and may we bear scars for the Gospel!

"And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God." Zach 13:9

How beautiful are those whose trust in a sovereign God surpass and outweigh life's trials, pain and suffering. My prayer is that the Lord give me joy in every difficult situation that He chooses to bring to my life knowing that my Redeemer is refining me, removing all dross, so that I may reflect the perfect image of Christ.

Joni Erickson Tada wrote the following a couple of months back:

I ran into some people over the weekend who are still stymied as to why a good God would allow cancer on top of my chronic pain and quadriplegia. But it's no mystery to me. “The cross God sends is a cross that He understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for the person to whom He has given it,” as one writer put it. The Bible puts it this way: “All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering” (II Thessalonians 1:5). When it comes to the cross you daily bear, join me in agreeing that God's judgment is right. The cross you shoulder is not one inch too large nor one ounce too heavy, for the Lord especially hand-tailored it so that Christ's kingdom might be advanced through you. That alone is the highest of honors.

We're Back Home From the Love the Church Conference!

We're back from the Love the Church Conference. We arrived home on Sunday evening. I have notes on some of the sessions that I want to post. My family and I were convicted in many areas of our lives and are grateful that we were able to attend. I'll be posting a few pictures too. Unfortunately, my camera started to die at the end of the conference and I was unable to take any more photos. Looking forward to sharing soon.
Blessings.

Love The Church Conference 2010

We will be attending this conference this week, Lord willing.

Information from the NCFIC website:

At this conference we will cast a vision for church life that is presented in scripture. Our prayer is for a rising number of churches dedicated to the glory of God alone. We will communicate the biblical doctrine of the church, explain her importance, her calling and her destiny. We will show how you and your family fit in to the church of Jesus Christ and how He has called you to love and serve her. We will bring messages on evangelism, missions, church planting, and discipleship through local churches. We will be explaining particularly important church practices such as singing, scripture reading, the Lord’s table, baptism, Sabbath keeping and church discipline. We will explain the importance of the sufficiency of scripture for the government of the church and how to apply the “regulative principle” in church life. We will even bring messages regarding the way that churches should treat their elders and whether or not they should pay them.

We live in a day and age where people seem to be confused about the practices, structure and importance of the church. Christian nomadism, church hopping, neglect, and broken relationships are legendary in the modern church. People often leave their churches without even notifying the leaders or their brothers and sisters. They just disappear and never return. Sometimes this confusion is seen in the neglect of the discipleship program of the church, and the meetings of the church. Is it that we don’t understand the nature of the church? Is it that we don’t understand Christ’s love for the church or His sacrifice? Is it that our love for Christ is low so our love for the church is low? Is it possible that some even despise the church by their nonchalance?

Ultimately, we are praying for an outpouring of love for the bride of Christ and for faithful obedience to scripture in all areas of church life.

Speakers

Other speakers include:

Jeff Pollard Andy Davis Bill Einwechter

Don Hart Boyd Dellinger Craig Houston

Joe Morecraft Dan Horn Jason Dohm

The Love the Church conference will be held in the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Asheville, NC.

For more information visit NCFIC.org

The Touch

"If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole."
Mark 5:28
Faith, hope, belief...just one touch of the hem of His garment.

Planning

I'm a planner. I love to plan. I love to make lists. I love to make Excel charts. I love to check off completed tasks on my lists. Howerver, as we all know life happens and I don't always follow through on my plans and I don't always cross off everything on my list. Some tasks are perpetually being added to my new lists and I hope to one day cross them off...ever have one or two of those tasks?!

Planning makes me feel secure and grounded. More so, planning declutters my mind and helps me be organized and disciplined. I love being organized and I need to be disciplined, but I recognize I have a loooooong way to go to better myself in this area. This however is the beauty in being a Keeper at Home. It is actually my "job" to become a better wife, helper to my husband, mother and housekeeper. Planning helps me in this area.

I've learned of course, to be flexible, knowing that the Lord is the only one who is truly in control of my life. He often sends situations that interrupt my plans all for my sanctification and I am in constant need of being sanctified!

If you have any tips or advice in this area I would love to hear from you. I'd also love to know of any websites, blogs or books that have helped you in the area of planning or organization.

Thanksgiving 2010

My pretty baker making her pie crust.

She loves baking.

Another little baker happy in the kitchen.

Mixing dough.

The finished product...what a pretty pie!

Organic golden Yukons with loads of organic butter, sour cream, milk, celtic sea salt & garlic pepper.....yum!

Me, Monica & Angela & Selah.

Outside fun.

Roasting marshmellows....cinder stained smile!

Lovely young ladies enjoying each other's company.

Both girls love to draw.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family or friends or both! This is our second Thanksgiving that we have spent with dear friends since both my family and my husband's family live more than 2,000 miles away. It's heartwarming to be able to spend holidays with your family, but if you can't, it's a blessing to be able to celebrate special days with family in Christ. I'm grateful that we have many friends in the Lord within our church body.

We spent the afternoon and evening with our friends, the Fernandez family. I baked a turkey, made our famous mashed potatoes, and my daughter made a coconut pie and we bought a pumpkin pie. Our friends provided the rest of the Thanksgiving "fixin's." It was a very pleasant, peaceful evening of food and fellowship. After dinner more friends came over and the children roasted marshmellows outside at a fire pit in the backyard. I completely forgot to take photos. I did take a few and my daughter took a few also, but I don't have a single family shot, a group shot or any pictures at the dinner table. :( Here are the few we did take. Enjoy!

Give Thanks!

"O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever."
Psalm 107:1

He is good! How wonderful it is to know that His mercy endureth FOREVER! As a sinner in constant need of the Lord's mercy, this is truly something marvelous that I am thankful for!

Today while we prepare to celebrate the official Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow my children and I are challenging ourselves to spend the day contemplating the goodness of the Lord and thanking Him for all His many blessings.

May your day be blessed!

Bridal Shower Wisdom

Early last month I attended a bridal shower for our elder's second daughter, Blair. It was a joyful time of fellowship. After the last gift was unwrapped and oooed and awed over, a time was opened up for the ladies to share some words of wisdom in regards to marriage. Much of the advice given was truly valuable and I should have taken notes. I don't remember everyone's exact words, but I'll try, nonetheless to share as much as my memory holds.

1. Encourage your husband when he is feeling down or fearful by loving on him.

2. One dear lady whom I admire just said one word, "RESPECT."

3. No matter how busy your day, get the things done that please him, such as having the living room clean (if this is what he wants) so he can have some orderly place to sit and relax when he returns home from work. Prioritize and make important those things which are important to him.

4. Don't over analyze his words towards you. Don't try to think there are hidden motives and thoughts behind his words. You don't want to go there.

5. Be free with your love with no thoughts of restraint.

6. Pray to the Lord to give your husband insight into the areas of vision in which he should be leading. Sometimes upon presentation of certain ideas of vision your husband may not always capture it, but do not be dismayed. Instead of nagging, take it to the Lord in diligent prayer. The Lord will help your husband to understand the vision he needs to have and the vision or idea you presented will become his "own" idea!

7. Be merciful and forgiving with your husband. He is not perfect, just as you are not perfect. If you are generous with mercy, when the time comes when you need to be shown mercy, your husband will be free to be merciful and gracious with you.

I'm sure there was more advice given but this is all I can remember. Since the invitation to the shower asked everyone to come prepared to share some advice or encouragement to the new bride, I was prepared to share a tiny nugget or two, however, I was too shy to do so and thought it best to just gleam the wisdom from the more experienced wives!

I asked my husband beforehand what things I have done throughout our marriage that have been a blessing or encouragement to him. This is what he shared with me and what I had thought of sharing should the sharing have been mandatory and not by volunteering:

1. My husband loves coming home. The warm welcome we give him is the highlight of his day. I have trained the children to view his coming home as the best and most exciting part of our day. When the children see his car coming up the driveway, they all yell, "Dad's home! Dad's home!" We all run to greet him and hug him. I always freshen up and make sure my hair and clothing are in order when I know he will be home shortly. And I always give him a big kiss at the door! "Make your husband's arrival from work the highlight of your day. Greet him as if you hadn't seen him all week." (I'm not sure how this would work out if he works from home!)

2. He appreciates that I have always been kind and loving to his family. "Love his family."

3. He appreciates and is blessed by how I manage his money by being frugal, always striving to buy what we need at the best possible price. "Manage his money well. Be frugal and appreciate how hard he works to provide money for his family."

Anyone care to share a "nugget" or two of their own? I'd love to hear from you! Ask your husband to let you know how you have blessed him. You may be pleasantly surprised at what he mentions. I was so pleased to hear the things my husband mentioned and encouraged to seek out new ways to bless him.

My Neglected Blog

I must admit, dear readers, that I have been neglecting my blog. In fact, all of my family has neglected their blogs. Looking back, I don't even know where we found the time to blog the entries we posted. We've been so busy these past few months, with school in general. However, blogging is important to us and I will take time this month to rearrange our schedule and set aside time for myself and my fellow bloggers here at home to post.

It's hard to believe that we're in the month of October and I didn't even blog much about our summer and some important events that took place. I'll be posting some photos and small posts about those events since one of the reasons I started my blog was to maintain a type of journal of our lives. Hopefully, I can catch up this month and start blogging on a more regular basis.

Until my next post...May you be blessed!

Our 14th Anniversary

Ready to spend the day with my love.

Lunch with a beautiful ocean view. I had a bowl of lusciously creamy lobster soup, a fresh garden salad, and of all things, fried fish and chips. ( I should have had grilled fish with veggies, but the fish and chips called my name!) The fish was very tasty and I enjoyed my delicious lunch immensely. Food tastes so good when you are happy!

MeMy husband of 14 years.

In front of the lovely restaurant where we had lunch.

Last month my dear husband and I celebrated 0ur 14th anniversary! We spent the day at the beach. We had a WONDERFUL time together. We walked up and down the beach, sat in the warm sand together to watch the waves, and then had a late lunch at a restaurant with an ocean view. Lovely, lovely, lovely! After lunch we took a walk through the quaint downtown. Before getting out of the car my husband surprised me by asking me to stay seated. He then went to the back of our car and brought me a gift! After I opened it, he then went back and brought me another one and after I opened that gift, he brought me the final gift! I delighted in the surprise gifts and appreciated my husband plans to surprise me. I also loved my gifts! One of the gifts was a beautiful silver purse. Receiving a purse as part of my anniversary gift has now become a tradition. Six years ago my husband started giving me a purse as part of my anniversary gifts. I love using and wearing the purses that he chose especially for me...he has good taste too!

A trip to an old fashioned candy and ice cream shop was in order after the gift giving and receiving. I had a small piece of walnut chocolate fudge and my husband opted for ice cream.

We walked around quite a bit talking and looking at the interesting shops and restaurants. We saw a restaurant that we would like to try on our next day out together. Too soon it became time for us to leave for home. It was a lovely romantic day, a special celebration of our love. Te Amo, mi Amor.

31 Qualities of a Godly Woman

By Luke Otterstad

1. She handles herself gracefully (Proverbs 11:16)

2. She loves and embraces children (Psalm 113:9, Titus 2:4)

3. She speaks with wisdom (Proverbs 31:26)

4. She has discretion (Proverbs 11:22)

5. She is able to be fully trusted by her husband (Proverbs 31:11)

6. She desires to be her husband’s most faithful companion and closest confidant (Malachi 2:14)

7. She joyfully embraces being a woman and abhors feminism (Psalm 113:9, Romans 12:9)

8. She can manage her home well (Proverbs 31:27, Titus 2:5, 1 Tim 5:14)

9. She is diligent to accomplish anything entrusted to her care (Proverbs 31:13, 1 Tim 5:10)

10. She is firm in her convictions and desires to teach younger women the virtues of godly womanhood through her example and instruction. (Titus 2:4)

11. She desires for, and encourages men to be leaders in their families, churches and society. (Isaiah 3:12, Eph. 5:23, Titus 1:5-6)

12. She desires to build up and strengthen her home (Proverbs 14:1)

13. She desires to raise and train the next president, not BE the next president (Proverbs 31:1, Isaiah 3:12)

14. She believes children are a blessing from God, not a burden (Deut. 7:14, 33:24, 127:3)

15. She has a humble spirit (1 Peter 3:4)

16. She looks up to, follows, and respects her husband as the leader of the home (1 Cor. 14:35, Eph. 5:33)

17. She has a quiet spirit, and influences others through godly conduct (1 Peter 3:1-2, 4, 1 Tim. 2:12)

18. She desires to be a mother of nations, not a leader of nations (Genesis 24:60)

19. She has a heart to open her home to hospitality and service to others (1 Tim. 5:10)

20. She cares for the saints (1 Tim. 5:10)

21. She is capable and skilled to clothe her family and decorate her home (Prov. 31:21-22)

22. She desires to model the examples of holy women in Scripture (1 Peter 3:5)

23. She has skills to prepare meals for her family and bless others through hospitality (Prov. 31:15)

24. She is able to teach her children with practical, life instruction (Proverbs 31:1, 26, 6:20)

25. She desires to please her husband and do him good all his life (Prov. 31:12, 1 Cor. 7:34)

26. She is able to manage a business from her home (Prov. 31:18)

27. She can be trusted with wise discretion in spending (Prov. 31:16)

28. She cares for the poor and the needy (Prov. 31:20)

29. She clothes herself in modesty and good works and does not desire to attract or distract men’s eyes (1 Peter 3:3-4, 1 Tim. 2:9-10)

30. She has a kind and helpful attitude (Prov. 31:26-27)

31. She is prudent: intelligent, productive, skillful, wise and has understanding (Prov. 19:14)

A woman such as this is priceless: her value is far above rubies. Her husband will exalt her, praise her, love her, give up his life for her, and her children will call her blessed. The man that finds such a woman, is truly undeserving of such an honor, as God has bestowed upon him a blessing only few will find.

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I read this list and decided that I had to post it. It is an inspirational reminder of the qualities, character and deeds of a Godly woman set forth by Scripture that I fervently desire to emulate and call my own.

This was written by a young man, Luke Otterstad, to describe what a Godly woman looks like to his friends. Wow!

Nourishing Choices - Part 2

In Part 1 of my mini series, Nourishing Choices, I wrote about sweeteners and the new choices I've made in that area. For part 2 of this series I think it is fitting to now write about salt, just because salty is the opposite of sweet :).

Our new choice for salt in our home is Celtic Sea Salt. After reading about the many benefits that Celtic Sea Salt offers I made the big purchase. And yes, it is a big purchase, as compared to what I usually purchased before, Morton Salt (26 oz.), which costs around $0.80. Celtic Sea salt (8 oz.) at Whole Foods costs around $10.00. Despite the huge difference in price, I am very happy with our new choice as the salt is nutritious as well as delicious and really brings out the flavor in the foods to which it is added.

There are many brands of Celtic Sea Salt available including certified organic brands. I buy the brand pictured above and I'm satisfied with it.

Here are some of the benefits of Celtic Sea salt as listed upon healthfree.com:

• Celtic Sea Salts are a prime condiment that stimulates salivation, helps to balance and replenishes all of the body's electrolytes.
• It provides renewed energy
• It gives you a high resistance to infections and bacterial diseases
• It supplies all 82 vital trace minerals to promote optimum biological function and cellular maintenance.
• It balances alkaline/acid levels
• It restores good digestion
• The natural iodine in these salts protects against radiation, atomic fallout and many other pollutants.
• It can aid in relieving allergies and skin diseases
• And overall greatly reduces toxins and to help prevent ill-health
• Properly stored, salt keeps virtually indefinitely.