Proverbs 27:27

Hello friends......
Hope this finds you all smiling and well.....I've got a few things that Jesus is teaching me as I dig deeper into His Word. I am getting my thoughts together on them (remember, my ADD is always on overdrive, it might be a while)....so in the meantime, I thought it would be fun to share what we've been up to with our little farm and the "fruits of our labor".

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"You will have plenty of goats' milk
to feed you and your family......."

~Proverbs 27:27

Feeling blessed that we now have this......

(fresh goat's milk from our does)

so that we can make this..........

(fresh "queso blanco" goat cheese)

and this.......

(carrot cinnamon goats' milk soap)

all while giving Him all the Glory!

....have a beautiful day~

*~Michelle~*

The Wheelbarrow

So we are pretty much wrapping up our homeschooling this year.....and keeping it real, I am probably just as excited about it as the kids are. The weather has been gorgeous for the most part and I really love being outside, working around the yard/barn....taking advantage of the few short months we are blessed with this kind of weather here in New England.

So Ez and are wrapping up History with The Great Depression. History is the one subject that I really do enjoy, but only now as an adult. Again, keeping it real.....I will admit that it feels like I am learning this all for the first time. I am sure I learned this all way back in the Stone Age when I was in school, but certainly focusing on who was taking who to the dance, having the most popular Earth Shoes and getting my Farrah Fawcett hairdo perfect was way more important. I am also guessing that due to the brain cell loss I have incurred over the past 20+ years is the reason I feel this is "new" to me.

Anyway, we were covering the Roaring Twenties that led up to The Great Depression when we read about Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday was a baseball player with the Chicago White Stockings (I am guessing they changed that to Sox??.......see? No clue about this stuff). Long story short, after hearing the love of Christ during a gospel on Sunday, he gave up his successful career as a professional baseball player. He felt the calling in his life to teach others about God and later became a preacher.

He was a huge source of encouragement during the 20's where many people were finding the unhappy/empty side of seeking material possessions rather than investing in their spiritual lives. His concern for reaching out to "the Lost" (the many souls that were searching for happiness with sinful lifestyles and alcohol addictions) brought about many powerful revivals. He encouraged these people to put their trust in the Lord instead.

He made this one statement and it really struck me;

"Going to church don't make anybody a Christian, any more than taking a wheelbarrow into a garage makes it an automobile"

After I read that statement.....I continued to read the rest of the chapter to Ezra, but to be honest.....the words were coming out of my mouth, but in my head it was like the Charlie Brown teacher voice.

These past few weeks......I am that wheelbarrow.

For example......sure, I am going to church, but what good is it that I am rejoicing and praising God during those couple of hours, when only an hour before, I am storming around the house and snapping at everyone to hurry up. Then I find myself walking out of church with a renewed sense of peace, only to be grumbling about what my duties are for the day, pointing out my childrens' shortcomings and/or starting an argument with my husband before we even get home.

So yeah, lately I have not been the nicest person to be around. I have been wound up like a top, barking orders and demanding respect when I am not showing any respect to others. I've had the "because I say so" attitude with my kids, rather than taking the time to explain why they can or cannot do something. I have my pity party "table-for-one-please" meltdowns, then wonder why nobody wants to be within 30 feet of me. It's exhausting me as well as exhausting the peace in our home.

So, I am searching and praying to have the heart of Jesus, all while I am struggling with an ugly hostile one. It's like I have a wrestling match within and the ugly side is winning. I know this is what is making me feel uneasy and edgy because generally......I am a happy person. It's so conflicting because I know God gave me a loving caring heart and these feelings are so foreign to it. And as I type.....the word conflict keeps ringing in my head, because this truly is a conflict....it is spiritual warfare.

The negativity that starts to consume me then starts attracting unforgiveness, resentment and then an overwhelming guilt for it all. I don't want to be one of those people who, like referenced in a Casting Crown's song......hide behind a stain glass masquerade. Trying to keep it all together and convince *myself* and others as well that I am a shiny happy person.....only to be bitter and angry inside. Trying to make sure they don't see that I am falling apart at the seams when no-one is around.

Thankfully, there is no "masquerade" with Jesus. He knows my heart......He knows my struggles and it is only by Him that this turmoil can be conquered. So I continue to seek His heart, His peace and His way of loving people. I pray that once this turbulence is gone, I will be prepared to guard my heart and mind with His Armor.

Do you ever struggle with emotions that you know are the total opposite of what God desires for us? If so......how do you stop it in its tracks? Do you have any specific Scripture or prayer to help me overcome these bouts of distress?

Thanks so much.....

Peace~
*~Michelle~*

To ink.....or not to ink.....

......that has been a question tossed around lately.

So as you all know, I am a fan of tattoos. Last week, I shared the last one I got done. I enJOY my tattoos, they make me smile when I look at them, I reflect on what they mean to me/what they represent. Some of mine are in places that others cannot see for the most part, this recent one is on my inner wrist, clear and plain for the world to see....They are my own personal expression. I love Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!

I also understand and respect that not everyone feels the same as me when it comes to tattoos. In fact, many good Christians frown upon them and sometimes condemn those of us who have them or want to get them.

I would like to add this disclaimer that I do not claim to have any theological background at all, remember, my favorite version of the Bible is the Children's One I read with my kids. I am just going to speak from my heart and how I am understanding God's Word.

I have heard the verse in Leviticus 19:28 be used as a basis for many. "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD."

It was explained to me that God is warning the Jewish people about a pagan practice at funerals, where people would mutilate/mark themselves to appease their false gods. Apparently as a form of grieving, they rubbed the ashes of their deceased loved ones into the wounds as a sign of respect and also so that they were "carrying" them with them. Another theory is that they hoped that by cutting themselves and marking images/symbols of idols on their bodies, that they would obtain favor in the afterlife from their false gods, both for themselves and for those who just died.

It is also interesting that when Leviticus is followed to the letter, other passages in Leviticus warn the people from cutting their hair or trimming their beards, wearing clothes that are made of a mix of textiles and growing certain crops beside each other; ( ie, the "mingling" of seed). So what about the man who shaves and wears polyester?

Here is another angle from me and how I think. When also referring to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body,"

When talking recently with a friend (who is a youth pastor and tattooed as well)....he reminded me that you destroy your "temple" by allowing sin to run rampant in your life. Whether you are tattooed or not.....I believe it is more about who you are, what is in your heart.... how you treat others. We all know unfortunately of the many hypocrites in Christianity. Jesus reminds us that you can clean the outside of the cup and if the inside is dirty, it means nothing.

Ultimately, it is all about your personal relationship with Jesus. I would like to believe (again *my* interpretations/beliefs....) that if Jesus was hanging around here with us, he'd be wearing his sandals, sporting a few cool tattoos and have some awesome dreadlocks. (sorry, the hippie in me is coming out)


So I guess I'll wrap it up with this......I believe Romans 14:23 where it reminds us that anything that does not come from faith is sin. My tattoos come from my faith and my love for Jesus Christ. I have no regrets.

I would love to hear how you all feel about tattoos.......you know I keep it real, so I encourage you to do the same. Remember, I have my big girl panties on, so no worries about "agreeing to disagree" with this topic. If I couldn't handle all opinions, I wouldn't choose to put this out here and ask. I think as long as your comments are shared from what you truly feel in your heart and not out to slam any of our brothers/sisters opinions and beliefs........ there is no right or wrong response.

Thanks!

*~Michelle~*

Agape Love

Just wanted to share my newest tattoo!

......I got it right after my son Hunter got his:

(pretty awesome, huh? But can you say OUCH!?!?!)

Thank you for letting me share...

Have a beautiful and safe weekend, my friends~
*~Michelle~*

May I please you, please?

Are you a people pleaser? Do you struggle (as I do) by taking it to an unhealthy level? May I please ask you a few questions that you can ask yourself to see if you are joining me in that same destructive direction?


Do you have a hard time saying "no" to people in general?

Do you take on responsibilities that you really do not want to do/have no time to do and then, in turn, harbor resentment? Do you take these responsibilities on out of desire.....or duty?

Do you take responsibility for others moods and/or happiness? And then, does the onslaught of guilt come upon you when they are not happy or content?

Do you constantly need the approval of others? So much so that it affects your choices and decisions?

Do people sometimes take advantage of you when they know you are overly-giving in the physical sense as well as emotional?

Do you constantly sacrifice your own legitimate needs when you are constantly pleasing others and tending to their needs? Does it leave you feeling empty, frustrated and depressed?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, my friends.......I think it is a warning sign that you might be a people-pleaser.....otherwise known as an approval junkie.

Now I am not saying that serving others is not what God calls us to do. But rather, we just cannot turn our actions/motives into an idolatrous concern for what others think of us instead of what God thinks of us. Does that make sense? It can be very confusing as we have read the verses and learned the stories......"Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and give His life for many." But who's servant are we?

I guess what I am starting to learn as I have been praying about this.....is that we are to serve others...... not out of a sense of legalistic obligation, but out of love. When we seek to serve God first.....pleasing others will just follow naturally.

Another side effect of being an approval junkie is the disappointment that is sure to come when we are dependent on others appreciation (or lack of) when we set out to seek their approval. It becomes an obsession and ultimately a downward spiral in bitterness, depression and a feeling of hopelessness.

We have to realize that we cannot please everyone all the time. Not everyone is going to like us, no matter what we do or say. It is human nature to seek the approval of others......we want to be liked, don't we?! And sure it stings when we are rejected......and it will affect us......but we must not let it direct us.

We also need to keep ourselves in check when we go on these approval seeking binges. We need to remember that we cannot give people the right to dictate who we are.......that is God's job. It is a slippery slope of idolatry in a sense when we give people that power. We start to take our focus off of pleasing God when we are chasing the approval of the world. Others' approval becomes more of a priority than God's approval. Is it because we take for granted that God loves us unconditionally, therefore we slack in putting Him and His approval first?

Ouch.


So how about you? Are you an approval junkie? How do you handle it when it takes you to an unhealthyholy level?

I want to share something I heard this weekend as I have been praying about this and it came as such a timely manner (God's good like that). Maybe if you suffer from people-pleasing-itis you might want to write this down and tape it to your bathroom mirror, desk or the dashboard in your car.

God doesn't love us because we are valuable....
....we are valuable because God loves us.

I think when we truly know and believe our worth in God's eyes.....the bondage of pleasing people will be broken off....and we can and will be set free!

Have a great week, my friends.......

Peace~

*~Michelle~*

Unevenly Yoked

**********post removed**********

I wanted to thank everyone for all their prayers, advice and encouragement regarding this family issue we are dealing with. You will all never know how much I have been blessed with each and everyone's thoughts. Josh and I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to pray, for sharing your personal experiences and support.


After praying about this, I have decided to remove this post in the best interest of my family. God knows my intentions were soley to seek the wisdom/advice, not to break the trust of the people who are the most important in my life. I have saved all your comments and read them more often than you think, but have also chose to keep them "hidden" for privacy reasons.

I hope you understand.

*~Michelle~*

Mother's Day thoughts......

(originally posted last year at this time....please forgive the repetition and my over-use of the copy/paste button this week, but......well.....not only due to being slammed with a crazy busy schedule lately....I still have these same thoughts this year as well and you can never read enough Proverbs 31 when reflecting on being a mom, wife, .........daughter of The King!)



So with Mother's Day coming up.....I have been thinking about alot of things beside my "typical" Mother's Day weekend thoughts and plans.

The "typical" ones are......I am going to sleep in both mornings (which usually is only about 7:30....wishing my internal clock had a snooze button)

Then I have a Get out of Jail It's Mother's Day Weekend pass to do pretty much whatever I want. Within reason, of course.....setting fire to the piles of clutter in my home or wracking up a huge bill at Pier One would not be reasonable. Taking off Saturday morning for yard sales, then hitting some nurseries for plants, and treating myself to a special lunch is more likely the reasonable choice I will make. This also gives Josh the opportunity to pick up a few things for me with the kids......and because I am such a thoughtful and gracious wife, I took the burden off of him and gave him a list of suggestions. ;)

I reminded him that he got the low maintenance version for a wife. My list only included home-made soap from a local farm, some new garden snippers and an exercise mat. Easy, huh? I am not a fancy jewelry person, although I "love me" a new choker or simple stone pendant once in a while....I work part-time at a hair salon so I could grab a pedicure/hair treatment whenever I wanted (although I am like the painter whose house needs to be painted)
Point being....have the kids write me a note telling me how beautiful, wonderful and awesome I am much they love me and a bar of patchouli soap and I am thrilled.

Sunday plans include church and maybe coming home to fire up the grill for lunch and just "chill-ax-ing" at home, playing in the dirt and doing a little bit of nothing with my favorite people. :)

But I woke up this morning and two things are on my heart:

1. First, I want to focus on what The Bible tells us in Proverbs 31 about being a wife and mother. These are just a few of my interpretations....

• I want to give Josh the extra confidence that he needs to know that I support, love and respect him always. I want to try to remember to think before I say something negative or complain. I want to make sure he is reminded that he is an awesome husband, provider and father. Proverbs 31:12
  
• I want to dedicate more time helping others this year......and have my children by my side to teach them as well. Proverbs 31:20
• I want to live my life as the best example to my children so that it will be a positive effect on their future. I want to infuse Godly wisdom every step of the way. For my boys with choosing a wife and how to treat her.....and for my daughter, (who this really won't matter as she will never be allowed to date, according to Josh anyway)....show her the respect she deserves and how she needs to respect/treat her husband. Proverbs 31:26

on a lighter note......I remind Josh that I am def. following Proverbs in other ways already......

• Proverbs 31:24 ( She makes linen garments and sells them....) I'm a tie dying mama.
  
• Proverbs 31:16 (.....she plants a vineyard) well a garden counts, right?
• Proverbs 31:17 (..her arms are strong for her tasks) working on that...30 Day Shred, baby!
• Proverbs 31:10 (She is worth far more than rubies) Josh always teases me. He puts his hands out like a scale and bobs them up and down.....he says that he can imagine what it was like back in those Bible days, lol. "Hmmmmm........rubies or Michelle.....yeah, I guess you are worth a little more than rubies."
  

2. And secondly.....it occurred to me that there are people who are not able to or wanting to celebrate Mother's Day in the way I am blessed to.

I want to pray for:

• the moms who have sick children, may God grant them peace/strength/trust and believe in the power of prayer/miracles.
• the moms whose children have went back Home to Jesus, may God comfort and fill that hole in their heart that only Christ can fill and heal.
• the women who are struggling with infertility, may they trust that God has a plan for their barrenness and may they continue to have faith during their journey.
• anyone who has had to say good-bye to their mom, may they continue to hold loving memories in their heart and keep them alive by sharing stories with others.
• moms who are raising their children on their own, may God continue to be your source of strength.
  
• and this last group is one that doesn't get thought about often at this time.....the people who have been abandoned, abused, and/or betrayed by their mom. May God bring forgiveness and peace in your heart so that you may your life full of joy, love and hope.

So, with that.....please take a moment to say a prayer for others. Maybe take a minute to call someone who might need a lift this weekend or bring a card/small gift over to them. This one small gesture could be just what this person needed and you can bring light where they might have darkness.

I hope you have the best weekend possible.....may you be surrounded by the family and friends.....and most of all, may you be surrounded by God's Love.

Peace and love
*~Michelle~*