I Don't Want Anymore Because...

I hear it ALL the time, "I don't want to bring kids into this world because it is so evil."  That's the answer almost every single time I am talking to someone about why they do not want more kids or why they don't want any kids at all.  Although, I do believe that is a true statement (because who couldn't tell the world is full of evil when we watched the events in Charlottesville take place over the weekend), I also believe that that is all the more reason WHY Christian families should choose to have children.  The fact of the matter is that the world has been evil since the fall of man in Genesis when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  That was it.  That was also over 6,000 years ago.  If we, as Christians, choose to not have any children then Christianity will become almost non-existent in just a matter of a few decades.  That is a scary thought.  Then what will this world be like?  I'm not saying that everyone who is not a Christian is evil, I'm just simply stating that with God all things are better...after all, he did give you life.  I can't imagine a world without Christianity, how wicked it would be is really beyond my comprehension.

Evil has been around for well over 6,000 years now.  The reason that we feel like the world is more wicked now is because there are more people, BUT we hear about all the terrible things that happen all the time because of technology.  We can get an instant report of any bad thing that has happened, almost anywhere in this world with just the touch of a screen or click of a mouse. We can be anywhere, at anytime and see what is going on or hear about it with the help of the radio or alerts on our phones or on TV.  Our world is so consumed with only broadcasting the bad things that we ignore the good.  The evening news only talks about the bad things that have happened that day, your local paper only discusses recent arrests, or shootings and so on...therefore, I think that is why we have just developed the mentality that the world is more evil now than it was back in Bible times.  From the time God found Adam and Eve "hiding" in the garden until today, evil has been around.  I mean, Cain killed his brother (Abel),  David had Uriah killed to cover up an affair he had with Uriah's wife that led to her getting pregnant, there were plenty of wars, the Israelites were slaves, Saul killed Christians (before becoming Paul), not to mention all of the diseases there were and the list could go on.  All of these examples are straight from the Bible, times when people believe there were no such things like murder or adultery taking place.  If you take a closer look at the story of the Israelites while they were in slavery to Egypt for hundreds of years, they still kept having children.  As a matter of fact they kept having them at such a rate that Pharaoh became fearful  they would ally themselves with Egypt's enemies, so he ordered that all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed in order to reduce the population of the Israelites.  Then along came Moses.  What a mighty man of God he was.  That just goes to show you that even in the midst of the most terrible times God will have his way and his people will prevail.  That's a different story for a different day, but feel free to read the book of Exodus and you will see just how terrible it was for the Israelites and how God saved Moses from Pharaoh to become the man who ultimately ended up being the one (with the help of Aaron) to have the people freed. 

Now, on to the point that Christianity is dying out.  Did you know that there are more Christians dying of old age than there are being born?  In Germany alone researchers have found that there were an estimated 1.4 MILLION more Christian deaths than births between the years 2010 and 2015.  Muslim babies will outnumber Christian births by the year 2035.  Islam is said to be the fastest, most rapidly growing religion in the world.  Not just in certain countries, but in the WORLD.  People, Christians, Christianity is literally dying out!  Our future generations don't have a chance in this world if we put fear before God's will.  The Bible explicitly tells us to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). I wholeheartedly believe if you are able to have children, then this is what we, as Christians, are called to do and should do.  I get it though.  It's scary raising children in this world, but what are the chances of of it being better if we don't have children to train up the way God says and send them out to reach the world?  Who knows, you may be holding the world back from the next Moses or Billy Graham.  If we can't put our faith and trust in God to take care of our precious babies, the very one who gave life, then do we really, truly have ANY faith in God for anything to begin with?  

Christianity is depleting quickly, trust God. I encourage you to read the book of Exodus, along with these few verses here:  Romans 8:28 Proverbs 22:6  Matthew 17:20  Genesis 1:28 Psalm 127:5

Save The Trees, Kill the Babies

  Wait, wait, wait now before any of you start trying to jump down my throat. I am completely pro-life.  Honestly though, how terrible and absolutely downright disturbing does that sound?  The truth is, that is how most Americans feel.  Our views of having children have become so skewed in this day and time, so much so that if anyone has more than two kids in the house we look at them like they are some sort of mysterious, undiscovered monster from the deepest depths of the ocean.  We think that they have lost their everloving minds. However, I believe that we have totally misconstrued our priorities. Children are the biggest blessing that God has given us on this earth.  The Bible says that children are an heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3).  We have become so "green-minded" and so "women's rights" this and that that we have lost total sight of what life really means.  
  Let me get down to the nitty-gritty here.  I will start off by saying that I am absolutely in every way, shape and form WHOLEHEARTEDLY pro-life.  I believe that if God gives you a baby in your womb then that baby is completely in his hands and whatever may happen will be for a unique purpose that only He knows.  He is the giver of life and he knew us before we were even formed in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5).  He has everything in control.
  On the other hand, there are people out there who are more worried about saving the trees than saving babies.  How can we, as humans, sit around and let these innocent babies die from abortions and be t-totally okay with it, yet when we hear that another tree is about to be chopped down people march in protests and chain themselves to the equipment in hopes of stopping the process? How does that even seem logical? Don't get me wrong here, I know trees are essential to this beautiful earth but isn't a human life more important than a tree? 
Abortions have only been recorded since 1969 (in America) and from 1970 until 2013 there was a total of 51,888,303 abortions...just in America and those are just the abortions that were reported to the CDC.  Only God knows how many abortions have occurred that were not reported to the CDC.   In 1990 alone there was a reported 1,429,247 abortions ...ONE MILLION!! ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_statistics_in_the_United_States )  Those statistics don't even account for the early term abortions that some birth controls cause (that will be a different story for a different day).  That makes me feel physically sick to my stomach!  Yet, we scream and cry over trees being torn down...TREES people!! These poor innocent babies who were conceived had NO choice in the matter.  I'm sure I will generate some negative comments from the pro-choice people out there and that's fine, but think of this...these babies had absolutely no choice in the matter of being conceived and for them to be punished by death because of YOUR CHOICE is egregious! I don't think that this article will change anyone's mind who may be pro-choice, but if it does then it will be worth it!  The moment that a baby is conceived it is ALIVE.  It has a heartbeat and it is a developing human being. 
  Now, I would like to tell you how I personally know that people's views of having several children have changed.  If I had a penny for every time that I went to the store or just out in public and someone asked me "Are all of those yours?"; I would be a millionaire. No. Lie.  It doesn't matter where I go but it never fails that when I do go somewhere that question is ALWAYS asked, and quite frankly I've grown accustomed to the questions and the stares.  It doesn't bother me in the least little bit, but every time people ask me the notorious question and wait for my answer it's almost like they're taken aback when I say yes, they are all mine.  Almost like they are anxiously awaiting for me to say no just so they can feel like they can breathe again and not have to throw out any unwanted "advice".  However, people have caught me on bad days and asked me questions and just out of my own raw emotions in the moment I have made some smart remarks and thought some ugly things. I just want to look at them and say "What difference does it make to you if they're all mine? You don't pay my bills, you don't live in my house, you don't take care of them...what does it matter if they're all mine?!" If I'm honest, sometimes I would just LOVE nothing more than to just blurt those words from my mouth.  A few weeks ago, at a local grocery store, I encountered something I haven't encountered yet...a grumpy old man.  The man never stopped to speak to me, but as I was going into the store with ALL four of the kids in tow he was coming out of the store and without hesitation proceeded to say (as he kept walking and in his grouchy old man voice) "You ain't going to get any shopping done with all of them kids." It just kind of threw me for a loop.  I did what I knew to do, rolled my eyes and quite happily kept pushing my buggy with two of my precious jewels inside and went grocery shopping.  It's not that what the man said was all that rude, but just the way he said it rubbed me the wrong way.  I know of others with several kids who have experienced hateful situations regarding the size of their families also.  Let's face it, people will tell you like it is nowadays, they don't care if they know you or not or even if they hurt your feelings. They will eat you alive like some sort of vulture and then happily be on their merry little way. Life has become more about OUR our own convenience than what about God says.  In Genesis 1:27 God says, be fruitful and multiply.  He doesn't list a specific number of babies to have, although he does say in Psalms 127:4-5 that happy is the man that his quiver full of them (children).  Let's face it, society cannot stand anything that goes against the "norm", and having more than two or three children definitely goes against the grain these days. We are so caught up in being economically friendly (which is great by the way) and doing what we want that we have completely misconstrued what life really is.  Do you know how I know that we have a skewed vision of what life really is?  I know, because when it comes down to us choosing to save the trees or guiltlessly kill innocent babies; people are choosing to kill innocent babies! We, as a people, have for several decades now kicked God to the sidelines and have completely given up on Him.  Murder is a sin.  That is a fact.  Deuteronomy 5:17 says "Thou shalt not kill." When you purposefully murder an unborn child, that is exactly what you are doing. You are saying that that child isn't good enough to live.  It makes my heart ache to think that such things go on.  Planned Parenthood is as evil as evil gets.  Who on God's green earth thinks that RIPPING limbs off of them poor babies and then turning around and SELLING them is even remotely okay?  It makes me feel physically sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I can tell you right now that God does not approve of such things. Herein lies the arguments of people who are pro-choice. "If the baby is going to have a disability we don't want it"; "What if you were raped, you wouldn't want to keep it." Let me just tell you, I know people who have overcome each of these obstacles and have had the baby despite what the doctors or society tells them to do. I just don't understand how, as a mother, you would choose to abort the baby because something may be wrong with it.  Being a mother means being selfless and sacrificing.  I would give my life in an instant so my babies could live. Babies are not items we can return because they may be defective.  Babies are made to be loved no matter what the circumstance may be.  They are like rainbows after the storm.  I have had two miscarriages myself and although they were early on in the pregnancy that was still a loss of a child to me. It is hard to talk about it at times but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about what those children may look like, or act like or what kind of food they would like; so when someone intentionally kills a beautiful unborn soul it shakes me to my core.  Babies are of God.  Babies are given to us by God.  The greatest calling on any person is the calling to be a parent.             
  In spite of what society says is "good" or "acceptable" I will keep doing what God called me to do and that is being a mother.  I don't care how many snarky people I encounter on my way there.  Society doesn't determine my family size, God does.  Society doesn't determine my happiness.  Society doesn't determine what I am to do with my kids or my life.  I  strive to live it as closely as I can to the Bible.  I'm not saying my family is living in some sort of magical, rainbow, fairytale land with magical unicorns and where we are all always happy go lucky and things are as great as gold.  That would be a bit of an exaggeration.  Things around here are about as chaotic as Tony Romo's  doctors visits from his last year in the NFL. There is never, ever a dull moment...unless they are sleeping, and even then I have to watch out for the sleepwalkers, sleep talkers, the ones who just stand beside my bed and stare me in my face like they will devour me at any given minute.  Life is grand though.  Life is grand when they're sick, life is grand when they're having bad days, life is grand when I'm having a bad day, life is grand when they won't let me get any shopping done, life is grand when I've had no sleep, life is grand even when they're punching each other and I'm contemplating on grounding myself for a few days...out of state...by myself.  I have completely forgotten what life was like before kids...I anticipate it being very, very boring though.  They make everything better.  Even mornings.  Trust me, that says a lot coming from me.  If you would have asked me two months ago if I would have more kids I would have flat out, without no hesitation told you "NO", four is plenty, but oh how my thoughts and views have changed over the course of these past two months.  I wouldn't trade my kids for anything in this world and if God allows me to then I would gladly accept more of them! I know that sounds crazy to probably most of everyone reading this, but when you sit back and look at kids and put your own selfish thoughts to the side about how much of an inconvenience you think they may be or how much time it takes to do things for them when you could be doing other things or how much it costs to raise them and so on; when you truly sit back and look at how much of a miracle and a blessing from God they really are and at how short of a time span eighteen years really is, then your heart grows a little bigger for each child.  I recently read a quote that said "No one has ever died wishing they would have had less children, but there have been plenty that have died wishing they would have had at least one more." 
  In conclusion, let's not give in to what society says is best in any aspects of our lives.  As Christians, we are to follow God wholeheartedly and what His word says.  It's all good to be eco-friendly but when it comes down to choosing life, let that life be the life of a precious little newborn baby.   
   

  
  

Why Giving up is so Easy

  Have you ever sat back and looked around at people in the ministry (pastors, teachers, preachers, etc.) who have given up on ministry completely and think to yourself; "How can someone in their position just give up and walk away like that?"  I think we have all thought it a time or two.  People tend to put these types of people on pedestals and put EXTREMELY high standards on them.  The truth is this, people with these titles are probably the people who somewhat find it the easiest to walk away at times.  Why do I say this? Because I have seen first hand how hard life in the ministry can be.  Being a pastor's wife and seeing my husband struggle with other people's struggles, people's criticisim of him (or me at times) for the way he/I may do things, and complaints about totally irrelevant matters are just a few things he has had to deal with.  Now, I do realize that this is just not him that faces these types of things, in fact every single pastor/preacher/teacher/leader has at one point or another faced some (if not all) of those situations I listed above. 
   One of the hardest parts of being a pastor or the wife of the pastor is the fact that we tend to be given the highest of highest standards.  How in the world are we supposed to live up to the standards placed on us?  There is NO POSSIBLE way we could EVER do that.  I think people tend to forget that we are just humans.  HUMAN.  We fall just like you fall, we forget just like you forget, we have a life OUTSIDE of the ministry (SHOCKER!!!), we have families just like you have families.  What I'm trying to say is that if you have bad days, good days, forgetful days, or whatever the case may be then remember that your pastor has those same exact kind of days.  He isn't perfect, his family isn't perfect and they never will be.  His bad days may fall on your good days, his forgetfulness he can't help because he is already on schedule overload with all kinds of other things going on.....all while trying to lead and maintain his own household. If you call in the middle of the night he comes, and leaves his family behind, if you call while he's out and about with his family, he will drop what he's doing and be there.  There are times when he just can't be there, but even during those times his praying NEVER EVER stops for you or your situation.  
  However, there is one thing you should never consider your pastor to be and that is lazy or selfish.  You have no idea what goes on inside his mind, inside his home and not to mention the duties of pastor piled on top of all of that.  Laziness or selfishness should never be considered as part of his problem.  After all, the Bible only lists one job to someone who is in that position and that job is to feed his flock (preach to them), and if he is doing that then he is doing what he is supposed to.  He doesn't answer to people, he answers to God and well, what God tells him to do is WAY more important than what any person on the face of the earth could tell him or suggest for him to do.  In the end God is the final judge and he will answer to him not anyone here.  
   Secondly, the stress that weighs down on the pastor becomes stress that weighs down on his wife, and the stress on his wife becomes stress she releases on to her family (children, friends and so on) because everything keeps building and building and building.  You say, "Well, the pastor's wife doesn't need to know anything that goes on anyway." I say to you, then who in the world is the pastor supposed to release his frustration or struggles out on? Yes, he can pray about them and seek God's help and I can guarantee you that he does do just that. However, just like you he also needs to just vent sometimes.  He doesn't always have to vent for his wife to know something is wrong with him either.  If you have been married for any length of time you know when something is wrong with your spouse, without even asking them what is wrong you can tell by their demeanor that something is bothering them.  They don't have to tell you what's wrong for you to be concerned about them either, just the simple fact that you know something is weighing heavily on your spouse's heart and mind makes you worry for them.  The same holds true for pastor's and their wives.  The burdens that he carries falls down to his family also.  His family is pushed aside for the needs of the church and the people in it and I think that is one thing people tend to take for granted and not even realize it.  
  So, the question remains: why is it so easy for people in the ministry to give up and walk away?  Well, here are some reasons why I feel as though it is easy for people in the ministry to "throw in the towel" so to speak. When people in these positions face so much backlash for their opinion on something, and things that constantly plague them build and build and build and they feel they have no one to talk to then they start to feel invaluable to their congregations, and as though nothing they say sinks in to anyone, when their family at home starts to fall apart (because they are gone or on call at all times of the night/day), throwing in the towel just seems to be the better option and sometimes we let the devil defeat us.  Does that make it the right decision to give up ministry when this happens or when we face adversity (whether constant or occasionally)?  Absolutely not.  God did not call us to give up or quit.  Yes, the struggles are real, yes, people can be absolutely downright mean and selfish, yes, our feelings get hurt (AND OFTEN).  However, that still does not give us reason to give up.  Jesus faced adversity wherever he went.  We need to keep on keeping on! It will all be worth it in the end! We are ALL human, from the man on the very back pew, to the man that stands behind the pulpit and the man that plays in the church band.  We ALL have feelings, we all have flaws, we all have capabilities to do what God wants us to do. People tend to forget that we do have feelings too and just letting things fly out of their mouth thinking we're made out of stone is not a very good idea! 
  Now, I will say that above all of the things I have listed here the good days do outweigh the bad.  The people that are genuinely grateful for what you have done or how you may have helped them are worth it all.  The fact that no matter if there wasn't but one person who was saved, or one person you helped along the way, or one person that you lifted up, just that one person was worth it and knowing that you are doing what GOD wants YOU to do.  There are people who lift up these men/women in ministry and help carry their burdens and for them people I am eternally grateful, because without people like you then people in the ministry may very well "throw in the towel" and be done for good.  I encourage each and every one of you to be one of those people, and don't forget that we, too, are human!  Also, don't put your trust in man for he will surely let you down.  Put your trust in God, he's the one that can ALWAYS be there for you even when these people of God cannot.  

Why do we put time limits on God?

  Why do we put time limits on GOD?  It's true whether we want to admit it or not.  If things don't happen in our time, then we think it will never happen at all.  We pray for our lost loved ones in such a way as if they will be saved right then and there but we give up hope on them and God when things don't happen immediately.  We begin to think, "Well, they will never get saved, they'll never get in church."  We pray and ask God to save them; for him to plant a seed then we walk away aimlessly thinking "Well, God, I've done my part-now it's your turn."  That is true....to an extent.  You see, praying for our lost loved ones is the very first step, an obligation as a Christian so to speak. However, if we don't put any actions behind our prayers then things may not play out as they are supposed to.  We are supposed to nurture the lost people, show them God's love.  SHOW them GOD'S LOVE.  SHOW THEM GOD'S LOVE!  Praying isn't the only way to bring in your lost loved ones, it is merely a stepping stone.  We get to the point to where when things aren't happening for us, we give up.  We start praying the prayer of repetition-the prayer of repetition is meaningless.  Once you hit that spot where prayer becomes a habit (going through the motions type of thing), just something you do because you are supposed to then you aren't accomplishing anything.  You don't pray for people because you feel as though you have to.  If you don't have the love and true desire in your heart for your prayer then you won't get anywhere. Your prayers of repetition become as old bread; stale, crumbled and dried up.  Just because we pray doesn't mean anything in a sense. It is the prayers that are prayed out of love that mean the most.  We may pray for YEARS before anything happens, but don't give up, don't stop praying, don't stop believing, don't start praying just so you can say you prayed today.  The Bible tells us that Daniel prayed for 21 days before God answered him.  Daniel chapter 10 verse 12 says "Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before God, thy WORDS WERE HEARD, and I come for thy words." We have to have faith! Sometimes, we don't give people a fighting chance.  We are so negative and think people will never come to know God wholeheartedly (we even think this about our OWN LOVED ONES at that!) Who are we to think such things?  We don't know what God's plans are-only he knows, and we most certainly are not better than ANYONE else just because we are a Christian.  God gave us grace, somebody prayed for us, and EVERYONE is entitled to that very same thing! If we pray without ceasing as the Bible teaches us to do then things will happen IN GOD'S TIME!  It isn't the amount of words you pray, it's HOW you pray them.  Not the quantity but the quality.  Quit putting time limits on God's work!  Just because we pray for it earnestly (as Daniel prayed) doesn't mean things will happen any quicker, but the longer we wait, the more joyous it will be when God does answer that prayer!    

The love of money is the root of evil, but the love of God is eternal!

  One of the biggest lies you probably feel like you were told growing up is that money, essentially does NOT matter.  As children, you believe that as long as you have your family, you are alright, doesn't matter how much money you have.  However, when you become an adult, you quickly realize how much money it takes to be a responsible adult...and believe me it is NOT FUN. The truth is, money is the root of all evil, the Bible tells us this in  1 Timothy 6:10 (For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.) You see money is like candy, the more of it you have, the more you want. The "worldly" truth though is that money makes the world go 'round.

  "As long as you have love, that's all that matters", "As long as you have love, you have it all", and finally, "Love is all you need" are some of the sayings I used to hear growing up.  You know what though?  Love isn't building me the house I want, love isn't buying me the car I "need" and it most certainly isn't paying the health insurance or phone bill every month.  It just doesn't feel like love is doing an awful lot for me other than giving me the emotional and physical connection I need between me and my husband.  My mind is constantly telling me we need more, more money..for whatever reason it may be that seems logical at the time.

  However, I have come to a realization.  In the past, I always thought when someone told me that "Love is all you need"; they were talking about the genuine love of a husband.  That if I had the love of a great man, then we could go far, didn't matter how much money we had. To an extent those people who would tell me that was right, all except one thing.  They were right about love could take me far no matter how much money I had, except it's not the love of my husband that can do this....It's the love of Jesus. The LOVE of all LOVES.  The love of a husband is a mighty and powerful thing, but the love of God is even greater. The love of Jesus paid it all, it was the love that covered a multitude of sins. 

  You see, love really is all you need if you have the love of Jesus.  The love between a husband and wife will carry you a long ways in life and it will help you overcome many obstacles along the way, but lets face it...that kind of love really isn't providing the things you need (material) in this walk of life.  Jesus said that he would never leave us, nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.)  If you have Jesus living within you, his love truly can give you all that you need, even when you have no money and you are down to nothing.  Jesus' love has already bought you everything that you will ever need.....and that's EVERLASTING LIFE.  We are bought with a price...the price of the blood that Jesus shed.  He paid the ransom for us so we could have a chance to get to Heaven. The only thing he asks us to give him in return is to worship and serve him. 

  Don't let the troubles of this world bring you down, trust in Jesus.  He takes care of the fowls of the air and the fish of the sea (Matthew 6:26-"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.  Are ye not much better than they?") and he promised he would take care of you and me.  I will finish with this, 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."  Jesus loves you and will provide your every need, not your wants, but your true needs...and that my friends is a love that no amount of money could buy.