Bless Your Heart and Home

How to Weep with Those Who Weep

April 17, 2014 by amanda 4 Comments

Before college, the tragedies surrounding those I loved were kept to a minimum. I had some elderly friends who died, but they had lived long lives, loved the Lord, and were missed greatly by many people. Others that I heard of that had passed away were not people that I knew well or saw often. Seriously, the greatest loss during my childhood had been my cat’s untimely death on the day of my 11th birthday. I truly had no idea how to weep with those who weep.

But recently, it’s been different. Many of my close and lifelong friends are dealing with intense grief and loss….

Toddler Doctrine — planting seeds of the gospel

April 14, 2014 by amanda 9 Comments

Spending my days with my little son is the best thing ever. When he’s not schooling me on John Deere tractors and a three-point hitch, I’m showing him the tree where his bucketful of acorns came from, telling him why the moon is “gone” during the day, and helping him to learn how to carefully turn the paper pages of library books. We may finally have learned not to spit at strangers just because you’re nervous (yes, for real), but we’re still learning to share toys, pick up toys, and only throw toys that are meant to be thrown. And…what good opportunities to teach gospel-based doctrine to our toddler.

At 2 years old, he is learning the ropes of life — he’s exploring God’s world and the way God set things up to “tick,” so to speak. My husband and I are asking God for wisdom to use this time in our son’s life to point him continually to Christ and plant the seeds of the gospel in his heart. We pray that, like Timothy from the Bible, our son would from childhood know the Holy Scriptures which are able to make him wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15). At this age, though, teaching our son the scriptures does not involve a lot of formal education.

So, what doctrines are we teaching our 2-year-old during these days filled with potty-training, mealtimes, and lots of play? Our prayer and goal is to teach him the gospel.…

Homemade Vanilla Pudding

April 9, 2014 by amanda 7 Comments

What a treat this homemade vanilla pudding is! It’s easy to make, and it is a delicious real food dessert. If you homestead or, like me, procure fresh dairy and eggs from local farmers, you’ll sometimes end up with quite the excess of milk and eggs this time of year — what a perfect way to “use up” some eggs, milk, and butter!…

God Set Eternity in Your Heart

April 7, 2014 by amanda 4 Comments

It’s an overcast, dull and sleepy day in our little corner of the southeast, but inside of me there is a yearning and longing that seems to frequently punctuate my days. It’s a longing for the eternal and the significant, a longing for peace and beauty. I lay my little boy to nap, start another load of laundry, light a candle, try to relax and spend time with God and in the scriptures. He is my peace, He is all beauty, He is eternal, and He is the only reason my life carries meaning and significance. And I know that my work is eternal. I know that raising a child and breathing prayers and serving my husband are kingdom-work. But why does it feel like I’m not “there” yet? What is this stirring and longing in my heart?…

God’s Impossible Standard of Forgiveness

April 4, 2014 by amanda 3 Comments

In Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Pray, then, in this way: …forgive us our debts, AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN OUR DEBTORS.” Wow. God’s impossible standard of forgiveness.

What a high calling that we have received from God. I’ll be honest with you: I want to be forgiven by God so much more than I am willing to forgive those who have hurt me or committed wrongs against me.…

Becoming Mrs. Right

April 3, 2014 by amanda 6 Comments

Oh boy. I am really excited to be sharing my heart with you in this post on “Becoming Mrs. Right!” We set the stage in previous posts in this series in discussing God’s emphasis on holiness and purity, on waiting for Mr. Right, and on what to look for in Mr. Right (parts one and two). Today, I am really excited to dig into “Becoming Mrs. Right.”

You know that laundry list of items in the posts on “Have I Found Mr. Right?” parts 1 and 2? Well, God’s standards are for women as well, so we might as well go back and re-read those and ask God to apply them to our own hearts and lives! There are, however, some specifics I’d like to talk about to encourage you in becoming a woman who will bring God glory, specifically in respect to your role as wife to Mr. Right….

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