I was awake during the night pondering some things about life and the way we view life in the world today. This may have something to do with my trip to Walmart with 8 of my 9 children and the looks of shock and disgust which often occur, but I digress.  It occurred to me that if you sit down with a young child and explain to them in the simplest of terms what abortion is, they instinctively know it is wrong!  Even without going into detail about your beliefs...its murder, life begins at conception etc. they can tell you quickly and definitively its wrong.  But then, something happens....at least to a vast majority of children.

They are then "schooled" by the government and taught that life is about THEM and their happiness....about achieving success and having money, about living to pursue their dreams at all costs...they are schooled to be selfish.  Another important lesson is learned along the way.  It goes something like this:  Children, you see, are a costly burden that should be avoided, or at least limited, so that your goals aren't hindered...because after all, its all about you.  Children are also a lot of hard work and well, being tied down with them is far less exciting then traveling and lavish vacations.  Thrown into this mix are classes on sexuality, reproduction, and acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle....all taught to children with already raging hormones.  They are told its okay to embrace their sexuality, that it's normal to feel that way and that reacting to those feelings is fine, even outside of marriage.  Just go ahead and do what feels right, use contraception, and if an "accident" happens, well....there's always abortion. See, its all about you and its not really a baby anyway....so it's okay.  Do whatever needs to be done as long as your happy.  All of these lessons are backed up and reinforced by television ads, and the government controlled media.

There are no lessons on the value of human life, the value that GOD himself places on human life.  No lessons on the blessing that children really are.  They are not taught that all life is a gift from GOD.  They are not taught that sex was designed by God, for marriage only, to bring both pleasure AND children.  They are not taught that everything they do in life has eternal consequences and there will one day be a judgement.  Lord have mercy on this nation!  How have things gone so far?  Why is there so little value placed on human life, not only by the world but even in the church?  Oh that the church would wake up and take a stand.  May we be diligent in teaching our children the Truth.  The life God designed is about sacrifice....pouring yourself out for others when you feel you've already been emptied.  There is no place for selfishness in your walk with Christ.  Yes raising children is hard work, but it's kingdom work...and it matters.   May we go completely against the grain and teach our children to take a stand for life.  May we teach them to be warriors for Jesus Christ and to fight for what matters to Him.  I myself have begun preparing my children to go to the front lines of this battle, to the very gates of hell to confront this spiritual war.  I've been convicted once again of my need to daily instruct my children that life is a gift that only God can give, and that only God should take...that life is indeed ALWAYS a gift, never a choice.

A peek at new life

I finally made it in to the doctor to have my first appointment of this pregnancy. You know the routine ladies, right? They give you a cup to...well you know : ). Then they lead you to the room, take the vitals, and leave after handing you a very immodest gown and asking you to get completely undressed. I absolutely dread that part of the first visit. However, I was looking forward to the sonogram I knew I would be getting. I wanted to see that everything was okay and going as expected.

After the humiliating exam (ick...did I mention I don't like that part?) my doctor says "okay...lets take a look on ultrasound". When you've had as many little ones as I have, you've probably had a lot of ultrasounds. You pretty much know what to expect and what to look for. As I expected, everything looked just the way a growing baby should look at this point in my pregnancy. What I am NEVER prepared for is how incredibly wonderful and amazing it is to SEE that new little life that God created....with the tiny limbs and beating heart. Even with my 8th baby, I found myself staring in awe at what the Lord has done, and is still doing, with the new life growing inside of me. Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched the screen and looked on in wonder of what the Lord had planned for this tiny new life. It is amazing to think that the Lord already knows everything about this new person He has created....the number of hairs on his/her head, and the number of times that heart will beat. What an awesome creator we serve.

Not my will.....

If you had peeked through my window this morning very early, you would have found me sitting at the laptop....crying. I wasn't crying for any one particular reason....sometimes life is just tough. Now that I've shed a few tears, I'm trying to stay focused on the Lord and His plan. So....

• When the morning sickness gets worse throughout the day, may I say......
  
• When I'm exhausted and the baby is wide awake, may I say......
• When the veins in my legs are throbbing, may I say......
• When homeschooling is hard, may I say......
• When the kids need to be disciplined, may I say.....
• When I'm pulled in 100 directions, may I say.....
• When I'm weary in well doing, may I say.....
• When I feel like giving in, may I say.....

Not my will, but yours Lord!!!!

Scented memories

After I bathed the baby tonight, I was getting her diapered and dressed when I sprinkled some baby powder on her and thought "Wow...I will never tire of this smell." Smell is a wonderful sense....it can bring back a flood of memories. There are scents from my childhood that I can almost smell if I concentrate hard enough.

So the baby powder got me thinking....a lot. One day many many years from now, when all of my children are grown and there are no more babies, I hope that I will be able to look back and remember the smell of baby powder instead of remembering all the messes. I don't want to look back and think about all the hard work raising a quiverfull requires, the stains on the carpet, the worn out furniture, the bickering between siblings, or the constant need to clean something. I want to be able to just close my eyes and bring that baby powder smell to my senses....and remember the splashing in the tub, the laughter of siblings playing, rosy cheeks and messy hair in the morning, snuggling up on the couch and reading a good book to the kids, watching the babies grow into young adults, and all the other blessings that a houseful brings.

I want to cherish these years and hold them dear. Unlike so many, I'm in no hurry for them to be over. Children are given to us by God to love and disciple....not rush out the door thankful that our job is done. May we find joy and keep our focus during this season of life. It will be over far to soon.

Anti-abortion does not equal pro-life!!!

So which one are you? Most people would say they are the same thing but really....they aren't. The world and the devil would like us to think that if we are anti-abortion then we must be pro-life but there is a huge chasm between the two.

We all know what it means to be anti-abortion....that once life has been formed, that new life should be continued. To be anti-abortion you consider tearing life from the womb to be murder....quite simply you believe abortion is wrong. Pretty easy to understand right? But what is the true, deeper meaning of being pro-life? The one way the two beliefs are the same is they both say that abortion is wrong....but that is about as far as the similarities go.

To be pro-life you must first realize that all life comes from God....He creates and sustains all life. Each individual life has been designed by God before the world began. It's hard to wrap our finite brains around but it is true none the less. God also says in His word that children are a blessing, therefore they should be viewed as such. They are NEVER to be seen as a burden or inconvenience. What that attitude must do to the heart of the Creator!

With those bases covered, let me just ask some questions and then you can decide which category you belong in : ) Do you look into the eyes of children and marvel at the unique creation of each one? Do you LOVE to be around children? Do you fervently desire more children of your own? Are you willing to accept MANY children if that is God's will for you? Or are you to busy with "life" to pour yourself out for God by nurturing and raising a houseful for His glory? Do you get excited for couples who already have a half dozen kids when they announce they are expecting another child? Or do you cringe and think they are adding more trouble to an overpopulated world? Do you count it a privilege to carry new life in your womb and then spend your time and energy teaching that new life about God for the next several years? Do you long to bring forth new life for as long as your body allows? Or do you long for your fertility to end (so you won't have to worry about birth control) and look forward to traveling the world and spending time on yourself? Which is more important and is done for His glory? The bottom line is that to be truly pro-life, you need to desire and welcome all new life.

I know it sounds harsh especially during this modern age of two incomes and feminist thinking. But God intended for us to love life the way He loves life.....to spend our time and lavish our affections on Him and the eternal blessings He sends us....not on the temporary worldly things surrounding us. I want to be sure that my heart is one that constantly says "Your will Lord, not mine"....a heart that says "send new life my way and with Your strength and help I will love them and raise them for Your glory".

God's provision

People are often curious about our large family and how we are able to provide for so many little ones. I find myself telling the same story over and over to friends, relatives, and strangers alike. It goes something like this: "Of course there have been hard times financially where things were tight. There have been times when it looked like things were going to completely fall apart. But always, always, always the Lord provides for us. As my pastor always says, He shows up right on time, with just enough!"

That story is true for many large families that I have either met or come across on the internet (through blogs, etc.) For the unbeliever it is very difficult to imagine having to provide for a large family during difficult financial times. But for those of us who know Him, we know He is able and faithful. There is no need to worry when you have placed your life into His hands and surrendered your all to Him!

I've read stories of bags of clothes being left on doorsteps, as well as cars or money being given. Today we experienced one of these blessings first hand when my neighbor came to my door. She handed me an envelope that had my name typed on it and told me that someone approached her husband and asked him to give it to me. Whoever it was said they wanted to remain anonymous. I told her thank you and she walked away. I opened the envelope to find some money and a slip of paper with John 3:16 typed on it.

So of course I cried, and then I prayed and gave God thanks and praise for His loving provision! It couldn't have come at a better time...His timing is always perfect. Words cannot express how blessed I am feeling today! All I can say is praise be to HIM and Him alone!