...A peaceful, clean home :)
Yesterday was very productive and I am proud to say that I chugged along the day doing chores and paying bills with joy knowing that I am doing a work that will result in a fruitful produce! This morning I woke up to a clean home and was encouraged to know I had endured in my work, finishing the tasks I had made for myself.
And today’s challenge is to become a life-giver!
“All women are life-givers… Life-giving is raising life above the level of mere existence.”
I think this challenge needs to be looked at with more depth as well.
First off, where do we get life?
Jesus tells us we get life from one source alone: Himself (John 14:6—‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.’) So our life comes from Christ’s sacrifice we celebrated on Sunday!
Secondly, how to we have it?
Since he now lives in us through the Spirit, he empowers us with this true life. We get it by relying on His work and sacrifice rather our own work. He depend on him for meaning and purpose that makes life make sense.
Thirdly, what do we do with it?
There are many ways! Once we realize where our life-giving is coming from, we can use it in:
• Our Words
• Our homes- decorating, meal prep, a peaceful atmosphere, hospitality, etc
• Education- our children, ourselves, and others
• Church—utilizing our gifts
• Socially— in our circles of friends, those we come in contact with, those we serve
• Heritage and traditions- enriching lives around us
“Who is woman? She is the redeemed life-giver, enlivened by the love of Christ and continuously renewed by Him as she nurtures others”—Barbara Mouser (Five aspects of a Woman)
As we get nearer daily to the time we will greet our little girl, I realize just how much I want to just give her life to the fullest, in our home and in Christ! I want her to have the most joy possible by realizing she has hope for the future when she puts her trust in Him who can be trusted.
My challenge today is to look around my home (sphere of influence—I like that! Haha) and see what I can bring to life for my family. Ironically, I have already started as I am building furniture! I have many plans for my home (as it will morph slowly into a personalized homey domain), but right now my focus is on the two places people will see most: our den and kitchen. I feel like making furniture that reflects our personalities and our preferences really makes our home feel like, well, home! Plus it has started to form in me a sense of hard work, endurance and appreciation.
Every time I work on my projects, I try to do it as carefully as possible with the resources I have been given, knowing that God took his time too and created something beautiful when He created us. It is a good simile to remember each time I pick up a project from where I left off. I can’t wait to tell my family about all God taught my heart through this trade!
Today I do have quite a busy day so I really need to get going and get into God’s word before it takes off on me!
Oh, an Andrew update: He was supposed to be in Singapore last night (just so you know, I told most of you all he was going to the Philippines when it instead is Singapore!), but because of maintenance issues, it only got to Kadena Air Base in Japan. I don’t know what the plan will be from here, but be praying that whatever happens, the crew gets safely to their next destination.
That’s all for today: Be blessed and may He be glorified in the way you give LIFE!