Lisa Jacobson's Blog, page 42

Rhubarb & Strawberry Pie {& How to Be a Light to Those in Need}

For the last year and five months, a lot of prayers have been on my husband’s and my hearts and lips as we’ve voiced a hope and desire to the lord – to purchase a home for our family.

For our (almost) twelve years of marriage we’ve either lived in apartments or homes we’ve rented. It has always been a blessing when the home we prayed for was approved. God has always provided us with a more than adequate roof over our heads, even in some hard times – a comfort I realize many in this world do not even know at all!

At the beginning of the year, we began the research of home buying. Looking online, working on getting all of the paper work in order for certain approvals, etc and visiting a few open houses.

We tried to always keep on our minds and hearts a simple desire to be wherever God wanted us to be (easier said than done, but the right aim!).

It’s funny when you begin a house hunting trying to rely on the Lord to help guide you – at least, it was that way for us. We saw one model home in the area where we had always wanted to live – it had all the bells and whistles in upgrades with the beautiful neighborhoods that I had always pictured for my kids, but with a big price tag and not much more space than we already had.

While we I was wooed by the beauty and especially the kitchen…in our hearts, we knew it was not what was right for us.

And then we came to an older home, just outside the neighborhood we were looking at, on a busy street. It had potential…but we were divided. Ultimately, an offer was made by someone else and the guidance I was pestering God for was provided.

A few weeks later, Josh was looking online and came across a home out in the country about 15 minutes from where we were living. Though it was a little town neither of us had ever once even considered living in, strangely enough, we both felt peace about it, and from the first time we made the drive out to see the home, saw the neighborhood, and toured the house, the feeling of peace just grew.

One of my prayers specifically was that we could find a neighborhood that had children around the ages of mine. In our last neighborhood, all the kids were either much older or much younger. Here there are kids everywhere, and we’ve already met more neighbors in the week we’ve been here than in the last four years of living in our rental house.

I shared with our church family Sunday morning what a blessing it was to be here, to have God answer such a specific prayer, but that as we’ve gotten to know a few of the families, as everywhere, there are broken homes as well.

Our prayer for our little family is that we can be a light to those in need, an example, if God should grant us the grace, of a loving family and marriage, and an encouragement. (Matthew 5:16)

One of the ways I like to share His love and encouragement with others is through food, and I found it ironic (in a wonderful way) that the very day that I requested prayer for Josh and I as we get to know our neighbors, that one of the girls that Grace became friends with when we first moved in knocked on our door with a plate full of warm brownies for us to enjoy.

Grace later told me, it was her friend’s idea and that she was going to add nuts…but wasn’t sure if any of us were allergic! I was just floored by this young girl’s desire to make us feel welcome.

In the spirit of our sweet neighbor, I’m sharing with you today a Rhubarb & Strawberry Pie.

When I made this pie awhile back, the rhubarb was given to me by one of the sweetest older ladies in our church who grows the rhubarb in her backyard. This sweet and tart pie is the dessert that keeps on giving. I once read about a Christian blogger whose hobby was baking pies and bringing them to her neighbors and that thought always just kind of stuck with me as such a sweet token of kindness and being a “light” in her neighborhood.

This pie sings SPRING with fresh strawberries and rhubarb, and there is something so beautiful about a lattice style pie that says “welcome” to me.

*What are some ways you can be a light of Jesus in your neighborhood?

~ Chels {Catz in the Kitchen}

Print Rhubarb & Strawberry Pie Author: Taste of Home Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 8   This strawberry rhubarb pie recipe is marriage of sweet and tart all wrapped together in one delicious pie crust. Ingredients Recipe for double- crust pie (9 in) ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup quick-cooking tapioca 3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb (1/4 inch pieces) 3 cups sliced strawberries ⅓ cup orange juice 4½ tsp orange marmalade ¼ tsp grated orange zest Instructions In a large bowl, combine sugar and tapioca. Add fruit and toss to coat. Gently stir in orange juice, marmalade, and zest. Let stand for 15 minutes. Line a deep-dish 9 inch pie plate with bottom crust; trim excess pie dough. Add the filling. Roll out the remaining pie dough; make a lattice crust. Trim, seal, and flute the edges. Cover edges with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and rhubarb is tender. Remove the foil. Cool on a wire rack and store in the refrigerator. This pie is delightful warmed up and with a dollop of whipped cream! #version#

Author informationChelsia Rief

Chels is a born-again believer who dreams of living with all four seasons in Central Oregon. She's a wife and stay at home mom to her three vivacious kiddos whom she home schools. When she's not schooling or chasing after her munchkins, she enjoys reading, bubble baths, and finding clothing/kitchen treasure at thrift stores. But more than all of that, she finds refuge in her kitchen where she and her husband can be found cooking and baking up a storm for their family and friends. You can read more about her culinary endeavors at CatzintheKitchen.com.

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A Gift of Love for You, Mom {Free Printable}

So what does a mother of 8 kids do for Mother’s Day?

I bet you guys really do it up big over there!  

That’s what I often hear.

But we don’t do it up big.

On the contrary, I’d say we do it up small.

Small in the very best sense.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the young boys whipped up some breakfast for me, with the help of their dad. Likely it will be fried eggs (our 12 year old makes the best fried eggs!) and toast (if I remember to pick up bread before then) and maybe some fresh fruit too.

Knowing the girls, they’ll make an effort to decorate the table with something special—fresh flowers from our yard if they’re to be had.

And coffee, of course. Always French-press coffee.

What Every Mother of Little Children Should Know About Her Big Job

You’ll understand, won’t you?

When I tell you that I counted the number of teaching days left on the calendar until summer break. I love my job and my students, but it is hard work being creative every day and trying to correct students and encourage them at the same time. I was tired when I got home from school the other day.

But I had invited my three nephews over for a few hours (maybe selfishly for my own entertainment?)

And I forgot.

Wow, you young moms.

I forgot how much work it is to have little kids, now that my baby is bending down so I can kiss him when he leaves for school in the morning.

You are a teacher all day long, except you don’t get to watch the clock and go home for a rest.

In two hours with the little boys, I spoke so many lessons, and it brought back memories of the years with my two.

Chew with your mouth closed, please.

What would be a more polite way to ask me for a drink of water?  

How can you share those cars with your brother, so you’re both happy?  

Shoes on before you go outside.  

Let’s not touch the glass, because it gets it dirty. Open the door at the handle.  

It’s not polite to tell a girl that you tooted on her couch.  

If you left the toy outside, you’re going to have to put your shoes back on and go get it.  

Wait patiently for me to make your taco.  

Swallow before you talk to me.  

Let’s take turns stirring the cookie batter.

And all of that had to be spoken patiently and with love and gentleness, because the best teachers are the even-tempered ones who act like they like you every day. The good teachers seem to enjoy the students and the whole process of teaching, instead of coming at it like a wearisome chore.

A Little Dance

Later that night, after the little boys had gone home, I reached out and offered to carry my son’s dirty dish to the kitchen.

Thanks mom, he said.

On the way to the kitchen, I remembered how many days and weeks and months and years I had reminded him, What do you say?

Now he’s almost 18 years old and says thank you without any reminders from me, and that’s no small accomplishment from my teaching years as a mother. I remember when he was young, the first time he said thank you without being prompted. I almost wept that day.

So to you moms with young kids, let’s give you the title of teacher and acknowledge that your job starts when the rooster crows and ends when little eyelids finally shut. It’s demanding work that requires a constant definition of purpose carried out with patience, kindness, and self-control.

Someday your child will demonstrate he has learned those lessons, and you will do a little dance.

~ Christy Fitzwater

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Author informationChristy FitzwaterContributor at ChristyFitzwater.com

Christy Fitzwater is a pastor’s wife living in Kalispell, Montana. She is the mother of a son in high school and a daughter who was recently married. She enjoys when the days get shorter and the weather nasty so she doesn’t feel guilty about not going outside. Days where she can just read books and write words all day. She can even tell you the plots of 15 missionary biographies without batting an eye. You can read her personal blog at ChristyFitzwater.

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What It Really Means When Someone Calls You Mom

I didn’t always call her mom.

In the beginning she was simply his mother. So I referred to her as “Mrs. Jacobson” when we were first married and later, “Patricia” or “Pat.”  Such an awkward dilemma, to know the proper way to address her.

After all, what do you call your mother-in-law?

Some years passed, however, and she and Dad moved in with us when I was expecting our fourth child. Dad’s heart wasn’t too strong, and we thought it might be the best for both of them. Good for us too.

Maybe not always easy, but good.

Then I gave birth to our fifth child – a heart-wrenching and traumatic event – and one that turned everything upside down for all of us.

Mom quit her job the day our special girl was born, and she never looked back.

She came home and poured her heart and her energies into helping out with the other four young ones – while I spent much of my time up at the Children’s Hospital.

Watching, waiting, and praying over our baby. Asking God to spare her tiny, oh-so-fragile life.

And God heard our prayers.

After two long years of back-and-forth, we were finally able to bring our baby home for keeps and look after her here.

So Mom changed up her role.

Now she committed herself completely to our sweet girl’s care: tube-feeding, dressing, changing, physical therapy, speech therapy, and more.

Five days a week.

For ten years.

Yes, really.

That’s just what she did. Never questioning, never complaining. She devoted herself to our little daughter’s many special needs.

If you’re thinking this woman deserves a medal? A banquet in her honor? A Mother-in-law of the Year designation?

You would be right. She does.

But I know she doesn’t look at it that way. She simply saw it as the needed and loving thing to do. So that’s what she has done. For over a decade.

And now?  It’s not quite how it used to be.

You see, Mom doesn’t know what day it is or where she is anymore. Or necessarily recognize our children. Or her own children, for that matter. On her bad days, she doesn’t quite know who I am. Alzheimer’s does that to you.

But that’s okay. Because I know who she is.

She’s “Mom.”

If Someone Calls You Mom

So maybe you’re a mom too.

Doing what needs to be done.

Day in and day out.

And you’re doing it because it’s the loving thing to do.

Maybe you feel it goes unnoticed, and you feel a little forgotten. Maybe you even wonder if it really matters.

Let me encourage you – your faithfulness will be remembered.

Your love matters more than they can ever say.

Your sacrifice will always be the sweetest blessing to those who call you, “Mom.”

Happy Mother’s Day, MOM!

In His grace,

*How about sharing something you appreciate about your own mom? Or maybe something that you love about being a mom yourself! 

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Author informationLisaOwner at Club 31 Women

Lisa is the happily-ever-after wife of Matthew Jacobson and together they enjoy raising and home-educating their 8 children in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She's also rather fond of dark chocolate, French press coffee, and deep friendships (though not necessarily in that order). She encourages women to embrace the rich life of loving relationships and the high calling of being a wife and mother. Lisa is the author of 100 Ways to Love Your Husband and her husband is the author of 100 Ways to Love Your Wife. They are also the authors of several children's books, including a winner of the C.S. Lewis Silver Medal for Children's Literature.

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A Small Reminder That We Love Each Other in a Big Way {& Giveaway}

Maybe it’s different in your home.

But sometimes we cry in ours.

Someone gets their feelings hurt. Or gets mad and annoyed by a sister or a brother. Maybe even a parent.

And we have to work it out.

The reasons vary. Maybe the person was overtired . . . or oversensitive . . .  or overlooked.

Or possibly just plain sinful and selfish.

But suddenly we can all feel it in the air.

Tension.

Grief.

Pain.

So maybe it’s different in your home, but that’s how it goes down in ours.

And we have to remind each ourselves that we like each other.

And we never know how long we have together.

And that we never want to have regrets.

Because we’re family and we love one another.

A Small Reminder

We’re all feeling this very keenly right now as our days with Matthew’s parents – who have lived with us for over 17 years – are coming to a close.  His dad had a small heart attack on Monday and it’s not the first.  And Mom has been suffering from Alzheimer’s for several years now.

Each day is precious and every memory is pressed upon our hearts.

So we curled up in my in-law’s tiny television room last Saturday night to watch the Mariner’s baseball game. Something we’ve been doing together ever since we can remember. Eleven of us taking up every square of floor space to cheer on our favorite team.

One set of grandparents.

One set of parents.

Seven kids and one dog.

Dad reported the stats on each player and Mom yelled as loud as the rest of us. With our Avonlea cheering and shouting right along with her sisters and brothers.

None of us – except for maybe Dad – caring anything about the game, but deeply caring about each other. Mindful that this might be the last game we enjoy all together.

And so we want to make the most of every minute.

Loving each other.

Because, believe it or not, we sometimes forget.

We get so wrapped up in our offenses and the way we think it should be . . . that we let those things overshadow what is actually true and how we really feel about each other.

We need to be reminded.

We love each other.

Fervently.

Which is one of the reasons why we now have this new sign hanging up in our kitchen.

A small reminder that we love each other in a big way.

A Gift & Giveaway!

Isn’t this lovely?

One of our very talented readers here at Club31Women made this sign for me and you should have hear us all ooh! and aah! when I unwrapped the packaging. We were so blessed by this beautiful gift!

And, in case you recognized it, yes, it is based on the post I shared last last year, 12 Simple Things to Bring Peace Into Your Home.

And now hangs in a prominent place in our kitchen as a cheerful reminder to us all.

But wait . . . . It gets better!

Our kind friend and artist has offered to give one away to the readers here at Club31Women too!

Not only that, but she if offering a 10% discount on all her signs to Club31Women readers! All you have to do is use the coupon code, CLUB31WOMEN, when you check out. How sweet is that??

You can check out more of her charming work here . . . .

 It All Began With Paint

And don’t forget to enter the GIVEAWAY here . . . . 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cheering for you too!

Author informationLisaOwner at Club 31 Women

Lisa is the happily-ever-after wife of Matthew Jacobson and together they enjoy raising and home-educating their 8 children in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She's also rather fond of dark chocolate, French press coffee, and deep friendships (though not necessarily in that order). She encourages women to embrace the rich life of loving relationships and the high calling of being a wife and mother. Lisa is the author of 100 Ways to Love Your Husband and her husband is the author of 100 Ways to Love Your Wife. They are also the authors of several children's books, including a winner of the C.S. Lewis Silver Medal for Children's Literature.

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How to Find Motivation for the Mundane

“I just can’t get motivated. I am not passionate about this cooking and cleaning thing.”

Have you ever felt that way?

I have many times.

For a long time I struggled with doing all the day-to-day chores without just feeling like I had to do them.

I wanted to love being a homemaker! I wanted to look forward to cooking and cleaning for my family and serve them with a genuine smile on my face.

But instead I always found myself begrudging the work, wishing that homemaking wasn’t one long cycle of boring things that I had to do just to keep everyone from going crazy.

It’s a little difficult to be passionate about scrubbing a bathroom floor. And for me it’s hard to even be passionate about cooking or decorating because I’m not very good at those things.

So how do I do all those things – those mundane things – with excitement rather than a sense of drudgery?

I asked the Lord to help me develop a love and excitement about the housework in place of the “have-to” attitude.

And one day he answered my prayer, not by placing that excitement in my heart, but by showing me how I could develop that excitement myself.

As I was spending some quiet time with the Lord, I read in Matthew 6: 21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

That was it! Wherever my treasure is, my heart will follow.

If I want to be passionate about something, I need to invest my treasure into it. Sometimes that treasure is in the form of money, but more often it’s in the form of my time and energy.

I can develop a passion for the mundane by investing my time and energy into it.

Instead of waiting until I feel motivated to do the chores, I choose to pour my time and energy into them, and the motivation follows!

Once I realized that cooking and cleaning is how I as a homemaker can lay up treasures in heaven, it became a lot more exciting!

Love Is Shown in The Mundane
How do I know that I am laying up treasures in heaven by cooking and cleaning?

For one thing, keeping my home is what God has called me to do. (Titus 2:5)

I’m also to love my husband and children (Titus 2:4), and the home is the primary place where I do that loving.

It is much harder to maintain a calm, gentle attitude with my husband and children when chaos is reigning all around me in my home.

It is hard to teach and train my children to obey God when they don’t see their mother putting forth the effort to do what she is supposed to be doing.

It is hard to show intimate love to my husband when the atmosphere in the bedroom is anything but intimate.

Love is shown in the mundane – providing clean and unwrinkled clothes, a hot meal at the end of a long day, and a clean bathroom floor to step onto when my husband is fresh out of the shower. (I’m pretty sure a clean bathroom floor is one of his love languages.

Fear & Faith: Truth for When You Feel Like You Don’t Measure Up

When I first became a Christian, I remember feeling carefree, and to say I was excited about the Lord would have been an understatement.

I was also a sponge.

Anything anyone said to me about my newfound faith I took as “the gospel.”

As you might imagine, for a young, impressionable Christian this was not good. I didn’t fully understand grace, and as people would talk about sin, I began to become fearful of not measuring up.

I began to live in fear of sinning.

I began to question my motives, actions, thoughts—everything—and assume everyone was questioning them too!

I was afraid of the judgment of others. I was terrified of the opinions of others.

I judged others in fear, and I feared man.

Because Sometimes We Forget

“Fear of man” is a term used to describe the heart of someone who acts or says, or does not act or say, certain things out of fear of what others may think. You’re no doubt familiar with Peter’s infamous denials of Christ from the gospels, but I think there’s much to be learned about fighting the fear of man by looking at Jesus’ interaction with Peter leading up to that event.

Jesus had prophesied that Peter would deny Him, but Peter strongly objected, saying, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you” (Mark 14:31). He fell into the trap of believing that he was above this sin. Paul warns us that if we think we stand, we must “take heed lest [we] fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

No one is completely immune to certain temptations, but Peter was sure of himself. He was sure that he would stand strong with Jesus, facing the authorities and mockers, till the bitter end (Mark 14:29).

You know, however, how it turns out.

Peter did not stand with Christ and denied Him twice to a servant girl and then to an entire crowd. Peter knew immediately after that rooster crowed that he had failed the test that he’d been sure he was going to pass.

Peter didn’t continue in pride or make excuses for his denial. He fell to the ground and wept. I imagine the tears were many. He had betrayed his friend, teacher, and Savior for fear of his own life being taken from him. Peter didn’t want to die.

At that moment Peter forgot what it meant to follow Christ.

He Is Already Pleased

When we fear man, we join Peter in his moment of forgetfulness. Peter forgot that those who kill the body cannot kill the soul (Matthew 10:28). That Scripture is packed, in just a few short words, with an ocean of theological truth about the fear of the Lord.

There is only one whom we need to fear, and that is the Lord. But Peter forgot, as you and I so often do. His pursuit was self-preservation. It was more important to him to blend in with the crowd than be known as “one of those people.”

We know from earlier in the gospel records that Peter received the keys to the kingdom. I don’t mention it here in such a way as not to make him look foolish or to condemn him but rather to highlight the amazing grace of Jesus. Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him. Jesus is God and therefore possessed all the foreknowledge of His Father. He not only predicted Peter’s denial (Mark 14:27–31); Jesus knew that one day He would honor Peter despite it (Matthew 16:19). And He does the same for us.

Tragically, you and I deny Christ every time we care more about what others think of us than of what God has already declared.

Every time we seek man’s approval and praise, we say to the Lord that His sacrifice was not enough. And He says to us that He became “fear of man” so that we would be counted as righteous. We are presented before the Lord as concerned only with loving and pleasing Him—and it is finished because of Christ.

He is already pleased with you and with me.

~ Trillia Newbell

*The above post is an excerpt from  Chapter 1 of Trillia’s newly-released  Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)

Fear & Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves

“We will never be short on fears. Failure, rejection, sickness, losing a loved one, being alone-the fears we carry are many and heavy. Fear can be a tyrant, a bully we can’t hide from. It can paralyze our spirit, damage our relationships, and hinder our faith.

Trillia is no stranger to fear. She has known its harsh grip on her life. But she has also known the gentle hand of God, a peace and a faith from the One who conquers fears.

In Fear and Faith, Trillia will encourage you as she reflects on Scripture and her own story. She will show you Jesus, who was tempted like you in every way. She will show you the character of God and how it inspires faith. And she will show you real women who have walked the road of fear-or still are-and how they found security in the Lord to be their strength. Whatever your fear, you are not alone, nor are you without hope. You have the One who can replace your fear with faith.” ~ from the Publisher

I am thrilled with the recent release of Trillia’s new book and highly recommend it to anyone who struggles with fear, or is looking to strengthen your faith. In other words, I am recommending it to everyone! ~ Lisa Jacobson, Club31Women

You can learn more and purchase her book by clicking the link below:

Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves  

 

 

Trillia Newbell is the author of Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves (2015) and United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity (2014). Her writings on issues of faith, family, and diversity have been published in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Desiring God, Christianity Today, Relevant Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, and more. She currently Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention. Along with writing, she is pursuing her M.A. in biblical counseling from Southern Theological Seminary. For fun, she enjoys group fitness (she used to be a fitness instructor!), cycling, and listening to a variety of music. Trillia is married to her best friend, Thern, they reside with their two children near Nashville, TN. You can find her at trillianewbell.com and follow her on twitter at @trillianewbell.

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Those First 30 Minutes That Determine the Rest of Your Day

You probably already figured out that I’m not exactly a morning person.

As in, not really at all.

If I had my way, I’d stay in bed until the sun came streaming in through my bedroom window. Heard the birds chirping and could smell the coffee brewing.

And then I’d probably lay there for another half hour . . . or more.

Dozing and dreaming.

No, you could never describe me as a Morning Girl.

But I’ve learned something that has made such a difference in my heart and home that it now motivates me to get up. Early. Even set my alarm.

If she tells me that I should simply wake up earlier and read my Bible, I just might scream.

Okay, wait.

It’s that.

But it’s not just that.

Somewhere along my journey of walking with God and raising a family, I learned something. Something super important.

You might even say it’s my secret.

The way I start my morning is what determines the rest of my day.

Maybe you think I’m exaggerating. Possibly making this up.

Except I’m not.

I couldn’t be more serious.

How the day begins has not only a profound impact on me and my attitude . . . .it affects the rest of our home and our life together.

It’s those first 30 minutes that set us up for the entire day.

And I mean all of us.

Because the spirit that I bring with me when I walk out my bedroom door is the spirit the pervades my home. If I can greet my family with a peaceful spirit – with a heart focused on God and His goodness and grace, rather than my to-do list or other pressures and troubles – then I am infusing our home with that same spirit.

Beginning the day with a kiss and loving eyes for my husband is a powerful thing. Starting off with a hug and cheerful “good morning” for our children does wonders for establishing the spirit of our home. But I find I can’t fabricate those feelings—they have to come from the overflow of a full heart.

In other words, how I begin my day is how they begin theirs.
Turning Our Hearts to God

So you’re saying that dutifully reading the Bible decides whether you’re going to have a good day or not?

No, I’m not saying that.

Duty doesn’t do it.

But worship? Adoration? Intentionally handing my day over to Him?

Yep. That does it.

Because when I begin the day by turning my heart to God and looking to Him for all I need?

I remember that we have everything necessary for whatever the day holds. From spilled milk to hurt feelings to serious illness. All things that I encounter in our home on a fairly regular basis.

And, to be honest, it can be a little overwhelming.

Sometimes a lot overwhelming.

So that little half hour? That one small start is a significant and sure-footed beginning to my day.

In those first thirty minutes, I am setting the tone for my heart and our home and, in many real ways, setting the course for our lives.

And that, my friend, is enough to turn me into a Morning Girl.

In Those First Thirty Minutes of Your Day
Worship

Why limit worship to that thing we do on Sunday mornings at church? Our God and Savior is worthy of so much more than that! So begin by acknowledging Who Christ is, what He has done, and all He is touching in your hearts and lives. (John 4:23)

Prayer

Spend a few minutes to thank God for the new day and asking Him to fill you with His strength and to reveal His purposes in it. If you wake up with a burdened heart, turn those requests over to Him, trusting Him who hears you and cares for you. (Philippians 4:6)

Meditation

While I save my more in-depth Bible study for later in the afternoon, I like to begin the day with one or two verses to focus my mind on His Word and cling to the truths found there. (Colossians 3:16)

Praise

I’m not sure if you’re supposed to have “favorites,” but when it comes to starting out the day, this one would be it. Humming a hymn or listening to a powerful song of praise while going about morning chores prepares and fills your heart for the whole day. (Psalm 95:1-2)

Yes, in the morning when I rise, Give me Jesus. 

How about you?

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust.  Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. ~ Psalm 143:8

In His grace,

*How do you like to start your day? Do you have a favorite verse or song? Mine is probably Ps. 143:8 (see above) and “Give Me Jesus.”

**Special note for nursing moms: I found that I needed to adapt this practice somewhat—things like posting verses on 3×5 cards nearby and singing and praying while I nursed and changed the baby. Also, this: 4 Creative Ways for a Busy Mom to be In the Word.

 (This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)

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Author informationLisaOwner at Club 31 Women

Lisa is the happily-ever-after wife of Matthew Jacobson and together they enjoy raising and home-educating their 8 children in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She's also rather fond of dark chocolate, French press coffee, and deep friendships (though not necessarily in that order). She encourages women to embrace the rich life of loving relationships and the high calling of being a wife and mother. Lisa is the author of 100 Ways to Love Your Husband and her husband is the author of 100 Ways to Love Your Wife. They are also the authors of several children's books, including a winner of the C.S. Lewis Silver Medal for Children's Literature.

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Why He Knows His Heart Will Always Be Safe With Me

The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he will have no lack of gain.
~ Proverbs 31:11 ~
High Tides.

That was the name of the restaurant.

I can even remember what I ordered that night: Scallops Provencal. Cooked in butter, garlic, lemon, white wine . . . but I’d better stop there.

Fresh seafood is considered something of a specialty here in the Pacific Northwest and High Tides Grill is known for some of the best.

So my husband and I were very willing to meet our longtime friends there for dinner. We all enjoyed a lovely evening together – good food and good fun. Both friends have a terrific sense of humor and my sides ached by the end of our time with them.

Still laughing as we climbed into the car to go home, I noticed my husband was unusually quiet.

So I asked him, “Tired, Honey?”

No, that wasn’t it.

Then it occurred to me. “Are you upset?”

He didn’t answer, but my instincts told me yes.

“Oh,” I add sympathetically. “Did John say something that bothered you?” (Might be he was rather funny, but he could be offensive at times too.)

No, that wasn’t it either.

Hmmm . . . thought about it for a minute or so.

“It’s not ME, is it? Did I do something??”

My mind mentally raced through the entire evening, trying to think of what I could have said or done to have offended him. I drew a blank.

But after asking a few questions, we began discussing it. In all our joking around that night, we got to teasing my husband about one of his quirky characteristics. It was all in fun and friendship, mind you.

Or so I thought.

But my husband – the Man I Love – didn’t appreciate this kind of humor. Not one bit. In particular, he didn’t appreciate my participation in it.

Please understand, it was never my intention to hurt him. Or dishonor him.

But that was what I’d done. Both of those. And I felt simply terrible for having done so. It was wrong and the opposite of what I truly thought about him.

Something of a low-tide moment in our marriage.

I asked his forgiveness, of course, and he gave it. But I decided then and there that I never wanted to do anything like that again.

My husband needs to know that he can count on me to always speak well of him in front of others. That he didn’t have to be concerned about “what I’d say next” to other people. That I’d never again look for that little laugh – at his expense.

That he could trust me.

Because I have my husband’s heart. It’s in my hands and not to be treated lightly or carelessly.

Like I did that night. No way.

He needs to know that his heart is safe with me.

Sometimes, as wives, we can forget that his heart is in our keeping. We have this incredible privilege to look after him – in public, as well as in private – and that’s something to take quite seriously.

His heart is safely tucked in mine.

In His grace,

*In what ways do you keep your husband’s heart safe? How do you look after his heart and reputation?

**Why His Heart Will Always Be Safe With Me is an excerpt from Lisa Jacobson’s book, 100 Ways to Love Your Husband: A Life-Long Journey of Learning to Love.

 (This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)

*If you would like these posts delivered directly to your inbox, simply subscribe below (and get 2 FREE eBooks, The 7 Habits of a Highly Fulfilling Marriage and Raising Heavenly-Minded, Down-to-Earth Kids).

Author informationLisaOwner at Club 31 Women

Lisa is the happily-ever-after wife of Matthew Jacobson and together they enjoy raising and home-educating their 8 children in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She's also rather fond of dark chocolate, French press coffee, and deep friendships (though not necessarily in that order). She encourages women to embrace the rich life of loving relationships and the high calling of being a wife and mother. Lisa is the author of 100 Ways to Love Your Husband and her husband is the author of 100 Ways to Love Your Wife. They are also the authors of several children's books, including a winner of the C.S. Lewis Silver Medal for Children's Literature.

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A Love Note ….for the Mama Still in her Sweatpants

Hey you,

Yes, you, still in your sweatpants and un-showered, hours into your day. This love note is for you.

Between seven a.m. when they wake, alert and ready to tackle the world and you and any sibling that accidentally touches the edge of that notebook that one-time a long time ago used to be theirs, and lunch you will field dozens of questions. The shade snapped, up, when seven arrived and you’re right in the thick of a motherhood that looks a lot different than when you prayed for their hearts in the dark, just a few minutes earlier.

In your mind, they were quiet and jammy-clad with the night weighing down their eyelids — and you poured out quiet prayers for their souls.

With seven a.m. came bodies that bolt and jump and climb right out of that placid sleep and into dress-up clothes and dolls and drama.

The older ones, they wear their layers — maybe not as loud on the outside but roaring beneath their skin. Where the littles count minutes until snacks and sweet treats, these older ones they hunger, too. They’re hungry for answers to all the questions you’ve just barely had answered yourself and the ones you’re still asking. You see them, awkwardly fumbling through who they are and who you’re not and trying find their one niche in a world that doesn’t know them but wants to own them.

Each child is a bell and they ring with their needs, sometimes all together.

All at once, this loud cacophony of sounds and needs and aches and you wonder how in the world God even allowed for a mother, much less you. They all need Him. Those bells, they ring and remind and hang out in your once-quiet space. All of them are needy for way more than your frame — still ringing its own bell of need and ache and hunger — can supply, yet they call you Mommy.

They Call You Mommy

So, you, the world wants to tell you that Mommy is that one who is harried and stressed and all caught up in worry. She’s the one who’s put all of herself on the shelf — though still not completely sure why — to tend to the myriad of needs she’ll never meet, but will certainly grumble about later. Mommy, to the world, means supplanted and second-class and just-can’t-wait-to-get-out-of-that-baby-stage-and-really-live.

Mommy is something to endure, according to the world.

She can’t wait to climb out of her skin and find passion, again. She wants to be led by love, but is trapped in a season where duty trumps all. Her sweatpants are an appropriate uniform.

But you want to know the truth about this season for her, for this Mommy? For you?

It’s scandalous.

You barely step outside your bedroom door to referee a squabble and another child’s broken a glass, downstairs, and the baby is crying — all at once — and there’s a Face behind that moment. You see that moment as loud and disruptive, but He has removed your ease so that you might find something better.

As I pour myself out over disparate legos and another broken glass and hours of referring squabbles, there is a concurrent story. The hot pursuit of a Love that shows up in the unlikely, just to show me that He is more than a God to be studied, but one to be encountered.

Experienced.

The scandal is in the sweatpants and the fingerprints on the walls and the sink full of last night’s dishes. We want to wrap those up and put them away so we can get dressed up and really love, and the God who scudded from the birth canal on to the dusty earth of the inn whispers “my Holy Spirit lives in your messy motherhood.”

So, you, mama, let go of the lie you’ve believed.

Ease isn’t the gift for the mom to hold out in front of herself like a carrot, counting the days she moves closer towards that as her babes move out of diapers and into big beds and onto college, out of the house. Ease is the enemy of the mother who really wants to fall in love with God.

Because falling in love with God often happens in the muss. Always, in the muss.

It starts with one encounter. One quiet (or loud) whisper in the middle of the crazy-mundane can make me lift my eyes and even shudder at how near He is to me.

This day — this long day where I crawl into my bed and wonder if I can do it again tomorrow — is the day the Lord has made. For me.

It’s my day to say, God, show Yourself as so near to me. Let me feel Your breath on my skin, today.

It’s my day to fall in love, right here in my sweatpants.

Post originally posted on Mothers of Daughters.

For Your Continued Pursuit: John 1:14 | Psalm 23:1-3 | Colossians 1:27 | 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 | 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 | Psalm 118:24

Second photograph by Julie Cannon

(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)

Sara Hagerty is the author of Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet: Tasting the Goodness of God in All Things.  “This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a very long time. Sara Hagerty is a particularly gifted writer (she has the most lovely writing style!) and her story touches the deepest of places. I found myself stopping many times while reading and just staring off as I pondered the truth of what she had to say. Inspiring, convicting, and touching. I highly recommend this book!” ~ Lisa Jacobson

Author informationSara Hagerty

Sara is a wife to Nate and a mother of five whose arms stretched wide across the expanse between the United States and Africa. After almost a decade of Christian life she was introduced to pain and perplexity and, ultimately, intimacy with Jesus.

God met her and moved her when life stopped working for her. And out of the overflow of this perplexity, came her writing, both on her blog and in her book – Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet, just released via Zondervan.

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