The Garter Snake and the Starling Snare

A few weeks ago, I found a garter snake in the road.

The children love to play with these harmless garter snakes.

Even Hannah has to prove that she is no sissy when it comes to garter snakes.

She's got to keep up with her brothers.

 That little serpent reminded me of the words I had just been pondering and talking to Jonathan about,

the serpents' words that set the first trap for human kind--

"Yea, hath God said?"

 The words cast doubt in Eve's mind as to what God had said, and what He meant, and whether He was wise enough to be obeyed.

"Perhaps, Eve," the serpent beguiled, "you should not be so simple as to believe what God has said.

Why, if you do what God has said not to do, you will know the difference between good and evil,
and be as wise as God!"

Thus Satan gets us to doubt the authenticity and final authority of God's Word,

and decide that actually we are as good an authority on what is good and evil

as God is.

But that is precisely where we get trapped.

We end up thinking we know as much as God,

and that our own opinion is as wise as His.

Timmy built a starling trap recently to capture these pesky rascals that eat our dogfood and chicken feed

and are a pain to have around the ranch.

The starlings easily find their way into the snare as they seek to get to the dogfood inside.

But then they are too stupid to know how to get back out.

Here is one in the trap. 

There is a way out.

The starling is just too stupid to figure it out.

I called the boys back to school, and a while later, that particular starling was gone from the snare!

It had found its way out!

The Psalmist wrote, "Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowler.

The snare is broken, and we have escaped."

"Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth."
Lord, You know the snares that the devil has set and is setting for each of Your people.
Perhaps some snares are ready to snap today.
Perhaps some of Your children are already caught in the snare and cannot find their way out.
Please break the snare through the power of Your name and through Your blood.
Show Your children the way of escape, that they may be able to bear whatever trial or temptation is coming against them.
Keep us, Oh God, from becoming ensnared in the worldly wisdom of our own understanding
which is folly,
but to acknowledge You so that You may keep us safe under the shadow of Your wings!

"Seven Ways to Pray on Election Day"

from desiringgod.org by Joe Rigney    This is an excellent, convicting prayer I hope to use in our prayer time on Election Day.

"Our Father and God,

We acknowledge that in this election you are, as it were, holding up a mirror to America. You are showing us who we are as a nation. We may not like what we see, but the two major party candidates represent us well. Lies, corruption, selfishness, unbridled ambition, shameless sexual immorality — all committed with a high hand. That’s our nation. You are giving us the leaders that we deserve.

If you are judging our nation by showing us who we are and what we deserve in these two candidates, then our proper response is to embrace your judgment. We say “Amen” to your judgment, to agree with you about who we are as a people, and that begins with repentance.

And it begins with our repentance. Judgment always begins with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17). Sins that are celebrated without shame in the wider culture are almost always present and active in the church, even when they are hidden. Removing the log from our own eyes is the prerequisite to speck-hunting in our neighbor’s out there (Matthew 7:3–5). Heartfelt repentance for our sins is where we must start.

We are people of unclean lips, and we dwell amidst a people of unclean lips. We are humbled by the greatness of our transgressions and by the weight of our wickedness. Left to ourselves, every intention of our hearts is only evil continually. And so we confess these sins on behalf of ourselves and our nation, casting ourselves wholly on your great mercy in Christ. 

 

Sexual Immorality

Father, our nation is awash in sexual foolishness. We have exalted our lusts and pursued them with reckless abandon. We have despised our daughters, ruined our sons, and betrayed our wives and husbands. We not only indulge dishonorable passions, but we give hearty approval to those who practice them, and malign those who refuse to join in. We are a people who glory in our shame.

This is a great evil.

Father, as your people we acknowledge our guilt in these sins. We have tolerated sexual immorality in our midst. We have hidden it, swept it under the rug, treated it as a small matter. We have justified and excused our indulgence. We have made provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. We have attempted to make peace with these sins, refusing to cut off our hand in order to pursue your holiness.

Forgive us, O God, in your great mercy.

Abortion

Father, for over forty years, our nation has sought to escape the consequences of sexual immorality by legally permitting violence against the weakest members of the human race. We have regarded unborn children as collateral damage in the sexual revolution. Our hands have shed innocent blood, and that blood cries out to you from the ground. We have waged war against our children.

This is a great evil.

Father, as your people, we acknowledge our complicity in this matter. We too have embraced the false idol of personal autonomy. We have thrown our lot in with the sexual revolutionaries. Through our own sinful indulgence, we have strengthened the culture of death. And we have grown weary in our resistance to abortion. The failures of politicians and judges have left us despairing, and so we turn our back on the silent screams.

Forgive us, O God, in your great mercy.

Racial Animosity

Father, our nation is rent apart by ethnic and racial strife. Our sad history is filled with racial superiority, animosity, and oppression of the most grievous kind. We are still reaping the bitter harvest sown by our forefathers. What’s worse, we are sowing more seeds of racial suspicion and hatred, and thereby afflicting our children with the same ugly fruit. We have despised people because of the color of their skin and the shape of their features and the language that they speak. And in despising them, we have despised you, the God who made all of us in your image.

This is a great evil.

Father, as your people, we acknowledge our guilt in these matters. We have tolerated racial divisions because the pursuit of racial harmony is hard. We have shrunk back in fear; we have failed to be peacemakers; we have allowed ourselves to be manipulated by race hustlers of all colors. We have rejected your justice and righteousness, and sought to establish our own.

Forgive us, O God, in your great mercy.

Anxiety and Fear

Father, we are an anxious and fearful people. For all of our bluster and bragging, we are so easily shaken. We are anxious about money, anxious about the future, anxious about the economy, anxious about the election, anxious about our enemies, anxious about food, anxious about health, anxious about safety, anxious about everything under the sun. We live in so much fear. And we confess that anxiety is fundamentally a form of pride. Our anxiety is our sinful and arrogant reaction to the truth that we are not ultimately in control.

This is a great evil.

Father, as your people, we too live in fear. We have baptized the worries and anxieties of the world. We have feared what they fear, and lived in dread of what they dread. And in our fear and anxiety, we have become reactionary and easily manipulated. And because our anxiety and fear feels so justified by the riskiness of life, we do not feel it to be really sinful. We do not feel the arrogance in our insecurities.

Forgive us, O God, in your great mercy.

Envy, Covetousness, and Greed

Father, our nation is shot through with envy, covetousness, and greed. We crave and crave, and demand and demand more and more. Our envy masquerades as a concern for justice. We say, “That’s not fair,” when what we really mean is “Why not me?” We have loved money and possessions and the false stability that it brings us. We have looked to our wealth to deliver us; we have served Mammon, rather than you.

This is a great evil.

Father, as your people, we too have committed covetousness, which is idolatry. We have sought to store up treasures on earth. We have tried to serve two masters. What we’ve received, we’ve hoarded for ourselves, and when we’ve not received, we have resented the blessings and success of others. We too have cloaked our envy and greed behind a façade of justice.

Forgive us, O God, in your great mercy.

Lies

Father, we are a nation with a lying tongue. We love lies. We have exchanged your truth for a lie. We are willing to lie and deceive in order to get our own way or save our own skin. What’s more, we will believe any lie, provided it reinforces our own biases. We especially love to believe lies about our enemies; we want them to be as wicked as possible, in order to justify our hatred of them.

This is a great evil.

Father, as your people, we too have loved lies. We love the convenient lie, the falsehood that gets us off the hook or allows us to indulge a sinful desire. We twist your word in order to get the result we want. We massage the truth, sanding off its rough edges and sharp points, so that it doesn’t offend us and others. We cover up the truth in order to be accepted by the world.

Forgive us, O God, in your great mercy.

 Pride

Father, at the heart of our nation’s sins is the great sin of pride. We have placed ourselves and our wants and desires at the center of reality and sought to conform reality to us. We have exalted ourselves. We have insisted on our own way. In our prosperity, we have rejected you and sought to make a name for ourselves. And now in our distress, when all of our idols have failed, we find ourselves hopeless, despairing, reactive, and afraid. But still proud.

This is a great evil.

Father, as your people, we too are proud. We cloak our pride behind a mask of humility. We try to make a name for ourselves in appropriate “Christian” ways. We live to impress other people so that they see how godly we are. We look down our noses at those we deem beneath us. We pay lip-service to you, but for all practical purposes, we rely and depend on ourselves.

Forgive us, O God, in your great mercy.

Have Mercy on Us

Our sins have arisen to heaven. They are a stench in your nostrils. And so you are bringing your judgment; you are giving us over to our sins. Father, we see what you are doing, and we confess that it is good and right. Those who practice these things deserve to die.

But you are a God, merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and kindness. And so we appeal to that mercy and ask for that grace through your Son Jesus.

Forgive us, O Lord, and lead us back to life in you.

Why This Mama Will Vote This Year

We moms have lots of decisions to make on a daily basis--

and tomorrow we must make a big decision--

a Presidential-size decision.

Which President do I want my kids to have for the next four years?

I don't really want either of our options for President, especially Clinton,and when I checked out the Libertarian, it only took me a few minutes to decide that he was out, too, based on his lack of stand against abortion, gay rights, etc.
I'd been planning all along to vote for Trump (while holding my nose) till I read someone's arguments against the arguments I've heard all my life, that a vote for a third party candidate was a vote for Clinton.
They said it was not a vote for Clinton but for that third party candidate. It called the argument intimidating.
I could see their point, and then I got worried that I was doing wrong to vote for Trump.

So I have been praying and thinking--after facing the temptation to not vote at all for president because I'm afraid my vote wouldn't be pleasing to God...or that I would have to face the consequences of my decision.
Who wants to say I voted for Trump when Trump starts to do dumb, cowardly, or wrong things?
But it seems to me that the question really boils down to our need to make a choice,
not a great choice, but the best choice we can make.
For is choosing not to make a choice really being responsible?

Shifting responsibility is becoming more and more in fashion--
because then we can stand back and blame others while patting ourselves on the back that we aren't responsible.
"You know, God, I didn't go vote at all because I was afraid, so this is all the fault of those dumb people who thought he was the only choice they had..."
Oh really?
I watched a situation play out just recently, where responsibility was shifted
and in the end, the responsibility shifters had to face the consequences of their
irresponsibility just as surely as they would have faced the consequences
of their taking responsibility--right or wrong.

God says He would seriously rather we be cold or hot,
 rather than lukewarm.
He would rather we be cold, rather than lukewarm.
So I felt clear to man up (or woman up) and take responsibility tomorrow to make the best choice I can make of the two choices we have that have a chance to win.
My vote means I made the better choice in a choice of two,
but my trust and confidence is in God, Who will surely show mercy and help to this helpless mother of seven
whose only hope is in Him.
But with Him is abundant mercy, help, and hope, regardless the outcome of this election.

Here is the article my nephew copied and sent me:
"With the choice of presidential candidates before us tomorrow, neither of which are leaders I would have chosen to be an authority over me, I am perplexed with the question of what to do.
Trump has led a life of immorality, is disrespectful in his language, is pridefully self confident, and lacks the experience and integrity essential for the position of president of the United States. On the other hand, Clinton, an avowed supporter of murder and sodomy, promises to promote the very things that Scripture clearly condemns; she would be an absolute catastrophe for America, to say the least.
If my vote were to mean that I endorse, support, condone, put confidence in, or sign my name by either one of these candidates and their past, present or future actions, there is no way my conscience would allow me to vote for either.
But is that what it means to vote?

Of course, I do have the option to not vote at all, or to vote for a third party candidate. But to not vote would be to mock my God-given privilege and responsibility as a United States citizen to engage on a surface level in the spiritual warfare that rages in this country. And to vote for a third-party candidate when there is no real third-party to choose from, is, well, doing the exact same thing. Of course, if I had unreservedly invested time, resources and energy in joint effort with millions of others to bring to the ticket a third-party candidate that we could enthusiastically and corporately vote for, then, well, I would be very happy to vote for a third party.
But short of a miracle, the reality of this election leaves us with only two options. And thus the perplexity. Do I really have to vote for the better of two evils again?
And so, if nothing else, this election has helped me to understand more clearly than ever before what it actually means to vote. A vote is a formal indication of someone’s choice. To vote is to simply choose between the options that God has sovereignly placed before me.
 
My vote is not putting confidence in someone. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes” Psalm 118:8-9. My confidence is in God! If voting meant putting confidence in an early individual for future security and prosperity, than there would be only one candidate for whom I could vote: Jesus Christ himself. If by voting I find desiring from man what only God can provide, I must beware.
My vote is not signing my name to an agreement, or declaring an affiliation with a candidate. Just because I vote for someone doesn’t mean I agree with them. If this were true, then there would be no one on earth I could vote for, regardless of how conservative or Scripturally accurate they may be.

My vote is not an endorsement or token of support for a person or for what they stand for. “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” Romans 13:1b. I want only to support what God supports, so I will use my better judgment to choose which of the two evils would better facilitate the support of God’s ways in every-day life.

So let us remember, as we participate in this critical day of our nation’s history, that our vote is simply a wise and solemn choice between the options that God has sovereignly placed before us. God will use the one He elects however He chooses. “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.”

The author of the above article said that " here are two resources that have strongly influenced my decision to vote for Trump despite my reluctance and complete lack of support for him: Prayer and Soul-Search by Joel Rosenberg, and the Decision of Senator Ted Cruz. Let us not look to Trump as a savior, but pray rather that God would use him as a tool to bring God’s people back into right relationship with Him."
And here is the link to the above article.
http://lenspiration.com/2016/11/what-does-it-mean-to-vote/
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Also, my brother Elon wrote us the following a couple days ago which I asked permission to post on my blog. He said:

"I'm having some inspirations, which may or may not be completely perfect and accurate, but here goes:

WHY EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD VOTE (in this election).

Back when I was young, Smokey Bear appeared all the time on signs and billboards, speaking out for forest-fire prevention.  He said stuff like, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires," or,  "If not you- WHO?" Isn't that one of those sort of "goes-without-saying" sayings?  But it seems to me that the principle applies to a lot of other things.

Like elections.  I have a premise.  And I think it makes sense.  IF ONLY WICKED PEOPLE VOTE, THEN ONLY WICKED PEOPLE WILL BE ELECTED. If only unrighteous or non-Christian people vote, then how will righteous or God-fearing people be elected?  Well, maybe we don't WANT God-fearing people to be elected.  Hey, just let the world and the nation run it's course, it needs no help from us.  After all, we have another Kingdom we're supposed to be looking out for.

 
 Just look around at all the notions out there.... Some people are too "spiritual" to vote.  Some are too lazy.  Some are simply unheeding and careless.  Some are in a class that I understand, but disrespect: Since both major party presidential candidates are so flawed and awful, I can't conscientiously vote for either of them. I think we all need a little schooling on what it means to be a Christian and an American.

"We are not here to play, to dream, to drift," wrote one insightful poet (Maltbie Babcock, who also wrote "This is My Father's World"). "We have hard work to do, and loads to lift."  History lessons prove him correct.  About 800 years ago there was a despotic tyrant.. .  His people got so fed up with his obliviousness to real human need, that they revolted, and his knights and nobles forced him to sign a document known as the Magna Carta, which limited his power and gave the people certain inalienable rights. It was the first time that a major nation-state began to be governed by principles of balanced government-- restricting the power OF the ruler/s, and giving the people a voice and hand in making just laws, and granting them the simple rights and privileges that they should rightfully have.

The principles and ideas embodied in the Magna Carta were the basis for our own U.S. Constitution.  But a long time before persecuted and aggravated men sat down and hammered out our Constitution, there was a little group of Separatists or Puritans, more commonly known as the Pilgrims, who escaped the tyranny of Europe, sailed to a new world where they could serve God in peace and godly fear-- and mistakenly ended up in Massachussets Bay.  The first thing they did was bow down and thank the Lord of Heaven and Earth for a safe passage.  Secondly, they sat down and wrote up a contract, or Compact, -- a sort of constitution, the guidelines of which they were to live by.  And next-- they VOTED.  That's right, they needed a leader and so they ELECTED John Carver as their governor.  It was by popular vote.  A less commonly known fact is that there were a good many people on board ship who were NOT Puritans or Pilgrims. In fact, the Pilgrims called these other folks "Strangers."  But guess what?  Those "strangers" who wanted to be a part of the Plymouth settlement were required to put their signature to the Compact, and also were given opportunity to help elect a governor.

 
 So my question is this:  What if the Pilgrims had been so "Kingdom" oriented, that they  had left if up to the "Strangers" to do all the voting and electing and choosing of a Governor?  Huh?  Do you think they would have gotten the godly William Bradford in their second election?  Nope, most assuredly, if  ONLY those poor godless Strangers had been permitted to do the electing, Plymouth would have been ruled by a Stranger.  The Pilgrims were wise enough not to let that happen.

How can we dare to be any LESS wise?  I know there is a lot of STRONG SENTIMENT and powerful feelings that accompany this particular election.  Some are being overly hyperbolic and asserting that this could be the end of America as we know it, etc.  (We said the same thing about the last several elections, and yes, the America we once knew is disappearing).  But let's say  the choice is more stark this time, and the results more potentially disastrous. Do we who value religious liberty (and other worthy liberties) dare stand on the sidelines and let the Strangers make the decisions for us??  The Scripture teaches us exactly the opposite.  If we truly "Love our neighbor as ourself," will we stand by and let our neighbor be dragged into bondage, fear, and grief, if we can do something about it?  Or at least TRY to do something?  If we believe that Jesus really meant "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you;" --Would you want others to choose wise and righteous rulers when they have opportunity?  Then shouldn't we do the same for them?

With every privilege comes an equal responsibility.  We find it helpful and a really, really big blessing to live in the "land of the free and the home of the brave" (which incidentally is a privilege that most of earth's peoples have never, ever enjoyed)--and yet we think we can responsibly just "sit out the election" and let the "other guy" do the choosing??  Shame, shame on us!  If you can't get yourself to vote for some major candidate even WITH a clothespin tightly restricting your nasal passages--then get busy and find out who is or might be worthy in your local government, and VOTE for them!  Vote for you State Senator or National Representative to Congress.  Folks, let's get our head screwed on straight!  It's not Presidents who put justices on the Supreme Court!  They only nominate somebody.  It's the U.S. Senate who confirms and places them on the court.  So get out and vote for a Senatorial candidate who values truth, justice, and LIBERTY!  If you can't find one, then vote for the next best!  Stand up and have a voice!

I may not be called to have an actual position in government.  But the God of Truth and Love has placed me in a Land where I may have a say by way of a REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.  I have the privilege of voting for another person who will represent my views, principles, and values.  And so do you.  If I decide to take advantage of all the benefits and freedoms of this great country, but refuse to help with the responsibility of governing, then I can't honestly get down on my knees and pray that I may "lead a quiet and peaceable life" (1 Tim. 2:2)  So help us God!!

And by the way, I'm not voting for Mr. D. Trump.  I'm voting for Mike Pence!

Good, Godly and Gallant--thoughts from Pastor Rick Jones of St. Louis, MO

 Yesterday Pastor Rick Jones, whom we visited last year in St. Louis, MO, posted some thoughts on Facebook which I'd like to share here.

He explained why he wouldn't so much pray that America would be made great again,

as the new slogan of the Republican party says,

but that she will be made good, godly and gallant.

You can read the post in its entirety at the link at the end of this post, but I thought his thoughts about gallantry were especially good.

 

"I will not be praying that God will make America great.  I will be praying that America will be gallant. 

Speaking to the elites assembled at the 1978 Commencement of Harvard University, the Russian exile Alexandr Solzhenitsyn spoke like a prophet:

“A decline in courage may be the most striking feature which an outside observer notices in the West in our days. The Western world has lost its civil courage, both as a whole and separately, in each country, each government, each political party, and, of course, in the United Nations…Should one point out that from ancient times declining courage has been considered the beginning of the end?”

I have often noted that while liberals (not in the classic but the contemporary sense) are wrong, conservatives are weak. 

We know the truth.  We know Him who is the truth.  And yet we are such cowards when it comes to standing with the Truth.  We look into the eyes of those who oppose the Truth and wilt.

As our faith has weakened—eroded by the Spirit of the age—we’ve lost our confidence.  We kowtow to the culture, hoping that we will fit in rather than stand out.  

Our declaration “Thus saith the Lord,” has turned to interrogation “What do you think?”

It’s reminiscent of Jeremiah’s tragic indictment: “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jeremiah 5:21)

With each accommodation to the Spirit of the age, we draw a new red line, a point of no-surrender—and when we are challenged, we squirm, then turn, and compromise.

Witness the contemporary church walking away from our Lord’s plain teaching on marriage.  Jesus said, “From the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”  (Mark 10:6-9)

Notice all that mattered to Jesus.  Gender mattered.  Leaving and cleaving mattered.  Singularity mattered. Divinity mattered.  But that was then. 

 

Today we have agreed that marriage is decided by the State not by God—so that men can actually put asunder what God has joined together.

We have concluded that two can be made one with more than one—so long as they have a really good reason for dividing the first, or second, or third “one.”

And now we are starting to believe that gender is a rather antiquated concept—so that a wife could be a man, or a husband could be a female.  Rather than two, we are now told there are 72 genders.  Who are we to tell others who they ought to marry?

If only John the Baptist had had the conscience of a modern professing Christian.  He would have had no reason to speak out against illicit marriage of Herod and Herodius and saved his neck.

Oh that God would raise up a new generation of John the Baptists who will courageously declare, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance!” (Matthew 3:8).

So no I will not pray that God will make America great again!  I will pray that God will make America good, godly, and gallant!   Join with me. 

And one more thing.  I’m sure that when America is good, and godly, and gallant, we will be great again!

Posted Yesterday by PASTOR RICK JONES  at https://reachingforth.blogspot.com/?m=1

He also shared this thought:

"I am fearful that our nation will continue heading the same direction rather than changing direction.  Three fourths of Americans believe our nation is headed the wrong direction.  I love C. S. Lewis’ observation, “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”

Poor Mama Pig Has Lousy Logic but Accurate Instincts

We have been expecting our pig to have her babies for a long time.

She has been getting fatter, waddling more slowly when we let her out for exercise in the pasture,

 and acting different for a few weeks now.

And finally Wednesday we figured this must be about time.

Mrs. Mama Pig celebrated by going for a mud bath at the pond

 (her last bath in a long time, she must have figured!)

Way to go, Mama Pig!

What a mess!!!!!!!!!!!

Then Mama Pig kept snooting around a big piece of plastic that had blown into the pasture by the woodpile,

as if she was trying to make a nest out of it.

Rose managed to lure her away from it with a yellow bucket of grain to put her in her pen before we left for the rest of the afternoon.

But when some of us got home, after dark,

Mama Pig had gotten out of her pen and disappeared!

There she was, back in her nest of plastic in the pasture!!!

Nothing the children did could convince her to leave her "nest" and go back to her pen.

When our friends brought Rose, Carrie, and Timmy home later, we got all hands on deck to get the pig in.

She was sure to have her piglets that night, and it was much too cold for her in the pasture,

to say nothing of how ridiculous it was to make a nest in the middle of a wad of plastic!

We got such a kick out of how Mama Pig knew something was about to happen,

and was making her own kind of preparation for it,

but how poor her logic was!

Timmy manuevered with a four-wheeler to keep the pig from backtracking, 

and the rest of the family kept her prodded gently but firmly along,

little by little,

along the fence to the shed and her pen in the shed.

Poor Mama Pig had lousy logic, but accurate instincts. 

And I had to laugh about that with Jonathan later, because that is how I feel many times when he and I are at odds about something.

Very often, I will not have any idea how to explain my "gut" feeling in any logical way,

and so, of course, my very logical husband doesn't "get it."

But when it comes down to it, very often, mamas' intuitions are accurate--

even if sometimes we illogical females do weird things in our efforts to protect our offspring

or prevent various kinds of disaster.

Just this morning I was calling a sister, and asked Jonathan if he remembered which phone number was hers or her husband's.

Jonathan said the number I had just dialed was actually her husband's, but it had started to ring already,

so I let it go.

And my sister answered!

We got a good laugh out of how Jonathan had the right logic, 

but his wife called the right number that would be answered by my sister that particular morning!

Yes, we poor mamas sometimes do funny things,

but when our instincts kick in, 

you better back off!

Timmy Wins Third Place in Pumpkin Carving Contest

Here is the pumpkin Timmy carved that won third place in Big R ranch store's pumpkin carving contest last weekend.

He put a horseshoe in the letter "U," and a flag inside behind the letters, as well as the two flags stuck in on top

(which he purchased at Big R!).

Here (above) are several of the pumpkins that had come in by the time we went on Friday.

Timmy's is the furthest left on the bottom row, and Rose's is right next to his,

a cowboy pumpkin with a cowboy hat and feather.

Below, Timmy and Rose are carrying their pumpkins in.

I thought this one was really cute, a cat.

Here is Rose's. She carved the letters "COWBOY."

And she jigsawed and woodburned a little wooden set of cowboy boots which she put inside a carved window on the pumpkin under the word cowboy.

And she stuck on a little gun I got at Dollar Tree.

We were very proud of our kids' efforts.

 The weekend before, while we were in town at a Goodwill before going to rake leaves at Jonathan's parents, Grandma Lucas called and said there was the annual pumpkin contest in town.

 People bring in the most enormous pumpkins.

This one had won second or third place.

That was the weekend that Jonathan, Sam, Rose and Timmy were gone hunting.

and I got to spend extra time with my youngest children.

I'm often torn between trying to help my older children grow up and become mature and godly young men and women,

and staying in tune with my littlest children who still need a mom to remember that they are still small

and like lots of play and jumping in piles of leaves, and children's books read to them--when I'd rather be reading Pilgrim's Progress!

I ran across this encouraging article yesterday in desiringgod.org, about motherhood, which I will copy parts of for my fellow mothers out there.

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"Everywhere you go, people want to talk about your children. Why you shouldn’t have had them, how you could have prevented them, and why they would never do what you have done. They want to make sure you know that you won’t be smiling anymore when they are teenagers. All this at the grocery store, in line, while your children listen.

A Rock-Bottom Job?

"The truth is that years ago, before this generation of mothers was even born, our society decided where children rank in the list of important things. When abortion was legalized, we wrote it into law.

Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get. In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do. Below everything. Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing.

"If you grew up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood, to think like a free Christian woman about your life, your children. How much have we listened to partial truths and half lies?

Are we really in this because of cute little clothes and photo opportunities? Is motherhood a rock-bottom job for those who can’t do more, or those who are satisfied with drudgery? If so, what were we thinking?

It’s Not a Hobby

"Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

"Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will die—and trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death.

Run to the Cross

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. 

To death. 

So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

The Question Is How

The question here is not whether you are representing the gospel, it is how you are representing it. Have you given your life to your children resentfully? Do you tally every thing you do for them like a loan shark tallies debts? Or do you give them life the way God gave it to us—freely?

It isn’t enough to pretend. You might fool a few people. That person in line at the store might believe you when you plaster on a fake smile, but your children won’t. They know exactly where they stand with you. They know the things that you rate above them. They know everything you resent and hold against them. They know that you faked a cheerful answer to that lady, only to whisper threats or bark at them in the car.

Children know the difference between a mother who is saving face to a stranger and a mother who defends their life and their worth with her smile, her love, and her absolute loyalty.

 

Hands Full of Good Things

When my little girl told me, “Your hands are full!” I was so thankful that she already knew what my answer would be. It was the same one that I always gave: “Yes they are—full of good things!”

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross. There is more joy and more life and more laughter on the other side of death than you can possibly carry alone."

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---http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank 

That article was such a blessing. I'd encourage any mother to read the article in its entirety.