Ramblings of a Christian Wife

Today I as my children and I were driving home from a visit to their Grandmother's, my oldest son and I got on the subject of what he calls "the snobby kids" at school and their take on what is normal.  He told me that he has been asked by his peers why he can't just be normal.  So I had to ask what 8th grade kids think is normal (yes, I will admit, I am as out of touch as my Mom was when I was 13).  He began to list off things that the kids consider normal, like having IPhones, wearing $60 pairs of shoes, hanging out at the mall, etc. He said the kids tell him that playing Pokemon and his 3DS is for little kids and question him as to why he doesn't have a smart phone.  At the mention of the smart phone I sort of cringed as cellphones have been a topic of much debate in our home but I was very surprised at his response.  He informed the kids who questioned him that spending $200 or more on a cellphone was just plane wasteful and he didn't need a $60 pair of sh...

Proverbs 15:1-2 A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous words stir up anger.  The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright, but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.   Yesterday I failed God, just as I have done so many times in the past.  I looked on others with contempt and I spoke unkindly.  I was so much like the fool spoken of in Proverbs 15:2b "But the mouth of the fools poureth out foolishness."  If you are my friend on Facebook and are reading this, you are familiar with some of the harsh words I spoke yesterday in anger, an anger that is not really mine to have and is displeasing to God.  If you don't know me, let me explain. It's NOT My job!  Many people are up in arms about Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty being "indefinitely suspended" for comments made about homosexuality.  I would be one of those people because the Bible condemns homosexuality just as it condemns any sinner, myself included.  I believe t...

While I try to stress my opinions in my blog posts, I also try to avoid out and out rants but just to warn you, this post may be an exception.  The topic I am going to discuss here is one of much secular and theological bickering, even among Christians.  It is the sanctity of Christmas being celebrated as Christ's birth and the world's attempt to secularize it.  At play in this "war" on Christmas, are several factors that frustrate me to no end.  First, we have those who say that Christians stole the holiday from pagans.  Second, is the issue of when exactly Jesus was born.  Last, we have the issue of changing everything from Christmas to "Holiday" items such as Christmas trees, Christmas Cards, and even the very name of the day.  Now, this post will not be all ranting because even I don't want to read an entire post on that.  I hope to present this information in a godly and loving manner and ask for forgiveness in advance if my words are not ple...

Today I want to address a topic that has really bothered me since having my first son; unsolicited, unwanted, and not helpful parenting advice.  If you are a parent, especially one with young children, you know what I am talking about.  The "advice" (actually criticism) given by those who do not have children, think their kids never do (or did) anything wrong, or those who were not what we would call "good" parents.  The "advice" that I think is often geared toward making you feel inadequate rather than to lift you up. When I have kids.... Ladies, if we are honest, we would likely find that we were all guilty of this one before we had kids.  Most of us, however; have held back actually saying out loud "When I have kids I will never..." or "When I have kids they won't..." but there are those who have the nerve to come right out and say this to a parent.  Now, it may seem obvious why this advice is not wanted or helpful but I am g...

A Little Bit of Bible Back Ground I love Thanksgiving.  I think it would be safe to say that it is my favorite day of the year filled with lots of good food, family, and wonderful childhood memories.  I love the smells of turkey, mash potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie as it mingles in the air and I love to eat!!  I love that we, as American's, set aside an entire day to be thankful but have always thought it odd that it was just one day!  One day to remember all that God has done for us, when the Bible says we are to be " Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20).  Now, I am not saying there is anything wrong with setting one day aside for praising God, even in the Bible they had a special celebration for giving thanks.  The Jewish celebration was known as the Feast of Booths and lasted 8 days rather than one, but the premise is very similar (Zechariah 14:16-20).  During this Fea...

This past Sunday we had a pretty vicious storm pass through our area and though no tornado touched down we had straight line winds as high as 70 mph.  The result of the straight line winds was major damage to some businesses and homes as well as power outages.  Most of our town, including our neighborhood, was out of power for nearly 48 hours.  Many people found themselves fleeing to hotels or to relatives homes in cities that did have power.  Others took shelter in facilities set up by the Red Cross.  We, however, stuck it out at home without any electricity for 26 hours until my husband was able to borrow a generator from a friend at work who had power.  Even after the generator was hooked up and turned on we still had limited use of electronics. If you have children you are probably aware that this situation of no power had the potential of turning into a nightmare for Mom and Dad.  However, I am glad to say, that this was not the case.  On M...

Looking at Jonah The story of Jonah and the whale is one that is very well known to Christians and is taught at a young age in Sunday Schools and Bible Schools all over the world.  We are all familiar with the attempt to run from God, the storm, Jonah getting tossed over board and being swallowed by a whale (the Book of Jonah actually uses the term Big Fish). We know how Jonah prayed for three days in the belly of that whale and was spewed out onto dry land, and finally headed to Nineveh.  And we are also familiar with the many lessons this portion of Bible history has to teach us but I would like to focus on how the book of Jonah ends and how it relates to some problems of modern day.   What's Wrong with This Guy If your Bible is divided with category headings like some digital Bibles, you will likely find the heading Jonah's Anger and God's Kindness written above Jonah 4.  This is a very appropriate title considering the chapter begins with Jonah compla...