Category Archives: Spiritual Fitness

Turning the Page of Life….

Spiritual Fitness
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My sweet grandma passed away on the 8th of February. It was hard seeing her at the last, but I am so glad I and all the other family were able to be with her in her last days. She passed peacefully and since she knew Jesus as her saviour, I know she’s rejoicing in Heaven right now, and that’s what allowed us to be able to celebrate her passing at her memorial service.

I really think that’s what it should be for a child of God who has gone home. Now, yes, it may be a bit easier when you know their time is very near and you’ve been prepared well in advance. It does maybe seem harder to let go of someone who has passed at a younger age, or suddenly, but still, if they had accepted Jesus Christ as their saviour at some point in their life, I know they are in a much happier place. She was 91 years old, so she lived a long and full life and got to see several great grandchildren. She was such an inspiration as a woman, wife, mother, grandmother…..

She was a beautiful pianist and I wish I hadn’t stopped taking piano lessons from her when I got to an age where I got to choose, because as I got older I started really enjoying playing again and wish I was better at it! She also told the most wonderful, enchanting bed time stories when my brother and I were young and we spent the night at her house.

I love and miss my grandma, but one day I will see her again, and she is now with my grandpa who passed away years ago when I was a teenager.  I’m sure it was difficult for her having to go on without him for so many years, but now she is comforted at last!

I love you Grandma!

Story of Baby Moses-Basket on the River

Children, Spiritual Fitness,
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I was reading a true story tonight that brought me on the verge of tears. Happy tears. I’ve read it before, but it’s been awhile. It was the story of baby Moses.  Tonight I was studying my bible about priorities.  I got a bit sidetracked when DH said something about Moses and I was thinking, how did Moses know that he was a Hebrew? Someone must have told him. Possibly Pharoahs daughter, who raised him as her own.  But I also remembered that when Pharoahs daughter found Moses in the basket on the river, his sister had been watching from the brush, and she asked Pharoahs daughter if she should go and get a nurse of the Hebrew women to nurse the child.

You know what, I think I’m just going to write what it says there in Exodus 2:5-10 because God tells the story so much better than me. It gives me chills every time I read it and makes me cry! I can’t imagine having to be separated from my baby in order to save his life!

” And the daughter of Pharoah came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark(basket) among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

Then said his sister to Pharoah’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

And Pharoah’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.

And Pharoah’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharoah’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.”

Isn’t that just the best story? I mean Jochebed had to put her baby in a basket on the river to save him from being killed by Pharoah, and I’m sure she did not know what God had in store, though she did know that God would take care of him somehow.  I’m sure she had no idea that she would get to nurse Moses and raise him until he was old enough to be weaned or old enough to be taught?. I’m not sure how long that was in those days but I’m sure it was probably at least a couple years.  If anyone has any info on that I’d love to hear.

Can you imagine? Wow,, God worked everything out so perfectly, as he always does, and baby Moses’ mother, Jochebed, was able to be reunited with him, and she even got paid wages for it!! Jochebed was rewarded so much because of her faith that God would take care of this child.  And then for Moses’ sister to be so bold as to approach Pharoah’s daughter and ask if she should get a Hebrew woman to nurse him!

Well, I just had to share that with you all. I love it and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

P.S. Did you realise that Jochebed actually kept the law that every son born to the Hebrews was to be cast into the river? I just now realised that. Sure she hid him for 3 months until she couldn’t hide him any more, and then put him in a basket, but she did put him on the river!

Teaching and Disciplining Children-Consistancy

Children, Spiritual Fitness,
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I want to share something with you that has really opened my eyes lately and made me think about how consistent or inconsistent I’ve been about disciplining and teaching my children. It is so important to be consistent in what you say and do!

Wednesday night we went to church service. There is a wonderful brother in our church that always has a bag of candy with him and all the kids know about!lol. So of course, every church service, our kids stop by his pew on the way to our pew, and they each get a piece of candy.  Well, normally I tell them to wait till after church to eat it, and to put it in their pockets.  Well, there have been a couple times that we got there earlier than normal, and I allowed them to go ahead and have their candy(it’s usually hard candy,, nothing messy!).  So here is a dialogue of Nboy(our 6 year old) asking if he can have his candy right then:

Nboy: “can I have my candy now, mommy?”

Me: “No, let’s wait till after church.  Put it in your pocket”

Nboy: “but why did you let us eat it before church last time?”

Me: “We were here a bit early, and it doesn’t matter what you got to do last time, what matters is that I’m telling right now to wait till after church”

Well, I don’t know that sometimes letting them have their candy before services is all that bad,,But,, it did make me think about other times that I get a bit lazy and maybe don’t discipline them for some things that I normally would. Or I tell them that they can do something, but then I change my mind because I don’t feel like dealing with it right then, or I forgot.

I’m sorry to say that I think I do this too often, and that needs to change. Children need consistency in discipline and when we tell them that they can or can’t do something. What does it say to them when we are always changing our minds?  Or when they get punished for jumping on the bed most of the time, but sometimes they don’t? Or they don’t usually get punished for jumping on the bed, but sometimes they do?

God says in His Word: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” Prov. 22:6

If we train them in Gods way, they will grow up that way. If we train them in inconsistency, then that is how they will grow up..

God also says: “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”

What kinds of things provoke children to wrath, do you think? We may think more along the lines of child abuse or not showing them love, but what about being inconsistent in disciplining and teaching? What about us not living what we are teaching them?(being hypocrites) What about us not doing the things we tell them we are going to do?

We need to take teaching and disciplining our children seriously and not get lazy about it. It definately takes discipline on our part, but if we want our kids to grow up respecting us and ultimately God, we’ve got to practice what we preach, and follow up with our word.

Well, I leave you with that thought for tonight. I definately welcome any comments or added thoughts on this subject!

You Capture-Reaching

Children, Spiritual Fitness, ,
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This picture is kind of fuzzy, but I thought it was a great picture for the reaching theme.  Don’t we all feel this way at times? Reaching so hard for something, and getting so frustrated because we can’t quite get it?  Many times we just need to quit trying to do things on our own and just let God take care of it!

This post is for the weekly challenge at I Should Be Folding Laundry

Baby Reaching For Toy