The Greatest Good!

My kiddos love the movie "The Incredibles". A cute movie about a family of superheros in hiding. One of my favorite parts of the movie is when the character Frozone is asking his wife where his super suit is, because the city is under attack and he is going to help. She begins to respond to his questions with attitude and basically is not going to tell him because they have dinner plans. He then tells her that "it is for the greater good of man kind" which then she replies "I am your wife! I am the greatest good you are ever gonna get!"
Of course there are many things I can talk about in regards to that segment but I want to focus on the greatest good part!
I found the picture above at a web page for a mosaic heart. I know nothing about that page but I love the scripture.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
We were created by him for GOOD WORKS. God has prepared us as wives and mothers to be the greatest good for our family. In the book Excellent Wife author Martha Peace writes "the works that God has prepared for you to do include not only what you do in your relationship with your husband, but also your heart's motives or attitude." Her point is that we need to focus on what we as a wife are suppose to be doing and not what are husbands are suppose to be doing". You see we need to be focusing on being "the greatest good" aside from Christ, that our families get! God has equipped us to do good works. The scripture says that He prepared beforehand. Before we said "I DO" he was preparing us to be the wives He requires of us. We need to make sure that; without boasting, we are walking in those works. And I say "without boasting" because it is not something we need to do to  prove we are the greatest good. its not something we need to say to our husbands as in the movie. But it is something we want our husbands to feel & know. As Martha says, Its all about your heart's motives & desires.I desire to be the best wife & mother. With God's help and knowing that he has prepared us, we can do good works for our families!
God Bless

Jesus Loves Me!

Eleah is our amazing, full of energy 5 year old. I love watching this dramatic little Diva sing! She loves to take any one's guitar (no matter how big) and play and sing at the top of her lungs. She has a natural ability to put on a show. She even makes up her own songs, most of which make absolutely no sense. However; she sings them with all she has! Well the other day after sitting through one of her "shows", I made a request. "Could you please sing JESUS LOVES ME?" Sure, sure she said. As she began to sing I realized she did not know the song! She could sing parts of it but kept looking at me for help. Funny thing is, we taught her the song very early on. Its not a difficult song, my other 3 kids can sing it. I guess we just haven't been singing it enough!
The girl can sing any of the worship songs that we sing in church or any of the songs from our Christian stations; but she cant sing that amazing little song that speaks the truth about our God! A song that tells us about why Jesus came to this earth.

 "Jesus loves me He who died, Heavens gates to open wide. He will wash away my sins. Let His little child come in"

Some may think that this is not a big deal, its just a little song; but, when you consider the scheme of eternity I would have to differ. Yes it is a child's song but the message it offers speaks truth. The truth is that

 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16

And the other thing is this...Yes Jesus Loves me & you & the world so much that he WILLINGLY gave his life! He only asks that you come to Him, confess & repent of your sins. Then accept Him as your Lord and Savior! That's a big deal. Someone willing to give completely of himself for someone else. Could you do that?

So....guess what song Miss Eleah now knows? You got it. "JESUS LOVES ME"

I wanted to share with you a great newer version of the song. Same words & same message, just a bit upbeat and great for the kids to learn. Please Enjoy!

 





Advent Bible Study!

The women at Good Morning Girls blog are hosting a Bible study called

 "Keeping our Hearts focused on Jesus"

I am so excited to take part in this study. With the hustle & bustle of the season we tend to loose focus. We know that "Jesus is the reason for the Season" but do we take the time to really incorporate HIM into our festivities. I am looking forward to the weekly devotions & the family activities! They also are including a free ebook to go along with the study! 

Take the time to hop on over to the blog and check it out for yourself.

http://www.goodmorninggirls.org/2012/11/our-advent-ebook-has-arrived-free-for-all-subscribers/ 

Lets be sure to not loose focus this year!

"Titus Grove"

I really wish I could remember what blog I was reading; but the blog had a great post on putting a name to your home/property. I tried to look for it but when you google "name your home" A LOT of stuff came up & I never found it. Anyhow, from what I can remember the blogger (whom I will refer to as she) had great reasons as to why you should name your home. I remember thinking she was really onto something. She had said that it gives you a real feeling of ownership and allows you to feel more responsible for making sure it is taken care of. She had other great things to say about it & I so wish I could link you to it, but I decided after reading it that I would talk to my husband about naming our new home. Here's the thing.....we were in the stages of looking for a home, we hadn't bought this one yet! But he thought it was a great idea as well.

The fun part was that every time we went to look at a house, we thought about what name we would give that house. We really had a hard time coming up with any (houses or names) that we liked. I prayed about it because I didn't want it to just be a name for naming sake. I really wanted it to stand for something. I also knew that when we found the home we would have a name for it as well.

Flashback several years ago......my husband & I began ministering under the name "Titus Principles Ministry" thus the blog name! We really had a heart to share with others the message the Lord gave to Paul for his friend Titus; For this reason I left you [behind] in Crete, that you might set right what was defective and finish what was left undone, and that you might appoint elders and set them over the churches (assemblies) in every city as I directed you. (ch1 vs5)

We really believe that the things spoken about in the book of Titus are for today. If you get a chance read the book of Titus.  Its only 3 chapters but it is packed with so many wonderful lessons. It will also give you a glimpse of what we have set our hearts on doing in the ministry.

Well, as you know, we are in our new home and so the time has come to name it! We really wanted to incorporate Titus in the name. We didn't want to call it a farm because it really isn't one (even tho we will be gardening and raising a few farm animals). We didn't want to use the word estate because it just didn't fit. We also didn't like acres. So we came up with Grove. We like it. Although when you look up the meaning of grove it doest really fit. But who cares, not everything has to be so perfectly fitting. We think it sounds good & some day (hopefully in October) we will be planting some fruit trees in nice rows & that will make it a real grove. In the mean time there are many other things to do here at "Titus Grove", so I best get to them.

God Bless

Our New Home

 

Here it is!

 

 

After a lot of looking, a ton of praying, and many tears of wondering if we will ever be home owners again....here it is! Our cute new cape cod on over 7 acres in the middle of NOWHERE! It is exactly what we have been wanting.

The Lord says He will give us the desires of our hearts. That is something I have always struggled with. Is it a desire or just greed? Is it wrong to want a nice home on land when we were already living in a great place? Dont forget the scripture...Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. Am I content if I want something else...

Let me tell you a bit about this home. As you can see it is a cape cod, it is also a pale yellow. It has a great wrap porch, all of this stuff you can see. It has 3 full bathrooms (remember, I have 4 kiddos; always good to have multiple pottys), it has 4 bedrooms with a FULL basement. The basement has escape windows. Plus there is so much more I can tell you about our cute house. Here's the cool thing...since looking for our first house back in the 90s, I have ALWAYS wanted a cape cod. Everyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE yellow houses, and I have always thought of the day that my hubby & I could sit on our front porch and watch our kids with our grandbabies play in our yard.

Tho some of this may seem like no big deal..the color or style of a house...but these were my desires. It wasn't that I wasnt happy or content in the other homes we have lived in, but there was something about them, they never felt like "HOME".

So after we sold our last house; thats an entire post of its own, we began looking for a new home. We ran into MANY roadblocks that put us in rent for two and a half years. Granted...the rental home was a beautiful 3500 sq ft historical home, but I wanted a house that was ours, one that felt like home. Now I know that there is a whole post in that comment as well, but stick with me and I will post some other time on that stuff. So here we are now....living in a cute yellow cape cod with a wrap porch. Plenty of bathrooms and rooms for the kids. My desires have been met! Why? Because even tho we make mistakes and are in no way perfect Christians, our desire is to do everything to the glory of the Lord. And when we hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord our God, to observe and to do all his commandments... God promises in Deuteronomy chapter 28  that if we do these things... that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

² And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.³ Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
⁴ Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.⁵ Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.⁶ Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.⁷ The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.⁸ The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.⁹ The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.¹⁰ And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.¹¹ And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.¹² The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. ¹³ And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
Again, we are not perfect, but I can say that our true hearts desire is to hearken to the voice of God and follow His commands and because of this He blesses us. However:  2 Corinthians 9:8 lets us know that our blessings are not just for us ⁸ And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. This is now our desire...to be able to give back. More on that and the story of how we got this home next time.
God Bless



GREAT WAY TO SAVE!

OK everyone...I am so excited! I am a bit of a nutrition freak! I like eating healthy & making sure my home is a healthy environment as well. I also take supplements like B-12, D-3, & St. John's Wort etc.! Plus I have a child on a gluten free diet. We all know these types of things can really put a dent in your budget! Well, my friend Stephanie introduced me to a new website/store called VitaCost. They have thousands of items at GREAT prices. Cheaper then any of the specialty stores I shop. I am posting the link for you all to check out as well. PLUS you get to save an additional $10 on your order if you use this link!!!  http://www.vitacost.com/Referee?wlsrc=rsReferral&ReferralCode=90308015

I am super excited to use this site to also purchase the things I need to make my own cleaners & laundry soap. They have the essential oils to make things smell good. Plus it ships to your door....who doesn't like getting a package! I really think this is going to be a great way to be a good steward of the money God has given my family. Anytime I can save money on the things I use everyday, I get excited. I couldn't help but share my excitement with you!
Have a blessed day!

Growing Home: Giveaway! -The Cottage Mama Plans Her Menu

I MUST menu plan. When I dont I get so messed up....in finances , in dinners, in schedule!! I would challenge you to give it a try!
A blogger that I really enjoy is having a giveaway from another great blogger! Check out the link!!
Growing Home: Giveaway! -The Cottage Mama Plans Her Menu

I was blessed with an opportunity to read this e-book and offer my thoughts on it!
First let me tell you....I did not put it down till I was finished with it. I sat on the couch next to my hubby and while he was watching football & the kids were playing I READ THE WHOLE THING! It is a wonderful book. However; fair warning.....IT CAN GET YOU WHERE IT HURTS! I read about things that I know the Lord has been dealing with my heart about changing and Darlene confirmed them. She has an ability to show you what God desires of us as Women, Mothers & Wives, in a manner that is absolute but loving. She does not use kid gloves which I appreciate. She uses great scriptures to support her beliefs. I feel this is a great read for ALL WOMEN, no matter if you are a stay-at-home mom or a working mom.
This e-book is also filled with great tips & ideas. She has even included her cleaning schedule that I have been using to maintain my home! Just wait till you read about "25 things"....I so have to do it!
There is so much packed into this book that I cant begin to tell you about it all. Your going to have to get it for yourself!

Here is Darlene's explanation as to why she wrote this book:

I’ve decided to resurrect the “Good Wife’s Guide,”

in my own words, and according to the role that I

hope to fulfill in my life. It is no longer a satirical
piece written to mock the role of a help-meet, but
rather a guide that leads women toward a noblecharacter and good family values. 
t’s time that we took a stand for family values that serve to grow
and protect the family unit as God designed it to be.

As you can see this falls in line with what I feel is important in life. I want to be a women of noble character and with God's help I want to raise my family with good and Godly values. If you have the desire for the same click on the link to get your own copy of this great e-book! It will be an encouragement and guide! http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/2010/11/good-wifes-guide.html
God Bless  

New Series coming! Virtuous Women

I know its a little late to say HAPPY NEW YEAR, but Happy new year. I am a little behind on the new series because I was tending to my mommy duties with sick kids! I apologize for the delay & thank you for the prayers that went up for the sick kiddos!

Well we are into a new year, a fresh start. A chance to forget the things that are behind us and press towards those resolutions. One of the songs we led worship with on January 1st was "How He Loves Us" and the line that ministered to my heart was "I dont have time to maintain these regrets, when I think about, the way He loves us".
We all have regrets from the past year. One of mine was that I dont feel that I was doing ALL I could to be the best wife & mother. Now. I cant dwell on the ways I feel that I let my family down; but I can change what I do from here forward. The God I serve is a merciful God & I know that He has called me to this life that I have & we all have heard that God equips those that He calls! If He has called me to be a wife and mother then I know He will give me everything I need to "do" this ministry.
I call it a ministry because that is what it is. A ministry by definition is "a person or thing through which something is accomplished". I am a person. the THING that needs accomplished is raising my children to be productive members of society but more importantly that they have a personal relationship with the Lord. I also need to accomplish things related to being a wife & homemaker! We all know what that includes. Let's start this series discussing what God's will is for every wife.

Genesis 2:18(AMP)

¹⁸Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.

First and foremost we must put our relationship with Christ as our main priority. Once we have come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ we need to focus on building a RELATIONSHIP with Him. Through Christ we will be able to fulfill our calling to be a Help meet for our Husbands.
For several years I struggled with my next statement-We must put our Husbands after God but before anyone or anything else! Including our children. I know some moms (like myself in the past) have a hard time not putting our kids 2nd in line of priorities. I promise you that if you stick with me and begin to understand the calling God has on your life to be a virtuous wife, (Proverbs 31:10 (NKJV) Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies) then you will come to understand why I feel this is what the Lord glories in. Not only will the lord glory in it but the Bible tells us that we are the glory of our husbands. We were created for our husbands and not the other way around   

 1 Corinthians 11:7-9(NKJV)⁷ For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For man is not from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. So with knowing this I want to give a few ideas of ways we can be the Glory of our hubby.
1. Do not talk bad about him. I know we all have things that bug us about our hubby but we should always speak of him in a manner that points out his positive traits. Do not lie but find the good things to share with others.
2. Make sure to spend time with him every day. Talk & connect.
3. Steal little moments during the day to let him know how you feel about him..positive things.
4. Make him look good! If you are going out (anywhere) be that "trophy wife"
5. Make sure you encourage him in his job, parenting, and most importantly his relationship with Christ.
These are just a few things. I will give other tips & ideas as we go along in this series. If you have any tips please feel free to comment and share them as well.
I look forward to the next few weeks or however long God chooses to allow this series to go. I am so glad you are along with me and others as we become the Virtuous Women God wants us to be.