Your WHOLE heart

On Wednesday night during service I felt the Lord speaking to me about the words "whole heart".  We were going through Psalm 119 and in the 11 verse we read 2 spoke about seeking the Lord with the whole heart
(verse 2 and 10). In order to follow the Lord wholly we must be devoted.  See the definition below:
"to give up wholly, a yielding of the heart and affections to God..." Websters 1828 dictionary
This made me search and see if I was truly devoted to God with my WHOLE heart.  Suddenly I remembered my verse for the year,
"Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you."
1 Samuel 12:24
How amazing (although I shouldn't be amazed as this is the God I serve)!  The Lord had given me this verse without me really knowing why and now He was showing me what my goal was to be this year.  Not too long after that I was reading an article in the Above Rubies we just received and the writer was talking about how God required our WHOLE heart, WHOLE mind, WHOLE body, everything...not just bits and pieces.  Ironic right :)?  When you read through the Scriptures do you ever see God complimenting half-hearted behavior?  One illustration that comes instantly to mind is the church of Laodicea in Revelation.  They were not hot nor cold, not wholly for God or wholly against God but halfway.  And what did Jesus say, "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."
Revelation 3:16
Um, I don't think that's a good thing ;)!  Another example in the Old Testament is in Jeremiah Chapter 3 verse 10 which says,
"And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the LORD. "
In this section God is pleading for Israel and Judah to return to Him but they would not have it.  Israel fell away first and even though Judah saw Israel's judgment she still continued on her path towards destruction.  To all those outside she appeared to be "following the Lord" but He knew their heart and that it was not wholly His!
Is that me?  Do I just appear to be following the Lord on the outside but in reality my heart is elsewhere?  Is my heart WHOLLY my Savior's for Him to do with as He wills, even if I don't understand His methods?
This is my prayer for this year; that I would be wholly devoted to Jesus with my whole heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Will you join me in giving your ALL to Jesus this year?

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah

My Mother

As I've gotten older I've realized exactly how much this household needs our wonderful mother to run properly!  Mamma never planned on staying home, homeschooling, or having more than 3 babies but the Lord had other plans (thankfully!).  When she was pregnant with me she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and has since then striven to live every moment of every day serving, loving, and worshiping Him.
 

My beautiful Mamma!

 After she had me she couldn't imagine leaving me in some stranger's hands and thus began her journey of faith.  About 18 months later my sister Kimber was born.  Not too long after that my sister Alexis was born and then finally a little brother, Caleb arrived.  About this time I was ready to attend my first year of school but once again Mamma and Daddy did not feel comfortable leaving me (or my siblings) to be raised by the anti-God public school system.  After much prayer and searching the Scriptures they decided to homeschool.  Once again they stepped out of the normal and into the way God was calling them.

Daddy and Mommy enjoying a time of fun together :)!

  Everyone was sure that Mamma was done having kids- I mean 4 kids under 6 was more than enough for one woman to handle...right?.  But Mommy and Daddy wanted a little playmate for Caleb so Seth entered our family.  Well, by this time people were definitely beginning to wonder about how many children Mom and Dad were aiming for.  But that was just it...they weren't aiming for any certain number.  Every time the youngest child was around 2 or 3 Mamma began to have that God-given urge for another child.  Wondering if they really were off their rocker they once again searched the Scriptures.  The Lord impressed upon their hearts during their study that children were a blessing and that they should accept however many He wanted to give them.  Since then 4 more blessings have joined their growing brood!

Mamma and her youngest child (as of right now :)

  My mother has for years been our loving nurturer, godly teacher, and thrifty chef.  Her tender care when you're sick, her constant self-less serving, and her love of knowledge are all examples to me.  I couldn't ask for a better mother and confidant!

I love you!!

 I love you, mommy!  Thank you for your Christ-like example that you exhibit inside and outside of our home.  I don't think people realize what an amazing woman you really are!  I hope to one day be a wife and mother just like you!

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah 

In the "Summer" of Your Life

"He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame." 

Proverbs 10:5

Yesterday morning I read this verse during my quiet time.  I thought I'd share with you what the Lord briefly showed me.

I am young and I'm relatively free to do as I like (within the limits of the Scripture, of course)!  Right now is the summer time of my life, now is the time of harvest.  Am I gathering right now in the "summer" or am I wasting it by sleeping, although the Lord's calling?  Am I searching diligently for His will or am I using my time unwisely?  Am I bringing in treasure to be stored up in heaven, or hording wealth which will rust and pass away?  I think these are questions we have to ask ourselves constantly.  I desire to be a wise daughter, to bring my parents glory and honor and most importantly to point others to my loving Savior and Friend.

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah

Book Review: Joyfully At Home

The book as seen at Vision Forum About 3 years ago I received a DVD for Christmas, "Return of the Daughters", and through it I was introduced to Jasmine Baucham.  Shortly thereafter my sisters and I began following her blog and just last year found out she was writing a book based on her blog.  I immediately wrote the book down on my Christmas wish-list and guess what??!!...I got it!!  If anybody knows me well they know I love to read!  I just finished the book, Joyfully at Home, last Tuesday (I would have finished it before but....just look at my book list :-) and thought now would be a great time to write up a review. Inside the pages of this well written, humorous book you'll find tips on how to have a joyful life while at home, how to increase your relationship with your siblings and parents, and ideas on how to minister for the Lord during your single years.  You'll be encouraged to consider using your single years to further your father's vision rather than pursuing a career outside the home; minister to those around you while waiting for the one the Lord has for you (if He has one ;-); and to pursue higher education from your home (see Collage Plus for more info).  I enjoyed this book most because it encouraged me in my convictions, which I see very few people playing out, and helped me know how to answer the "So what are you going to do after high school" questions (there may be a post coming soon about that if the Lord leads).  I highly recommend this book for those wondering if there's another option out there other than the 21st century route of collage away from home with huge boarding fees and student loans.  Also, if you just want to be encouraged as to your role while under your fathers roof, your role as an older sister and helper to your mother, or what to do after high school.....this is for you!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Learning to delight in Jesus, Hannah