Sunday, January 31, 2010

peace in our hearts and homes

dear emily,

it used to tickle me when people would say, at social events,
"you have FIVE children?  how can you be so peaceful?"

"umm, maybe because they aren't here with me!"

but truly, our home was peaceful.  my nature required it,
and so i worked very hard to nurture it.  hans and i didn't
raise our voices at each other or the children and didn't
allow them to do that, either.  we encouraged happy play
that didn't cross the bridge to wild, loud chaos.

the only real enemy of peace was fear.  sometimes it would
sneak up and seize me like a mad dog.  "you're a terrible
mother, you can't do this, or your baby isn't going to make
it through the night!"

a few weeks before shelby was born, i was paralyzed with
dread that we might lose her.  her big brother, isaac, had
not been expected to live after he was born, and i couldn't
face that again.

hans' mom, my junior high sunday school teacher, did not
tolerate my fearful behavior. "God has not give you a spirit
of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind!"
2 timothy 1:7

in other words, "snap out of it!"

or, as Jesus always used to say, "peace!"

love,
lea

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Lea,
You did not intrude at all! Thanks for visiting our blog! This was a great post. As mothers we tend to have a lot of fears, and I LOVE the verse that you quoted here. Another one I often go to is Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears" because it is so important not to forget to SEEK Him!
Thank you for reminding me of 2 Tim. 1:7 I desire so much to have peaceful living!
Blessings!
Nicole

Unspoken said...

Peace and fear do not reside in the same place. I agree!

Vee said...

So good to see people finding you more and more. This blog has so very much to offer young families! "Snap out of it" can be very good advice sometimes.

Julie Harward said...

Thanks for the visit and kindness. I agree, fear and peace cannot both win, one has to win out over the other...I choose peace. Come say hi any time. :D

Karen said...

As I was reading your excellent post, that came to mind....God has not given us a spirit of fear. I struggle with that at times and have to repeat that to myself a lot!
"Snap out of it"~~~I love it!

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

OT but... I'm still struggling with putting your precious blog into my Google Reader, and having it show up properly. Grrrrrrrrrrrr... :-)

I Add A Subscription to it. Like I do with any blog I want to follow. It Adds. But it only Adds your posts, from Nov. 1 - Nov. 6. No help! You have recent posts! And they don't show, in my Google Reader.

So, I am going to post about this problem. Ask everyone who stops by "The Attic" to help me with this. Someone besides me, MUST have had this experience with a blog. They just must have. And so, they can tell me how they solved it. And thus, had the desired blog show up its new posts, in their dear ol' Google Reader. Just like all the other zillion blogs. :-))))))))))))

And really, I won't take up Comment time in your blog, with this whine of mine, again. I won't. :-) But when someone tells me how it can be fixed, I will shout it to the rooftops. :-)

Gentle hugs...

Jenny said...

Beautiful blog. Beautiful post! Thank you.

Mountain Mama said...

Hi Lea!
Nice to "meet" you via blogworld. Thanks for leaving an encouraging comment. I lo-ove homeschooling and don't regret it. We do, however, have bad days and I wonder on earth I am doing. God always gives me a gentle reminder, in some form, that we are doing the right thing with our children.

I have enjoyed your blog. I will return!
blessings,
ashley

Deborah Ann said...

Thanks for visiting my blog. I like your blog, your writing style, and your love for Jesus. I'll be back!

Colleen said...

Oooo...Oooo...I have another great verse to go along with that! I had to memorize it because when I get fearful, my goofy brain goes off in the most bizarre directions. Honestly, I can't imagine where I have come up with some of the scenarios that I have fretfully anticipated (and, none of which have ever come to be).

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is ssteadfast, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

Untold times, I have repeated this verse over and over, reprogramming my stubborn heart to completely trust God...and like the verse promises, once I trust Him, my mind is at peace.

Colleen said...

Evidently, my fingers stuttered at the thought of my mind being steadfast...ssssteadfast! That goes to show how out of character that is for some of us!

Vicki/Jake said...

HI, found you from Aunt Amelia's Attic and will be back again. You have some great posts here, I'll read more later. Just so you know, I raised 7 children and spanked! We all survived (O:

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

I need to work toward a more peaceful conclusion in my household. I am not a calm individual and chaos doesn't sit well with me... and we are a chaotic family of 6! I think this is very good advice and in keeping with God's "peaceful" promise of his presence.

Thanks for stopping by today.

~elaine

vikki said...

~♥~ i soo love this... 'snap out of it'... kinda like the ol' mary englebreit saying with the girl.. but soo love.love. the Biblical reference... love your blog ~ i, too, am soo glad we met... will read more later... thanx for visiting me & your sweet response. hugs & blessings, vikki ♥