HOUSE

Our church (River Hills Christian Church) started a new series this past Sunday called "HOUSE". What a wonderful series and I am so excited about it already. I learned so much at the first service that I wanted to share the outline for you here.

Essential Investments From God's Word to Build a Blessed Life at Home............

1). Invest in Mutual Acceptance
- This is HUGE isn't it. None of us are perfect, we each have our own quirks. My favorite thing they shared was "stop judging each other". In our families we need to accept and love one another for who we are, not hoping to change them into something they are not.
Accept one another just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7
2). Invest in Effective Communication
-You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry James 1:19
That's a HARD one isn't it. Do you know that the AVERAGE couple talks to eachother alone only FOUR MINUTES per day!?! AND they watch an average of 47 hours per week of television together. What a sad and startling statistic. I will make sure that our home does not ever live out this statistic.

3). Invest in Considerate Behavior
-Show your love by being helpful to each other Ephesians 4:2
SO important. This was such a touch one in the beginning of our marriage as we had to let go of the "I" and concentrate on the feelings of the other person. I think Tim and I have grown so much in this area and I'm proud of how strong our marriage has become as a result, NOW the struggle is getting our children to learn these lessons and apply it to their lives as well.

4). Invest in Deliberate Surrender
-Love does not demand its own way 1 Corinthians 13:5
-Love one another deeply, from the heart 1 Peter 1:22

5). Invest in Encouraging Words
-This one really struck home with me and Tim and I talked about it and we have really concentrated on encouraging one another this week as well as encouraging the children. We have always done a decent job at this, but we know it can be better and it WILL be better.
-Ephesians 4:19 "Don't say anything that would hurt another person"
-"Encourage one another and build each other up" 1 Thessalonians 5:11

6). Invest in Real Affection
"Love one another with genuine affection" Romans 12:10
"Let the husband render to his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife to her husband" 1 Corinthians 7:3
Tim and I do not hide our affection from our children. Luke and Lauren have grown up in a home where their mom and dad hug and kiss eachother daily and they see this. I kiss my kids and hug my kids and tell them "I love you" every chance I get. I think it is important for them to be surrounded by love and for them to have the example of what a loving marriage is, that should not be hidden from them.

7). Invest in Ongoing Forgiveness(this one of course can ALWAYS be a struggle).
-"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colassians 3:13
-Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32.WOW, that can be a tough one, but I will be working on it.

I want to have a strong marriage and to have a positive relationship with my kids. I am taking these steps to invest in our HOME by following these biblical principals that will make our HOME BLESSED.

-Lesley

Beautiful Inside and Out

My sister n' law took this picture of Lauren on Mother's Day, when I opened it I was just taken aback by her beauty:



What I love about my daughter is that she is just as beautiful (if not more so) on the inside than on the outside. What a blessing she is to me.............
-Lesley

Happy Mother's Day

I hope you have had a wonderful Mother's Day today.

I spent it with my two wonderful children who the Lord has blessed me with and my amazing husband. I was able to spend time with my own mother who I am fortunate enough to live close to and we shared a fun day together as well. I also was with my brother and his wife and got some cuddle time in with my nephew.



Today I spent a lot of time reflecting on how fast my children have grown. It seems like only yesterday I was carrying each of them in my belly,bringing them home from the hospital for the first time. I just can't wrap my mind around how blessed I am by my amazing children, I just love them so very very much! I cherish these days where I am still the center of their universe. They still say "mom, will you play with me?" "Mom, can you snuggle with me?" Ohhhhhhhh how I cherish that and I know that it will be gone all too soon and it makes me cry.

I am thankful for my own mother and for her example to me over the years of how to be a mother.

I hope that one day my own children will grow up and view me as a true friend as I view my own mother.
Happy Mother's Day! I hope it was a great one for each of you, I know it was for me!
-Lesley