My Blog = My Life: spiritual encouragement

The idea that a mother's place is in the home is no longer a popular one - not even within the Church. That said, most God-fearing mothers who choose a career over staying at home are not necessarily motivated by selfish desires, but by a culture which seems to leave them with no choice. It just doesn't make sense when an extra income would surely be more beneficial for their children in the long run... wouldn't it?

Scene #1: Perhaps a couple recognizes their young children are extraordinarily gifted and bright. University is certainly within their future. The parents want to give each of them the gift of a good, post-secondary education but know that's not possible on the husband's income alone. So Mom searches through the Yellow Pages and begins working from 8am-4pm - for the good of her children.Scene #2: Or maybe, as was the case with one of my grandmothers, a mother grew up in a very poor family and was never able to enjoy the kind of material wealth that seemed common place for everyone else. She doesn't want her children to know the pain of doing without and so works hard to bring in a paycheck that will cover trendy clothes, restaurant meals, and the latest technological gadgets that all the other kids on the block seem to have.Scene #3: Perhaps it's the cost of Christian schooling that forces a mother to work outside the home. It breaks her heart to drop her 10-month-old off at her sister-in-law's each morning, but she quickly reminds herself that the value of a Christian education is worth the temporary sacrifice.
The mother in each one of these examples has made her decision, perhaps with the support of her husband, based on "common sense." To the human mind, (especially the one that has been affected by years of feminism, liberal rhetoric, and publicly funded Marxism) it's perfectly logical to submit ourselves to "expert" opinion and abandon our kids while they're young in order to give them what they really need when they are older.

However, one very important detail is missing from each of these scenarios. Did you catch it?

A mother and father may arrive at the decision for her to work outside the home together after much consideration. Perhaps they even commit Mom's new job to the Lord in prayer. Maybe the children are made aware of the new changes and everyone agrees that this is what is best for their family. But through all the deliberations, the Bible remains on the shelf, and no one stops to ask, "What would God want Mom to do?"
"'The Lord told me,' is no substitute for 'the Bible says.'" - Voddie BauchamI am not suggesting that no woman can ever have a career, that parents shouldn't send their child to university or pay for their tuition (that's a topic for another day), give them good gifts, make every effort to provide them with a Christian education, or that a mother can't supplement the family income (if I believed that, I wouldn't have this blog or have written my two eBooks, How To Design Your Own Blog and How To Grow Your Blog And Manage Your Home).

I'm asking you, dear mother, to examine where God considers your presence most important. There are several parental responsibilities required of us that are difficult or impossible to perform if we are physically away from our children:

• Availability - morning, noon, and night (Deuteronomy 6:7)
• Training (Proverbs 22:6)
• Discipline (Proverbs 29:15-17)
• Teaching the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 4:10)
• Nurturing (Titus 2:4)

• Does my absence mean someone else will care for my children?

• How long will they be under another's care each day?

• Is this the person I want to raise and influence my child in my place?

• How many surrogate mothers will be involved over the years?

• What impact will that have?

• Does my job sap my energies so that I am tired and pressured and unable to give them quality time?

• Are my creativity, my wit, and my best efforts spent outside my family?

• Do they get only the leftovers?

The biblical solution involves a radical reform in our thinking. Christians must operate on the premise that pure and undefiled religion requires individual benevolence towards widows (James 1:27), families must take responsibility and look after their own (1 Timothy 5:8, 16), and the local church (whose diaconal ministry would be well funded if we tithed more than 2%) is called to care for those who are truly widows (1 Timothy 5: 3-16).

Mom, your job is so eternally important, that God ensured there would be a way for you to minister through full-time motherhood. The right thing to do is not often the easiest thing to do. Staying at home to raise your children will cost you. It may require painful sacrifices, tighter budgets, and perhaps even swallowing our pride enough to accept the aid available to us. But I believe it can be done and that the reward you receive will be eternally worth it.

If financial concerns are keeping you back from staying home with your children, here are some articles and books to help and encourage you.
Articles

• Saving Money In Your Baby's First Year
• Income-Earning Ideas
• We Couldn't Afford Children - Glad We Didn't Have To
• You CAN Stay Home - Earning Money From Home

• Money Saving Mom by Crystal Paine
• Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn
• America's Cheapest Family by Annette Economides
• Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

If there's one thing I've observed in 13 years of being homeschooled and now as a second-generation homeschooling mom, it's that home educators seem particularly susceptible to turning their children into trophies of achievement. This is not an argument against homeschooling (I sing its praises all the time!), but rather, a reminder (mostly to myself) to guard against the temptation to show off our children in an attempt to prove our "greatness" as a teacher.

John S.C. Abbot in his excellent book, The Mother At Home, records the response of a preacher after being highly commended by one of his parishioners following a sermon:
"Be careful, my friend," said the clergyman, "I carry a tinder-box in my bosom."If a great man of God so easily admits his propensity to an inflamed ego, how much more dangerous do we make things for ourselves and our children when we place them in situations where they're sure to be flattered?

The reason I think homeschoolers are prone to this is because many times as both mothers and teachers, we feel as though we need to prove our worth. It's worse if you *gasp* don't happen to have a teaching degree. We want to prove to our parents that our children are indeed learning to read (and quite well by age 4), to the local school-board that their education is not sub-standard ("See? Our daughter's GPA is a 4.0. I've kept records!"), and to skeptical church members that they are well socialized ("Oh, you tried to call this week? Sorry I missed it! We had soccer on Monday, music lessons on Tuesday, volunteered in the soup kitchen on Wednesday, dinner guests on Thursday, etc., etc.")

Now, there's nothing wrong with Grandma delighting in her grandchild learning to read, but turning our children into exhibitions is unhealthy for everyone involved.

First, it hurts children - yours and others. Our efforts to raise our children with a spirit of humility quickly become undone when out of pride and insolence we thrust them forward onto the attention of others, show off their intellectual attainments, and relish the flattering words our families and friends feel compelled to dish out.

I've seen homeschooling moms, in front of their children, publicly praise one child for performing their studies two grade levels ahead of where they "should" be, while simultaneously pointing out that the other child is "not the academic type - but that's okay! We need all kinds!" The first child walks off with her head held high ("Mom thinks I'm the smart one!") while the other is left feeling inferior and worthless simply because her talents lie in different areas. It's devastating to exalt one child above another and defeats a key reason people homeschool in the first place!

Second, it hurts those considering homeschooling. A few years ago, we invited friends along to our provincial homeschooling conference. At the time, they were just considering the possibility and we were excited about them spending a whole weekend immersed in the subject. However, things back-fired a little when one of the very first moms to introduce herself after we arrived began a spiel about how young her children were when they began university and how they lead such godly lives, etc. She meant of course, to present homeschooling in a positive light, but to those still on the fence about the issue, it came across as prideful, arrogant, and extremely off-putting.

Thankfully, our friends stuck around and met many other homeschooling families over the course of the weekend and discovered that not everybody spouts off all their accomplishments and how wonderful it all is within minutes of meeting you.

If you happen to be one of those moms with 8 polite, finely-dressed, instrument-playing, intellectually astute children to whom homeschooling comes easily, I say: Well done! Be thankful for your gifts, hone your strengths, use them to serve others... and keep your successes to yourself unless asked. Remember:
"Your walk talks and your talk talks. But your walk talks more than your talk talks."Third, it hurts you. Our lives will greatly lack in joy unless we get over the need to prove ourselves. Continually trying to live up to the expectations of others, real or perceived, is exhausting and draining. You risk your children drifting away or buckling under fear of not measuring up. You yourself may be rendered useless as a homeschooling mom when you fail to meet your own impossible standard.

We will always be found wanting if we try to find our satisfaction, purpose, and sense of worth as a homeschooling mom in how well we teach our children or what they manage to learn. It's only the grace of God that makes any of us capable of accomplishing anything. A full and humble reliance on His redemptive work is the only way we can find true satisfaction in the job He has called us to do.

Let it not be our children or our teaching skills we hold out as trophies, but God's extraordinary grace which works despite our failures, shortcomings, insecurities, and sinful struggles. You, your children, and those looking on will be blessed and refreshed when they realize your strength does not come from within yourself but from the Lord who gives freely to all who ask (James 1:5).

Linking to: Holy-Spirit Led Homeschooling

Words have meaning. Sometimes those meanings change with a culture. For example, "gay" no longer means merry, cheerful, or happy; the term "liberal" hardly conjures up images of benevolence and generosity. Rather, we tend to think of greedy politicians with their hands in everyone's pockets.

Christians would do well to understand the importance of onomasiology - the study of choosing words to best express a concept. The impact of our outreach depends greatly on the words we use and how we use them - especially when it comes to current issues that are often painted in more palatable terms by the left.

If you home-school or send your children to a private, Christian school, you have the advantage of capitalizing on this opportunity as those who are sent through the public, secular system are taught to be well versed in leftist rhetoric with little room to think outside the box. One needs only to look at how passionate the average six-year-old is about saving the whales, being "green," and "celebrating diversity" with homework from books like Heather has two Mommies for verification.

Using words like "choice" to describe the murder of an unborn child, "tolerance," "diversity," and "anti-bullying" to promote homosexuality, and understanding "contraception" to be "a women's health issue," are clever ways to promote the devil's agenda under the guise of Mr. Nice Guy.

I'm all for choice, tolerance, diversity, and women's health. I differ from those who call themselves "pro-choice" because of what choice they are making. I believe tolerance or the ability to get along with those who differ from us is an admirable and biblical character quality to the extent that it does not make permissible that which God has clearly labeled as sinful. Women's health is an important issue, too important, in fact, for the government to be using the term to distribute publicly funded contraceptives in high-schools so students can "safely" engage in premarital sex.

The next time someone claims to be pro-choice or tolerant, ask them what choice they are in favor of. If they say, "A women's right to choose," ask, "To choose what?" If "Abortion." is their response, ask them what they are aborting - make them spell it out. One is forced to reconsider their position on the matter when faced with black and white terms like life and death. "Killing a child" is harder to defend then "choice."

Tommy De Seno in his article Stop Using The Words "Abortion" and "Choice" says it well, "This is the place in the conversation where you can take control of the description, because the proponents of child killing will never, ever describe it. They can't face what they favor... you will be accused of anything from being intentionally inflammatory to rude and inappropriate... This is what is most perplexing about the left: They can't bear to hear someone speak of stabbing a child to death but actually letting people do it doesn't bother then them."

At the very least, those who fund, promote, and encourage things like mass infanticide and homosexuality in our country ought to clarify their destructive agenda by sayin' it like it is. Let's take away the intentional distractions of clever guises like "choice," "tolerance," "women's health," "black markets," and shed some light on the situation by saying what we mean and meaning what we say.

Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Deep Roots At Home, Little Natural Cottage, Raising Arrows, Time-Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies

Today is the beginning of a new year which, for most people, also marks a fresh resolve to become happier, healthier, richer, or skinnier.

It's good to make goals. Proverbs says that where there is no vision, people perish (29:19), and that when our goals are in accord with His revealed will and purpose for our lives, we can expect His blessing (James 4:3).

My goal, by the grace of God, is to love.

I'm not just talking about loving people who are easy to love: my children, husband, parents, blogging pals, and others who are dear to my heart. It takes no effort to be patient, kind, and enduring to those who share my beliefs, convictions, and ideas and love me back.
"For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Luke 6:32-36Love is sacrifice. Love is love when it involves how I relate to the unlovable.

Love gives, expecting nothing in return (Luke 6:35). Love gives up sleep to nurse my babe in the middle of the night; baby-sits other children without believing their parents owe me one; stuffs envelopes for ministry organizations without expecting a paycheck or a pat on the back.

Love blesses those who curse me (Luke 6:28). Love responds with a soft answer to those who troll my Facebook page and blog, watching for opportunities to leave critical, harsh, or dissenting comments that prove how little I really know.

Love does not insist on having its own way (1 Corinthians 13:4). Love enables me to give up my clothing preferences and paint color choices for my husband's and fold his socks like his Mom folded them. Love makes submission a joyful service. Love cares for families who are contagious with the flu I haven't had yet. Love puts someone else ahead of myself.

Love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4). Love doesn't snap "Hurry up; we're going to be late!"; "Don't you get this? We've been through it a thousand times!"; or get aggravated by piles of clothes on the floor, a toothpaste cap gone missing, or toilet seat in the upward position.

Love does not envy (1 Corinthians 13:4). Love is content. Love does not wish for someone else's clothes, personality, beauty, vacations, husband, degree, position, environment, fame, or fortune (Exodus 20:17).

Love does not boast (1 Corinthians 13:4). Love will not boast in anything: no gifts, no power, no wisdom. Love can only boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection (How Deep The Father's Love For Us by Stuart Townend). Love remembers that Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).

Love is not arrogant or rude (1 Corinthians 13:4). Love does not engage in personal attacks, but informs and reasons in kindness and truth. Love presents opinions on educational methods, vaccines, diets, and birth control for the purpose of being helpful, not hurtful.

Love is not irritable or resentful (1 Corinthians 13:5). Love does not look for ways to be offended or take opportunities to hold a grudge. Love does not judge another's motives. Love assumes the very best of others in the same way I want them to assume the very best about me (Luke 6:31). Love keeps no record of wrongs. Love forgives seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22).

Love does not rejoice at wrong doing, but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). Love does not mean I will refuse to quote passages like 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11 for fear of offending homosexuals. Love is intolerant of abortion, Islam, homosexuality, humanism, adultery, theft, gambling, and drunkenness because they are opposed to Truth. When we condone sin by our silence or our fear of man rather than God, we keep people from Truth instead of leading them to it. Love desires another's salvation over their damnation.

Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Love doesn't worry about what people think of me or if they gossip behind my back. Love does not fear rejection, criticism, false accusations, disapproval, or misunderstanding. Love is concerned with keeping God's commandments (John 14:15), the chief of which is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself."(Luke 10:27)

If I do not have love, I have nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2), but I can love because He loved me first and His love never fails (1 John 4:19; 1 Corinthians 13:8). He offered His only Son as a ransom to prove His love and that kind of self-sacrifice is what I want to mark my relationships in 2014 and onward.

Have you resolved to do anything differently this year? Can you sum it up in a word? I'd love to hear the goal you're pursuing this year!

***
To help you start off the New Year with a new attitude, we've put our 153-page eBook, The Pursuit of Motherhood on sale for $3.99 (reg. $7.99)! You can read more about it and view the Table of Contents here.

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If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox. Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed,, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife

Last week, I wrote something in a Facebook status that shouldn't have been written. It was an attempt at humor, but ended up being more off-color than funny. An older, wiser, godly friend wrote me about it.

Initially, I felt hurt and offended. "It's none of her business what I write," I thought. I didn't want to respond in a reactionary way (it's a sure way to make an even bigger fool of myself, I've discovered), so I mulled over her words for a while before re-reading them again after I had cooled down.

Everything she had written was done in a spirit of love and gentleness. She presented the truth and offered it up with plenty of grace and forgiveness. Like a good Titus 2 mentor, she took the opportunity to teach me "to be discreet, chaste, good... that the word of God be not blasphemed." (v.5) She wrote be because she was taking her responsibility to "be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, teachers of good things" seriously (v.5).

It wasn't about picking a bone with me. In all the years I've known her, she's never been one to offer cutting, critical, or dissenting opinions, or insist on having the last word. It's out of character for her to be disagreeable or write to prove how much she knows. She is sweet, gracious, kind, wise, godly, and clothed with humility.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized how blessed I am to have someone in my life who, in an era where it's cool to scream "Intolerance!" to anyone who picks up on our sin, cares enough about my personal holiness and spiritual well-being to risk friendship, misunderstanding, criticism, gossip, and being falsely accused of judgementalism, legalism, and self-righteousness. I was floored when I realized what she put at stake out of genuine concern for my own reputation and well-being!

On the one hand we younger mothers often bemoan the lack of Titus 2 mentors; on the other, we get upset when they are courageous enough to do their job. Having a mentor isn't just about receiving practical help, advice, and words of encouragement; it's about desiring to live a holy life that's pleasing to God, which necessarily entails being confronted in our sin at some point or another.
"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Hebrews 12:11"It's just a phase they all go through," we explain as we reprimand our toddler for snapping "NO!" at us again.

"Sarcasm is my spiritual gift," we laugh in an attempt to soften the edges of our cutting words.

"I'm just sayin' it like it it," we confirm of an honest statement, not spoken in kindness.

"I'm not arguing; I'm enjoying a healthy debate," we justify of our need to always have the last word.

"I'm just sharing my concerns so we can pray for her more specifically," we gossip about the details of another's life during prayer meeting.

We are adept at wrapping up sin with pretty bows. Who can argue against a "natural progression" in childhood development, a joke, honesty, a healthy debate, or prayer without appearing to judge another's motives or reeking or self-righteousness? We feel so insured and justified by our ability to reason sin away, and few things are more painful then someone tugging at the end of our ribbons to reveal what's inside and call it by name.

Suddenly the Bible, which seemed to have nothing to say about the sin we cleverly concealed, comes alive with rebuttals to put our accusers in their place.

"Judge not that you been not judged," we quote perfectly.

"How about you worry about the plank in your own eye before pointing out the speck in mine," we ask, referencing Matthew 7:3.

"The Lord knows my heart," we say, as if that's supposed to be comforting.

Excusing our sin and taking offense to biblical reproof doesn't just categorize us as fools (Proverbs 28:13; 1:5; 12:1; 9:8), it stunts our spiritual growth, and eliminates opportunities to live out the Gospel for our children and all those we meet.

It's not until we begin to grasp God's holiness, our grave depravity, and His extraordinary grace and forgiveness that we can understand and appreciate the biblical institution of mentorship, and seek out a godly role model who is willing to address our unhealthy habits with Scripture and in Christian love so we can become more and more like the God we claim to serve.

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If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.
Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed,, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife

Flipping through the Dictionary the other day, I discovered something about myself.

-ist a suffix of nouns, often corresponding to verbs ending in -ize or nouns ending in -ism, that denote a person who practices or is concerned with something, or holds certain principles, doctrines, etc. Origin: Middle English -iste < Latin -ista < Greek -istēs; in some words, representing French -iste, German -ist, Italian -ista, etc.,A lyricist is one who writes words to a song.

A perfectionist is one who wants things to be perfect.

A terrorist is one who causes terror.

An herbalist is one who specializes in herbs.

A feminist, in the truest sense of the word, is one who is concerned with femininity. And so it is that I am a feminist.

Logically, the only One authorized to define femininity is the Creator of females. That means God (not Marie Stopes, Coco Chanel, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, or culture), gets to describe - no, order -what a true feminist ought to look like. He does so in Proverbs 31:

• She is pure (v. 10).
• She is a trustworthy treasure to her husband (v. 10,11, 12, 23, 28b, 29).
• She is concerned for the well-being of her family (v. 13, 14, 15, 18b, 19, 22, 27).
• She is hard-working and industrious (v. 13-22, 24, 27, 31).
• She is clothed with strength and dignity (v. 17, 25).
• She is skilled in managing finances (v. 14, 16).
• She is courageous in character (v. 25, 29).
• She is kind and compassionate (v. 20, 26).
• She is wise (v. 26).
• She is praised by her children and husband (v. 28, 29).
• She is holy (v. 30).
• She is blessed (v. 31).

Biblical femininity says men and women are equal in importance, status, honor, and dignity (Genesis 3:18). Both men and women are equally fallen (Romans 2:23), and equally able to be rescued from their sin and condemnation through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

However equal, their roles are different. God’s purpose for humanity includes complementary relationships between men and women so that a lost and dying world can be confronted with the Gospel through living portraits of God's love for His Bride, the Church.

Husbands are to picture Christ by loving their wives (Ephesians 5: 25-33; 1 Peter 3:7), and wives are to be submissive to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24; 1 Timothy 2:12). Men are responsible for leading their families spiritually and supporting them financially (1 Timothy 3:4; 5:8). Wives, in addition to the duties outlined in Proverbs 31, are exhorted to love their husbands, love their children (which assumes desiring them), keep a home, and live in obedience, meekness, and a quiet spirit which is very precious in the sight of both God and her husband (Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-6).
"Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Genesis 3:16 (emphasis mine)Sin oppresses women. Sin from within ourselves, and sin that comes at us through other men and women. Sin makes us desire roles we were not created to fulfill. Sin makes us reject authority rather than be submissive to it. Sin glorifies climbing a corporate ladder over serving "the least of these" at home. Sin calls meekness "weakness," and favors boldness over quietness in a woman. Sin puts me first and my family last. Sin blurs scripturally distinctive gender roles and makes the opposite of God's design seem more attractive.

Jesus came to set us free from the sin that holds us in bondage. Freedom and liberation are not found in departing from God's design, but submitting to it out of obedience and love to the One who bought our salvation, purpose, status, dignity, and value with His blood (John 14:15; 1 Corinthians 7:23; Romans 6:22)."Feminism" doesn't liberate women; Jesus does.
"Feminism" isn't feminine at all. "Feminists" are really masculinists: people who are concerned with becoming masculine. Until females become feminine and males become masculine as God created them to be, relying on His forgiveness and grace for freedom and fulfillment within their roles, they will continue to feel oppressed, confused, shackled, afflicted, and demand their "rights" to positions God did not give them.

Let women be feminists: those who are concerned with femininity.

Let men be masculinists: those who are concerned with masculinity.

Let us all be concerned with the chief end of man: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q & A 1; Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev. 4:11; Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4).

Are you a true feminist? One who is concerned with biblical femininity? Then you'll love our new, 153-page eBook, The Pursuit of Motherhood! You can read more about it and view the Table of Contents here.

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If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox. Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed,, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife

If I read my Bible everyday and use my trusty highlighter,

if I cook nutritious meals from scratch,

if I homeschool my children and give them a Christian, classical education,

if I meet my husband's needs before my own,

if I surrender my fertility and never pop a little pink pill,

if I adopt a special needs child or foster babies in our home,

if I entertain guests every weekend and invite them to spend the night,

if I perfectly tailor our curriculum to each individual child,

if I make our family memorize Scripture, songs, and poetry,

if I teach them Latin, Greek, and Hebrew,

if I foster beauty and femininity in our daughters,

if I encourage chivalry and a hard work ethic in our son,

if I plant a large vegetable garden and grow perennials along a white picket fence,

if I spend the summer canning, and freezing, and preserving our produce,

if I menu-plan, and master the art of crock-potting,

if I become a coupon queen, ad-match, and never buy anything unless it's on sale,

if I visit the poor and donate clothes to Salvation Army,

if I bring Chicken Noodle Soup to the sick and lonely, and invite our widowed church members for dinner,

if I vote for the most godly candidate, help set up lawn signs, and campaign against abortion,

if I dress in skirts and keep my necklines high,

if I sew all our clothes, knit all our mittens, and keep our shoes polished,

if I can preserve my daughters' virginity, and keep my son from looking at porn,

if I install Covenant Eyes and monitor my children's computer usage,

if I get rid of the TV and cancel Netflix,

if I keep the laundry basket empty, and the linen closet stocked,

if I make family devotions our top priority, and teach our children the Westminster catechism,

if I am a Trim Healthy Mama, and exercise every day

if I birth my children at home, and follow ecological breastfeeding patterns,

if I make use of the chiropractor, herbal remedies, and essential oils,

if I buy toy trucks and swords for my boy, and dolls and a play-kitchen for my girls,

if I live debt-free and pay for everything with cash,

if I take my family to church twice every Sunday,

if I clean puke out of carpets and change diapers for 14 years straight,

if I can't remember what it's like to sleep in,

if I do everything right...

... to buy my own salvation or that of my children,

it profits me nothing.

But if, out of a sincere love for my Savior (John 14:15),

believing it is not my works that save me (Isaiah 64:6),

but God's great love in granting me a full and free redemption purchased by the precious blood of Jesus on the Cross (John 3:16), and sealing my pardon by raising Him from the dead (Romans 10:9),

I desire to do all things through and for Christ which strengthens me (Philippians 4:13),

then motherhood is not in vain.

It is an honor to be pursued with diligence and joy (Colossians 3: 23),

because He who called me is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24),
and as much as I do it unto the least of these (Matthew 25:40),
I do it unto the Lord.

Coming November 29!

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(Our family in 1997)
There are days when I struggle to be the 60-year-old mother of three active and involved young adults, aged 19, 19, and 21, but as my husband and I look back over what the Lord has done, we marvel at God's grace and mercy! We can't imagine life without these young people!

There is great joy in what the Lord has done for us... for you see, we were married for almost 19 years before we had the blessing of a child! The reason? We had not obeyed God's commands, and we suffered consequences that would reach over many years. In some ways, those consequences still continue today, though forgiven.

I will tell you the sad story.

The early 50s, when we grew up, saw increasing prosperity. After the terrors and hardships of WWII, families in the U.S. were focused on getting that new dishwasher, television, and maybe, even two cars. Women were leaving home for the job market in record numbers to have the extras.

(My family)
Then in the 60s and 70s, rebellion and 'free love' on college campuses exploded onto the scene. Most parents were totally unprepared to deal with it all, and thus, by default, didn't. Busy with earning a living, many parents were out of touch with the social pressures their young people faced, the anti-God stance in schools, and the growing fractures between generations.

(We are in the couple in the middle; not too serious about life)
My husband and I both had parents who loved us, but their generation generally did not find it easy (or were unaware of the need) to discuss deeper issues with their young people.

While on campus, we 'married' ourselves (without family or friends) in a chapel before 'God' on the I.U. Bloomington campus, and I lived in the frat house from Thursday to Sunday night. Life was all partying or studying. This was not at all abnormal during those years ('69-73) in the middle of the sexual revolution, the Vietnam War, Woodstock, and and the devaluation of life with the Roe V. Wade decision (1973).

Immediately out of nursing school, my boyfriend (now my husband of 38 years) and I lived together as did many, but certainly not all, of our classmates. We finally did get properly married, much to my mother's relief. We were 21 and 22.

Upon graduation as an RN, I worked in open-heart surgery at a large metropolitan hospital. Occasionally, when there was a need for extra personnel in the abortion area of that hospital, I would be called on to assist as were other surgical nurses. Even after being raised in a private Christian school environment (and calling myself a Christian), I was unable to apply the things I studied in my catechism class to real life decisions. I was for all practical purposes "dead in my trespasses and sins."

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—" ~Eph. 2: 1
I am ashamed to say that we had an abortion several years into our marriage. We had bought into the worldly view of living for ourselves, careers, money, and things.

Two decisions forever changed the direction of my life~ 1.) breaking God's protective commands regarding the sacredness of marriage (having sex before marriage) and 2.) disregarding the sanctity of life (participating in and having an abortion). I didn't know it would affect my health, my fertility in years to come, or undermine our own self-respect or our respect for each other.

Nevertheless, God faithfully lead us to a solid Bible-believing church, and I finally accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior at 29. By this time, I was really suffering emotionally. The pain got my attention. You can't tell me that abortion doesn't mess you up! I had already had several miscarriages and knew there were other things wrong.

The worst were flashbacks to assisting in a surgical abortion one day at the hospital where I found a perfect, tiny hand less than the size of a dime stuck to the side of my gloved hand. It is terrible to remember it. I ran out of the OR and refused to go back. It has taken years for those scars to heal. I learned the value of human life in a split second. It wasn't tissue to me anymore; it was a baby!

Now slowly my perspective changed. My whole being desired to be a mother, to bring forth new life within our marriage and before God. And we could not! Years went by with several more miscarriages. We did two home-studies in order to adopt, one Korean, and one local, but the Lord chose to close the doors. These are stories in themselves... Many, many people at our church and other friends were praying for us.

After 8 years of pursuing medical help to conceive (Clomid and surgeries for endometriosis), and then 4 years off, I got a call from a surgeon I worked with who told me about a new procedure called GIFT (gamete intra-fallopian transfer). I was working nights, 7 days a week, to afford the earlier procedures since insurance wouldn't pay for infertility treatment. I felt the clock ticking the years off my life...

After much prayer and many tears, we decided to go ahead. The first GIFT produced 2 tiny heart beats seen on ultrasound at 4+ weeks. One was in the (wrong) fallopian tube... the damaged tube! We had a tubal pregnancy which is dangerous, but both babies failed to grow. It was so discouraging: over $11,000 and nothing to show for it, but stress and grief and high levels of drugs (Metrodin, Lupron, and Pergonal).

I was determined to continue since there was a 36% chance in those days of delivering a live baby. We were told there was no other way.

(I clung to the verses of Isaiah 54: 11-15, especially verse 13)
The second attempt went perfectly in every way. Twins! We were SO excited! My middle quickly got big, but in the fourth month I realized I was not growing in measurement. I was getting smaller!

(Two babies)
A hastily arranged ultrasound revealed that one of the little lives I carried had died several weeks before. We saw a separate sac with little bones, and were told our second baby might miscarry, too. We were crushed, and I was in anguish. I was guilty of all those earlier years, and just knew I was being punished.

I almost forgot about the life within me as I focused on the loss. "Why God?" Satan almost destroyed my joy, except that Jesus is greater! "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5: 8)

Later, even though our other baby would be fine, I felt such frustration because if we didn't want an only child, we would have to go through another of these uniquely stressful procedures with all the costs, shots, and stress leading up to it. Then once the procedure is over, there is the waiting for that determining ultrasound to give you the news, good or bad!

Having a baby can easily become an idol! I had to get over it so I could focus on having a joyful heart for my husband and new son. It was the will of a loving, sovereign God, and His comforting presence was very real.
"... give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." ~1 Thessalonians 5: 18

Finally, the day arrived, and the Lord in His mercy gave us a beautiful, healthy son. My aching arms were filled, and we dedicated him to the King of Kings for His glory!

I can't describe the joy and wonder of it all. We had been married 19 plus years!!

My doctor said I was 'jump-started' with all the hormones, so we did a third GIFT to give our new son a little brother or sister. We were blessed with adorable, healthy twins exactly two years later. We praise God for His abundant grace and mercy!

Now I value life!

It has been a long road to forgiving myself for assisting in and having an abortion, but I found the Lord has welcoming arms to forgive us when we come to Him in repentance. We are sinners, but by His grace, we have hope... and now can see His guiding hand in it all. Thank You, Lord, for birthing in us new life, spiritually and physically!
"... I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." ~Deuteronomy 30: 19

The takeaway: We have been able to share with our children (appropriately, through time) the curses we had brought upon ourselves. That has protected them, to a large degree, from repeating the same mistakes which we made. It is a blessing to tell them of the mighty things that the LORD has done for us while we were yet in unbelief and of the restoring power found only in trusting Christ Jesus. Today we enjoy a rich relationship with each of our children by the grace of Almighty God. I share this with you to encourage and strengthen YOU that no matter where you find yourself, our gracious God is always at work. Never give up hope, dear one.
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For 38 years now, I have been first a wife, but also a teacher of our children in the home. Now a new season is here, and with the blessing of my husband, I write DeepRootsAtHome as an encouragement to myself and others. (Titus 2: 3-5) What I share will be varied and practical…focused on being a good steward at home, of our time, and our relationships…but I also love to do things that bring beauty and order to our hectic lives and reflect God’s creativity. Oh, may we learn how important our jobs are as we become older women of God to speak into the younger woman! The habits of the home in one generation become the morals of society in the next. As William Ross Wallace said: “The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world.” 10 May, 1996 Washington Times.

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Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling, The Modest Mom, Raising Arrows, The Better Mom, A Mama's Story, Time-Warp Wife, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, A Wise Woman,

I love homeschooling. I loved it as a student for 13 years, I love it as a second-generation homeschool mama at the beginning of her own journey, I love writing about it, creating tools for it, and more recently, co-authoring a book about it!

Homeschooling consummates the passion and zeal we have to instruct the little souls God has entrusted us with. Nevertheless, it would be naive of me to dismiss homeschooling's challenges or pretend that my propensity to particular idols doesn't exist. The devil does what he can to transfer our worship from the One who gives life and purpose to our homeschool to that which turns us in toward ourselves and leaves us feeling empty, dry, and deflated.

The idols of one mother's heart might look different than the idols of another, but here are two common ones and how we can fight against them. Note that there is nothing inherently wrong with desiring well-behaved, intelligent children; our desire only becomes destructive when we give it more attention than it deserves.
Idol #1: Well-behaved children .

Your child is shy? It must be because she's homeschooled.

Your child is hyper? It must be because he's homeschooled.

Your child has tempers, talks too much, dresses like a geek, and uses uber nerdy words? Obviously it's because he's homeschooled.

Truth is, I don't want my child labeled, or awkward, a misfit, or the odd one out and I certainly don't want to be the one to blame for their behavior. So sometimes I idolize what I want them to be and who I want them to become. Maybe if I can raise perfect, socially acceptable children (whatever that is), then I won't be "at fault" for keeping them home.

However, when I start believing that I am solely responsible for how my children behave, I forget that sin lives within each of their hearts and that only God's grace is powerful enough to overcome it. If I consider myself to be the solution, I have idolized both my children's behavior and my parenting abilities... and attempting to raise children outside of God's help is guaranteed failure.

Well-behaved children are solely the result of God's grace at work in their lives and His undeserved blessing on our weak and imperfect obedience to His promises and commands:

• "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
• "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4
• "Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul." Proverbs 29:17
• "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother." Proverbs 22:15

Similarly, we homeschool moms often fall into the trap of idolizing smart children - especially if we don't have a teaching degree.

Despite statistics that tell us a teaching degree makes no difference in the education of a homeschooled child, we still feel a need to "prove" ourselves to people who knock homeschooling without taking a look at its incomparable track record (see also here). If our kids are smart, then maybe people will believe we're intelligent enough to homeschool.

Ironically, we feel that the way to make others understand that we're not ripping our kids off on their education is to abide by the school's schedule, use the school's curriculum, adopt the school's teaching methodologies, and do everything opposed to the very reasons most folks homeschool in the first place!

If we are parenting according to God's promises, we ought to expect good behavior from our children; certainly teaching them to apply themselves to their studies so that they can use the gifts they've been given for God's glory is an eternally rewarding goal.

But the moment our desire becomes an idol, the moment the performance of our children and how it is viewed by the watching world holds more sway over our hearts than God's unique plan for their lives, the moment we make things about us, our pride, our reputation, our success - at that moment, we begin to erect a barrier between our homeschool and the God who demands the whole of our worship on one hand and offers everything we need for life and godliness (including the raising of our children) in the other (Exodus 20:3; 2 Peter 1:3).

If we make God play second fiddle in our homeschool, the music will cease. The noise of and stress of finding the perfect parenting methodology and curriculum, satisfying the standard of a culture whose worldview yours shouldn't resemble, and pressuring your children to meet the expectations of people who really don't care about them will drown out your vision and sap your joy.

How do we get rid of these idols?

Crowd out any room for them with God.

If we saturate ourselves in God's Word and clothe ourselves in prayer, not only is the foothold for idols removed, but we will be immersed in precious promises that give clarity, purpose, and vision to our homeschool. The desire for socially acceptable, smart kids will fade into the background when we understand that nothing is more important than their salvation and a humble and joyful obedience to the law of God, socially accepted or not.

What's drowning your vision and sapping your joy? Give it over to the Lord and let Him receive the worship your soul craves to give.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:10-18 ___________________________
Looking for more homeschool encouragement? Check out our brand new book, Homeschooling Day by Day which I was honored to co-author. It's 40 chapters of realism, practical advice, and plenty of grace from Moms on every stage of the journey. You can purchase your copy for $4.99 or read the Table of Contents here.

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Recently, a sweet young mother emailed me for encouragement, as she and her husband are in the early stages of trusting God for the number of children in their family. This precious young mom has three little children, very close together, and is already receiving an abundance of negative feedback about her "large family." Unfortunately, most of the comments are from family and friends.

We live in an era when children are definitely thought of as a Burden, rather than a Blessing, and couples who dare to have more than two of these "hindrances" are considered to be ignorant, foolish, and totally out of touch with reality. Our society considers children to be inconvenient, a nuisance, unruly, expensive, dispensable, and a threat to an already over-populated world.

Frequently, even as Christians, we have the same view as the secular world around us. We no longer realize the value of a child. We've been indoctrinated into believing that the world is over-populated. In additon, our own experience seems to validate the fact that children aresometimes inconvenient, irritating, expensive, unruly and annoying!

However, the Bible teaches that children are a Blessing and a Reward! That means, it is our duty to adjust our thinking to align with what the Scripture says, not to reinterpret Scripture to match what the world says.
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Psalm 127:3.Why don't we view children as a Blessing?

The main problem is that we look at children from a temporal, earthly perspective. It is easy to see that children cost us money (sometimes lots of it!), get sick at the most inconvenient times, embarrass us in front of our friends, arrive in this world with their nights and days mixed up (and often revert to those primitive behaviors in their teen years!), and require years of education, training and sacrifice. So, how is that a blessing again? ;)

The key to understanding the blessing of children is to develop an eternal, spiritual perspective. God sees children as as blessing because they advance His kingdom. The Psalmist compares children to arrows in the hand of a warrior. Scripture teaches that we are in a spiritual battle, and our children are our weapons, who will one day wage war against the enemy and his strongholds.
"As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:4-5A second reason that children are a blessing is that they force us to grow up and to develop character. It is a baby that causes a carefree girl to become a caring, nurturing woman and an irresponsible lad to be transformed into a dependable man. Not that this metamorphosis is automatic or guaranteed, but being entrusted with the care and destiny of a living soul is such a sobering responsibility that many have been transformed by it. Also, we are so prone to self-centeredness, and it is our children that cause us to get over ourselves and to learn the blessing of self-sacrifice. As one mother of a large family confided to me many years ago, "With the birth of each new baby, I die to myself a little bit more."

And of course, children are a blessing to us just because they bring us pleasure, joy, and even entertainment! We enjoy their cute antics and clever little sayings and take much pride in their accomplishments. We enjoy being with them and doing things to bless them. We even take pleasure in the special way they say, Mommy or Daddy! If we will look a little deeper, we will see that this pictures the relationship that our Heavenly Father desires to have with us. He enjoys spending time with us, in giving us good gifts (Matthew 7:11), and He loves to hear us cry out to Him, saying Abba Father!

Why don't we want more of them?

A wise man once said: "The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing; but in our culture, we apply for a curse and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture." When we begin to see children the way Jesus sees them, we will desire more of His blessings in the form of children. Matthew 18:5 says, "And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My Name receives and accepts and welcomes Me." (Amplified version). Not that it will always be easy, or joyful, or pain free. Sometimes there is sacrifice in obedience, and tears mingled with joy as we walk a path of faith.

Back to the young mother I was corresponding with. She was worried about family members that were already upset about the number of children they had and would not welcome the news of another pregnancy. I encouraged this young mother not to worry about pleasing her family, but to just worry about pleasing God.

With this advice, I was transported back about 21 years when we announced that we were expecting our third child. I remember my mother-in-law being so distraught over the news. She just couldn't believe that we were going to have three children! Remembering how horrified she was at the thought of three grandchildren, I dreaded telling her about number four, and five... and well, I guess she got used to the announcements by the time we got down to number ten!

But, this is what I really want to share in this post. Those same babies that my dear mother-in-law was so unhappy to learn I was expecting, were the very ones who drove her to the store, to the bank, to the pharmacy, to doctor appointments and hair appointments these last years. They also mowed her lawn, planted flowers, killed various pests for her (including setting mouse traps and catching and disposing of mice!), hung pictures for her, mopped her floors, helped her up when she fell... and even discovered her when she had breathed her last. And those babies that came on down the line, they were the ones who ministered cheer to her daily with their irresistibly cute antics, their childish stories, and their unconditional love. They may have seemed like a burden to her in the beginning, but they were a blessing to her in the end!

The world sees children as a burden.... God sees children as a blessing to help share the burdens of life!
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Elizabeth is married to her wonderful husband Allan and a very busy mom of 10 children -- 6 sons and 4 daughters. She has been homeschooling since 1990 and am on the downward slide with just five children and twelve years to go! They are currently enjoying the delights of coastal living, while learning to deal with the challenges (sand gnats!). You can find her blogging at Yes, They're All Ours.

My husband and I, both unbelievers at the time, decided to end our fertility after having two children. Our reasons…we had one of each (a boy and a girl), my health had not been good during our pregnancies, our marriage wasn’t the greatest, and honestly, the whole “stay at home mom” thing wasn’t all that fun!

Fast-forward one year after the vasectomy...

The Lord had opened our eyes to Him. We were heavily convicted to reverse what we had done. It was not an easy process but by many miracles the Lord worked through the hands of a doctor to fix what we had decided to break.

“I praise you Lord for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).
Being fixed didn’t necessarily mean more children. Fixed meant that our marriage union had been restored to the way God had designed it. To be able to give yourself completely to one another defines the “oneness” that God speaks of in Genesis. “The two shall become one.” (Genesis 2: 24b)

God in His timing did decide to open my womb. Nine months after the reversal we found out that we were expecting. This third pregnancy (and first reversal miracle) brought such joy to my heart. Along with the joy also came major health issues. This was one of the many reasons we had the vasectomy to begin with. However, I looked upon the complications so differently this time around because God had really opened my eyes to His purposes for my life. I was created by Him and for Him AND for His glory. He made the reversal happen, and He chose to create new life within me. I honestly was not bothered by my severe high blood pressure. I knew that God was taking good and perfect care of me.

Needless to say the gift of faith in Him that He had given me carried me through that very difficult pregnancy. When we made it to delivery, my blood pressure had rocketed to new levels - 220/130. The hospital stay was one to remember as they tried to pad the bed and strap me down anticipating that I would start having seizures.

Luke Isaac was born by cesarean section (just as the first two had been). He was healthy and absolutely beautiful! Luke, one of the gospel writers in the New Testament, was a physician. Since the Lord worked through a physician to heal my husband, we decided to name our baby boy, Luke. Isaac means laughter. If you had told us when we had gotten married that we would have had more than two children, we both would have laughed!

Shortly after Luke was born, we were warned heavily against having more children. My husband and I had already been down that road and decided we were not taking charge of our fertility ever again. With that being said, we were told that we should find out what was going on. What was causing these very high sporadic blood pressures that would typically begin around week twenty in all three of my pregnancies? Our OB referred us to another Dr. for some lab work. Our OB had indicated to us that twenty years prior she had delivered a baby, and the mother had very similar issues during pregnancy. This particular patient though went into a coma right after delivery and died three months later. My OB discovered that her patient had a very rare tumor known as a Pheochromocytoma. I of course thought my OB was crazy to even suggest I had a tumor that acted up only when pregnant. But since we were going to remain open to children, it was worth us checking into.

Wouldn’t you know it! After some testing, we soon found out that I did indeed have this rare and life threatening tumor. Three months after Luke had been born, I had surgery to remove the 5cm tumor that was encapsulated in my right adrenal gland. The reason my blood pressure started rising around the twenty-week point was because the baby then had enough weight to apply pressure to this adrenaline releasing tumor!

Indeed the Lord saved my life through childbirth!!! “Yet she will be saved through childbearing.” (1 Timothy 2:15) If we had not had the reversal and our third baby, we would never have discovered that I had this life threatening tumor.

Three months after the tumor was removed we found out that we had been blessed again with baby number four and a complication free pregnancy! After baby number four-came number five and after number five-came number six! Number six is scheduled to make His appearance the first week in August.

Ellie (2nd born) and Marah Joy (4th born)

Connor (1st born) and Luke (3rd born)

Lucy (5th born)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Malachi Jacob (6th being knit in my womb)
His name comes from Malachi 2:15…Hasn’t He made the two of you one? Both of you belong to him in body and spirit. And why has he made you one? Because he was looking for godly children.

Has it been an easy road? No. Are my pregnancies a walk in the park? No. Do I get scared sometimes and question? Of course I do! But the facts remain…God’s Word is true and never changes. He restored my marriage by literally pulling us both from the slimy pit. He made us whole (as He created us to be). He opened our eyes to His blessing of children. May He continue to give me the faith to offer my life as a living sacrifice to Him and His Kingdom!

*Note: The Dr. we used for our vasectomy reversal was Dr. Leverett. He does reversals as a ministry and at low costs. You can find more information as his website: http://reversals.com/
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Angela is the wife of her best friend Ken for 11 years and the mother to six children, four of which are post-reversal blessings! She enjoys being a homemaker and delights in finding new things to craft, bake, or sew. Occasionally, you can find her posting at Angela's Sewing For Sanity.