Hello once again!

As we’ve just put the children to bed, a song is running through my mind, and how true the words are. “Knowing You, Jesus, knowing you - there is no greater thing. You’re my all, you’re the best, you’re my joy, my happiness - and I love you Lord.”

How blessed we are to even know of God’s love and Jesus Christ! It’s hard to even imagine that there are people in the world that have never even heard of Him, that will die and go to hell never knowing the truth. Yet God has allowed you and me to know Him and become one of His children.

What made Him choose me to be His child for all eternity? I know His plan is for all to know Him and be saved, but still, why was I allowed to have this knowledge while others never will?

If you ask yourself these questions, one answer that must come to mind is that God has an important plan and purpose for our lives.

For me at the moment, it’s being a wife and mother. Sadly, this doesn’t seem important to many women today with big job titles and paychecks sparkling before their eyes. But this is a very important responsibility to God. First of all, God used a woman - a mother - to bring Jesus Christ into this world.

She did the exact same things we as mothers do today. She did laundry, cooked meals, possibly made all their clothes, etc… She laid down her life for such an important role. She knew the Lord and followed Him wholeheartedly! She raised the Saviour of the world!

I’m not in that position, but really - I’m raising up part of the future Christian generation! What I teach my children will impact not only their lives, but possibly one, two, hundreds, thousands, or even millions more.

We can’t see at the moment what the fruits of our labors will be, but doesn’t that make our love for the Lord that much more special - knowing He sees and has His hands over it all, and that we can trust Him!

As I enter this new year, I for one am asking the Lord to strengthen and encourage me as I follow His plan for my life. I know He has a purpose for me, the Bible talks of “those who are called according to His purpose”. I pray I’ll answer that call in 2008.

I’m weak in many areas as a mother, but I know how my children watch and learn from my life. How would they learn to trust God if they only saw a perfect super mommy that didn’t need Him?

They will learn to trust God by seeing me lean on Him. They will know Him and who He is by watching my life and relationship with Him. Do they see that I know the Lord, that I love Him in all that I do? Do they see a happiness in my life because of Him?

As you enter the new year - do you KNOW the Lord? Is He your best, your joy and righteousness - do you really love Him? Yes!! Then accept this new year from Him to serve Him wholeheartedly! No matter how small it might seem to you now, He has a purpose for you!

Know, trust, and love Him - blessings!

Greetings ladies,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas - spending time with family, and most importantly celebrating our Lord and Saviour.

Tonight, I’m writing with a few simple questions for you…. These questions being asked just days before a new year begins. We’re looking back at the past year of our lives- and asking the Lord to direct our paths in the upcoming year.

1) What was my relationship with the Lord God Almighty this past year? Did I spend time with Him daily? Did I show my love for Him through my life, actions, attitudes?

2) What was my relationship with my husband (if married)? Did I honor him, submitting to his leading and direction? Were my actions, words, attitudes full of love - or rebellion, anger, bitterness? Did I put him before myself?

3)What was my relationship with my parents (if single)? Was my heart turned towards them, obedient and with a servants spirit? Did I seek their guidance and advice, and then follow a path that they AND the Lord would approve of?

4)What was my relationship with my children? Did I respect them - i.e. - guidance and discipline out of love - not out of anger and frustration? Did I live a Godly example before them, training them up in the knowledge of the Lord? Did I teach them meaningful life lessons? Did I spend quality time with them?

5)What was my role in the body of faith? Did I live a life that was “salt and light” to the world? Was I an encourager, a servant, a blessing to others?

Look back to last January and ask the Lord to show you how He’s “grown you up” in Him this past year. Of course, if you feel you’re still at the same place spiritually, there’s work needed to be done.

Then look to this next year - ask the Lord to really “knock your socks off” as He teaches you, blesses you, and allows you to serve Him in every aspect of your life in 2008! If it helps, copy down these points in a journal. Then write in “resolutions” next to each of them for next year as the Lord brings things to your heart.

I remember as a child going to my best friend’s house, and reading a cross stitch on the wall….

Who you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.

God made you - in His image - giving you life and love. What are you doing with that gift? Let’s ask Him to give us a fresh new start this next year - and have our lives be blessings to Him!

Greetings!

I am so overwhelmed right now, and feel so… guilty as I have somewhat fallen into the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. Trying to get shopping done, getting the “perfect” Christmas picture, managing 3 small children (two of which can sense something is going on, and it’s got them ALL wound up), baking gifts, etc…..

Why is it so hard to just relax and enjoy this time? Tonight, as my baby has screamed his head off terribly most of the day for unknown reasons (teething?), my two older children were running back and forth from room to room/ toy to toy - it was very loud and chaotic!

What’s wrong with the picture here? Very easy - too much stuff, not enough hands on time with the little ones, and nothing to calm and set a gentle tone to the house!

Alright, been there yourself?? Here’s some tips I’ve found work, they just take effort - which sometimes it’s just hard to give!

Too much stuff! - For those of you with children, I KNOW you know what I’m talking about. Here’s some tips (which I’m implenting again tonight as they sleep) : Make 2 to 4 different boxes/ containers with toys, leaving out several different things which they will play with for a week or two.

Rotate the boxes every two weeks (or three if they’re content and still playing well with the first box). It’s amazing at the results! When my first was a baby I would do this, and when the “new” box came out, he’d sit in his room for hours playing with “new” toys.

Also, REALLY evaluate if toys/ items are needed or used. If not, do NOT keep them! There are many options - give them to a local charity, thrift store, or church, list them on Craigslist.org (free website to buy or sell), or have a garage sell and put the money from their items in their savings.

Hands on time - I’ve touched on this before, love is spelled TIME. Children need to learn to play on their own, but they also need to spend time with YOU!! They love you, look up to you, trust you. If you never spend time with them, they’ll eventually look to someone else who will pay them attention, and it might not be someone you’d approve of!

Pick a night to be family game night. Let your children help you in the kitchen - either preparing meals or setting the table while you cook. Teach them to help you with laundry. My oldest “sometimes” loves to help me fold washclothes and hand towels. My daughter likes to push the wet laundry in the dryer as I drop it on the door for her. They both like to help unload the dryer and put up clothes in the right rooms.

All this might sound small, but it’s something that if you praise them for helping - they’ll beam brighter than the sun! Also, you’re training helpers for you!

As far as clean up goes, we all look at the room and see what stuff goes in what rooms. Each room has a pile, and then they help me take each pile to the correct room. It makes cleanup time a team effort, and much more fun.

Set the mood - We (for the most part) are no longer guilty of the tone being off because the tv is on - we learned that lesson a while back. The little ones enjoy a couple of different shows during the day, but when Daddy gets home (and Curious George goes off) :), the tv is off for the night.

Television is too much noise and action, it also pulls the family apart - as they focus on it rather than on each other. We still will turn on a movie sometimes to all watch together, especially if the kids are super tired but we need them to stay awake (and not be whiny).

My husband and I both enjoy music - classic and religious instrumental. These cd’s are calm, quiet, worshipful type music. After we turned it on tonight, I don’t know if it made a bigger difference in me of the rest of the family.

I’ve got a cd that a friend of mine has put together of Scriptures that she put to music that I’m hoping to get on the website soon for purchase. This is also another great way to have the refreshing music in the background, while at the same time is teaching Scripture verses.

….. in conclusion….. It’s a busy time of year, let’s not get so caught up in it that we lose focus of Christ, our husbands and children, our homes. Enjoy the family time together, make memories your children will hold onto for a lifetime!

Good evening ladies,

I write at the end of a very long, hard day. One of those days that just end in tears - because of exhaustion, a sense of never getting anything accomplished, a feeling of nothing I do matters. The house just can’t stay together, the kids won’t stop fighting with one another (it seems they’ve learned to annoy one another quite well lately, and enjoy it at that!), and there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done plus sleep.

So PLEASE, I’d love to hear from any of you in the comments section - how you survive days like this!! And while you’re at it, anyone have any young daughters they’d like to have apprentice somewhere??? I have the perfect opportunity!! Our any wanna be grandmothers needing kiddos to love on??? I’ve got ‘em here waiting!

I know sometimes it simple to just pick yourself up and keep going - but then there’s days (sometimes many consecutive days) that you just want to give up and run away - at least I have them. This is when it’s great to have support and encouragement from other sisters in the Lord!

Part of our “tornado through the house” problem at the moment is one we’ll all be facing in the next week - too many presents!!!

My daughter had a birthday last week, with her party last Saturday. This also doubled as Christmas with my husband’s family from out of state. So, as you could imagine, we already have all we need and Christmas isn’t even here yet.

I will say, they did get some great gifts - Bible story books, other books and learning/ school items (always great to learn while you play). It’s great when a present can be fun and learning at the same time, and even more wonderful when it involves Scripture!!

When things slow down after the holidays, I’ll be sure to make a section on either the Heavenly Homes Page or Children’s Corner page of the website dealing with how to handle all the Christmas gifts.

To offer you a piece of the Lord’s confirmation in my life ….. I was reading my devotional calendar today, which included the past 3 days that I didn’t get a chance to read it. After writing about Mary on Sunday’s blog entry, Monday’s devotion page was on her and about the same topic! Wow, the Lord spoke to me in church, brought it to mind to share with you, then had the exact same message for me to read in my calendar!

This is a calendar by Elisabeth Elliott, “Keep a Quiet Heart”. It’s out of print, but if you ever can get your hands on one, BUY IT!!

Monday read - “I want to respond in unhesitating obedience as Mary did.” - “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38 (This is written in NIV)

And today, as I was at my wits end, I looked to the calendar, thirsting for something/ ANYTHING to soak in from the Lord - and here’s what it said:

“As we increasingly unite our wills with His we will find happiness here on earth; it becomes like heaven, where His will is always done.”

Again, WOW! The name the Lord gave me for this blog/ website ministry is “Heaven in Our Homes”, where we can grow to make our homes Heaven on Earth. Here, it’s saying that when we unite (surrender in my mind) our will to God’s will - His will WILL be done and it becomes heaven on earth.

I’m still having a hard time getting encouraged, even though I know the Lord has a clear message for me in this. This is where I must stop, meditate, pray, and ask Him to bring me peace through this truth - and allow me to surrender my life to His will in all things.

This means all that stressed me today, taking care of fussy/ fighting children, changing TWO wet beds this morning (one before the sun was up), washing 4 loads of laundry, washing dishes, fixing meals, and all the other little things that piled upon this list today!

What is God’s will for me?? As a mother and wife, it is to be a keeper at home, raising my children - I know and believe the Scripture is true in this area. That still doesn’t make it easy! A job seems like such an easy way out sometimes, but what a blessing I’d be missing (though I didn’t see it that way earlier today).

Then I fall back to the “Mary” lesson, I must be God’s SERVANT, surrendering to what He has called me to do. We are to do all things as unto Christ. I am serving Him as I minister to my family.

Okay, you read me writing all this truth…. now comes the part where I don’t just hear it, but live it! I know there are other women out there going through the same thing!

Please share with us all how the Lord brings you through days like this!!! I’ve really appreciated all the emails I’ve received about the site, they’ve been a great encouragement to me. For today, I’d like to encourage you to post a comment to the blog, so your message can encourage others out there as well!

I’ve been blessed in this venture the Lord led me on, knowing there are others of you out there in the same situations at times. Thank you for being a part of this sisterhood in the Lord!Blessings to you!

Our Scripture passage in church today was on Luke 1, and it stood out to me what one of the men “brought out” of the passage about women.

Mary had a very unique role in this chapter. Here was a common, ordinary young lady about to be married - I’m sure with ideas and plans of what her future would hold, just as we envisioned our lives as we were about to be married.

Then, WOW, one day here’s an angel telling her God is placing His Son in her body! Can you imagine the excitement, fear, amazement, humbling, and any other emotion you can add in there!?!

What was her response? It was a true submissive spirit to God’s plan for her life! She didn’t argue back about what others would think, she didn’t tell God it wasn’t a convenient time for her to get pregnant - she acknowledged she was God’s servant and He could do as HE pleased.

In the year 2007, I don’t see this type of situation presenting itself -but God does call us to follow His plan still!

If we’re daughters, we’re to be submissive to our fathers and the Lord. God uses them to guide you, and protect you.

Then, as wives, YES - we’re to be submissive to our husbands. God also uses them to guide and protect us. We’re also still responsible to the Lord, to be submissive to Him.

Do we have a spirit of - “Yes Lord, I’m your servant to do with as you see best”? as Mary did. Our do we okay certain parts of His plan, and still hold part of our lives in our own hands?

Do we yield our members to Him? Do we go where He leads us, do we allow Him to plan our family size, do we heed the Spirit’s promptings - whether to go/ do or to refrain?

The second point that was encouraging to me was how God seems to always have someone around you who has either walked “your” path before or is going through it at the same time - someone to encourage you, or to help bear the burdens with you. Mary had her cousin, Elisabeth, to share a pregnancy with - someone to know what she was going through physically, and someone who also had a “special” baby with a great purpose in God’s Kingdom!

As I look back, I see this is true in my own life - having people close by with remarkably close situations in their own lives. It also prompts me to ask God to allow Him to work through my circumstances to be an encouragement to others.

If God has brought someone through a hard trial, how great a blessing that is to see for someone who is maybe just starting down the same road! To see how God brought someone else through the fire, and refined them for His kingdom!

Ending today, ask God to mold you into a “Mary” - a woman with a completely submissive, willing spirit allowing God to have 100% of her life AND to allow God to comfort/ guide/ encourage you throw “Elisabeth’s” or to allow you to be one to someone else in need!

Blessings!

Good evening ladies!

I still don’t have all the viruses off the computer, but the Lord was asking me this evening to look at my own life in relation to my computer issues.

At times, we come to a place where we must make a decision about circumstances in our lives. These will either grow us spiritually, or they will “bug” our lives.

Sometimes, these “bugs” will seem innocent enough - but underneath they work there way into our hard drive and cause us to malfunction spiritually.

The Bible tells us our bodies are the Temple of the Most High. We’re told not to defile ourselves, not to be conformed to this world.

We are told to think on things that are pure, holy, just, lovely - if there be any virtue, any praise. We are to run our systems on these in order to run correctly.

This verse (sorry for not having it exactly, everyone here’s in bed and lights are out, but I believe it’s maybe in Philippians??) comes to my mind often. As it tells us what we should think on, it leaves the rest of things not mentioned to be things we avoid.

Do we allow pure, holy, just, lovely examples in our lives - or are they filled with the opposite? What we put in is what we get out, our fruits will tell it all. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor a bad tree good fruit.

As with my computer, is there anything slowing you down - dragging you spiritually? Do distasteful things “pop up” in your daily life or actions?

As with me, unable to figure out how to clean the computer myself, are you trying to fix your own self? We can patch things maybe temporarily, but the bugs are still lurking deep within.

God is the “Master Technician” - He’s the only one who can clean up our hard drive and get us running efficiently and productively again.

Ask Him to “scan” you for bugs, and then humble you before Him to clean you up. Once clean, set up your firewalls, not letting anything past them into your lives that don’t measure up to His designs.

You have to be diligent, the devil is very devious, “seeking whom he may devour”. But once running smoothly on the Lord’s system, He’ll protect and deliver you when you sign up with Him!

Blessings!

Greetings ladies! I just wanted to make you aware of what’s going on at the moment.

We had a message pop up on our screen over the weekend, warning about some files on our computer. Thankfully, it was me on the computer, because next thing I knew it was popping up some pretty nasty pictures on the screen.

Anyway, come to find out, we have been invested by spyware, trojans, and worms somehow. So, until we get all this cleaned up, I’m trying not to be online except to fix this mess. Please be patient and check back in a few days.

Also, someone mentioned to me that the website was all scrambled on their computer screen. If any of you have problems viewing our website, PLEASE let me know at Candace@heaveninourhomes.com so I can fix this as well. Thanks!

Greetings!

This morning, as I think every morning during my shower time, I wonder if anyone will call just as I get sopping wet and covered in bubbles??

Usually, I take the phone off the hook since I have little ones which like to pick it up and dial away. But lately, I’ve been expecting calls and just put the phone right next to the shower so I can grab it quick.

My mind ponders, if I take it off, I might miss a very important call. Don’t you hate it when you race to the phone, only to get there and the person hang up - not even leaving a message!

Let me tell you, my “important” call that I don’t want to miss is the call telling me I’ve won one of those $50,000 sweepstakes! Don’t laugh, you’ve probably signed up for them as well hoping to win!!

Well, the Lord stopped me in my thoughts today. I’m not sure if you know the song, and I’m definitely NOT recording myself to put it on here for you, but even just the words are powerful.

“Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me
Thy grace sufficient and flowing free.”

Wow - thinking off it that way, who needs $50,000??? What’s most important in our lives? Do we realize how much God has given us?

He’s saved our souls from ETERNITY in hell!

He’s cleansed us from our sins and made us whole.

He’s given us his grace - morning by morning it’s renewed for each day!

Are we grateful to Him? Of course we are, but how often do we thank Him and show that gratitude?

Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on our lives. For our families, our homes, clothes, food, friends, church families.

Thank you for salvation, for forgiveness, for your never-ending/ unfailing love to us.

Thank you for being our Father and Creator, for being Almighty and all powerful.

Thank you for meeting our needs, thank you for all the extra blessings we’re so undeserving of.

Thank you, we love you - Amen!

God tells us how to use our eyes, or how not.

Picking back up on where we left off on verses relating to “eyes”, we’ll add the previous verse to today’s verse to get the right context.

(Hebrews 12:1 - “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”)

Hebrews 12:2 - “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. “

Where is our focus supposed to be - where are our eyes supposed to look as we run the race of life? To Jesus!

What are our weights? Things that burden us, that drag us down spiritually, that pull us away from our finish line in glory - these are things that I can’t tell you myself, but God can reveal them to you if you ask.

What are our sins? Again, ask God to reveal them to you. They might be attitudes, actions, thoughts. Ask yourself if the things in your life glorify God when people see you - if not, feel confident those things are weights or sins.

For me, I can easily get pulled away by wrong associations (people). I am a very strong willed person, but if around the wrong person for very long… I’ll begin to pick up on their negative traits in my own life.

In order to become “one of those women” which are dearly loved and respected in our lives and communities, we need to associate with like minded women. If we’re around women which are rebellious to their husbands, backbiters, complainers, etc…., that’s what will soon be revealed in our own lives.

What we see in these respected women is Jesus - they are full of His love, and you can see that in their everyday walk! Spend time with these women, the Bible tells them they are examples and teachers to the younger women already!!

When we look to Jesus in our own lives, we see the perfect example of how we are to live. He endured trials and temptations - and overcame them. He endured mockings, hatred, and ultimately death for ME and YOU - knowing that Heaven was at the end of the journey. Eternity with God the Father! He’s there now, waiting for you - watching and “cheering” you on.

We will come to hard times in our lives, very hard trials at times (though nothing compared to what Christ endured). These times are when my faith is put to the test the most. I have to look at the situation spiritually - look to Jesus - in order to have peace.

I am flesh, and will tell you that at times my first reaction to these hard times is either tears of hurt, or anger. Then, thankfully, the Father sheds His light! I “see” again through His perspective - and this time instead of anger towards others, I see that MOST of the time, this is simply a silly situation in sight of God’s eternal plan.

I look at it from eternity’s standpoint - what really matters? Then, instead of anger, I usually feel sorry for those that offend me, knowing they don’t have God’s peace and direction in their own lives. Yes, I still am bothered by things and feel hurt - but simply turning my eyes to Jesus changes my outlook.

This also blesses me. Yes, I’m struggling and am either upset or angry, but I know in my heart that God is allowing it in my life. And who does God chasten and teach? Those He loves!! I’m blessed knowing that God loves me and is still at work in my life - Hallelujah!!

Jesus is the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith! He knows what lessons need to be learned in our lives, what needs to be broken, and what needs to grow. Allow Him to guide you as you patiently follow the plans He has for you - to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future!

As we close, here’s the words to a beautiful song:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full on His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.

What glory that will be! Blessings!

I absolutely LOVE the song to which the words are, “I’ve anchored my soul, in the haven of rest”. We have many storms in our lives, Christian or not, but the difference for us is that we have someone to go to that will hold us still in the midst of the storms. We find our peace and comfort in Him!

This speaks loudly to me today, as we have been out of town the past few days, coming home this evening.

We’ve battled winter colds for almost two weeks here at home, and it worked out this weekend where we could go visit old friends, and meet a nephew for his birthday party as well! (With Daddy and Mommy both felt under the weather, our home wasn’t so heavenly I’ll admit. We had to get out!!)

It definitely lifted the kiddos spirits to get out and have some playmates for the weekend. The hardest part was the 5 1/2 hours driving on Friday, then again today.

As our three children were crying the last 30 minutes of the drive, we kept telling them “we’re almost there, almost home, you can almost get out and play”. We knew what was ahead, what “happiness” awaited them. But in their young age, they didn’t understand and were only focused on that exact minute when they were miserable.

Are we ever the same way spiritually? Do we complain and fall apart when the tough times come? Do we hear as God speaks to us through friends, family, pastors - to encourage us in our trials, to tell us “we’re almost there, almost through the rough part, almost to a place where God grants us peace”?

We were tired when we arrived home, but it was so…. nice to walk in the door and know we were home! (Behind the scenes….. if you’ve kept up with the website, you’ll notice we’ve started working on our homes with the living room…… that’s about the only room in my house at the moment that hasn’t had a tornado go through it.)

Nonetheless, we’re home and all is well, I’m at rest - at least until morning as we unpack and begin to straighten up.

One day, God will have us at our final destination and all will forever be well. Until then, allow God to guide your ship through the storms, and to anchor your soul in His haven of rest! He’s calling you unto Himself - listen and follow!

Blessings!