Chapter 3 : I Am the Lord's Servant

"May it be to me as you have said" may be just about the most inspirational words uttered by a human being. To be so confidant in God's plan and so at peace with whatever might come is ... a miracle! 

As the author notes, it's not always easy for us to mirror that response. Sometimes I go through trials that don't seem "fair". Here I am, doing my best and doing it for the Lord - so why am I suffering here?  In those moments I do not hold to a "may it be to me as you have said" attitude. For that I repent of my lack of trust and turn to Jesus as my strength! After all, this baby that has been announced to Mary is not just for her. Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Isaiah 9:6 

And this Child belongs to all mankind. God feeds the whole world through a Babe nursing at Mary's breast. This must be our daily exercise: to be transformed into Christ, being nourished by this food. Then will the heart be suffused with all joy and will be strong and confident against every assault. 

(Martin Luther's Christmas Book, pg 16)

I appreciate the author bringing it back to our parenting and encouraging us to teach our children to depend on God as our Life Support! If I am verbalizing my praise and dependance on the Good Shepherd, then I will be encouraging my children to do the same. 

I recently had my 9 year old memorize Psalm 23. My hope is that these words stay on her heart and help her through life's storms! As a complement to this, we've been reading through a devotional book for kids on Psalm 23 that explains more about the habits of sheep and how shepherds care for them. Then we better understand the words of comfort found in the psalm and what they mean for us! 

Mothering Like Mary

Sarah certainly has sound advise in her parenting encouragement! Maybe she owns some of the parenting books in my stack - haha! Or more likely, this isn't her first rodeo and she's caught onto a few gems of wisdom! When you use her advise, then you will have pleasant children;) (see what I did there?).  I especially love her reminder to forgive where needed, even if it's me asking for the forgiveness! Mama needs it too!!

Ponder

How does spending time in God's word make a difference to your parenting?  Um, where to start? Because it's just not my parenting that benefits, but my soul, my marriage, my overall handle on life and yes - my parenting. I am so often reminded through my role as a parent with children how it is with God - he's the parent and I'm the child. I can get so frustrated with my kids and then I think, "how frustrated must God get with me? I certainly give him plenty of reasons." And yet, how does he deal with me? He gives me his grace; his undeserved love. He's patient with me. He loves me. Knowing that - feeling that - makes me deal with my kids in a whole new light. 

Praying with you, dear sisters! 

Chapter 2: God's Own Child

What a beautiful balance of Law and Gospel that the author starts this chapter with! 

What does it say about me that I had a sudden urge for chocolate chip cookies;)? 

But seriously, I do like the analogy and I've always been taken with the act of lining up the prophecies with their fulfillment found in Jesus. This is one of the amazing attributes of the Bible that is like no other! And I can just picture the Jewish families pouring over these signs and committing them to memory so that when the time comes, they would recognize Jesus for who he really is! 

I think this is a great example for Christian families today to follow! We should pour over Scripture as a family, commit his words to memory and hold it dear to our hearts so that we too will be able to recognize truth (or the lack thereof) when it's in front of us. 

What thoughts must have run through Mary's mind as the angel Gabriel expanded on the details! I enjoyed the author's take on what may have passed through her thoughts. But even more amazing is Mary's response of acceptance. How I admire her in this! 

Nothing is Impossible with God
I think I read this part through about 4 or 5 times. This is an area I tend to struggle with. I pray wholeheartedly the prayer that closes this section: Lord, I do believe. Forgive my unbelief! Give me a heart that sits on the edge of its seat in joyful anticipation, wondering, "How will this be? I can't wait to see how my God will keep his promises!"

Mothering Like Mary
So this would be where the weeping part started for me. What a narrative! What a whirlwind of emotions over the months and years! And I always like a happy ending! What living proof that nothing is impossible with God. 

Ponder
What do you like about Mary's faith? How is her faith an example to you?
I admire Mary's acceptance. I can't help but think that my questions to Gabriel may have been more like, "and how do you suggest I tell my friends and family about this because heads are going to roll!? Are you going to deal with Joseph because he's not going to believe this one?" My modus operandi is to usually expect the worst and then I'm pleasantly surprised if things turn out better than expected. It's a way to protect myself and Mary shows me that it's definitely not the best way or the right way. Ruth's story reminds me too that it's not up to me to protect me. That is God's job and nothing is impossible with God! 

Praying with you, sisters! 

Chapter 1: Unwrapping God's Favour

Greetings! (you who are highly favoured, too;) By now I hope you've read my post about "Book Club Sundries" and the post on the "Introduction and Prologue". 

I appreciate how the author sets the stage for us in how things were  economically, politically, socially and religiously at that time. 

I imagine what my own response would be to an angel suddenly approaching me and calling me "highly favoured".  I'd be looking behind me to see who he was talking to! 

The author is right in her assessment - there are times that I'm feeling pretty good about myself. I'm looking good, keeping it together and even managing to coordinate my jewelry to my outfit! Not bad. But not perfect either. On our own, we have zero hope of meeting God's standards. 

I like her analogy to the President picking up a hitchhiker. How much more is God's grace he shows to us! It's not what I've done that makes me highly favoured, but rather what he's done for me! 

What greater comfort can there be that are found in the words, "The Lord is with you"?  It's so true that our feelings can lead us astray or cause us to doubt. That's why it's so important to be grounded in Scripture daily! This is where God promises to speak to us and offer this objective truth - that he is with us! 

The final paragraphs following the "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God." - has the song playing in the back of my mind:

I am Jesus' little lamb, Ever glad at heart I am

For my shepherd gently guides me

Know my needs and well provides me

Loves me every day the same, even calls me by my name. (CW 432)

The Mothering Like Mary personal stories are inspiring and beautiful! What a wonderful touch to this book! What wisdom and perspective Lisa has that she shares with us here. Have you ever kept a journal to record what God has done in your day like Lisa suggests? 

Ponder

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you tremble at God's Word and let it stop you in your tracks? What keeps your number from being higher? In what specific ways will you try to overcome those obstacles this month?

 I'm too fickle to pick a number. I'm all over the place as a general rule. I wish I was "so amazed at God's grace I could hardly concentrate on anything else" - all the time! I'm usually the opposite of "trembling at God's Word and letting it stop me in my tracks"; I have to stop my tracks first and spend time in God's Word. That, for me, comes with habit. Stopping at a specific time in my day to set aside whatever is keeping me busy, and sitting at his feet in the Word. Then I am reminded of God's grace and love for me! Busyness keeps my number from being higher. And that is my personal motivation to not only read this book everyday this month but to be held accountable by my readers as we encourage each other as sisters-in-Christ! 

Praying with you, sisters! 

Introduction / Prologue

I've owned my fair share of parenting books. As a matter of fact, I had no idea how many I had until I took them off the shelf to take this picture. I was in shock. Then I laughed hysterically. With all this "help", you'd think I had this parenting gig figured out pretty well by now. Ha! 

So maybe it's because I have an apparently insatiable appetite for parenting knowledge. Maybe I'm looking for a comprehensible treatise on the particulars of mothering well. Maybe I just don't want to screw up my kids. But I'm excited to read this book because it's not just another parenting book. Mothering like Mary is not just another way for me to fail helplessly as a parent. Mary was real - she struggled with the same struggles we face today. God equipped her for the task - as he does for us too! 

I loved the paragraph in the intro that begins So why would we care to mother like Mary? ... Her hope was built on faith: that in Jesus, her life was sponged clean of sin and guilt, and her death would lead to a heavenly home. That's where I want my hope to be too, and what I want my kids to learn. 

When we open our Bibles and let God's word direct us, then we have grabbed hold of Mary's treasure. Yes! As it says in Deuteronomy 6:5-9, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads, write them on the doorframe of your houses and on your gates."  This is how I desire to parent. 

Prologue:

First off, I just want to mention how I appreciate how the author begins this section as she does in the following chapters - with poetry. It's a lovely way to summarize each section and I think she does a beautiful job!

400 years is an awfully long time! I can't say I blame Zechariah's doubting heart. I can relate to it too much. Who am I to point fingers? The paragraph that begins There is a message here for both life-long believers ... It's all very well that you have destroyed sin, death and the devil and won for me forgiveness and eternal life ... but ...  Ouch. That hits close to home! How reassuring are God's promises to us! And God always keeps his promises! 

This is a truth I share with my children. My daughter and I were just reading The Promise of Isaac Bible story and I asked her, "Why can we trust God to keep all of His promises?" She responded, "Because He always keeps His promises and what He says is true." Amen, dear daughter! 

And we pray:
Dear Lord, We ask your blessing on our study of Mary and the Treasure that she held on to. Help us to hold on to that Treasure as well - especially in these busy and hectic days leading up to Christmas. Keep our focus on You! Give us wisdom as we study your Word. Help us teach our children your truths. Sanctify us by your truth; Your word is truth! Amen

Book Club Sundries

If you are here to participate in the Advent Book Club - Welcome! There are a few items to note before the formal start of our study on December 1st. 

On November 28th, I'll be posting on the Introduction and Prologue. I'll then be posting daily starting on December 1st through the 24th. My posts are usually scheduled to publish at 8 am. 

Please remember to try and watch the movie My Son My Savior. At our church, it will be shown during adult Sunday morning Bible study on November 29th. During the following weeks of Advent, we'll also be following the study that follows scenes in the movie. 

If you're new to my format of "blog book club", let me explain how it basically goes. I start with some of my own comments and thoughts and highlight some of my favourite passages from the book.  Sometimes readers like to form their own thoughts before they read what I have to say while others may appreciate someone else going first:) It's all good! 

I'll also be personally answering one of the questions found at the end of the chapter. Feel free to share your own thoughts or answers in the comment section below. This gets the conversation going!

If you get behind, DON'T PANIC! If you're a week back and just now making comments, it'll still be read and acknowledged. You can still be part of the conversation. 

I try to make it really clear as to what I'm quoting. If I am italicizing words in the same size font, this means it's from the book The Mom God Chose. I usually will give a page number or the first words of the paragraph as reference. If words are italicized and in bold, I am quoting the Bible. If they are in just bold and same font, it's either a prayer or used for stress. If I'm quoting from the hymnal, you'll know this by small, italicized font with the hymn reference. OK - hopefully it's not as confusing as all that sounds now but will make more sense as we go along. 

Oh! And if you are here for book club and wondering who I am - I don't blame you:) I'm Rachel - (WELS) pastor's wife, mother of two, home-maker, home-educator, home-based hair stylist and child of God.   This is technically my family blog. I started it in 2007 as a way to communicate with family and friends all over the place when my husband and I traveled to China to adopt our daughter. Since then, I've just kept writing! So no worries if you could care less about the wreath I made by destroying an old Lutheran hymnal, or you're not interested in the super cute chairs I my husband just recovered with adorable IKEA fabric. I'm just thrilled you're here now for the purpose of joining me in the study of Mary through the month of December! May God bless your Advent study! 

Advent Book Club Announcement!

I'm so excited to announce the book I'll be discussing here this Advent season! Let me tell you a little about it.

Northwestern Publishing House very recently released their new movie, My Son My Saviour out in time for this Christmas season. Along with this release are accompanying tools for further study - devotionals, Advent by Candlelight program, small group study, etc. They've also just published a book, The Mom God Chose written by fellow pastor's wife (and Canadian:) Sarah Habben. The website has the following synopsis:

Discover more about the mother of Jesus and learn timeless truths for raising your own children in the book The Mom God Chose. Throughout the book, you'll be reminded to rely on your heavenly Father in all the trials you face as a mom. After all, motherhood is a blessing from God! In addition to 24 compelling lessons, the book includes interviews of present-day moms and study questions.

I'll be starting the discussion December 1st with an earlier post on the introduction. You can purchase the book here. If you live by me, you can purchase a book from my church and save yourself the trouble. But I ordered limited quantities so let me know ASAP. 

I'm very excited for this seasonal book that's sure to have impact beyond Christmas. Sarah's a gifted writer and the content is solidly Scriptural. The interviews she included of present-day moms will have you weeping in your chair! Or maybe it's just me. 

Please join me as we study Mary, the mom God chose. God also chose each of us as the moms of our kids. It may seem sometimes that we're not cut out for this role (and that maybe our kids were switched at birth) but God is equipping us for the task!! And through our mothering, we are serving and glorifying Him! 

One more thing - watch the movie if you can. Your WELS church should have a stack by now if they've been paying any attention to the mail, WELS Connection, or checking their email. You can also order a copy yourself. 

Joining the book club? Feel free to leave a comment letting me know with as much or as little info as you feel comfortable. I pray this study will be a blessing to you, sisters! 

Sewing, School on the Road, Soup Weather and Such

Plymouth Rock, people. The rock. Pilgrims. Mayflower. All set in beautiful New England. It was lovely! Let me back up ...

Wayne had pastor's conference in Massachusetts and Zanna and I tagged along. While the men spent their time in meetings, Lisa Gumm and her kids hung out with us and explored the area. We spent the first day exploring a mill in Providence that was one of the first to spark the Industrial Revolution. Serious history, ya'll. 
We took the guided tour followed up by a picnic lunch in the perfect fall weather. 

Once the men were relieved of their duties, we packed the gang up and both families headed for Plymouth. Time was ticking and we went straight for Plimoth Plantation - a live museum with people dressed in costume and playing their part on the plantation. We toured the Wampanoag tribe's settlement and walked the street of the Pilgrim's village, peaking our heads in to explore their homes. 

That night we took full advantage of the hotel we managed to score. It was right at the top of the hill of the original Plymouth "main street". It boasted a pool and waterslide that was built into a replica of the Mayflower! And the hot tub was built into "Plymouth Rock".  It was super cool!!

Plymouth Rock itself was nothing to write home about as you can see above. It was a rock (duh). You looked at it from above. It was surrounded by fence. It had the date inscribed on it. At night, it wasn't even lit up. But whatever!

The next day we visited the Mayflower 2 - replica of the original. Again, people were dressed and in character to answer questions having to do with the long trip over from England. It was really neat to imagine what it must have been like for the passengers. 

We also enjoyed some good New England fare: NE Clam Chowder, Lobster Rolls and Mayflower Golden Ale. 

We really enjoyed and cherished our time spent with good friends. We thank God for their friendship!!

Back on the home front, Zanna finally finished her sewing project with godmother "Auntie" Karen. Karen had given her books on sewing ideas for her birthday. After picking one out, the two have been meeting regularly to complete the project. Karen has inspired a love of sewing in this girl! She's now the go - to gal in the family to fix clothing tears, puts buttons back on and has made little things for her dolls. Thank goodness because that's an area her mother doesn't do well;)

Mother-in-law, Fran, came for a visit to see us for just over a week in October. We enjoyed having her join us in our regular goings on - dragging her to swim and violin lessons, homeschool co-op, Bible classes, choir, the grocery store - you get the idea! We also took a special trip to Quebec City on our "weekend" (Monday and Tuesday).  

It was totally worth doing a city tour and getting a local to guide us around for a few hours pointing out places and filling in history. The days were cool but sunny and beautiful! Some fall colour still clung to select trees and bushes - just enough to keep it cheery! We got a great workout walking up and down all those hills and treated ourselves to authentic French-Canadian fare: Quebec meat pies, pea soup, maple syrup pie, poutine. 

No kidding - around every corner of this city is a picture! Lovely!

On the home front, I recovered my dining room chairs. The following is particularly for my mom's benefit, but if you happen to care please feel free to read on.

It started at IKEA, where all good schemes seem to start. I didn't realize I needed fabric when I went in. But by the time Mom and I came out, both of us possessed fabric we couldn't live without. And because I don't sew (see above comments), I could only come up with the excuse of recovering my chairs. Before we left IKEA, we managed to talk some other strange lady into buying this fabric too. 

Anyway, when I got home I proudly and excitedly showed Wayne my new fabric and shared what I planned on doing with it. Do you know that he wasn't nearly as excited as I expected him to be? I didn't get it? Why should he care? It cost me all of $15 so it couldn't be the unneeded expense. Sure, the fabric on them already was still in good shape but this would update them. Who doesn't want to update? 

I finally got around to this project on his day off - a Monday - because I needed him and his staple gun. And since I don't use his staple gun, I needed him. It was at that point I realized, this is not my project - I've just signed him up to recover our chairs! You're welcome, honey!

So here's the before on top and the after on the bottom. He did an awesome job (except one of the chairs has upside down fabric, but whatever). They bring out the Scandinavian in the style of furniture. The fabric (not the upside down). 

I can not believe how fast this season is going! Will is having a great Sophomore year at Prep and I have not seen him for THREE MONTHS! So we are really looking forward to being with him soon. And believe it or not, Advent is around the corner and I might almost be done with my Christmas shopping. Yay!! And I also have an exciting announcement for my upcoming blog book club for Advent. Stay tuned because you're NOT going to want to miss this one. I hope you will join me:)