Happy Birthday Noah
|
Posted:Feb 4, 2009 5:41 am
Last Updated:Feb 7, 2009 5:23 pm 2777 Views
|
Today is my 3rd Noah's birthday. He is 15 years old.
Two weeks before Christmas he went to stay with his father in Sydney. He has decided to stay there and not return home. As a mother who loves her , I am heartbroken. His father is a drug addict and really isn't there for him, yet he choses not to come home where there is boundaries and responsabilities. He was being rebellious and difficult before he left and I hoped that he would see just how good he has it here, but unfortunately it has backfired as he has learnt to 'play the manipulation game'.
This is the first time that he has been away from home on his special day, and I am sad and a bit lost to say the least. Nothing upsets me more greatly and thats when parents use as pawns to get what they want instead of what is best for the . I could take legal steps to get him back, but I will not enforce this, even though I feel like it. Sometimes you just have to let go, and let God, but hey isn't it hard at times?
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Two more sleeps
|
Posted:Nov 11, 2008 7:51 am
Last Updated:Jan 8, 2009 3:33 am 2002 Views
|
Tomorrow Ian will be packing to come to see me and stay with us for over a week. He will arrive here on Thursday with Hannah Louise. This will be Hannah Louise's first time here. God willing she and Ian will move here before christmas. Hannah Louise will be taking over the spare room. We hope to have it repainted for her in her favourite colour before then, and she will help to pick out curtains and bedding etc while she is here. Oh it's going to be heaps of fun working all this out so she fits in as part of the family. Ian is going to live in the caravan that is on our property until we are married.
This week we will be fitting in a lot together as we are preparing the gardens for planting as the last frost has gone, fences need to be repaired and a few other bits and pieces. Ian and I are going to a formal next friday as our friend's is graduating year 12. It will be our first 'big outing' together in our small town together. Ohh we have to get dressed up, yippee! Gonna be lots of fun.
The week after Ian arrives back home on the 28th Novemeber the and I will be driving down and picking up Ian and Hannah Louise and going on a holiday down to the south coast for a week.
We are first going to Canberra and visiting Questacon (science museum for ) and maybe the War memorial, then travel down to the seaside and frolick and play in the sun, yipee!!
God is so good. He has been really gracious to us and our family. My beloved is a kind and caring man who loves us all and takes on his role as my future husband and father figure to my very seriously, yet graciously. He brings such a blessing to our household.
I pray that you all have a great week, hope to keep up with you all.
Blessings, Louise & Ian & family
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
My Sweet Beloved
|
Posted:Nov 6, 2008 9:12 pm
Last Updated:Mar 2, 2009 5:31 am 1975 Views
|
You have touched and enveloped my soul
You are the one who has made me whole
A love so deep, a healing balm
Wrapped up together in His arms
I thank God each day for you my love and I praise Him for the gift in you that enriches each and every day of my life.
TMD Your Sunshine
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
Premarital kissing
|
Posted:Nov 4, 2008 5:58 am
Last Updated:Jan 8, 2009 3:35 am 3516 Views
|
For those who say that kissing is ok before marriage and that there are no scriptures pertaining to kissing and that it may be a 'grey' area, this is for you. I came across this information when I googled kissing in the bible this evening when searching for answers to Hisgrayce's last post on "To kiss or not to kiss." The Lord says that if you seek Him you will find Him. This challenges me even further to speak the truth. Jesus Himself said that the truth will set us free.
There are those who would argue that it is not wrong to kiss before marriage. To refute this we could look at statistics of couples who thought they could start the fire and shut it at will, and found they were wrong. We could state the number of pregnancies that started as "innocent" goodnight kisses. We could look at all the practical reasons not to kiss before marriage. But those who defend the activity might still say, "Perhaps it's best to refrain, but I don't see it condemned in the Bible, so it can't be sin." This is a weak argument at best.
First, a definition of the term. Obviously, not every kind of extramarital kiss can be wrong. The apostle Paul expressly commands us, on several occasions, to greet one another with a holy kiss. (It would be a stretch to say that Paul was instructing husbands and wives to do something which normally requires no prompting). But premarital kissing does not fall under the same category as kissing a fellow believer, your sister, your or your parakeet. In Genesis 26 we read that God told Isaac to stay with the Philistines in lieu of going to Egypt. When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he told them that Rebekah was his sister, because she was beautiful, and he was afraid that the men would kill him to get at her. In verse 8 we read, "When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, "She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister?'" This shows that there is a type of activity which is only appropriate with a wife, and not appropriate with a sister.
What is premarital kissing? For the purpose of my argument, premarital kissing is engaging in that kind of kissing with someone other than one's spouse which is inappropriate with a sibling, in activity and motive. What is the purpose of such kissing? Some would say that it is a legitimate display of affection between a couple who is courting or (horrors) dating. But let's face it, it is not merely an innocent display of affection. It is a display of passion. See definition above. It is rather far-fetched to deny the intimate and emotional nature of a kiss. You would not kiss your mom or dad in the same way you kiss your wife or husband. If you're arguing for that type of kissing before marriage, no argument here. It's ok after marriage, too. But I am speaking of the type which is unique to a husband/wife relationship and imitators thereof. "If you wanna know if he really loves you so, it's in his kiss"?
Kissing in this way outside of the bonds of marriage neither proves nor enhances true love. Rather, it proves, demonstrates, enhances a physical attraction that is Biblically classified as lust when not consecrated in marriage. While the physical aspect is a necessary ingredient in a marriage, it is not necessary for a premarital relationship. Rather, it hinders true communication between the couple. Why is premarital sex wrong? Isn't one reason that we are to keep ourselves pure for the person who will one day be our spouse? We may not have sex with anyone who is not our lawful spouse. Those who are single do not have a lawful spouse. Therefore, singles may not have sex. End of story. Now let me ask you a question. How happy would you be if, after taking wedding vows, your beloved passionately kissed someone other than you on the lips? I daresay you wouldn't like it much. If you would, then you are not being an imitator of God in His jealousy for what is His own, and should repent. Well, what right have we to kiss someone now in a way that is not lawful later? Can we not extend this to say: We may not kiss anyone who isn't our lawful spouse; someone who's single has no lawful spouse; therefore singles may not kiss? Take a moment to look at it this way. Let's assume for the moment that premarital kissing is permissible. For the purposes of the argument, it is fine for you to passionately kiss someone when you're single. Is the person you're kissing your husband or wife? Obviously not. Therefore, we have a premise: It is OK to kiss someone who is not your lawful spouse. Logically extending that idea, what is to prevent a married person from passionately kissing someone she/he isn't married to? What's that you say? "No, they can't"? Why ever not? It must have something to do with the nature of marriage and the nature of a passionate kiss.
I maintain that the reason extramarital kissing is not permissible is that such kissing is sexual in nature. This agrees with both A and B. Working backwards, then, it would be wrong extramaritally, and it would be wrong premaritally. "Show me a verse that says 'No Kissing'", you say. "Scripture doesn't even mention it. You can't make me feel guilty for doing something the Bible doesn't forbid." There are many expressions of passion that are not specifically recognized in Scripture yet which are wrong to engage in outside of marriage. Can you find me a Scripture passage condemning petting, or other practices that don't go "all the way" to include the act of intercourse, yet involve passion and intimacy between unmarried persons? How about a passage that condemns homosexuals kissing? Or one that says you can't smash your neighbor's windshield? You can't, because they don't exist. And yet I hardly expect you to condone those practices. The key is that these actions are subsumed under the broader heading of "sexual immorality." I would submit that premarital kissing, because of its very nature, also falls into this category. The Heidelberg Catechism assures us that some sins are more heinous than others. Just because one sin is less heinous than another doesn't mean that it is not, therefore, sin. Christ himself warns us that if we hate our brother we have already murdered him in our heart. Therefore, hating our brother is sin. It is not punishable here on earth, but such a thought will be judged.(Matthew 5:22)
The Scriptures command us to keep a heart that is clean and free from sin. We should not, we may not seek to go as far as we can without violating the letter of the law. When we so seek, we are already violating the spirit of the law. Cain tried the same trick, and it didn't do him good. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart God will not despise. (Psalm 51:17) Whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Matthew 5:2 How much more, then, has someone committed adultery who does not just confine himself to looking, but also touches in an inescapably sexual way?
It is GOOD for a man not to touch a woman.(1 Corinthians 7:1) Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.(Galatians 5:16) Treat younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.(1 Timothy 5:2) Some have said that to them, kissing doesn't mean anything. I have acquaintances who kiss first and ask questions (like "What's your name?") later. This is dangerous, as demonstrated through the experience of one of those acquaintances. She felt that since kisses meant little, she owed something more than that to the boyfriend she "really loved." If such kissing is to mean anything, if it is to convey love and affection, passion and intimacy, as God ordained that it should, it is only properly done by a husband and a wife.
Sarah Faith Schlissel
fortifyingthefamily
|
|
|
5
Comments
|
|
What is a real man?
|
Posted:Nov 3, 2008 11:08 pm
Last Updated:Dec 31, 2009 5:40 pm 1979 Views
|
This response below I made to Hisgrayce last month on 'what do you look for in a partner'. I just read it again and it moved me as I just commented on another post Deb wrote about kissing.
I am not ashamed or even slightly upset that others think I am weird for not kissing 'the love of my life' before I marry him. But just the same I wanted you ladies out there to see that if we truely admitt our weaknesses and repent and ask the Lord to provide that 'real man' in our lives, then why would he give you a 'stone' if you asked Him for some bread? I think that the Lord brings people across our paths to educate the 'ignorant' like I was in this area. I fell in love before and went down that path which lead to disaster. Then I found an article on Focus on the Family website about kissing (Please don't kiss me, by Bethany Terode, and that then led me to Josh Harris book, which I will talk about all the time as it should be read by every christian single, or parent to teens etc.
It was life changing, and up until that time I had no idea of what true christian relationships should be like and how to view the opposite sex. The Lord says in Hosea 4 (I think) that 'My people die through lack of knowledge'. I was no longer ignorant on the subject, and I knew that His word was true and I prayed, and I trusted that the Lord would bring my beloved to me!!! Not me search for him, pray that the Lord would bring him to me.
That is exactly what happened over two years later! I know without a shadow of doubt that Ian is that man! God is faithful and answers our prayers, and loves to bless His , yup all of us. Sometimes we just need to listen more closely and walk in obedience, even when you feel like you are the only one out there doing what He called you to do, as I had thought it was in my case. Now I see many people including my own beloved that 'truely get it'! Truely understand this walk, and the blessings as a result.
A REAL MAN
A real man cries and is not afraid of showing emotion! Real men make mistakes and owns up to them. Real men adore their wives and puts them first place after the Lord. Real men know not to exploit the beauty of a woman and keep her purity intact. Real men allow a woman to rejoice in her femininity and be herself. Real men protect and treasure their wives. These are the things I prayed for thanks to Joshua Harris (I kissed dating goodbye) and guess what? Uh huh, I got him, PTL. Ian is 'the man' I have been longing for, and I pray that all godly women meet a man like him. He is my healing balm! Blessings girls
We christians need to 'step up' and be counted. We need to show the world that we are 'not of the world' and all it's fleshly desires. We need to show the world God's love in every area of our lives and not be ashamed of purity in any way. It has been said much now that the 'church' is so much like the world now that you cannot make the difference between the two. I believe that Josh Harris books are a real tool to help us get back to how the Lord desires us to see each other. His main lesson is that we should treat each other as true and adored brothers and sisters in Christ. The rest will just follow when you put this into practice. What a world of difference we would make in this world if we all walked this way in unity.
Blessings you all! Louise
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
Where has Dennis gone?
|
Posted:Nov 3, 2008 3:38 pm
Last Updated:Nov 5, 2008 12:12 am 2134 Views
|
Does anybody know where Dennis has gone to? The last I saw he was trying to get some extra funds to go and get Mercy. Has something happened in the last couple of days that I am unaware of? Please somebody let us know.
Blessings, Louise
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
I'm Back
|
Posted:Nov 3, 2008 3:30 pm
Last Updated:Feb 5, 2009 10:28 pm 1866 Views
|
Hi all! Left Ian's late yesterday (5.30)as we had heaps to finish up at the house. I am much happier driving at night and had a sleepin that morning. The and I arrived home at 4.30am! Had 4 hours sleep and now back into it all! Whew nothing like living on the 'edge'!
We only saw one kangaroo on the way back, he must have stood about 6 feet tall! Thankfully he ran the opposite direction of the car. About an hour out of home a Koala ran straight out in front of the car! I had to really swerve to miss him, but only just though. Thats the first time that I have seen one do that!
Can you believe after driving all that way, that I missed our turn off?? Yup I was distracted (by my one and only)and drove past it! I added about 45 minutes to the drive as I had to cut my way back to the other highway, LOL!
Oh how I miss him already! It is really hard and heart renching now to be apart from each other! Ian shared with me on the way home how Hannah Louise is also missing us and how she feels about us all now is really positive and a blessing.
May God's blessings be on you all today!
In His love, Louise
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
To have or not to have any more
|
Posted:Nov 1, 2008 6:27 pm
Last Updated:Nov 4, 2008 9:31 pm 2133 Views
|
I am about to turn 42. I have 5 , the eldest being almost 19 and the youngest almost 10. Ian is 52 and has 3 grown up and one who is now living with him and she is 12.
We are getting married next year. We both love and believe that they are 'a heritage of the Lord'. We have both raised in not the best of circumstances, (ie one partner not following the ways of the Lord). In a way we have both missed out on what it should be like to concieve and bring a into the world in a loving God centred environment.
I am amazed that Ian would still love the chance to be a dad again, and desires to have a or two with me. He feels that it is one of the fullfilments of a husband and wife's love.
Even now as a mother to 5 , people often view me as 'unusual'. Between us both now we have 9 , although 5 are not at home. So what do you think people will say if we tell them that we are contemplating having any more?
Not that I will take all the advice given here, but I am interested on what your thoughts are, especially from a christian point of view.
So what do you think? Tell me your thoughts, please.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
Update on Hannah Louise
|
Posted:Oct 31, 2008 6:55 am
Last Updated:Nov 1, 2008 6:27 pm 2282 Views
|
Hi all of our friends here at Bc. It's been a while since we posted, and much has happened since then.
I have been down at Ian's place for the last week. I am due to be home late on Monday evening. We have had a very draining and emotional time, leaving us both pretty much wasted weary and wrecked!
Ian's ran away nearly 2 weeks ago. This was the first time that Ian realised that there were major problems with her and her mother. This was Hannah's cry for help. We both asked that you pray, and amazingly, the Lord has answered those prayers. Last Saturday with the help of the police, Hannah was removed from her mothers care and placed with her father. Things have come into the light, and both Hannah and Ian have had to handle alot of emotional pain since. Things have settled somewhat, and Hannah seems to be happy and content to be with her daddy again. Ian has taken long service leave for about 3 months and has enrolled Hannah into the same christian homeschool that my are enrolled in. She started her studies about Wednesday and loves the whole concept of learning at home in a loving and safe environment. I have had the pleasure of helping her on her new journey and to be there for Ian as he embarks on his new experience with his .
Hannah hadn't met my before, and we were worried that she may not cope with all the extra people that her dad now has and loves in her life, but to our amazement she has coped really well, and has really found a playmate in my Hannah Grace. Both Ian and I are really blessed at how God has put everything into place and taken care of all the finer details.
We are both hoping that Ian will get a transfer and move to our town around Christmas time so all the will be able to start the year homeschooling as normal and that Ian will be able to return to work and we prepare as a family for our new life to start.
Please keep us in your prayers, especially peace for Hannah Louise, and for Ian to be blessed with a transfere asap.
We both thankyou for upholding us in your prayers over time. We can't thankyou enough.
Continued blessings to you all.
Ian & Louise
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
Ladies Only
|
Posted:Oct 18, 2008 12:03 am
Last Updated:Dec 31, 2009 5:43 pm 2312 Views
|
I have come from a background of physical, emotional and sexual abuse from a little girl way into my adult life. I chose partners who 'fitted' the same mold who didn't treat me as a treasure or of any value.
It has taken me many years of pain and suffering to come to a point where I have had to cry out to the Lord and say " Enough is enough! I no longer choose the 'old' ways. I choose to believe by faith that the Lord has a bigger plan for my life, one to give me a hope and a future. (Jer 29:11)
The main reason for me allowing such abuse to take place in my life (adult life that is) was because I honestly believed that I didn't deserve any better. Abused that have been violated grow up with the sence that their innocence has been stolen and that there is no hope for them to have the right type of relationship as they are 'stained' and used!
If this is you and you haven't been totally healed from all the scars that come with the consequences of other peoples sin against you, please don't give up! Please believe me when I say that the healing process can take a long time. It can also happen in different seasons, including using different people & or ministries in your life. Just know that the same God who knew you before you were created in your mother's womb (Ps 139) knows the pain and anguish that you are/have been going through and wants to set you free, totally.
My journey of healing has allowed me to face many 'demons' and fears of the past. The Lord knows the hows, whys and when's. We just need to trust Him and allow Him to do the work in us.
I am so grateful that the Lord had brought me to the place where He has entrusted the latter part of my healing to take place using Ian my beloved to bring it to the completion. I don't think that it will be happen over night either. I feel that my healing will take shape and continue throughout the rest of my life, but with Ian right along side me. I have been able to trust Ian and respect him like I haven't been able to do in my past, but his love makes it easy to do so as he trusts in the Lord and loves him first place. It is not my journey with god alone anymore. It is ours together in Him! Ian promised to stand with me a long time ago and he is committed to me totally, right through into marriage when the real nitty gritties will be worked through patiently and tenderly.
If you thought that this kind of love can't happen to you, think again! Believe that this is the will of God for everyone of His , and for His princesses, whether they have been abused or not.
Joshua Harris's book "I kissed dating goodbye" made me see that this is the will of all God's and to desire and seek Him for the best in your future partner. So ladies, please please don't settle for second best. Don't go about dating and tryinto find Mr Right. Trust and allow the Lord to bring your husband to you. You won't be dissapointed, and be blessed beyond comprehension. How will you know that he is the 'right one'? Thats the easy part! You will know that you know that you know, thats how.
God's continual blessings be on you all,
Louise
|
|
|
4
Comments
|
|
