Nursery ~ Encouragement for the Young Mum

Not long ago, I logged my first Sunday of nursery duty.

Emma was my helper, and what a blessing she was!

Little ones trickled in one by one and then, came in a flood.

Some mamas stayed for a few minutes to settle their own.

Others didn't need settling.

Some children refused to be comforted.

So, those mamas left, taking their little ones with them.  

In the end, Emma and I only had three to care for.

And, it felt like just the right number.  

This post is the result of my subsequent ponderings.

 And, the purpose of it all is to be an encouragement to the young mamas

among us.  I find myself in the position of being an older mum now.

Don't even ask me when or how that happened!  But, it did. 
And, I am finding that there are a few things pressing on my heart to share.

In the days of diapers and feedings and constant
demands on us as young mums, it's easy to imagine that things will remain
just the same forever ~ intense and exhausting and wonderful all rolled into one.
Life flies by and before we know it, our situation has changed.

We blink.  They grow up.

So, dear mama of littles, take heart.
These are precious days, weeks, months...years!  Truly precious.
Don't rush this time.  Don't wish it all away.  Before long, you too will be the older mama.
And, you will be the one doing the encouraging.  Give it time.  It will happen.

So, in these sweet baby days, don't ever feel badly that your little one
will not be comforted by anyone other than you.  That is how God designed it to be.
While they are little, you are the centre of your child's existence.  It is how they are wired.
And, it is good and right for it to be that way.  It's such a short season.

God does all things well.  And, this is one of those good things.

It is perfectly okay to refuse the nursery service and sit with your own
child in the mother's room.  Our church has two provisions for young mamas.
One option is the nursery, where some little ones are perfectly content to be.
And, the other is a sound-proof room with a view of the sanctuary
and a speaker to hear the service.

Whichever option you choose as a mama ought to be the right one for you.
There is no obligation to use the nursery if it makes both you and your child miserable.
If, on the other hand, it is a good fit for you, by all means, use it!
This may change from week to week.  There is no shame in that, either.

The nursery is available to use if you should require it and desire it. 

And, just be aware that these days will soon be behind you.
Time invested in your little ones is never wasted time.
 And, whatever you should choose to do, be assured of the fact
 that we older mamas are here, cheering you on!

With Much Love,
Camille

**Image courtesy of Calvin circa 2011 ~
Thank you my love!  XO

Ten Things...

It's been awhile since I have written love notes to my children
in their special journals.  I've been meaning to get to it 
for quite some time.  Too long, in fact.

The last entry was from October 2014!
Obviously, I let things slide here just a little.

This morning, I remedied that situation by writing a list of ten things
I love about them.  I sought to focus on specific character traits that they have
due to the Lord's goodness and grace in their lives.

Don't we all benefit from a little encouragement now and then?
These little journals are a great way to bless our loved ones.
Do you have a special way to express love to your family?
I'd love it if you would share your ideas...please?  I'm all ears.

Happy Friday!
With Love, Camille

Fresh Perspective

As parents, we sometimes can get panicky over the bigger things of life.
One of those being what our children will do for a living when they become adults.
As home-educating parents, it may sometimes seem like it's all up to us.

And that, my friends, is a daunting thought.
It can almost become a paralyzing one, actually.

But, we must get our heads (and hearts) above the clouds
in order to see clearly and breathe easily.  Refocus.
The Lord is so good to us, isn't He?  He leads and guides and directs.
He is faithful to orchestrate everything in our lives for His purposes.

Why would this not be the case for our children?
If they belong to Him, He will lead them, too.

I stumbled across (is there really such a thing for a Christian?)
a wonderful, insightful, encouraging and steadying blog post on vocations.
Click here to read it.  I am sure you will find your heart to be blessed if you do.
Don't we all benefit from a little fresh perspective once in awhile?

God's Word is a sure foundation on which to build our lives.
It's a precious thing to remind ourselves of what our real purpose is,
and Who it is we are to glorify in the process of living it out.
The following are some of the verses I have found to be a blessing
as I contemplate these things.

"Whether therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God."  I Corinthians 10:31

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;..." Ecclesiastes 9:10

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by him."  Colossians 3:17

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  James 1:5

May the Lord truly give us daily His grace and strength
to live our lives for His glory.  Now and forever.
May we be found following Him wherever He leads.
We have nothing to fear.  Everything to hope. Because He is good.
And, He always does all things well.

With Love, Camille

The Heart of the Matter

It's always of great benefit to get to the heart of the matter.

With our teens ~ it's imperative.  But, it's not always easy.

The easy thing to do is to react to the results of their actions.
But, very often, it's not as simple as that.  Not as simple at all.

We've been parenting teens in our family for six full years now.
There have been many instances when we have needed wisdom.
Thankfully, the Lord gives it when we ask.  We have had to ask.  Often.

Like the time when instructions were given to turn off a pot
when the lid rattled (I thought it would) and all the water boiled away
leaving the contents to burn half an inch deep to the bottom of the pan.
Was the intention to ruin lunch?  To be disobedient?  To be destructive?  No.
But, lunch (and very nearly the pot) was ruined.  Completely and utterly.

I am ashamed to say ~ I reacted.

Fortunately, I have a wise husband who is well versed in dealing
with boys.  He was once one himself ~ funny how that works.  :)
He intervened and applied wisdom to the situation.
We all came out of it smiling and still friends.

Lunch plans were changed.  
And, the heart of our teen was intact.  A win-win.

However, it could have turned out so differently.
Through situations like these, we can so easily burn bridges.
Getting to the heart of the matter takes time ~ it always does.
But, very often, we don't seem to have the time.  We will never regret
the time it takes to come alongside to teach and train.  Never.

We have been blessed by the writings of those who have gone 
before us in this journey of parenting teens.  
Wise words to glean from may be found within the pages of 
"Age of Opportunity" by Paul David Tripp.

His words challenge parents of teens to examine themselves first.
Are we going for behaviour modification or true heart change?
He encourages, challenges, and equips the reader to put into practice
the various ideas put forward in his book.  They are Biblical and sound.

I need to re-read it.  :)

See all the folded down pages?  Apparently, just a few things jumped out at me.
We only travel this path once.  We want to do it right.  We cannot do it alone. 
The only way forward is by God's grace and in His strength.

"Age of Opportunity" is full of Biblically sound advice and godly wisdom ~ 
it truly is a gem.  We are so thankful to have a copy in our home library.
Our parenting journey is far from over.  We will likely revisit its pages often.
Highly recommended for those who are seeking
to parent their teens with grace, mercy, and love.

You will be encouraged.  I am sure of it.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own ~ 
I am not compensated in any way for this recommendation.

Don't Miss This!

Don't miss this!  
There is to be a creation/evolution debate between Ken Ham and Bill Nye.
It's being touted by some as the debate of the decade.

Click here to learn more.
You can sign up for the live streaming broadcast,
or pre-order the DVD by following the link above.

If you have trouble opening the first link I provided,
click here to get to the Answers in Genesis home page.
The debate is advertised on the right with an image like the one shown below.

Please help spread the word!

Let's also remember to pray.

This is a spiritual battle.  It is not a battle of wits.

"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 armour of God, 

that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand....

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,

and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."

~ Ephesians 6:12, 13, and 18 ~

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,

being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; 

so that they are without excuse; Because that, when they knew God,

they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful;

but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."

~ Romans 1:20-22 ~

May God be glorified and eternally exalted.

He alone is worthy.

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Images in this post courtesy of Answers in Genesis

Rejoicing Again!

Last November,
Austin was baptized.
We rejoiced.

And now,
we are rejoicing again!


Calvin expressed his desire
to be baptized during the winter months.
A few things delayed the process,
which meant that he had to patiently wait.


This past Sunday,
Calvin followed his Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the waters of baptism.
He obeyed the LORD's command
in the Scriptures to do so.

"And Jesus came and spake unto them,
saying, All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you:
and lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen."

~ Matthew 28:18-20 ~





We are eternally grateful
to the LORD for His Goodness.
For His Grace and Mercy.
We praise Him from
Whom all blessings flow!

The LORD has done this.


Auntie Mary was able to join with us ~
She was already in town for the wedding.
Many of our extended family were able to come and witness
this joyous event as well. We are so thankful!

May the LORD be glorified
through the lives of each
of our children.
We pray that He would graciously
lead each one to Himself.
We depend completely and utterly upon Him.
HE alone is Worthy!

If you are praying for unsaved
loved ones, be encouraged.
As long as there is breath,
there is hope.
Continue to pray.

"Continue in prayer, and watch
in the same with thanksgiving."
~ Colossians 4:2 ~

The LORD truly does
all things well!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Faith-Building Stories for Kids

I've been using these

books for devotional times
with Emma.
We read the suggested passage
of Scripture and discuss it.
The stories provide further
opportunity for teaching
and encouragement.

The boys have,
at one time or another,
used them too.

The stories are based on
true events and are
encouraging and uplifting.
They often reveal something
Great about our
Wonderful Saviour.

He truly is Great.


This "Building on the Rock"
series of books would
make a wonderful gift.
It would also be a great
addition to any home library.


Click Here to find them on
Christian Book Distributors.
At the bottom of the page of the link provided,
you will find the books listed individually
for purchase separately.


We are thankful that
they were given to us! :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

**I am not compensated in
any way for this review ~
I share because these books
have been a blessing in our own home.

Faith-Building Gift Ideas

Need some gift ideas?

How about one of the following
books/magazines?
I've compiled a list of some of
our favourites below.

Happy Shopping!

A One Year Subscription to "Answers" Magazine ~
this is a fabulous resource for any family!

If you have not heard of
Answers in Genesis,
I would encourage you to go and check out their website ~
you will find that they have so many amazing,
faith-building materials available...
really, it's wonderful!

C.H. Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" devotional ~
This is a classic and a *must-have*
(in my opinion) for every Christian.
We have found the readings in this devotional
book to be a blessing to us year after year after year.
Timeless.

Jerry Bridges' "Holiness ~ Day by Day" devotional ~
Another classic daily reading that will become a favourite.

"365 Days With Calvin"
is a recent addition to our own
library and has (so far) been a blessing.

If you are a Christian homeschool family,
and you do not have a copy of
"When You Rise Up" by R.C. Sproul Jr.,
you *must* get your hands on one!
It is so incredibly encouraging to those of us seeking to do
this task with joyful hearts as unto the LORD.
I cannot possibly tell you in this little space
what a blessing it has been to my own heart and life.
It really is *that* good!

"Little Pilgrim's Progress"
is a faithful adaptation of
Bunyan's classic work that in no way undermines the original.
If you have children between the ages of 9 and 14, this would
be a great blessing to read aloud with them.

This book is a blessing and
seeks to answer these and many other
questions from a biblical standpoint.

It is such an encouragement
to the weary Christian's heart.


"Both Paul and James speak of rejoicing in our sufferings
(see Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-4).
Most of us, if we are honest with ourselves,
have difficulty with that idea.
Endure them, perhaps, but rejoice?
That often seems like an unreasonable expectation.
We are not masochistic; we don't enjoy pain.

But Paul and James both say that we should rejoice
in our trials because of their beneficial results.
It is not the adversity considered in itself that is
to be the ground of our joy.
Rather, it is the expectation of the results,
the development of our character,
that should cause us to rejoice in adversity.
God does not ask us to rejoice because we have
lost our job or a loved one has been stricken with cancer
or a child has been born with an incurable birth defect.
But He does tell us to rejoice because we believe
He is in control of those circumstances
and is at work through them for our ultimate good.

The Christian life is intended to be one of continuous growth.
We all want to grow, but we often resist the process.
This is because we tend to focus on the events of adversity themselves,
rather than looking with the eye of faith beyond
the events to what God is doing in our lives....

We are to look beyond our adversity to what
God is doing in our lives and rejoice in the certainty
that He is at work to cause us to grow."

~ Quoted from
"Trusting God Even When Life Hurts"
(Pages 186-87)
by Jerry Bridges ~

May the LORD guide us all
as we seek to follow HIM.

Many Blessings,
Camille