Enjoy Harmony in Your Home - Part X

Use your time wisely. Set up a “control central” area in your home to organize and track your family’s schedule (consider places like a desk, countertop, or home office). Use a “daily hit list” to categorize the various jobs you hope to accomplish each day into seven areas: home and property, food, family and friends, financial, special events, and self. Then consider what you can delegate to others, and what you can delete. Move necessary jobs that you haven’t finished on a certain day to the next day’s list. Set realistic expectations for how much you and your family members can accomplish in a given time period. Make lifestyle changes gradually and rely on God’s strength as you do. Encourage each other and hold each other accountable as you all try to manage your time well while creating a better environment at home.

I LOVE YOUR BLOG Award

I am deeply honored to be given the "I Love Your Blog" award by Crown of Beauty. Thank you, Manang Lidj!

As instructed, I am to pass the award to seven others. I have numerous favorite blogs that I visit randomly and most of them have received the same award. So I am passing on the award to seven few that are worth a read. I can relate with the authors as I share similar thoughts, ideas, and experiences with them.

1. There’s no place like home. - Kelli is from Texas, USA. She is married with three young children. They are a christian, homeschooling family. I love her blog because I can see myself in her who loves her home and family. We share the same interests: baking, sewing, crafting, and most of all, loving the LORD!

2. Extravagant Grace. There is not enough words to describe this woman of God! She loves the Lord and that is reflected deeply in her writings. She is a wife and a stay-at-home mother of four children. She has a bachelors in English Writing Arts and is an editorial assistant for a science journal, a web designer and editor, and a desktop publishing designer. She is a freelance writer for Faith Lifts (that’s where I found her). Her experiences tell a message to all her readers, that God's love is amazing and His extravagant grace is available to all of us.

3. Fiddledeedee. If I want to have a good laugh, I come to this site. DeeDee is a fun loving writer, witty, full of surprises, yet, filled with amusing facts and realities about her life as a woman of God! She, too, is a homeschooling mom to her three children.

4. My simple kitchen. I love this site. Aimee is a great cook and her recipes are brilliant! She started this blog as a place to share recipes with her readers and to inspire to cook loving meals for our families. And of course, she loves Jesus!

5. Im an organizing junkie. Laura loves to organize! She is a mom to three active kids. Her tips and awesome creativity gives me ideas on making my house a home to my family.

6. Waking Up. Musings by a dreamer. Ariel Allison Lawhon is a writer, a novelist… and a dreamer. Her musings are deep that touches the recesses of the soul.

7. A few Scraps. Christina is thirty something…. So am I. She quilts… and so do I. She is a mother… me too! She is a nurse… and I am too!

According to Crown of Beauty, there are a few rules that go with this award. You have to pass on this award to seven other blogs. Just add in a short description of each of the blog and the reasons why you are giving the award to.

Rules:
1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.

Pass on the award, meet new friends, see how creative our God is in the unique lives of the people He has created... and have fun!

What about... DREAMS?

(In my dream, I saw myself on this ship... I think I know where this is at ... ah... that's between me and my God )

I was just reading a recent post of my friend’s: It will take Forever. Talking about dreams... there's this saying from a certain Asian guy that says, "Who looks outside, dreams, Who looks inside awakens". And another that mentions one of the three things in life that are never certain, "Dreams".

I dream a lot... you may say, I'm a dreamer. I am. I have dreams for my family, for myself and most of all, I dream that someday, I will arrive at the place and dwell in the house of my Heavenly Father forever!

Spiritually speaking, according to Bryan Carraway, in his article, “A Theological Look at Spiritual Dreams”, dreams are one of the most overlooked forms of communication used by God. The Word of God consistently reveals God as speaking to people through this universally experienced and mysterious phenomenon.

The Lord uses dreams for a variety of purposes:

- to warn global leaders of future events. (Gen. 41:1-8)- to provide revelation to His prophets Num. (12:6)- to warn us against certain decisions. (Matt. 27:17-19)- to reveal His divine destiny for our lives. (Gen. 37:5-8)- to answer our recent petitions and prayers. (I Kings 3:5-15)
Acts 2:17 confirms that God continues to use dreams as a means of communication in the New Testament age. Since this is the case the question must be asked, "Are all dreams from God?" Are we to wake up every morning looking for some hidden, spiritual message in our dreams? The answer is no.

Dreaming is a natural physiological function that is common to every human being and is necessary for maintaining adequate mental and emotional health. If one is deprived of REM sleep (the sleep cycle at which dreaming occurs) for a substantial length of time the person can incur serious medical and mental complications. So while most of our dreams are just the result of natural human functioning, every Christian needs to be aware that sometimes God uses this natural function in a supernatural way.

When to know a dream is from God, i.e. a "spiritual dream," and when it's just a natural dream can sometimes be hard to discern. No doubt it's a very subjective experience but most of us have had the feeling that some dreams are not like the rest. The images linger, the emotions are strongly affected, and we get this feeling that what we just experienced is a message from above; a message that needs explanation. When we do receive a spiritual dream they are usually one of three types.

1. Warning Dream - This type is meant to warn us about some future attack from the enemy or some difficult time ahead. This could be a warning about a friend, spouse, or child. These are given so that we might pray and intercede for the individual. Often times the calamity is not decreed from above and through prayer the hardship can be avoided. Example from Scripture: Abimelech warned not to sleep with Abraham's wife. (Gen. 20:3-7)

2. Confirmation Dream - This dream simply confirms that what you believe to be true about a person or situation is in fact true. This type of dream is used to give you the emotional impetus to act on what you already know to be true but have thus far been unresponsive towards. Example from Scripture: Pilate's wife's dream confirming that her husband should release Jesus from custody. (Matt. 27:17-19)

3. Prophetic Dream - A dream which reveals the future concerning yourself, another individual, a nation, etc. Example from Scripture: As a 17 year old, Joseph dreamt about his future place of honor and high governmental service. (Gen. 37: 5-8)

Spiritual dreams are God's sole prerogative, so we must always be ready. When they do come we need to quickly record them and then begin to pray for the interpretation. Spiritual dreams when heeded, keep us in the will of God and remind us that we do indeed serve a God who knows us intimately and who takes the time to speak to His children individually for our own safety and care.

As for me, I consider it as a gifting. God speaks to me in my dreams. Having to discern a dream takes confirmation in my spirit and His word. Yet, oftentimes, God reveals Himself to me through a prophetic dream, just before an event in my life happens.

My dreams are simple, yet, they give me hope and encouragement. Most of all, my dreams are from within, which God, Himself, the dream giver establishes. Lastly, my dreams are always certain, knowing that they are from the Father.

Did Jesus Use a Modem?

I have heard this poem once recited on air at my favorite christian radio station. I thought I'd share this. It's a simple poem, yet points out to the realities of how much modern, high-tech world eats up most of our time rather than having an intimate fellowship with our God.

God bless you as you read this poem.

ooo00000ooo

Did Jesus use a modem,

At the Sermon on the Mount?

Did He ever try a broadcast fax,

To send His message out

Did the disciples carry beepers,

As they went about their route?

Did Jesus use a modem,

At the Sermon on the Mount?

Did Paul use a laptop,

With lots of RAM and ROM?

Were his letters posted on a BBS,

@ Paul.Rome.Com?

Did the man from Macedonia,

Send an E-Mail saying "Come?"

Did Paul use a Laptop,

With lots of RAM and ROM?

Did Moses use a joystick,

At the parting of the Sea?

And a Satellite Guidance Tracking System,

To show him where to be?

Did he write the law on tablets,

Or are they really on CD?

Did Moses use a joystick,

At the parting of the Sea?

Did Jesus really die for us,

One day upon a tree?

Or was it just a Hologram,

Or Technical Wizardry?

Can you download the Live Action Video Clip,

To play on your PC?

Did Jesus really die for us,

One day upon a tree?

Have the wonders of this modern age,

Made you question what is true?

How a single man, in a simple time,

Could offer life anew?

How a sinless life, a cruel death,

Then a glorious life again,

Could offer more to a desperate world,

Than all the inventions of man?

If in your life, the voice of God,

Is sometimes hard to hear.

With other voices calling,

His doesn't touch your ear.

Then set aside your laptop and modem,

And all your fancy gear.

And open your Bible,

open your heart,

And let your Father draw near.

~Authour Unknown~