Homemaking 911

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NotebookingPages.com is a site that provides really fun tools in making your everyday homeschooling more exciting and interesting at the same time. Their tools allow you to turn every topic you tackle into a concise, artful piece of work. The kids will definitely love it since this will make their notebooks feel like an old photo album or scrapbook.

I could go on and on sharing proof and stories of God’s love with you straight from God’s word, or from my own life, or from the lives of all the believers I know. But the truth of the matter is, my friends, He LOVES you at ALL TIMES.

I remember vividly the picture of her weeping in the temple. The exact words were: “In bitterness of soul Hanna wept much and prayed to the Lord.” Hannah was so heartsick because she had been unable to conceive a child. A little further in scripture we read that in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel saying: “Because I asked the Lord for Him.” Later she says: I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” The Lord loved Hannah through all her pain and despair, and eventual healing caused her to grow with such spirituality, that later in scripture she says:

“My heart rejoices in the LORD;

47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” 48″How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50Jesus said, “You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” 51He then added, “I tell you[b] the truth, you[c] shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

I have, after years of being a parent come to fully understand what this means. Parents know they are not doing themselves or their children any favors by neglecting to discipline them when necessary. In fact, the more I love my children, the more time and energy I am willing to devote to their training and discipline. I have witnessed parents, and at times been a parent who was so caught up in their own world, their own needs, their own issues that even basic discipline does not happen. This is truly a heartbreaking scenario. Children who could absolutely thrive under the proper love and discipline are left to their own foolish ways and end up on a lifelong path of self destruction. The Lord wants so much more for us!

This parable tells of God’s incredible ability to forgive, without judgement, or condemnation a son who ran away with all his possessions to a far away land where he squandered his family’s fortune in a life of sin. In fact, when this prodigal son returns, he is not just accepted. He is lavishly blessed. In Luke Chapter 15 The father says: “Quick! Bring the best robes and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. That is what awaits you if you rejected the father, and then choose to return to Him. You will be celebrated, blessed and accepted, never scorned or sent away in shame.

When I look at what I would consider God’s big Top Ten sins, I would most definitely include things like: Murder, Adultery, Lying. But really, any sins can fall into this category of things which separate us from God. Many of us believe that being separated from God means he cannot love us. This is not so!

Now, once you were conceived and became a living being in your mother’s tummy, the Bible tells us that even then, the Lord is with you. Psalm 139:13-14 tells us: You, Lord created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

we wanted to know that *we* were special and loved by someone, even if that meant nothing more than someone who would sit by you on the bus, pass notes to you in Social Studies, or stand behind you in line when it was time to move from class to class.

I have great news for you! Let’s pretend there is this great big daisy in heaven just waiting for each of us. But this one is special because every single petal has the same answer. He LOVES YOU.