Desiring Marriage

Someone once told me that God gave girls a desire to want to be married and mother children. An inner longing which only be fulfilled by true love. Yet what does a girl do during those single years. Embroider things for her hope chest and dreaming all day long about her future home? Engage in a career and hope that guys will realize she has a bigger plan? The Christan girl that desperately once to get married. She knows thinking about marriage all the time is wrong but what else did God make her for? Empowered Traditionalist spoke very pointedly on this topic.

As women, this is an incredibly difficult task because we were specifically created out of man for man. However, if we trust Jesus, we can trust that He has the best for us - whether that be a life of singleness or marriage. I think it is wise to prepare to be a wife, mother, and homemaker. If we stay single, these skills will serve us and others well - our families, our communities, and any domain that God grants us ministry in. Set your heart before Him, guarding it in purity, but keeping it tender in hope.

Read the rest here.

Photo Credit: exantric

Her Children will Call Her Blessed

Today my mother is celebrating a very special day, her birthday. I won't tell which one but it is far more than the 18 years I have known her. Five weeks after giving birth to me my mother was not only a new new mother but a mother of the bride. Just a few years later mother proudly took on the role of grandma. Thus mother wears many hats. Each one displays sacrificial love on her part. Putting others first, ahead of her own wishes.

Nearly every Sunday our congregation is blessed by the music my mother plays. Offertories, impromptu specials, choir numbers, you name and mom can play it.

I see mom drop everything to be with her grandchildren. No matter how messy the project, time consuming or complex. Eagerly mom will make sure each child gets to participate. Even though it will mean losing a whole night of sleep the grandchildren are almost ordered to come over for a sleepover. Children obviously are something to care and enjoy in mother's point of view. Instilling in myself a prime example of motherhood.

Even while parenting three generations of children mom takes time out of each day and sometimes all day to honor both of her mothers. By birth and by marriage. Mom will rearrange her whole schedule to make sure their needs are met. Letting me see that truly it is more blessed to give than receive.

All this mother does because she loves her friends and family. All this I see and makes me love my mother.

We all have hero's, old and modern day. We admire those people for their great acts of courage. Daring feats and trust in God. Our mother's often fall first on our list because we get to watch them live life every day. Learning from their mistakes and teaching us lessons they were taught by the Lord. And that's why I think my mommy is the best in the world!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Aunty Beth

Greetings were given by myself to my first niece just before my 3rd birthday. Now 16 years later as well as 4 nephews and 11 more nieces I'm an aunty again. I must say to the cutest baby that has been born this year to our family:)

Audrey Ann caught her first look of the world on January 22, 2009.

Did you see the Ann in the middle name? Notice the Anne in my own name? You know I just always thought Anne wasn't too bad of a name:)

You won't see in the picture Audrey's dark thick hair. Or the very shinny dark eyes that like to sleep all the time. Her dear little wrinkly hands with ten tiny fingers aren't picked up. You can't hear her sisters whispered cries of delight or see their sparkly smiles. But if you could see and hear these things you would know this baby is simply adored.


Especially by her Aunty Beth

Me Need a Man's Help?

I found myself quite amazed as I watched the recent footage of a plane landing on the Hudson river in NY. Even more unbelievable was that everyone got out alive, virtually unharmed. Chilling the reports were of the passengers who were quite sure the end was near. Heroic was the motto that afternoon; passengers helping one another embark from the plane. A male passenger recounted how they worked to get women and children out first. Women, astonishing I thought females aren't supposed to need help. Why a woman can do anything a man can, even better! Women are not to be the weaker sex functioning totally on their own without a man's help. So they think.
Men go along with the philosophy simply because it's necessity. Yet on that afternoon as the plane began to fill with the freezing Hudson waters masculine instinct crept in. Perhaps without even realizing what they were doing the men helped the women to safety first. Risking death so the ladies might live. God created it to that way, the man would be the protector of the woman. Internally men behave that way, instinctively they will strive to care for a woman protect her. Men will open the door for the ladies. Help the lady with her things. All because of the masculine instinct. Strange? No I think not. Women long to clean and care for a house. Cooking appealing meals for the man. Rocking a baby and soothing it to sleep. Because of their maternal instinct.

Instincts the world is instructing us to shun. Women don't need a man and men don't need to help a woman. Surprise is it not that divorce is at an all time high. Someone once told me women leave their marriages simply because they realize they can do it on their own. I find this inexcusable. Females need the help of the males.

Girls let the man open the door for you. Let him help you with your tasks.

Guys know that there are girls that need a mans help. Perhaps we are able to open a door ourselves but of course nothing makes you feel like a lady than a a gentleman opening a door.

I am Bethanne Marie Busenitz and I need my daddy's help.

Read also Radical Womanhood's article.

Playing Around Again

One of these days I will get the look just right:) For now you will have to put up with my moving around. Nothing like the way though I move around furniture:)

Beautiful

Forty million precious lives have been lost since abortion was made legal in 1973.

Sanctity of human life is this week. Honoring the memories of the unborn and holding life created by God to excellence.

Never before did I realize what exactly went on in the womb until I watched this movie. Beautiful, so very beautiful.

Tooting my Own Horn

Excuse me for a moment and allow me to make an announcement that only pertains to myself. Selfish I know. Recently I was published on this blog.

There I said it and now I'm done bragging upon myself.

Do take time to read the other posts. Never have I been so encouraged and uplifted as I have by these dear ladies writing. Take a few moments to enjoy the richness.

Oh just so you know I didn't write what you will read all by myself. Mom edited it, twice. Editor of the website gave it some beautiful additives. If she would edit my work every day you would see a much happier writer.

Enjoy!

"Oh Brother"!

I am the baby of the family. Coming along shortly before me sister's wedding I served as a flower girl twice before I was three in both of my sisters weddings.

So I was left to fend for myself with my three brothers.

Life is perhaps very different for someone with just brothers. You might call it disgusting, triple recipes, or even enlightening. Lessons are being learned from my male siblings, I haven't stopped learning them either. Who was the one who taught me just how to measure the success of a belch?

I always know to what to use for a pillow case when none is available thanks to my brother. Ever tried using a t-shirt for one? Use one that says "Panama" and your sure to have exotic dreams.

Though the table is rarely graced by my bothers presence any more I still double recipes resulting in many meals to come. Ben comes home and he's eating peanut butter to fill up because I forgot to make enough. I still haven't received my fill of chick flicks since I never got to watch them growing up. Occasionally the rule was broken and my brothers pronounced them just silly.

My brothers would sternly warn me about sashaying about in large cites alone. Ever vigilant for their little sister making sure I stayed safe and had lots of fun. Thoughtfully my brothers include me in their circle of friends. Planning parties for our circle of friends because theirs are mine. Giving me a 16th birthday party with the infamous "bubble gum" skit") Enriched my social life is because I have big brothers.

Living with boys is perhaps great wife training. Guy's are quite different from girls I already know that. Why I would never drive home across lawn instead of the driveway. I'm sure there was a good reason, surely there must or they wouldn't do it all the time.

I think I know far more about dating and marriage than Josh Haris's siblings. It was my brother who passed along the information on getting to know that special someone. Was my brother who told me it's okay to want to be married. Dear brother who assured me that matchmaking would happen very frequently to me:) My brother told me the inside secret to life. Brothers never let on that they mind when their little sister talks their ear off for hours. Brothers give advice straight and too the point, just the way it needs to be heard.

So I thank my big brother for all the life lessons. Even the gross one's, especially for the humorous one's. And thanks for always reminding me of the important one's.

Doing the Hard Things

Certain things in life I find quite hard to do. Like walking the 300 feet round trip to the mail box when it's 20 degrees out. I cannot simply stand the idea of going out in the cold just to get a stack of bills and pile of mail that doesn't contain anything for me. So I don't do it and the mail sits waiting for days.
Walking in the cold is just to unpleasant for me. Like teaching a release time Bible class. Teaching 20 3rd graders who don't want to listen and barter away their lunch while your talking is not my idea of fun. Losing my voice because I have to speak quite loud to keep above their decimal level is certainly not a walk in the park.
Tuesday than becomes a day of dread for me, than 40 short minutes its over and I'm free for another week. Suddenly my mind is filled with well meaning thoughts. "Don't have to worry about my Bible lesson for a while". "Won't have to spend another long afternoon in town when I could be home doing nothing". Yes selfish thoughts, thinking only about myself and forgetting about my 20 students. The one's who don't go to church. The one's who come from a broken home. The one's who teach me how to use certain "words" in a whole new way. The little children Jesus died for while He was dying for me.

How can I worship the Lord, thank Him for saving me from my sin and His wonderful grace when I don't even have compassion for His children?

Suddenly I find new strength to do the task given to me. I remember that I am the link to these children for hearing the Gospel. I am the one who knows their names and can pray for them to the One who already knows of the hairs on their heads.

Yes it's hard to do things we don't think are necessary. But God didn't put us here to live life on the beach. God has called us to be laborers in His harvest. Meaning to get out of our comfort zone, like taking a walk in the cold. While duration of the duty may seem unpleasant and the blessing may not be seen right away. Eternal blessings are being reaped.

I will put on my warm coat to shield myself from the cold as I go get the mail. I will pray and prepare for my lesson before I teach. I will praise and thank God for the opportunities He has given me to be His servant.

I teach my Bible class on Tuesday afternoons from 12:15-1:00. Please pray for the children and myself during that time. There also about a 100 other children being taught during the time period of 11:30- 1:00 that is just at one school and one town. Lift up the teachers and children and prayer that the Word of God would shine forth.

Worshiping the Lord

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40: 28-31
Photo Credit: Vaeltaja

Banished to the Kitchen

A few of my nieces spent the night and the following day at our house this week. I cooked up the idea to have a hot dog roast in our basement wood stove. The girls agreed excitedly with the idea and dad was kind enough to build us a nice roaring fire. While setting the table one of the girl's commented that since I was the cook I could eat in the kitchen:)

Naturally I was quite miffed. I wonder what books have been read by this child?

Jump over the Moon

With the North wind blowing in colder weather I knew that I would be too chicken to continue my daily walks. I know that frozen chicken is quite popular but well I preferre to stay out of the minority. So I sought out to find an indoor exercise option. Rebounder trampolines quickly began to impress me. Ten minutes a day was all you needed to do. How simple could that be? Several of my family members already owned one and approved with a five star rating.

Sold! I was on the trampolines and Ebay had just sold me one.

Jumping was funner than I could have imagined, just maybe exercise could be this easy. I even lost 2 pounds before Christmas, just to make room for the extra five you know.

Then one day I was just dropping along, desperately trying to keep my pants on, since my belly was a bit smaller when….Snap! Two of the springs popped off.

I called the company twice. Second try after the first rep hung up on me I finally got a very knowledgeable rep. I whined that my trampoline should have not fallen apart after just six weeks of use. After all I didn’t weigh even#100. (Okay that was a very big white lie.) The dear lady kindly explained to me that the trampolines weren’t met for jumping. Excuse me? What else do you do on a trampoline, just sit on it and get your heart rate to stay at constant peaceful rhythm? Well yes I know that would mean I would be dead. The dear lady didn’t seem to want that so she offered to send out some free springs. After I paid shipping. I agreed to this compromise and kept on jumping.

Spring number three broke. I called the company again to get instructions on how not to jump on a trampoline. Surly it was a very complicated method developed by NASA. As I explained my plight to the sales rep mother giggled in the background. Thankfully he took pity on stupid people who don’t know how to use trampolines without jumping and offered to send out a free DVD. This pleased me.

Jumping on the carpet will have to do for now unless of course I jump a hole into the floor. Than I shall have to have my mommy explain to me how to walk on carpet.

Changes

The frequent changes of backgrounds around here are rather obvious. Now there is even a new title. Hopefully these latest changes will stay firm for awhile.

Change is something I do best. I've been known to appear in 3 or 4 different outfits before going somewhere. Mom jokes that if I go missing she won't remember what I finally decided to wear:) Change is something that seems to happen in my life a lot. Sometimes very lovely and well sometimes not. One minute things are wonderful and then boom life changes. I was acutely reminded of this detail as the sun set on the New Year. A dream shattered to pieces, leaving you so mangled that you wonder if you ever will be fixed. Nothing is impossible with God. Gently will He clean the wounds, ever so gently will He show you His greatness and love. Suddenly the changes won't be so hard to bear.

Change and more change but not enough cash change:) This is life.