When my husband and I were in seminary, we had a little joke to be able to tell the “missionaries” from the rest of us. Missionaries were the ones who wore flip flops in January. They spent more time outside in the grass than in the library. You could go to their houses and probably have to sit on the floor. They didn’t want to acquire too much stuff before they went on the field. Missionaries are different.

With all the funny qualities we can talk about that missionaries have, here are a few we hope to instill in our children:

1. Missionaries love people. I mean really love people. Different people. Poor people. Smelly people. They love people because God loves people. All people.

2. Missionaries know that this world is not their home. You may remember missionaries coming to your church as a kid. They probably dressed funny, talked funny, and ate funny foods. You could tell that even if they called your home town “home,” that it really wasn’t home for them. They never get comfortable to the point of apathy.

3. Missionaries allow God to use their skills for His glory. You never know what talent or skill might open a door for you to do ministry. Missionaries know that you don’t put God in a box. Preachers, Sunday School teachers, and musicians are not the only people God uses to do His work.

4. Missionaries know first hand the power of prayer. Ask them and they will tell you! It is prayer and their dependence on God that fulfill their financial needs, their physical needs, and their emotional needs.

5. Missionaries endure persecution. Persecution is a reality for many missionaries and believers. From teasing and discomfort, to false accusations and torture, missionaries must trust God. And they must be able to defend what they believe.

It’s a hard thing as a mom to look at my three year old and one year old and know that someday they are going to leave. They will pack their bags, give us one last hug, and hopefully follow the path that God has chosen for them. Whether they are missionaries across the world or across the street, I want to encourage them to love people, know this world is not their home, allow God to use them, know the power of prayer, and be able to endure persecution. And, if they wear flip-flops in January, that’s ok too!

Sandra Peoples is a stay at home mom and pastor’s wife living in Pennsylvania. She blogs about women’s ministry at her site, Heart for Him. She also blogs with friends at Today’s Housewife.
photo credit: girlhula

Siblings are a wonderful gift from God. God gave them to us for a reason and a purpose. They can be friends, a comfort, someone to laugh with, a shoulder to cry on, someone who will pray for you, someone you can count on, someone who loves you (even when it may seem like no one else does), and someone to cheer you on, to name a few. If I named them all it would fill pages. They can also help us better improve certain characters such as patience, self-control, and selflessness.

“No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from Heaven.”
John 3:27 CJB

Notice I said they could be all those things. They can if you want them too. They can if you both work hard enough at your friendship. That’s what makes sibling friendships so valuable- both people working hard and diligently at something worthwhile and admirable.

That’s not to say that once you both get to the point of friendship it will be effortless from there. If you both have that mindset, when you get to the point of friendship, it will only go down hill from there. It’s something that needs to be guarded carefully, watched over, and taken care of constantly. It requires selflessness it requires selflessness,

Selflessness is impossible for any and every human to obtain. It’s impossible. What we must also realize is that, try as we may, we cannot have a close friendship with our sibling(s) unless our relationship(s) with them are Christ-centered. We must know what the Lord wants for our friendship with them and what His definition of friendship is. We must know His heart. He wants us to have a close relationship with our sibling(s), but we must first know His heart and His definition of friends or friendship.

It’s a lot of work, but so rewarding and fruitful. And by your example others will be able to see the rewards of having a close friendship with your sibling(s). It’s a beautiful thing.

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Hannah is a 13 year-old homeschool student, blogger at Reflections Of A Face, web and graphic designer, big sister to four, and daughter of Yeshua. She enjoys photography, graphic and web design, scrapbooking (digital, too), blogging, cooking, and baking.

My goal is to create one flower bed a year. Some goals fizzle. We bought our home four years ago, but only one garden graces our property. Life, literally, interrupted my plans the year I gave birth to a sweet little girl. Then, last spring, we bought a new septic system. Heavy equipment squishing around the yard wasn’t conducive to planting. This year is different. My waist bends, and the plumbing works. So I’m adding another garden. Most people start in the front yard; I do not.

Massive magnolia trees fill our front yard. A few bushes cling to life. Monkey grass spreads around the porch. And a shovel doesn’t go more than two inches into the ground without hitting roots. The roots that destroyed our plumbing. The roots that cracked the foundation. The roots that suck up all the water. Our front yard remains barren. Until we get dirt for raised landscaping, I’m working in the backyard. It’s easier to restrain the dog than break my back and shovel. I forgot how messy gardening is. Dirt is in my hair, under my fingernails, and on my clothes. I forgot how hard gardening is. The sod is shoveled scoop by scoop. My children help, but they want to plant the seeds without the work. They want to enjoy the harvest without the wait.
Their impatience reminds me of my own. I wince when I step on a Lego. I sigh while cleaning up spills. I fuss inwardly at the reminders repeated day after day. Preparing the soil in my children’s hearts is the dirty work of plowing and pulling weeds.

Seeds of truth cannot take root and grow, unless our children’s hearts are pliable and sustentative. Scattering seeds upon impenetrable ground has little effect. With diligence, the ground is cultivated. With patience, the seeds sprout. The work we do sometimes seems invisible, but roots stretch beneath the surface giving life. Let’s continue preparing for the harvest, even though it involves daily scrubbing.

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Renae talks about reflections on family life, biblical principles, and home education at Life Nurturing Education

I am taking this week off from blogging so that I can concentrate on a few projects. I have asked a few bloggers to fill in for me this week with some posts of their own. Please make sure to comment on their posts and visit their own blogs if you have a moment.

The guest bloggers will be:

Tuesday – Renae from Life Nurturing Education

Thursday – Hannah from Reflections of A Face

Saturday – Sandra Peoples from Heart for Him

Thank you so much, ladies, for the blessing of your willingness to post for me!

I am going to BlogHer ’09 in Chicago next month. JVC is graciously paying my way! Yay! However, I want to take my husband with me and am looking for any companies that would be willing to sponsor him so that can happen. I am willing to advertise for your company in the following ways: ad space on this blog, handing out your business cards at the conference, wearing your logo on a t-shirt, using a totebag at the conference with your logo, etc. Keep in mind that this conference is HUGE, with 1000+ attendees. Great advertising!

For more information, please contact me at: wisdombegun @ gmail dot com .

Thank you so much for your consideration!