March's Challenge - From Feminine Farmgirl

March's Challenge - Peace

Jenna's assignments and my responses for this month's challenge:

"... please write a post on your blog about the Peace of God in your life, and how the challenge has personally helped you in that particular Fruit of the Spirit!!"

Well, I must say that this month's challenge was the easiest so far. At the beginning, Jenna challenged us to focus on a Bible verse whenever we were feeling overwhelmed and in need of 'peace' encouragement. The timing was perfect! That week I had been working on memorizing the verse John 14:27 -
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
It is so amazing how the Lord works out little details like that! Anyway, there were many times this month when things threatened to overwhelm me, but each time, I tried to think of that verse, and it really helped! The last week of March especially, I had tons, really, tons of schoolwork due, our church's Easter choir presentation to practice for (I was in a trio for part of it, singing tenor, and never could nail my part - until the actual presentation ;D Don't you just love how the Lord will do funny little things like that?! Talk about nervous though!), and some of our cousins and our local homeschool group were getting together to do a home-made 'movie', and wanted Trissy and me in it, so I had those lines to memorize as well! All in one week. Whew! The Lord just helped me get through that week!
All-in-all, this past month was very challenging in the Peace area, but I found it was just what I needed.

~

On a side note, I would like to just like to mention what a great blessing the Regan family has been to me since I 'entered' the blogging world. I found Jenna's blog first, then Josh's, then Mrs. Regan's. I do not know this family personally, but I have been so encouraged by their seemingly pure, sincere desire to be different - to rebel against the modern, feminist, anti-anything-wholesome world that the United States (which started out as a Christian nation) has become, and raise a "Godly seed" to impact the next generation for righteousness. Jenna and Josh, though younger than me, have taught me so much about kindness to siblings, submission to parents, servanthood, practicality, contentment, honor, being honest in communication, and the idea that as long as there are still young people coming on who love what's right, there is hope for the future. Mrs. Regan has refreshed my spirit with her honesty, sincerety, hunger for righteousness, and - though this may sound silly, it is true - probably what has blessed me most in reading her blog, is her desire to learn her children. Yes, "learn her children". Now, this is of course from someone who has no experience having children, just experience being one. But from what I have observed in my own life and in the lives of other families who I associate with who are (at least they say they are) trying to do things by the Bible, I think many times parents of this sort get so caught up in the 'training' of their children, that in the end, they ended up missing out on the opportunity to know their children. They have unconsciously raised their children with the mindset that they are assignments - something to train in such a way so that they do or don't do certain things, and react to stimuli in a certain fashion. But they are people! Yes, they are under the authority of the parents, yes, they should be shown to obey certain rules. But they have feelings! They have questions; they don't always understand why they're getting a spanking, all they know is that Daddy or Mommy didn't like something they did, they don't always see that they are being punished because it was wrong - that must be explained. Kids are not puppies to 'train', they are people to 'teach' - to show by example that there is a Standard to follow, a Guide Who does not always lead over the smooth sand, but sometimes over the rocks, but Whose path always ends in Joy. Mrs. Regan seems to be seeking to do this - to learn her kids so that as she teaches them, they are understanding why, and love her for it, and will love Christ sooner - because they see that He is the reason she loves them.
I don't know how many people read this blog, but if you do and you are afraid that the Christian home is dying, *smiles* it is not. Stop by these blogs, stay a while, and you will come away refreshed.

Regan Family Farm - Mrs. Regan
While I'm Waiting - Josh
Feminine Farmgirl - Jenna

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." Proverbs 25:25