What Child is This?

"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."         ~Luke 1:46-47

I have often sat and pondered what it must have been like to be Mary.  She was given the most awesome role that any woman could have ever had!  Yet at the same time, what was it really like, to have a perfect child, THE Son of God?  She goes on to say in verse 48 that "...all generations shall call me blessed."  She was blessed indeed!  As a mother, to have all the emotions and affections coursing through you that you have for your baby, yet at the same time be in awe that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords!  She was chosen by God to be the mother of our Saviour!  No other woman will ever be chosen for that role again.  It was for Mary and Mary alone.  But each of us mothers are given a special calling as well, and no, our children don't even get the title of "angels"...some may even be little devils!!  But we are called none the less, to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord...the King of kings and Lord of lords!  We aren't to sit on the sidelines and watch everyone and their neighbor bring up our children according to their agenda...it is our (mothers and fathers) responsibility.  How come everyone wants the responsibility to bring up the children, EXCEPT the ones that God intended to do it in the first place?  The world is indoctrinating our children with it's philosophies and religion, yet God's people still make excuses!  Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever....is that what we are seeing in our day?  Absolutely Not!  As it was in the days of Noah, and since the beginning of time, every one is doing that which is right in his own eyes, not taking heed what shall be reaped!  God's Word should be so ingrained into our children that it is what fills their thoughts when they are tempted to do wrong, it is what gives them comfort in time of sorrow, it gives them joy in the morning!  Instead of His Word being our very last resort, when all else fails, it should be our guide, our road map, our instruction manual.  Yes we have a great responsibility and we may look at Mary and think, "Wow!  To have had a perfect child, wouldn't that be grand?"  But God has given us this great responsibility and He has chosen us to bring these "depraved little devils" up for His honor and His glory!  It is ALL about Him and Him alone!  HE is the reason we exist, He has called us for such a time as this to bring Him glory!  So, this Christmas, while we sing "What Child is This", let us ask ourselves what children are these that He has given to us, are we raising them to bring HIM glory, or are we living for the moment, not caring what becomes of our children?  Do you like being embarrassed when someone asks, "Whose child is this"?  Then purpose today to bring your children up for the glory of God! 

Busy, busy....Busy!

Like most others in the world this week, I definitely am going to be busy!  But I love this time of year!  Christmas brings back a lot of good memories as a kid.....Mom and Dad always made sure us young'uns had a good Christmas, (even though we were poor in today's standards of living).

God has been so good to our family, we have nothing for which to complain.  I love watching the excitement on the kids faces as they anticipate Christmas and excitedly talk about it.  I will be the first to admit that my children are NOT angels!  They are fallen sinners just like the rest of us depraved people....they love to give though, and that brings joy to my heart!  Each one of them have made Christmas gifts for every member of our family...and then some!  That's a lot of gifts!  I pray that their giving attitudes continue throughout their lives.  I wish more of us oldies had the giving heart of a child!!

 "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."

9 More Days…

Today I decided to take a little break from all my sewing projects…(I know, I know…with only 9 more days, how am I going to get it all done?) and I made some homemade, old-fashioned, chocolate fudge!  OOOh, it turned out delicious!  Thanks so much to Gretchen for the wonderful recipe!  The only ingredient I did not have was vanilla, (who doesn’t have vanilla on hand?…) and so I substituted caramel extract instead, but it definitely didn’t hurt it any!!   (I used Watkin's Caramel Extract)  Click on picture for larger view...

We Are Blessed Indeed!

God is so good to us, in so many ways...many times in ways that we don't even see or realize.  We should always give Him the thanks and honor that He deserves, for He alone is worthy!  You know, it was a blessing that we woke up this morning, however early that may have been, He granted us life for one more day!  If you have been reading my blog you will remember the post about washing our clothes out by hand..."loads" of fun...pardon the pun!!  But God had pity on us and we now have a washer!!  I won't name names....but they know who they are....I love them so much!  That has just been one of our "material" blessings this week, but God knows our every need, even the hairs of our head are numbered!  Isn't it wonderful that He knows our needs before we know that we need them?!  Yet we worry and fret, and wonder "where is God?" but He is right there all the time, watching our lack of faith and trust in Him, the giver and sustain-er of life!  Oh, how much simpler life would be if we put our trust completely in Him!

      "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." ~ Matthew 6:25-34 

S.O.S Conference CDs ...get them before their gone!

If you didn't go to the Sufficiency of Scripture conference, (it was no doubt a great meeting with speakers like Voddie Baucham and Doug Phillips...I wish we could have went...) then you can order the cds from NCFIC.  Don't miss this great opportunity!!  The kind, generous Coghlan family :) is giving away 3 FREE sets if you follow the guidelines on their web page Inashoe .  So whether you order them or get them free, it will definitely be a blessing! 

Rub-a-dub dub....

I now have a new found appreciation and respect for the pioneer woman....The task of washing clothes out by hand, oh what joy!  Our washing machine quit earlier this week, and it doesn't look to be fixable, so until we can get another one we've started washing them out by hand, a good lesson for my girls to learn, let them get a feel of what it was like to be back in the "olden" days as they say.  After this hopefully short lesson, I don't ever plan on taking my washing machine for granted....washing for 10 people is a chore!

Monday Madness!

Just like the title says... Monday Madness!!  I am in the process of making Christmas gifts (about 15 to be exact) and with only 2 1/2 weeks left... I hope I get them finished in time!  Some of them are going out of state, so I have even less time for those.  Okay....don't panic!  Anyway, I have about 4 projects completed and I am dying to put pictures of them on my blog, BUT I have to wait so that anyone reading my blog who may be receiving a gift from me doesn't see them! (you know who you are...)  So I will give just a glimpse...I'm sorry, I can't resist!! 

I just love these pretty little flowers, and they are so fun and easy to make!

 

Scripture for the Sabbath

 "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.  Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.  For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock." ~ Psalm 27:1-5

Saturday Funnies

My husband came across this photo and I thought it was quite funny...these ladies probably never had a kiss put to their dear ole lips!

Cloth or Disposable?...

That is the question, but for me it is a matter of trying to save money.  I have used disposable diapers with all my babies, only dabbling in cloth here and there.  So, I decided to try my hand at making some, and behold....they turned out okay!  I used fleece for the inside and flannel for the outside.  I still need to use the vinyl covers, because I didn't make them waterproof.  I would show you a picture of Liberty wearing them, but she may not like that in a few years!!  Over all, it was a productive day... I made 11 diapers.

Week in Review...

Well, we had a great Thanksgiving...our first in Barnesville, and our first with the Maddox's.  I am so thankful beyond words for what God has done in our lives.  In so many ways...as the song says, "Thank You LORD, for Your Blessings on Me."

Wondering what to do with your leftover turkey?  Here is what we did for our Sunday dinner... Turkey Stew.  I also added sausage for a uniquely different flavor!

We started Advent on Sunday as well.  (I ask again...where has the time gone?)   We had a good service.  I am glad we can place our hope in the Good Shepherd, our Savior Jesus Christ!

Monday we put up the Christmas Tree.  That is always a delight to the children.  James has them line up and they each take turns putting ornaments on the tree.  (I only had to rearrange a couple of them this year...LOL)  It looks pretty....I love a Christmas Trees!

Over all it has been a busy week, but what week isn't!!

Mid-week Peek....

Well, tomorrow's the big day!  We have much to be thankful for.  We are breathing aren't we?  " I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." ~ Psalm 37:25.  I may not be "old" yet, but I have yet to see God forsake his children.  That is something that keeps me afloat right now, knowing that God will NEVER leave us nor forsake us.  Even in rough times like these, He will not leave us....what an awesome promise!

Anyway, back to the peek....preparing for Thanksgiving!  We still have a lot to do.....so I guess that means I need to get busy.... running to the store for last minute items, trying to decide on another dessert, can't wait to sample as I cook.....the list goes on and on....Oh, and laundry...ugh!  Hoping and praying y'all have a blessed and marvelous Thanksgiving!  Give thanks with a grateful heart!

Tight-wad Tuesdays!

Having trouble coming up with Christmas gifts but don't have a lot of money?  I found a great site that has numerous gift ideas and patterns.  Whether you like to sew or have a knack for certain crafts, this site is for you.  It is the Fiskars web site.  It gives detailed instructions on each and every project.  I don't know about you but I love homemade gifts... they are the best kind! 

Meandering Thru Monday...

 Most people would probably think I'm crazy for this statement, but I'll say it anyway... I love Mondays!  I can't say exactly why I like them, but for me Monday is a slow-paced, non-hectic, get back into the groove of things kind of day.  Today I have been thinking about the holidays coming up, and I am so excited!  We also take off the whole week of school for Thanksgiving, and so there is a lot of excitement in our house right now!  We will also be putting up our Christmas Tree at the end of this week, and this Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent.  The holidays are such a special time of year for our family!  I will be posting some our traditions as they approach.  What are some of your family's holiday traditions?   Every thing we endeavor to do should be centered on Christ and bringing Him glory.  Isn't that man's chief end...to bring Him glory and enjoy Him forever?  Let me know what some of the special things y'all do as a family.

Well, I think I have perfected my beans.  Big deal, huh?  I've been trying to get just the right flavor and I think I finally did.  To get 9 people to like them is a great undertaking...(of course Liberty has no say yet)!  Today was the perfect weather for beans and cornbread too!  Anyway, if I am going to make the beans for supper, I put them in the crock pot on high(don't you just love those things??) around 1:00.  If you wanted to cook them slower, you could put them on low around 10:00am.  For us it takes about 4 cups of beans/10 cups of water.  I add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onions,(sorry I don't measure these ingredients...just do it according to your taste).  Then when they are about 1/2 hour from being served I add 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of ketchup.  Tonight I also added some leftover deer meat.  There were no leftovers!

Hope you have enjoyed your Monday!

Scripture for the Sabbath

"The LORD looked down from heavenupon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand,and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together becomefilthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." 

~Psalm 14:2-3

Simple Cleaner...

All-purpose Glass Cleaner

• 2 cups Water (500 ml)
• 1/2 cup Vinegar (125 ml)
• 1/4 cup Rubbing Alcohol (60 ml)

Just put this in a spray bottle and you have an easy homemade cleaner!  If you want, you can add a couple drops of blue food coloring for that Windex look!

Friday's Funny Photo

This picture was taken in July 2007 in Chatsworth, GA.  Reb and Clara are always being funny so they can get their picture taken!

New Day

My favorite time of year!! I love the fall, it is so cool, crisp, and colorful. The one thing I don't like about it though....it doesn't last long enough! But we do have much to be thankful for, and Thanksgiving is soon approaching, as is Christmas too! Our lives pass by so fast, don't they? My husband and I will be married for 17 years this December. I will have been married as long as I was single...Wow! It seems like yesterday....well, almost! Except now we have 8 kids, who make me feel older than my "very young" 34 years...
I love the fact that we can wake up every morning to a new day, fresh from the start. God's mercies are new to us every morning. That should give us a renewed passion and zeal every morning to glorify Him in all that we do.

Covenant Baptist Church

We had a great time of worship and praise Sunday, October 25, 2009!  What is different you may ask??  We have now constituted Covenant Baptist Church!  Jesus said in His word, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”-Matt. 18:20   We have a long road ahead of us, but God is faithful and is doing a wonderful work among us.  We are now a covenanted body of believers, adhering to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.  We have been called to the kingdom for such a time as this, in a day and time when many want to stick their heads in the sand and hide.  But we know that God IS King and through Him we will gain the victory!  Even in a time when wickedness, sin, and evil seem to prevail, God is still the Victor, always has been, always will be!  He is our Sovereign Lord and King!  May we strive to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!

Adventure at High Falls

I know, I know….long time, no write!!  Things are just now starting to get back to normal around the Brown house…whatever normal is….since Liberty has been born.  A lot has happened over the course of 2 months as well.  One of the best things, Devin and my sister Lucy and their family moved down here!!  It has been such a blessing!  Then my mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law came for a visit….which didn’t last long enough in my opinion!   Hopefully they can come again real soon and stay longer *hint, hint*.  (and anyone else that would like to come too) *another hint*

We went to High Falls State Park yesterday….only 20 minutes from us….and wow! is it beautiful!   At least it was to me.  We had a great time as a family, no rush, just good ole’ family fun!  I love to see the beautiful works of God’s creation, and this place is one of them.  We also took a nature hike through the woods…it was a blast!   At one point we stepped over a small creek and who else but Reb would step in the water after I had just told the girls not to.  He looked back at Maggie and said, “Yeah, Maggie, I can cause I’m a boy”, and he said it with  upmost sincerity!!  That’s our boy!  But being the only boy amongst 7 sisters, you’ve got to cut him some slack….he needs a few privileges that the girls don’t get!!

I know, I can’t end this post without some kind of update on Liberty….well what can I say….she is fat!  And I mean that with all motherly sincerity, (kinda like Reb) she really is, but the good thing is, she is an adorable little baby girl who is happy about it too!  You can talk sweet, little, fat, baby talk to her and she loves it!  She is such a blessing to our family!  When I thought my dreams of ever having anymore babies were over, God knew just the right time and moment to send us the most beautiful baby girl!  We love you Liberty!!

The Blessing of Liberty

As you all know by now, Liberty Joanne was born into our family on August 21, 2009.  She came into this world at a whopping 10 pounds 2 ounces!  One of our nurses said we had just given birth to a toddler!  How right she was!  Liberty is our biggest baby yet!  God in his mercy allowed us to have such a wonderful birth with no complications.  I am still in awe of His goodness!  As it is written in Lamentations 3:22-23, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."  We cannot comprehend the depth of His mercy, but oh, how wonderful to be a recipient of it!    

I couldn’t have asked for a better birth, and believe me, I’ve had a few, and then a few more!  She is so precious, and of course, she doesn’t lack for attention around here!  Even Reb said he wouldn’t trade her for a boy!  And that means a lot coming from a boy with 7 sisters!!  She is definitely surrounded by love!

I want to thank all of you who prayed for us!  God answered our prayers and continues to do so.  May the LORD bless you and keep you!

~Sonya  (resting and enjoying my beautiful baby girl)

A Poem for Liberty

Little Lady Liberty

As I sit here and ponder, when you will be born,

Will it be late one night, or early morn?

Only God knows what blessed day it will be,

When at last little Liberty's face I shall see!

Do you have my eyes, or your daddy's nose,

Do you have his fingers, or maybe my toes?

Oh, how I wonder, will you look like me?

How long must I wait, little Liberty?

You are a blessing sent from God above,

For over 9 months you have filled me love;

My precious little babe I long to see,

The darling we will name lady Liberty!

~Sonya

Wise Words of Charles Spurgeon

“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.” ~ Psalm 127:4

~Excerpt taken from Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David~

Children born to men in their early days, by God's blessing become the comfort of their riper years.  A man of war is glad of weapons which may fly where he cannot: good sons are their father's arrows speeding to hit the mark which their sires aim at.  What wonders a good man can accomplish if he has affectionate children to second his desires, and lend themselves to his designs! To this end we must have our children in hand while they are yet children, or they are never likely to be so when they are grown up; and we must try to point them and straighten them, so as to make arrows of them in their youth, lest they should prove crooked and unserviceable in after life.  Let the Lord favour us with loyal, obedient, affectionate offspring, and we shall find in them our best helpers.  We shall see them shot forth into life to our comfort and delight, if we take care from the very beginning that they are directed to the right point.

Waiting on a Blessing!

9 days till my “due” date.  So close, yet so far away!  Having patience in the latter stages of pregnancy has never been easy for me!  I am trying to stay busy catching up on things, (like this blog) that I can do sitting down, and that don’t tire me out too much!  I finished reading Voddie Baucham’s book, Family Driven Faith, and if you haven’t read it ~ please take the time!  It is a book that will change your life for the better!  Right now I am reading Raising Maidens of Virtue, by Stacy McDonald.  Another very important book for mothers and daughters alike!  I have also been reading to the children after they have eaten lunch.  We are reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, something fun that we can all laugh about together!  Some of our children are needing a little prodding in their desire to read.  Most of them enjoy reading immensely, for which I am very thankful.  Me and my husband have always enjoyed reading, and we also like to read together.  I think it creates a special bond when a husband and wife or a family can sit down and read together.  Of course, you must have family worship time, which is the most important!  Right now we are going through Charles Spurgeon’s Catechism for our morning worship, and in the evenings we are going through the book of Deuteronomy.  If you haven’t read through Deuteronomy in a while, it is a most convicting book!  Our times of family worship are something that we cannot do without!  The Bible commands it and we must obey!  We must take time to do that which is most important ~ the salvation of our families is at stake!

~Sonya

We've moved!!

We have finally settled into our new home! Life is starting to return to normal.......whatever that is!! I now have 9 weeks left to go in this pregnancy, and I am starting to feel "old".
For all of you that don't know.....James resigned as Pastor of McDonald Baptist Church last month, and we are in the process of starting a church in our new area. We made alot of good friends in Sylvania, and we have no regrets for the 19 months that God placed us there, but we know that God has a different plan for our lives. We believe that we are not called to sit on the sidelines, but to be actively serving God in every capacity, and we could not do that where we were. I am excited to see God at work in our lives! HE has NEVER let us down! Some people may think we are crazy to live this life of faith, but I believe that is where God uses us the most....completely trusting in Him. It is so easy to forget that He is our all when we are living a life of comfort and ease. "I thank you, LORD, for being so good to us!" Do pray for us in this new endeavor. May we seek to glorify God in all that we do!
We are also gearing up for a very special week!!! My sister Lucy and her husband Devin and their 3 young'uns are coming for a visit! We are all very excited! They are very special to us!
I will post pictures as soon as possible! What a mighty God we serve!
~Sonya

22 Weeks & Counting.....

I know, I know......it's been way too long. But hey, I'm pregnant with #8, so cut me some slack!! :) Life is good, (the Braves are off to a great start!!) but it has also been busy. As is alot of you, we are gearing up for Easter this week. This Saturday we are having a Resurrection Celebration & Egg hunt for the kids at church. Gotta get busy stuffing eggs!! It will be lots of fun!
As most of you have heard, we are having another girl (unless of course they are wrong, imagine that!). But with our record, you only have a 1/7 chance to be boy in our family!!! Sorry Reb!
We enjoyed our visit with my sister and my mom during spring break. We even got to enjoy a little bit of the beach, although it was pretty chilly that day! It was a good day for my mom, she loves the ocean!
Our oldest daughter Rachel, won Teen Volunteer of the Year at the Nursing Home in our town. We go once a month as a family and sing and play our instruments for the residents. It is such a blessing to see the delight on their faces. We also enjoyed our hometown parade last Saturday, and Rachel was able to ride in a float and throw candy, (much to the delight of the kids)! We are trying to get our other children involved in playing instruments as well, but some of them can't make up their mind what to play. Reb is interested in playing the guitar, so that is what we bought him for his birthday. Rachel and Grace are also interested in playing the guitar too, and are picking up on it quite well. So, hopefully we will have a whole band soon!
We have had ups and downs over the past several months, but God is still good, and He has great things in store! Until next time......God bless!
~Sonya

God's Design for 2009

2009 is now upon us. Another year has come and gone. What should our motto be for this new year? First and foremost it should be, God's Design for 2009. What does God want from us this year? It should be the same thing He has wanted for generations! To give our lives wholly and fully unto Him! Let's make that our goal together, and what a difference we could make in this Nation!
Alot has transpired since I wrote last. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas. We were able to spend Thanksgiving with our family in Charleston, but we were sick during the Christmas holidays so we weren't able to travel. But we enjoyed some time here at home with just the "Fam". On New Year's Eve we had a watch night service at church and watced a good movie called Pendragon. The Burn's Family Studios have started making Christian -based family movies. I definitely recommend this movie!!

James made an announcement at church that night that I'm sure most have heard by now- We are expecting our 8th child!! We had truely thought that that time of our life was over, being that our youngest just turned 5! But God's ways aren't always the ways we think they are going to be! We are truely happy though with this surprise! Even the rest of the children can't wait, some have already started making blankets and things! James was teasing and telling everyone that it happened after I touched the book, The Duggar Family, 20 and Counting! We were out shopping on our anniversary (Dec. 19th made 16 years!!) and I bought the book, (and a pregnancy test) and that's our story!! Our due date is August 13th. Please keep us in your prayers for a heathy momma and baby! One the sideline of our blog, there are a couple of pregnancy tickers to help you keep track of our baby's growth. God Bless!

~Sonya