A Quiet Simple Life with Sallie Borrink

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Our Experience with Childlessness

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I've been quietly pondering this post for a number of weeks, turning it over in my mind before I ever sat down to actually write. I know God wants me to write it and I am glad to do so. I believe Christians often go through experiences that aren't just about them and I firmly believe that my experience with childlessness was not just for me alone. I say "childlessness" rather than "infertility" because I never considered us infertile. I almost never used that word in relation to our situation. I know this is not true for all couples. Some are … [Read more...] about Our Experience with Childlessness

Cultivating Contentment

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He is a wise man who does not grieve for those things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. EpictetusThe words content and contentment are only used about a dozen times in the Bible, yet all believers would certainly agree that it is a character quality basic to godly living. One well-known passage regarding contentment is found in Philippians 4 where Paul explains his understanding of contentment:I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have … [Read more...] about Cultivating Contentment

A Pregnancy Free from “Systems” and Living in the Reality of My Walk in Christ

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Like most first-time moms-to-be, I've already been offered lots of advice and counsel. I actually welcome it because I appreciate hearing about other people's experiences. I also welcome it because over the past several years I've learned not to listen to everyone who gives me advice.That might sound contradictory, but it isn't. I truly do enjoy hearing about the experiences that different people have in their Christian walk. As long as they tell their story with humility and a desire to be helpful, I am always up for a good story and … [Read more...] about A Pregnancy Free from “Systems” and Living in the Reality of My Walk in Christ

Educational Choices – Public School, Charter School, Christian School, and Homeschool

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I mentioned recently that I just finished a scrapbook of my teaching experiences and that it was bittersweet to do so. I was in the field of education for about eleven years in a wide variety of situations so I had all kinds of experiences to chronicle. I do believe these experiences give me a unique perspective when writing this entry about education. I realize this is much longer and different than my normal posts, but I hope it will be profitable for those who read it. This post is written from what I hope is a Christ-centered and Scripture … [Read more...] about Educational Choices – Public School, Charter School, Christian School, and Homeschool

Simplifying Choices

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When someone becomes convinced they need to simplify their life, it can be overwhelming. There are usually many areas out of whack whether they are financial, time commitments, relationships, work requirements, material possessions, etc. In each of these areas you have to do some serious evaluating.More of what? Less of what? What comes first? What can wait? How do I do this without driving myself and my family crazy?David and I faced those questions. Along the way we developed some guidelines to help us when we were … [Read more...] about Simplifying Choices

The Dilemma of a Childless Mother on Mother’s Day

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Yesterday my husband and I picked out Mother's Day cards for our moms. We are both blessed to have our parents still married to each other and have good relationships with our moms. Celebrating our moms and being thankful for them is the easy part of Mother's Day.The hard part of Mother's Day is dealing with the fact that well into our ninth year of marriage we remain childless. For whatever reason, God has not chosen to bless us with any children.Well, that's not exactly accurate which is what makes this Mother's Day even more of a … [Read more...] about The Dilemma of a Childless Mother on Mother’s Day

He Drew Me Aside – “I Needed the Quiet” by Alice Hansche Mortenson

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I wrote previously about how after we have walked with Christ for awhile, we begin to see patterns in the way He deals with us as individuals. At that time I wrote of how God speaks to me through His creation. Until yesterday, I had forgotten one of the other ways.I was looking for a recipe and pulled a cookbook off my shelf that didn’t look familiar. (That was because it was one that my husband had from his bachelor days.) When I opened it up, a postcard fell out. His mom had sent him a recipe on it and the front of the card had the … [Read more...] about He Drew Me Aside – “I Needed the Quiet” by Alice Hansche Mortenson

Calling versus Clutter – The Joy of a Deliberate Life

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Shortly before I met my husband, the Lord impressed the following verses on me: Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV) I believe at that point God was pointing me in a new direction – “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” – one that I would be called to continue in for an undetermined amount of time, possibly the rest of … [Read more...] about Calling versus Clutter – The Joy of a Deliberate Life

Small Tasks and the Sabbath

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Today was a day described well by this quote: I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. Helen Keller My day was filled with small tasks - laundry, meals, cleaning out the refrigerator, more laundry, cleaning the bathroom, ironing the sheets (!), etc. But they are important tasks nonetheless because they allow me to demonstrate my love to my husband in giving him a clean and orderly home.They also demonstrate my commitment to be a good steward of the … [Read more...] about Small Tasks and the Sabbath

Beyond Anything We’ve Ever Seen – Window Frost

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“Sometimes I am completely perplexed by God’s willingness to humor man…When He wanted to lead the Magi to the Christ Child, He did not lead them by a mark in the sand. He led them through a star because they were star-gazers – then He went beyond anything they had ever seen… (W)hen God wanted to lead the Ephesians to the Savior, He did not lead them through a cloudy pillar. He got their attention through supernatural phenomena, because that’s where they were looking. God wants to be found…He is so gracious to show up right where we are looking … [Read more...] about Beyond Anything We’ve Ever Seen – Window Frost

Two Talent Living in a Ten Talent World

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Once upon a time a young woman started a new thing called a blog. She was fascinated by the opportunity to just write and not spend time pitching article ideas to print magazines. She was thrilled she could reach more people with the ideas she had taught and spoken about in various places. As she discussed with her husband what to name her little spot on blogspot, there was one obvious choice - Two Talent Living. This unedited piece was written in February 2005. Although she has wandered through several versions of this blog and used different … [Read more...] about Two Talent Living in a Ten Talent World

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