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Pruning…

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I’m pruning things lately that aren’t fruitful. It’s a constant balance in my desire to serve- I can get caught up in wanting to do so many things that I am doing too many, which leads to doing none of them well.

I am realizing I would rather cut back on the amount of things I do and focus on doing the things that I am doing well.  Even though many of the things I do I enjoy and are good things, they are not fruitful if I am spread too thin.

I am pruning. Pruning the branches in me that are not producing fruit- the shoots that spring up and need cutting back so that the others may grow and blossom. Too much activity chokes out the fruit that could be born if there weren’t so many branches begging for nourishment.

How do you maintain balance of the fruit you are cultivating? Are you focused on a few things and doing them well, or are you feeling that only a little bit of nourishment is getting to each branch? I want to produce fruit of quality and not just quantity.

We need to sometimes take a step back in our lives- whether it be in our families, our ministry, or in our homes…Assess what we are doing with our time. What we are doing with are treasure. What we are doing with our talents.

Are we bearing fruit with those things? Or are we using our time, treasure, and our talents to bear fruit? Or are we filling up on so many things that we do not use them efficiently? Are we producing too many weeds? Are our buds beginning to blossom, but then whither from lack of nourishment?

As I look toward spring and I admire the Master Gardner and His handiwork, and I eagerly await to see those blossoms spring forth from the ground and burst from the branches…I will focus on my own branches…carefully pruning, just as the One who teaches us through His Word says…

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He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 
John 15:2

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

Simply...Home, Simply...Homeschool, Simply...Living For Him, Using The Bible as Our Main Text

Lessons from George Muller

Welcome! Have you subscribed to this blog yet? You will be encouraged to simplify all areas of your life… straight to your email!  Subscribe here!

Our homeschooling is going really well with using the Bible as our main textbook. We are now studying Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob.  So many lessons to learn in there. We have had a great time reading about Ancient Israel for history. We made some matza this week which was a highlight. The kids LOVED it. We talked about it not needing yeast (science) and why it was eaten in abundance in ancient times. Next week we will continue in Genesis with Jacob and Esau. 

George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans (Christian Heroes: Then & Now)

In the afternoons we have been reading George Muller. I am beyond speechless by this amazing book. I had known about George Muller and that he was a missionary, and his faith was what enabled him to do such amazing work with orphans. Yet, I hadn’t read any books about him. When we received an anonymous gift in the mail awhile back, with my husband being out of work, in my excitement I texted a few of my friends. I was praising God. One of my dear friends wrote back, “Just like George Muller!”  That stayed with me for awhile and I decided we should read the book.

Well, I am fighting back tears with every chapter. Sometimes with every paragraph. It’s like God chose this book for us to read right at this moment. He planned my friend to say those words to point me to the book, which ultimately points to HIM.

A brief summary so you can understand why I am loving this book: George Muller was not a Christian in his youth. He studied religion, but his heart was hard. Until he had an encounter with God after prayer and he decided to let God provide for Him solely. (He had previously been known for stealing money.)  

He ends up with a desire to serve the poor and the orphans. He does not take any money for his work or ask for donations. He relies sloely on prayer and God’s provision. And boy does God provide! And we are only half way through  the book…Simply amazing!

There is one section where he talks about getting rid of the “stuff” and possessions in his home because it hinders Him from doing God’s work. It was like my heart to simplify was right there. I knew what He meant! Yet, He was truly living it out. Love it.


I can’t help but see the lessons that God is wanting me to learn. About faith and about God’s provision, but most of all about seeking HIM first, for He knows what we NEED. If we seek Him first, He will provide for all of our needs…(not necessarily wants!)


“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33
“There was a day when I died; died to self, my opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren or friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God.”
~George Muller


Coming soon…


Go over and “like” the facebook page or follow on Twitter. The site will be live soon and I have some great giveaways lined up! Apologia and Mystery of History….just to name a few!


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If you are looking to keep your eyes on Him and simplify your homeschool, I have two great resources for you!


Both are now just $0.99!


Called Home: Finding Joy in Letting God Lead Your Homeschool! Have you ordered your copy yet? Available for PDF download or Kindle at Amazon. com 
Simply Homeschool is still available for download or for Kindle at Amazon.com or PDF download- Click here for more info

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

david platt, New Year, resolutions, Simply...Home, Simply...Living For Him

A New Year…

 Welcome! Have you subscribed to this blog yet? You will be encouraged to simplify all areas of your life… straight to your email!  Subscribe here!


I have so many things planned for the new year. I am praying on it all before I act though. So keep checking back for more info! (one thing involves a new website coming soon…)

Last year, I wrote a checklist for simplifying in the new year. I am still on the journey to keep my home and my life simple, so that I can focus on what is important. You can download a copy here:
Checklist for Simplifying in the New Year

This simple checklist for simplifying in the new year will help you go through each area of your house to de-clutter.  There is also a section on steps to reducing “mental clutter.”
How are you managing to simplify this year?
  • Saying “no” to more activities?
  • De-cluttering your home?
  • Not bringing more “stuff” into your home?

Share your ideas in the comments below…Happy New Year! Keep simply living…for Him!


And finally…this is so great regarding New Year’s Resolutions…
“Resolutions, can only dive us into deeper dependence on ourselves…”

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

Simply...Home, Simply...Living For Him

Lessons in Hurricane Sandy

Welcome! Have you subscribed to this blog yet? You will be encouraged to simplify all areas of your life… straight to your email!  Subscribe here!



I am not sure where to start on this one. We have recovered after a crazy two weeks following Hurricane Sandy.  We were certainly very fortunate as so many lost so much from this storm. Homes. Businesses. Loved ones. Sheer destruction.

We just lost power. Initially, it seemed we would get power back within a few days. So imagine the difficulty when it ended up being 12 days. Yet God is faithful. He brings us to the  point of thinking we can go no further, just to get us through it so we can see His power.


While we had no power in our homes, His power remained. He remained. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Our lives change moment to moment. Our physical surroundings change moment to moment. Our circumstances change moment to moment.

He does not change.

Hallelujah.

Imagine we could lose His power. Imagine for days being separated from Him. 
Can’t even fathom.

I learned so much during these 2 weeks. I don’t know that I could gather my thoughts clearly enough yet to share them all with you, but I’ll start with a few.

I learned that suffering is something that goes on all over the world every moment. Suffering beyond our comprehension. How do we reconcile that with out blessings and our comfort. Because even though we were experiencing hardship here it was still not near the suffering in other places.

The days after the storm were surreal. When I had interent access I would try and gather as much information as I could. I would go on facebook and my newsfeed was filled with two different worlds. 

My newsfeed showed pictures of people across the country living their normal life. Pictures of cookie baking, art projects, crafts, organization, etc. was mingled in with pictures from those in my state-homes floating away, homes and property destroyed, lives lost.  


Two worlds going on simulatenously, yet so distinctly different

Yet I realize this is how life goes every day. There is suffering taking place at this moment in many places. Yet we go about our life and many times focusing on such menial things. Humbling. 

It gave me more of an  awareness of what is truly important. What is truly necessary, and even more of a desire than ever to focus on living for God alone.

One of the things that was so hard during the time our power was out was knowing that my husband had just lost his job before this happened. So knowing that yes, we still had a house…would anyone really be hiring with all this destruction going on? Yet, God gave me peace. At times the fear became very overwhelming, but I would close my eyes and focus in His promises and His provision.

We need very little. We need only Him and His power.

I will be sharing more this week about our experience during the Hurricane and what I have learned. Next time I will write about where we stayed several days during our power outage.

I will also be sharing my thoughts on simplifying Christmas this year.  This was my recent facebook post on this issue…

Thinking about how I will SIMPLIFY the holidays this year-not looking too much at Pinterest, not trying to do all kinds of cutesy things, 31 days of this or that…going back to the basics. (old school Christmas 😉 Enjoy my family, mediate on the reason for the season, practice acts of kindness…less stuff, more joy ♥

So be sure to subscribe and following along…Be Blessed!!

Blessings and Joy to you,
Karen

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If you are looking to keep your eyes on Him and simplify your homeschool, I have two great resources for you!

Called Home: Finding Joy in Letting God Lead Your Homeschool! Have you ordered your copy yet? Available for PDF download or Kindle at Amazon. com 

Simply Homeschool is still just $0.99 for download or for Kindle at Amazon.com or PDF download- Click here for more info

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim