Yesterday was my 52nd birthday. I asked my sweetie pie if we could watch this YouTube video for my birthday present since it came so highly recommended to me. He said YES. I want to tell you that it was the best birthday present I could have received from him. My husband and I were shaken!

We were forced to take a good long look at our present Americanized condition as Christians. We had to face the fact that we ARE not on fire for God (even though I would have said I was BEFORE I watched the video) but that we have become lukewarm in God’s eyes which makes Him sick. My heart was broken and very humbled! I am praying for God’s strength that we would be able to shake ourselves from this present state of lukewarmness. I am praying now that we would recognize that we are RICH compared to the world’s standards and with that state of affluence God says that we are at an extreme disadvantage in the kingdom of God.

I’m not sure what this will mean to our future. We live in a beautiful home that is filled to the gills with STUFF. I know that ‘stuff’ in and of itself is not sinful. But the human heart, being what it is with it’s idol making tendencies, can easily be tempted to worship the creation instead of the creator. I realized through this video that I am spending too much time taking care of all of my stuff which is hindering me from serving Christ to the fullest. My devotional time is suffering. The specific commands that God has given me in His Word (feed the poor, visit the orphans and widows in their distress, love the brethren, use my gifts in the church body,etc.) are suffering. Change must come

 So…. are you ready for God’s best? You won’t be sorry you invested the time. It just may possibly be the BEST 38 minutes you’ve spent this year (unless you attend my church! *S*)! Grab a cup of tea.. grab your loved ones… and prepare your heart and mind to hear from the Lord Jesus Christ as Pastor Francis Chan opens God’s Word!

My heart’s desire is to have this kind of home. A home that is a refuge. A home that says WELCOME! I hope you enjoy Laine’s Letter.

Dear Sisters,
As many of you know, we have been a home away from home to many Marines
coming to visit with our Marine sons for the past two years. It is not
uncommon for us to have three or four guys under our roof within a twenty
to thirty minute cell phone call – if we get that! ~Smile~ On Mother’s
Day we had a new Marine visit us who said our home to him was like an
oasis. I am so thankful. We also had three other kids visiting with us
that day as well (who Abbie was watching) while their parents were in
Hawaii. They loved celebrating with us as I know they were missing their
own mom.
Hospitality is very humbling.
Why do I say that? Because so often it is not a “convenient” time to be
hospitable. Entertaining, however, is something of a different nature.
You set it up; you invite the chosen people; and then they come and enjoy
what you have provided. You also set up the convenience based on your own
timetable and pocketbook.

Hospitality, however, is something of a different nature.

Rather, the LORD sets it up.

Take the other day for example. I was working in my kitchen when I heard
a car drive up in my driveway. It was one of my friends with her
daughter-in-law and grandbaby in tow. I didn’t know they were coming, and
my kitchen was a bit of a mess. I had two piles of laundry in the hallway
ready to be washed. I hadn’t cleaned my bathroom yet. But my living room
was all “parlor” clean. So I escorted them into there and got them some
cranberry juice in my fancy blue goblets. Then I went to the bathroom and
quickly wiped it down in a two minute tidy in case they needed to use it.
For the next two hours I sat and talked with them both, encouraging my
friend’s daughter-in-law as much as I could as she grapples with being a
new mom in a new town.
I am always surprised by hospitality.
I am almost always humbled by hospitality.

Why do I say that? Because I struggle just like every other woman who has
an agenda for her day or her week, and yet finds herself instead helping
someone else who needs encouragement and love in their day or their week.
I know of no other way to do it than at Jesus’ Feet focused on Him. He
shows me the way. I am so very helpless without Him.
But with Jesus, all things are possible!

“Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of
my lord.” 1 Samuel 25:41

Even when people invite themselves to our house to eat. In the past month
I have had two families from our church ask to come over to our house for
dinner. Art says that everyone wants to come to our house. But he says it
with a big smile. My husband is the most hospitable man I know. He has
taught me so much about having a hospitable heart – which I know he
learned from his own wonderful, hospitable mother.

For as Mama Tweten says, “Ven you have heart room, you have house room.”
And that was definitely Art’s mom, Rachel. She had the heart of a Hearst
castle in a two room home in East Los Angeles.

Recently I became the receptor of sweet southern hospitality. Abbie and I
flew to Nacogdoches, Texas to stay with my dear friend, Vicky. Vicky
taught Abbie cake decorating while doing a four-tiered bride’s cake and a
groom’s cake (that resembled a drum) for a wedding the weekend we were
there. It was not a convenient time for Vicky to have two guests while
putting together all those wedding cakes and teaching Abbie at the same
time, but she did it with such love and grace that I will never forget.
We had a fabulous six days. I came away incredibly renewed and refreshed
to return to my own home and start working again focusing on my Savior.
Abbie did, too. We both marveled at Vicky’s refreshing of our spirits -
which is the true meaning of hospitality – a virtual living encouragement
from one to another in a miraculous sort of way.
Hospitality is a slice of one’s day or week that brings inner refreshment
to the one serving and the one being served.
It’s really an amazing practice.

While we were at Vicky’s, we had the pleasure of being hospitable to one
of the Marines who used to come to our house quite frequently last year.
Andrew is out of the service now and drove two and a half hours to see
Abbie and I in Nacogdoches. We had the privilege of taking him and
Vicky’s family out to dinner on Memorial Day. We were thrilled to have
Andrew meet Vicky and her family, as we were thrilled to “serve” Andrew
on Memorial Day. Andrew had been blown up ten times in the beginning of
the Iraq war and is a bronze star medal holder.  We were so glad that God
allowed us to be a comfort to him many weekends in a row after God led
him miraculously to our family. He told us how much our home meant to him
every week when he was able to come off base and stay with us, to hang
out with our boys, to eat Abbie’s pies and cakes, and to have deep
conversations with Art in our kitchen. Hospitality often opens the door
to more hospitality, as we have served our boys’ friends, so those
friends have brought more of their friends to our home.
” Peter invited them in and lodged them.” Acts 10:23

“Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 3:8-9

I wish I could say that I never grumble when it comes to hospitality. And
I am working on it. But just this past month I found myself grumbling.
God sent a beautiful “Martha Stewart” to my door with only a 30 minute
notice. I had four Marines over besides my own son. I had been to
Martha’s house a few times, and it is picture perfect inside and out.
This was the first time she was coming to my house. Did I pray how I
could be a help to her? No, I wish I could say that I did. Instead I went
around the house like a whirlwind trying to tidy every room while
grumbling to my husband on the side. Finally, I gave it up when I saw all
the Marine gear and laundry drying around the fence outside my living
room window and also strewn about my living room floor, my boys’ bedroom,
and even in the bathroom. Then I started laughing inside. Really
laughing! By the time she arrived, I was almost giddy with joy at being
able to serve her in the Marine-midst of it all. I thoroughly enjoyed her
visit, and she ended up staying for lunch with us, which was even more
impromtu than her visit. By the time she was leaving, I was so thankful
God had sent her my way. I have so much to glean from her, and humbling
hospitality once more opened the door.

She had no sooner left than one of Gabe’s friends arrived. His parents
had recently divorced, and he needed to talk. I was pretty tired by this
time, but I recognized he needed a listening ear. So Art and I sat in the
kitchen and talked with him for over an hour encouraging him and feeding
him. The Marines all headed back to base, and Art took Gabe and his
friend into the living room to watch an old movie together while I tidied
up.
Hospitality is a humbling practice, but an incredible gift when you
receive it or give it away.
No wonder we’re all supposed to share it with one another.

It still never ceases to surprise me.

Love,
Laine

(This letter was placed on the opening page of our used homeschool book catalog years ago.)

Dear Mothers,

Are you weary, precious Mother ? Has the desire to train and educate
your children become another ” have to ” added to the already long list
of other duties that fill your day ?

I’ve struggled the past four years under ” my list ” also. My list
consisted of all the ” things” I felt I was to accomplish to bring
glory to God. You see this list in so many of the homeschool magazines and homeschool conventions. I was to have a spotless home, homeschool my children using the most popular  methods, and run a
home business that was completely orderly and organized. Plus all the
other ” things ” that would make for a good home like baking my own
bread, growing a vegetable garden, etc. I’ll confess to you dear
friend, that I have never felt that I have lived up to any of those
expectations. In the midst of it all, I’ve complained and grumbled,
been stressed and often unpleasant to live with. Does this sound
familiar to any of you ?

I have for years been crying out to my Savior to show me how to ”
do it all” for His glory. What He is showing me is that I have started
where I should have ended. My relationship with Him is where I must
begin and stay. Not just during our devotional time but all day, moment
by moment depending on Him to give me what my family needs me to be,
instead of focusing on reaching a standard of “lifestyle” that I
thought showed holiness. Out of that relationship will flow His
character, which only He can give me ! As I know Him more intimately,
and the power of His resurrection in me, I will then reflect the kind
of love that brings glory to Him. How will my ” lifestyle ” glorify God
if I’m not fulfilling it with a gentle and peaceful spirit? My peace
will be tied to my accomplishments, not to my relationship to Him.

                                                                                     

If I live my day in my own strength , I will become a ” sounding
brass ” displaying no love, only concerned with my list of ” things ”
to accomplish. Sooner or later I will suffocate under the load and then
I will either change the ” lifestyle ” or by God’s grace turn to him
for help.

So, how does this relate to our everyday lives ? Well, Sisters,
have you been homeschooling in your own strength , or have you been
daily, sometimes moment by moment, going to the source of your
strength, Jesus ? Is the list that you have assigned yourself one that
will bring glory to you or to Him ? If you are burdened, weary or
frustrated it may be because you have been carrying your own load. My
prayer is that we, as Mothers, become more aware of our inability, and
depend more on His sufficiency.

Oh, that our homes may be built firm upon Christ our Savior and not
just on the efforts of our flesh. May we depend on His strength to be
the keepers of our home that He has called us to be. He is faithful who began the work in us…He will complete it.

May this be our prayer !!!

Copyrighted 1998 by Georgene Girouard. You may reproduce this article in it’s entirety.

How should a godly woman respond if her husband has asked her to do something that she believes is sin? What if she has no ‘peace’ about the circumstances but he still insists? How far does she submit? These questions troubled me as a young wife but I was unable to come to a biblical conclusion. The scriptures have plenty of examples of wives in subjection but we find few examples of those who refused. After many years of study on this topic I believe I  finally gained some answers in this area several years ago, but as always I ask that you prayerfully consider what I am sharing and seek the Scriptures for yourself. 

The following passage from Ephesians 5:20-24 is full of instruction concerning the 1) attitude 2) manner 3) limitation and 4) extent of our submission as wives.

1) The ATTITUDE of our heart:
Ephesians 5:20 Giving THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

2) The MANNER in which we perform the submission:
v.21. Submitting yourselves one to another IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD.

3) LIMITATIONS
v.22. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, AS UNTO THE LORD.

4) EXTENT
v.24. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands IN EVERYTHING.

*~*~*
Ephesians 5:22 is the typical scripture used for submission but the beginning thoughts start in verse 17-20. Notice the semi-colon which is used to join the related sentences together.

I. The Attitude: “giving thanks for all things” v. 20

Being able to give thanks can only flow from a heart that has trust in it’s Creator. It’s easy to thank God when our husbands are godly and love us as Christ loves the church! But, how do we reconcile this scripture to a life that is filled with the pain of unwise decisions made by a spouse, whether he’s a Christian or not? Could the ALL THINGS include husbands who are not saved and live a lifestyle of sin in front of their children? Or husbands who seem to not be taking the lead in their families causing a wife to feel as if she’s carrying the whole load?

The Strong’s definition for “all” (#3956 ) says that all things means ‘whole, every, all, any, whosoever’. To me that says that in the midst of every trial, and for everyone, I am to give thanks.

How can we thank God for the people and circumstances that cause us so much pain? This can only come by believing and trusting in God’s sovereignty and goodness. There are no accidents in God’s world. All is under the control of an almighty and powerful God.

Dan 4:35 – “And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and {among} the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?’

To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Ps. 115:3)

Our hearts can only rest in our daily, sometimes painful, circumstances if our faith is resting in the character of God. [2] “Faith endures the hardships and difficulties of this life because it sees that all comes from the hand of a God, who is too wise to err and too loving to be unkind”. If we are focused on anything other than God during these hard times we will neither find rest nor be thankful in the midst of our circumstances.

Our hearts must be anchored to the truth of God’s Word or we will be tossed to and fro by our daily circumstances.

1. God is Sovereign (Ps. 103:19, Eph. 1:11)
2. God means this trial for my good and His glory. (Romans 8:28)

Hannah Whithall Smith once wrote, “Nothing else but this seeing God in everything will make us loving and patient with those who annoy and trouble us. They will be to us then only the instruments for accomplishing His tender and wise purposes toward us, and we shall even find ourselves at last inwardly thanking them for the blessings they bring us. Nothing else will completely put an end to all murmuring or rebellious thoughts”.

Do you find it impossible to see how God can ever use your situation for good? Then perhaps your God is too small and has become a God of your imagination instead of the powerful God that the Scriptures reveal Him to be. Once our trust is placed in God’s Word we can know that He has divinely proportioned our day to His will. He has not given me too much or too little but exactly the portion I need to expose the sin in my heart and cause me to turn to Him for strength and help. (Psalm 16:5) .

2. “Submitting yourselves one to another.”

God has called every child of His to submission. Can you think of one person who is not called to submit? Even our husbands are called to submit under employers, government officials and church leadership. In God’s wisdom and knowledge He has assigned authorities to keep us within the boundary of our own particular calling and duty. The term submission means “to arrange under”. How am I to “arrange under” my husband ? The direction for my life must be arranged under his plans and goals, my talents and gifts to be used to promote his name and success (Pr. 31:23), my days arranged under his schedule, even my body is to be considered his and not my own mine.(1 Cor. 7:4 ) Because of the fall my old nature desires to make *me* the center of my day, instead of my husband. Daily I must die to this pull of my flesh. It’s the story of the cross of Christ lived out in each believer. My life laid down for my husband and others. It’s my gifts and talents used to benefit and promote another’s happiness, not my own. It’s giving up what I want to do at this particular moment to love and honor you for God’s glory.

II. The manner: “in the fear of God.”

The manner in which we submit is discovered in the 21st verse, “in the fear of God”. Every relationship and duty should be seasoned “in the fear of God”. The fear of God should not be the type of fear that a slave would have for his master. Slavish fear avoids doing wrong for fear of punishment. But, rather it is the type of fear that a child has towards a parent whom he loves. He obeys out of love. This is our goal although many times when we first come to God we obey out of our fear of punishment. As we come to know Him more intimately the fear becomes less as we learn to trust Him.

As we honor God’s command to submit to our husbands we are manifesting our fear of God. Our submission becomes a holy act, an offering of worship because our husbands bear the image of Christ in their position. God has the power to place his image in whom he desires and that position should be acknowledged. “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church” Eph 5:23

* This article is continued. Please go back to the home page to locate PART 2.

Copyrighted 1998. You may copy this in it’s entirety along with the second part.
Georgene Girouard

Note:  Some of the information above was gleaned from other biblical resources as I was studying. I was new to writing at the time of this article and wish that I had documented the resources. If you recognize it’s source please let me know so I can give credit.

 

 

My husband has agreed to go down to only the local channels on our television set. I found a wonderful alternative to some of the garbage programs available on television. I’ve heard that the library offers movies for years but just assumed there would be nothing we’d be interested in. Boy, was I wrong!!

I have found some wonderful movies at our local library. The branch is small so it’s selection is probably lacking compared to the larger branches. But, nonetheless, I’m very happy with their choices. Plus, they have the entire list of movies on the computer so you can browse from home. You can also order from other branches.

They have a little bit of everything. There are DVD’s and videos to choose from and you’re allowed 3 weeks to view them. I think they charge a fee if they are late.

I don’t enjoy all older movies but have found some wonderful character building ones over the  years. This past week I found 3 older movies rated G and one from the history section on Jerusalem told by Jewish and Christian families. The themes of the movies look innocent so I’m looking forward to watching them. You have to hunt and peck through the shelves but there is a lot to choose from.

It’s free entertainment and you’re able to choose what you want to watch!! Great combo.

Can you picture your precious Savior kneeling before you, gently taking your dusty, dirty feet in His hands as He begins to wash and then dry them? I can’t imagine a more humbling feeling than to have my Lord and master serve me. Peter obviously felt the same way for he questioned why His master would wash his feet. He still didn’t understand, even after Jesus had spoken to him that the first shall be last and he who wanted to be great must lay his life down to serve.  He has commanded the same of wives. To lay down our lives for our husbands and family and to serve them in humble ways.

                                                                         

As I read the account in John 13, I was deeply moved by the love and humility of Christ. Verse three says that ‘Jesus KNOWING that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God.’ (my emphasis). He knew that he possessed a throne in heaven and earth was his footstool, but even though He knew His exalted state He bowed low and took on the form of a servant. When he finished washing their feet he said, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord: neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him”.

Jonathan Edwards once wrote this about Jesus, “his love did not rest in mere feeling, nor in light efforts and small sacrifices, but though we were enemies, yet he so loved us. He gave up His own ease, and comfort, and interest, and honour, and wealth”. This is our Jesus!! So opposite from our own flesh that wants things our way and life to be easy. Our death to self will come daily, hour by hour, and many times minute by minute in the little things. Our ways, our opinions, our ideas of how things should be. This is where we will die and as we die the very life of Christ will be brought forth and seen by others. Praise His Blessed Name!

I don’t have a clear portrait in my mind of a servant. The closest example I can draw from is a waitress, nurse or a housekeeper. God’s word, on the other hand, is full of information on the duties and position of a servant. The meaning of the word servant in Mark 10:43 actually means ‘to run errands’ or to do menial duties. Here are a few of the things I found:
 
A servant is owned by someone (John 12:26)
* Bought with something valuable
* Employed in their masters work, not their own. (Jn. 2:5)
* Appointed to work- not idle
* They own nothing. Their children and wife, if given to them by the master, would stay with the master when the servant was set free. (Exodus 21:1-11)
* Whatever they receive is to be made use of for the master. This includes their talents, abilities and physical strength.
* He is not free to manage his own life. His day is planned by someone else. (Matt. 8:9)
* He does whatever he is told (Eph 6:5)

My heart was deceived for many years thinking because I was a homemaker that I was serving my husband. I felt that my responsibilities were fulfilled because I cooked his meals, served him drinks and goodies in his chair, made his special desserts, kept his house clean and took care of his children. But, heaven help him if he desired for me to stay home from a woman’s bible study that I had my heart set on, or to change my plans if he needed me to run errands for him. He became my ‘ mortal enemy’ set on ‘ruining and running’ my life. It became obvious that a lot of what I chose to do each day was because I felt it was important, not because he necessarily thought it was.

So, in practical terms, I have shared a few of the principles of serving that I have been trying to implement daily. Many of these have been taught to me by older godly women that have blessed my life.

1. I study how to please him. ( 1 Corinthians 7:34 )What is important to him? What makes him cranky? What has he had to ask of me more than one time? What makes him smile? What does he find attractive in other women? What does he compliment me on? These become the priority of my day. I once asked my husband to take a test where he ranked what he felt was important concerning the home, etc. My husband listed good meals, clean clothes and my appearance over everything else. So this became my goal for the day. You could do this by listing your main duties of the home, the way you dress and look, the meals you cook, how you schedule your day and then ask him to rate the top 3-5 in importance.

A. Meals: I started taking notice of what he enjoyed eating and tried to stop fixing what he hated. He hates spaghetti. We rarely ever have it unless he okays it. I buy the brands of food he likes, and I try to prepare it to please him. There are a hundred little preferences that make him happy and I am working on showing him my love by preferring him in these areas while still trying to consider his health.
B. I make laundry one of my first priorities for the day and work hard at keeping his drawers and closet filled with clean clothes. I wash his clothes first.
C. Working on my appearance has taken some time. I love the “Little House on the Prairie” look. He, on the other hand, likes me to look ‘classy’. I love jumpers! He hates them and says that they remind him of a goat herder. I would prefer to wear no make-up, he prefers it. I like my hair in a simple bun, he prefers it curled and more modern looking. Since I am created for him and not myself, I am working on pleasing him in these areas. This has taken awhile to change because I don’t have the finances to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe, but I’m slowly trying to change the way I dress to please him. Another complaint has been my night ware. I found some Satin p.j.’s that were comfortable and on sale for half price, so I purchased 2 sets.
2.Die to my preferences, opinions and desires. This is a daily battle for me. I’m trying to learn to die in the little things. Some areas that I am working on is my desire of where I would like to go to church, my opinion on what I feel is best for my children if his opinion differs, my preference concerning the restaurant to eat or how to spend our days off. This doesn’t mean that I don’t lay my requests before him if I think they are important, but that I die to my way when it’s not an important issue or if he has said no. I have also had to ‘watch’ him carefully because I have seen in the past if I feel strongly about an issue, he will take a back seat to my opinion and allow me to lead the family in that area. I have seen the fruit of that and want no part of it.
3. The money and how it should be spent. Again, I give my opinion and then pray that God will give him wisdom to make the best decision. I try to stay within the amount of money he allots. I never buy large purchases without his consent.
4. Schedule for the day. My personal sin is that I plan out my day, what I feel needs to be , and my will dies hard if the plan is interrupted. I often forget that my goal is to serve and I place my focus on MY goals and schedule. I get ‘stressed’ or frustrated if he interferes with those plans. The Lord has been instructing me for several years that my husbands requests should be my plan for the day. I was given to him to be his helpmate, he has not been created to be mine. This is a daily battle of dying to myself. Psalm 16:5,8 has been life changing in this area. The principle that God is the one who has ultimately assigned me my portion for today. Just like the children of Israel, it may not be the portion that I want but He desires that I trust Him and take what comes from His hand without murmuring or complaining. He is teaching me to not “lean to my own understanding ” (Prov 3:5-7) of what I think the day should be, but to acknowledge Him in all my ways and trust Him to direct my path. When my chest starts to get heavy from the stress and my breathing labored I know that I am not trusting him with the day. He then reminds me that I can trust Him with ‘my goals’. It has become a life of faith, instead of depending on myself. I have had to depend on him to make the time available to accomplish the work that needs to be done.

To take on the form of a servant , our reputation has to be laid aside. Many times our dearest friends and family members will not understand our desire to serve our husbands as Jesus served his disciples. They may remark that we are being a doormat. Phil 2:7 says that Jesus made himself no reputation. In other words He became lower than a doormat, He became nothing. A servant, in the actual description of the word, is not thought of as glorifying position.The meaning of the word servant in Mark 10:43 actually means ‘to run errands’ or to do menial duties. The Lord’s ways are not our ways and what we esteem as good are often of no value in His sight. Amy Carmichael in her book, “If” quotes, “IF the ultimate, the hardest, cannot be asked of me; if my fellows hesitate to ask it and turn to someone else, then I know nothing of Calvary love”.

Will we lay down our lives for our husbands? Let us learn of Jesus, dear sisters. Let us lay down our lives for our husbands in the truest sense of the word, in the seemingly little things for those little things over a period of time can become BIG THINGS. May our day be fashioned after our husbands heart, and not our own. Oh, that we would truly sacrifice to please him in the areas that are important to him. For when we have done it unto our husbands, we have truly done it as unto our Lord.

Georgene
Copyright 1998. Georgene Girouard. You may reproduce these pages in their entirety.
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I’ve been cutting my families hair for over 30 years. I first taught myself to cut hair with my youngest son when he was just a baby. I had a friend teach me a few more techniques when my children were older so I was then able to cut my husband’s hair. I’ve saved us a ton of money. I  will oftentimes trim my own hair inbetween hair appointments just to extend my haircut a couple of weeks.

Meet my handsome assistant…. Mr K.

Step One: I started at the back of the neck. I combed most of the hair up so that there was just a thin layer of hair at the base of the neck. I made a cut for my guideline and then used that guideline to cut the hair up to the crown.

Step Two: Pull the hair straight out and cut using the baseline cut on the back of the neck as your guide.

Step 3: Make your first cut at the front. Use this cut as your guideline. Pull up a thin layer of hair behind the guideline and cut to match the guideline cut.  Continue this technique until you hit the crown.

Step 4: Decide where you want the hair over the ears and make your guideline cut. Use this as your guide and work up to the crown pulling the hair out to the side.

Step 5: Comb the hair over the ears towards the eyes and cut as shown.

Step 6: Shave the neck

Doesn’t he look nice?

It helps if you can practice on a young child first. I also found instructional videos on U Tube which looked  helpful.

I hope I explained this clearly.
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I don’t have many ‘treasures’ that mean a lot to me.. materially speaking EXCEPT… my beloved book collection! They are like faithful friends who have blessed my life nearly as much as a godly brother or sister in the Lord.

Last week I was in dire need of some counsel regarding a loved one. I knew that my heart was not saturated in God’s love. As I went to bed that evening I grabbed one of my favorite books, “If”. I had found good solid counsel in this book many times before.  I had only read a few pages when I realized that the Holy Spirit had used the principles on those few pages to change my attitude. I clutched the beloved book to my chest and breathed a prayer.. thank you, Lord!  He had set me on the right path again!

Here is one of my favorite sayings from “If” by Amy Carmichael.

IF   I can easily discuss the shortcomings and the sins of any;

if  I can speak in a casual way even of a child’s misdoings,

then I know nothing of Calvary love.

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