“Growing in the gospel means seeing more of God’s holiness and more of my sin. And because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, we need not fear seeing God as he really is or admitting how broken we really are. Our hope is not in our own goodness, nor in the vain expectation that God will compromise his standards and ‘grade on a curve.’ Rather, we rest in Jesus as our perfect Redeemer — the One who is ‘our righteousness, holiness and redemption’ (1 Cor. 1:30).”

The Gospel-Centered Life by Bob Thune and Will Walker

 "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.

 Not many of you were wise by human standards;

 not many were influential;

not many were of noble birth.

  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;

 God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things

 — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are,

 so that no one may boast before him. 

 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,

 who has become for us wisdom from God —

 that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 

 Therefore, as it is written:

"Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

1 Cor 1:26-31 (NIV)

I found the above quote on First Importance.

I was sharing this story with my girls today.

I really wanted to purchase a few pairs of socks this summer to wear with my tennis shoes. I had two pairs that didn't make it to wash day so I'd end up wearing my thick socks which were hot.  No big deal!  I  was tempted many times to pick up a package but kept putting it off thinking that I'd just make do with what I had. And I did.

I shared this 'want' with no one.

A few weeks ago my sister handed me a bag. As I opened the bag I was overwhelmed. Can you guess what I found?  You guessed it!   A bag full of socks! Not just a few but probably close to 20 pairs. All colors and kinds. My dresser drawer is now crammed packed with socks!

My heart was overwhelmed.. again.. with the knowledge of God's tender care for me!  "Thank you, Lord, for noticing even my smallest 'wants'!"

Immediately I was reminded of a story I read several years ago called, Evidence Not Seen. It was the story of Darlene Diebler Rose who was a missionary to Papua New Guinea. She was taken captive during World War 11 by the Japenese.

Darlene was in solitary confinement at one point of her captivity. She was only fed white rice oftentimes with rocks in it. She was malnourished and her body was suffering from dysentery and malaria. One day she wished for some fresh air so she managed to pull herself up to the top of the cell where there was a small opening. As she looked outside she saw a prisoner sneak over to the fence where someone handed her a bunch of bananas. Darlene's mouth began to water. Oh, how she wished for just one banana. Just one! As she lowered herself down from the window she knelt down and prayed for just one banana. Just one, Lord! Just one! She started imaging how the Lord would answer this prayer but since the guards were the only one's allowed to open her cell door she soon concluded that her chances for just one banana were slim.

Within a short period of time the door opened and there stood a commander from another prison camp where she had stayed. Plans were being made for her execution. He asked her what message she would want to send back to the prisoners at camp who were asking about her.

She told him to tell them that she was alright because she was still trusting in Jesus.

Tears came to the commander's eyes. He then turned to the two guards and began speaking to them in a low voice. She was sure that he was telling them the salvation story which she had shared with him after she was informed of her husband's death.

Soon they left.  Darlene suddenly realized that she had forgotten to bow to the guards. Oh, she was so upset! Why hadn't she remembered? Why hadn't the Lord reminded her?  She would surely now be beaten again! She couldn't bare another beating. Suddenly, she heard footsteps and braced herself. The door opened and a guard entered. And guess what he brought with him? Not ONE but 92 bananas! 92!!

Many of us are experiencing leaner times than we're used to (we're still so abundantly blessed) but we continue to serve a God who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what we ask or even IMAGINE!

Jehovah Jireh.. our Provider!

Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us.."

('Evidence Not Seen' can be viewed in my bookstore on the homepage.)

 “Not every one that saith unto me,

Lord, Lord,

shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth

 the will of my Father

 which is in heaven.”

 Matthew 7:21

K.P. Yohannan is a Christian pastor from India.

What I desire to impart on these pages are the difficult lessons the Lord
taught me during the 10 years my family ran Christian Curriculum
Cellar from our home. My prayer is that my loss will be your gain.

Before I begin sharing I want to make something very clear. IF you
and your husband are currently running a home business and IF your
husband has ASKED you or has made his wishes clear that he wants you
to CONTINUE running the business then PLEASE do not read any farther.

BUT…

If you (alone) are interested in starting a home business and if YOU
(alone) feel that your family could use the extra money and if YOU
(alone) think that your children could benefit in helping you run a
home business then PLEASE continue. 

                                                                


  I began a home business in the cellar of our family home nearly 19
years ago. We called ourselves Christian Curriculum Cellar. The
business grew steadily and became very successful. We shipped books
across the United States and to missionaries in other countries. We
owned the business for 10 years before selling it to a lovely
Christian home schooling family.

    I was often asked before I owned CCC to help young mother's with
curriculum planning. I remember the day when the thought came to start my own business.
I had just come home from helping a young mother and mentioned to my husband  how I
wished there was a way I could make a little extra money doing what I enjoyed.
He offered $100.00 to help begin my dream. I knew there would not be a paying
market for curriculum planning services but I thought that our area could definitely benefit from a
used home school book business…. and away I went!

  Now, if you read over the above paragraph you probably missed two key
factors in the start of our home business. The first one was my
MOTIVATION behind starting the business and that was to make
a `little extra money'. To be honest the main motivation in starting CCC was
because I was not CONTENT with my husbands wages. Were we making the
payments on all the bills? Yes! Were we going without anything our
family really NEEDED? No! We had food on the table, clothes on our
back and our bills were being paid on time. My main complaint was a
lack of money to purchase gifts for my immediate family for their
birthdays and the holidays. Most of our pennies were accounted for
with little left over. In my lack of contentment I thought … if we
just had a little bit more… then I'd be content!

  The second key was that the starting of the business was MY idea. My
husband was not suggesting that I find some kind of business to make
ends meet. He was content with my role in the home. The whole idea,
temptation and lack of contentment had originated with me. I had it set
in my mind that I MUST give gifts to my immediate family whether my husband
thought it important or not. Gift giving was extremely important as I was growing
up and was associated with love. Instead of resting in God's
providence and submitting to my husband's leadership I sought to meet
my own needs by making a 'little extra money'.

  Thirdly, the homeschool circles and magazines during those years
promoted home businesses as THE ultimate in family training. It was part of
the 'perfect home schooling family' ideal and if you wanted the BEST
for your family you would find a way to start one. Everyone, so it
seemed, was wanting to find a way to 'bring their husband home'. We
were given many stories of family's who were successfully running a
home business and all the benefits their family had gained. Most of us
bought this 'lie' hook, line and sinker.

   I call it a `lie' because years down the road I was able to
talk candidly with many home business owners and many shared the
burden their businesses had caused their families.  Mothers were
worn out, exhausted and full of regrets. Children
were resentful of the time the business demanded of their parents. I
knew of a few home businesses that 'seemed' to be doing well but they
had been started as a result of the husband's initiative and on his
talent, not the wife`s.  I'm sure there were exceptions and possibly it was just the line of business I was in.  There may be home businesses that do not drain a family the way mine did. I'm only familiar with the effect ours had on us.   

    I remember one afternoon my youngest son came down the stairs of
our cellar while I was working on cataloging the books. He
cried, "Mom, when are you going to sell all these books?"   He was
probably about 10 at that time. He was upset that I was spending so
much time on the business. I heard his cry but found myself confused
as to what was ultimately best so I continued.  Hadn't the 'experts'
said that this was best for my family? Wouldn't the extra money bring
some added relief to my family? Wouldn't my children benefit from
learning a trade? I remember thinking that things would
get better and smooth out eventually. Interesting enough, my other two children do not have bad memories of our business and did not feel neglected. They were older at the time so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. By the time I realized the
effects of my 'distraction' my husband had already put a lot of money
into the business. He did not feel that we could just walk away from
it without getting back what we had invested. So, for the next 5
years I muddled through the best I could.

     I was overwhelmed from the work load. It was many years before I
could afford to have someone work part-time in the store. The
workload of the business mainly fell on my shoulders. At the same
time I was running the business I was also finishing up home
schooling my three children. Along with those duties I was expected to keep my home clean along with all my other
household duties, keep an acre of land and oversee the care of the
few pets we owned. I also did the dispatching and accounting for my
husband's trucking business.

   I began having health problems about 5 years into the business. I
developed hernias from all the lifting. I also began having, what I
thought to be, heart problems. It felt like an elephant was sitting
on my chest and I had difficulty catching my breath. I went to the
Dr. and after running a battery of tests he concluded it was not my
heart but good old fashioned anxiety! I was suffocating under the
weight of my own workload.

   Eventually, after 10 years, we were able to sell the business. I dreaded selling it because I knew the amount of stress it would put on the next family. We found a family where the husband was the one
who wanted to own the business and his wife would be helping. We felt
comfortable with this arrangement knowing that the husband was
initiating the purchase.  We were thankful to find such honest and
godly people to hand over our customers.

   So, here I am nearly 19 years later since CCC began and I finally
believe I am at a place where I can write about my experience
objectively. Many ask if I miss running the business and I never
hesitate when I quickly answer NO. I miss my customers but I never
miss the burden of all that came with it.

   This is what I share with mothers who ask if I would recommend
starting a home business… don't do it unless your husband commands it!

   As you read the list below I'd like you to notice that what I lost in
running a home business were actual commands in Scripture. These
commands were God's specific will for my life. Because I 'added' a
home business (not God's command or my husband's) I squeezed out time
to perform God's specific commands. We have examples of women in
Scripture who sold things and made money so we cannot say it is a sin
for a woman to do so. But, we see no where in the New Testament that
a woman is commanded to work outside her home or run a home business
or even earn a living. Titus 2 says that she is to be
guarding/keeping the home along with all the other commands found
elsewhere in Scripture (to use her gifts in the local church body,
feed the poor, clothe the naked, love her children, wash the feet of
the saints, be hospitable, love her husband, help the weak and on the
on the list goes. I've compiled a short, incomplete list under "How
Should a Godly Woman Spend her Days"). Husbands ARE given the
command to provide for their household but wives are NOT given this
command. 1 Tim. 5:8. If I am fulfilling all KNOWN specific commands
(and who can say that they actual are?) then I doubt there will be
much time left to pursue other interests.

What I LOST in running a home business:
* I neglected using my spiritual gifts in the local church. Eph. 4:10-
14
* I neglected fellowship with other believers in my church. Acts 2:42
* I neglected to meet the needs of the poor, widow and orphan in my
church body. James 1:27, Matt. 25:36
* I neglected keeping my husband as a high priority. Everything runs
second, third and four to keeping a business ALIVE. A home business can
become a living, breathing nightmare (I once thought it was a dream)
that has the potential to overtake every area of your life.
Priorities become muddled and the business becomes #1 because
it SCREAMS the loudest.
* The roles became reversed between my husband and I. Because I was
struggling with the workload my husband became MY HELPER. No longer
was I coming beside him and asking how I could be HIS helpmate but he
was coming alongside me and asking how he could help ME. I was
created to be his helper not the reverse. Gen. 2:18
* I neglected loving my children in a true, biblical way. There was
little time to talk and share with each other. Every bit of time was
spent working while the mother becomes more of a drill sergeant than
a tender, nurturing caregiver. The mother is in 'survival' mode with
leftovers given to relationships because her best has been given to
the business. You can lose touch with your children's hearts if you
are overburdened with a heavy workload. Titus 2

* Quality of home school education
was also lost.


What I learned:
* I LEARNED TO BE CONTENT with my husbands wages. When it looked like
the Lord and my husband were going to allow me to be released from
the business I remember asking the Lord to help me never forget this
lesson. I would rather find ways to cut back on living expenses
to live within our means that to wander from my most important
priorities in order to make a `little extra spending money'. I've
learned that contentment rarely comes by addition but by subtraction
of our desires.
* I LEARNED TO BE CONTENT WITH MY LOT IN LIFE. I want to always
remember that my husband's salary is GOD'S assigned portion and to be content.
 Ps. 16:5
If we think we are lacking it may be because we're wanting something that is
not a necessity. As much as I love my immediate family, it was not
worth giving up my highest priorities just to purchase gifts.
* I LEARNED TO KEEP FIRST THINGS FIRST. There are specific commands
found in Scripture for a Christian woman. These must become a
priority. IF there is time left over then she is allowed to pursue
secondary things.

I am making money in my home today through babysitting and typing part-time. The lessons we learned through our home business are teaching my husband and I to evaluate the strain of the work I take on and how it will effect our home.  My 'motivation' for extra money did not come from a lack of discontent this time but necessity since my husband's income dropped in January of 2009. The money I bring in pays for our groceries.  

   It's been a long, hard journey which has consumed over a decade of my
family's life. I am so thankful that the Lord promises to work
ALL things together for our good and His glory. (Rom. 8:28)   He is our
REDEEMER, not only in salvation but in all things. God has used our
weaknesses and failings to teach my husband and I a lot. He is a
truly merciful God!

* Note: You will find an excellent book on this topic in my online bookstore called, A Way in the Wilderness.


Georgene Girouard

Copyrighted 2006. You may copy this article in it's entirety to share with others. 

When you get to a point in your life that you having no wealth to boast of, no success in business by worldly standards and a loss of pride in your ability as a parent you finally come to a place that you start to REALLY see that you can only boast in the cross! What a perfect place to be!

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center estimates that there are 10 to the 21st power number of stars in space. That’s
a 10 with 21 zeros following it.   They can only estimate because the
Hubble telescope can’t see all the stars that exist.

Depending on who you read, within the part of the universe we can
observe, there are from 100 to 240 billion galaxies, each composed of
billions of stars.  In other words, we really have no idea how many
stars there are.  Astronomers can only guess.

Sometimes we can feel like God has forsaken us in this vast
universe, or he has lost track of us.  After all, how can God keep tabs
on a single speck of dust amidst hundreds of billions of stars?  Surely
he’s got too much on his plate to be aware of our trifling troubles.

When Israel felt forsaken, God reminded them of his infinite power and care:

Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”? (IS 40.26-27).

First God says he brings out every star by number, calls each by
name, and never forgets what he called them.  Next he says his infinite
power guarantees that not one star in the whole universe ever goes
missing.  He never forgets nor loses track of the most far-flung star
in the heavens.

Then God challenges his people, saying, “If I assign a specific
number and name to each and every star and uphold each one by my might
so that not a single one is ever lost, why do you say ‘My way is hidden
from the Lord?’  If I don’t lose track of a single star, I won’t lose
track of you.  If my almighty power can uphold hundreds of billions of
galaxies of untold numbers of stars, my power can certainly uphold you.”

Take heart, your way is not hidden from the Lord.  He knows every
detail in your life.  He called you by name and he hasn’t forgotten
you.  You are more valuable to Jesus than all the stars in heaven,
because he purchased you with his precious blood.  He’s more concerned
about a single one of his own children than all of the galaxies
combined.  I care infinitely more about the well-being of my children
than all my possessions.  How much more is God concerned for you.

God’s universe-sustaining might upholds you and he will preserve you to the end.

No one can snatch you out of his hand.  He never takes his eyes off
you, even when you are sleeping.  He is continually and actively doing
good to you moment by moment.  He will certainly strengthen and help
you and bring forth his glory in your life.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word

and believes him who sent

me has eternal life.

He does not come into judgment,

but has passed from death to life. John 5:24

ESV

And there is salvation in no one else,

 for there is no other name under heaven

given among men

 by which we must be saved.

 Acts 4:12

ESV

It intrigues me that you can 'meet' a person through the internet and feel as if you've known them all your life.  Has that ever happened to you?

 I had been reading the Copperswife blog for a year or two when I saw the picture of Cheryl's African Violets. I remembered that Mama was trying to find a home for hers and wondered if Cheryl would be interested and she was.  So, we met at a restaurant just a few minutes from my home where her husband attends a church bible study.  I thoroughly enjoyed her sweet fellowship. It was fun to discover the things we had in common. The only problem was that the two hours we spent chatting wasn't nearly enough time to cover everything we wanted to talk about.   (I guess I'll have to 'bribe' her with another visit by offering more African Violets!)      

My husband and I were blessed to visit the church her family attends this past Sunday. We were so warmly welcomed and enjoyed the service so much. The singing was absolutely beautiful!!  I was impressed by the respectfulness of the children who greeted us at the front door of the church.  Cheryl is truly blessed to have the support of so many other homeschooling families where she worships!

I can only imagine how sweet the fellowship will be in heaven when we are surrounded by myriads of other believers in Christ. That will be true koinonia fellowship like we've never known on this earth. But, for now, we are so blessed with the fellowship of other believers in ways that our sisters before us could have never imagined. It's like a little taste of heaven!

Thank you, Cheryl, for your warm and receiving arms of friendship!