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Let's face it: raising kids is not for sissies. There is so much teaching and training to be done all the time. Manners, kindness, responsibility...the list goes on and on! But above all of that, we need to teach our children to follow God whole-heartedly. And because the world is heading the opposite direction, that creates a battle.
The devil does not want our kids to follow God but Jesus says "let the little children come unto Me." Instant battle. And whether we always realize it or not, being a parent puts us right in the middle of the fray. Thankfully, God has given us a full suit of armor and the power of His might to use in the battle. It is absolutely necessary that we put it to use. All. The. Time. Why is it so important to never put down our guard? Here are 5 Biblical reasons: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. -1 Peter 5:8
This pretty much sums it all up in one verse. The enemy never stops trying to find a way into our lives and into our children's hearts. We must always, always be on the alert for his attacks. We must always have our weapons ready to defend our children.
Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will also reap.
It is so easy to think that I can live a relaxed Christian life, but if I let my kids watch only Christian movies and teach them a few Christian songs, they will grow up as "a man after God's own heart". It's a lie! If we do not have a passion after God the chances are that our children will not have a passion after Him either. Their souls will be the price. Our actions are the seeds that we plant in our children's hearts and those seeds will bear our fruit. We need to always be ready to use the little every day moments to point our children to God. They are watching how we react to each and every situation, and they will store it away as the appropriate response. Our actions are part of the battle.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. -1 Corinthians 10:31 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:17
Everything we do? That's a tall order! That means being conscious of God's will in our lives, every single second! It means seeking to glorify Him with every action, which translates into consciously planting the right seeds all day long. It's another way to be battle ready all the time. When I wrote the first Battlefield Mom post, I thought the main way we could do battle for our children was in our prayers. But I'm coming to realize it is so much more!
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying. -Ephesians 6:18
We are most likely not going to catch every "battle moment." We will become more and more skilled at it as we practice, but we will still miss them at times. And so we must pray, pray, pray! Prayer is like the warrior that stands in the gap. God told Ezekiel that He was looking for someone to "stand in the gap in the wall", but found no one. We can't let that "nobody" be us! Someone that stands in the gap is a valiant warrior who sees a hole in the wall and deliberately places himself in a vulnerable spot to fight for the lives of those under him. That warrior is you, Mommy. Who else will do that for your children?
We are supposed to be keepers at home. Now, I know that generally means to be a homemaker. But what if it means more? What if it means to stand in the gap, and keep our home, our children, our family for Christ? To fight against the onslaught of the enemy and his evil warriors and not allow them to enter in! {I am not suggesting the woman is in charge of the spiritual warfare of a home. But we are the ones that are at home with our children all day long, and there are many times that we will be standing in the gap on our own, while our husband is gone, or maybe even not a Christian.} 
And when we make mistakes, when we fail to stay in battle mode, let us repent and thank God for His grace which can keep our mistakes from becoming lethal.
So many of us forget that we do not have our crown yet. We are not "high born ladies of class" who can't get our hands dirty. We are warrior women, called to battle for the glory of God! The crown can wait until the moment that we can physically throw it back at the feet of Jesus and cry with the angels "only You are worthy! Holy, holy holy!" Until that glorious day, let us do battle, Mommies! For HIS glory. 
If you would like to be part of a group of Mom's passionate about doing battle for the souls of their children, join us on Facebook in the Battlefield Moms group. You will find {almost} daily encouragement and inspiration in the battle!
P.S. Stay tuned for the next post on how to do battle for your kids!
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I don't think there is any food that gives the "homey" feel like a cookie does. My idea of a perfect kitchen would be one with a cookie jar that is always full. Cookies should always be available to dunk in a cup of coffee, give to little people and welcome the man of the house home from work with. Some day I may attain perfection in that area. :)
These cookies that I'm going to share with you today - they are amazing. I don't know who named them, but I think they did a wonderful job at it. They are packed full of flavor and texture. In fact, I entered them in a contest at a local fair as a teenager and they won the people's choice award. They're so good!!
The rice krispies add such a surprising crunch. I promise you, it is almost impossible to eat just one!
Cream the butter, sugars and oil together. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the salt, soda and cream of tartar. Mix together well. Then add the oatmeal, coconut and rice krispies. Beat in the flour next and then add the chocolate chips last. Don't over mix! Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are an ice golden brown.
These cookies are best if you bake up all the dough at once {this is the only time I ever say this about cookie dough! ;) } The rice krispies can get soggy if you keep the dough in the freezer. The baked cookies freeze very nicely though.
So there you go - my very favorite cookie recipe! I sure hope you love them as much as we do. They are always extra good with iced coffee - and then you can pretend that summer is close! ;) As always, I would love to hear from you! Let me know if you try this recipe out and what you think! :) 
...for the joy of the Lord is your strength. -Nehemiah 8:10b
{My favorite verse right now ^^^}
God bless you, my friends! 
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He said he just felt strange and had a bad foreboding as he walked out of the camper trailer he lived in. We helped him into the ambulance and hooked him up to the heart monitor.
We were a thrown together crew that day. With no members paid to be on call there were days when it was hard to get a crew. Like that day. We had a fireman driving, an EMT who's "real" job didn't let her go on more than 1 or 2 calls a month, an EMT student and myself. Our patient suddenly started showing signs of acute heart problems and we called the helicopter. With over an hour to the hospital and only Basic life support on board, we weren't taking any chances. Our patient got worse and worse and I asked our driver to contact the helicopter to see if they could meet us at a closer spot. Suddenly, our biggest fear became reality and our patient was in full cardiac arrest, no heart beat, no breathing. We inserted an airway, and started CPR. I don't think any of us had ever done CPR on a real patient before. I yelled to the fireman and he contacted the helicopter and arranged to meet right on the road. My heart was pounding and I kept running all my training through my mind, trying to keep on the right track. 
We were flying down the road at such a rapid rate of speed it was hard for all of us to stay upright in the back as we bounced over old frost heaves and potholes. The 8 minutes we were doing CPR were the tensest in my life. I wanted the driver to stop so we could use the AED on the patient but he didn't get the message or was too scared to stop. Finally we met the helicopter.
They had a IV needle in his leg bone and shocked him in less than 30 seconds and soon they were flying to the hospital at top speed. We caught our breath after an experience we would never forget and turned around and headed home. Two days later the man walked in the ambulance barn where I was working, by myself that day, and gave me a big hug with tears in his eyes as he thanked me for saving his life. Another memorable life moment. I will never forget it. It was just over a year later, and a month before my husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary, that our first child was born. A darling little girl, a month early, weighing in at 4lbs 10oz. We had to feed her with a medicine dropper when she got wore out from nursing. We had to wake her up to eat every 2 hours, around the clock. And I loved being a Mom from the very first moment. But I struggled. I didn't struggle with taking care of her properly. I didn't struggle with loving her. None of that stuff. I struggled with my identity. Before I was a wife and a mom, before I became a homemaker I had a very clear identity. I was an EMT. I had a place in the community. I was a Sunday School Teacher. I had a place in the church. I wrote and directed plays for the young teens in church. I had a place with my peers. I was the oldest left at home with 4 younger sisters. I had a place in my family Now I stayed at home, cooked meals, cared for my baby and was needed by nobody but my husband and daughter. And I struggled. I wanted to rebel. I didn't want to quit being a wife and mom. But I still didn't feel important. I let myself become critical in my thinking about others. I allowed myself to feel useless. And I lost my security as a Christian. I felt like I was doing nothing for Jesus and therefore lost my "standing" with Him. I struggled with fear. I struggled with my salvation. I struggled with contentment. I thought if I couldn't have a useful life working with other people then I would make my house, my kids, my food, my parties all look like they came from Pinterest. I desperately searched to find a significant place among my friends and my community. It was exhausting Of course I couldn't keep up with my ideals, let alone the ideals I found online. I forgot where my true identity lies. My identity is not in my job, my missions work or anything else. Before I am an EMT, a Sunday School teacher, a writer, a wife, a mom or a homemaker, I am the daughter of the King. My identity is in Christ! Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ~Colossians 3:1
I wish, oh, how I wish, that I had discovered this important but elementary truth earlier. I don't need to perform or "be someone" to feel secure. Friends, if you are getting married soon, or are young married or if you struggle with feeling important, please stop.
Look at your life. It doesn't matter what you do. It doesn't matter who you are. Please, please, dear friend, make sure you life is rooted and grounded in Christ. Have an open connection with HIM, and any life transitions you make will be so much smoother. Please, don't make the mistakes I did. Don't look for your security in your husband or achievements. Look to Jesus, and chase after His will first of all. Let Him fill your heart with security and purpose, whether you have a job or are committed to homemaking. It is something we hear all the time, but do we take it to heart and practice it daily? It was just cliche' to me! Brothers and sisters, 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. God 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 the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” ~Corinthians 1:26-31 
I am not writing this as one who has achieved in this particular area, or any other. But if we wait until we achieve to share our hearts with others, we will forever be silent. None of us have achieved, even the Apostle Paul said that he had not yet achieved. We are works in progress. We are all learning and growing together. Let us encourage each other in Christ, with much love and grace!
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I am on a journey to know Jesus better, and be the wife, mommy and friend that God created me to be, all within the walls of my own little home. <3
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