As a child

 

In these trouble filled days, we may find it difficult to keep the faith. The earth is filled with turmoil and it is easy to become anxious.

We may sometimes think that we would love to be living in an easier world where we can revert to the more simple days of our childhood. Yet, we know that is impossible.

We parents and grandparents try to guard our children's minds and we do all in our power to give them a carefree childhood. 

We pray for them and guard our home against our children seeing and hearing all the doom and gloom of wars and troubles on the news. It is no mean task.

Just as us reverting to becoming children is impossible, we must nevertheless take care of our own anxieties and take actions to increase our faith.

We must remember that this is all playing out just as we were told.. it is difficult living through this, but what else did we expect for the "end days"?  We have been warned.

In as much as we have been warned about the end days as the Age of Grace comes to an end, so we have been encouraged to not fear and to live life as usual until Jesus comes for His Church.

We must accept that God is still in control and He loves us. In fact, He is a Father to us and longs to give us peace. It is important that we stay close to Him, especially if we find anxiety has come to lodge with us. 

We must cling to Jesus and remember His promises to us. 

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;  2 Corinthians 4:8-9

With Jesus at the helm, we must surrender our fears and renew our thoughts. 

God is our Father and Jesus is our Saviour so we can take Them at Their word. God is not a liar. 

 

He says that we are not to worry and as we take God at His Word, we can become children again- not childish, but child like, confident in our Father and LORD'S loving protection.

Let us lean on Jesus's love and come to Him with our fears and struggles. Not trying to work things out for ourselves, but simply having the same faith that we once had in years past. 

May we lay down each night in peace and commit ourselves afresh to Him. Trusting. Peaceful. Content. As a child.

 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me". —Matthew 18:3-5

Damned if you do, damned if you don't

I do not advocate smacking for every tiny infringement that a child makes, and as an abused child, I definitely can see where corporal punishment on a regular basis could lead to raising a nervous child who lacks self-confidence and who exhibits a fearful demeanour.

However, I do believe in the scriptures which admonish us to not spare the rod and ruin the child... and in practice, I have found an occasional but controlled smack over the seat of the pants, does no harm. In fact, it gives children boundaries. And perversely, it makes children feel loved because of it.

I remember a few years ago, my daughter and I went clothes shopping. Her 3 year old son ran amok in Target, knocking clothes off racks and running into people. We tried to restrain him, but he just continued wreaking havoc. People were giving us disgusted looks. Finally, in desperation, my daughter gave her son a quick and controlled smack over his bottom which brought him immediately into line.

Alas, she was confronted with angry looks and tut tuts from fellow shoppers for smacking him! Almost in tears, she remarked loudly enough for them to hear that she was damned if she did, and damned if she didn't smack him to bring him into line. 

Sometimes a smack over the 'seat of learning' works really well... but it is now a sad thing to be afraid to do it for fear of being reported to authorities. I feel sorry for young mums today...they are living in a world which mostly has turned its back on godly wisdom.  We are paying the price by bringing up children who rule us....


© Glenys Robyn Hicks

As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. Isaiah 3:12

Soul mates for life

 

Most of us married people want to be happy in our marriage. We want it to last forever and we want our husband to be happy. A big part of a man's happiness involves how loved, respected and appreciated he feels. So how do we make him feel that?

With Chris, he appreciates me listening to him and giving him my full attention. So when he talks to me about things that I have no interest in like cars and motorbikes and so on, I make myself listen and interact with him. This is a real test of my patience for me because we are together 24/7 every day of the year.

He doesn't help me much in the home because of his own health issues, so when he does, I thank him sincerely. Usually I give him a kiss as well because his love language is touch. Fortunately mine is as well.

I think honest appreciation and praise help build a man's esteem and I often tell Chris what I love about him and we celebrate little anniversaries of events like when we got engaged, our first kiss and so on. It keeps our love alive.

Although once I said that Chris is a good man but a horrible patient, I don't bag him to others- especially family. I think that is something that a lot of married people do and it makes a man feel anything but appreciated and respected.

Like most people if they are honest, we have had an occasional fight, but generally I would say that we both feel respected, appreciated and loved.

On the private side of marriage, I feel it's important to be affectionate and responsive to your husband and never belittle him if he truly isn't a Don Juon. 

In regards to parenting, I believe a man can be shot down in flames in front of his children if we are not united in front of them. Respect and appreciation is necessary  so as not to usurp his authority as a father and leader of the home.

A man's provision for his family should never be called into question. He is usually spinning his wheel as fast as he can at work and we should never belittle him or grumble about how much other men are earning more than him.

One should never emasculate one's husband by suggesting he "get a real job" when he is toiling at a job that some consider beneath them.

We must show our appreciation and respect of him as bread winner by supporting him in whatever line of work he's in. Respect and appreciation make a man feel loved.

It is within a wife's power to keep a man happy and feeling respected and appreciated. Any man can be married, but not happy. Make sure your husband a happily married man so that you will be soul mates for life.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. 1 Peter 3:5-6

Let no man unravel

We can see how God created two genders with distinctive characteristics.  We have also seen how He expects and desires those genders to live and present themselves in a manner that is in keeping with the gender in which we were created.

Our gender is decided at conception and was a mystery until recent times when ultrasound enabled sexing of fetuses. And since then we have seen first hand the amount of female fetuses murdered in utero simply because they weren't male.

We have seen women who wanted a girl try to physically change him by presenting him as a girl and encouraging him to live as a girl. 

Conversely, I grew up with a boy who actually proved he was a female when he grew breasts, only to have his mother try to remove them with an iron... hard to understand, but true. 

Sadly this young woman finally was freed from this mad woman's evil grasp but not before her mother's actions prevented her from ever having children... leaving her a sad woman who longed to live a feminine life that included children, but was unable to.

And now we have others who decide for parents that their children are not happy in their created gender. Without parental permission or even knowledge, these people ursurp parental rights and allow children to undergo medical treatment and butchery which is permanent and which will change their life forever.

In interviews with children and adults who have transitioned, the majority of people regret it and are deeply depressed. What they needed was therapy and guidance, not mutilation, be it surgical or chemical.

To change a person's gender is contrary to scripture and is so contrary to God's Will that one can only believe that those who practise it are thumbing their noses at the Almighty. It is serving the evil one and is in fact a part of their worship and service to him...

Just because it is medically possible to do this, and society has started to accept trans people and the whole gender arena, doesn't make it right- or God given. God gives us our gender and what He has knitted together in the womb, let no man unravel

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

“Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created” . Genesis 5:2

Pink or blue?

For years we have been listening to feminists’ claptrap about men needing to find their female side and women needing to be more strident and assertive. We have been advised to teach our sons all manner of housekeeping tips and encouraging our daughters to take self-defence lessons and fix their own cars…all in a quest for equality of the sexes! And whilst there is nothing wrong with learning these skills, if this trend is pursued, we will find ourselves crossing gender boundaries.

What have we gained in all this cross-gender teaching? We have put strains on our kids that they weren’t meant to bear! Our sons have become Sensitive New Age Guys with very little backbone or drive and unsure of their sexuality. And our daughters have become Strident Shrill Task Mistresses who look, think, speak and act like men! Women who pursue men and have taken on the sexually aggressive role and men who allow themselves to be wooed!

Despite what the feminists tell you: men and women are not the same. We are created and “wired up” differently. To prove this, a test was done on babies who were crawling or toddling. At the end of a long room, the babies’ mothers were waiting for them, coaxing them to come! In front of the mothers was a barrier about 2 foot high that to the babies was impenetrable. Behind a 2 way mirror, researchers in childhood behaviour were taking notes and filming.

What happened was very interesting! All the babies headed for their mothers as quickly as they could. On reaching the barrier, all of the girl babies stopped, sat down, looked around and cried loudly. They were all terribly distressed and cried piteously with arms up-stretched to their mothers. They looked for aid when their mothers didn’t reach out for them, crying even louder.

The boy babies met the barrier, and seeing Mother wasn’t about to pick them up, immediately set about examining it. Some patted the barrier, some kicked it, some even tasted it and some eventually tried to scale it, but every one of them tried to conquer it! Not one of the boy babies cried or looked distressed but tried to find a way through, over or under the barrier between them and their mothers!

This proved what can be seen in MRI scans. Male and female brains are wired up differently. All the boy babies were proactive, logical thinkers and strategists, while all the girl babies were reactive, emotional and helplessly relied on assistance and reassurance.

These tests proved that we are created as the scriptures say: the male to have dominion over the earth and subdue it, and the female to be protected by the male and to be nurturing. Eve was after all, the mother of all things..

No matter what feminists say, men and women are different. God created men and women to be equal but to have different roles. What the feminists propose is a blending of the sexes so that the roles and characteristics become so blurred that we have asexual people or bi-sexual. Certainly, to pursue feminist’s ideas, we would have a gross trans-gender mess with neither gender acting within the bounds of their created gender or unsure what their role was.

Accepting and understanding God’s Word, we will do our girls the honour of teaching them how to be godly women, wives and mothers, and our sons to be godly men, husbands and fathers. That’s the way our Creator God wants it and that’s how it should be and we have no business trying to change it. The die has been cast at conception and it is good…Pink or blue: it’s not up to you!

© Glenys Robyn Hicks



“Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created” . Genesis 5:2

Let Him hear your voice!

 

Mother's Day was last Sunday and I am pleased to report that I  heard from all of my children. When I say "heard", two actually rang me and the other two texted me.

With my elder two children just recently newly reconnected, I was especially happy this year. And when my granddaughter texted me as well, my joy was complete.

So what I say next is in no way a grumble but just a statement: it could have been better!

I hear you ask, "in what way could it be better?"  By actually hearing their voices...

Looking back at my courting days, I remember the longing to hear from Chris- not just when he texted me, but when he called me. There was something special about hearing his voice. I loved it...

I think this is the way with lovers... to hear our loved one's voice is so sweet. Much better than a text.

Sadly, the way of the modern world today is to text or Private Message on social media as it's the quickest and least energetic method of communication. Send a text for someone's birthday or other occasion, and job's done.

That need to actually hear our loved one's voice is not just a human thing. Scripture tells us that God Himself loves to hear His Beloved's voice too.

Prayer is fine and worshiping God is fine, but I believe God really loves us to be audible at times.Why? Because He loves us!

Sometimes in my private prayer and worship time, I pray out loud, and when I worship Him, I tell Him how much I love Him- out loud.

Obviously, God understands our silent prayers, and when we can't speak, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with words that cannot be spoken- but I believe that allowing God to hear our voice delights Him.

So in knowing this, I make a habit of praying and praising audibly- just because I know He loves me and I long to please Him. 

We all are loved by the Lover of our souls- so let Him hear our voice! 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Song of Solomon 2:14

Fathers must know!

Sometimes fathers underestimate the value of their role in bringing up their children. Especially so for Christian fathers. Your child is constantly looking at your behaviour, speech and mannerisms from early infancy and all you do and say is moulding him or her into your likeness. Good or bad.  The father's role as leader of the home and spiritual guide is so critical to your child's development. For it is through their fathers as well as their mother that they learn. Not only do they learn how to do practical things like filling the car with petrol, but they watch how their father interacts with their mother and other authority figures.  It is crucial that children see their father respecting and loving their mother and obeying the laws of God and the land. They will take on board any negativity that you both show such as laziness, bad humour, cussing, lack of interest in spiritual matters and even worldly matters. If you doubt the value of a father's role, take a moment to observe your children at play and note how many times Daddy goes to work, how he drives the car, how he speaks to Mummy and to them! It could come as a shock!  If you use bad language in front of your little ones, expect them to repeat it! They hear YOU say it- so then to their minds it is correct and proper grammar! Do not feign ignorance or administer punishment if you are using such language- they are just proving my point! Children are like little sponges and are absorbing everything you both do and say.  It is crucial to the child's development that he or she feels loved and accepted by their father. Most of us spend all our lives trying to please Dad- even if he has passed on! The place of father is so much more than being just a bread winner- important and appreciated as much as it is!  Your children do not know the value of money as youngsters and a child has no comprehension of being in lack. If they are fed, warm, clean and loved, that is all they know and need. The father's role is important and it influences us right up and through the time that we have children of our own.  If you weren't much of a parent to your children, the chances are you won't be much of a grandparent to your grandchildren! And most importantly of all, I feel- the spiritual role of father is terribly important. How they relate to your children will model how they perceive God as Father!  You can make or break their trust in God by your parenting! May you look at your role as a father as well as a mother through the eyes of your children, and try to be Christ-like! Your child's eternity depends on it!   © Glenys Robyn Hicks    'Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?' Hebrews 12:9

I refuse to stay in the Pit of Despair!

 

Depression is often related to one having a sense of loss to something dear to them. In my case I am grieving the loss of my adult children's affection and the feeling that to them I am already dead. I have been tossed out like an old shoe.

Second is the fact that they aren't very nice people and I suspect that one way or the other, I have failed as a mum...

So I had a time of prayer and during that I felt that as far as mothering goes, how they now act as adults is not my fault. I know now that God knows I did bring them all up in the faith and they were taught to be honest and decent people.

I have now decided that I will not stress about not seeing my new great granddaughter or even grandchildren...  it is pointless to bond with them when I wont probably see them... I will not waste my last few years waiting for a word from them or even acknowledgement that I exist... if they cared, they would call 

So now I am going to move forward and enjoy as much as possible those who do love me and want me in their life... 

The hardest lesson I think was to realise that my love for them is not reciprocated and I am not  important or valued much in their life at all. It's a bitter pill but once taken, it helps alleviate the grief of unrequited love... 

So I am going to move forward and start thinking of positive things, like Chris and those in my family who do love me...  

Another lesson was that even though I have no expectation of a relationship and have pulled back to stop hurting, it does not mean I don't love them... it just has to be from afar as they are toxic to me. At this stage of my life, I just need peace. And that doesn't mean  I am selfish...

I refuse to stay in the Pit of Despair!

 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. Psalm 71:9

Not everyone's love has grown cold

 

The global fertility has dropped and therefore can this be an indication that we are in the end days?

I think yes we are, but we still have to live a godly life and not give in to fear.

This is also because generally self is on the throne and children are not considered a blessing.

For some they are a consequence of biological entrapment and are easily gotten rid of.

People use many reasons as an excuse, but most of them go against what God wants for His people.

Feminism has had a big part in turning people off having children and many women have put off motherhood until too late, to become childless and unhappy women.

There's no finer career than being a full time wife and mother and the usual urge to procreate is God-given and sacred.

This sad world needs babies and pregnancy and breast feeding, and booties and prams. Every child is wanted by God and its birthright is to be loved and later on to love.

As long as this world is turning, babies should be cherished and wanted and rocked and loved. For babies are a Gift from our Creator God.

In truth, it seems that what pleases God these days is disregarded and the evil one is having a field day.

The love of many grows cold and sin is increasing, so it can be a sign that we are nearing the end times..

We need to stand firm in our faith and live our life according to godly principles. Making families and bearing children is something that will please God and be an eternal treasure.

Let's keep on keeping on in trust and faith and invest in eternal treasures. Because even in these end days, not everyone's love has grown cold.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

I would still sit alone

When I was working in an office about 20 years ago, we would all take our lunch together in the tea room.  We ate and chatted and sometimes one particular very self opiniated woman would preside over our talks.

She was very proud of her son who had graduated as a pharmacist and who had his own pharmacy. We saw no harm in that: we would have been proud of his achievements if he was our own son. But one day, she overstepped the mark and upset quite a few women at the table. Myself included.

One of the conversations centred around drug addicts and she declared them all to be a waste of space and definitely would be better off overdosing and dying and getting it over with. 

At the time I was a mother of two drug addicted sons who I love dearly and pray for daily with the gut wrenching and desperate prayers that only a mother prays- I took exception to that.

With my stomach turning ill, I picked up my sandwich and took my cup of  tea out of the tea room and ate and drank it in my car. She really was too much. I wanted my sons to be delivered and live.

From that day on, I avoided eating my lunch in the tearoom, especially if she was there, but one day I was asked by my boss to make him a coffee, and one of my former lunchtime companions was there.

She asked me directly why I never ate with the women anymore and I told her the truth. I told her that so and so was so hurtful in the things she says and so prideful of her son that she had no consideration that there may be mothers there with prodigal and wayward children who were also drug addicted.

To my surprise, she shared that she too was no longer taking her lunchbreak with so and so because she too had a drug addicted son and it was just too painful to consider that he was better off overdosing.

I said that I was praying for my sons and that I live in fear that they will overdose and I cannot sit and listen to her without feeling sick to the stomach.

She agreed and said that was why she too took her lunchbreak in her car away from her as well. We both agreed that one had to be feeling strong to listen to her raving.

One who doesn't have wayward or prodigal children like so and so had, can not imagine the constant fear when the phone rings that it will be news that her child has indeed overdosed. It gnaws at a mother's heart constantly.

As a Christian, all life is precious and all drug addicts have been enticed by carnal desires and instant gratification and this is something that is very hard to break from. Even with the LORD. Such is the hold from drugs that many have succumbed to their addiction praying for deliverence. And they are saved. They are, because Jesus died for our past, present and future sin. And addiction is sin.

There is hope in Christ and today one of my sons has broken from addiction and can testify that God heard my prayers. I continue to pray for the other who battles with it even while loving the LORD.

To tell me that either of these sons or even your son or daughter who battles drug or alcohol addictions is better off dead is evil. It limits God's ability to heal and deliver us and negates His Blood, and sees only successful humans as worthy of that. None of us are worthy but are sinners saved by Grace.

Nothing has changed my mind about her and people like her: if I turned back the clock, I would still sit alone.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Romans 14:8

When Christ comes back.

It's Christmas Eve here and I was resting between chores thinking that I don't feel very festive. And as the random thoughts came, I realised that I am not alone...

The birth of Christ is a holy time sometimes celebrated with lights on trees and pretty baubles. Presents adorn the floor around the tree and a feeling of hope,  and expectation fills the air.

Carols are a lovely way to thrill the soul and worship the Christ Child, and since Covid, this is mainly from computers, CD's and so on. Carollers are for the most, a thing of the past.

A lot of people perpetuate Saint Nicholas' legacy by telling their children that Santa Claus is coming and for them, Christmas takes on a magical quality.

Sadly for me, my children and even grandchildren are grown. With that childlike expectancy of gifts and new toys now gone, a lot of the fun of the season is gone with it. I miss it.

Obviously I find my joy in the Gift of Christ our Redeemer, and I am truly grateful- not only at Christmas, but all through the year. But those who are now missing the joy of children at Christmas will know what I mean.

And I don't believe I am the only one noticing a lack of festive joy this year. The shops are visited by people with tense, even grim expressions and scarcely one person wishes another a Merry Christmas! It is understandable. The last few years have been difficult to say the least. Stress is rampant.

I think now it is more important than ever to remember the reason for the season. The King of glory came as an infant, born in a stable and given a manger for a crib. But the most wondrous thing of all is that this Baby was born to bring hope and joy to a lost mankind.

As mankind struggles to celebrate- truly celebrate- Christmas, and as world events worsen, I want that childlike faith and joy to come back. But I truly believe it will only come back when Christ comes back to take us believers Home. 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks 

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

There are no unwanted children in God’s sight

  

How many  times  have we  heard disbelief and  dismay of relatives and friends when  it  is discovered that a new life is on the way? And worse still, how many people have (hopefully only for a moment), thought or worse still, actually voiced that they may very well terminate it? It’s a fact that quite a large percentage of babies weren’t actually planned, but that is only in our thinking. There are no accidents or unwanted children in God’s sight.   Do you know that God blesses us with conception and withholds conception as a punishment? Gen 49:25 [Even] by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: That is not to say that women trying to conceive are being punished, of course. But in scripture, God encourages us to be fruitful vines and says we will be saved in childbearing. Exd 1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Lev 26:9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you Psa 128:3 Thy wife [shall be] as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 1Ti 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.   And again when the house of Abimelech had Sarah, Abraham’s wife in his harem posing as Abraham’s sister, God closed all the wombs in the palace. That was how Abimelech knew something was amiss in his house! Why? Because the blessing of conception was withheld! Gen 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She [is] my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.   Gen 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou [art but] a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she [is] a man's wife. Gen 20:4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Gen 20:8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid. Gen 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. Gen 20:10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? Gen 20:14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave [them] unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. Gen 20:15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land [is] before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. Gen 20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare [children]. Gen 20:18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.   God has formed us in the secret place and knits our bodies together.  Isa 44:2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things]; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;   He saw our form before we had one- He knows us before we are born! Gen 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger. Gen 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, [there were] twins in her womb. Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.  We are all unique- even identical twins are not identical in every sense. Each person conceived is special in the LORD’S sight! How it must grieve Him when we express shock and dismay at His wonderful gift of conception!   The godly woman will understand that she is being blessed when she discovers a new life is coming- she will welcome children as a gift from the LORD.  Psa 127:3 Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward. And again we see a blessing! Gen 29:31 And when the LORD saw that Leah [was] hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel [was] barren.   But the ungodly often will react quite differently, spurning the blessing and often taking means to reject it! My heart grieves for those blessings disposed of heartlessly when many a woman desperate for a child would be more than willing to bring it up.   God has a purpose and plan for our lives- even known before we are born. To reject the great gift of conception is to reject one of the greatest gifts and blessings that God can bestow on us. For although a child may not fit in with our plans, God can undertake to provide both materially and emotionally for that child. There are absolutely no accidents, no mistakes in timing, no inconveniences in God’s plan!   I have seen women who vowed to reject the gift of conception by terminating it, bond so intensely with the child when it is in their arms,  that they give praise to God for the “inconvenience” and bless Him for their child. I also have known countless couples reject their gift of conception by submitting to sterilisation- only to regret it at a later date. Often a reversal does not repair that which was “fixed” when it was not broken. They pay a high price often,  for trying to play a role of life-giver or rejecter- a role that is God’s alone!   How precious indeed is the gift of a child, and indeed the gift of conception. May we never take this gift lightly, or reject it or be dismayed! God’s plans and thoughts are so much higher than ours! Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.   For God, there are no unwanted children. If only all people would understand that!  © Glenys Robyn Hicks

It's all good

I have always sought to live my life according to God's Word, and I have tried to encourage other Christian women in their walk. Over the five years that I have written of God's wonderful plan for us as wives, mothers and homemakers, I have been impressed with how the 5 areas of priority in our lives overlap so much that at times I have had to categorise them by adding all the 5 areas to each post. Let me explain.

Just a quick recap of the five areas of service for the Christian woman and wife in order of priority:

• God


• Husband


• Children


• Home


• Church

We must serve God and have Him first in our life. "He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:8

Because everything is spiritual in our life, I have discovered that when we serve our husbands, we are serving Christ. " Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord " Colossians 3:18 "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy" 1 Corinthians 7:14

When we look after our home, we are serving God, our husband and our children. "I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." 1 Timothy 5:14

Serving in church or serving in God's Name is important but should not come before all the other 4 priorities are in order. (widows) " well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work" 1 Timothy 5:10

I have found that often I cannot place a post under just one category because it is so closely correlated to the other categories of service. This is because everything in our lives is spiritual. When we consider the umbrella of God's protection as well, we can see that God's plan for our lives is amazing. We have everything here to guide us as wives, mothers and homemakers. We can be sure that we are living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God and in keeping with His Word. 

It is not only comforting to know that God's Word guides us in our daily living, but it is also amazing that we can know with a certainty that God not only approves of us being wives, mothers and homemakers, but that He calls most of us to be that! 

If God has called us to be a wife with all that entails, then let us rejoice in His plan for our life. In doing so, we can be partners with God in His greatest creation: people who will love Him and live for eternity with Him! And we will live an abundant life full of blessings as Christ has promised.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks