Article: "Christians Can't Multitask"

I just finished reading a wonderful article by Alex & Brett Harris entitled Christians Can't Multitask.

I know. When I first saw the headline, I thought the same thing that's probably running through your mind right now. What in the world? Now that's strange. What's wrong with multi-tasking?

Through reading the article, however, I discovered a few things. Although multi-tasking in and of itself is not wrong, there are some things we need to consider first.

In this article, the Harris twins coherently and judiciously break down the issues surrounding our ever-increasing use of modern technology. How do we look at this from a Biblical perspective? What are the implications for our life goal of bringing glory to God?

In their own words,

Even in its infancy the incredible power and pervasiveness of modern technology requires us to step back and reassess our generation's proclivity for multitasking. As life gets faster and faster and technology continues to advance we've got to stop texting long enough to ask ourselves whether we're really more efficient when we multitask. How does this juggling show affect our productivity, our thought life, and our relationships?

The Godly Home - A Quote

Children need a mother who teaches them, not a teacher who doesn't have the emotional energy to mother them. Young men need a father who teaches them to work, not a father too busy working to teach them.

The best schooling for children is a good home life, not a home that is all school.

-Michael Pearl, To Train Up a Child, pg. 91

The First Online Christian Homemaking Conference

What a wonderful idea! An online conference! You can click on the add on my sidebar or the banner at the bottom of this post to see what topics are going to be discussed and other details.

The following is a message from Jennie Chancey on her website, Ladies Against Feminism.

We are very excited to tell our readers that technology has finally made a long-held dream come true: the opportunity to speak “live” over the Internet from home to ladies all over the world! Wherever you can get a high-speed connection, you will be able to log in and join us for a one-day conference (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST) on March 17, 2007. This first ever Christian Homemaking Conference on the Internet will feature Kim Brenneman of Large Family Logistics; Jennifer McBride of Noble Womanhood; Victoria Botkin and her daughters, Anna Sofia and Elizabeth of Visionary Daughters; Lydia Sherman and her daughter, Lillibeth, and yours truly, LAF editor Jennie Chancey. Attendees will be able to log in to a special conference site that will include streaming audio in real-time, visual presentations during the talks, live chat, and Q&A with the speakers. No need to spend time on the road or buy plane tickets; you can curl up with a cup of tea or gather with a group of friends and enjoy this special event from the comfort of home! Please click the banner below or in the sidebar for details. We truly look forward to “seeing” you there!

Thank you to all those who are putting this together!

Family Blog

My family just started our own blog, The Name Fitz. Click here or on my new sidebar link to see it!

New Web Address

I just changed my web address to

http://morepreciousthanrubiesblog.blogspot.com

Just to make it easier to read ... it says "more precious than rubies blog." Please make any necessary changes to Bookmarks or other links leading to my blog.

Thanks!
Lauren

Sarah, Abraham's Wife - A Quote

God chose this one special man and this one special woman to become the father and mother of a great nation. Sarah wasn't commended for being a wonderful mother. She spent most of her life childless, being an old woman before her only son was born, and then she died before Isaac was grown. She was commended because she believed God and called her husband lord. She was the kind of wife God needed to make the kind of man God chose to bring forth a great nation [emphasis in original].

-Debi Pearl, in her book Created To Be His Helpmeet

1 Peter 3:1-6 ~ Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

A Tribute to a Virtuous Woman

As most of you may know, my mom is due to deliver her fifth child sometime in February. Yesterday, Leslie and I, with the invaluable help of a dear friend, Mrs. Helen, hosted a baby shower for her. Leslie and I, in the course of our planning, considered various baby shower games and activities. Somehow, they all seemed meaningless and trite. What could we do that would make this baby shower special for Mom and do justice to her endless wonderful qualities and remarkable character?

Proverbs 31:28 speaks thus of the virtuous woman, "Her children arise up and call her blessed...." Since we are indeed the children of a virtuous woman, I was thankful for this opportunity to publicly arise up and call my mother blessed. The following is roughly the "speech" I delivered in tribute to my virtuous mother:

The story of this special baby begins about four years ago, when my parents surrendered a particular area of their lives to the Lord. This was the area of having children. At first, Mom was rather intimidated by this decision and everything it might entail. You see, at forty-two, Mom was past the age that most women would even consider bringing new children into the world. Although she was willing to have more children if the Lord saw fit, she was not particularly eager.

Several years went by, and it seemed evident that our family would forever be a family of six.

In May of 2006, we had the privilege of attending American Vision's Worldview Superconference. The first person we met there was a man by the name of Gene. We started talking with him, and in the course of the conversation we asked how many children he had. Now, he didn't seem like the most serious guy in the world, so his answer of "ten children" left us wondering whether or not we should believe him. We were soon assured of his sincerity and in amazement us kids moved off to unpack and get settled, leaving Mom talking with him and his wife. Mom shared that she and Dad had surrendered the area of childbearing to the Lord, and that she was somewhat surprised she had not had any more children after leaving it in the Lord's hands. At the end of their lengthy conversation, Mr. Gene and his wife prayed with Mom and Dad. Mr. Gene's prayer was not exactly what Mom had expected. She was surprised and a little worried when Mr. Gene prayed that God would actually give her and Dad another baby. This was not quite what she had had in mind. She did not yet truly want another child enough to actually pray for one.

Over the next few days, we were greatly blessed not only by the many lectures, but also by watching how the large families in attendance functioned and the ways that their members interacted. Each of these families left a lasting impression on all of us and were a living testimony of the goodness of God's blessings.

It wasn't until we arrived back home and "got back into the swing of things" that Mom earnestly prayed, "Lord, if You want to send us another child, I'm ready and willing."

I'm reminded of Mary, after the angel told her that she was to be the mother of the Savior. "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38)." Mom had the same attitude of surrender, selflessness, and self-sacrifice that Mary had, even in the face of potential difficulties and discomforts.

The Lord had prepared her heart to joyfully accept a very special gift.

One week later, Mom discovered that she was four or five weeks pregnant with a new addition to our family. God's timing is always perfect.

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate (Psalm 127:3-5)."

It's been a long process, but my parents have come to realize that children are from the Lord, and that they are a huge blessing. While our culture tells us that children are disruptive, a burden, an unwanted expense, unnecessary trouble, and extra impediments, the Bible tells us that God views children as a tremendous blessing, an asset, bearers of joy, and a wonderful heritage from Himself. [See Children: Blessing or Burden?]

I know that Mom and Dad view this new baby as a blessing. They also realize the huge task awaiting them: to raise this child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to be a godly young man or a virtuous young woman. Hannah, after the Lord gave her Samuel, recognized that her child was given to her by God and she committed Samuel to the Lord. She praised God for the priceless gift He had seen fit to bestow upon her.

"For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord.
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God (1 Samuel 1:27-28; 2:1-2)."

Mom has completely amazed me throughout her pregnancy. Her attitude has been truly wonderful, and her energy has been impressive. She has continued to minister to the physical needs of her family as usual. In addition to their normal duties, how many 7-month-pregnant women have the desire to host a neighborhood Christmas party or have violin recitals for their 11-year-old daughters in their living rooms?

Proverbs 31:10, 26-27 says, "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

Most women would probably not view themselves as still needing to "look well to the ways of their households" during pregnancy, and would consider themselves to be completely justified in "eating the bread of idleness." Mom, on the other hand, has kept right up with everything that has been going on. We are always asking her to slow down and to "remember her condition" - a phrase which she has good-humoredly all but banned us from using when speaking to her.

Proverbs goes on to say, "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised (vs. 28-30)."

I just want to bless and praise my mom today for being a godly, virtuous woman. I want to thank her for everything she's done and everything she's been to the four of us. She’s been our teacher, our cook, our housekeeper, our sympathizer, our comforter, our encourager, our mentor, our example, such a wonderful mother in so many ways.

Thanks for being there, Mom, always ready to guide and encourage us. May God bless you for being an unparalleled model of virtuous womanhood to Leslie, Shannon, and me. I love you.

Oh, and thank you for the new little brother or sister!

Clockwise from top left: Shannon, me, Leslie, Mom

I love you, Mom!

Some Thoughts From S.M. Davis

On a recent family vacation, during our long car rides, we listened to S.M. Davis' talk entitled What God Has to Say About Having Children. (I can't find it anywhere on the Internet. If I could, I would include a link.) It was a wonderful lecture and had many great points. Hoping that this information wouldn't go in one ear and out the other (which seems to happen quite often for me), I jotted down some of my favorite points. The following is a conglomeration of Dr. Davis' points and some commentary by yours truly. I realize it's slightly incoherent and disjointed, but don't throw the baby out with the bath water please. : )


Dr. Davis told a story about a little girl and her pastor:

Pastor: How many kids are there in your family, young lady?
Little girl: Seven.
Pastor: Wow! That must cost a lot!
Little girl: Oh, no! We don't buy them; we raise them!

Of course, this is "cute," and most people would laugh it off without realizing that this little girl's perspective is much more biblical than the pastor's. This pastor is viewing children the same way that the feminists of today view them: as a burden. The little girl, on the other hand, recognizes that children are given to parents to raise for the glory of God!


God says that children are a blessing (Genesis 17:16; 24:60; 49:25), an inheritance, and a reward (Psalm 127:3). The word used for "reward" literally means "wages."


The Bible clearly shows that the Lord gives children and withholds them, according to His will. This area is not under our jurisdiction! One of the many verses addressing this is Psalm 113:9:

He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children [Emphasis added]. Praise ye the Lord.

This is cause to praise God for His blessings, not to mourn because of a perceived burden!

1 Samuel 2:21 - And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters [Emphasis added]. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

The Lord gave Hannah her children.

Psalm 127:3-5 - Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Dr. Davis brought up an interesting point: Is a man going into battle going to see how many arrows he can take, or how few? Of course he would want to have as many as he could!


In Genesis 1:22, 28; 8:17; 9:1, 7; and 35:11, God tells man to "be fruitful and multiply." He also tells them to "replenish the earth." The word fruitful literally means "full of fruit." Replenish means to "fill up." So we are to be "full of fruit," and to "fill up the earth." If it were God's plan for women to only have 1.8 children, why did He not give her only 3-5 years for childbearing?


Dr. Davis gave lots of statistics on numbers of children which I think are fascinating!

At the time of the founding of our country (1700's), the average family consisted of 8 or more children.

By 1900, the average was 4 children.

Today, the average number of children per family in the United States is 1.8.

On average, American households contain more TV's than children.

In a speech during his presidency, Teddy Roosevelt called women who didn't fulfill their God-given role of having children "criminals against the race." Image someone saying that today!

What are we missing?
Bach was the 8th-born child.
Mozart was 7th.
Beethoven was 5th.
Enrique Caruso, a famous Italian tenor, was the 18th of 21 children. The first 17 children died during or soon after infancy.
Steinway (the piano guy Steinway) was 7th.
George Washington was the 5th of 10.
Pres. Tyler - 6th of 8
Pres. Taylor - 6th of 8
Pres. Pierce - 7th of 8
Pres. Hayes - 5th of 5
Pres. Arthur - 5th of 9
Pres. Cleveland - 5th of 9
Pres. Harrison - 5th of 13
Pres. McKinley - 7th of 9
Pres. Taft - 7th of 10

The average number of children in the presidents' families is 6.3.

Many of the presidents went on to have many children themselves, Tyler ending up with the most: 15.


The mentality that we should have, Dr. Davis boldly declares, is not "I want two, maybe three children," but rather, "I want to have faith to have each child that God gives to me."

The point is not, "I need to have lots and lots of children." Rather, it is "I am open to having however many children God decides to give me, whether it be two or twenty."


Dr. Davis wraps up his talk with the statement:

Think about babies like God things about babies, not like Planned Parenthood thinks about them.

As Christians, we must never forget that every area of life is "religious." That is to say, the Bible speaks to everything! Children are a blessing straight from God. God Himself says so in His holy Word!

Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

The Lord has really emphasized this to me again and again over the past few weeks. What a comfort it is to know that if we put our trust in Him and acknowledge Him in all that we do, He will direct our paths!

Family Friends ... Literally

One of the many ways that the Lord has blessed us over the past few years is by bringing our family closer together. He truly has made my siblings and me best friends. We enjoy doing things together and talking together.

It is so easy for us to distance ourselves from the other members of our families! Everyone has heard of "sibling rivalry," and it seems to be accepted today today that siblings will treat each other in ways that they would never consider treating someone who is no relation to them.

The book Home-Making has an interesting perspective on why this is true:

The fact that it is home and that the ties are natural and thought to be secure; that the members are sure of each other, without making any effort to win confidence and regard; that love between them is a matter of course, as if by nature, without winning it or cherishing it or troubling themselves to keep it, is another of the muses for the absence of real friendship among brothers and sisters. They imagine that family affection is a sort of instinct not subject to the laws which control other affections; that it does not need to be sought or gained or won, as affection must be in others, by giving affection in return and by the countless little tendernesses and thoughtfulnesses which are shown to others whom they desire to win. They forget that the principle, "he that hath friends must show himself friendly," applies in the family just as well as outside of it. They forget that friendship anywhere must be cherished or it will die; that indifference and coldness will muse it to wither as drought causes summer flowers to wither. They imagine, in a word, that the love of the family is so sure and strong that it needs no care, no pains, to keep it safe. So it is that in very many homes brothers and sisters come and go, day after day, and year after year, mingling in all the life of the household, but never really forming close friendships among themselves.*

Indeed, in many homes, this seems to be the norm:

...[T]he intercourse of brothers and sisters in the home lacks even the graces of ordinary civility. As soon as the door shuts them within, restraint is thrown off, selfishness comes to the surface, courtesy is laid aside. There is no pleasant conversation. Neither lives for or tries to please the other. The speech is rude or careless and the whole bearing cold or indifferent.**

How true this is! (And I've been the culprit more than once.)

The solution?

Friendships in the family require care and culture as do other friendships. We must win one another's love inside the home doors just as we win the love of outside friends. ... [W]e must show ourselves unselfish, self-forgetful, thoughtful, kind, tender, patient, helpful. [Yes, even to our siblings!] ... We must live for each other. We must gain each other's heart by giving just what we expect to receive. We must cherish the friendship that we have won. Unless we do, it will not grow. We must watch our words and our conduct. We must seek to please and take pains never to would or grieve. We must deny self and live for one another. We must confide in one another. We must cultivate in our own hearts and lives whatever is beautiful, whatever is tender, whatever is holy, whatever is true. Friendships in our own home, to be deep and true and heart-satisfying, must be formed by the patient knitting of soul to soul and the growing of life into life, just as in other friendships.***

I have been thinking recently: Why is it that when we are home our speech becomes careless and inconsiderate? Why is it that when we are home our dress tends to be sloppy and slovenly? If we gave the members of our families the same respect, civility, politeness, kindness, courtesy, and care that we give to friends and strangers alike, think what our families could be like! Imagine what wonderful, close, satisfying friendships could be formed!

While my siblings and I still have frequent failings in this area, we are thankful that the Lord has worked in each of our lives to bring us closer to each other and to Him.

We know not half the power for good or ill
Our daily lives possess o'er one another;
A careless word may help a soul to kill,
Or by one look we may redeem our brother.

'Tis not the great things that we do or say,
But idle words forgot as soon as spoken;
And little thoughtless deeds of every day
Are stumbling-blocks on which the weak are broken.****

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*Home-Making, by J.R. Miller; pg 149
**Ibid; pg. 156
***Ibid; pg. 151
****Ibid; pg. 161