Treasures From My Heart to Yours

Free email newsletter reaching over 800 women.

Offering encouragement to mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers

Editor: Donna Kauffman

Author: Treasures From a Mother’s Heart,

The Treasure of Careful Planning--Enjoy the Gift of Organization,

Treasures From a Waiting Heart--Experiencing His Healing Presence

rdkauffman@alltel.net

Blog: http://treasuresbooks.blogspot.com/

Website: http://treasuresbooks.bravehost.com

4139 Kinsman Road

N. Bloomfield, OH 44450

440-693-4070

Volume 4 #6 June 2006

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*NOTICE: my new email address rdkauffman@alltel.net and mailing address 4139 Kinsman Rd.

*NOTICE: Sometimes it appears that my group list deletes addresses. If you find you don’t receive the newsletter by the 5^th of each month, please send a note with your address and I’ll add it back onto the list.

*Notice: my new website address http://treasuresbooks.bravehost.com You can view the newsletters on this site as well.

Praying for My Husband

Our Father God has given men who marry a large calling and huge task. I sometimes ponder my husband’s many responsibilities. From my perspective, it appears overwhelming. I’m afraid I would stumble under his load.

Over the years I’ve found it restful to stand as Bob’s prayer warrior. One of the Bible prayers I love to pray for Bob is Ephesians 3:14-21. I suggest you write down your husband’s name or even a particular friend or family member you feel deep concern for. Beside their name list all the major requests in this prayer.

For Bob the list of petitions from Ephesians 3:14-21 looks like this:

~That Bob would be strengthened with might by his spirit, in his inner person.

~That Christ would dwell in Bob’s heart by faith.

~That Bob would be rooted and grounded in love.

~That Bob would comprehend the breadth, length, depth and height of the love of God.

~That he would know the love of the Father that passes all understanding and knowledge.

~That Bob would be filled with all the fullness of God.

You know, over the years I’ve had no greater longing for my husband than that he walks intimately with the Heavenly Father. As I regularly pray these requests for him, I know I am praying in a way that the Father can minister and move deeply in Bob’s heart. Throughout the years, I’ve rejoiced as I’ve watched him grow in these areas, and I know my greatest longing for Bob is experiencing my greatest longing for him.

When my husband becomes strong in his inner person with the presence of the Father, he is truly a husband of great blessing. As Christ dwells deeply in his heart and he becomes rooted and grounded in Christ-like love, it’s amazing how he speaks Christ into my heart. For him to know, to truly know the love of the Father that does pass all understanding and knowledge, yes His love for us is far above our sense of comprehension, and for our husband to know that love allows him to speak into the deepest needs of his wife and children.

In this prayer as in other of Paul’s prayers, Paul doesn’t ask that one is spared suffering. He doesn’t request that earthly possessions be added to their spiritual longings. He says nothing about better jobs, health, healing, more money or many of the other things we often pray about. It’s not that those kind of requests are wrong, but it is note-worthy that Paul considered spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and a deepening understanding of the Father of greater value. Truly, praying this prayer for my husband with his many responsibilities will strengthen him in the most important areas of life.

Your Friend,

Donna

Proverbs 31:26

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From the scriptures

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

Proverbs 31:11

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Poem

Please send your poetry to rdkauffman@alltel.net.

Prayer Changes Things

Copyright by Hope Byler

I watch as his pickup truck disappears

down the dusty lane.

My dear faithful man,

off again to face his world.

A warrior he is,

fighting for his family,

fighting for his purity,

fighting for his church -

he faces battles on so many fronts.

I don’t want our home to be one, too.

I turn to clear away his breakfast dishes

from the table

and I pray his soul

would be fed today

by a constant stream

of pure and uplifting manna

from above.

I fold his socks.

"May his feet walk humbly

in Your path today, Father."

I remember his recent sigh

as we discussed a church situation.

"Give him wisdom, Lord.

Fill him with Your holiness

to respond as You would."

I sweep food crumbs from the floor,

"My husband has provided so well

for us, Lord,

may You multiply

his efforts and energy today."

And on throughout the day

I lift my man

to the throne of grace . . .

until I hear the creak

of that back door once again,

and I greet the warrior.

I mentally crown him

king of this palace.

I bless him.

Ministering to him all day

through prayer

has softened my heart.

Prayer does change things -

including me.

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Question for the Month

Please send your questions and responses to rdkauffman@alltel.net.The question for this month is:

I would like some ideas about keeping children motivated and cheerful over the summer months.

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The question for last month was:

I need suggestions on how to keep a six-boy bedroom in order. Who is responsible? The oldest? All of them together? Taking turns? The older with a younger? Mom? Sisters? The main problem is clothes dropped right where they are or digging through closet, shelf, or drawer for a piece of clothing, misplacing an item or two and not replacing it. Beds in a tumble, clothes in a jumble and Mom in a rumble.

I’ve tried several attempts to be with the boys when they change clothes so I can direct their clothes to right spots, but it’s impossible to always be there. Or maybe it’s just my mental-ability that makes me think I can’t. I’ve tried charts, rewards, punishments and it seems hopeless.

What do you think?

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Answers:

Well, I feel like I don't have all the answers but here could be a start...I have 4 girls in one bedroom and they range from 12 years down to 6 years. I also weary of the mess, and so I told them that after they start their day and leave their room that if their bed is not made or clothing is misplaced or on the floor they do not get desert that day. Our family loves desert and so to them that means something. I feel like it's not harming their health to make a rule like that and at the same time it keeps them on their toes. The same applies for leaving the main floor at night and going upstairs to bed. If they leave their shoes or coat lay out all night- no desert the next day. Jewel

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Answers to former questions:

Concerning birth control:

When we were first married, we chose to use the birth control pill. We had the common idea that we would wait a year or two, and then start our family. I wasn't on the pill long, before I noticed I was getting a LOT of migraines. We talked about it, then decided to stop using the pill. I had always been regular with my cycle, but after going off the pill, I seldom would cycle. I now have 3 children, but each one is a miracle! We went through years of praying and finally anointing. We praise the Lord that He gave us each child.

I would caution women from using the pill because it does things to your body that can take years to heal. It weakens the uterus wall so that it will not hold an embryo.

This said, I have quite a few friends who have had a hard time getting pregnant after taking the pill, so I know the heartache it causes. Newlyweds, you never know if you will be one of us that it affects. Lynette

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God has placed each of us on this earth to minister to the lives of others. This can be done in various ways. God calls some people to raise large families and send out their "arrows" into the world with the Gospel. God may call others to keep their family sizes small, so they are free to minister in other ways to the people around them.

I would not have been able to baby-sit the insecure foster child, and provide her with love and security had I had small babies and toddlers of my own to care for. We were older til we were married, so are enjoying the children God did give us. With having a smaller family, it makes it more feasible to think about a move to the mission field. We've also seen instances where parents tried to raise children and were too old to handle the pressures of parenting, and ended up losing control over their children. I think our motive for determining our family size is the key.
Is it because we want to have more finances for material possessions, or so we can spend more time and energy investing in the lives of others? People are more important than things in God's eyes and should be in ours, too.

I do not believe medically we should take permanent steps in ending our childbearing years, but using our heads, and natural means in spacing children can be wise for the physical and emotional health of the mother. Also many forms of birth control kill the fertilized egg which is contrary to obeying the 10 Commandments.

~~~~~~~~

In response to the question about whether we should use birth control, I would like to add a few comments. I find many times our attitudes toward children and family size are influenced by the attitudes of North American culture. We tend to look down on large families as somehow not being able to control themselves. Birth control methods have increased in the last 10 to 20 years, and are readily available from your family doctor. Before accepting these "convenient" methods, it is wise to read up on them and know how they work. Many Christians have accepted "the pill" without realizing that it can be abortive. Norplant and Depo-Provera can also operate in this way.

We have found observing the woman's cervical mucus and the basal body temperature to be a very reliable method, even for irregular cycles. It is not the rhythm method since you are looking at fertility symptoms and not just going on past cycles. A couple can abstain at the fertile times if they are trying to avoid a pregnancy. By knowing when your fertile time is, you are better able to achieve pregnancies too. Using this method has helped me to understand my body better and the wonderful way in which God created me. Even with this understanding, we realize it is not always easy to get pregnant when we desire and we realize that any children God gives us will be welcomed.

As a mother who gets very sick with each pregnancy, we have had only three children (also three miscarriages). We were advised against having our children real close together so my body would have time to rebuild in between each pregnancy. I think God expects us to take good care of our bodies whether it's through good dietary habits, exercise, adequate rest, or spacing pregnancies.

If anyone wishes to know more about the sympto-thermal method, you can e-mail me at bjcressman@alumni.uwaterloo.ca Jewel

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Foreign Workers Prayer-line

For Roslyn serving with her husband, Carl

and daughters in

the Middle East.

1. My vision this summer is to provide activities for the girls and some of their local friends.

2. I'm also considering offering some kind of English classes to one neighbor family at least, who have girls the same age as mine, plus more.

3. I have many ideas for the summer--but really feel the need for divine direction so I'm doing His work, and not just mine. That's a big request.

4. One goal that I believe God recently gave to me is to be able to share the "message" with each family that we are connected to in this area before we move on to another place. We don't have definite plans for moving anywhere at this point, but I felt led to ask for open doors and hearts so our purpose for working with these people can be fulfilled. For me, one of the biggest obstacles is language. The task seems so impossible when my ability to speak is so limited. However, I know that nothing is impossible for Him and there must be some way He wants us to work with them, for He placed us here and allowed us to meet them. So..... we ask for boldness, alertness to opportunities, creativity, ability to be good workers!

5. Finally, please ask for open doors for me to study the language this summer.

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Birth Announcements

Congratulations to our new mothers.

Natalia Brooke

Born April 10, 2006

9 lbs. 8 1/2 oz. 21"

Parents: Dan and Luci Martin

Happy siblings: Alec, Victoria & Bryant

Jared Todd Miller
May 3, 2006
8 lbs. 3 oz. 22"
Sisters: Felicia, Kristen, Shaina
Parents: Todd & Kim Miller

Maya Linn Schmucker
May 3rd

8lb. 6oz.

Jolyn and Andrew Schmucker

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Comments from Newsletter Subscribers

I was looking through my file where I save your email newsletters, reading through some old ones trying to get organized for summer vacation coming up! I remember reading one of the schedule you kept with your girls over summer. You specified how you would get up at certain time and eat breakfast, talk about things you wanted to do for the day and so on. You were very specific. Do you remember which one I'm talking about? If you still have it on file would you please email it to me again? Thanks also for your newsletters. I'm always so excited when my husband tells me another newsletter came in!!! God bless! Barb

Hello ladies, I decided to add the article that Barb is talking about into this newsletter in case more of you would like to review the ideas. Bless you with a blessed summer. Donna

Sailing into Summer

Suddenly, we’re sailing into summer. About this time of every year, when my daughters were young, I began to plan. If I planned what we would do during the school vacation months well, we enjoyed them much better. Our schedule went something like the following:

8:30 Rise and shine

9:30 At breakfast table

At the table we:

* Went over our memory verses (that were posted on the wall by the table).

* Chatted about our night and dreams for the day.

* Discussed the jobs and projects for the day.

* Had prayer together asking for the Father’s presence and guidance.

10:00 Jobs (as discussed at breakfast)

11:00 Freetime

* List of ideas on fridge to choose from if needed.

12:00 Lunch preparations

12:30 Lunch

1:30 Quiet Time (During this time each spent time in personal devotions and then an activity of their choice quietly in separate rooms.)

2:30 Jobs

3:30 Freetime

5:00 Dinner preparations

5:30 Dinner

Along with a daily schedule, like the above, I wanted to use the freer months to pour Jesus more keenly into my daughters’ hearts.

Many times we get caught up parenting our children for poor reasons. We want them to behave well, work hard, groom nicely and be the best--so we, as moms, look good. We fear what others might think if our children don’t have all the outstanding qualities.

Over the years I’ve learned that to truly minister to the hearts of my children I needed to turn their hearts to the Father. A far wiser purpose in training our children is that they would grow to be godly, strong, prayerful and careful for the glory of the heavenly Father. That is their purpose for being on this earth--after all.

It’s truly only through His enabling grace that our children learn to make wise choices. When one is unkind to another, we moms need to gently remind him/her to seek the power of the Father to enable them to show kindness to their sibling. When grumbling begins about their job list, it’s important that we see that as an opportunity to point our son or daughter to the wonder of God’s work in their heart. He is the one that can help them to choose a grateful heart. When they’ve fallen into sin, it’s the loving grace and blood of Jesus that cleanses their heart.

I believe as we move into the summer months with a bit of structure, and a heart that longs for our children to more deeply see Jesus, we will sail through the summer with greater joy.

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Thanks for the newsletter about your mother. Yes, I find myself extra-weepy this month, just remembering all we were doing to help Mom recuperate last year and yet to have so little time together. I am SO thankful to have had a godly mother that truly was my best friend. But I do miss her terribly much. There are so many little things I would like to chat about with her that nobody else would find interesting/amusing. I just hope my girls and I can have that kind of relationship in ten years. (Right now it is a little rough with being 12 and 13!) One good thing is that my sisters, sister-in-law and I are closer than ever. We even had a slumber party for one of their 40th birthday :). Thanks for the encouragement. Catherine, mother of 5

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My Books

*The Treasure of Careful Planning: $7.99

*Treasures From a Waiting Heart: $9.50

*Buy a package of both books for $16.50

Treasures From a Waiting Hearts

--Experiencing His Healing Presence

As you follow Donna’s candid story of struggle, failure and self effort, you will identify. As you witness the redemption, healing and freedom that the loving Father abundantly poured out on her repentant heart, you will long. Donna shares the priceless treasures she has gathered at the feet of her loving Father, waiting for His healing and the heart transformation she longed for. Read with your heart, read with a hunger. The Father’s arms are open wide. Hope Byler

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The Treasure of Careful Planning

This book tells the story of how the Lord met me during a very low time in my early mothering years. The message He unfolded has changed my life from that day until today. You’ll learn to determine your purpose for being on this earth, and numerous ideas on organizing your life in a way that you’ll have more time to accomplish your purpose than you imagined.

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You can order my books at rdkauffman@alltel.net I’ll send an invoice with your order. You may mail a check or money order when you receive the invoice.

Shipping for one book is $1.75 each. In Canada, $2.00. If you purchase more than one book the shipping cost is less per book.

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Until next time. God Bless

Donna Kauffman

4139 Kinsman Road

N. Bloomfield, OH 44450

440-693-4070

rdkauffman@alltel.net

Blog: http://treasuresbooks.blogspot.com/

Website: http://treasuresbooks.bravehost.com

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