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Building an Altar for the Lord

Building an Altar for the Lord

by | Jul 10, 2023 | Mollie, One Blessed Momma

“Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.” Genesis 13:18

This scripture tells us that Abram (later known as Abraham) built an altar for God. These altars were used for sacrificing animals as a form of worship. Abram wasn’t the only one from the bible that performed this ritual. In fact, this was often done after a victory in battle or some other blessing had been revealed.

Building an altar and subsequently offering sacrifices seems like a thing of the past. Most Christians (none I know of) don’t build altars in their backyard and slaughter goats, sheep, cows, birds, etc.… God doesn’t require us to offer blood sacrifices anymore. Not since he sent his only begotten son to live a perfect life, die on the cross as payment for our sins, and rise again on the 3rd day-conquering death and revealing his power to do so. Praise his holy name, Jesus!

The scriptures tell us that the Old Testament was given as an example to us and a foreshadowing of things to come (1 Cor. 10:11). Like so many things from old testament times, we can glean much knowledge about our spiritual lives by looking at their physical lives.

I have spent the last several years reading through the whole bible every year. This has been a tremendous blessing to me in my spiritual walk, and one significant benefit I have noticed is seeing a more complete picture of scripture.

One of the things that has stuck out to me is how many parallels we can draw between the physical and spiritual.

As I pondered Genesis 13:18 through this lens, I began to see a parallel here.

We all have so much freedom under Christ, and what a blessing that is! However, just like Galatians 5:13 warns- let’s not use our freedom to let the flesh rule our lives. This is a trap cunningly set by our enemy. And I, unfortunately, have fallen into it many times.

It is so very easy to go along with the culture and society without even realizing it. We almost all have some form of social media, some video streaming app, and some form of audiobook/podcast app. I am not saying there is anything inherently wrong with having, using, and enjoying these things. I am, however, warning against slowly allowing ourselves to be desensitized or hardened to the evil parts that are so prevalent in these areas of entertainment.

How much is “too much” cussing? Is a movie with one cuss word enough to take it off our watchlist? Or is the magic number 5? Or 10? Or does it depend on which cuss word is used? What about sex scenes? Is one ok? Only if it doesn’t show total nudity? Violence? How much violence is ok?

There are any number of qualifiers we use to determine if something is ok to allow into our minds or the minds of our children. These are all decisions we must make for ourselves. My encouragement to you is to be careful how you make these determinations and don’t be pressured to allow anything into your mind or your child’s mind that you feel is wrong or could cause you to say more is ok next time.

As I mentioned earlier, I have fallen into this trap many times. I have also fallen into the trap of going to one of these avenues for comfort when life is hard (which has been A LOT lately). It is SO much easier to let my mind wander to some fictitious place than to have to think about my life problems. How wrong! I have placed my trust in some worldly devices rather than the one who can truly deliver me.

I always thought it was ridiculous that the Israelites put their trust in graven and molten images—mindless objects. But friends, we do the same thing!

As I came to the realization that I had allowed myself to fall prey to one of the enemy’s traps, I prayed. I prayed for forgiveness. I prayed for deliverance. I prayed for guidance.

That is when Genesis 13:18 came along. Seeing how Abram went and built an altar, I began to think, “How can I build a spiritual altar? What does that look like?”

My conclusion is that we build altars by forming habits. Both good and bad. Just as an altar takes time to build one stone upon another, so do habits take time and intentionality.

When we stop and pray before every meal, that is an altar on which we sacrifice to wait to dive into our food to be thankful.

Another example would be reading scripture. Build that altar (habit) and sacrifice that time. A very important altar would be to take time. Stop. Shut down the noise and listen. Listen to what God has to say. Take time to thank him, To ask him for guidance, To read his word, and get to know him.

Build your altars, friends, and go there daily to sacrifice to the One, True, and Living God!

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds:) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ” 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Friend,

If you’re reading this and you don’t know our God. If you haven’t been covered by the blood of Jesus and been given his Holy Spirit as a comforter, please reach out! He is waiting for you and wanting for you to accept his FREE gift of salvation. Don’t wait. It is THE most important decision you will ever make. Make it today.

With love,

Mollie

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Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family

Taking Fun Seriously

Taking Fun Seriously

by | Jun 12, 2023 | Mollie, One Blessed Momma

The Most Magical Place on Earth

Is your home the most magical place on earth? No, I am not asking if you live at Disney Land. How seriously do you take having fun with your kids? Do you even know what they consider fun?

I recently read a short devotional about taking fun seriously and being intentional about taking the time to enjoy life with your children. This really convicted me. 

Generally, my idea of fun is pulling weeds from my garden, planting a new flower bed, or trying out a new bread recipe. Anything that is still accomplishing a beneficial task that I can check off my never-ending to-do list. Somehow, I don’t think those things always align with my kids’ ideas of fun. 

Give Yourself Permission

As a mom, I have struggled to allow myself to take the time to do “meaningless” activities. I always feel the need to be efficient. Work. Get things done. Don’t waste a second. 

I am learning that, like all things in life, there is a balance. One can play too much, as we see a lot in today’s society. However, one can also be so focused on accomplishing tasks that they cease to enjoy the abundant blessings the Lord so graciously bestows on them each day.

Mom Stress is Real

Being a mom has its stresses to be sure. Are we raising our kids right? Teaching them everything they need to know? Protecting them, but not over-sheltering them? Feeding them the right foods? Taking them to the right Dr.? Immunizing or not immunizing? Public, private, or homeschool? Sports? 4-h?  Youth group? The list goes on and on.

With everything we have to decide every day, how could we possibly take time to play with our kids?

When we take the time to laugh and enjoy life, it really is a testament to our faith in God. How can you laugh if you’re worried? How can you stay stressed if you’re thanking God?

Scripture Says…

The scripture has a lot to say about laughter and enjoying life. I just chose a few to share here. 

Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Being happy has a physical effect on our bodies. Consider it a daily dose of vitamins.

Proverbs 31:25 “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”

The ancient proverbian is speaking about a godly, virtuous woman here. One that we would do well to aspire to be like. He says, “She laughs at the time to come,” Some versions say, “She smiles at the future” or, “She is cheerful about the days to come.” Can we be cheerful about the future if we are stressing about money, health, jobs, etc? 

Psalm 126:25 “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; they they said among the nations (non-believers) ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ “

Our cheerfulness can be a great witness of God’s goodness to others. We have a greater chance of telling others about the Gospel (the good news of Jesus) if we show how good we believe it is!

We have an enemy that would make us feel life’s weight every moment. He would love to keep us in the miry pits of stress, doubt, and insecurity. 

Fight this battle with a joyful spirit!

Golden Opportunity

As moms, we have the opportunity every day to show, teach, and mold the minds and hearts of future generations. What do we want them to learn from us? How to doubt and worry? or, how to trust God and truly hand their lives over to him; living life with a cheerful outlook? I know which one I choose!

In this demanding occupation called motherhood, we often take life and mothering too seriously- failing to enjoy the journey!

The Proverbs 31 woman didn’t rejoice in the days to come because she knew some special secret. No, she rejoiced because she trusted in the One who is in control. Her creator. Her God. Her Savior. 

Be At Ease

We can be at ease knowing that the God who holds our future- our children’s futures, our grandchildren’s futures- also holds our hands today. He is the ultimate power, none can even compare to Him! Let us remember that who He is changes who we are.

I encourage you to join me in my journey of intentionally (that means planning) having more fun with my kids. Play a card or board game, ride bikes or horses together, find funny faces in the clouds, go for a walk, watch a movie together, and then quote funny lines to each other later on.

I am striving to create a haven of joy and peace that my kids want to be in!

So give yourself permission to join me on the “fun challenge”. Leave a comment on one way you plan to have fun with your family this week. 

Thanks for reading, and, as always, be blessed!

Friend,

If you’re reading this and you don’t know our God. If you haven’t been covered by the blood of Jesus and been given his Holy Spirit as a comforter, please reach out! He is waiting for you and wanting for you to accept his FREE gift of salvation. Don’t wait. It is THE most important decision you will ever make. Make it today.

With love,

Mollie

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Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family
Self Care That Lasts

Self Care That Lasts

by | May 8, 2023 | Mollie, One Blessed Momma

Hello beautiful blessed mommas!

Today I want to talk about self care.

Self care is something I hear a lot about but it is still somewhat of an abstract concept to me.

So, what is it anyway?.

Many people (myself included) think of expensive days at the spa, retail therapy shopping trips or over indulging in your favorite sweet treat. I mean, there is nothing a carton of Ben and Jerry’s can’t fix, right?

All those feel good in the moment, and if that is what helps you, then, by all means, do that!

To me, though, all the aforementioned activities bring fleeting relief, but then the guilt sets in. Guilt over the time, money and calories.

I wanted to take a look at the meaning of self care.

Self care is every action we do to keep our mind, body and soul healthy.

Moms are the best at taking care of others. Growing, birthing, feeding, cleaning and loving small humans is not for the faint of heart.

God created us to be nurturing and to want to take care of people. Our husband, our kids, the neighbors kids, the stray cat. You get the picture.

Often times we forget to take care of ourselves.

My proclivity is to feel selfish for even thinking about it!

However, as the old cliche’ goes, you have to first put on your oxygen mask to be able to help others with their’s. 

Selfish? NO! Necessary.

Without some self care you WILL burn out. You WILL quit. You will not be an effective vessel for the Lord.

The least selfish person that ever walked the earth, Jesus himself, practiced self care. Don’t believe me?

Check out Luke 5:15 (there are many other instances as well).

Jesus walked away from the crowd and went off to pray by himself. He knew he needed to check out from the crowd for a minute and commune with God.

 

 

He unplugged from the group but didn’t go off and mindlessly scroll through social media or binge watch Netflix. NO! He unplugged from the crowd but plugged into something bigger.

He saw the big picture and chose not to simply escape the pressures of life but to nourish his soul.

When we try to use our “self care” to numb our pain we ignore our needs and end up completely depleting ourselves.

How do we take care of ourselves in a lasting and meaningful way?

First, we need to realize that this life is not our focus.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Galatians 6:7

When we understand the true value and importance of our spiritual life, we can find the motivation to put that first.

“Casting all your cares upon Him; for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

This is the place to start. Understanding that our heavenly Father is waiting with arms wide open and a listening ear. He cares for you and me.

He wants you to bring all your worries to Him. Believe me, His shoulders are plenty big enough to carry the load.

He wants to meet our needs so we can meet the needs of others.

One fact I have always found so beautiful is even though we are commanded to love God with everything we are, the way we are told to show that is by having love for each other. What a beautiful picture of love He has painted for us!

I hope some of these ideas will encourage you to look for ways to, not only take care of yourself, but to nourish your soul.

1. Pray
2. Read scripture
3. Plug into a strong Christian community
4. Wake up 10 minutes early to be still and listen to God.
5. Take a walk
6. Make a meal for your neighbor
7. Invite a friend over for coffee
8. Send a card to a friend
9. Journal your thoughts (brain dump!)
10. Write a poem
11. Hug your kids (my favorite!)

Why do we worry about things of this world?

The work and the stress making us prematurely old.

School, work and social media all have us caught.

Keep your focus on yourself is what we are taught.

Do what feels right! Live for today!

Oh, the folly in those words. Oh, the price they will pay.

Do not sow to the flesh, for corruption that will bring.

Sow your time to the Spirit and with angels you will sing.

Do not grow weary in doing what is right.

For the reward of the savior is truly out of sight.

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Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family

Building Communication Bridges With Your Kids

Building Communication Bridges With Your Kids

by | Apr 10, 2023 | Mollie, One Blessed Momma

Beware the teenager

One of the most often repeated “warnings” I was (and still am) given as a new mom was, “Just wait ’til they’re teenagers.” No matter how well-meaning that statement was intended, there is really nothing the least bit helpful in it.

I have often listened to weary mothers explaining their reasons for such a statement and it usually involves-if not completely revolves around- a communication breakdown.

I am sure the teenage years can be hard and I in no way want to diminish anyone’s struggle. However, I believe so much can be done to help negate many negative aspects of parenting adolescents.

I do not have a teenager yet. My oldest will be 11 in a couple of weeks, so I am not trying to tell you I have that all figured out. My goal is to share some things I have seen other moms use successfully and now I am doing to help keep open and often communication.

Don’t be distracted

First, pay attention when your babies want to talk. From the very beginning, they know when you’re distracted.

This is something I have recently been very convicted on. It is something I will do good on for a long stretch of time but will find myself gradually getting sucked back into SOME project, purpose, or time-wasting activity.

Even good things are bad when they are keeping you from parenting the kids God has put in your care.

In the past two and a half years, I have had several minor surgeries. About every four months, I would have another one. I would need to take it easy each time for a week or so. I noticed that after being stuck in bed or on the couch for a week, I would struggle to get back into the swing of things. I found myself being sucked into YouTube, Pinterest, or some mindless T.V. show.

It is so easy to fall prey to Satan’s use of distraction. I could truly go on and on about this subject.

The point is, we have GOT to listen to our kids whenever they come to us and whatever they bring to talk about. Having a conversation about unicorns or legos may not seem like it will have any consequential effects, but if you don’t listen to what’s important to them now, why would they bring to you what’s important to them later on?

Listening about legos now brings about opportunities to listen to life-altering decisions later.

Respect

We all want to be respected. Our society has such a skewed view of respect that true respect is all but disappeared. 

Respecting your elders, parents, and authority figures is a very important concept, and I believe the best way to teach respect is to model it. Model showing respect to other adults, yes, but be respectful towards your children as well. 

If you are always talking over and interrupting your children, don’t be surprised when that is their MO in conversation. 

If you can’t look up from your phone when they are asking you a question, don’t expect something different from them.

Now I am not suggesting they should run the show. They still need to learn when to be silent in a conversation. I don’t subscribe to the “let a child do whatever he wants” philosophy, nor do I subscribe to the “children should be seen and not heard” way of thinking. 

I believe a more balanced middle ground is just the ticket to teaching little ones how to be respectful and respectable. 

Don’t air their dirty laundry

My next topic goes hand-in-hand with respect. Not talking badly about your kids to others and not telling every little mistake they make. 

I am not talking about discussing with other moms to seek wisdom on handling certain difficulties. By all means, seek that godly wisdom! But we have all been around, and possibly even been, that mom that can’t wait to tell everyone what terrible things her children have put her through.

Sadly, I know a few moms who constantly talked down about their kids-even in front of them. I truly believe many moms feel they shouldn’t “brag” about their kids, so instead, they talk down about them. Or maybe they feel so down about themselves they project that onto their children. 

Whatever the case, it is not emotionally healthy for anyone involved and tends to push kids away from their parents and towards someone who will say whatever they want to hear. I have seen this happen time and time again. 

Please let your kids know that you think they’re pretty cool. That really goes a long way in keeping communication open.

Having fun and working together

Having fun coupled with working together is so impactful on both your and your child’s (ren) mental health. The joy and laughter that comes from playing together creates lasting positive memories. 

Along with that, the sense of accomplishment after completing a project together (whether it be creating a flower bed, cooking a meal, weeding a garden, cleaning a chicken coop, or simply cleaning house) is a long-lasting lesson learned in work ethic, teamwork, and self-respect. Not to mention skill-building in whatever you’re doing. 

This is one area that I really push. Enjoy your kids and include them in everyday tasks. This means so much to them (even when/if they grumble a little) and will teach them many powerful lessons.

Soak in the scripture and pray, momma

My final thoughts are far and above the most crucial. If you get nothing else from this post, please hear this. Be in the Word (Bible) with your kids, and pray for and with them. I feel so strongly about this I am going to repeat it. Be in the Word with your kids, and pray for and with them.

There is nothing more powerful than our God, and he has richly blessed us with his written word as well as the opportunity to speak with him. 

He offers us the unlimited communication plan. No extra charge for long distance; no roaming fees; no overage charges. 

He is there ready to listen whenever we pray. Period. That fact that the most powerful being in all the universe has granted us an unlimited audience with him is beyond our comprehension. It is truly unthinkable! What a faithful and loving God we serve. Amen!

A practical application of the advice to be in the Word is to do some form of scripture reading with your kids daily. We usually read the verse of the day from my Bible app and discuss it at breakfast, along with reading a section from the Bible in the evening before bed. Right now, we are reading through Genesis. 

We also have a scripture memory rewards system. I work with the kids about every day on their verse. Thursday is our recitation day, if they know their verse and can recite it, they get a sticker on their chart that they got to design. Otherwise, they have to keep practicing until the next Thursday. Once they have five stickers, they get an ice cream cone. It is a fun way to help them memorize scripture.

One of my most prayed prayers for my kids is that the Lord would keep the evil one away and that he would guard their hearts. 

John 10 talks about the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd guards his sheep. He feeds his sheep. He protects his sheep, and he gave his life for his sheep. 

He is able, more than able, to guard our children if we would but ask!

My mom always said she did her best parenting on her knees. I encourage every mom everywhere to follow her’s, and many other faithful mommas’, examples and pray through our parenting. 

Let’s pray right now.

Oh, Heavenly Father,

We humbly come before your throne of grace so thankful. Thankful for the beautiful little lives you have placed in our care. Thankful for the constant help and peace you offer us. Most of all, thankful for your son and the sacrifice he was willing to make to give each of us opportunity to have a relationship with you, our father. 

Right now, we lift our children up to you and ask you to guard their hearts and keep the evil one far away from them. Help them to follow you all their days. Humble them to know that they need you and give them your peace which passes all understanding when they follow after you. 

We pray these things in your son’s beautiful name, Jesus. Amen.

Friend,

If you’re reading this and you don’t know our God. If you haven’t been covered by the blood of Jesus and been given his Holy Spirit as a comforter, please reach out! He is waiting for you and wanting for you to accept his FREE gift of salvation. Don’t wait. It is THE most important decision you will ever make. Make it today.

With love,

Mollie

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Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family

Asking for Help (and why that’s a good thing)

Asking for Help (and why that’s a good thing)

by | Feb 12, 2023 | Mollie, One Blessed Momma

Can you ask for help?

Is asking for help something you often do? Is it easy for you? If so, good job! You are among the few.

 

For many of us, asking for help is difficult and only turned to as a last resort once all other options are exhausted. I can think of many times I have just pushed through and ended up with a less-than-satisfactory outcome, all because I didn’t want to admit I needed assistance.

 

The scripture DOES speak highly of perseverance. However, we are told to be dependent on God and our fellow believers at the same time. In other words, don’t plow blindly through a situation; ask for guidance, help, and wisdom.

 

I have thought of a few ways we can and should, be reaching out for help.

Husbands

If you’re like me, you don’t mind or feel too guilty to ask your husband for help. My most significant hang-up is that I expect him to just know what I need or want help with without asking. It’s obvious, right?? Well, not always. Honestly, not even usually. I would even go so far as to say seldom is it obvious. Men and women just think differently.

Let me create a scenario that may or may not come from my own experience. 🤪

It’s five o’clock in the afternoon-the witching hour for many young children. You have cooked, cleaned, folded, re-cleaned, washed faces, wiped butts and counters, and probably many, many other things that day. You are currently trying to nurse a screaming baby while changing a toddler’s diaper at the same time as refereeing an argument between two of your older kids, all while attempting to answer a question from your amazingly inquisitive daughter about why spiders are not insects (because your original answer of, “insects have three-part bodies and only six legs while spiders have eight legs. They are called arachnids.” only provokes a “duh” look and the statement, “Mom, I already knew that, but why???)

You started dinner early, thinking yourself accomplished- only to realize the half-baked biscuits in the oven don’t have any shortening in them. While pondering if dumping melted butter on cooked biscuits will make it all even out somehow (it doesn’t), the soup you have simmering in your new, gorgeous Pioneer Woman dutch oven starts boiling over because someone turned the burner up to high-although “no one” did it.

At the exact moment you are feeling like you are going to follow the soup’s example and boil over, your husband walks through the front door. You’re thinking, “Yes! Help has arrived!” In your mind, it should be obvious what you need, what the kids need, what everyone needs. He jumps in and turns the burner off under the soup. Then, seeing that dinner is almost ready, he says, “Why don’t we call your brothers and have them over for supper?” In his mind, you would LOVE to visit with your family. In your mind, you can’t imagine having ANYONE over for the next 15 years!

Sound familiar? If you answered yes, give him some grace, we just think differently from our husbands.

Kids

Kids are competent helpers. I have written many times about not hesitating to enlist the help of your children. Oftentimes they jump at the opportunity to be momma’s helper. At least till they reach a certain age… At that point, a little motivation may be needed. In my experience, though, most human beings enjoy being helpful.

Extended Family and Friends

Family and friends are a tremendous blessing! Many of us are ultra blessed with a willingly helpful community of extended family and friends. Others, maybe not so much. If you have been bestowed with such a blessing- reach out! I have often thought I would look weak if I asked for help with things, but I have discovered that most of my community is only too happy to help out or give advice and suggestions.

I often use my parents, siblings, and friends as a sounding board to bounce ideas off of.

God

My final and most crucial suggestion of a place to turn to for help is our Heavenly Father.

Being self-reliant is one thing when trying to put together that new computer desk or trying to fix a leaky faucet; it’s another thing entirely when tasked with shaping souls. It’s so important to ask for help in our parenting, and prayer, in its essence, is seeking help.

Luke 11:1 “Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’”

I have always read this as a request to learn HOW to pray, which is undoubtedly part of it. However, I have come to believe we must first learn to pray. Just pray. How you pray matters far less than your need to. Pray and pray often.

As moms, we will come into many situations where we are physically helpless. Our children will walk through numerous encounters that are entirely out of our control. Our wisdom and abilities are limited. We won’t always make the right decisions, no matter how hard we try. And so we will pray- because we need to. Because we have access to unlimited wisdom, boundless strength, and ceaseless love.

Whether you have one kid or twenty kids. Babies or adult children or anywhere in between, pray. Ask for help with your most important job from the greatest resource there is- our Savior and Creator.

Praise His holy name forever!

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Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family