Laine's Letters. Holy Habits.

 Dear Sisters,

 

Holy means "set apart for God."

 

I love the verse that says:

 

"And whatsoever you do, do it heartily unto the LORD, and not unto man."

 

The LORD sees it all, so nothing is wasted done heartily unto Him, and nothing is gone unnoticed by Him. It's awesome working for His Eyes.

 

Holy Habits, for me, are habits set apart for my LORD. They are done heartily unto Him. I've developed quite a few habits in my 41 years of marriage, child raising, and the keeping of our home - some good and some not so good. I've tried to turn the not so good into good as much as I can over the years. I keep trying to learn how to get better in my very important job of being a wife, a mother and grandmother, and a homemaker. A job I treasure so much from the LORD!

 

Here are some of my Holy Habits set it apart for Him:

 

~ I have to start out with my first and foremost important habit, and that habit is getting up early to spend time with the LORD in His Word. It is a precious time, and something I have been doing for 29 years now. He is my soul, my strength, my shield, and my strong tower. It is to Him Who I run. I love knowing Him through His beautiful Word. I can't do this job without His guidance. His Word is so rich and full of help and strength for the day. He speaks to me through His Word, and I speak to Him in prayer.  A Holy Conversation every morning in my kitchen chair before the day begins. It gets richer and richer with each passing day.  It's the best time in the world!

 

"I love you, LORD, my strength."

 

~ Be kind to my husband. I remember years ago when the children were very little that I decided to be kind to my husband and love on him. Just like we were dating all over again. It's been an amazing journey of kindness and love. Recently, I had a colon resection surgery. My husband took full care of me for 12 weeks due to complications. Over and over I would thank him for every little thing he did for me, and then tell him I loved him throughout the week. He'd say, "Laine, you're so polite even in pain. You don't have to be so polite." He said it with a warm smile. But I had made up my mind beforehand that no matter how much pain I was in, I would be kind to him and love him with my words - by God's great grace - especially when I couldn't with my actions. I thanked him for every little thing, as he did it for me. This verse has helped me so much over the years:

 

"The law of kindness is on her tongue."

 

For years and years when my husband was working (he is retired now), one way I loved on him was to have his meal ready the moment he walked in the kitchen door from work. He'd call me from work so I knew when he was leaving (it was about a 30-40 minute drive for him depending on the traffic), I'd tell him I loved him before hanging up, and then I'd have the table all set with the food nice and hot to be served the minute he walked in. He ate only twice a day, so this was so important to him. He loved it so much. I loved doing it for him. No matter what was going on in my day, I made sure I was home to have his supper ready the minute he walked in the door, and then my daughter and I would gather around the table to eat with him.

 

Today I am making my beautiful man this bread. I have this dough rising right now. He asked me to make it for him yesterday as he loves a panini sandwich made out of it.

 

Easiest Bread

 

3 c. flour

1/4 t. yeast

1 t. salt

 

Mix together with a wire whisk in a big bowl.

 

1 1/2 c. warm water (not over 130 degrees)

 

Add 1 cup of warm water first, then next 1/2 cup stirring well after each. It may need a little more water to bring the dough together. (I added also 1/4 cup of sourdough starter, but it is not called for.) No need to knead, just stir together.

 

Cover with plastic wrap for a few hours and put in a warm place until doubled. Shape into 2 small loaves or one large one on a parchment lined cookie sheet. (Dough will be sticky, so I take it out of the bowl with a rubber spatula onto a floured counter. Then I sprinkle it with flour and shape into a loaf using a dough scraper as I lift it over and over into the loaf shape I want. Then transfer it to the pan.) Cover with a tea towel and let rise again. Can slash loaves if you wish.  Oven at 450 for 35 minutes. It makes a flatter loaf perfect for sandwiches, but my son in law liked it dipped in spaghetti sauce. 

 

Or you can put a round loaf in a dutch oven with parchment in it and bake at 450 for 30 to 35 minutes covered, then remove parchment and place bread uncovered in oven for 10-30 minutes depending on how crispy you like it. 

 

 (I can't eat any of the baked goods I make my husband, my daughter, or my family as I've been on a strict diet due to Interstitial Cystitis for years, but it is one of my favorite things to do. I bake things special for them to love on them.)

 

~ Be gentle and cherishing to my children. Teaching them and training them as they grew up, while loving on them. Most of my children are all grown up now with families of their own. We have only Lucy (13 years old) at home now. Years ago when I determined to be kind to my husband, I did the same with my children. I love to hug them and kiss them and tell them how proud I am of them. I text them that I am praying for them. Or a quick phone call to check up on them and tell them I love them. I do the same with my daughters-in-law and my son-in-law. I consider them all my children and love them all so much. I love talking to them all and hearing how they are doing! This verse helped me so much in loving my children:

 

"But we were gentle among you, even as a mother cherishes her children." 

 

When the kids were younger I'd make their favorite bread or cookie specifically for them. So many of my old recipes have notes on them as to who loved this or that. Today I have an oat bread and some peanut butter cookies in the oven for Lucy for when she wakes up this morning. I know she will love both, and wonderful smells are drifting from our kitchen throughout the whole house. 

 

Gluten Free Oat Bread

 

3 c. oat flour (I grind my rolled oats in a coffee grinder)

2 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

 

Mix with a wire whisk in a bowl.

 

1 1/2 c. whole milk yogurt

Little honey depending on how sweet you want it

 

Mix well and put in a parchment lined 8x4 inch (only this size) pan. Dampen fingers and smooth loaf. Put 1 T. rolled oats on top and press slightly. 350 oven for 40-45 minutes. Lucy ended up loving this bread. She put cream cheese and jam on a slice for breakfast. The next day she had it with an egg on top.

 

~I love to check in on my parents every day. My parents, who are both 82 years old, live in Texas for most of the year, but visit us for a few months during the summer each year. They are here with us now in a little cottage on our property. When they are in Texas, I check up on them daily with a quick phone call.  Sometimes my mom calls me first, but I rarely go through a day without seeing how they are doing. I want to make sure they're doing good. And I ring off each time telling them I love them.

 

 ~ For many years I have texted verses from the Bible to my boys as I am reading it in the early morning. Not every day, but just when I feel a specific verse could encourage them. All three have very difficult jobs, and I love to share anything I can to help them. When I was so sick from surgery for 12 weeks, I couldn't text them a verse. One of my sons told me when I finally did text a verse to them that it was so good to have me back. This was my latest verse to them. I try to text short verses to the boys, and I don't write the location in the Bible, just The Word.

 

          "He ever lives to make intercession for them."

 

~ I've asked recently if I could text my daughters in law and my older daughter a verse here and there that speaks to me for them when I am in The Word, just like I've done so many years for the boys. Their jobs are not easy either. They were all so happy to receive my chosen verses for them. I can text longer verses to the girls, and I don't write the location either, just The Word. This is my latest text to them:

 

    "Every wise woman builds her house."

 

    "He who has built the house has more honor than the house."

 

    "Every house is built by some man, but He that built all things is God."

 

    "Christ as s Son over His Own House, Whose House are we."❤️❤️

 

My grandchildren are still very young, but maybe one day I will get to text them special verses, too. 

 

~ Praying with my children and teaching them God's Word. One of my favorite memories is praying with my kids each day and teaching them a passage out of the Bible before we started school. Sometimes it would be Bible characters, sometimes the Gospels, or sometimes a whole book. It was always a special time. I encouraged the kids to read the Bible on their own. Presently, I am teaching Lucy the verses in the Bible about women. It's been so lovely. 

 

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

 

My whole family was here when I was going into resection surgery. The day before I went in, we had a family prayer time. It is still so precious in my memory. I loved hearing all my family pray as we entrusted God with everything. There were many tears as I had been already diagnosed with cancer, but we left everything at His Feet. Praying with my family is awesome. I'm so glad we prayed together often as they were growing up.

 

   ~ Talking to Jesus all day. I don't want to just shut my Bible and go about my day. My prayer is as I start each day's work is that " I might in His joy, in His peace, and in His love 'do' this day."  "That I might kiss His Feet with my life." "That my life might be a sweet fragrance rising to His Throne of Grace." I pray as I go. I thank Him as I go. I praise Him as I go. I worship Him as I go.  Sometimes I need help with something. Sometimes I am praying for a friend or family member. Sometimes I am shopping for food and need wisdom to know how to stretch and save money for my cooking that week; and I pray for eyes to see the deals or wisdom to know what to make. I am never alone in my day because:

 

"I will never leave you, nor forsake you." 

 

~ "Mom, I have a question for you." Or "Laine, I have a question for you."  When I hear those words, I quickly pray for wisdom as to how to answer. I have always been thankful for this habit. Recently, one of my sons had a financial question for me. I prayed quickly and quietly first, "LORD, give me wisdom", then answered him.

 

On this same note, when someone is telling me something terrible that could happen, I shoot a prayer right up to the LORD about it. I don't want to worry about something that might never happen or even might happen, rather I try to turn every worry or concern into a prayer. Sometimes that is an immediate prayer going from my mind right up to His Throne as someone is still talking to me. Such peace. 

 

~ For years now I have prayed, "LORD, You know what is coming, help us to be prepared for it. What would you have me to do today?" Over the years He has led me to do many things. Some little, some bigger. I remember when He led me to have a year's supply of grains and other foods in my pantry. I had no idea how high prices were going to go up, but He did. I had no idea I was going to be so ill and unable to shop or cook, but He did. My pantry was amply supplied for my husband and daughter over the months I was down. This verse has helped me so much over the years in building my pantry:

 

"She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar."

 

I remember also when the LORD led me to do some major decluttering; I felt a sense of urgency to get everything done and to the thrift shop. A few months later Covid creeped in, and our thrift shops closed, so there was no place to drop off anything for months. I also didn't know I was going to get a bad bout of Covid, so I wouldn't have been able to do a major declutter then, but He did. I didn't know I was going to go into surgery as well, but He did. When I lay there so sick for months, I was so thankful I had all that pantry work and decluttering work behind me so that my house was easier to keep up for my husband and my daughter. He had guided me to do that so many months prior. A full pantry and a house in order is such a blessing during a very difficult time.

 

~  When I was so ill after my resection surgery, one of my fondest memories is laying in the living room listening to Christian songs that my kids picked out on You Tube. They would say, "You got to listen to this one, Mom." Song after song I listened. My grandkids were playing nearby and stopped to listen as well. Christian music has ministered to me so much over the years. A Holy Habit. One of my sons played songs for me that he keeps on his phone which I had played over and over when he and his siblings were growing up. It was a trip down memory lane listening to them. I didn't know my son had found each one and kept them on his phone. ❤️ One of the songs was, "Job's Suite" by Michael Card. I must have played that a hundred times after losing our baby at 5 1/2 months of pregnancy. When  my son played that song for me from so long ago in my life, I was amazed at how the LORD speaks through such beautiful worship music and helps us through difficult times.

 

~ The tithe is the foundation of our budget. It is really such a blessing to tithe from our increase first to the LORD. These two verses say it all:

 

"Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the firstfruits of all your increase. So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine." 

 

I can attest to His great provision. 

 

 ~ I love going to church. But getting sick with Covid for so long, and then sick for months after my resection, there was something I was so thankful for: live church online. What a blessing it is to join in with the body of believers live on tv when you're flat on the couch. So many times I did that. Worshipping the LORD from my couch. 

 

Holy Habits.

 

Habits set apart for the LORD.

 

May I do them heartily unto Him!❤️

 

Love,

 

Laine

 

 

More help at Tess- Frugal Living. Cost of living crisis.