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Kelly Crawford

Hello! I’m Kelly and I’m glad you’re here. I’m a wife and mom, just like you. I get it. I know how hard the days can be, and how you might feel like you’re spinning your wheels or that no one sees or appreciates your work.

motherhood/family/parenting

Falling Back On My Creator

by Kelly Crawford
written by Kelly Crawford

“You send forth Your Spirit, they are created…”

The resounding song of my heart these past few weeks has been “God is over all things, He made all things, and He controls all things…there is, therefore, NOTHING to fear!”

And yet again, this morning, as the kids and I “cozied up” under blankets in the first crisp mornings of fall, with the ribbons of sun streaming through the windows, we read from Psalm 104–listen to this!

“He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows its going down. You make darkness, and it is night…

O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions–this great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great….

These all wait for You, that you may give them their food in due season…You open Your hand, they are filled with good…You take away their breath, they die…

You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.”

Read that bold part again…if the mere animals of the sea are so carefully conceived and brought to life by the Spirit of God, how much more us–His most beloved of creation!

If He gives them their food in due season, how much more does He promise to care for our basic needs?

I have found lately that the most blessed and glorious thing is to fall back on the sovereignty of my Creator. To take Him at His Word–to “Be anxious for nothing”!

And my heart cries with the Psalmist, as he closes the chapter:

“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.”

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motherhood/family/parenting

As the Children, So Goes the Nation

by Kelly Crawford
written by Kelly Crawford

“I charge you–you are holding change in your hand!”

Would it be over-simplistic if I said that virtually every national problem can be traced back to a personal one? That national crises are just a blaring reflection of our personal failure to live responsibly?

As I listen to the news and ponder the mess on every side, I am discouraged, but not for too long!

Rebuilding hope is not complicated. But it takes a certain mettle…a stubborn tenacity…a face like flint.

It takes the kind of fear in God that leaves no room for the fear of man. A passion for truth that drives men through peril or sword.

And we have that opportunity! If the large-scaled crisis is to be solved, it must be solved in individuals–in us, and in our children.

A few connections I’ve been thinking about this weekend:

National Debt (understatement of the year):

Our government operates just as we do on a personal level. We spend money we don’t have to buy things we can’t afford.

Why? Because, here it is folks, “we wanted to give our children a better life”. So, we defined “better” primarily as “more things”. And when our neighbors gave their kids more things, we felt compelled to do the same. But we couldn’t afford it, so we borrowed the things. Little did we know, our neighbors had too. But our children didn’t know. They were just being taught that they were entitled.

Many Americans Expect the Government to Take Care of Them.

Why? Because in providing our children “a better life”, we also decided to protect them. From everything–even their own sinfulness. We had our little girls put on birth control so she wouldn’t be, as Obama is fond of saying, “punished with a baby”.

When our sons got into a fight at school, we raised our hands to the authorities that threatened to discipline him and taught him that one doesn’t really have to suffer consequences for wrong behavior.

Our Government is Corrupt

We raised a generation of children who were given to the state for their character training…we were too busy “providing a better life” for them. We ignored the commands of Scripture when it comes to child-rearing, and followed Dr. Spock instead. We did not teach them responsibility in matters of finance and personal behavior.

All these children are now grown and running the place. When the masses become enslaved to debt, the nation does.

When the masses expect someone to bail them out of trouble, they look to the “Big Mama” to do it.

When the masses fail to exercise responsibility and character in small matters, the nation fails to do so in big matters.

I charge you–you are holding change in your hand! Satan is no fool…all he had to do was to convince us that raising children was insignificant. That family unity is optional, and home is a waste of time. BAM! He’s got the whole nation crashing down!

Teach your children truth and require them to live it. Teach them the fear and love of God, and respect for life. Show them that the Word of God has answers for every facet of living. Teach them to esteem others better than themselves. Teach them the things of life that matter. Be vigilant and fearless.

It really is simple:

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

Here is an excellent resource for helping parents teach character traits to their children:

The Character Journal

I print these out and keep a notebook. This can really help your husband organize family devotions.

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abortion

Abortion Survior…Where Was Her Radical Feminist?

by Kelly Crawford
written by Kelly Crawford

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a message that so charged me, chilled me, left me crying, shouting, clapping and ready to fight for my Savior.

An incredible story, Ms. Jessen is a woman after my own heart.
Don’t, don’t, don’t skip this emotionally-charged message!

“Are you willing to be hated?”

Can I just say it again…ABORTION IS NEVER RIGHT.

Share the message!

Part 2–It gets even better:

My favorite part: “Men, you were made for greatness…women, you were made to know your worth, to be fought for….my whole purpose in life is to make God smile.”

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marriage

Make-over Part 9: The Total Beautiful Woman

by Kelly Crawford
written by Kelly Crawford

 

Let’s stand back and look at our beautiful woman! She does not have the fading beauty of Cosmopolitan. Her beauty grows with time and those around her rise up and call her blessed!

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.”

A beautiful woman fears the Lord, first and foremost. For without it, she has little motivation to obey Him.

A beautiful woman is trustworthy–especially in the eyes of her husband.

A beautiful woman “wears” strength and honor. Don’t let feminists tell you that “Christianity has a low view of women”. Christ esteemed women higher than any others ever have, and to oppose His view of women is to go no where but down.

A beautiful woman is discreet, guarding her mouth, thinking before she speaks, graceful in her mannerism and exuding a modest charm.

A beautiful woman has a meek and quiet spirit…that is, she is easily imposed upon, fleshing out our Lord’s command to “present your bodies a living sacrifice”.

A beautiful woman is chaste, pure in thoughts and motives.

A beautiful woman is a teacher of good things; not given to the fear of being accused of unbiblical judgment, but obedient to the word that admonishes her to teach the things of the Lord.

A beautiful woman is content–in all things! She doesn’t crave more stuff, she craves more Jesus. She doesn’t measure her worth by what she owns, she measures it by who she is in Christ. She can be content because she has full FAITH that nothing has come to her that did not first pass through the sovereign filter of His love!

A beautiful woman builds her house in wisdom. If she isn’t building, she’s tearing down.

A beautiful woman is fearless and “laughs at things to come”. We serve a living God…let’s live like it!

I would LOVE to hear your final thoughts on this makeover series. What is God showing you? Your comments may meet someone just where they are.

 To start at the beginning, go to Make-over Part 1: Am I Trustworthy?

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abortion

The Link Between Contraception and Abortion

by Kelly Crawford
written by Kelly Crawford

I’ll continue to talk about the link between the “contraceptive mindset” of the feminist movement and the plethora of social ills it has birthed (no pun intended), because if we don’t get a firm grip on our thinking, and stop letting other people tell us what is acceptable and what is good, we will continue the spiral into moral and physical destruction. And I don’t want that!

Furthermore, as more and more people get this connection, I am more hopeful for the future of our children and grandchildren.

Daja sent me this article that reveals just a few of the problems we’ve brought on ourselves. Isn’t it interesting…God’s Word is always right! After all our “highly intellectual” debating and philosophizing over situational ethics and theology, the simple truth of Scripture comes back to say “I told you so”.

An excerpt from A Second Baby? Russia’s Mothers Aren’t Persuaded reads:

“Cash for babies is the Kremlin’s offer to women in its latest bid to reverse a population decline that threatens to leave large swaths of Russia virtually uninhabited within 50 years.

President Vladimir Putin last week defined the crisis as Russia’s most acute problem, and promised to spend some of the country’s oil profits on efforts to relieve it. He ordered…that women who choose to have a second baby will receive 250,000 rubles ($9,200), a staggering sum in a country where average monthly incomes hover close to $330.

On Monday, young women at the Family Planning Youth Center,… said they liked the sound of more money, but suggested that Mr. Putin has no concept of their lives. ‘A child is not an easy project, and in this world a woman is expected to get an education, find a job, and make a career,’…

Russia also has one of the world’s highest abortion rates.”

This article reveals two problems…a population implosion (don’t sing me a song about over-population), and the obvious connection between the “contraceptive mentality” and abortion. We could unravel a lot more if we had the time.

So we are forced to ask, as I’ve asked many times on this blog, what’s the connection? How is it all related? How can we trace back to the roots of so many social problems and begin to repair them? And most importantly, are we willing to face the true answers?

As you read and consider, remember that judgement begins in the house of God. If this were only a “problem of pagans”, we know the answer is Jesus. But “as the church, so goes the culture”. WE have bought the feminist lie…and we’re paying for it.

Consider the excerpt below that explains how contraceptive mentality leads to abortion mentality. And then, in light of this election, when we Christians are prone to get on our “abortion-fighting high horse”, let’s first take a deeper look and admit that the problem started a long time ago in more subtle activities. And we may be part of the problem.

“Just as contraception is used to prevent an unwanted child from being conceived, so too abortion is used to prevent an unwanted child from being born. As Joseph Boyle states, “the approval of contraception leads–though not in such a direct and logical way–to acceptance of abortion. Contraception is an attempt to prevent the handing on of life, and one who turns against life as it is passed on is likely to remain against it if the unwanted new life begins. The resolve to prevent a child from coming to be is often sufficiently strong that one will eliminate the child whose conception was not prevented.”

One estimate puts the number of American women using birth control at 36 million. Dr. Donald DeMarco remarks that it is ironic that as much as the feminist movement claims to seek greater freedom for women, “The feminist ideology of ‘reproductive freedom’ through medical intervention, actually welcomes medical exploitation.” Alice Paul, author of the original Equal Rights Amendment in 1923 stated, “Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women.” In 1869, Susan B. Anthony wrote, “No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death….”

From Contraceptive Mentality

Maybe, using my “turn left at the end of the road” analogy, “be fruitful and multiply” implies by default that one can’t “be unfruitful and not multiply” at the same time. And maybe God had more in mind than simply the number of children when He gave that command.

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marriage

Make-over Part 8: Wise Women Build

by Kelly Crawford
written by Kelly Crawford


 

“A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her hands.” Proverbs 14:1

Boy has this verse convicted me many times! We are called to build houses. And building houses is no small thing.

How do we build a house by being wise? Wow, where do we start?

A builder is first and foremost present in her home. One cannot build if one is not there. Which is why I believe the command to be a keeper at home is not merely a helpful suggestion, but a vital clue to the health of a home.

But being present is only the beginning. There are many women present who aren’t really at home. And many women present are foolishly tearing down their houses.

How does a wise woman build a home? What are her tools?

  • Blueprint. It would be foolish to start building a house without a well-designed plan. Why would we try to build without one? The Bible is our blueprint. It has everything needful for building. It amazes me how many Christians don’t consider the Bible a practical starting place for instruction in building their homes.

In addition, we need a family vision. Don’t have one? Get together with your husband and create one. We can’t get somewhere until we know where we want to go. And then renew your vision from time to time. Sometimes we just have to walk outside, shove the daily demands aside, and revisit the truly important things of life.

  • Hammer & nails–the stuff of bonding. The only way a house will hold together is if it is strategically bonded and braced. If we aren’t developing strong bonds with our husband and children, we can’t expect our home to be intact. This may be the most important thing we do as mothers and wives. Bonds are easy to create…but they take lots of time. Are we investing the needed time in our family relationships? Are we looking into faces and really listening? Are we reading books to little ones? Visiting forts with older ones? Are we aiming to know the hearts of our husbands, asking ourselves how we can make his days easier?
  • Stability. A strong home is a stable one. The commentary in my Bible for the above verse says: “A wise woman builds her house; that is, she develops a peaceful setting for family nurture.” Not a real deep and thorough examination, but a good picture. What are we doing to facilitate peace? It starts with our own disposition and conduct. Then we are able to guide our children into peaceful behavior. Noise is wonderful, but what kind of noise is in your home? Happy noise or strife-noise? Is there running amuck, or have you taught them to be respectful indoors? Are meal times fairly calm and enjoyable? Are you teaching them how to resolve disputes peacefully? Creating an atmosphere where hearts and souls can be nurtured is such an important part of our job!
  • Aesthetics. If the foundation is sure, and the bracing and bonding are strong, we are able to add to the beauty of our homes. This is the training and teaching that sets apart a family for the glory of God. Since most families are just hanging on by their teeth, often only the basic needs are being met. But building requires intense labor and deliberate work. We are raising daughters sculpted like pillars fit for a palace, and our sons are growing like the cedars of Lebanon. This is no small task! There are habits of character to constantly form (manners, self-control, social skills, etc.), God’s Word through which every detail of life is to be shown to our children, gifts and abilities to be honed, and people around us to be loved.

“We are raising daughters sculpted like pillars fit for a palace, and our sons are growing like the cedars of Lebanon.”

Yes, building a home is costly; there are lots of other projects vying for our time and energy. We will invest our God-given abilities into building something. But a wise woman will build her home.

“She opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness.”

Part 9:  Make-over: The Total Beautiful Woman

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abortionmarriage

Make-over Part 7: Contentment is Lovely!

by Kelly Crawford
written by Kelly Crawford

“As a godly woman, contentment is one of the most beautiful “garments” you can wear. In your marriage, contentment speaks straight to the heart of your husband. It says, “What you do for me is enough, and I am grateful”. And I’m not sure we could say anything sweeter to his ears than that!”

Isn’t it funny how we all know about the importance of being content, but it’s so hard to develop the habit? Can you imagine how drastically our lives would change if we embraced true contentment AND TAUGHT OUR CHILDREN TO DO THE SAME?

Living in America proves the greatest irony of the human condition…the more you have the more you want. AND, more doesn’t make one better (usually is has the opposite effect).

And Paul was right…the love of money (or things) is the root of all kinds of evil. Even in our debates about the root of abortion, the root of divorce, the root of–fill in the blank, we can trace them all back to the love of money.

We want a better life–for ourselves and for our children. But our definition of *better* is so distorted!

In pursuit of this “better” life we sacrifice life itself…on so many levels. We sacrifice our own unborn children, either by preventing them, or killing them in the womb. We sacrifice the lives of the ones we do have by abandoning them in order to work and make more money so they can have that “better” life, when a better life would just be more of ourselves, more of our sanity, and more of our tranquility.

And we prove over and over that we really don’t believe the Bible. Listen carefully to Paul’s words in 1 Timothy:

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”

Food and clothing…he doesn’t even mention shelter!!! Think about the things we covet and complain about not having! Oh that we could strip ourselves of this worldly burden of greed and just be content.

As a godly woman, contentment is one of the most beautiful “garments” you can wear. In your marriage, contentment speaks straight to the heart of your husband. It says, “What you do for me is enough, and I am grateful”. And I’m not sure we could say anything sweeter to his ears than that!

But when we keep lists of all the things we need and want, without even realizing it, we tell our husbands that his hard work is NOT enough; that we are not grateful for the energies he constantly pours out to provide.

I try to think of the children of Israel and the wrath of God they evoked through their discontentment. Try to find time today to read Psalm 78. It is a telling chapter of God’s anger over their complaining. And it is a word meant for us still today.

“Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers…but they sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. And they tested God in their heart by asking for the food of their fancy….Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious;…because they did not believe in God and did not trust in His salvation.”

Contentment is closely related to faith; believing that God is our provider and allowing ourselves to be settled that what He gives, we will receive with gratefulness.

Let’s spend our day today counting our blessings, naming them one by one. What beauty exudes from a woman full of contentment and gratitude!

And be sure to tell your husband that you are grateful for his hard work, then show him your contentment!

Part 8:  Make-over: Wise Women Build

Part 9:  Make-over: The Total Beautiful Woman

 

 

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Uncategorized

The Perfect Birthday

by Kelly Crawford
written by Kelly Crawford

I woke today to little ones hugging me and wishing me a happy birthday. The older ones insisted on helping little ones with breakfast (it’s a cardinal sin at our house to “work” on your birthday 😉 so I started getting ready for my birthday fun.

These two of my dear friends came this morning and whisked me away to my favorite place–The Thrift Store! We ate at Subway, talked awhile about which of the world’s problems needed solving, and then parted ways at the door to search for our treasures (it is changing seasons you know, and a gal’s gotta have a few “new” things).

After we shopped up another appetite, I decided chocolate cake was needful; and then we shared a plate of fish–in that order. (The cashier said, “Didn’t you guys just order dessert?”) I think it may be a new birthday tradition.

Meanwhile, all the older children had a party at my house watching the younger ones, begging us to “take our time” when we called home. (That can’t be good.)

We laughed, we cried–well we came close a few times, we shopped, we ate, and I was renewed with the fellowship and encouragement these two gals consistently give me. Thank you Robin and Kathy!

Then my hubby gave me a beautiful new Bible which I so desperately needed…I must go for now he’s taking me out to eat and then back to my parent’s house for birthday cake!

(Now accepting your favorite detox diets 😉

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