Jamia Eaton - Keeping it together!

Scripture of the Day

Deuteronomy 11:19 - And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Jamia’s Nugget

I was awakened this morning (@ 5:30am) by the excitement of a 9 year old girl who was anxious to give me a card she put all her heart and soul into making.  For a few moments I was taken back to when she was first born as I opened the card and she had a beautiful reminder of our first bonding experience - nursing at the birthing center in Brooklyn. Though my morning was meant to be spent on my “me time - studying and catching up on web work”, I was happy to relinquish a little of it for the precious moments I had to spend with her reminiscing about the times we prepared for her arrival.  It was a life-changing event that I could never imagine would bring us here - 4 children later! I am overjoyed at the blessings God has given us. Reminiscing also brought back reminders of how my path was written. I had a plan for myself, but God’s plan was greater (Matt 8:28) Work had been going very well (I had been working in Europe for months ready to take on NYC!) and we were preparing to start our family the summer after my arrival home from Europe.  Well low and behold, the ultimate planned was changed! Sanai was coming and knocked my career plans all out of whack, we moved back to MD 3 months after she was born, Omar and I obeyed the gospel together w/ Sanai on the side of the baptismal, and our lives were changed forever! Now all that career stuff comes second to my devotion as a wife and mother! It’s funny…I never really thought about it so detailed until I was talking to her about it! It made her feel special…and for that I’m so happy! My life is centered around my family now and homeschooling our children has helped me to make Deut 11:19 a lifestyle and not an event.  I never realized how much I wanted to be in my childrens’ lives until I had them. I always knew that I would be a successful supermodel, with my kids in school and a nanny at the times needed.  Well once they officially got here - that all changed.  My priorities changed and grooming little faithful, happy, well adjusted Christians became my only goal.  They are only little once and I can’t believe almost 10 years has passed since our first! This is the season we have to impact their lives for good.  I often reflect on that and it warms my heart to know how much I love them. Though life gets challenging OFTEN…lol….I really do love it!!

Scripture of the Day
Ephesians 5:22 [ Marriage—Christ and the Church ] Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Jamia’s Nugget
In today’s world, women are really making a name for themselves in the work force demanding rights equivalent to their men counterparts, switching roles in the families becoming the bread winners, and so much more that has gotten away from what God deemed the focus of “family tradion”.  There is this undertone in American culture that has elevated an “independent” thinking and given women an arrogance that supercedes the role in the family. I had the privilege of hanging out with the married ladies of our congregation Friday night and it was evident how this work of “submission” can be a challenge even to the strongest of Christian women.  It really requires a heart after God and a desire to please HIM above our own selfishness.  Isn’t that really it though?! Submitting to God’s word in all things (our language, our patience, our modesty, our conduct toward others, yada yada yada) requires a thirst and hunger for righteousness (Matt 5:6), a denial of self (Matt 16:24) and an application to the word (James 1:21-22).  When we really consider “denying ourselves” then the challenge is a little easier…right?! After all, this life is to be filled with the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22-23) and the only way to mature is to live a life in subjection to God! As wives, we must allow our husbands to lead the family and trust that even if they make mistakes it’s not our “role” to take over! All of our physical members should be in subjection, including our body language and our thoughts being filled with humility and void of arrogance.  Don’t get it twisted, God is in control no matter what but it’s our role as wives to be “helpers” to our husbands needs in all things! Yes..as always…a hard pill to swallow, but when we think about submitting “as to the Lord” then if our hearts are “right” it should be a little easier to do….

To God be the glory!