a couple of baby pics

The picture on the top is Willow at 3 months. She is my birth daughter. Below is Rachel, 5 months, our newest addition (that's Brandy holding her). Didn't realize how much they looked alike- no blood relation though :)  I'll put up more pictures soon and introduce all of my kids. I love 'em all

^{Rom 8:5} Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death,but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[d] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

New Living Translation  Matthew 6:⁹ Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
    may your name be kept holy.
¹⁰ May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
    as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today the food we need,^[a]
12 and forgive us our sins,
    as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation,^[b]
    but rescue us from the evil one.^[c]

In this day and age of health and wellness gospel, we are bombarded by the idea that if we speak it, we will receive it. Though this is, in part, true, we must being with a proper understanding of who we are, and who God is. We cannot act in a way that brings about change from a selfish, or sinful (negative energy), center. To bring about change in one’s life, we must begin with the understanding of who we are as humans.  We are eternal, divine, and heirs to a great kingdom.  As children of God, we must- at the core of our being- understand what that truly means.

Though our bodies become ill, experience pain, and know discomfort, we possess a soul (or energetic core) that cannot be destroyed.  Laws of energy teach that energy, once set in motion, cannot be stopped. We are dealing with an eternal self, limited only by what we tell ourselves are our boundaries. Does this mean we can change shape, or grow to immeasurable heights? Probably not. However, our physical body cannot limit the reach of our energy.  We must learn how to operate from our core (soul), and not our brain. 

Your brain will send you mixed messages. The left side is logical, scientific.  The right side is creative, more free-form.  As you take in information, you will get conflicting messages.  We are discussing how to bring about change. Logically, it means we must take certain steps, but we cannot overstep such and such boundaries. Creatively, we are curious, and want to explore how far we can take the new knowledge and begin to push past boundaries.  This dichotomy leads to confusion, if all we follow is our brain. However, we are not limited to just one system in our body. We have that eternal soul that longs for the perfection it knows to be true; a perfection that comes only from our Heavenly Father.

          This soul of ours is, in essence, the same soul of God.  Did I just call us equal to God? Yes, in a way. Just as we are part of our parents, we are part of God. Their mixed DNA became our DNA. We are, in essence, our parents.  We can choose to be like them, or not.  We have our own free will to do as we choose.  However, we cannot change our makeup.  No matter how much plastic surgery you have, or how much you try to hide certain features, you are still part of your family.  This is the same with our soul.  We can choose to go against God’s plan and sin. This does not make us any less His child.  It does, however, take away many blessings that He wishes to give us. Romans 3:23 teaches us that, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”  If we put negative energy out, we will reap negative rewards.  In turn, if we align with our Divinity and act in a positive manner, we will gain more than we can being to imagine!

          You must understand that you are divine.  You are holy, or at least made to be.  Holy simply means set apart for a specific purpose.  We are all on this earth for a specific reason.  Like gears in a machine, our purposes work together to keep life on earth running smoothly.  Our divine soul knows what its purpose is. 

As we grow up, we lose sight of dreams we have as children, for practicality.  Bills must be paid, spouses need cared for, children need everything, our parents need our care. Life gets in the way of our dreams.  I can safely assume that as you are reading this, you are thinking back to what you wanted to be as a child.  I’ve been blessed, in the past few years, to follow my childhood dream.  I’m a stay-at-home mom and a teacher.  I’ve had my setbacks, but I never lost sight of what I wanted to do, and what I believe I was created to do. Maybe you think that your dream was foolish.  For example, my four year old son wants to be a superhero.  As an adult, we may think this is foolish. However, what do superheroes do? They fight crime and save the day.  Now, he is a very soft-natured child, and it is hard for me to think of him entering the city with trumpet fanfare. However, his understanding of rules and desire to follow them leads me to believe he could enter law enforcement, or public service of some sort.  That, in its own way, is being a superhero.  My preteen daughter has spoken many times of wanting to be on stage, singing and dancing.  We all know that getting into that career is difficult. However, I know that she can use her talents for making up songs and dances to teach her younger siblings how to have fun while learning.  She brings creativity to the world, and more than a few smiles.  Your childhood dreams are not foolish. You have the opportunity to look at them, and see how those first impressions of who you were show you what your divine gifts are.

God would not send you here to earth without a reason.  A king does not send his heirs into a kingdom without a plan, nor without provisions. Romans 8:17 states, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”  What is an heir? Simply, it is someone who is in line to receive the estate of he who entrusted it to him.

Modern royalty act with the support of the crown, and walk in the truth that their doings are a direct representation of the monarch.  To be an heir of God, we have an obligation to move upon this earth as ambassadors of His Kingdom.  Not only ambassadors, but we have a commission to conquer all that is not within His Kingdom. No, I’m not talking a Holy Crusade (which were not in the greatest stretch of the imagination holy).

 When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he taught them “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.  What does that mean? If, in Heaven, a set of rules is followed, they are to be followed here.  If it is forbidden in Heaven, it should be forbidden here.  Now, back to that whole idea of being human and living in flesh, that’s the reason we have grace! God knows that we are not perfect, and that we will not do this every day.  Each day is a new start to bring about God’s perfection.

Since God has sent us here to earth to bring about His Kingdom, we need to understand what that Kingdom consists of.  Honestly, the main rule is one simple thing- Love.  Everything God does is out of love.  Yes, even the wars in the Old Testament had a basis of love behind them. At the dawn of creation, God set the world in perfect motion. A garden filled with love and perfect peace. Adam and Eve chose to sin, thus allowing God’s greatest gift of love to happen. Adam and Eve truly knew God’s loving nature when they became parents. They took the role of creators when they brought forth their own children.  The loving nature of God came full circle when he showed the world how much He loved each person, from the dawn of creation onward, by allowing our sin to be put on Jesus and buried with him forever in the tomb.  God’s perfect love brought Jesus back to life. 

Jesus’ entire ministry was a perfect example of how operating out of love brings forth the Kingdom of God on earth.  Each miracle that he performed was with the power of the positive energy that love creates.  Water became wine at the wedding, showing that God blesses that holy union of souls.  Blind eyes were opened, deaf ears healed, demons and mental illness cast out for the same reason. Jesus loves people! He wanted to show, through acts of love, that God’s Kingdom can reign on earth.  It is only through self-sacrificing acts, and unselfish love, that we can experience heaven on earth.

Our divine, eternal soul has the purpose of bringing God’s Kingdom to earth in the here and now. We possess the power in ourselves to do this.  Heavenly Father has given us the resources, talents, and motivation to usher in His Loving presence to this world full of negativity.  Are you ready to find out how?  First, remember who you are. Secondly, remember whose you are. Lastly, know-beyond a shadow of a doubt- that you have the authority and power in you to create worlds and change your life. Are you ready?

          

Misc...

Time really gets away from me as I try to run such a big and busy household. I really need to keep up on here better!!  Well, the big news in the house is that Brandy (wife 2) is PREGNANT!!!!!  Austin baby 6 is on the way. She's 10 weeks and healthy as can be. We're all so excited :D

Tori (11) is back in public school for now. I don't think that's a permanent thing for her, but for now it seems to be ok.  I'm going to be starting homeschool with Willow (4) this fall. We're enrolling her in a virtual school, so I can do her stuff from home, and not have to come up with the lessons on my own.

Cameron turns 4 in just a few days, and we're having a swimming party for him at a local hotel. So excited to celebrate another year.  William turns 2 in March. They are growing up so fast!!! Thomas just turned 2 in January. So, we're excited to add a new baby to the mix.

Is there jealousy over a wife being pregnant? No, not really. Hey, I don't have to deal with the constant exhaustion and morning sickness, but still get the joy of a new baby. I'm GOLDEN.

Learning a lot about holistic healings and herbal medicine.  I've met a dear friend that is helping me get my family healthier, and teaching me the skills needed to do some treatments on my own.  I'm really enjoying learning what medicines God gave us, and how to use them.

Not much exciting going on. Feel free to find me on Facebook at Misses Austin or Julie Molick Austin.

Christmas musings...

The cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes, but Little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.

Silent night, holy night, all is calm all is bright 'round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. 

Traditional Christmas hymns we all love and sing annually. As a parent, have you ever struggled to grasp these songs? Really, a baby that doesn't wake up screaming?  A scene of tranquility just after giving birth?  I don't know about you, but these seem a little far fetched.  Maybe because I live in such a busy home with young children I have a hard time seeing the peaceful newborn awake but not screaming for his mother's milk, or his clothes needing changed because they are soiled.  

Now, I understand that people in today's world as busy and love the idea of just a moment of peace, and watching a sleeping baby does bring that sense that all is right in the world. Because, truly, I believe I see a glimpse of Heaven when I watch my children sleep. They are such little angels all curled up in their blankets!  I don't ever want to take the peace out of Christmas, even though it can be the most hectic, busy and chaotic time of the year!  It has become a time to reflect on the greatest gift ever given to man- the Love of God in Human form. God loved us so much that He gave us his ONLY in-flesh Son.  Not only all of mankind, but YOU. He gave YOU His Son.  God wanted you to be His child so much that He gave you the best gift to show you how much you were loved!  That is a message of the holiday season that gets lost in the traditions and business of Santa, reindeer, snowmen, presents and parties.

Back to my original point, why did this tradition of a silent, perfect child that never cries, makes a mess or anything else start??  This Roman Catholic idea is full of lies.  Labor hurts. There was screaming involved. Trust me.  Jesus cried. He probably cried a LOT. He peed and pooped. He burped and spit up all over his mother. How do I know this? He was a baby! I don't like the idea of a silent child that never did anything wrong.  Yes, Jesus was without sin, but it doesn't mean that he didn't have to learn right from wrong.  He still kept his parents up all night crying, or sick, or just wasn't sleepy.  This whole "silent night" thing is crazy. Now, I agree that the night of birth, babies do sleep a lot. They have done a lot of work during labor. But, I still think he cried a little- at least. He did get hungry.

I won't even get into Jesus as a teenager! Or as an adult! Men, I love you all, but you are not the more hygienic creatures on the planet ;)  What I'm getting to is this: why are we so afraid of seeing Jesus as human?  I think its a deep seeded issue.  

If Jesus were really fully human, and was able to be perfect, then I must have that same ability and God is going to require it of me. Its a scary thing to think that someone made it through this life without screwing up.  He must have been far stronger than me!  Well, that is part of it.  He was also fully God.  Of course, now that we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, we have that same help.  That is when I become humbled and fearful.  I have the same power that Jesus had as He walked upon the face of His creation. So, in that I should be living perfect, or striving towards it every day. If I dwell on this, I will beat myself up, knowing that I fail by the minute some days.  Yet, I've forgotten one very important detail.  The greatest gift of all is Jesus. A baby was born in Bethlehem of Judea 2,015 years ago. He was killed 1,982 years ago. That murder gave me the fulfillment of the greatest gift- Grace! Charis means gift, the greek word for grace.  Its a gift. We don't  earn it, we can't do anything to receive more or have it taken away. Our Heavenly Father gave us a gift that He wants us to have- no matter what. It is by THAT grace that we are saved. Not only from the darkness of being separated from Him for all eternity. It is a gift that I can use daily.  It makes me more like Jesus every day as I walk upon this earth.  I'm not sinless, but I am perfect.  I am a creation of God!  I AM perfect.  I'm here to learn to be more like my Heavenly Father. 

So, this year, I'll enjoy the traditional songs, but laugh internally at them.  Why make up lies about Jesus?  Reality is so much stranger than fiction!  A man walked upon this earth, commanded angels, spoke to God on a personal level, turned water into wine, calmed storms, made food mutiply to abundance and gave life back to the dead. You can't write better stories!  If Jesus had that power, and gave it to me (Pentecost), I can do these things, too! I don't need to believe in lies made up by weak men because they are tradition. I need to believe in the Truths of God!

Wow. I've been reading comments on this, and have had lots of people ask how to meet a sisterwife. WELL.... my first response is PRAY!! Heavenly Father knows who we are to be with in this life. He has a way of opening doors in the most unexpected places. There are sites out there where you can look, but the best way of doing it, really, is to just get involved in the online community. Facebook has served my family well in meeting other families like ours. You can find me on FB, and I can link you up to people just like us :D

LDS'ers...sealing are a whole different ballgame. Because this is not a lifestyle ordained by the church, this part is much more difficult. One option is to find a fundamentalist group that still practices it and join them. You can find this info at www.fundmentalistmormon.com (or something like that). If you don't choose to go that route, you must find someone that holds the keys that is willing to seal you. That isn't easy.

Now, as far as family updates. Rich, Ange and Brandy are all working now. Meaning, I'm home alone daily with 5 energetic children. Homeschooling is difficult enough when you have a child that can't sit still. I've added the joy of having 2 sets of twins that pretty much need my attention from the time they get up until bed time. So, yeah, that's about all I get done in a day. Woohoo!! Oh, also have to cook, clean, laundry, dishes..... I've learned a lot in the past few weeks!

That's about all that's going on for now. Hope all is well in cyber world.

Our History (brief version)

Hi again, everyone!! Well, just to prove that I do read my comment section, I received a note asking how we all ended up here as a family. So, sit back, and get ready to be completely confused!!

Rich met Angela on myspace about 4 years ago. They had an online friendship for a while, and it eventually turned into much more. While watching Big Love, Rich mentioned to her that he'd be interested in pursuing this. Angela agreed, since she had grown up as an only child and did not like being alone. The idea of sister wives appealed to her greatly. Through various circumstances, Rich was finally drawn to the Lord and spent time seeking out which church he wanted to get involved in. He researched many paths, and found that polygamy was a tenet of faith in the early Mormon church, or Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. It always confused him as to why they had really given up the practice. Rich and Angela joined the church, and Victoria (our oldest daughter) was baptized in, also. The search continued for another wife. The two of them met a few people, but no one worked out. While using an internet program called IMVU, Rich met Brandy.

Brandy was living in Indiana when she met Rich and Ange. Just prior to meeting her for the first time, Angela had given birth to Rich's first son, Cameron. This made child number 6 for Rich, and 2 for Angela. In the home, however, this made 2. Through lots of trials, tribulations, heartache and back-and-forth breakups and get back togethers, Brandy became 2nd wife. About a year and a half after Cameron was born, Brandy discovered she was pregnant with Thomas. Just months later, Angela was pregnant with William. Both delivered healthy babies, William coming about 4 weeks early. Both women decided they were done looking for sisterwives, and were content to keep the family at the 3 of these adults. However, Rich was not done.

Using various internet groups, Rich met a few women that were not the right fit. For this, that or the other reason, Angela and Brandy rejected them. One that passed the test was Wendie. She would be here now, if it weren't for her tragic car accident in which God took her to the other side to wait for us.

In this same time period, I had gotten married (2006), had a baby (2007), been cheated on, and abandoned. I was ready to just be single and raise my daughter alone. I had my family, my church, and my friends. However, God still put the longing in my heart to marry again. I was heartbroken at the idea of my Willow growing up without brothers or sisters. What a lonely life for such a sweet, people oriented child! As I began praying about it, I kept being reminded of stories in the Old Testament of polygamy. My curiosity was sparked, and I set out to see if it really worked in modern America. I joined a few internet groups, and started meeting families out there that wanted to live this lifestyle, and many who already were. Rich stood out to me when he told me to ask his wives if I wanted to know more.

I started talking to them, and we hit it off. In under a month, we met and I joined my family. God's timing is never mine, but it has been a great first year. During this time, I've learned about Mormonism, both modern and historical. I've learned for myself that this is the path that I want to be on. I'm awaiting my baptism and our family sealing. Since this cannot be done in the LDS, we will have it done by an independent friend of ours. God leads us daily. It is not by our own strength that we make it through, but by depending on Him.

So, you may ask, are we planning on adding more wives. If the Lord sees fit, yes. We were courting someone, but it appears that circumstances beyond our control have interfered once again. I wish her all the joy and happiness that the Lord can give her as she finds her path. We all, definitely, want more children. We will add wisely, as to be able to support each of them and care for the ones we have. I read somewhere that people are concerned that this many kids means less time for them with their parents. I don't see that at all. I think I have more time with my daughter this way. I'm not having to do everything myself, so I can divide my time more efficiently. However, she usually blows me off to play with the kids!

I hope this fills in some gaps for you. Welcome to my new followers. If you've found my blog because of my NPR interview, thanks for stopping by and reading more. I'm always here to answer questions. Blessings be to you and yours!

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

When I was a single woman, I had the opportunity to live on my own for almost a year. During that time period, I remember longing to meet my husband. Living alone was hard for me. I so desired to fill my life with the sounds of love and family. The irony is, at times, I almost wish I could have that quiet back! One thing that stands out to me the most in that time period is the intimate prayer and worship that I experienced with God and my Savior, Jesus. I remember vividly reading the Song of Solomon during my devotional times, and hearing in my heart sweet words. I wrote these dialogues down in the margins of my Bible, however that one was destroyed in a basement flood, so I have lost them. In the recesses of my heart and mind, however, those words are still with me. Can I share some intimate details with you?

Maybe some of you have trouble seeing Jesus as an intimate lover. No, of course not in a sexual way. But in the true sense of intimacy: knowing every detail of your heart and mind, body and soul. He does! What better husband could a woman have, than the One who knows her completely! This is what I learned during some very lonely times. Even in marriage, I've reminded myself of this. Jesus KNOWS me. Jesus LOVES me! He longs to make me His. What an amazing thought! The Darling of Heaven, God's only Son, desires to KNOW me and have me know Him.

Song of Solomon opens up with the lovers telling each other how attractive they are to each other. I don't know about you, but I've struggled with self esteem my whole life. I was never picture perfect, nor could I ever be. However, I heard almost as if He were sitting next to me, "You are beautiful. I made you just they way I wanted you. You couldn't be more perfect for me." What a revelation!! I started praying early on that my husband would love me for me, and know that we were made for each other. Jesus reminded me of this very truth- I have been made perfect in Him.

3:1 All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him. 2 I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him.

How I had LONGED to know that kind of love! An undying, unmatched, passionate love that would keep me up all night when we were apart longing to be together again. I was reminded of another story. The prodigal son. The father in the story waited and waited for the son to return home. Once he did come home, a party was thrown and he was welcomed in as if nothing had happened. I was longing for the love of a man to fulfill a desire. Jesus reminded me that He also longed for me to return to Him and find my joy and happiness in His love. He left His place in Heaven, just to search for every lost soul and bring them home. He longed for my love, just as I longed for His.

4:16 is a bit graphic when understood what the Hebrew writter (Solomon) says. "Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits." Ok, so I can't know that type of relationship with Jesus, HOWEVER, I can know what it is like to have His love so deep in my heart that it is as apparent that I have been with him. Ok, you're all adults. You all know that it is obvious when you've been with your husband or wife in the joy of sex. If you walk back into the room, its obvious what has been going on. I want my intimacy with Jesus to be that evident. Ok, fine, think of it this way. Remember when Moses went up to Mt Siani to receive the commandments of the Lord? His face was glowing, literally! The shikina glory was so on him, that there was no mistake that he has been in the presence of the Almighty.

Song of Solomon was written by a king. King Solomon was the wisest man on earth, thought I suppose that could be argued when you remember that he had so many wives and concubines (KIDDING)! He was RICH! Whatever He wanted, he had it. Yet, his love for this woman, whom many suppose was his first wife and true love, is unmistakable. He adores her. He would do anything for her. If there is something that she desires, he will go to the highest of heights to get it. So much like my Jesus! He longed to make His Father happy and His joy complete, that He was willing to lay aside the Glory of Heaven to become human. He valued me- YOU- so much, that he was willing to lay his own life down to make sure that YOU would be with Him for eternity. What greater love is there? He loves you that much! If you take just a moment to really think about that, how can you struggle with self worth or appreciation? You are the most precious being to Him. If you had been the only person to say yes to Jesus, He still would have died for you. You are that worthy!!!

SInce these revelations, I have not struggled with my worth nearly as much. Does Satan still attack? Um, YEAH! But, I get to remind him that I know the truth, and that his lies will not beat me up anymore. It breaks my heart when I see my family or friends go through emotional pain, when I know that Jesus loves them in such a way. I hope that something in this writing can touch someone to cry out to Jesus to KNOW HIM and the power of His love.