When 9:00 am rolls around, the Houle kids know what time it is; it’s Bible time. A time we’ve set aside each day to teach them about God. Our teaching is not limited to one small block of time, life is filled with lessons, but it’s a way we have instilled in our kids that making time with God is a priority. My kids are 5, 4, 2 1/2, and 31 wks gestation :) My kids love devotional time. I commonly hear the phrase, “Yay, devo time!” as I announce it’s time for the morning devotional.

After coming home from the Real Housewives Retreat, I could not stop thinking of the enormous flock of black birds that swarmed the dining hall that last meal we had together. It was enough for us all to get out of our seats and stare out the windows (nobody dared to go outside though!).

I stand at 5 foot nothing, with medium length dirty blonde or brunette hair (depending on who you ask) and blue eyes. I have three kids, ages 5, 3 ½, and almost 2 years old. I don’t have many hobbies, nor do I excel at many things, primarily because to do most things (even average) takes me a lot of energy and dedication. My thoughts can come out jumbled, and I occasionally say the most clichéd statements wrong. I get nervous when telling people what they don’t want to hear (even though I still do it), and I carry the emotional weight of a lot of situations around me. I don’t say this as a “woe is me moment,” but I can empathize with Moses who felt inadequate for the tasks that God called him to do.

Lately, I have been hearing a lot of people angry over legalism. What is legalism? I am sure if you asked multiple people what it is you probably would receive various answers. This seemingly attainable type of mindset eliminates the need for a Savior and yet it falls so far from the truth because no one is perfect (Romans 3:23). Bottom line, we need a Savior. Jesus fills the gaps of our imperfection and provides a means for salvation. However, sometimes I feel people take the term legalism too far, falsely assume many matters the Bible discusses as debatable. This too is dangerous because it undervalues the fact that God placed it in the Bible for a reason.