The Depths of God's Forgiveness

As a parent I fail all the time... I fail as a daughter, wife, sister in law, friend... etc.  We are not perfect people and we don't make perfect decisions all of the time.  Reading this mornings devotional I was reminded of this AND the depth of forgiveness God gives us that we should return to others.  While the devotional was centered around sin, I don't always just ask for God's forgiveness when I sin... I ask it daily for mistakes I feel I've made. 

Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of survivors among his people? You cannot stay angry with your people forever, because you delight showing mercy.  Once again you will have compassion on us.  You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised with an oath to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.
Micah 7:18-20

Karol Ladd brings up the infamous Titanic scene when Rose gently parts with her diamond necklace.  To us, it seemed like a really expensive waste, but to her, it was a symbolic experience of being freed from the past.  In the scripture above, we are reminded that God tosses our sin into the deepest depths of the ocean - freeing us from the guilt that sin can carry. 

As moms, we carry a lot of guilt.  For me, its often times guilt I bring upon myself (did I play with Pax enough this morning?  am I working with him enough on his talking?  did I raise my voice to loud when I was angry with him?) Are these sins... heck no.  They are my own self judgments that cause me to carry unnecessary guilt.  Don't we all do this to some degree?  The amazing thing is though, we have a God who once we confess and ask for forgiveness... grants it to us and forgets about it.  I want to be able to do the same. I want to treat others with that same compassion and understanding and most certainly want to teach Paxton that if he can be honest with himself and others he WILL be forgiven.  I want to give mercy to others, not judgment and be the example for him, show him that we have a God who loves us and forgives us for things we cannot forgive ourselves for. 

I am so thankful for a God who doesn't judge me... there is enough of that in the world right now, and I am so full of peace knowing that He takes my sin (no matter how tiny or big, shortcomings and all of the above) and tosses them into the depths of the ocean!

Choices to make this week:
-This week I will choose to receive God's mercy, I will show mercy towards others, I will walk humbly with God, knowing that he has pardoned me and loves me with unfailing love.

Prayer from Karol Ladd:
"Wonderful, loving and forgiving God, I praise you for your faithfulness and unfailing love.  Thank you for forgiving me of all my sins through Jesus.  Thank you for throwing those sins into the depths of the ocean.  Help me not to fish them out again! I want to live in the freedom you desire for me.  Guide me to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you everyday of my life.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen!"

   

God's Plumb Line (a weird title... I know)

I have been MIA for a month (actually a month and 2 weeks I think).  While I have still read each devotional the past few Mondays I didn't do as much self reflection and application as I had been and I've missed it.  I also failed to communicate them to you and I'm sorry about that.  You can read all about our busy month and my excuses for not blogging here.  It is a time commitment that I obligated to many weeks ago and we are a little over halfway to our year.  I am committed to keeping this up for my own accountability and to encourage others along the way.  So, here is to finishing out the year!

A Plumb line ( I had no idea what it was until I googled it AND my husbands a builder, oops!) is a tool that someone would use when building a wall to make sure it's straight.  It's a cord suspending a lead weight that is used to show a builder if the wall is vertically straight.  If a wall isn't straight, overtime, it will collapse.  It is not sturdy and does not stand strong.  Without the plumb line, the wall would lose its structural integrity. 

From the book of Amos:

"Then he showed me another vision.  I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was checking it with a plumb line to see if it was straight.  And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" 

I answered. "A plumb line".  

And the Lord replied, "I will test my people with this plumb line.  I will no longer ignore all their sins.  The pagan shrines of your ancestors and the temples of Israel will be destroyed, and I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end." 

                                                                                                    Amos 7:7-9

Now knowing what a plumb line is I hope that scripture was a little easier to understand, it was for me. The Lord was using the plumb line as an analogy to how he was going to "check" or hold his people "accountable" and "measure" their sin.  God wants us to be strong and structurally sound and knows that sin causes us to go down crooked paths and ultimately leads to our destruction. 

So, Karol Ladd tells us that our plumb line is God's Word.  What I love about that is yesterday in church, Pastor Randy said something that really stuck with me, "Do you acknowledge your sin or only justify it? To live by and justify the word of God is to KNOW the word of God".  I was convicted.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 says. "All scripture is inspired by God and Is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.  It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do."  I feel like so many people "nowadays" constantly justify their sins.  There is a "reason" for everything. We all sin, duh, daily I sin... but it doesn't make it right if I make up a really good excuse or I can justify it in my own head.  Acknowledging it and admitting I messed up, then going to God's word on what is right and good is the only way to learn from that sin instead of justifying it in my own mind.   Pastor Randy's sermon was related to America's sin at the moment, more specifically the politics surrounding abortion and Gay rights.  I am not going to talk about my specific point of view on this blog other than sharing his sermon message in that Americans are justifying their point of view and they are breaking God's heart.  They are not acknowledging what the bible says, what it means and how it applies to these issues and more importantly peoples lives.  America needs God's plumb line and that's all I am going to say.          

"To build strong lives, we need to measure ourselves against the plumb line of God's Word." (Ladd) What is our role as mommas to little ones growing up in a society of people who don't measure their lives against God's word? Well, we need to reach our children with God's word.  We need to learn and lead by example for our children.  Who else can we count on to do it? 

I need to read my bible more, I need to know and understand God's word better so that I continue to be built into a strong, sturdy woman and momma of God so I can raise my kiddos to be the same.  My sin is not forgiven because I, capital I, can justify it.  It is forgiven by the Grace of God when I can so humbly acknowledge and admit my sin to him.  I pray I can raise my Pax and Brinlee to do the same - growing as a momma is the first step right? 

Choices to make this week:

- I will choose to begin systematically reading God's word, ask the Lord to reveal any sin that lurks in my heart, teach my children the importance of knowing, loving, and obeying God's word. 

 

Prayer from Karol Ladd for us:

"Powerful Lord and gracious Father, I praise you for the wonderful blessing of your Word.  Thank you for giving me a plumb line by which I can measure my life.  Help me to honor you in the way that I live.  Thank you for wanting the best for me and my family.  Help us to be "structurally sound" as we study your Word together and learn to walk in your ways.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

       

The Power of Our Words

You know that moment when you have said something and you instantly regret it, or want to crawl in a hole and cover yourself up, or you have to turn away from your child because of the shame on your face and the disbelief on theirs? We've all been there at one time or another.  Whether we say something we regret on the computer or our phone, and want to delete the post or email upon re-reading what was sent, or we say something to someone we love  - its a horrible feeling. 

 

Today's devotional revolves around the power of our words and the scripture comes from Proverbs.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.
The wise person makes learning a joy, fools spout only foolishness.
The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.
Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit...
A person's words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook...
Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction.

Proverbs 15:1-4; 18:4, 20

 

Harsh words stir up anger (aka speak gently), the wise person makes learning a joy (aka be smart in how you "teach" your children- they are learning from YOU), the Lord is watching (truth- pretend he is standing next to you), a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit (have you ever seen this happen to a child? it is heartbreaking to see the spirit of a child squashed because of an adults words), words can be life-giving water (oh how I hope mine can be someday), words satisfy the soul (both hearing them and giving them satisfy my soul). 

 

Something I have learned about life so far - its not always WHAT is said that is the hurtful part - but HOW.  Words are powerful.  Having taught in a classroom setting I saw this happen so many times.  The right words in the right tone could change a situation in an instant.  "I'm so proud of..." (instant warm fuzzy), "Hmmm I wonder..." (instant curiosity and determination), A whisper in an ear of "I saw what you did, lets talk about it later" (instant self reflection and remorse), the dreaded teacher eye where a look can say a thousand words. I had 22 little eyes on me constantly - talk about pressure.  You know what though - it prepared me for motherhood.  I once had a major problem of saying things without fully thinking.  I don't know why.  I was raised to be a confident, proud woman and I took this a little to the extreme.  I did alot of self reflection, prayed alot, held myself accountable daily and over the years have gotten so much better.  I am still a work in progress, aren't we all?, but have learned that sometimes saying nothing at all is better than saying anything. 

As a mom, I am learning that Paxton watches EVERYTHING I do and hears everything I say.  How I talk to the checkout lady at Target.  How I talk on the phone, how I treat strangers.  He is learning from me.  You cannot take words back.  You can apologize but cannot take them back once they are out.  The damage has been done.  We all have those moments as a mom where we loose our cool.  But, the important thing is not to forget it and move on, but to go to our children, or walk back to the target cashier or sit next to our spouse and acknowledge we made a mistake and ask for forgiveness.  We are not perfect and we wont always have the perfect words to say and we wont always say them in the perfect tone.  But, we do have the ability to be aware and strive daily to be conscious of our words, how we use them, what we say and most importantly how they impact our children.  

From Karol Ladd, "[Children] need to hear what strong but gentle words sound like...the most effective discipline is not delivered through shouts and screams, but rather through caring, guarded and thoughtful instruction...as we teach, train and discipline our children, let's never underestimate the power of wise, kind and well-chosen words."   

Choices to make this week:

• This week I will choose to use only life-giving words with my family and friends, discipline my children with strong but gentle instruction, allow the law of kindness to rule my tongue.

Prayer:

"Loving and kind heavenly Father, I praise you for your wisdom and power.  You alone are the Lord.  Thank you for your kindness and gentleness toward me.  Lead me to speak kind and gentle words to my children in a spirit of calm.  Give me self-control when I'm angry, so that I do not hurt myself or others with my words.  Help me to use only life-giving words when I speak to my family and friends.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

Delighting in the Lord

To-do lists seem never ending.  Whether you are a list maker or someone who keeps a running catalog in your head, everyone has a list of to-do's.  The tricky part often times is discerning which items on the list to tackle first.  We make a subconscious priority list of to-do's, knowing full well that organizing the sock drawer can wait until tomorrow but the baby needs diapers like, now.  Or, if you're like me, you might enjoy organizing your shoe collection but hate doing laundry - so at the end of the day, your shoes look great but no-body has folded clothes to wear :).   We get so caught up in the stuff of life, that we forget to delight in our life and more importantly the Lord who gave it to us.  

Trust in the Lord and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.  Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.  Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust him, and he will help you. 

                                                                                                              Psalm 37: 3-5 
 

When I was a mom working outside of the home, I constantly felt pulled when I picked Pax up each day to drop everything at the door and commit the rest of the evening to him and him only.  Trust me, there were days I did just that.  We went out to dinner or ordered pizza, I graded zero papers, did zero housework and didn't bat an eye about it.  Then there were the days where the first hour home we played and loved and then I had items on my to-do list to complete, dinner, dishes, laundry, school work - you know, life stuff.  My to do list seemed never ending - I never felt "caught up".  On the flip side, being a mom working inside the home now, I've learned my to do list is just as long, and I have many of the same challenges I had before, just in a different way.  There is still a never ending to do list, it just looks different in many ways as the demands of this job are different than before.  I still have to balance how I tackle my to do list throughout the day while still fulfilling the role of being his "teacher". (See this post on my decision to be a stay at home teacher) There are days I catch myself being so caught up in knocking items off of my to do list that I forget to stop and enjoy the DAY - you know you're guilty of it too, we all are.  Hence, the challenges of motherhood. :) 

 

Todays scripture and devotional though caught me at a good place.  When I feel the need to make a list (ah hem, which is daily, maybe hourly :/)  I also need to commit it and pray about it to God.  "As we commit each day to the Lord through prayer, he helps us order our steps.  Some things are necessary and some things can wait, and we need His guidance and discernment to know the difference.  As we lay even the smallest details of our day before the Lord, he directs our path." (Karol ladd)  Whether you work in or out of your home, the role of being a mother is the same: the demands, the list making, the swirling of all we want to do and the balancing of fulfilling our many roles and hats as moms.   We can delight in the fact that we are not alone in this journey of motherhood, as we lay our needs before the Lord he walks along side of us through our days. 

 

I am challenging myself to look to God for guidance and direction this week (and every week thereafter) to help me discern between the must do's and the "I want to do" so I can be a better in the moment Mom.  Will I have days that feel like a blur - yes.  But, after reading this devotional and watching this video last week (click here) - I am working on relishing in each and every ordinary day and focusing less on MY to do list.  

 

Choices to make this week:

• I will choose to commit my work to the Lord, seek his guidance and delight in his presence all day long, teach my kids the blessings that come from delighting in the Lord and committing their ways to him.

 

Prayer from Karol Ladd:  

"I praise you, God most high, maker of heaven and earth.  You know the path I need to take.  You know the way that is best for me to go.  I look to you for guidance and direction.  I give you my list of today's to-dos.  Show me what is necessary and what is not.  Help me to be wise.  Most importantly, help me to delight in you and trust you in everything I do. In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

 

Trusting God

We all trust God. We know he has a plan for us, our families, our kids. We trust in the fact that although we may not know his plan, he DOES have one and our lives are carefully planned before we even take our first breath. The hard part is the understanding of WHY. Whether good or bad, we always have an element of understanding that is often times left unanswered. The hard part is being ok with it. The hard part (just being honest) is understanding and accepting Gods plan- good with the bad.

The scripture in today's devotional comes from Job. I learned today that Job was a very rich man with many animals (something that showed wealth in his time) and children.  He was a very Godly man, trusting God and living a life of strong faith.  Satan came to God one day as one of his "angels" and challenged God that when Job was tested, he would sway from God and turn against Him.  God gave the Ok for Satan to take away everything in Job's life, only sparing Job himself as a test.  So, Satan did.... through the course of many events in one day, all of Job's animals were gone and his children dead.  But still, Job praised God and turned to him for comfort.  Satan pushed on, he plagued Job with painful boils up and down his body and still he praised God and has a very powerful conversation with his wife ... which is what the scripture is below. 

"Then Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes.  His wife said to him, "Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die."

         But Job replied, "You talk like a godless woman.  Should we accept only the good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

                                                                                                                 Job 2:8-10

Wow... "Should we accept only the good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" I believe that would be a yes!  Through all of Job's sadness and disappointment, Job questioned God, but was never angry towards him.  His faith was shaken, but never gone.  As moms and really just in life, when terrible things happen to us, we have a particularly rough day, our family is going through something our kiddos are too young to understand, we hear another story of someone that breaks our heart, or we're tested in a way that pushes us to our limits... the "why God?" creeps in.  I think that's a natural response and honestly, a question we may not get a response to that's crystal clear.  But one thing I learned from Job today and to be quite frank, my husband who has had to ask alot of "Why God?" in his lifetime so far, is that we cannot even begin to understand God's ways and His plan is way beyond our comprehension.   

The other thing I learned from today is what Job talked about with his wife.  We may not like a situation in our life, we may not understand it, but we are to accept the good and bad from God.  Our faith, not our understanding, is what will get us through.  That is super hard sometimes, especially if you are a type A like muah but still...    

After all was said in done, God ended up blessing Job with twice as many riches as before, cured and healed his body of all boils and blessed him with more children than he had before (supposedly the most beautiful daughters in all the land). 

So, in the midst of little ones temper tantrums this week, kiddos testing us, overwhelming decisions, 50 things to juggle and I'm sure many more "trails" or "tests".  I am comforted knowing that while I may not understand the "why", I can relax knowing that God will carry me through it :)  

Choices to make this week:

• I will choose to place my faith and trust in the sovereignty of God, accept the things I cannot change and relinquish my right to understand why!

Prayer from Karol Ladd:

"Mighty God, I stand in awe of your majesty and power.  You are a good God! Although my comprehension is weak, I trust in your goodness.  Thank you that you have a plan that goes far beyond what I can see; thank you that you care about my deepest longings and needs.  Thank you that you are with me in my pain as well as my joy.  Help me to be aware of your presence.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

Big Task, Big Testimony

Sorry about last week  ... I just didn't make it to posting.  I had good intentions all week long and didn't quite get to it but let me tell you, I needed this mornings devotional!

Sunday morning around 4am I walked into Paxton's nursery responding to coughing and listening to him "whimper" for a few minutes and was slapped in the face welcomed by the horrific smell of vomit.  This is a first - ever.  Spit up yes, vommit no.  This is the second time he has ever vomited and - it - was - everywhere.  My poor baby was helpless and upset - we stripped him, stripped his bed, threw everything in the washing machine and if you have a crib bumper in your child's crib YOU KNOW what its like to change a crib sheet at 4 in the morning - shoot me.  Anyway.... the gist is this... he is still sick, does not feel good, is running a temperature, won't eat, won't drink, wants me to hold him 24/7, is in a crabby mood (I don't blame him), now has a red bottom from diarrhea (tmi sorry) and I am very tired :), but smiling.    We've all been where I am at - and if you haven't you will be one day... it sucks.  Its true though.... it is the most helpless feeling.  I have an amazing husband who is a champ at changing crib sheets, cleaning up vomit and changing diarrhea diapers so I am not alone here - its just that you feel like there are very few things you can do to help your baby.  So needless to say - when we were up at 5:30am this morning - I needed motivation and lots of it. 

 

Raise your hand if you have been watching the 'Bible'?  If you haven't, I encourage you to buy it when it comes on DVD or set your dvr to 'record all epidodes' for next Sunday because they are re-playing the whole series Sunday as well as the Finale Sunday/Easter night.  I am learning so much and getting so much clarity on the Bible and the God we all love so dearly.  Matthew and I are watching it together and have many light bulb moments the whole 2 hours.  One reason I love it is because it covers all the major and minor people in the bible.  It teaches you (in a different way than words - I am a visual learner :)) by going chronologically through the Bible how each and every story is connected.  The scripture today, Nehemiah 2:4-6; 6:15-16, is a great example.  I have a frame of reference to today's scripture because of my new found appreciation and understanding of the Bible.

The king asked, "Well, how can I help you?"

       With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, "If it please Your Majesty and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Jerusalem to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried." The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, "How long will you be gone? When will you return?" So the king agreed, and I set a date for my departure... 

        On October 2 the wall was finally finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun.  When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated.  They realized that this work had been done with the help pf our God. 

 Nehemiah received alot of ridicule and threats because of what he wanted to do.  Rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem was not a one man job and he knew that, so he prayed to God that he would have the strength and tools to recruit others to help him.  The small amount of people that did faced the same ridicule and threats yet still, Nehemiah prayed to God for guidance and strength to get through it and motivate his fellow workers.  In the end, they finished the wall and God was glorified because everyone knew the job was too big to be completed without God's help. 

As moms, we all have those "I just can't handle it" days or moments.  Whether it be an obligation or job we chose to do - taking us out of our comfort zone, pushing us to the limits OR situations like mine today - having a sick baby (ok, toddler) that is wearing my butt out and testing my limits.  Either way, as moms we are going to find ourselves in situations bigger than our capabilities.  When it happens we have a choice - whine, complain and swim in self pity OR as Nehemiah did, look to God for help and use his strength to help us through it. 

Choices:

• This week I will choose to ask God for help and guidance each day.
• This week I will choose to look for what God can do through my abilities and talents.
• This week I will choose to take positive action instead of complain. 

Prayer:

"God I praise you for the guidance and ability you give me to handle the tasks you have set before me.  When I feel overwhelmed, please grant me your strength.  When I feel inadequate, please give me what I need for the moment.  I look to you and trust you for help.  May you be glorified in everything you do in and through my life.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen"

So, after praying this morning I did find renewed strength, my brain less foggy and a new attitude towards our current situation.  This too shall pass and I can get through it.  As moms and women its important for us to remember we can and should derive our strength from God and prayer, we don't always have to be supermoms because lets be honest - I don't think any of us have been awarded capes :)   I pray my Pax starts feeling better soon so we can all go back to feeling a little more normal :)

(Wanted to mention: If you would like to receive these posts to your email when there is a new post, look on the right side toolbar and you can add your email, confirm a subscription and that's it.  I nor anyone else will know who is subscribed or not, but at least this way you can see each post as its posted) Have a great week!  

The Battle is The Lord's

We all face different battles in life.  One of my favorite quotes is "Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle".  The truth is, we are.  All of us, at some level, are fighting something going on in our lives.  Our battles may be with fear or worry, relationships, jobs, money, faith, addiction, sickness or even potty training a toddler or dealing with a strong willed child.  We are all facing something in our lives that is beating us down or filling us with a sense of hopelessness.  Take this scripture:

As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there... He said,  "Listen, King Jehoshaphat! Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours; but God's.  Tomorrow, march out against them.  You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz, at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel.  But you will not even need to fight.  Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory.  He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!"

2 Chronicles 20:13-17 

 

Okay, so we don't have an army lined up to fight us, but its safe to assume we all have a battle were facing.  Its so easy to think we are in the battle alone and the outcome (aka victory) is up to us.  WRONG - "Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's."  Read that again - I sure know I needed to hear that this week.  Last week was rough - as a family we faced a really tough battle in fact, I'm still facing it and dealing with it in a different way today.  I needed to be reminded that I need to give this battle over to God and stop trying to fight it on my own.  Just like He told the army, I needed to be reminded to stand firm, be courageous and listen to the Lord and obey.  I can trust him to give me the strength I need. So can you.  The Israelites went out the next morning, took their stand, and faced the enemy. God brought the victory!         

 

As a mom, I want to teach Paxton to stand firm when faced with battles in life and rely on the fact that he has a God who loves him and is willing to help him face his battles, no matter how big or small.  If I don't practice that with him or model it for him, he wont do it.  We can't rely on others to teach our kids what we want/need/desire for them to know.  It is our job as their parents to equip them with the tools necessary to get through life - which includes showing compassion towards others in the wake of their battles too.  

 

This week was a nice reminder that in my battles, my family's battles, I need to stand firm on beliefs, pray and ask God for help.  When I do that I know that I have God helping me fight that battle.  I am also going to practice being kind to others, realizing we all have battles, ours are no more important than others in the eyes of God  - as moms, humans.... we need to also support one another and be there to help each other.   

 

Choices: 

•  This week I will choose to give my battles to the Lord. 
•  This week I will choose to stand firm in my faith.
•  This week I will choose to cast away fear knowing that the Lord is with me.
•  This week I will choose to show kindness to others as we all face battles.   

Prayer:   
" [God] I praise you for you are able to bring victory in my life.  You have all the power I need to defeat my enemies! Help me to have the faith and courage to believe and stand firm.  Lord, I give all my battles to you.  I know I cannot win in my own strength; I need you.  Help me to do my part.  Thank you for always being with me.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen."  

I walked away from this devo today feeling renewed being reminded that we do not have to fight our battles alone.  Even in silence God knows what we're facing, no matter how big or small and he is here to help us as long as we let him!  Comment a prayer request (anonymously if you need/want to) and I will, as I'm sure other readers as well, will pray for you as you face your battle.  If you could pray for me specifically on my health I would appreciate it :)  Have a great week!         

God Is Our Provider

I'm sure we have all had days where we feel less than equipped to be a mom.  After all, everyone says 'just follow your instinct' - well, that's great and all if I had an instinct to follow :)  or if I didn't second guess what my instinct was telling me to do :)  No really though... we do have an instinct - In my opinion its also called a judgement or conscience.  Today's devotional is centered around God being our provider when we feel we need something we do not have, no matter what it is. 
 
"One day the widow of one of Elisha's fellow Prophets came to Elisha and cried out to him.  "My husband who served you is dead, and you knew how he feared the Lord.  But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves."
        "What can I do to help you?" Elisha asked.  "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" 
        "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil," she replied.     
          Elisha said, "Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.  Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you.  Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting jars aside as they are filled."
          So she did as she was told.  Her sons brought many jars to her, and she filled one after the other.  Soon every container was full to the brim!
          When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, "Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and there will be enough money left over to support you and your sons."

                                                                                                           2 Kings 4:1-7         

 

Wow - talk about providing a need.  If only that could happen with formula or breast milk, right?  :) Only kidding.  The lesson here though is that God took care of the family of someone who had cared deeply for him and more importantly asked him for help.  They were a household who loved and served the Lord.  I think another lesson in this scripture and how it applies to us is yes, as believers we believe in Gods provision and his ability to help us but- that doesn't mean we don't need to do our own set of work to allow his plan and work to be done.  We cant sit around expecting Gods blessings to fall in our lap.  We need to be praying about it and doing all we can to work towards our need.  Also, something that brought me more peace than anything is this from Karols book, " Finally, we can draw encouragement from the way that God took what little this woman had and multiplied it abundantly.  We may think we have little to offer.  But God can take our simple love, faith, and obedience and multiply it into significant blessings for our home". 

 

In my mind, that means even the small things count.  I don't know what you need or what your family might need but make sure God does.  He can provide for us as long as we are willing and open to accepting what he can offer.  Listen for his guidance and be willing to accept what he tells you to do. That mommy instinct I talked about above-that might just be God telling us what to do - I guess we should listen to it! :)

 

Choices:

- This week I will choose to look to God as my provider.

- This week I will choose to faithfully obey what he leads me to do.

- This week I will choose to teach my children about God's faithfulness. 

 

Prayer:    

"Wonderful Lord and Perfect Provider, I praise you for your tender love and care for me.  I praise you for your magnificent power that is able to take what little I have to offer and use it in a wonderful way.  Thank you for looking after the needs of my family.  Help me to live in faithful obedience to you.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

Delighting in God's Blessings

The answered prayer.  We have all desired for our most personal prayers to be answered and over the course of our lives some have been answered exactly like we would want, others have not been our chosen outcome and others are still in the process of being unfolded.  

If ya'll remember correctly, when I started this blog and made my first post HERE, I made it known that I was reading a devotional by Karol Ladd each Monday to learn and grow and that I wasn't an expert.  Today's scripture comes from a book of the bible I was unfamiliar with and comes from a story I had not heard before.  

"I asked the Lord to give me this child, and he has given me my request.  Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life."  And they worshiped the Lord there. 
Then Hannah prayed: "My heart rejoices in the Lord! Oh, how the Lord has blessed me! Now I have an answer for my enemies, as I delight in your deliverance.  No one is holy like the Lord!  There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God."

1 Samuel 1:27-28; 2:1-2

Hannah, the woman praying above, was saddened for years and years for not being able to concieve a child and was also ridiculed for years by others.  She prayed to God every day and as time went on got more and more saddened that she hadn't had a child yet, still she prayed.   She wondered how God would let her suffer so much, but God had a plan.  Out of her perseverance and prayers to God she eventually had a son named, Samuel .  He grew up to be a faithful servant of God and a leader.  This scripture above shows the joy in the Lord she had when she had her son and the thanksgiving she showed him out of her joy!  The example of Gods perfect timing and the praise we should give Him when our prayers are answered.

 

What I learned today is that as moms, we should strive to pray to God with peace knowing that He has a plan for us, for our families, for our children.  We should find joy in the answering of that prayer - whether its what we saw coming or not.  Its so easy to drop to our knees and pray and lay our needs out before the Lord, but its not as easy (or easy to rememeber) to praise God and thank Him when our prayers are "answered" - whether its what we "wanted" or not.  I am going to try and take a moment each day this week to stop and thank God for all that he has blessed me with and even though Pax is little, he knows we pray and I'm going to pray special prayers with him thanking God for all he has.  Have you seen the movie "Facing the Giants?"  If you just answered no, then you must see it.  Its basically the gist of this devotional, you praise God no matter what - and in time, he will bless you.  (Matthew and I have a copy I can mail to you if you want to borrow it)   

 

Choices this week:    

• This week I will choose to give all my cares, concerns and requests to God in prayer.
• This week I will choose to spend more time thanking God and delighting in his blessings.
• This week I will choose to teach my children to thank God in their prayers.

Prayer:

"Lord, I praise you, for you are good and you are powerful.  I praise you because you have a plan for my life.  I trust your plan.  Thank you for all the ways you have already moved and worked on my behalf.  You have blessed me so much! Thank you for being my rock and my refuge as I wait on you for the blessings to come.  Be glorified in my life!  In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

 

You know, I have some very personal and heavy prayers I have been praying lately, it hadn't occured to me that maybe the reason God hasn't responded to those prayers yet was because I haven't been as diligent and heartfelt with my thanks for all he has answered.  It's much easier to view the glass half empty than half full sometimes, just being honest... you know its true.  I know I am a blessed girl, I tell myself that all the time.  But do I tell God? :/  I'm gonna suck it up and find more "Delight in God's Blessings" this week - I hope you can too!       

Courage and Commitment

As a mom I don't want to show unhealthy fear to Paxton.  I want to protect him from all fears and never ever have him worry.  Although, while I don't think kids need to deal with adult issues (thank you Dr. Phil) I do think that it is healthy and a necessity to teach him that fear brews courage and courage is powerful. It's inevitable and healthy for him to learn how to deal with fear.  Matthew and I are his example and the platform from which he will learn how to deal with fear and ultimately how to overcome it.  This is where the bible and the promises of God are so sweet.      

Be strong and very courageous.  Obey all the laws Moses gave you.  Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do.  Study this Book of the Law continually.  Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it.  Only then will you succeed.  I command you - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

Joshua 1:7-9

 

Life is tough - there are seasons in life where all is bliss and then are seasons when all is h-e double hockey sticks.  On a smaller scale- there are days, hours or one specific situation that is particularly difficult and fear is the natural response.  Am I handing this ok? Did I respond the right way? Am I messing my kid up? Is he going to remember this? We have to stand up as moms in those situations, brush fear aside and use courage to help us through it.  Where do we get the courage? From God.  In the scripture above God is talking to Joshua, and is basically commanding him to be strong and courageous, why? Because God is with him.  He tells him to study his word, so that he can obey it.  The same rings true for me.  I need to study Gods word because it strengthens me and reminds me of His power and His ability to protect me.  If I don't know this and own it, it scares me to think Paxton won't know it either.  I want him to grow up feeling strong and courageous to take on the world, stand up for his beliefs and go after his dreams.  When it comes to my role as a mom I am reminded to be strong and courageous not only for my sake, but ultimately for Paxton's too.  God is with me!

Choices
-This week I will choose to let go of the familiar and hold on to God's hand.
-This week I will choose to study and meditate on God's word.
-This week I will choose to teach my children that God is always with them, so they will 
 have the courage to stand up for what it right.
-This week I will choose to:

 

Prayer

 "Great and mighty Lord, I praise you for always being with me.  You guard me and protect me like a Good Shepard.  Thank you for your presence! Keep me from being overcome with fear; fill me with your peace instead.  Help me to be strong and courageous in my role as a mother.  Thank you for your Word and the power it has to transform my life.  Help me to study it, meditate, on it, and obey it, so that I can be successful in everything you have called me to do.  In Jesus' name I pray, amen."

I feel like fear is where our faith comes in.  "Our faith does not lie in trusting God to stop the storm but in trusting Him to enable us to walk through the storm" (Jill Briscoe).  This leaves me wanting to cling to and read God's word to restore and replenish my Faith in knowing that God is always with me on this difficult journey we call Motherhood. :) 



From Grumbling to Gratitude and the Beauty of God's Love

It's amazing to me how the Lord has a plan that doesn't always play out like we would choose but ultimately works out for the better or whats best for us.  I had no intention of not posting last Monday.  I was coming off of a weekend of having intense jaw pain and going into Monday knowing I wasn't going to see my dentist until Tuesday.  Needless to say, I saw my dentist Tuesday morning, was in an oral surgeons office Tuesday afternoon and had surgery Thursday morning (all 4 wisdom teeth were impacted and active and needed to come out ASAP).  No fun - I was not happy at all

I actually sat down for my devotional Monday morning and basically just read the title, 'From Grumbling to Gratitude'.  Little did I know how that would impact my week.  I found myself referring back to it all week long.  The financial obligation of this surgery, the timing as we are trying to grow our family (the fact I couldn't have the surgery if I were currently pregnant), the timing with how busy Matthew is as work, having to ask for help from mom and those in our life that could help with Paxton and interfering with my first MOPS meeting of the new year.   Last weeks devotional was all about giving thanks to God in the midst of our desires to be ungrateful.  I was quickly convicted when I read it, reminding me that despite the bad timing in my life - I am not in control.  As much as I try to be - I'm not.  My complaining and whining ultimately showed a lack of trust for what Gods purpose and plan was for me.  I have SO SO much TO be grateful for... how dare I question and grumble.  I needed to be reminded to stop and thank God for all he has provided and will continue to provide amidst the trials of life.  So, maybe thinking back to last week or looking into this week - were encouraged to praise God and thank him for all he has done and will do for us when we have the desire to be ungrateful as well as teach our kiddos (as best we can) to be thankful for all of their blessings as well.

This week flows nicely into last week... 

The Beauty of God's Love... its almost inconceivable... hard to wrap my hands and head around.  I immediately thought of the "How he loves us" praise and worship song by the David Crowder band, one of my very favorites. Here is a link to the song if you want to listen.  click here

The Lord did not choose you and lavish his love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!  It was simply because the Lord loves you and because he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors.  That is why the Lord rescued you with such amazing power from your slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt.  Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God.  He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and constantly loves those who love him and obey his commands. 
                                                                                                                                   Deuteronomy 7:7-9

We are not perfect moms, wives, daughters, sisters, friends, employees, etc it's important that we remember that at the end of the day - no matter how well we did that day or how effective, efficient or successful we were, God loves us.  On days, or for me lately, moments I think to myself, "I suck, I can't believe I just said/did that". I am going to try and remind myself that I am worthy and that I am receiving God's unconditional love even in that moment.  The more we learn to receive and relish in God's love for us, the more willing and able we are going to be in giving that to others, especially our children and especially when it pertains to grace.  The grace we are given by God is the same grace we should give ourselves and our loved ones. Its hard sometimes though... :) Just being honest.  

Choices:      
-This week I will choose to relish and reflect on God's great love toward me.
-This week I will choose to show God's love to others in my words and actions. 
-This week I will choose to help my children (child) understand the beauty of God's love.   

Prayer      
"Loving and faithful heavenly Father, I praise you for your redeeming love and mercy toward me.  I am amazed that you the High King of Heaven, want to have a relationship with me! Thank you for being so faithful and loving.  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family and keeping your covenant with me.  I love you! Help me to share your love with my children and with all the other people in my life.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

"We think God's love rises and falls with our performance.  It doesn't...He loves you for who you are: you are His child. " (Max Lucado)

Lets give ourselves a break this week - try not to grumble so much at certain things and instead turn our eyes to the Lord and praise Him for all we do have to be grateful for.  Lets relish in his love for us and try to show that to others around us - especially our precious little ones.

Have a great week and see you next Monday!

The Grace Challenge

Grace is: 1.a state of sanctification by God  2. a disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill, mercy 3. a fevor rendered by one who need not do so.

This week is all about grace and how we as moms, teachers, aunts, grandmas, etc are the example for the children in our lives on how we not only give them grace but also how we give grace to others. 

"Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.  Do not try to get ahead at the cost of your neighbor's life, for I am the Lord. Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives.  Confront your neighbors directly do you will not be held guilty for their crimes.  Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbors as yourself. I am the Lord"
                                                                                               Leviticus 19:16-18

I was a little confused after reading that scripture, but thankfully Karol Ladd clears things up.  This was at a time when thousands of Israelites were traveling to the Promised Land through unknown land and had a very long way to go.  In order to have some sense of civility they were given the laws above for dealing with both people and circumstances as they traveled.  As hard as they are to follow in real life, our real life... a  few of those laws would be great to live by today (navigating the craziness of life and motherhood, right?).   

Thankfully as Christians today we have the beautiful gift of God's grace in our lives due to Christ's sacrifice on the cross for US.  We are not under a strict law like these Israelites were... as recievers of Gods grace, we should be giving it as much as we are recieving it.  This is hard for me sometimes and you know your lying if you say "oh, not me".  Life is challenging, busy and complicated for everyone in many different ways.  We are faced with situations on a daily, weekly, monthly basis where we have to make sound decisions on how we will react to people based on our beliefs and values.  We are put in situations where its challenging to give grace to others.  I am going to quote Karol Ladd in her book, because she says it better than I could, "And what does grace toward others look like? I think it looks alot like todays [scripture].  Guarding our mouths from gossip, forgiving, not holding grudges - all of these are practical ways we can shed God's grace on the people around us.  Let's teach our kids, through our words and our example, to reflect on the goodness of God's wonderful grace and, in turn, to offer that grace to others." 

I will admit, I am a WHOLE lot better at giving grace to Paxton because he is a baby/toddler/child - young.  Its somehow easier to give him grace because he is so innocent and trying to distinguish right from wrong.  I think I needed this devotional today to help me work specifically on giving grace to adults in the form of guarding my heart from grudges.  I take things people say and do towards me way to personally and hold that feeling inside in the form of a grudge.  I am going to work specifically on this.  We all apply things differently in our lives - I hope you can use her devotional in your life as you need it this week and beyond.

Choices:
- This week I will choose to focus on God's great love and grace towards me.
- This week I will choose to show grace toward others.
- This week I will choose to ask God's help in guarding my heart and mind.
- This week I will choose to ...

Prayer:
"God of grace and mercy, thank you for pouring your grace on me through the sacrifice of your Son.  I praise you that through faith in Jesus, I am forgiven.  Help me now to forgive others.  Guard my mouth from gossip and my heart from grudges.  Teach me to be a conduit of your grace so that grace flows freely through me to my family members and all the other people in my life.  Thank you for your Word and the direction it gives for living and loving in grace.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

I challenge you this week, as I am challenging myself, to use God's grace in your life in whatever way you feel you need it.  I am constantly reminding myself being with Paxton all day, little ears are listening and little eyes are watching... we have a big responsibility on our hands in teaching these little ones how to be better people than we are.  Thank goodness for God's grace :)

Have a great week!         

" I Will Help You'

Good morning! How did last week go? Were you able to be a little easier on yourself, knowing God created you in His image and not the image of others? Here is last weeks post if you missed it: Created in His image.   I hope you had a fantastic New Years and were able to sneak in lots of extra snuggles with your kiddos and hubbys.  I know I did and I loved it :)
 
This weeks devotional is similar to last weeks but focuses not just on the fact that God created you but that he also has equipped you with what you need to be the mom/wife/employee/ etc. you want to be.  Key word: equipped :)  Here is the scripture for this week:

But Moses pleaded with the Lord.  "O Lord, I'm just not a good speaker.  I never have been, and I'm not now, even after you have spoken to me.  I'm clumsy with words." 
"Who makes mouths?"  The Lord asked him. "Who makes people so they can speak or not speak, hear or not hear, see or not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, and do as I have told you.  I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say."

WOW - I'm caught...  Much like Moses in this scripture I, all to often, focus on what I can't do or feel I am unable to do.  Over time... all of the " I cant's" turn into negative feelings about myself and a feeling of inadequacy and weakness.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed with all of the things I am saying "I can't" do that I forget to stop and ask God for help or I forget to stop and realize that I have him as an everlasting guide and partner.  The thing that this scripture reminds me/us of is that we cannot do it all and we cannot do it all alone.  Isaiah 41:13 says "I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you 'Do not fear, I will help you." 

As moms we are faced with challenges all the time where we want to say I can't... my latest particular challenge has been since I have stayed home with Paxton.  Staying out of the mindset of keeping a perfect home, cooking a homemade meal nightly, being a "perfect" momma to Pax and finding alone time to exercise without feeling guilty.  I'm not saying thinking like this is ok... but I am being honest in that I do feel this way sometimes and for the record, Pinterest is not helping either (we have a love/hate relationship) and I have a loving, supportive husband who does not put unnecessary pressure on me... these are my thoughts and feelings.    You probably have your own "I can't" feelings... I can't bear to get it all done, I can't bear to deal with this anymore, I can't be good at this mom thing because ______, to name a small few. Karol Ladd says it best, "As moms we need to hear God's voice saying to us.   "You may not be able to do it on your own, but I made you.  I know what you need, and I can help you."  Whenever you are tempted to think, I just can't do it, remember that as God leads you, he will give you what you need.  He made you and he is able to equip you for the job".  In my own thoughts, the job of motherhood and of being a wife!

As given in the devotional, Do you trust God to be your strength in your weakness? What "I can't" do you need to give over to him?  I'll go first... 
I need to give over to him the "I can't" of holding it all together all the time.  I am allowed to fail and allowed to not be my version of "perfect". 
Your turn! Comment below :) 

Choices:
- This week I will choose to focus on what God can do, not what I can't do.
- This week I will choose to seek God's leadership and guidance.
- This week I will choose to ask him for help in all the tasks I undertake. 

Prayer:
"O wonderful Lord, you have called me to be a mother.  You have given me a monumental and magnificent job! But I can't do it alone; I don't have what it takes.  I need you.  I need your equipping.  Help me to replace my "I can't" with "but God can".  Help me to follow you and only do what you are calling me to do in your strength.  Thank you for creating me and caring for me.  May my life glorify you! In Jesus's name I pray, amen"

As we go into this week, we need to stop and repeat to ourselves, "I will help you" as a reminder to pray and ask God for help when we feel we can't do it alone.  We are freaking awesome moms, no doubt, but we need help and affirmation that we are equipped with what we need - only God can do that for us :)

Have a great week, see you next Monday!

"Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging."
                                                                                                     - Joseph Campbell

Created in His Image

Happy Monday... hope you had a great weekend!  I woke up this morning super excited to get started with this "journey" and really at peace with my decision to blog about it.  I know I need more of God's word in my life and more accountablity.  I hope this blog and Karol Ladd's devotional does this for not only me but you too :)  I love that it follows the Bible from start to finish.  This first one focuses on how we, as people, women, moms, etc. were created by God, in His image, and he views us as perfection.  We all view ourselves as perfect moms right? Ha, wrong!  Here is the key scripture from today:

So God created people in his own image;  God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.  Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals." And God said, "Look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.  And I have given all the grasses and other green plants to the animals and birds for their food." And so it was.  Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way.  Genesis 1:27-31

How do YOU view yourself as a mom? I'll be honest, I am harsh on myself... critical sometimes.  I am my own worst critic most of the time and know that I hold some unrealistic expectations for myself .  I criticize and analyze myself daily on choices and decisions I make... sometimes making me more productive and other times slowing me down. Sound familiar maybe? To be created in Gods "own image", those are some big shoes to fill, that means we need to be like God.  I don't know about you but I don't feel very "God Like" all the time.  What I learned today though was that it's OK.  It doesn't mean we have to be exactly like God.  It just means that we are a reflection of Him since he created us and we should work towards and strive to be as much like Him as possible - especially when it comes to what we teach, how we treat and what we show our children.  God doesn't expect us to be perfect moms... he only wants us to rejoice in who we are, not who we aren't, and give thanks to him for that.  When you feel like "I wasn't cut out for this" or "What was God thinking?" or "I can't do this" just remember that God created you and you are perfect in his eyes.  Let's not be so critical of what/who we aren't as moms, and be more thankful for what/who we are. This applies to our children too.  God views them as perfection,  I know, I know... we view our children as perfect too, but c'mon... there are days (weeks) when we just say "Why? Why God?"  Just remember, they are a unique and special creation of God too- as hard as it may be to see at times, it is true :) 

In what ways do you see yourself as a unique and special creation of God? (this question is given in the devotional and there is a place to write the answer.  Answer the question in your head or better yet comment your answer below so we can all rejoice in each other :)) Okay, I'll go first, I see myself as compassionate, have good intuition, always put others before myself and manage time well.  Your turn!  

My choices:

• This week I will choose to rejoice in the fact that I am created in God's image.
• This week I will choose to encourage my children to know that they are made by God in an excellent way. 
• This week I will choose to enjoy every person who crosses my path as a unique creation of God.
• This week I will choose to... (fill in the blank with your own)

My prayer: Karol Ladd closes each devotional with a prayer.  I really love that she lifts this to Lord and opens with scripture and closes with prayer. Glorious Creator, marvelous Father, thank you for the way you created me and each and every one of my family members.  Thank you for caring so much about mankind that you formed us in your image.  I rejoice in your excellent creation! Help me to love and bless my kids, recognizing that they are a reflection of your image.  May they begin to grasp the wonderful fact that they have been created in an excellent way for your glory.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen."

I am going into this week knowing that while I may not see myself as perfect, God does.  I am not a perfect mom, never will be and I need to work towards not criticizing myself because of it.  I hope you can too!   (don't forget to comment below if you're comfortable, do it as anonymous :)) I hope this post blesses your week in some way and gives you a boost to be the mom God designed you to be! :)   

Have a great week, see you next Monday :)