Truth-Teller • Galatians 4

And now have I suddenly become your enemy 

simply by telling you the truth? 

I can't believe it.

Those heretical teachers go to great lengths

to flatter you, but their motives are rotten. 

They want to shut you out of 

the free world of God's grace 

so that you will always depend on them 

for approval and direction, making them feel important. 

 

Galatians 4:16-17

•

Oh Lord!

I want to be a truth-believer and a truth-teller!

Please strip away all that is false,
all that keeps me from You.

Strip away any desire I have for my own way.

Going my own way causes so much trouble and grief.

Your way is life and peace.

My way is death.

I am Your child!

Your Spirit within me cries out,
"Daddy! Poppa!"

Why would I ever want to go back
into slavery?

Why do I look for chains to slap around
my wrists?

I am Your child!

All that is Yours is mine!

Oh Thank You, Jesus!
Thank You, Father!

I choose to walk in freedom today.

Help me to seek truth,
know truth,
believe truth and
speak truth always.

I want to be a truth-teller.

Fruit Revealed • Esther 7

 

 

Queen Esther answered, 

"If I have found favor in your eyes, 

O King, and if it please the king, 

give me my life, and give my people their lives.

 

Esther 7:3

•

She came asking for life
not only for herself, but for all her people.

He came demanding death,
seeking to destroy a whole people
out of hatred for one man.

Two hearts cultivated in
very different ways.

Revealing what had been planted
deep within their soil.

At "such a time" their fruit came forth
bursting with the truth of who they were.

Life sprung forth from her,
death spewed out from him.

Daily I plant seeds in the
soil of my heart.

Daily I tend the garden of my soul.

The fruit reveals what has been planted;
how I have tended to my garden.

Help me, Father, to plant seeds of life and
to stay connected to the Vine.

Remove the deadly weeds that crowd out life
and produce death.

Help me to choose to feed and tend my garden
with the water of your Word and the Sunshine
of obedience.

Not the World's Kind of King • John 18

"My kingdom," said Jesus, 

"doesn't consist of what you see around you. 

If it did, my followers would fight 

so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. 

But I'm not that kind of king, 

not the world's kind of king." 

Then Pilate said, "So, are you a king or not?" 

   Jesus answered, "You tell me. Because I am King,

I was born and entered the world 

so that I could witness to the truth. 

Everyone who cares for truth, 

who has any feeling for the truth, 

recognizes my voice." 

John 18:36-37

•

You weren't the king they expected.

No armies marched around You.

No trumpets announced Your arrival.

Truth. 

Love.

Mercy.

Grace.

Humility.

Dependence. 

King of the unseen kingdom.

Leading by serving.

Commanding by demonstration.

Living out what we are to become.

Hiding behind rules and systems they refused 

to see what that You were the fulfillment of 

all that was said to come.

Line by line Your life came from

words written long ago, the blueprints

for Your kingdom.

Those who have been burned by the Lie,

those who hunger for the truth

see who You are,

and are welcomed in to help build 

Your kingdom.

My Perspective or Yours? • John 11

When Jesus got the message, He said,

"This sickness is not fatal.

It will become an occasion

to show God's glory 

by glorifying God's Son."

John 11:4

•

He said these things, and then announced,

"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep.

I'm going to wake him up." 

Jesus was talking about death,

while his disciples thought

He was talking about taking a nap.

John 11:11, 13

•

How often, Lord, am I totally missing

what You are clearly saying to me?

How often am I so caught up with

what I think is going on

that I forget to stop

and get Your perspective on things?

You, who knows all things.

I can talk to You any time, any place.

You hear me when I call out to You.

You want me to come and 

talk with You. (Psalm 27:8)

You want to help me understand

and know what is going on.

(Jeremiah 33:3)

You are all powerful!

You are able to do way more 

than I could ever think or imagine!

(Ephesians 3:20)

And yet, too often, I wander around

stuck in my earthy perspective

seeing only dead ends, problems, 

sickness, death. 

(John 11:21, 32, 39b)

My solutions are temporary.

"A good nap will do the trick!"

(John 11:12-13)

Your solutions are eternal!

You are Life!

•

"You don't have to wait for the End.

I am, right now, Resurrection and Life.

The one who believes in Me,

even though he or she dies, will live.

and everyone who lives believing in Me

does not ultimately die at all. 

Do you believe this?"

John 11:25-26

Bring the Clear Light of Day • John 9

"I came into the world

to bring everything

into the clear light of day,

making all the distinctions clear,

so  that those who have never seen

will see,

and those who have made

a great pretense of seeing

will be exposed as blind." 

John 9:39

•

Blindingly bright, it shines all around

but they refused to acknowledge it.

They refuse to acknowledge You.

Blindingly bright, it shines

exposing cardboard cutouts,

painted scenery,

whitewashed shacks. 

Your glory shines

and all that is becomes apparent. 

The darkness can no longer cover

what is so glaringly true.

Clinging to darkness

yet claiming clear sight.

Pointing out specks on others

while oozing with their own filth 

as it runs down their pointing finger.

In Your light

I look down and see it there

running down my arm.

It puddles at my feet

as I fall to my knees 

before You.

We Can Have it All! • John 3

 

 

"In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent

in the desert so people could have something

to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man

to be lifted up - and everyone who looks up to Him,

trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life."

  John 3:14-15 (The Message)

•

Real life comes from Jesus!
Lord, this morning I choose to look to You in expectant trust.

You are the source of real, eternal life.

Thank You Jesus for allowing Yourself

to be lifted up on the cross

so that we could look to You and gain eternal life.

•

"This is how much God loved the world:

He gave His Son, His One and Only Son.

And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed;

by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

God didn't go to all the trouble of sending His Son

merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.

He came to help, to put the world right again.

Anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted;

anyone who refuses to trust Him has long since

been under the death sentence without knowing it.

And why? Because of that person's failure to believe

in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to Him."

  John 3:16-18

•

Thank you, Jesus for loving us so much that

You gave up Your life for us! Thank you for coming in love.

Thank you for not coming in accusation,

wanting to destroy us because of our sins.

You came to help us, because on our own,

we can do nothing to help ourselves.

Please help me to do the same for others.

Help me to be a help to others. Showing them the way to You. 

Forgive me for the many times that I have instead been accusing.

•

"This is the crisis we're in:

God-light streamed into the world,

but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness.

They went for the darkness because

they were not really interested in pleasing God.

Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil,

addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light

and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure.

But anyone working and living in truth and reality

welcomes God-light so the work

can be seen for the God-work it is."

  John 3:19-21

•

I want to be pleasing to you, Lord, in every area of my life.

I know that there are still areas in my life

where I am trying to hide and remain in the darkness.

Please remove any desire for denial and illusion in my life.

Please help me to work and live in truth and reality in every area of my life.

•

 

"The One that God sent speaks God's words.

And don't think He rations out the Spirit

in bits and pieces. The Father loves the Son extravagantly.

He turned everything over to Him 

so He could give it away - a lavish distribution of gifts.

That's why whoever accepts and trusts the Son

gets in on everything, life complete and forever!

And that is also why the person who avoids

and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn't see life.

All he experiences of God is darkness,

and an angry darkness at that."  

John 3:34-36

•

Thank You, Lord that you are so generous and giving!

You hold nothing back from those who trust You

and believe in You. Life complete and forever!

All that You have given Jesus, Your Only Son,

You give to those who accept and believe in You.

Help us to truly grasp that and live in that truth!

Shades of Grey

Today I got to thinking about what we, as Believers, are to do when we see another Believer doing something that we don't think they should be doing.

And so I spent an little time digging around in The Word to see what it had to say.

Please know that my humble blog post is simply that. My humble findings as I sought to find some answers.

Please, do not take this as all there is in Scripture on this subject.

Just know that I wanted to share what I found, because I think this is something we all may wonder about and need to know.

OK, back to the subject at hand....

Now, sometimes that "thing" is black and white sin.

And Scripture tells us what to do.

"Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, 

correct him. If he responds, forgive him.

Even if it's personal against you

and repeated seven times through the day,

and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry,

I won't do it again,' forgive him."

--

Luke 17:3-4

•

If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—

work it out between the two of you.

If he listens, you've made a friend.

If he won't listen, take one or two others along

so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest,

and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church.

If he won't listen to the church,

you'll have to start over from scratch,

confront him with the need for repentance,

and offer again God's forgiving love. 

--

Mathew 18:15-17

• 

Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith.

Go after those who take the wrong way.

Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin.

The sin itself stinks to high heaven. 

--

Jude 22-23

And sometimes it's not necessarily black and white.

Sometimes it's just something that we feel is wrong for us.

And so, we start to think it is wrong for everyone else, too.

Forget about deciding what's right for each other. 

Here's what you need to be concerned about:

that you don't get in the way of someone else,

making life more difficult than it already is.

 --

Romans 14:13

•

Cultivate your own relationship with God, 

but don't impose it on others.

--

Romans 14:22

•

Don't pick on people, jump on their failures,

criticize their faults— unless, of course,

you want the same treatment.

That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.

It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face

and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.

Do you have the nerve to say,

'Let me wash your face for you,'

when your own face is distorted by contempt?

It's this whole traveling road-show mentality

all over again, playing a holier-than-thou

part instead of just living your part.

Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face,

and you might be fit to offer

a washcloth to your neighbor. 

--

Matthew 7:1-5

So, do I just sit back and stew if I am concerned about my brother or sister and what they are doing?

Do I just go along and "live and let live"?

Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior:

Ask yourself what you want people to do for you,

then grab the initiative and do it for them.

Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get. 

--

Matthew 7:12

•

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray.

Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,

letting God know your concerns.

Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness,

everything coming together for good,

will come and settle you down.

It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces

worry at the center of your life. 

--

Philippians 4:6

I think that first of all we should pray for them. We should lay our concern before the Lord. 

Make your worry a prayer request.

And ask the Lord for the opportunity and the words to share your concern.

Watch the way you talk... Say only what helps, each word a gift.

--

Ephesians 4:29

•

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting,

profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive.

--

Ephesians 4:31

As I looked through The Word this afternoon, what really jumped out at me is that I need to make sure that I am living a life wholly devoted to my Lord. 

I have enough on my own plate to be worrying about what is on yours!

I want to live in a way that points others to Jesus, instead of pushing them away because of my judgmental criticisms. 

Oh Lord, help me to love You and others with all that I do and say!

Tend to Your Knitting

"As I live and breathe," God says,
      "every knee will bow before me;
   Every tongue will tell the honest truth
      that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full 

just taking care of your own life before God. 

Romans 14:12

I'm having one of those Quiet Times this morning.

It started out when I discovered a chapter or two in Romans that I had not yet read in The Message.

As I read Paul's words in this fresh way, I immediately saw how they related to something going on in the life of a dear friend of mine.

I quickly found myself wanting to type out several verses and zip them off to some people that I thought could learn a thing or two from the passage I was reading. 

I practically giggled with glee at the thought of proudly proclaiming these verses to those I think need them and seeing them crumble under the Truth.

Ack!

That's when I could almost feel a tap-tap-tap on my shoulder.

A feeling of unease and realization crept in to my belly. 

Once again, I saw that these verses are for me. 

I need to read them.

I need to learn from them.

I need to incorporate them into my life.

Gulp!

Here are some of the verses I was reading:

Welcome with open arms fellow believers 

who don't see things the way you do.

And don't jump all over them 

every time they do or say something 

you don't agree with—

even when it seems that they are 

strong on opinions but weak in the faith department.

Remember, they have their own history 

to deal with. Treat them gently. 

Romans 14:1

None of us are permitted to insist on our own way 

in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—

all the way from life to death 

and everything in between—not each other.

That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again:

 so that he could be our Master across the entire range 

of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. 

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother?

And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister?

I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse.

Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side

in the place of judgment, facing God.

Your critical and condescending ways 

aren't going to improve your position there one bit.

 Romans 14:7-12

Forget about deciding what's right for each other.

Here's what you need to be concerned about:

that you don't get in the way of someone else,

making life more difficult than it already is. 

Romans 14:13

 

So let's agree to use all our energy

in getting along with each other.

Help others with encouraging words;

don't drag them down by finding fault. 

Romans 14:19

Cultivate your own relationship with God,

but don't impose it on others.

You're fortunate if your behavior and

your belief are coherent.

Romans 14:22

Life can be pretty hard sometimes.

We are all fallible.

We are all loved by God.

And we all need Jesus.

I want to be stepping in the direction of grace.

I want to offer gentle words of encouragement, instead of harsh words of criticism.

It is so easy to see the fault of someone else. 

It is so easy to be offended.

It is so easy to cross to the other side of the road and just keep on walking.

It is so easy to read some Bible verses and think that they apply to someone else.

Oh, Father, please, help me to stop taking the easy way. 

Just as You have been so gentle and patient 

and full of grace with me, 

help me to be the same 

to those You have placed in my life.

Woven into a Tapestry of Love

Our Father is so faithful and patient.

I am so often unfaithful and impatient.

I was well on my way into a full on temper tantrum, pity party this morning.

"Can't I just take a break from being The Mom once in awhile?"

"Why can't I just roll over and pull the covers over MY head this morning?"

"I NEVER get to sleep in...."

You get the idea...

It was not pretty.

I knew I was in a wrong place.

I knew that I needed a change of perspective and that I was being ungrateful and relying on my own strength.

I am so glad that for once I chose not to wallow too long in my self made pit.

I'm so glad that our Father listens even when I am getting it wrong, that He doesn't turn me away and tell me to "get myself straightened up".

He is so good at doing that for me...

When I let Him.

I pulled out Colossians and dove in right where I've been reading....

I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery.  -- Colossians 2:2

A tapestry of love....

God is love....

He's Sovereign....

He works everything in my life for my good.... (Romans 8:28)

Nothing can happen without His permission... (Lamentations 3:37)

His tapestry of love is in the process of being put together.

It is all around me, because I am a part of it.

So, being awoken before I would choose, serving my family even when I would rather go back to bed, is part of His tapestry of love.

As I get to know God more and more I am more in touch with who He is, with how He works and what He is doing in my life.

As I get to know Him, I am more confident in His love; trusting that He knows what is best for me.

Then, my mind can be at rest.

Life and peace come when I live by the Spirit. (Romans 8:5-6)

Thank you, Father for calling my heart to Yours this morning. Thank You for the gift of life. Please help me to know You more and more so that I can be confident in Your love and have a mind at rest in You.

A Mind at Rest

Know that I'm on your side, right alongside you. You're not in this alone. I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we've been shown the mystery! I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or "the Secret." -- Colossians 2:1b-4

To have a mind that is confident and at rest. 

I love that! 

I have been slowly reading through Colossians in The Message. 

It has been so good to take it slow and savor what nuggets of Truth the Lord is uncovering for me.

"Know that I'm on your side, right alongside you. You're not in this alone."

Immediately, when I read that, I thanked the Lord for the people who live those words out in my life.

I have been so blessed to have friends in my life who are on my side and are walking this journey right alongside me.

I am not alone!

What a precious gift it is to have friends in my life who speak Truth to me, who encourage me, who challenge my thinking and continually point me to the Lord. 

"I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God."

Wow!

Held together with other believers, in the bond of love, making a beautiful tapestry as we continue to learn all there is to know of God! 

Now, that is a purpose for life, isn't it! 

"Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery."

So, the way to have a confident mind that is at rest is to keep learning about God and to keep my focus on Jesus.

Too many times, I am so far from this.

Too many times my mind is anything but at rest and so far from being confident.

But it is often my friends who help me to get back to the place where I am focusing on Christ. 

They remind me of what I know is True about God and His Word.

They help me back to a mind that is restful and confident.

Thank You, Lord, for Your Word. Thank You that You want us to know You. Thank You for weaving me into Your tapestry of love and providing me with sweet sisters in You who help me to know You more and remind me of what is True. Please use me to help them on their journey, pointing them always back to You. Please help me to know You more and to focus on Jesus. Thank you that as I do this, You will keep my mind at rest and confident in You.  Amen.

On my mind

What is on my mind, should I say, in my mind, is so important.

The thoughts that are going on in my head affect what I do and say.

When my thoughts are whirling and accusing, I find myself lost and overwhelmed.

My thoughts can separate me from Jesus.

When I allow myself to listen to and believe lies, I am locked up in a prison of darkness and despair.

Those lies filling my head are toxic to me and everyone around me.

Recognizing those lies and shining the bright light of Truth on them causes them to shrivel and die.

Lies lose their power in the Light of the Word.

 

Far too often I find myself wallowing around in the dark, dreary places. 

But when I choose to step into the Light, He lifts me up. 

I've been reading Colossians the past few days and I have not made it out of Chapter 1 yet. 

This morning these words have been speaking to my mind and my heart:

You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one.  -- Colossians 1: 21-23

I am so thankful that because of what Jesus did for me on the Cross through His death, I can stand before God, holy and blameless, without a single fault.

Now that is something to keep my mind focused on!

I was reminded of this hymn today and the words speak my desire today.

May the Mind of Christ, My Savior


May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

 Amen!

In Christ Alone

I was just sitting here in my chair snuggling with my warm 5 year old daughter.

As we were snuggling, I have to confess that I was also reading emails and checking my Facebook pages, but I don't think she minded. She was just enjoying some mommy time, that for her has become rather rare.

As I read what is going on in the lives of my friends and family and as I considered my own life, once again I was reminded how much we all need Jesus.

I have friends in every stage of life, one just said goodbye to her husband of 61 years for the last time, and another is beginning the journey of motherhood. I am smack dab in the middle of mothering, while my sister will soon have two kids in college and one in high school. My dad just retired, and my husband is in the midst of his career....

One thing we all have in common (besides blood running through our veins) is that we all need Jesus.

He is all we need.

We can't do this life without Him.

Oh we all try it.

I know I do.

Yesterday I was giving it another try.

All alone.

Trying to slog through it all. Carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.

For just a minute or two that whole martyr thing is almost fun.

But then it starts getting unbearable.

And gross.

Oh the terrible thoughts I start having when I am trying to live this life in my own strength!

But He always gets my attention.

Little comments or questions start to chip away at my self imposed prison.

At first those reminders make me so mad!

There's nothing the matter!

I'm doing just fine, thank you!

HA!

Eventually I realize that I am once again playing the game. Trying to do it all alone.

Eventually I have to give up.

Because I can't do this on my own.

None of us can.

But He can.

Oh yes, He can!

It is so ridiculous how I resist coming to Him and admitting that I have to wandering around on my own again.

I can almost see Him gently smile and softly shake His head.

Oh how good it feels to crawl up into His lap and feel His arms come around me. To feel the warmth of his breath. To know that He is here.

To know that I am His.

Prayer from Colossians 1

Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, 

we haven't stopped praying for you, 

asking God to give you wise minds and spirits 

attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding 

of the ways in which God works. 

We pray that you'll live well for the Master, 

making him proud of you as you work hard 

in his orchard. As you learn more and more

how God works, you will learn how to do your work.

We pray that you'll have the strength

to stick it out over the long haul—

not the grim strength of gritting your teeth

but the glory-strength God gives.

It is strength that endures the unendurable

and spills over into joy, thanking the Father

who makes us strong enough to take part

in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

~ Colossians 1:9-12 ~ 

 

I haven't been super faithful about praying for my kids. But as I read this today I realized that I wanted these verses to be true for them. I want them to be true for me and my husband, and for you too!

Wise minds and spirits attuned to His will.

A thorough understanding of the ways God works.

Working hard at God's work, watching Him closely, following His example.

Full of the glory-strength that only He can give. 

Spilling over with joy and thanksgiving.

Strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful He has for us.

Once again I see that it is all about Him. He is our Source, He is our Example, He is the Creator and the Planner and the One who gives Purpose and Wisdom and Understanding. 

He provides the work and the strength to do it. He fills us with joy as we follow Him doing the work He has prepared for us to do. 

Oh Holy Spirit work God's love into my life, into my kids' lives, and my huband's life. Continue to draw us always back to You. Be first and foremost in our minds and our hearts. Open our eyes to see You all around us. Help us to be God revealers to all we come in contact with. Thank You for being our All-in-All.

New Normal

I've come to realize lately that it is time to start moving out of "Survival Mode" and start moving forward in several areas of my life.

Ever since that wonderful day back in July 2008 when I discovered 5 days after my 40th birthday that God was blessing us with another child I have been in a sort of "Survival Mode"; just getting the basics done, allowing for morning sickness, achy joints, a large swollen belly, exhaustion, then on to the new baby, adjusting to no sleep, nursing again, cloth diapers (yep, had to throw in something new for the 5th baby!), adjusting to 5 instead of 4.....

I really tried to just let myself walk through this time without holding myself to expectations that I had to return to "normal" as fast as possible. I have been trying to enjoy the journey more, trying to let God show me how to do this, instead of trying to live up to impossible expectations I come up with on my own or instead of trying to live up to what I see others doing in their lives.

I have done pretty well with this. I have had my days of sinking into the sea of expectations, but I have come out of those times much quicker than I have in the past. I think that I was able to do this because I allowed myself to "be" instead of "do".  Again, I had my struggles, but I think it helped me so much to remember that I was learning something new, adjusting to a major life change and that it was OK t to take my time and find my way through to a "new normal".

As I have been thinking about this new year and what God has for me and our family, I have been starting feel the nudging that it is time to be seeking what He wants to do in me, how I should be moving into and forward our "new normal."

I have been feeling a new desire to more fully embrace my calling as a wife and mother. To go further and deeper with God. To allow things to be stripped away, to grow and be more of what God has made me to be.

That can be a little overwhelming, to say the least.

Yesterday I was reminded of something my sister shared with me a few years ago when I was struggling with my calling. I was feeling tied down and wanting to be free. God helped her see through my words into my heart. He spoke to me through her and reminded me of what is most important. This is what she said:

"I was thinking some more and remembered some thoughts I had as I was reading through Genesis this past winter. When I read the passage about Noah, I thought that building the ark was a really big job for God to ask Noah to do. Yet God supplied just what he needed to do the job. But Noah had to do the work. God is asking me to do a big job of raising three daughters and be a loving wife. There are days it feels like I'm to build an ark so to speak. Yet God provides just what I need day by day to carry out this job as long as I keep my heart and mind focused on Him. If I do it on my own, it doesn't go well and I want to quit."

 I love that!

While I may not be building a huge boat in the middle of a desert where it has never rained, I am doing a pretty huge task, one that I certainly cannot do on my own. But when I am not connecting with the Lord, when I am not spending time with Him in His Word and in prayer, when I am not thanking Him and praising Him and not asking Him for strength, wisdom and guidance, I might as well be trying to build an ark... because without Him I can do nothing.

I am weak. He is strong.

He is my Provider.

He wants me to do well. And I can only do that when I am focusing and relying on Him.

And so, as I walk forward into my "new normal" I intend to stick close to Him. Staying up close under His wing, letting Him show me the next step to take.

Remembering to Remember

Today I needed to "remember to remember" once again something that the Lord showed me a while ago.

I have a few friends who God is using in big ways to touch many people's lives. They are out there doing and going and being in big, out front ways. (Not showy or for self-glorification, at all... Just out there, you know, doing the stuff that is apparent and visible.)

And once in awhile, I forget to remember that I am doing exactly what God has called me to do here in my home.

My position right now is to serve my family. But at times I feel that I am not doing enough. Today was one of those days.

Thankfully, the Lord showed me that I was believing a lie. And He reminded me of a post that I had written to a different blog I had. So, I went and dug around and found that post and read it. It was just what I needed to read. So, I am posting it here to share with you.


The post below is from April 2, 2008. 

Knowing my Position

This week I have continued reading in Genesis. At the rate I am going, I'll be in Genesis until August or September! :-) That's fine, the Lord is really showing new things in these verses that I thought I "knew" so well.

It is interesting, really, how the Lord has also been speaking to me about my position lately. (Mary's share with our Salt and Light group was also about her position. Hmmmm.) :-) What is even more interesting is just how different my position is from Mary's. She has been called, at this time, to be in a very visible, active role. Her life is very full and busy and she is being used by the Lord to touch many people's lives for His glory. On the other hand, my calling is still pretty much what it has been for quite a while now. Over and over, the Lord continues to show me that my place is in my home, with my husband and my kids, ministering to them. I also have a more behind the scenes calling to pray for, counsel with, encourage and support my friend Mary and my friend Stephanie as they carry out their callings on the "Front Lines".

Romans 12:3-6a NLT says:
As God's messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in the estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well.

We each have different roles, different gifts. We need to carry out those roles, because we each belong to the other parts of the Body. When we act within the roles we are given, we are benefiting everyone else in the Body, we are building up the Body and giving glory to God. If I compare myself to someone else and what their role is and then try to do what they are called to do, I am harming the Body and every part in it.

Genesis 6:9 says, "Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on the earth at the time. He consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with him."

Genesis 6:22 says, "So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him."

Noah's calling was very clear and very specific to Noah. He stuck close to the Lord and obeyed Him completely.

My calling is not Mary's calling. Nor is her calling mine. We each have an important job to do, and each of us is accountable to God to follow His will and do exactly what He is commanding us to do. I get in trouble when I start looking around and comparing what I am doing with Mary or anyone else.

It is easy to start thinking that I am not doing enough, or that I am not as "on fire for the Lord" because I am not out there touching many lives for Christ. Or, I can flip that around and possibly start judging others whose calling is not mine, thinking that they are "running around" too much or not spending enough time at home.

When those voices start in my head, that is when I need to ask, whose voice is this? Because I know that the Lord would not be saying those things to me. I need to be reaffirming my calling with Him and making sure that I am sticking close to Him and doing what He is calling ME to do.

The Greatest Job in the World

God is higher than anything and anyone,
      outshining everything you can see in the skies.
   Who can compare with God, our God,
      so majestically enthroned,
   Surveying his magnificent
      heavens and earth?
   He picks up the poor from out of the dirt,
      rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash,
   Seats them among the honored guests,
      a place of honor among the brightest and best.
   He gives childless couples a family,
      gives them joy as the parents of children.
   Hallelujah! 

~ Psalm 113:4-9 ~

It all started with a simple request.

Well, it was really more like an observation that moved on to a suggestion.

It wasn't a command or an order.

Just a simple suggestion made while shaving.

In my hormone drunk brain it sounded like a judgment.

"You are not doing enough. You are a poor housekeeper, so bad that your husband has to point out things that need to be done and tell you how to make them get done."

You are failing.

Once again I dove right into that big pool of self-pity.

Of self-blame.

Of pride?

You bet.

I swam around and around in that pool even while I slept. Waking in the dark with thoughts swirling in my head.

How can I do better? How can I do more?

I know, I need to write up a schedule and make copies and hand them out to all the kids and then go over these schedules with them, giving them each special new jobs and then...

"Come to Me." (Psalm 27:8)

"Hello? Is someone talking to me?"

"Have you talked to Me about all this?"

"Ummmm, well, not for a while. Not for a long time, really."

Once again, in the quiet of the early morning living room I poured out all the poison in my head and let it flow out at the feet of my Saviour.

What a huge burden I had made out of a simple suggestion.

So much was uncovered as I laid bare my heart before my Lord.

Once again He showed me all my efforts aren't going to help. A new schedule isn't what I need. Snapping to and making the kids tow the line isn't going to bring what is needed.

God can do anything, you know—

far more than you could ever imagine or guess 

or request in your wildest dreams! 

He does it not by pushing us around 

but by working within us, 

his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

~ Ephesians 3:20 ~

What I need is Him.

I need to let Him come and work within me.

Changing the way I think. (Romans 12:2 ~ I love that verse!)

And so, I jotted down a list for the day into my prayer journal and moved forward into the morning. Waiting for His leading, but not really sure how it would come.

So, I got my breakfast going and started in a batch of buns and of course turned on the computer.

At (In)Courage, I read,

"Moms, I'm specifically talking to us today.  Do we love our job?

Gulp!

Do I love my job? I'll have to think about that one.

I like it, sometimes, but too often the "job" part is a lot of thankless, unnoticed work.

Am I supposed to love it?

Somewhere in between adding cups of flour to my bun dough I realized I was smiling.

I realized that I felt so much lighter.

And dare I say it?

I felt joy.

I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!

—on the road God called you to travel. 

I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. 

I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. 

And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—

not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other 

in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

~ Ephesians 4: 1-3 ~

So where does all this leave me?

What do I do with what the Lord is showing me this morning?

I have a calling to the greatest job in the world.

I have been called to be a wife, a mother, a homemaker.

Lately, because I have been trying to this job in my own strength, apart from my Source, I have grown to see my calling as a chore, a burden, something that was too much and not what I wanted to do, but had to do.

Something that I was failing at in so many ways.

But this morning, He reminded me that I am not supposed to do this on my own, in my own "strength".

He equips those He calls! (Ephesians 3:8)

He gives me strength and rest. He restores my soul. (Psalm 46:1, Psalm 23)

He is my source of joy. (Psalm 43:4)

He makes me soar on wings of eagles. (Isaiah 40:31)

Apart from Him I can do nothing. (John 15)

So, why do I keep trying?

Over and over, I'm sure I will have to be retaught this lesson.

Thankfully, He is patient with me and is gently leading me.

He tends his flock like a shepherd: 

He gathers the lambs in his arms  

and carries them close to his heart; 

he gently leads those that have young.

 ~ Isaiah 40:11 ~

There is so much more.

But what it comes down to is I need Him.

And He is all you need, too.

Fresh Air and Sunshine

This afternoon I snuck outside to be in the fresh air and sunshine.

Ahhhh!

I am so thankful for the warm breeze and the blue sky today.

My friend Mary often talks about knowing what "fills your cup". Well, I think that I can definitely say that being outside in the fresh air and the sunshine "fills my cup".

I need time to sit and think, to soak up the sun and let the breeze blow away the clutter in my head.

I brought my Bible and my notebook outside with me. Those are a couple of things that also "fill my cup".

I read Proverbs 13 today and jotted down some of the verses that jumped out at me. Here are some that I wrote in my notebook:

Those who control their tongue will have a long life; a quick retort can ruin everything. -- vs. 3


Pride leads to arguments; those who take advice are wise. -- vs. 10


People who despise advice will find themselves in trouble; those who respect it will succeed. -- vs. 13


The advice of the wise is like a life giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.  -- vs. 14


A person with good sense is respected; a treacherous person walks a rocky road. -- vs. 15


If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept criticism, you will be honored. -- vs. 18


Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm. -- vs. 20

What jumps out at me from these verses is that we are not meant to do this life alone. It is very important who we surround ourselves with and to whom we listen to.

I am so thankful for the wise people God has brought into my life. I am blessed to have some wonderful advisers in my life.

So, now I'm wondering... now that I have posted this, will I be having to listen to a bunch of criticism soon? I better be careful how I handle it.