In Time
In time pain becomes bearable
In time life holds a normalcy again
In time tears are less, smiles are many
In time color is brighter
In time darkness holds no fear
In time feelings resurface
In time laughter hits the heart
In time a shattered soul is pieced back together
In time restoration is mine.
I am so glad God created time. Thank You God for my time.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Tug Of War
I am in the midst of a tug of war. Unfortunately this is not in a literal sense where I could see my opponent face plant into a muddy hole. No. This tug of war is in a realm unseen, but surely felt.
I have an important project that needs the left over attention that I have after I have been a wife and a mother of three young children for the day. So when all is in bed, whether it is late at night or early before everyone rises, I have been dedicated to this project.
Problem is: I meet resistance at every angle. This resistance is not the occasional interruption. This is full fledged 'My rope is slipping out of my hands any second now' resistance. Oh yeah...it's on.
I have an enemy of my soul who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. A cool break down of our soul is: mind, will, and emotions. This enemy of our soul wants to kill my mind with negative thinking, steal my will, my determination, and to destroy my emotions, rendering me helpless and incapable. This enemy of mine is messin' with the wrong gal. Oh, don't get me wrong, I am weak at times, very much so.
But thankfully I know the One who is strong and mighty. A force to be reckoned with. My Mighty One strengthens my soul, every piece of it. God strengthens my mind, sets my will, and calms my emotions.
No matter who or what is tugging on your rope, tug harder. The moment I speak God's Word, I gain one more inch of footing bringing my opponent closer to defeat. It can get real sweaty, it can be exhausting and I can become weak. But I know that in every 'tug of war' I need to go just one more.
He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak. Those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29
Sunday, May 6, 2012
How Cool It Is
Last night I was able to have a great discussion with a 17 year old who babysits my children. A storm was doing its best at making a statement over our area, so as parents my husband and I suggested she let the storm blow over before making the trek home. She agreed.
Her and I made ourselves comfortable on the sofa and struck up a conversation. I wanted to know a little more about her and her faith. I was amazed at the strength and determination this young adult held. I was also encouraged. I have three little ones that are not even close to high school age, but one day too soon. They will most likely face challenges at an earlier age than I did. I can get so fearful just at the thought of it. My "mama bear" instinct wants to protect them and shelter them from the "meanies" out there. But didn't Jesus say something about being the light of the world? Oh yes, he challenged all believers to let their light shine. Well, there goes the cave I was scoping out to relocate my family!
My discussion with this teen, who has a strong determination to seek her Maker's will, left me with hope. I pray for my children constantly and I know God hears my prayers. I know that their faith right now at this young age is my husband and I. It's our responsibility to teach them and show them what faith in Jesus is all about. And since God's word never returns void, I know that one day my children will walk in their own faith, experiencing their own unique relationship with their Maker. As our babysitter put it, "It is not easy being under a watchful eye by many unbelievers." I agree. It is not easy and it will not get easier the older we get. But....it does get way cooler.
I think I read this from one of Karen Kingsbury's books: The bigger the mountain, the better the view on the other side. I also think of it this way: The harder the mountain is to climb, the better the rewards will be once we have reached the top.
My prayer to all the children and teenagers who strive to do what is right in the face of all that is wrong: ' May you be strengthened with His glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need'. (Colossians 1:11)
Last night I was able to have a great discussion with a 17 year old who babysits my children. A storm was doing its best at making a statement over our area, so as parents my husband and I suggested she let the storm blow over before making the trek home. She agreed.
Her and I made ourselves comfortable on the sofa and struck up a conversation. I wanted to know a little more about her and her faith. I was amazed at the strength and determination this young adult held. I was also encouraged. I have three little ones that are not even close to high school age, but one day too soon. They will most likely face challenges at an earlier age than I did. I can get so fearful just at the thought of it. My "mama bear" instinct wants to protect them and shelter them from the "meanies" out there. But didn't Jesus say something about being the light of the world? Oh yes, he challenged all believers to let their light shine. Well, there goes the cave I was scoping out to relocate my family!
My discussion with this teen, who has a strong determination to seek her Maker's will, left me with hope. I pray for my children constantly and I know God hears my prayers. I know that their faith right now at this young age is my husband and I. It's our responsibility to teach them and show them what faith in Jesus is all about. And since God's word never returns void, I know that one day my children will walk in their own faith, experiencing their own unique relationship with their Maker. As our babysitter put it, "It is not easy being under a watchful eye by many unbelievers." I agree. It is not easy and it will not get easier the older we get. But....it does get way cooler.
I think I read this from one of Karen Kingsbury's books: The bigger the mountain, the better the view on the other side. I also think of it this way: The harder the mountain is to climb, the better the rewards will be once we have reached the top.
My prayer to all the children and teenagers who strive to do what is right in the face of all that is wrong: ' May you be strengthened with His glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need'. (Colossians 1:11)
Friday, May 4, 2012
Faced with Grace
I honestly want to pull my hair out right now and say words that no Christian gal should say. I've been working hard exercising my self-discipline on this important project, only for it to be taken away by the world of technology that we have come to love and rely on so dearly. My new computer snatched a big portion of my work away and I am now left staring at this machine trying my best to understand its complexities. To no avail.
My sobbing has stopped. I am now ready for action. I realized this is a good time to take a crack at this blogging thing so thankfully God calms me down enough to go through the steps to create this blog. I swear I tried this the other day and it did not come as easy as it just had. Thank you God for redirecting me.
As I am asked to input the title of this blog, my fingers get into position over the keyboard, my mind is blank. However, my fingers start to move and these words form...faced with grace. Grace. A word that soothes my emotions. I just ran across a good definition of grace. Funny how God works. I had not seen this in many months, and yet I stumbled upon it earlier today.
Grace. Grace is God's power freely given to you, enabling you to do what you cannot do on your own, no matter how long and hard you try. Grace is always available to you, in every situation, every day of your life.
No matter how long I work at it or how long I try to fix this problem I just came across, I cannot do it without God's grace. I have no clue how God is going to fix it but I know He will because He is the one who called me to start this project in the first place.
As I said to myself, "I don't know how to do this. But God, You do know and I trust You." a peace swept over my soul. I was instantly reminded of Proverbs 3. It was one of my devotions today from the Bible app. It says to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take." Another version says, 'don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track."
If this doesn't fit my situation, I don't know what will! I can sit here and choose to be mad and waste my time sulking or I can choose to believe God's word and act on it. Which choice will bring me the most success? I am tired of standing and waiting in the "I don't know what to do" line, so I'm going to mosey on over to the "action" line and move forward to my success.
Maybe God did not want me to work on my project tonight the way I wanted to. Had I done that, I would not have saved time to create this blog which is something I needed to do. I have no understanding of why my saved files are lost in this computer with a mind of its own, but it is so now what? I move to the next thing until I can get the main problem fixed.
My sweet girl saw me upset and asked in her beautiful four year old voice, "Mommy how can I help you?" I realized this was a great opportunity to show her how to respond when things go haywire. I looked at her and told her the problem (in 4 yr old lingo) and said "But God is in control and I trust Him." Through all the emotions I just felt tonight, I do believe that. I also believe that this will not be in vain. My daughter was able to see a healthy response to a problem that is out of my control, only because I choose to seek the will of the One who will show me which path to take.
"My grace is enough for you[sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect[fulfilled and completed] and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 Amplified Bible
God, I would be a walking disaster without Your grace. I gladly receive it.
My sobbing has stopped. I am now ready for action. I realized this is a good time to take a crack at this blogging thing so thankfully God calms me down enough to go through the steps to create this blog. I swear I tried this the other day and it did not come as easy as it just had. Thank you God for redirecting me.
As I am asked to input the title of this blog, my fingers get into position over the keyboard, my mind is blank. However, my fingers start to move and these words form...faced with grace. Grace. A word that soothes my emotions. I just ran across a good definition of grace. Funny how God works. I had not seen this in many months, and yet I stumbled upon it earlier today.
Grace. Grace is God's power freely given to you, enabling you to do what you cannot do on your own, no matter how long and hard you try. Grace is always available to you, in every situation, every day of your life.
No matter how long I work at it or how long I try to fix this problem I just came across, I cannot do it without God's grace. I have no clue how God is going to fix it but I know He will because He is the one who called me to start this project in the first place.
As I said to myself, "I don't know how to do this. But God, You do know and I trust You." a peace swept over my soul. I was instantly reminded of Proverbs 3. It was one of my devotions today from the Bible app. It says to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take." Another version says, 'don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track."
If this doesn't fit my situation, I don't know what will! I can sit here and choose to be mad and waste my time sulking or I can choose to believe God's word and act on it. Which choice will bring me the most success? I am tired of standing and waiting in the "I don't know what to do" line, so I'm going to mosey on over to the "action" line and move forward to my success.
Maybe God did not want me to work on my project tonight the way I wanted to. Had I done that, I would not have saved time to create this blog which is something I needed to do. I have no understanding of why my saved files are lost in this computer with a mind of its own, but it is so now what? I move to the next thing until I can get the main problem fixed.
My sweet girl saw me upset and asked in her beautiful four year old voice, "Mommy how can I help you?" I realized this was a great opportunity to show her how to respond when things go haywire. I looked at her and told her the problem (in 4 yr old lingo) and said "But God is in control and I trust Him." Through all the emotions I just felt tonight, I do believe that. I also believe that this will not be in vain. My daughter was able to see a healthy response to a problem that is out of my control, only because I choose to seek the will of the One who will show me which path to take.
"My grace is enough for you[sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect[fulfilled and completed] and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 Amplified Bible
God, I would be a walking disaster without Your grace. I gladly receive it.
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