Gentle Reminders

This morning I was sitting with coffee in hand studying the Scriptures, asking the Lord for words to share with a group of ladies this weekend, when my little early-riser appeared next to me. It was barely after 6, and I hadn't even been awake for very long.

As you might imagine, I was a little irritated... at myself for not getting up earlier... and at Corbin for getting up so early. He knows the rule is to stay in bed until his clock says 7:00 specifically so Mommy can have alone time with Jesus.

I was on my way to some 'alone time' (I was going to lock myself in the bathroom), when Corbin peeked out the living room curtains. "Wow, Mommy... Look how beautiful the sunrise is this morning!" he said.

His excited expression and sweet words kept running through my mind while I was in lock-down. I couldn't escape him even in there! Then gently, the Spirit spoke to my heart, "Don't miss out on an opportunity to minister to his heart for the sake of ministering to women you don't even know... Go spend time alone with him!"

So I emerged from lock-down to find him sitting outside the bathroom door waiting for me. I asked him if he'd like to have some coffee, tea, hot chocolate... something to share with me while we sat looking at the sunrise and talking. He decided on his 'usual'... a cup of cold milk with a straw. :)

I am so quick to dismiss my children sometimes... To brush them aside when I'm doing something 'important'. Thankfully the Lord has given me a couple sweet friends who are quick to remind me of the 'Good, Better, Best Rule'.

Not everything we do or choose not to do is so black and white. There are things we do that are not good. Mostly, I think, we strive to do the good things in life. However, often times we settle for the 'good' when we could've chosen the 'better' thing. There are even times when we should pass up both the 'good' and the 'better' to go after the BEST choice.

This morning, this rule fit perfectly to my selfish delima. The 'good' choice was to get up and read my Bible period, even though I was tired. The 'better' choice was to study and pray that God would give me words for the sweet ladies I will be speaking to this weekend... but the 'best' choice was not missing out on an opportunity to first minister to my child's heart-need, which just so happened to fall in the same time frame as my 'time with Jesus'. I realize now that I am spending no less 'time with Jesus' by sharing the Father's beautiful, creative sunrise over a cup of something fabulous with my precious son!

Thank you, Katie and Robin, for being faithful to remind me of this practical rule... and thank you, Holy Spirit, for nudging my heart to follow you this morning. It sure was a great memory to create with Corbin!

This wasn't this morning, but from the other day. All three of them crawled up in my dad's old recliner to watch a movie together. Such a sweet picture! :)

A Change in Perspective

One of my favorite passages regarding children:

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." -Psalm 127

This morning I was disgussing this passage with my dear husband, when he gave me a whole new perspective on this beloved Psalm of mine. On the heels of the MomHeart Conference this weekend, and what my friend, Jennifer, spoke about there (and later blogged), he approached this Psalm with a new outlook.

Allow me for a moment to divulge.

The first two verses (the first paragraph above) eludes to the Lord building the family, watching and protecting it. When we, as mothers, have a mentality that we MUST do all these things to keep it running smoothly, we enslave ourselves to a mentality of 'sacrifice'. "Oh this mothering thing is so hard... and I'm not any good at it... I try to keep my house clean, but my children are always coming behind me leaving messes... I try to keep the laundry up, but someone is always changing their outfit... I try to teach my children, but they just don't seem to be getting it!... I don't think I'm cut out to be a great mom..." And so goes all the lies the enemy wants us to believe and wallow in. We have to release ourselves from the bondage this mentality can create. We have to give ourselves grace, knowing we're human. Yes, we strive to live our lives wholly unto the Lord each day... but try as we may, we just won't be perfect... at least not everyday! ;-)

We must renew our thinking and take on the attitude of the last three verses (the second paragraph above). We need to see motherhood as a gift and a blessing... our children are our heritage- enjoy them! We are blessed with a reward we can take to heaven with us. Yes, motherhood is hard work-  no question about it!- but what we work for on a daily basis has ETERNAL value, Ladies!! Let us not labor in vain.

A few notes I took away from Sally on 'opening your child's heart with grace':

• My job, as a mother, is not just to teach my children the facts of life. Rather it's to light a fire in their hearts!
• I can't make my children righteous, holy, or godly, but I can show them, by example, what those characteristics look like.
• I am the Bible my children are reading now.
• The key to opening my child's heart is a loving relationship.
• A relationship always requires patience, time, and work.
• Yes, I will have to correct my children... but do it in love!
• I have to take time to listen to them when they're little so they will WANT to listen to me when they're older.
• To be a heartshaping mom, I have to embrace Jesus, and learn to be Jesus in my home.

The truth is, training and teaching my children is going to be a long, drawn-out process. I will probably have to repeat myself more times than I care to. I will have to demonstrate attributes and characteristics over and over again. I will even have to referee arguments, manage to keep my cool when my children act like mere children, and probably even get embarrassed a few times when they say or do something in the company of others that they know they shouldn't.

Just like training a baby to feed himself is messy and watching them learn to walk on their own can cause some pain, preparing my children to stand strong in the midst of battle and weild their sword with great strength and precision will sometimes look messy and be painful... but I might as well enjoy it at each season of their lives! Afterall, someone is going to train them for life whether I do it or not. It just so happens that God thought I was the perfect one for the job! :)

And God blessed you with your children because He thought YOU were the best one for the job, too.

A Change Has Come

Last Thursday I wrote a post titled A Change is Coming! Well, Friday evening the Lord brought about a change. Not the one I was expecting but a welcomed one nonetheless.

Allow me to rewind the story for a moment.

My husband had been called to fast for a period of time we weren't clear on. One of those 'just until I say it's been fulfilled' kind of things. We thought maybe it was until we got an offer on our house... perhaps God wanted sacrificial obedience before He was going to sell it? We didn't honestly know, but I am SO thankful my husband loves Christ enough to be willing to obey in such a capacity... What an example he is to me and our children!

Well, last Monday morning my sweet little Corbin told me that God asked him to fast for three days. I try not to minimize the Lord speaking to my children, but I also wanted to make sure he wasn't saying that just because Daddy was fasting. So Dwight and I talked to him about the purpose of fasting, the sacrifice it would take, and the importance of obedience until completion. He said he understood all of that and he still knew God wanted him to fast for three days. He even said he wasn't supposed to eat any food... just juice and water.

Monday evening, Dwight told me that just the night before he'd prayed for God to send him help... he was growing weary and needed some encouragement. So he believed God spoke to Corbin to bring about that help.

Three days came and went, and Corbin courageously obeyed and completed his fasting period. I was so encouraged by his sweet sacrificial obedience! At five years old, he has already fasted longer than I have in my lifetime. I am ashamed to admit this, but I say it to show just how amazing God is that he can affect the hearts of our children from such a young age if we foster that in them! I am extremely proud of Corbin!! :)

Friday evening, as I was returning to the MomHeart Conference from a dinner break, Dwight text me that he felt like God was releasing him from his fast. He was brought to a place where his perspective about the fast was realigned, and the worry and anxiety about what might happen to the house was lifted. The truth is, there is nothing that can happen to it that will affect our eternal destination if we are simply obeying the Lord's leading. What a freedom that brings to both of us!

For the sake of misrepresenting his revelation and feelings upon receiving it, I have decided, with his permission, to just repost his Facebook status from that evening...

"A while back God called me to do something and walk in obedience not knowing an end. That day has come to an end but not the way I thought it would. Today I felt a release from the burden God asked me to carry but the reason I share this is because of my 5-year old son. Monday morning he came to us and said God asked him to fast from food for 3 days. To our amazement, we explained what it was ...and he confidently said he would...because God told him to. His fast ended Thursday and I am proud to say he was faithfully obedient. But there is more! Today, my burden came to an end. You see, Jesus, the Son of God, was faithfully obedient during His 'burden' He carried and after the 3rd day, He conquered in order to fulfill my release through faith in Him. I was awestruck today with tears as we were praying as a family and God gave me this revelation...Corbin, my son, fasted those 3 days in faithful obedience, so that I could have my release. You see, my son was fasting for ME!!! I have no words to explain my emotions right now except to say I am just captivated, and overwhelmed by love!!"

So, no we haven't sold our house. We don't even have an offer on our house. But what we do have is far greater than that... we have a clear understanding of God's love for us through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus... we understand that our house has very little bearing on our walk with Christ... we are reminded, once again, how much bigger God is than our temporary circumstances, yet He has control over it all!

Desperation Doesn't Have to Mean Isolation!

So this weeked I attended my first MomHeart Conference with Sally Clarkson. I had been feeling great anticipation and yet a heavy, heavy burden the entire week leading up to it, but I didn't really quite know why. All I can say is, "Wow!" You should get to one of Sally's Conferences next year! Go with a friend, your sister, your mom, your neighbor, go alone if you need to... just GO!

I also attended the PossibiliTea with Sally on Friday morning. I had no idea what the tea was about until I was on my way there. I just thought it'd be cool to have tea with Sally Clarkson!! (Can you sense the 'star struck' tone in my words?) It wasn't until my sweet friend told me what the purpose of the tea was that I realized God had orchestrated me to be in that place, at that time, to confirm something He placed in my heart a few days before. Well... really several months before, but I had forgotten about those puzzle pieces until the weekend was over. :)

Long story short, God told me a year ago that He wanted me to share a message with other women. Did He say what that message was exactly? Of course not. He wasn't finished revealing it to me yet. But this weekend Sally said something that resonated with my very soul...

"Mothers must prevail again Satan because they need to continue protecting and training the souls of the next generation... We cannot give up!"

You see, John wrote in Revelation chapter 12 that the devil had come down with great wrath because he knew that his time was short. So what did he do to make the best use of his time here on earth?

"And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child... Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make WAR on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." (emphasis mine)

Satan knows if he can steal the souls of our children, he can begin taking entire generations away from God's Kingdom hand over foot! He also knows that we, as women, are vulnerable when we are isolated... especially when we don't have like-minded friends to hold us accountable and encourage us to endure the seasons of drought and despair!

Ladies, Mothers: We MUST get together to admonish and encourage one another, we have to lift each other up (sometimes even physically), we have to take each other before the Comforter, Healer, King of all Kings... to the Throne of Grace and plead for Christ, who is able to sympathize with all of our weaknesses, to intercede, on their behalf, to the Father of all creation!!

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." - Hebrews 10:23-25

We MUST "teach what is good and train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." (Titus 2:3-5)

So I am praying that God will show me what He wants me to do to be obedient without delay. What is His will for my life as a woman, my role as a wife, my calling as a mother RIGHT NOW? Lord, what is the message you have for the women you've placed in my life? What is the message you have for the next generation? How can I reach them and not neglect my own children... because I know they are my top priority? I'm listening God...

Please share with me. What are you struggling with as a woman... as a wife... as a mother? I want to know the heart-needs of the women in my circle of influence. I want to know your burdens. I want to know how to pray for you. I want to encourage you, if you'll let me.

 

 

Change is Coming!

There is so much going on inside my soul right now. I have wanted to sit down and type out several posts about various things lately, but when I do, I just can't seem to find the words. My mind rambles on and my fingers go to work... and then I just delete it all because when I proof it, it just doesn't sound right. Every had that feeling?

Well, know this, friends. The Lord is doing something. There's a breakthrough on the horizon, and while I can't see what it is yet, I know it's coming! I am reminded, just now, of Elijah's servant going back to check for the cloud over Mount Caramel... 7 times... he saw NOTHING until that 7th time. Then he saw a cloud like a man's hand rising out of the sea. The rain was coming just as Elijah said it would... after 3 years of drought.

Rain often symbolizes hard times or a dreary season of life. But what about rain in the Spring? It fosters growth and new life... change is evident with every falling drop. The flowers go into bloom, the grass becomes green and lush after many days of ugly, brownness. I can usually tell when it's coming, too, because I can SMELL it.

Well, change is on the horizon... and I can smell it!

Powerful Video, A Must See!

The other day I shared a guest post over at The Kindle Crew about why Dwight and I have chosen to homeschool our children. I understand that not all people will agree with us, whether we have come to this decision based upon Scriptural conviction or not. However, I wanted to share this little seven minute video with you that I came across this morning. I feel it is the very heartbeat of our desire for our children... to disciple them, and teach them the sanctity of marriage and family in the context of God's plan. We feel completely responsible for making sure our children are fully trained to know and understand the Gospel before we send them out to fight on their own. The war Satan is waging against their soul is very real... and VERY vengeful. His desire is to destroy our children and the generations that follow. Until our childern are fully armed, we will not stand by and watch them be slaughtered by him or his demons. We resolve to fight... with the Word, with prayer, with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit... trusting the Lord is also fighting with us, if we obey His leading... knowing victory awaits us because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross! Hallelujah!

Please take a few minutes to stop and watch this short video clip. It is an excerpt of Voddie Baucham's speach at the D6 Conference. I promise it will be worth your time! :)

The 'Good Things' in Life

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" - Matthew 7:11

I have often wondered what those 'good things' consist of. Many might interpret this verse to mean material possessions, but I think it has a deeper, hidden meaning. The Father's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, so we must put on an eternal perspective when considering what He may deem 'good things'.

I think Sally Clarkson is on to something in her book, Ministry of Motherhood! In it, she talks about the gifts we give to our children, as mothers. But how can we possibly give these gifts if we've never received them ourselves? How can we possibly begin to know what grace, inspiration, faith, training, and service are like without experiencing them first-hand?

The gift of grace: Grace leads us to know God and His unconditional love and to extend it to others.

The gift of inspiration: Inspiration leads us to follow God's purposes.

The gift of faith: Faith leads us to stake our lives on God's truth as revealed in His Word.

The gift of training: Training leads us to share in God's holy character.

The gift of service: Service leads us to share God's love with the world.

I believe these five gifts are just a portion of the 'good things' the Father will give to those of us who ask Him. Once we have sought Him, asked Him, searched His Word, and waited faithfully for Him to give us these things, we can then give them to our children. Once we receive and experience them, we MUST show our children, by our example, what these gifts look like. And what a wonderful set of gifts to give the generations that follow us! It's a legacy of eternal value, promising reward, and victory over the enemy's schemes to steal our children and our children's children... the ones not yet born.

As we receive 'good gifts' from the Father, let us freely give them to the sweet blessings entrusted to us by the Giver of ALL good things...