A Reminder

Spiritually is not a formula; it is not a test. It is a relationship. Spiritually is not about competency; it is about intimacy. Spiritually is not about perfection; it is about connection.

The way of spiritual life begins where we are now in the mess of our lives. Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spiritually not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws, but because we let go of seeking perfection and instead seek God the One who is present in the tangleness of our lives.

-Mike Yaconelli

You will trust God only as much as you love him. And you will love him not because you have studied him; you will love him because you have touched him—in response to his touch…Only if you love will you make that final leap into darkness. “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” –Brennan Manning in Lion and Lamb

At the very root of all Christian life lies the thought that God is to do all – that our work is to give and leave ourselves in His hands, in the confession of utter helplessness and dependence, in the assured confidence that He gives all we need.

The great lack of the Christian life is that, even where we trust Christ, we leave God out of the count. Christ came to bring us to God. Christ lived the life of a man exactly as we have to live it. Christ the Vine points to God the Husbandman. As He trusted God, let us trust God, that everything we ought to be and have, as those who belong to the Vine, will be given us from above. (Andrew Murray, The Secret of God’s Love)

( I saw this on another blog and it was profound to me)

A Thankful Heart

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and many, many people will be taking time to really reflect on their lives and blessings. When I look around I see so many wonderful blessings, even some that get overlooked in the living of daily life. So today I feel like reminding myself of all of them.

I am blessed to have a Saviour that has made the ultimate sacrifice to give me new life and encourages my daily to live the life that He designed especially for me. I am so thankful that my assignment on this earth is to please Him and Him alone. Everything else can fade to the background and because I know God is faithful and has plans and purposes for me that are for my good and the good of my family, I can rest assured that when I am obedient and live a life pleasing to the Lord that it will also be in the best interest of my husband and children too. I can leave the results up to God. I am so thankful that He has it all under control.

I am so blessed to have a husband that loves the Lord and seeks to know His will. He works so hard to take care of me and the boys and has supported me in so many ways. His hard work and sacrifice have enabled me to stay home with our sweet boys. He may not understand me sometimes and we may be complete opposites but I have found that the longer we are together that we make a wonderful team that balance each others strengths and weaknesses. I am learning more about him daily and I look forward to another 50 years of growing together and seeing what God will make of our life together.

I am overcome with gratitude when I think of our two sons. They are such welcome surprises everyday that they wake me up with a smile on their faces and a twinkle in their eyes. They love to talk about Jesus and how much He loves them and how they love Him in return. My heart melts when I hear them praying to the Lord about the smallest, simplest things. I know it delights the Fathers' heart as well. I pray that they always maintain the open, transparency that they now possess when it comes to communicating with God. I learn something new from them everyday. They are so unique with special giftings and talents that I know the Lord will cultivate and use for His glory. I am honored to be their mother and to see the miracle of their lives.

I have an awesome extended family and am priviledged to have such a wonderful support system. I was raised in a house that honored the Lord and trained me up in His ways. I am so thankful for the jumpstart that gave me in life. My family are gifted in so many ways and I know God is maturing us and refining us to be used as a team for His kingdom. I can't see the end result right now but I am excited and hopeful about what is to come.

Hubby & I found a wonderful church almost 2 years ago. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such a wonderful church body. We have grown in the Lord and have seen tremendous growth. We feel so blessed to have a place to serve and to see how God is working in the lives of so many.

I could go on and on but I think I will try to post again tomorrow. Right now I need to enjoy my day with the little blessings running in and out the back door.

Be blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Say What?

I am not usually a listener of rap but I came across this today. Thought I would share. I really loved what she had to say.

Becoming The Woman I Want To Be

I was reading through my list of blogs that I love and I looked over at my bookshelf and a title caught my eye. It is "Becoming The Woman I Want To Be" by Donna Partow. It is a devotional book that I purchased over 6 years ago. I have started it 3 times and have never finished it. Let me just insert here that I have follow through issues. Unless it involves a novel, then I am riveted and am useless to society and my family until I finish it. Anyway, the book got me to thinking about the woman I want to be. Actually I was just talking to my hubby last night about it. I was rattling off this list of attributes and characteristics that I hope are remembered by my children when they are grown. And to be honest, some of them are areas is which I need tremendous growth. My hubby looked at me and said, "That is up to you, the choices you make every day will affect who you are." I know that on a head level but is it really something that I am concious of on a daily basis? How can I teach my sons that discipline is important if I procrastinate and they see me procrastinate? They will do what I do, not what I say, right?

Another look at my bookshelf brought another wave of conviction upon me. I have books on just about any topic you would ever need to read about. Most are written by Christian authors and I have enjoyed reading most of them. I have mentioned a couple hundred times on this blog that I am a reader. But how many times have I picked up a book to get an answer I need when all I have to do is pick up the Word of God? I have substituted my devotional time with "reading time". NOT COOL!

While I am putting it all out there.....God has been dealing with me about my mouth and what I allow to come out of it. Somedays I do alright, but then there are days when I am peeved, frustrated and aggrivated and I find myself picking up my phone and calling someone to vent my feelings. Even as I type that it seems to silly to think that another imperfect person will be able to handle my problem for me. But that has been a pattern of behavior that I am trying to break. So, a few days ago I was having a day and I picked up my phone, God spoke to me and said "Hello, I am right here." I ignored Him and dialed the phone. Guess what? I went through 4 or 5 people and no one would answer. Then the Lord spoke again "Hey, I am right here. Talk to me. I am the only one that can really help and have your best interest at heart". So I did. I vented my frustration and feelings. And it felt great. He listened and comforted me and then reminded me about what His Word says about the situtation. My boys were in the backseat during all of this. I thought I was talking softly enough to not bother them but my oldest asked me why I was talking to God. I told him that I was aggrivated and needed to tell God about it. He smiled and said "Can I do that too?" Then he proceeded to tell God about what was bugging him that day. What a lesson God was teaching me in that moment. My boys WILL do what they see me do, hear me say, how I react, how I treat others and how I approach my Heavenly Father. What a huge responsibility.
But God has promised to be with me on this journey as I lean into Him.

Looks like I have alot to reprogram in my life but I am so thankful that God continues to speak and show up in my life. He is so great!!!

Pressing On

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do; Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Phillipians 3:12-13

Upside Down and Inside Out

That is what I feel like the God is doing right now in my life. He is stretching beyond myself and what I think is comfortable and acceptable. He is asking me to do things and to let go in ways that are new. I feel like a cliffhanger with a couple of fingers let on the ledge and bit by bit they are slipping and I can't help it. I know that if I would just let go, God will be there to catch me and to carry me to the place of purpose, fulfillment and grace that He has already prepared. I feel layers peeling away and bricks from "my wall" crumbling down and instead of feeling anxious and stressed I have finally hit to point of expectation and excitement knowing that God has something planned that is beyond our wildest dreams. God is teaching me so much and I hope to be able to put into some coherent form to be able to share it with you soon. But the point I want to get across today is that "when I can't, He can. When I don't know, He does. When I can't see how, He does. Mediocrity is NOT what my Savior has called me to, but rather a life of excellence, grace and passion. He will lead the way if I will just follow."