Going Old School

I played basketball all through High School.  My coach was crazy.  Or so I thought back then.  We ran at a minimum 21 miles a week, and had 6 days of 3 hour practices.  We were not the best in our division.  You would've thought with all that conditioning that we should have been.  Some years were better than others, we usually came in second, third or even fourth in our league (yes there were more than four teams).

 (This is my senior year, and this picture is completely for entertainment purposes!  At least the 90's hair wasn't as crazy as the 80's hair!!)



We may not have been the best, but we were a team.   I remember on team runs as we would pass one another we would give each other five, and say good job.  Encouragement.  We knew that encouraging one another, made each person feel valued, and that generally resulted in working harder.  Harder working individuals resulted in a stronger team.


 On my run this Saturday, I ran into three other runners getting their morning run in as well.   Sometimes the actual work out isn't as hard as the persistent discipline to just go and do the workout.  So without a thought, the first lady that passed me, I smiled at and said, "good job!"  I honestly don't know if she heard me, I would guess she did, because we passed one another on a tight sidewalk.  I kept on going, and kind of chuckled to myself.  I'm so old...do people even say "good job" anymore?  Ha!!  I don't know.

As I continued my run, I began to ponder, am I quick to compliment others around me?  Not unnecessary flattering, but pure honest compliments.  Things I notice about others that are clearly gifts of God's grace in their lives....because life isn't a competition.  We've all got the same standard.  That's Christ. Thankfully, it's not one another.

Being a mom can be isolating.  I remember the toddler years of having all three boys 4 and under.  I mean....wow.  There were days I would not dare leave the house.  To corral all three boys was (and still can be) a daunting task.  Being a Christian can be isolating as well.  Our culture is rampant with judgment and plagued by sin.

As mothers it is all to easy to look around at other women and when we see their kids act a fool, we quickly take comfort in it not being our kid.  Or another easy out is self isolation.  We can isolate ourselves so that no one ever sees how our children act...or how we react.  Thus, never being under the scrutiny of others.

Maybe we could choose to go against the grain and follow what the Lord tells us to do. Instead of looking at every one as competition, we could choose to look at others as those created by God as well.   We could ask God to show us opportunities to help and encourage rather than divide and judge.

"Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing"  1 Thessalonians 5:11

It's quite possible that individuals in the Church need encouragement.  Pure biblical encouragement that celebrates Christ in us.    By the church I mean every single believer in Christ.   Not a specific church or denomination. 

When you offer a compliment to someone it is does not mean the opposite is true of yourself.  Complimenting a lady for her well written blog doesn't mean yours isn't any good.  Complimenting a mother on how well her children behaved, or a thoughtful deed they did does not mean your children are no good, wild and out of control.   It simply means the good you see you acknowledge as a gift of God's grace in their life.

So why not encourage one another and build one another up.  Celebrating the glimpses of God's grace in one another lives.

Here are two truths I try to keep at the forefront of my mind as I journey through this life and relate to others:

One is all people are created in the image of God.  "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;"  Genesis 1:26

Every. Single. One.   He did not say "let us make some men in our image"  "let us make the good mothers in our image" "let us make popular people in our image"  No, He said let us make them in our image.

Two is, any good you see in anyone is only Christ.  Christ alone is good.  Remember Romans?  All have sinned.  All.  Each one of us.  We all need a Savior.  I know myself well.   Trust me...all the 'good' I've got...it's only God.  That's it.  Nothing more...nothing less.  It is ALL Him!!

So, whether it's in style or old school, why not ask God to show you who you can encourage and how you can encourage them.  Remember, "do not grow weary in doing good..."  Let's encourage individuals and pray that our team of believers is strengthened for God's glory!!

Full Circle

Rough.   Day.

In my last post I talked about how our minds are a battlefield.  So wouldn't you know that I'm having a raging battle lately. 

As I sat in church this Sunday listening to the Pastor teach through Luke, one thing he said that  has been on repeat in my mind  was about obedience.

Sometimes, obedience is a touchy subject.  Actually a LOT of times.  Especially in our house.  We've got boys.  THREE of them and there is only four years separating the oldest from the youngest.  So there are days when I say "just obey" countless times....there are days when I hear responses like "I can't wait til I'm grown up and I don't have to obey anyone and I can do whatever I want."

Ahh, I just have to laugh.   Not at their back talking, that's not funny because it's sinful.  But at the fact that all parents will inevitably hear words they once uttered to their parents in their youth. 

Full Circle. 

So, today....as the battle was raging and I was working through a great deal of emotion in my mind, the Lord in His infinite wisdom and great grace spoke to my heart through a passage I had hidden there, not one I read recently but one I taught through with my boys for over a week....

"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right."  1 Samuel 12:23

My response to all that wars around me, is to respond in obedience to the Word of God.  I read this quote from Spurgeon today, "Each man should use the word of God personally, practically and habitually, that he may see his way and see what lies in it."

It is absolutely my responsibility to read the word, study the word, and hide it in my heart so that I would not sin against the Lord.

As Samuel says in that chapter, I'm responsible for myself, my responses to others.  No matter how 'shocked' I am, if the wrong done to me, my family or my friends by a believer is not outright sin, then I am instructed very clearly to simply pray for others.

So today as the war was waging in my heart and mind, and I run through all the 'options' of my responses...it all comes down to a simple choice.  Obey God or don't. 

It's like I respond to my boys all the time, "God Himself gives us boundaries to live within.  Within those boundaries He guides us and protects us, if we stay in those boundaries we are not living in sin, if we step outside of those boundaries we are.  We have to trust that following God within the boundaries He has given us is for our good and His glory. So, yes even as adults Mommy and Daddy still have to obey someone."

Sometimes they smile, sometimes they roll their eyes....my prayer is one day it sinks in...so that in those moments when they are fighting their battles, they choose obedience.

Following the Call, four years later..

How did we even get here?   I mean I remember the first day of first grade for my oldest and here we are.  Year FOUR.  Day one.

Honestly that's hard to wrap my mind around.  I can't believe  I am starting our fourth year of homeschooling.  I remember year one day one.  The emotions I had on that day were nothing compared what is racing around my head today.

Today I begin a year where I will teach nine subjects at 4th grade level, eight subjects at 2nd grade level, and four or five to a kindergartener.

Overwhelmed may be a slight  understatement.

But, experience has taught me, that my God uses homeschooling in our family's life to refine each of us.  At the end of year one, I wasn't even sure what my oldest had learned...but one thing for certain was....God has worked a great deal of sin out of my life.  The selfishness and 'time-hoarding' tendencies I had, just to name two.

It's all about motivation.

What motivates you?   You see, K5 for my oldest....he attended private school.  Because I didn't want to homeschool him with a 2 year old and infant at home.  Even though God had called me to do it.  I really felt it would be best for him to go to a private Christian school.  My motivation was taking the easy way.  I honestly had no idea how I could handle homeschooling.   That was my problem.  It's not my responsibility to 'handle' it.  It's my responsibility to trust.   Over and over again.


Then, halfway through the year the Lord worked out circumstances, bringing a career change for my husband that took away our ability to pay for private school.  It was clear.  The Lord said "Homeschool, my child" and that was going to be our route no matter what.

I remember even telling my best friend, "If I am not homeschooling in the fall, I am walking in disobedience to the call of God on my life...and I need you to call me on it!"  

I needed accountability.  I needed prayer.  I needed to trust.

"Faithful is HE who calls you, HE will also bring it to pass."  1 Thessalonians 5:24.

Faithfully God was calling me to homeschool, and I am so thankful He did not just change His mind.  He was patient with me, even when I put our oldest in school.  And it was a good school.  He had a great experience and an amazing teacher.  Private or public school just isn't what the Lord has called our family to during this season.

That means, I have to teach.   Not out of obligation, but out of gratitude.  Gratitude to a God, a loving Father, who saw my intense need for a Savior.  Who knew left to myself I would not obey, left to myself would not choose His way...and so He sent Christ, and then didn't stop there, but gave me (and all believers) the gift of the Holy Spirit to allow us to follow Christ, and give us the strength to do the right thing.

So, year four, day one.   It begins.

Following God on a journey He ordained for our family, even before our family walked on day on this earth.

Remember dear friend, it's not the works God is so concerned with, it's the motivation....ask Him for a pure heart (Psalm 51:10) to do what He has called you to do...then trust.  Truly trust that the God of the universe who called you to it, will walk you through it and will bless your soul by transforming you more into the image of Christ, our Savior.

And it's not just homeschooling.  Whatever it is in your life that you feel God calling you to, but you haven't acted on for whatever reason....believe me....take that step...go ahead follow Him.  The lessons you will learn are worth the risks...whatever they may be...God wants to speak powerfully to your heart through His word, and He wants to transform your heart and life for His glory....

Choosing to Forgive

This morning in our Bible study with the boys, we were talking about forgiveness.  Since the boys are getting older I am able to share more of the things that the Lord has brought me through by His grace.  I think that is so very powerful.  I know that I love to hear what the Lord does in the lives of His people.  Having not grown up in a Christian home, I can only imagine how powerful it would be to see your parents seek Jesus. 

So today, I shared an experience with my boys that sometimes I still struggle with.  Very personal.  Very real.  Yet at the same time, God, who is rich in mercy...continues to heal my heart even now.

Our verse was "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God in Christ forgave you."  Ephesians 4:32

We talked through this verse, reading it and rereading it.  Then as we were closing in prayer, the Lord blessed my soul with this.

For us to give forgiveness to others who have wronged us or hurt us doesn't require us to die on a cross.  It just requires us to trust God.

This is so powerful to me.  I hope it blesses your heart as well.  Honestly.  When we forgive, all we have to do is trust the Lord for the outcome. Forgiveness is a command.  We are told to forgive.  It is not strongly suggested that we forgive others.  We are told: forgive, just as in Christ God forgave you.

God's forgiveness towards us is perfect and cleansing.  Because not only does He forgive us, He removes our sins.  He forgives the depths of our sinfulness for His glory...because of Christ's accomplishment on Calvary.

Christ laid His life down.  He endured the Cross.  Crucifixion.  For the sake of our souls.

When God says forgive...He knows it won't be easy.  Forgiveness isn't easy...I think forgiveness is a refining process for believers, at least in my life it is.   Yet when you think on the Cross, and what Jesus did, certainly "easy" is not a word that would describe it. 


I must choose to forgive, and sometimes I have to choose it repeatedly.  It's a matter of obedience.  Sometimes you'll have a dear friend come to you in crisis....going through a trial that you've been through...God brought you through it, so that He could use you for His glory.  Many times over the years, I've been able to minister and encourage dear sisters in Christ through trials that the Lord has brought me through already.  It's all for His glory.  He allowed things in my life so that I would testify to His goodness and help others through the same issue.  Sometimes those trials bring back old hurt, past pain.  I've forgiven the one who hurt me or broke my trust, but when confronted with someone who is fresh in the midst of the same pain I went through, often that pain is revived in my own life.

It's in those moments that I must again choose forgiveness. I choose to trust that God's word is right and true and His command to forgive is absolutely without doubt for my own good.

Forgiving someone often has very little to do with that other person.  It's simply about having your heart right before the Lord.  Obeying His command to forgive others.  Refusing to forgive doesn't usually hurt the other person.  It hurts you.  The bitterness and anger harbored in your heart debilitates you, not the one who did wrong to you.

Choosing to trust God that when I extend forgiveness as He commands me to, believing that He will work out all the details for my own good.  Remember, we are being conformed to the image of His own Son.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."  Romans 8:28-29


My soul is blessed by the simplicity of His truth.


Obey.


Forgive.


Trust.

those sneaky piles

My sister has recently shared pictures of her son with me, that show how he makes all these piles throughout the house with his toys. At first I just had to laugh because, what kid doesn’t just pile up all their toys and beaming with accomplishment show their parent? They have no idea what they are really doing, all they know is they made something!


The more I looked at the pictures, the more I thought about how I am a piler. You know, I think oh this is so important, and I'll get to it later.  Do you pile things? If you came to my house, you would see a neat and orderly home. It will be clean on any given day, because I am somewhat of a  neat freak and I enjoy order and also because I feel confident that this house I live in, though my name is on the deed, it belongs to the Lord. I want to be a good steward of this house and keep it inviting to whoever the Lord brings over. That said, after observing my nephews’ work, I began to look around my kitchen. I had several piles. Different things that were so “important” I couldn’t put away just yet, they needed attention and I guess I thought if I left them out, I’d take care of it.

This realization of course coincides with my study through 1 Corinthians. What a beautiful letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian church. I am continually refined by God’s word. Read with me:

“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Cor 9:25-27, ESV

So as I mentioned before I am somewhat of a neat freak. I am somewhat of a disciplined person. But as I glanced around at my piles, and as I studied in God’s word, and in my bible study at church, I started seeing I was not as self-controlled as I thought.

Self control in this verse in the greek means: to exhibit self-government, conduct, one’s self temperately. See, for me, I enjoy a clean house. So it’s really easy to keep our home neat and tidy. I enjoy the health benefits of exercising so it’s easy to do.

So I began to ponder…am I really exercising self-control the way I should and in a way that honors God? Well…I looked around at my piles and I thought…no not really. I began to reflect in my own heart…if I am ‘naturally’ inclined to have a clean house because I enjoy it am I not just cleaning out of my own selfishness rather than out of a love for God and respect for what He has provided me with. Yeah…let me be blatantly honest…I did NOT like my own answer. It was out of selfishness. I want my home clean because I enjoy it. I can honestly say, it started out that I wanted to please God and honor Him, but over the years in the hurriedness of keeping up with three small children and a spouse, I’d lost the zeal to honor the Lord with the cleaning of my home, and just felt the need to keep it clean for my own sanity. Thus…the piles everywhere. Here a pile...there a pile...a little here, a little there. I’ll get to it. I’ll take care of the necessities.  In some cases I did, in some I didn’t.

So, when Paul says every athlete exercises self-control in all things, he wasn’t just saying the things that come easy to them. But he said ALL. As in everything. It’s tough, and it is something we as humans with unregenerate hearts can NOT do. Those of us with regenerate hearts, those who have the indwelling Holy Spirit, can exercise self-control in all things. Not on our own. Not at all. But because “The fruit of the spirit is . . . self-control.” Galatians 5:23 So it is the Holy Spirit in us as believers in Christ that gives us the self-control we need to honor God in all things.

Now, I am not suggesting that piling is a sin. What I am suggesting is that my lack of self-control in this area is a sin….and the “easy” self-control with the wrong motives and attitudes does not honor the Lord.

I encourage you ladies, as God to show you, are you really willing to submit to the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in Jesus name. Acting on the fruits of the Spirit and following the prompting of the Spirit so that in everything God may be glorified?

Friends, pray with me, pray for me…that we  all would have surrendered hearts to passionately pursue God in His word, that we would be daily refined for His glory!!

The High Call of Mothering!!!

I have long felt that as a follower of Christ, convinced within the depths of my soul that mothering matters...beyond words and is kingdom work, that the high calling of mothering is all but spat upon by our modern society.

As I read the words of this sister in Christ this morning, I was blessed!! Thankful and encouraged. I pray her words do that for your soul as well. We must not forget that children are a blessing, and the Lord uses them in countless ways in our lives....ways we never would have imagined when we first thought, "I'd like to be a mom one day." Our desire to be a mother comes from the Lord, and yet....we learn that being a mother is so much more than about being called "Mom, Mommy, Mother or Mama." Being a mother reaches to the depth of your soul...and transforms you from the inside out....to God be the glory!!!