Living In Abundance - Week 1

Our church - Birmingham LifeChurch - began our fall LifeGroups this past weekend.  We are going to be studying the book of Ephesians, all together as a whole.  I am so excited about this study, and what God is doing in and through our church... I felt the need to post here for my friends to read.

So here we go.

Week One:

Our scripture for the week was Ephesians 1:1-14. 

Paul tells us about three wonderful aspects of these verses:  That we are CHOSEN, ADOPTED, AND REDEEMED. 

Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that before we were even shaped in our mother's womb, He knew us.  God had already planned for us.  He had already chosen us to be His own.  We were hand picked, chosen to belong to the Father, even before we came into being!  Wow!

.... He predestined us for adoption to sonship, Through Jesus Christ.  (Eph 1:5)  We are sons/daughters of the MOST High God, because of adoption.  Galatians tells us we are His heirs!  True children.

There are several families (a bunch actually) who have adopted in our church.  That is one of the things I love about our church, the willingness of everyone to share in the adoption process.  One of the adoptive moms shares something very AWESOME adoption.  Although they could someday "disinherit" their biological children... laws are in place in which they can NEVER, "disinherit" their adopted child.   Ok, did you get that?

We are God's adopted child, and He will never turn us away!  What safety and assurance that is!

Lastly, we are redeemed, by the blood of Jesus.  Our freedom was purchased by His blood, our sins were forgiven, because of His sacrifice.  God's ONLY son, purchased the lives of all of His adopted children, by the shedding of His blood.  Oh how marvelous the precious blood of Jesus! 

I'll leave you with this verse:  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ!  Eph 1:3

Stand your post.....

I have been slowly working my way through the book Warrior Chicks.  I highly recommend it to my my women friends.  We are after all warriors, the question is are we affective warriors......

Anyway, the following statement really caught my eye and my thoughts today:

No matter how hard it gets.  People are watching as we stay at our post.

I admit, even though my son is in the army, I just do not know a whole lot about it all.  My husband on the other hand, can talk about it ALL day!  But I do know, that when they take a post, they are supposed to hold that post, regardless of what comes.


As a Christian, I have been given a post.  One of my posts, is as a wife and a mother.  I really do not think there are many jobs in this world harder than this.  Seriously now ladies, don't you agree?  We do so much and our job never ends.  Never!  It just changes.  But my calling to serve as a wife and mom, means heavy warfare, and I can not relent, or leave that post.

My prayers for my children began before they were conceived, carried through their time in my womb, and now is a daily assignment.  Sometimes, that is a easy and joyful assignment... when the prayers are for good things in their life.  Yet, at other times, it is an intense battle, as I wage war against the enemy and all his wicked schemes that are trying to take my child down.

The older our children become, the deeper and more intense, our prayers should become.  The prayers of a mother (and grandmother) are strong and serious prayers.  Just as we "travailed in childbirth", we must "travail in praying" for our children.  Our prayers that rise to the heavenlies could be what protects, shields or changes the direction and course of our children.  And the direction of future generations.

Ladies, we also must pray for and fight for our husbands.  Regardless of how great of a man you are married too, this world has them in it's sights.  What better way to destroy generations, than the destruction of our husbands, and our homes.

On those days when we may not "like" our husbands, those are the days we must press in further.  We can not let up, slow down, or slack in any way in the prayers for our husband and our marriage.  (On a side note, if you have children, you should already be praying for that spouse that is to come.)

We must not grow weary, we must pray that God continues (or begins) to speak to our husbands.  To strengthen them and to lead them further into what God has (or will) call them into.  It is a daunting task.  It is a never ending task, but, please remember, anything worth protecting, takes great effort!

One thing we must remember, is that people are watching us as well.  They want to see, if we can stand firm.  They are looking to us to see if "we" can do it, then "maybe" they can.  As Christian moms and wives, we must stay at our post, and allow others to see us stand firm.  Especially... when the standing is tough. 

Father God, I pray for my fellow mom's and wives, that we would stand firm, be steadfast, armed and ready for battle, entering into the war that is waging for our children, husbands, and families.  Give us strength, send us friends who are like minded that will help us and hold us up.  May we be sensitive to your voice, and listen when you are directing our prayers.  Our children, and our husbands are worth fighting for.  May we stand at our post, and not be moved!  Amen

Lavished upon

 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, 
       that we should be called the children of God."  
                 1 John 3:1

 

I love my children. 

I love each one. 

I love their uniqueness. 

I love their smiles. 

I love their hearts.

I love to give them hugs and kisses.

I love to receive them back.

Nothing in this world, makes my heart leap, like my children.

I love to lavish on them..... lavish my love, sometimes gifts that they really want, my time, my life.

I love to give to them all that I can.

I love giving them an education.

I love most of all, sharing the love of Jesus with them. 

And best thing ever..................... seeing them lavish love of Jesus.

You see, our Father, loves us just as much, even MORE, than I can ever love my children.

And the Word says, He lavishes us with His love.  That we may be called the children of God.

I have a precious dad.  I love him too.

But to know that I am a child of God.  A child of a Redeemer.  A child of a King.  A child of a Savior.  A child of THE Creator of all things.....  and that one Who holds the world, loves  me. 

That is beyond all my small comprehension. 

Thank you Father, for loving me, for lavishing me with that love, abundant and true and faithfully.  I cherish being Your child.  May I daily give my children a glimpse of that love, and lead them closer to You. 

Amazing man..........

I just felt the need to share a post about my husband today.  So indulge me please.

He has been my sweetheart for many years, and my husband for almost 15.  We have walked through such beautiful times, and shared so many joys.  But, we have also had our share of tough times, one of which we are walking right now.

I won't go into all the details, it's not necessary really, but it is job/health related.  However our marriage is strong.  We are just normal people, but we have chosen to give our marriage and family to God.  I have no doubt that we would never have overcome some of the things we have gone through without it.  I love him more today, than I ever have.  We are stronger than we ever have been.  We choose daily to keep trying, keep moving, keep pressing forward, because it will always be worth it.

I love my husband.  He loves me so well.  I pray that my daughters are so blessed in life.  And that my sons, will grow up to love their wives, just as deeply and purely as their dad loves me.

Father, thank you for the sweet times in marriage, for those are the easy times.  But I also thank you for the rough times, for that is where we find what we are truly "made of".  Thank you for the establishment of marriage - between a man and a woman.  And for the family.  You are a great God, and I bless Your name.

Never too old for...

Vacation Bible School!  Seriously.

I love working with the kids at our church and for VBS every summer.  Such sweet kids, and seeing them learn more about Jesus is just awesome! 

I had been just as excited about this year, until some quick and unseen changes took place in the life of my family.  My thrill for the week changed to dread.  How was I going to be able to bring JOY to the kids, when I was feeling so defeated and down?  My range of emotions go from absolutely positive everything is going to be fine and knowing God is in control, to fussing at myself because I feel so insecure of where we are at the moment, and feeling like I am not trusting a very BIG God.

But VBS inevitably began... and as tired as I am... I am even more blessed.  I am finding it so "like God"  that He is speaking as much to myself and the other workers, as to the children.

So what am I learning this week?

No matter who you are........... Trust God!

No matter how you feel.......... Trust God!

No matter what people do......  Trust God!

No matter what happens........  Trust God!

No matter where you are.......  Trust God!

Maybe, I can remember this!

Faith....

Quote:  Having faith in God includes faith in His timing. - Neal Maxwell

Worn...
Weary....
Broken.....
Tears, tears, and more tears....

That is how my morning began.  There have been many "quick" changes in just a short time, since my husband lost his job.  I am just a mess of emotions and they come flooding out at the most inopportune time.

Sunday, my pastor, Tim Mills from LifeChurch Birmingham preached from the book of Job.  I'll be totally honest and say, at this moment... I kind of have that Job feeling.  I do thank  God that my health is still good... I'll pass on the boils! :)

I have been reading a book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp lately too.  (Visit my "gifts" tab on my page.)  This book is slowly and radically changing my life and the way I see every day, every "gift" regardless of how small or how large.

Ok, so how does all of this fit together today for me?   Job had everything taken from him, yet he continued to love and follow God.  His eye was on the Gift Giver, and not the gifts.  When all else around him was gone, he still had the greatest gift which was God.

I am learning to see the Gift Giver in every gift.  Even in these broken and uncertain moments in my life.  I am blessed with so much.  And although there is a lot of "unknowns" in my life and that of my family, I still have such an abundance of gifts.  Yet, in counting gifts in the small and simple things ( what I'm learning from Ann's book), my focus becomes in greater on the GIVER of these gifts.

For this Giver is where JOY is from.  My joy does not come from anything I posses, any gift that He see's fit to give me... My JOY is found in Him alone!

So this morning, when I was having my melt down in tears, I looked around me for those small gifts I usually wouldn't see as "gifts" and realize how much I am loved by the JOY GIVER... and I found peace.

May  my eyes remain on the GIVER of all things.  God, creator of all things big and small, help me to know that I have JOY in everything, because I have YOU.  May I feel Your presence and Your joy, even in the tears that fall.  You are so good to me.

Love this scripture....

Beauty....

Just a short post.  My son and husband, just came home today from an international Royal Rangers "Camparama" in Missouri.  While quickly flipping through the photo's from the week, this is what took my breath away.

This is my 11 year old son, with arms wide open, worshiping the Savior of his heart!  One of the most beautiful things I will ever behold. 

As a mom to seven children, ages 5 to 24.... all that matters at the end of my days is that they know the Lord and serve Him.  At this moment, almost all of my children have a relationship with God, only my oldest son wants nothing to do with Him.  But my job is not over, I have more in my home, living and watching me daily, to lead them closer.

When I stand before God someday... nothing I can say, will mean anything to me, other than I did all I could, gave all I had, win my children for the kingdom of heaven.

Living Fully...

A storm is brewing around my family.  Bad news, problems, despair.... seems to be coming to the surface daily right now.  The "old me" would have been filled with darkness and dread.  The "old me" would be frantic needing answers immediately... how do I fix this.  What do I do first.  How can I make everything "good". 

I am so far from where I want the "new me" to be.... but this "new me" who is learning to count my blessings in the midst of it all, is at peace. 

I have peace because I now God has walked us through a path almost the same as this one a few years ago.  I have peace because I have a Savior who has said, He will never leave me.  I have His Word, that tells me that He has only good things for me.  (That does not mean, I'll never go through hard things, but in the midst of these hard things, I will see HIM more clearly.)

My morning began too early.  Cloudy and dark, rain pounding the ground outside my window.  I just didn't want to face the day yet.  I feel worn, tired, empty.  So I pull out my journal and begin listing my gifts..... 

..... faith stretching
..... sleepy smiles
..... text from a friend praying

I am reminded... my JOY, comes from above.  Living my life in the moment by moment of His mercy... seeking His face... to see through His eyes...feel through His hands... love through His heart.... my JOY.... yes, it is in every things.  I must choose my perspective in how I see what is in front of me.

Learning Thanksgiving...

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20

I am reading a wonderful book called:  One Thousand Gifts: Daring To Live Fully Right Where You Are.  It is beautifully written.  The author has a beautiful way with words... so it is a delight to read.

Oh, but what I am learning through it all.  I have taken on the challenge to list 1,000 things I am thankful for.  Things that are "gifts" to me, daily.  We use the verse in Ephesians and kind of swipe our hand over "everything"... thinking we are being thankful.

We have however missed the mark.  Are we truly thankful for EVERYTHING?  Can I say, thank you Lord, when my ice maker is out?  Can I see past the front of my house that needs work and cleaning, to say, thank You Lord, for my home?  I am being challenged, to be happy, to find JOY, right where I am. 

I challenge you to get this book and begin to read.  Start a list of things you are thankful for.... small things, big things, everything.  See how it affects your life.  I promise, you will find a joy, that you have never had.  I promise, that you will see blessing in the midst of the crisis.  It will change your outlook on life.

I challenge you again, to bring this home.  Have a wall, or a poster, or something in your home that you can have your children join you.  If they are older, buy them a special journal.  Create a home and family who understand gratitude.  It is a lovely thing!!!

More to come.. 

(Feel free to click on my link 1000 Gifts.)  Share some of yours!