“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV)
I just want to encourage you today, that what you are walking through is for a purpose.
As our family continues to walk through a very tough and challenging time, I have found myself on my face, begging God to let it end. And honestly, I do want it to end. I am tired, and I am weary.
But this morning, I woke up with a different prayer on my lips. (One I should have already prayed.) My prayer was:
Father, I surrender. I surrender to YOU. I can not make things change, or move faster, or hurt any less - but you can. You alone know every detail of where we are, and what needs to happen and You alone know the final outcome. So I give you everything - my husband, my children, my finances, my wants, my needs, everything is Yours. Help me to rest in You in the waiting. Help me to leave it all where it belongs, in Your hands. Please teach me everything that I need to learn from this experience and may it all be for Your glory and Your praise.
I am weak, I need His power. It is a promise from God - His power is made perfect in my weakness. He is enough for me.
Are you struggling in a hard, dry and weary place? I encourage you to surrender and just allow God to work in you, right where you are. He is enough.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
Absolute praise
Father God...
I am in awe of your goodness to me. In spite of what the world may see... and what we may lack, You have provided and blessed me more than I can ever explain. Possession are truly worthless. Anything that I can be given, or buy in this world...is for nothing.
The treasures of my heart come in the hugs of my children, the love of my husband, the blessings of good parents. It is what consumes my heart and my mind, that blesses me the most. The seven children I love and pray for daily. Father, may they love you and serve you. I pray for an awakening in some, and for others I pray that you draw them closer to you. Bless these lives and all that they may touch...may You be glorified by them.
My heart is overwhelmed, when I think of all You have done for me. For your unfailing and unending love. For the joy of my salvation. For the cross and your blood that was shed for me. My heart is overwhelmed when I think of my heavenly home, and being there with You.... worshiping and bowing down before you. To see the scars of your hands and feet and to be in your true presence, that is where I long to be.
I love this life that I live here on earth, the good, the bad, and the ugly... may every part make me run to You. May every praise from my mouth raise before You. May You never need the rocks to cry out... because my praise is not enough.
May I someday, sit at your feet.
I am in awe of your goodness to me. In spite of what the world may see... and what we may lack, You have provided and blessed me more than I can ever explain. Possession are truly worthless. Anything that I can be given, or buy in this world...is for nothing.
The treasures of my heart come in the hugs of my children, the love of my husband, the blessings of good parents. It is what consumes my heart and my mind, that blesses me the most. The seven children I love and pray for daily. Father, may they love you and serve you. I pray for an awakening in some, and for others I pray that you draw them closer to you. Bless these lives and all that they may touch...may You be glorified by them.
My heart is overwhelmed, when I think of all You have done for me. For your unfailing and unending love. For the joy of my salvation. For the cross and your blood that was shed for me. My heart is overwhelmed when I think of my heavenly home, and being there with You.... worshiping and bowing down before you. To see the scars of your hands and feet and to be in your true presence, that is where I long to be.
I love this life that I live here on earth, the good, the bad, and the ugly... may every part make me run to You. May every praise from my mouth raise before You. May You never need the rocks to cry out... because my praise is not enough.
May I someday, sit at your feet.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Worn pages....
One of my children and I were having a conversations in which they asked if a certain person had a Bible. I said yes, somewhere I know they do....
It made me stop and think... I remember often seeing my mom and my grandmother with their Bibles. I always loved to look at them and see the underlining and the comments.
Today, we have amazing technology... and there is nothing wrong with that. We have Bible apps, Bibles online, Bibles at every turn - except in our hands. The "real" written word I guess.
I love my Bible. I have gone through several in my life. I have them all boxed up, because I can't bear to part with them, even though they are falling apart. I like to look at them... one is from my teen years, one is from my 20's, and then the one I use now. The scriptures that I highlighted and circled and made notes on have changed, just as the seasons of my life.
I can't help but think, when my life is over, and my children find my Bibles... will it tell them something about me? Will it show them how much I loved His word. How I cherished it? Will it reveal the messages that were preached, that I took to heart? Would they see the tear stains on scriptures about them? The live verses I claimed, the verses over their lives, their salvation?
Mom and dad... technology is wonderful, and I love having a Bible app on my phone. I use it a lot when it isn't convenient to have my Bible in my hands - like waiting to get my tags, or the oil changed! :) But in my home, in my quiet time... when one of my children can walk in on me and see that I'm reading and studying... I want them to see my Bible.
I want His Word - worn out, wrinkled, filled with color and notes - I want it to speak of my love for His Word!
It made me stop and think... I remember often seeing my mom and my grandmother with their Bibles. I always loved to look at them and see the underlining and the comments.
Today, we have amazing technology... and there is nothing wrong with that. We have Bible apps, Bibles online, Bibles at every turn - except in our hands. The "real" written word I guess.
I love my Bible. I have gone through several in my life. I have them all boxed up, because I can't bear to part with them, even though they are falling apart. I like to look at them... one is from my teen years, one is from my 20's, and then the one I use now. The scriptures that I highlighted and circled and made notes on have changed, just as the seasons of my life.
I can't help but think, when my life is over, and my children find my Bibles... will it tell them something about me? Will it show them how much I loved His word. How I cherished it? Will it reveal the messages that were preached, that I took to heart? Would they see the tear stains on scriptures about them? The live verses I claimed, the verses over their lives, their salvation?
Mom and dad... technology is wonderful, and I love having a Bible app on my phone. I use it a lot when it isn't convenient to have my Bible in my hands - like waiting to get my tags, or the oil changed! :) But in my home, in my quiet time... when one of my children can walk in on me and see that I'm reading and studying... I want them to see my Bible.
I want His Word - worn out, wrinkled, filled with color and notes - I want it to speak of my love for His Word!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Ready, Set, Go....
“You crown the year with Your goodness,
and Your paths drip with abundance.” Psalms 65:11
It's that time again! Another year of school. I can hardly fathom that I am approaching my 14th year homeschooling! Wow.
Lord, I pray that this year I will be well organized. I pray that I will have a better ability to give time and grace where it is needed. I pray that I will show love and compassion to my children every day.
Give me knowledge beyond my own reasoning, in order to teach and inspire them to reach greater goals.
I pray that they would love and honor each other as brother's and sisters. Not only as true siblings, but also as brother's and sister's in Jesus. May they have patience with each other. May they work well together and offer a hand when one is struggling. I pray that they would enjoy each other, and our time together as we study, laugh, play and just learn more about Jesus!
May everything we do, be pleasing to you Jesus. May our light shine beyond our own walls, into the world that is so lost. May we not stay inward, but take Your love to the world. Protect my children in their thoughts, and in what they hear and see that is of the world. May they seek knowledge of right and wrong from You, and be able to talk to us, as parents to help guide them.
I am so very blessed to be the mother of these amazing kids. As much as I love them, and want them forever under my wing.... I am excited to see how God is growing each of them. I know that they will be POWERFUL for the kingdom of God.
Amen!
and Your paths drip with abundance.” Psalms 65:11
It's that time again! Another year of school. I can hardly fathom that I am approaching my 14th year homeschooling! Wow.
Lord, I pray that this year I will be well organized. I pray that I will have a better ability to give time and grace where it is needed. I pray that I will show love and compassion to my children every day.
Give me knowledge beyond my own reasoning, in order to teach and inspire them to reach greater goals.
I pray that they would love and honor each other as brother's and sisters. Not only as true siblings, but also as brother's and sister's in Jesus. May they have patience with each other. May they work well together and offer a hand when one is struggling. I pray that they would enjoy each other, and our time together as we study, laugh, play and just learn more about Jesus!
May everything we do, be pleasing to you Jesus. May our light shine beyond our own walls, into the world that is so lost. May we not stay inward, but take Your love to the world. Protect my children in their thoughts, and in what they hear and see that is of the world. May they seek knowledge of right and wrong from You, and be able to talk to us, as parents to help guide them.
I am so very blessed to be the mother of these amazing kids. As much as I love them, and want them forever under my wing.... I am excited to see how God is growing each of them. I know that they will be POWERFUL for the kingdom of God.
Amen!
Monday, July 21, 2014
Seeing God in my children....
is the most amazing gift. Knowing that they love the Lord is everything.
Seeing my children worship - with total abandon compels me to be a more open and honest worshiper. I love to see my children with their arms raised high, or jumping up and down to the music that speaks to them. When did we as adults become so solemn in our worship?
When did it become ok to yell and scream and jump up and down for a football game, or a secular concert - but not in the presence of the very One who gave His life for me?
I believe that order is important, I have seen "church" services get out of control in a bad way. (I've been pentecostal for a long time.) So I am aware that everything can be done in the flesh.... but that isn't what I'm talking about.
As a worshiper, standing on stage Sunday after Sunday - it sometimes saddens me to see the lack of interest in worship. Are we at church for the coffee and friends, or dare we come with hearts ready and eager to meet Jesus face to face? Is it something we do because it is expected, or do we realize that the God who created the universe, spoke the stars into the sky, created our very being and breathed His breath into us, is the same God whose presence we are privileged to experience on Sunday!
I want to be totally unashamed and awesomely free to worship my Jesus! I want Him to know that there is nothing in this world that can elicit more excitement or raw emotion out of me than Him.
I want to worship here, as close to how I will worship Him around His throne one day!!! I do not want to save or waste any of my praise!
Seeing my children worship - with total abandon compels me to be a more open and honest worshiper. I love to see my children with their arms raised high, or jumping up and down to the music that speaks to them. When did we as adults become so solemn in our worship?
When did it become ok to yell and scream and jump up and down for a football game, or a secular concert - but not in the presence of the very One who gave His life for me?
I believe that order is important, I have seen "church" services get out of control in a bad way. (I've been pentecostal for a long time.) So I am aware that everything can be done in the flesh.... but that isn't what I'm talking about.
As a worshiper, standing on stage Sunday after Sunday - it sometimes saddens me to see the lack of interest in worship. Are we at church for the coffee and friends, or dare we come with hearts ready and eager to meet Jesus face to face? Is it something we do because it is expected, or do we realize that the God who created the universe, spoke the stars into the sky, created our very being and breathed His breath into us, is the same God whose presence we are privileged to experience on Sunday!
I want to be totally unashamed and awesomely free to worship my Jesus! I want Him to know that there is nothing in this world that can elicit more excitement or raw emotion out of me than Him.
I want to worship here, as close to how I will worship Him around His throne one day!!! I do not want to save or waste any of my praise!
Sunday, July 13, 2014
In the stillness...
and quietness of the evening, I sit and read my Bible. I am always reminded, that in the hardest of times, and the worst of situations, God is always with me. He is my Rock, my Fortress, my Strong Tower. There is nothing that stops His hand of protection, His arms of mercy, His perfect love for me.
When everything in my mortal man is screaming, "I'm done! I have had enough. I can not do this any longer, I do not have any strength left.", I remember that it is He who has carried me through and He who always will.
He is my Lighthouse in every storm, not only can I keep my eyes on Him, His light seeks me out in the darkness!
When everything in my mortal man is screaming, "I'm done! I have had enough. I can not do this any longer, I do not have any strength left.", I remember that it is He who has carried me through and He who always will.
He is my Lighthouse in every storm, not only can I keep my eyes on Him, His light seeks me out in the darkness!
Monday, June 16, 2014
Worship....
I am not a huge fan of Rick Warren - but I ran across this quote on Worship and it spoke deeply to my heart. Enjoy!
Your most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be in your darkest days – when your heart is broken, when you feel abandoned, when you’re out of options, when the pain is great – and you turn to God alone.
Your most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be in your darkest days – when your heart is broken, when you feel abandoned, when you’re out of options, when the pain is great – and you turn to God alone.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Teenagers!
I have four adult children and three younger children. One of my sons just turned 13 - so why after four have come and gone, does the thought of a teen still clutch my heart?
Teenage years are hard. They are hard on the teen and they are hard on the parents. So many rocky waters to navigate, new ideas to process, peer influences that are much stronger than ever before... and the list goes on. I am so thankful I have my Jesus to walk through all of this with me (and He is with my son).
I saw this blog post today, and need to share. It is a great post on 10 mistakes parents make with their teens, and I think they are spot on!
Top Ten Mistakes
Please take a moment and read this, it might help you one day!
Teenage years are hard. They are hard on the teen and they are hard on the parents. So many rocky waters to navigate, new ideas to process, peer influences that are much stronger than ever before... and the list goes on. I am so thankful I have my Jesus to walk through all of this with me (and He is with my son).
I saw this blog post today, and need to share. It is a great post on 10 mistakes parents make with their teens, and I think they are spot on!
Top Ten Mistakes
Please take a moment and read this, it might help you one day!
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
A share from Ann
I love reading other blogs, mostly because they say so often what is on my heart, that I do not have the words for.
One of my favorite blogs is written by Ann Voskamp, she writes with such beauty.
Today's post by her, spoke volumes to me... so I wanted to make sure you were blessed by it as well.
Here is the link: When you feel like you just keep blowing it....
One of my favorite blogs is written by Ann Voskamp, she writes with such beauty.
Today's post by her, spoke volumes to me... so I wanted to make sure you were blessed by it as well.
Here is the link: When you feel like you just keep blowing it....
Monday, May 5, 2014
Weariness...
I read this quote today: If Satan cannot distract you with worldliness, He will seek to drain you with weariness. -- In Christ's Image Training
This is just so true!
This is just so true!
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