Driving Into the Storm

A few days ago, the kids and I were driving into town on our way to Tae Kwon Do when we came upon a storm. As we drove further into the storm, it went from a sprinkling rain, to a harder rain, to lightning and hail, to even more hail. After a few minutes driving in the storm, I caught a glimpse ahead of us of the edge of the storm and the blue sky on the other side. I told the kids, "I can see the edge of the storm. We'll be out of it soon!" But, the further we drove, the worse the storm got and the further it seemed to be to the end.

Finally, we arrived at Tae Kwon Do. I pulled up as close to the door as possible to let the kids jump out with their bags. Once they were safely inside, I pulled around and found a parking spot further away. Just as I was opening the door to get out of the van, the rain stopped and the sky became blue again.

Turns out, what I had thought was the end of the storm was actually the FRONT of the storm. When I thought I was driving myself out of the storm to the other side, I was actually driving further into it. My efforts to get through it only made things worse. Instead of trying to fight my way through the storm, what I should have done is STOP and BE STILL. If I had only been still a little while, the storm would have passed over me on it's own and I could have safely driven to my destination under a blue sky.

So often we do that same thing with the storms of life! We see a problem and we try to fix it on our own. But all our effort seems to only make things worse. In those times, what we need to do is BE STILL and let the storm pass by. Let the one who even the wind and waves obey calm your heart and get you through.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Handiwork

One of my favorite things to do in my free time (as if I have any of that!) is to craft. I especially love making homemade gifts for people. I enjoy receiving handmade gifts as well. They're the best!

For Christmas this year, a sweet friend gave me this super cute letter H that has been given a special place of honor among my treasures on the piano.

I absolutely love it! Not only is it pretty, but I also know how hard she worked on it and how much thought she put into it. Every time I pass by my piano and see it there, I think of our friendship and how much it means to me.

But, a funny thing happened the day she gave it to me and it sparked an interesting conversation among out little group of friends. We were having a Christmas party at our friend's home. As we opened the gifts out she had worked so hard on for us, she began to say things like, "Let me know if you don't like those colors", and "I was going to add some lace to yours", and "I messed yours up so bad." She spent several minutes pointing out all of the little flaws that she could see in her work.

Now, none of us had noticed the flaws at all. We were too busy admiring how cute and unique each one was. But honestly, now that I see them, the flaws are the part I like best. The little imperfections are the things that show me that my gift is a one-of-a-kind, that it was made by the hands of someone who loves me, and that there will never be another just like mine.

As I thought about this, a scripture came to mind.

Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. " (NIV)

 

 

For a long time, I struggled with this scripture because when I looked at myself, all I could see were the flaws. But recently, I have come to see my flaws through new eyes. Instead of seeing my imperfections as problems that make me less valuable, I've come to see them for what they are-fingerprints of the one who made me.

 

When God created me, it wasn't an accident or a mistake. He created me with love and for a purpose. He made me to fill a special place in this world that only I could fill. And, what I used to see as flaws are really just symbols of His love for me that let me know that I am a one-of-a-kind, made by the hand of someone who loves me, and there will never be another one just like me.\

 

 

I am God's masterpiece!

(and so are you!)

Sick

This one is from April 4 ,2013 posted at Dancing with Cinderella.  Hope it speaks to someone today.

I mentioned before that I have recently joined a ladies' Bible study group. I have to say that I am loving it! It's such a blessing the hear things from other perspectives and to learn from other people's experiences. One week, only myself and one other lady were able to make it, but I still walked away with a lot to think about.
One of the best things that I've gotten out of the study is learning to look deeper into the scriptures and find how each one applies to me. We're going through the book of Luke right now. Each day there is a passage to read with a verse or two as the focus. Today's verse was Luke 5:31-32

 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

 

Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, the super religious people of the day.  The Pharisees knew the law and followed it. They wore the right clothes, said the right prayers, hung out with the right people. They were righteous. They weren't looking for a Savior, they were just fine on their own.

 

As I thought about this verse, I was taken back to the day I went to the hospital with blood clots in my lungs. I had been feeling bad for a couple of days. My heart was racing, my head ached, I felt very anxious. And yet, I didn't go to the doctor. I didn't want to admit that there was anything wrong. I thought I could just take something for my headache and rest and then I would be fine. I didn't need any help.

 

It wasn't until I was at the point that I couldn't even cross the living room without stopping to rest that I finally acknowledged I was in trouble. I was sick and I needed a doctor. I had to finally admit that I was sick and that, by myself, I couldn't get better.

 

It's the same way when it comes to my need for Jesus. So many times, I try to get by on my own, thinking that I've got it under control and I don't need any help. All the while, I'm digging myself deeper and deeper into a hole. It's not until I am stuck in the bottom of the pit with no other way out that I finally cry out and ask Jesus to help me. And He does! EVERYTIME!

 

But, how much better off would I be to admit my need for His help from the beginning? How much trouble would I save myself by calling out and asking for his help before I start digging to begin with?

 

Jesus came to call the sinners to repentance. But we have to recognize that we are the sinners he came to call. We can't do it on our own, we need Him to save us. And the good news is, He is just waiting for us to ask! 

Good Soil

I'm working on a couple of new posts for this blog that will be coming in the next couple of days. In the meantime, I want to share some things I had posted before over on Dancing with Cinderella. My goal is to return to posting my family and homeschool adventures there and to begin posting my spiritual thoughts here. I wrote this one August 6, 2013. Since that time, I've begun taking on a more of a teaching role in the children's ministry at our church. Every time I read this post, it reminds me that what I do with those kids is important and that I need to focus more on the relationships I am developing with the kids than on the lessons I'm trying to teach them.

Good soil

<sup>I have been so blessed to get to be a part of an awesome ladies' Bible study group for the past several months. I love it! We meet at the coffee shop on Saturday mornings and spend a couple of hours chatting, encouraging, offering advice, and studying together. I love hearing all the different perspectives and learning from the other ladies. I have made some great friends through our time together on Saturdays.
Our last study was on the book of Luke. I learned so much! One week in particular, God really spoke to me through the reading. We were reading Luke chapter 8, which contains a story that is very familiar to me.

"4</sup> While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: ⁵ “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

¹¹ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. ¹⁴ The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. ¹⁵ But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."

Bible Gateway

 

 

I have heard this story so many times. Usually the emphasis is "we need to be the good soil and yield a crop for Jesus." But as I read through this passage again, a different picture came to my mind.

 

Think of a farmer sowing seeds. He depends on the seeds for his living, so he's not going to just carelessly toss them out anywhere. He wants them to fall on good soil, so before he sows his seeds, he invests time and energy into preparing the soil.  He breaks up the hard ground, removes the rocks, pulls up the weeds, and even adds fertilizer to the soil to feed his crops.

 

Good soil doesn't happen on it's own.

 

It takes effort to prepare it and work to sustain it before it can produce anything.  As Christians, this is our job. We can't just go around halfheartedly sharing our faith and hoping it "sticks" to those we come in contact with. We must be intentional.

 

Sharing our faith must be more than just wearing a t-shirt or posting a scripture on facebook. Not that these things are bad, they are, as people often say, "planting a seed." But if that's all we do, what are the chances of those seeds growing into anything more? How do we keep those seeds from being lost to the birds, rocks, and thorns of life? How do we help them grow?

 

We help them grow through relationship, through connection, and through love. Verse 15 says  "...by persevering produce a crop". I love the definition I found for persevere at dictionary.com "to bolster, sustain, or uphold".  This requires outside assistance. Good soil can't make itself good, nor can seeds that are sown grow and produce a crop on their own. Someone must continue to tend them and help them reach their potential.

 

We need to be there for people when they need us. We need to love those around us and invest our time into their lives to build relationships. We need to know when they're hurting and when they are struggling and love them through it. We need to celebrate with them  and cheer them on. This is how good soil is developed. This is how the seeds grow and produce a crop.

 

Lord, help me to go beyond the surface in sharing my faith. Show me how I can love the people you bring into my life like you love them. I pray that the seeds that are sown will fall on good soil and will produce a crop of souls who will come to know who you are by what they see in me. Thank you for your love for me that teaches me how to love.

Mommy Guilt

This is a repost of something I wrote over at Dancing With Cinderella on August 8, 2013. I'm reposting because this topic has come up several times with several different people this weekend, so I wanted to share again. Hope it touches your heart today.

Mommy guilt

I love to read inspirational stories. Stories about people who have overcome obstacles or who make mistakes and recover from them. I like stories where people find themselves in unexpected situations that turn out to be blessings-in-disguise. I see a lot of these going around facebook and I sometimes get them in my e-mail  They encourage and inspire me. I especially love stories that are written from a mom's perspective to other mom's to lift them up. A favorite that I have seen lately and even shared the link on my facebook page is this one from Short Stop. Check it out, it's a good read.

But, as much as I like those, there are some others that make me cringe. They're written with the intent of being encouraging, of reminding moms about the important things in life. They talk about stopping to smell the roses, about enjoying your children while they're young, about valuing people over things. All good things that we DO need to be reminded of from time to time. But beneath the pretty words and the sweet pictures they paint, they all say the same thing to me-"You're not doing it right." If I don't immediately drop everything to look at the watercolor rainbow my child painted, I've wasted a precious moment that I can never get back. If I don't allow my child as much time as she needs to pick an outfit for church even if it causes us to be late, I've rushed her and taken away her joy.If I put my child to bed and without reading the 10th "just one more story", I'm gong to regret it because someday they won't want me to read them bedtime stories anymore...

I read through these stories and poems looking for encouragement, but all I feel by the end is guilt. I remember all the things I didn't do right and I feel guilty because I can't change them. I don't get a do-over. I've messed up my kids and there's nothing I can do about it. I can try to do better tomorrow, but I'll probably just mess it up again.

 Instead of feeling inspired and uplifted, I feel used up and worn out. Am I the only one?

Some of my friends have lovingly teased me about being "super mom" or the "model parent". Believe me, I am FAR from being either of those. I mess up. I yell (*gasp*). I'm impatient, I don't always want to have the kids with me 24/7. I don't always listen to their stories or love when they bring me a handful of dandelions to put in a plastic cup on the windowsill. I'M NOT SUPERMOM.

But there's good news for me (and for you). God didn't call me to be supermom. He knew that I would have shortcomings and failures. He knew I would mess it up. He knew that I would never be able to do it right. But, it's okay.I don't have to do it all right because where my weaknesses lie, God's power takes over.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, " ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Bible Gateway 

What a relief! I don't have to strive to be the perfect mother with the perfect children anymore. I don't have to pretend to be strong and to have it all together when I don't. All I have to do is the best I can and let God take care of the rest. 

So, I'm off to turn in my Supermom cape. I don't need it anymore. Who's coming with me?

Are you Thirsty?

Water. We need it in order to survive. Without water, we become dehydrated, our body doesn't function properly. If we go long enough without it, we will eventually die. It's very important for us to consume a healthy amount of water each day. I know this, but I often find myself in the busyness of my day, forgetting to stop and get a drink. I can go most of the day without ever taking a single sip and a lot of days, it's lunch time or later before I  get around to having a cup of water. But when I finally do, it tastes so good! I refill my cup and have some more. Then, I realize that my body had been asking me for water all day-that little hint of a headache that was lingering in the background, crankiness, lack of concentration-all signs that I needed to stop and rehydrate. My body was thirsty!

In the same way, I often find myself allowing the busyness of life cause me to forget that my spirit needs to be refreshed as well. I get up and get into my day making breakfast, doing laundry, getting kids ready, checking things off my to-do list, and I don't take time to connect with what I need the most-God's love for me. The longer I go without it, the more spiritually dehydrated I become, often without even realizing what's going on. But, oh, when I finally stop and connect with God, through reading a passage in the Bible, listening to a worship song, or spending some time in prayer, I find that it's just what I needed!

My goal is to begin each day getting spiritually "hydrated" for the day with a quiet time. With four children, it doesn't always happen like I'd like it to, but that is my desire. Some days, I write in my journal, some days I work on a my "homework" for my ladies' study group, some days I work on a study I'm doing by myself, and some  days I just sit quietly a let God speak to my heart.

"Thirsty" is a place for me to share some of what I learn during those times with you. I pray that it will be an encouragement to those who read it and that God will use it to speak to your heart.

"O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water."

Psalm 63:1 NKJV

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