A Life of Faith

31. August 2011 · 8 comments · Categories: Spiritual Growth · Tags:

This week withWalk with Him Wednesdays we are talking about what living a life of faith looks like.

Three times the boys woke me up in the middle of the night. I sleep past my alarm. The morning is spent in a rush, trying to accomplish more than I am able. I am short, impatient and irritable with the boys. They are uncooperative and I’m like a band stretched tight.

Our memory verse the past week has been “If we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) We’ve talked about what it looks like for the Spirit to lead us each and every day. I ask the boys, “How do we keep in step with the Spirit when we are at the store? or How do you keep in step with the Spirit while playing with your brother?”

How do I keep in step with the Spirit when I’m tripping and stumbling through the day?

The Spirit is given to us through faith in Christ. Our faith is grounded in the gospel of grace. What does it look like for the gospel of grace to intersect with our real life? How do we as moms, employees, wives, friends, etc. apply the gospel to the situations in our daily hum drum lives? How about in stressful and challenging times? It’s one thing to read the scriptures and another to live them out.

The truths of the gospel don’t become irrelevant once we’ve become saved. Rather it’s the fuel that drives our faith. The grace of the gospel propels us forward to live a life of faith.

What does this look like?

When I have asked my kids multiple times to complete a task and they fail to do so, the grace of the gospel reminds me that I too fail to obey God in all things. He continually has to remind me over and over to obey. And He continually forgives me of the same sins over and over. I remember this truth and in love and grace instruct my children again and again.

I get anxious at the thought of leaving my kids with a sitter for a week while my husband and I travel to Europe. I can’t imagine being gone from them so long. But the gospel reminds me of God’s goodness and faithfulness. He is sovereign and in control; nothing happens outside of His will. I can rest knowing that He carries the world in His hands. The gospel assures me that I can leave my worries at His feet for He cares for me.

When my life is in chaos and nothing is going right, the gospel of grace reminds me that I am a child of God. When I feel far from God because my heart is telling me lies, His words are the truth that I cling to. I am an adopted child of God and am part of the family of God. I am truly loved and accepted. No matter how far my heart strays, God’s grace goes even farther.

The prophet Jeremiah knew heartache and trial. Life was unfair. He was persecuted and mistreated. It was the word of God that gave him joy: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16)

In living a life of faith, I need to saturate myself in the gospel of grace so that when the tough times come (which they will) I have the resources from which to draw to keep me from drowning in despair. Knowing the truths of the gospel keeps me moving forward in faith each day-during the hum drum duties of daily life and in the trials that come without notice. And when I fail (which I will) I turn to the cross and the gospel of grace. I remember what Jesus did for me and that I was forgiven for all of my sins at the cross. In joy, I feast on the words of scripture that say, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

If I had all the time in the world

30. August 2011 · 5 comments · Categories: book reviews, Depression, God's still working on me, Spiritual Growth

If I had all the time in the world…

Morning devotions with the bubbling sound of the pool-and always a cup of coffee.

You’d probably find me reading.

If you read my post titled, “My Dog Eared Life”, then you know how much of an impact written words have had on my life. If you didn’t read that post, you can read that post here.


Tim Keller has said, “Read one thinker and you become a clone. Read two and you become confused. Read a hundred and you start to become wise.”

There have been a number of Christian authors whose wise words have helped me answer difficult life questions, given me encouragement to move forward in healing, and challenged me to grow in my faith.

Some of the books He used to help heal a wounded heart.

Some of the books He’s used to teach me and challenge me in my faith.

A few author’s whose books gave me the direction I needed in parenting.

And some He used to encourage me and draw me closer in my walk with Him.

When I have the unexpected joy of free time, I pick up a book. If I had all the time in the world, I wouldn’t get bored for there are so many pages yet to be turned. And next to my chair waiting for me to have free time lies: The Reason for God by Tim Keller, Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, It’s Your Kid, Not a Gerbil byKevan Leman and 66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb.

What books has God brought your way, books which stirred your soul and brought healing to your heart?

“Books are standing counselors and preachers, always at hand…having this advantage over their oral instructors, that they are ready to repeat their lesson as often as we please.” Oswald Chambers

Gratitude List 787-801

29. August 2011 · 6 comments · Categories: Gratitude Community

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17

Ian sleeping in until 9am one morning so Ethan and I were able to get a lot of school work done before he woke up

We are over a week ahead in math and language arts:)

We are enjoying our history curriculum. Ethan wanted to draw a map of Columbus’ journey to go with the little ships we made out of egg cartons

First day of Ethan’s gifted enrichment class at his old school went well. (The school district wasn’t crazy about having him stay in the one day a week class since we are now homeschooling but my husband persisted and they finally agreed).

Grace

God giving my husband strength to continue to work despite fatigue from so many extra work hours

New gratitude journal

Journaling on the hammock

Legos in the pool

Breeze before the storm

Sea salt and olive oil crackers

Boys swimming during a hurricane (not really, just the outer rain bands that reached Florida) Ethan said, “This is the best swimming day ever!”

Offer of new writing opportunities

Carrot cake pancakes

He is Worthy

27. August 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Ploughing Hearts

In preparing my heart to worship the Lord tomorrow, my soul affirms the words of Thomas a Kempis in The Imitation of Christ:

“What shall I render unto Thee for all these Thy manifold
mercies? Oh that I were able to serve Thee all the days of my
life! Oh that even for one day I were enabled to do Thee service
worthy of Thyself! For verily Thou art worthy of all service,
all honour, and praise without end. Verily Thou art my God, and
I am Thy poor servant, who am bound to serve Thee with all my
strength, nor ought I ever to grow weary of Thy praise. This is
my wish, this is my exceeding great desire, and whatsoever is
lacking to me, vouchsafe Thou to supply.”

When Joy Seems Just out of Reach

26. August 2011 · 1 comment · Categories: God's still working on me, Spiritual Growth · Tags: , ,

As Christians, we know we are called to be joyful. I know many joy-filled Christians. More often than not, I’m not one of them. For me, it often feels like joy is just out of my reach.

Paul teaches that we are to rejoice in the Lord always. How do you have joy when it seems like everything in your life is going badly? Or when your world seems to be crumbling down all around you?

I can see joy, and reach for it, but can’t quite grasp it. I may have moments of joy, but they aren’t long-lasting. Challenges come my way and in fear I lose my grip on whatever joy I may have had. When the whispered lies of depression ring loud in my mind, joy seems very far away.

I read in Nehemiah 8:10 that the joy of the Lord is my strength. Most of the time-in order to have joy in the Lord-I think I have to work hard with all my strength, to muster up that joy. Maybe I’ll go a few days on that strength, but then I run out. However, the passage says that it’s joy in the Lord that gives me strength, not the other way around.

Yet I live as though it’s my own strength that gives me joy in the Lord.

To read the rest of this post, visit CSAHM.

Teach Me Jesus Thursdays: As He’s Made Them

25. August 2011 · 4 comments · Categories: Parenting, Teach Me Jesus · Tags:

Do your kids smile for the camera? When we were on vacation this summer, a friend of our’s took family pictures for us. My kids were not cooperative. You’d think I was asking them to eat their least favorite food by their expressions on their faces.

Photos courtesy of Life River Studios

My disappointment in their behavior made me think about how often we as parents want our children to do and be things of which they are not capable. We are all born with different temperaments and innate personalities. Many parents, and I’m one of them, hope for a passive child. We’d like a child who likes to please. But not every family has a people pleaser.

I have one child who is strong-willed-in fact that’s the definition of his name. I have another who can be quite dramatic. Though I wish they were more compliant by nature, I have to remember that God likes variety. Just as the creatures He made are all different, so too He creates each one of us to have different personalities and skills. If every child on earth were a people pleaser, we’d may have happy parents, but we’d also be missing a number of different professions. It takes different types of personalities to be a leader, a teacher, an entrepreneur, an artist, etc.

God uses all the different types of personalities to carry out His plan. He used the shyness of Moses, the outspoken nature of Peter and the leadership abilities of Paul. He places His children with different personalities in families for parents to nurture and help them grow in preparation for their calling in life. I think it’s important that we don’t try to mold our children to fit the type of personality we would prefer Rather, we should raise them by working along with, rather than against their personality. We need to find ways to teach and train them according to how God made them.

While my children often fight against the grain and always keep me on my toes, I know God has created them this way for a purpose. By nurturing them according to how He has made them, I am preparing them for their future work in His kingdom. When I love them and accept them as they are, I am loving the way God loves us.

So, despite the lack of smiles in our family photos, I will frame them nonetheless because the pictures capture the essence of who we are-imperfections and all.

To Show Them Jesus

Forever Forgiveness

24. August 2011 · 6 comments · Categories: God's still working on me, Spiritual Growth · Tags:

He had done something wrong and we prayed about it. We talked about God’s forgiveness and how He remembers our sins no more. I quoted from His words in scripture, “He casts them as far as the east is from the west,” I explain. I see him trying to calculate just how far that is. “You can’t measure it. That’s the point. He casts them away forever.”

Source

I can understand my son’s desire to measure how far our sins are cast away. I too try to measure and count how far away they are; how far until He remembers them again. Because that’s how my sinful heart is-I can’t comprehend the kind of forgiveness that is all grace.

I forgive others until they repeat the same mistake again. Then I remember everything they’ve ever done in the past to hurt me. Forgiveness that’s not really forgiveness at all.

God’s forgiveness is truly grace. We were forgiven once and for all at the cross. When Jesus took our punishment and bore His Father’s wrath, it was so we could be forgiven. No matter what sin I may commit in my flesh, God only sees the perfect life of His Son. He truly did cast my sins away! No matter how far my sins may take me, His grace casts those sins farther still.

I don’t have to fear His anger. I don’t have to fear that He’ll stop loving me. I don’t have to fear Him pointing out to me that I’ve committed the same sin a thousand times. Rather, each time I do sin, I remember Jesus. I remember the love that held Him there. I remember that I am truly forgiven, accepted and loved.

It’s a forever forgiveness that can’t be measured, no matter how hard I might try.

Exploring His World

23. August 2011 · 7 comments · Categories: Homeschooling

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

I want my children to see Him everytime they look at creation. I want them to marvel at His handiwork and be in awe of His power when they look at the mountains. I want them to see His beauty when they pause to look at a flower or a sunset. I want them to love and praise Him for all He’s made.

In our My Father’s World Curriculum, we are encouraged to go on a Nature Walk once a week. For anyone who is not familiar with Charlotte Mason’s educational theory, she strongly believed that children need to spend time in nature. Based on a suggestion from a friend, I purchased My Nature Journal: A Personal Nature Guide for Young People. The journal encourages children to explore, study, and learn about bugs, birds, animals, tree, plants and other wildlife. They are encouraged to draw what they find, write stories, poetry and enjoy the wonders of the outdoors. The journal is divided into five sections: the woodlands, the meadows, ponds and streams, the coast and twilight. It includes a variety of activities that is sure to interest any child.

My son and his brother went on a scavenger hunt in our yard, searching for items listed in the journal. He has also enjoyed collecting leaves and doing leaf rubbings. We have really enjoyed the Nature Walks so far and I’m hoping that once it’s not so hot outside we can explore God’s creation more than just once a week.

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New Beginnings

22. August 2011 · 9 comments · Categories: God's still working on me, Gratitude Community, Homeschooling

His kindergarten year began with a storm of tears, my own, and they continued to rain down all year-both his and mine. I didn’t want him there. The public school closet to us. The one rated highest in our county. The one people move to our area in order to send their children there.

I wanted to teach him at home. I wanted to teach him about the world through the eyes of God. I wanted to nurture the mind of this bright boy who never stops asking questions. It’s at home where I knew he could be himself-idiosyncracies, sensitivities and all.

We don’t always get that for which our hearts most yearn. Even if what we want is considered by most to be a “good” thing. Sometimes God has another story planned for us. And sometimes He simply calls us to wait.

It’s often in the waiting where He does His work.

It’s there that He chisels away at the idols buried in our hearts, removing what keeps us from desiring Him most of all. It’s in the waiting, when we let go of what we most desire, that we begin to yearn for Him alone. He needs to take precedence in our hearts.

I cried as I dropped him off each morning last year. He cried most afternoons and many mornings when I woke him up to leave for school. The year was rough on both of us. His fast paced mind rarely challenged. A teacher who didn’t think he warranted any extra attention.

I gave to Him my hearts desire, submitted to the concerns of my husband, prayed for His will and waited. My husbands heart about homeschooling changed during the [ast year and this past week we started homeschooling for the first time.

Joy indeed comes in the morning.

Thanking Him this week for the hard, ugly beautiful refining through which we all have to go. Thanking Him for the joy that comes when we’ve been stripped of everything that keeps us from Him. When it’s all taken away, we are free to finally experience the true depths of His love and grace. And thanking Him that He disciplines us for our good.

Continuing to count all the blessing from God:

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Privilege of homeschooling my son

Our fun first day of school

Building forts

Boys sitting and reading together under the fort

That God is our Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10)

Productivity

Date night, more planning for our anniversary trip and a little shopping

Empathy from one brother for another

When the boys forgive me for my failures as a mom

The Holy Spirit’s prompting to ask forgiveness

Swimming every afternoon

Our homeschool group kickoff

Shopping with friends, great deals and fun fellowship

A new camera for me to learn how to use-so much better than the camera on my phone!

Our Strong Tower

20. August 2011 · 1 comment · Categories: Ploughing Hearts

As I prepare my heart for worship tomorrow, I’m meditating on this verse:

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10

The very name of God is a strong tower. When we call on His name in the midst of the storms of life, He answers and we find safety. As we prepare to worship tomorrow, may we realize our need to run to Him. When we come in His presence in worship, may we praise Him that He is our Strong Tower.

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