Hello Friends! I know, I know! Many of you just started following this blog right?
I really feel as if I am supposed to make this less about me and more about HIM! Therefore I am moving allisonherrin.com to gods-girls.net where we will together learn to live out our FAITH, ENCOURAGE each other and INFLUENCE our families as we represent Christ to the world. Now don't get me wrong. I don't see anything wrong with folks having personal blogs. I follow and love many who do. I just feel as if this is what God is calling me to do.
Please check out the new ministry page HERE and continue to follow along there! It won't take but a second and I believe you will be blessed by it and so will I!
Walking in Faith!
Allison
Monday, July 30, 2012
Who Do You Trust?
I walked into the courtroom full of fear. Trusting one man, the judge, to give me what I needed. Emotionally broken deep to my core, I thought what I needed was the very thing that this judge could give me. Protection for my kids, grace for my weariness, provision for my family.
NO! GOD! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!
You can finish reading this post HERE. and don't forget to follow the new blog. I will be moving everything over HERE in the next couple of months.
NO! GOD! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!
You can finish reading this post HERE. and don't forget to follow the new blog. I will be moving everything over HERE in the next couple of months.
Friday, July 27, 2012
God's Girls!
I have been praying for some time about what the LORD wants to do in and through me! I don't want to write just for the sake of writing...I want to be a light for Him. I want to represent Him to the world! I want to bring Him glory! And while I know I will fail miserably at times, I know He can use me simply because He makes beauty from ashes!
So, God is up to something, he is doing a new thing....
You can read more here
So, God is up to something, he is doing a new thing....
You can read more here
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Practicing Thankfulness = Contentment
Ecclesiastes 6:9 It is better to see what you have than want more. Wanting more is useless – like chasing the wind (NCV)
Why is it that when God supplies everything that we NEED, we still complain and WANT more? I'm am as guilty as anyone.
It’s an age old problem! The Israelites, while in captivity in Egypt, prayed and begged for God to set them free from slavery. You know the story; Moses came and delivered them, parted the Red Sea, gave them the Ten Commandments and led them in the building of the Tabernacle which God in turn filled with His Glory! They had everything they needed. They needed deliverance and God sent Moses to set them free. They needed guidance and God gave them laws to follow. They needed food; God gave them manna straight from Heaven. God gave them all that they NEEDED but for them, it wasn’t enough.
Literally, just days after being rescued from Egypt and seeing many miracles along the way the Israelites began to complain and doubt what God was doing. The Egyptian army began to come after them and one might think that after seeing God perform all of those miracles that they would have faith that God would deliver them here as well. But get this; They responded by asking Moses what he had done by bringing them out of Egypt for it would have been much better for them to stay in slavery than for them to die in the desert. They saw all that God had provided thus far yet still didn’t trust him to provide here.
After freeing the Israelites, Moses became their spiritual leader. They looked to him for guidance and wisdom and as any great leader does, He looked to God. Moses would go to the top of the mountain to meet with God and receive instruction for his people so that they could follow Him in all of His ways. In Exodus chapter 32 the Israelites decided that Moses was taking too long. They needed some guidance and they weren't getting it fast enough. Their great plan when they didn’t get what they wanted was to build a golden calf and surely it would guide them. I know it sounds silly to us, but the Egyptians had taught them much about false gods and when their faith was weak they quickly went back to what they knew rather than waiting on God to provide. Isn’t that just like us?
When the Israelites became hungry God gave them what they needed by raining down bread from heaven. He gave them more than enough for everyone in the camp. And wouldn’t you know it, they began to complain again. Sometime later, the Bible says, they began to crave other food. Again they began complaining and comparing life in the desert to life in Egypt. “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumber, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna” (Number 11:5-6). As He always does, God provided what they needed. The manna was more than enough to satisfy their hunger and give proper nutrition to their bodies but they wanted more!
Does any of this sound familiar to you? I know it does to me. We think if we could just get a raise at work it would make things easier for our family. We get the raise and guess what? It doesn’t make things easier, we just spend more. Or, if we just had more time then we could spend the extra time with our family and guess what happens? You got it! That extra time is spent striving for more! We might be with our families but we want more sports, more entertainment, more food, you name it, rather than just wanting what we have right there in our families. Unfortunately I believe America has become a breeding ground for wanting MORE! More money, more food, bigger homes, bigger cars, better job, better spouse, and you can put just about anything behind the more. I know this because I used to want all of the same things until the LORD taught me a few things as I struggled with poverty.
So how do we learn to be content with what we have?
1. We have to first understand that it is a learned experience
2. Secondly, you only learn contentment in tough times. It's easy to be content when all is well but it is really put to the test and learned during adversity.
3. When you do learn contentment, striving for achievement and comparing ourselves to others are no longer suitable. Thankfulness becomes the norm. Contentment is found in wanting what you have, not pursuing what you want.
So how do we get to the point where contentment becomes a part of who we are? I think we start by changing our attitude. If we turn our complaining into gratitude and thankfulness I believe our attitude will change without having any chance at staying negative.
We have to be intentional about being thankful because thankfulness breeds contentment. Here are some ways that I practice thankfulness:
~ take 5 minutes every night before bed and write down everything that I am thankful for that day
~Pray daily for a thankful attitude asking God to show me the little gifts that I fail to see in my busy daily life.
~ Tell those in my family how thankful I am for them. Here's the kicker. I try to do this even when I am not very thankful for them at the moment. That's hard, but it changes my attitude.
Dear LORD ~ Thank you for showing me daily the little gifts that you give along the way. A beautiful sunset, a friend over lunch, encouragement from my boss, a kiss from my husband, an unexpected act from my kids. Give me your eyes to see them and allow contentment to grow in my life through my intentional acts of thankfulness. In Jesus name!
today I am linking with: Women Living Well and Time Warp Wife
Why is it that when God supplies everything that we NEED, we still complain and WANT more? I'm am as guilty as anyone.
It’s an age old problem! The Israelites, while in captivity in Egypt, prayed and begged for God to set them free from slavery. You know the story; Moses came and delivered them, parted the Red Sea, gave them the Ten Commandments and led them in the building of the Tabernacle which God in turn filled with His Glory! They had everything they needed. They needed deliverance and God sent Moses to set them free. They needed guidance and God gave them laws to follow. They needed food; God gave them manna straight from Heaven. God gave them all that they NEEDED but for them, it wasn’t enough.
Literally, just days after being rescued from Egypt and seeing many miracles along the way the Israelites began to complain and doubt what God was doing. The Egyptian army began to come after them and one might think that after seeing God perform all of those miracles that they would have faith that God would deliver them here as well. But get this; They responded by asking Moses what he had done by bringing them out of Egypt for it would have been much better for them to stay in slavery than for them to die in the desert. They saw all that God had provided thus far yet still didn’t trust him to provide here.
After freeing the Israelites, Moses became their spiritual leader. They looked to him for guidance and wisdom and as any great leader does, He looked to God. Moses would go to the top of the mountain to meet with God and receive instruction for his people so that they could follow Him in all of His ways. In Exodus chapter 32 the Israelites decided that Moses was taking too long. They needed some guidance and they weren't getting it fast enough. Their great plan when they didn’t get what they wanted was to build a golden calf and surely it would guide them. I know it sounds silly to us, but the Egyptians had taught them much about false gods and when their faith was weak they quickly went back to what they knew rather than waiting on God to provide. Isn’t that just like us?
When the Israelites became hungry God gave them what they needed by raining down bread from heaven. He gave them more than enough for everyone in the camp. And wouldn’t you know it, they began to complain again. Sometime later, the Bible says, they began to crave other food. Again they began complaining and comparing life in the desert to life in Egypt. “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumber, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna” (Number 11:5-6). As He always does, God provided what they needed. The manna was more than enough to satisfy their hunger and give proper nutrition to their bodies but they wanted more!
Does any of this sound familiar to you? I know it does to me. We think if we could just get a raise at work it would make things easier for our family. We get the raise and guess what? It doesn’t make things easier, we just spend more. Or, if we just had more time then we could spend the extra time with our family and guess what happens? You got it! That extra time is spent striving for more! We might be with our families but we want more sports, more entertainment, more food, you name it, rather than just wanting what we have right there in our families. Unfortunately I believe America has become a breeding ground for wanting MORE! More money, more food, bigger homes, bigger cars, better job, better spouse, and you can put just about anything behind the more. I know this because I used to want all of the same things until the LORD taught me a few things as I struggled with poverty.
So how do we learn to be content with what we have?
1. We have to first understand that it is a learned experience
2. Secondly, you only learn contentment in tough times. It's easy to be content when all is well but it is really put to the test and learned during adversity.
3. When you do learn contentment, striving for achievement and comparing ourselves to others are no longer suitable. Thankfulness becomes the norm. Contentment is found in wanting what you have, not pursuing what you want.
So how do we get to the point where contentment becomes a part of who we are? I think we start by changing our attitude. If we turn our complaining into gratitude and thankfulness I believe our attitude will change without having any chance at staying negative.
We have to be intentional about being thankful because thankfulness breeds contentment. Here are some ways that I practice thankfulness:
~ take 5 minutes every night before bed and write down everything that I am thankful for that day
~Pray daily for a thankful attitude asking God to show me the little gifts that I fail to see in my busy daily life.
~ Tell those in my family how thankful I am for them. Here's the kicker. I try to do this even when I am not very thankful for them at the moment. That's hard, but it changes my attitude.
Dear LORD ~ Thank you for showing me daily the little gifts that you give along the way. A beautiful sunset, a friend over lunch, encouragement from my boss, a kiss from my husband, an unexpected act from my kids. Give me your eyes to see them and allow contentment to grow in my life through my intentional acts of thankfulness. In Jesus name!
today I am linking with: Women Living Well and Time Warp Wife
Monday, July 9, 2012
FEAR GOD?
To fear the LORD is to hate evil... Proverbs 8:13
I remember when I first gave my life to Christ at age 19, I found a small pentecostal church to attend. The Pastor often preached on the fear of the LORD but I never understood what it meant. How could I fear or be afraid of, something, no someone so magnificent? God had radically changed my life forever. He had revived my soul; awakened something in me that I had never experienced before. Shown me a love that was indescribable. How could I fear that?
It wasn't until years later that I discovered through The Word what it actually means. To fear the LORD is to hate evil. That's it! To fear the LORD means to hate the things that are not of Him. To hate sin, hate pride and arrogance, hate evil behavior and perverse speech.
You see, God wants us to represent Him to a dying and hurting world so that others can come into relationship with Him. To fear the LORD simply means to hate the things that He hates by living a life that He loves. It means to be so in awe of the one who created you and to display his splendor through the life that you live; to live in awe of the one who created the universe and all of its majesty and beauty. It really is that simple.
Proverbs 9:10 says The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. So when we fear the LORD by hating evil, we gain wisdom. When we gain knowledge of the Holy One by spending time with him, we gain understanding. Who doesn't want wisdom and understanding? With them we are better parents, better spouses and better friends. We are better people. With them we make better decisions and soon discover there are less negative conseqences for our actions. With wisdom and understanding we come to a greater knowledge of who Christ is and in turn become more like Him ourselves.
To fear the LORD is to hate evil and is the beginning of wisdom.
I remember when I first gave my life to Christ at age 19, I found a small pentecostal church to attend. The Pastor often preached on the fear of the LORD but I never understood what it meant. How could I fear or be afraid of, something, no someone so magnificent? God had radically changed my life forever. He had revived my soul; awakened something in me that I had never experienced before. Shown me a love that was indescribable. How could I fear that?
It wasn't until years later that I discovered through The Word what it actually means. To fear the LORD is to hate evil. That's it! To fear the LORD means to hate the things that are not of Him. To hate sin, hate pride and arrogance, hate evil behavior and perverse speech.
You see, God wants us to represent Him to a dying and hurting world so that others can come into relationship with Him. To fear the LORD simply means to hate the things that He hates by living a life that He loves. It means to be so in awe of the one who created you and to display his splendor through the life that you live; to live in awe of the one who created the universe and all of its majesty and beauty. It really is that simple.
Proverbs 9:10 says The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. So when we fear the LORD by hating evil, we gain wisdom. When we gain knowledge of the Holy One by spending time with him, we gain understanding. Who doesn't want wisdom and understanding? With them we are better parents, better spouses and better friends. We are better people. With them we make better decisions and soon discover there are less negative conseqences for our actions. With wisdom and understanding we come to a greater knowledge of who Christ is and in turn become more like Him ourselves.
To fear the LORD is to hate evil and is the beginning of wisdom.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Hope in Suffering
I thought I would take a moment and share a post that I wrote on a blog that I contribute to weekly. Blessings!
There is Hope. Even in Times of Suffering
There is Hope. Even in Times of Suffering
Thursday, June 21, 2012
I Have A Dream...
...If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. Exodus 33:15
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would have done anything to get it? A relationship, a job, that new home. I know there have been many times in my own life that I have settled for much less than God's best for me because the pain of letting go of the dream in my heart was much more than the pain of staying in a situation that was not God's plan. Or so I thought.
Many of us have been willing to go into debt way over our heads, lie or cheat on a resume, be treated poorly by others and a whole host of other things, all for the sake of getting what we want. All because we thought the consequences of losing our dream were much worse than the consequences of sacrificing our values.
Moses wasn't willing to do that. You see, Moses wanted to enter the promised land more than anyone. He had a very personal relationship with God and he knew that God's promises were good. But what he knew even more was that the presence of God was so much better than any dream he could dream. Yes, he dreamed of entering the land that God had promised. Yes, he dreamed of the people that God had entrusted him with entering it too. But more than that, no matter how painful, he wanted God's plan. "...if your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" And, guess what? Moses never did enter the promised land but he died loving and trusting God with everything he had.
I remember desperately wanting to homeschool my children. God said no and I was devastated. In hindsight, I see why. He said no because his dream for my family was much bigger than I was able to see. Much bigger than what I am still able to see. What he did instead was settle that dream in my heart and showed me his plan. But I had to be willing to hand it over to him first. I had to be willing to trust him with my dream.
What about you? Is there something you want desperately for yourself? What about for your family? Are you willing to forget that dream if God wants something different? Have you even asked him what he thinks about your dream? It doesn't mean that you should give up on your dream. Not at all. I just know first hand what happens when you enter into something that is not God's will and can I tell you, it is much more painful than letting go of the dream.
Thank you God that I can trust you no matter what! Thank you that you have a plan for my life and for those that I love. Please keep me from entering into ANYTHING that is not your plan and if I have a dream that doesn't belong to you, remove that desire from my heart. Thank you that you are trustworthy!
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would have done anything to get it? A relationship, a job, that new home. I know there have been many times in my own life that I have settled for much less than God's best for me because the pain of letting go of the dream in my heart was much more than the pain of staying in a situation that was not God's plan. Or so I thought.
Many of us have been willing to go into debt way over our heads, lie or cheat on a resume, be treated poorly by others and a whole host of other things, all for the sake of getting what we want. All because we thought the consequences of losing our dream were much worse than the consequences of sacrificing our values.
Moses wasn't willing to do that. You see, Moses wanted to enter the promised land more than anyone. He had a very personal relationship with God and he knew that God's promises were good. But what he knew even more was that the presence of God was so much better than any dream he could dream. Yes, he dreamed of entering the land that God had promised. Yes, he dreamed of the people that God had entrusted him with entering it too. But more than that, no matter how painful, he wanted God's plan. "...if your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" And, guess what? Moses never did enter the promised land but he died loving and trusting God with everything he had.
I remember desperately wanting to homeschool my children. God said no and I was devastated. In hindsight, I see why. He said no because his dream for my family was much bigger than I was able to see. Much bigger than what I am still able to see. What he did instead was settle that dream in my heart and showed me his plan. But I had to be willing to hand it over to him first. I had to be willing to trust him with my dream.
What about you? Is there something you want desperately for yourself? What about for your family? Are you willing to forget that dream if God wants something different? Have you even asked him what he thinks about your dream? It doesn't mean that you should give up on your dream. Not at all. I just know first hand what happens when you enter into something that is not God's will and can I tell you, it is much more painful than letting go of the dream.
Thank you God that I can trust you no matter what! Thank you that you have a plan for my life and for those that I love. Please keep me from entering into ANYTHING that is not your plan and if I have a dream that doesn't belong to you, remove that desire from my heart. Thank you that you are trustworthy!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Running the Race, Even in Crisis
Over the last several weeks we have been dealing with a crisis in our home. I will spare you the details until they resolve themselves, but lets just say it has been one of the toughest things within my family, specifically a child, that I have had to deal with to date.
But I can see God at work already. He has reminded me of the importance of community. Without them, my son would be grounded and possibly even chained to his bed for life. Through my community of friends I was reminded of several things:
So we will continue to run the race with perseverance not focusing on the current position but keeping our eyes on the prize knowing that with God all things are possible, including giving us the strength we need to make it through this crisis and any crisis that we may face in the future.
Romans 8:31 ...if God is for us, who can be against us?
I am linking with: The Unveiled Wife and Women Living Well
But I can see God at work already. He has reminded me of the importance of community. Without them, my son would be grounded and possibly even chained to his bed for life. Through my community of friends I was reminded of several things:
- Get beyond my emotions before making any decisions
- The importance of family identity. If I kept my son in his room all summer then our family relationships would suffer.
- Don't just take away his freedoms, but have a plan for building him up as well.
- I have to be willing to make hard decisions even when others don't understand
- The importance of biblical conflict resolution as we represent God to everyone involved in this situation
- I can choose to see this as a teachable moment or I can choose to crumble in submission to my emotions but the outcome of this really is up to me and how I respond.
So we will continue to run the race with perseverance not focusing on the current position but keeping our eyes on the prize knowing that with God all things are possible, including giving us the strength we need to make it through this crisis and any crisis that we may face in the future.
Romans 8:31 ...if God is for us, who can be against us?
I am linking with: The Unveiled Wife and Women Living Well
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
My Dirty Little Secret
My name is Allison and I am an action adventure movie addict! There I said it. Whew, that feels good! I feel like I should start a support group or something.
I went to see The Avengers for Mother's Day. It was the only gift I wanted. I love, love, love this genre of movies! The Avengers and other movies of the like get my adrenaline pumping like nothing else. Not only do they drape the inner space of my mind on a regular basis, they also live on my computer screen, my desk at work and yes...my clothes. My favorite t-shirt is my husband's Captain America shirt. My kids and I will fight to the death to see who gets to wear it (ok not really but it comes close).
Needless to say, The Avengers far exceeded my expectations. The way the producers and writers combined the action with the humor was remarkable. I had never seen it done so well in a movie before. More than that, the portrayal of relationships between the heroes was powerful. The tension, the underlying emotions, the valiant team effort in spite of feelings and circumstances; simply brilliant!
Thanks Marvel Comics for effortlessly bringing me into the world of my boys! I shall never return to princesses and castles!
What about you? What is the one thing that most people don't know about you? What is your dirty (rated pg please) little secret?
Needless to say, The Avengers far exceeded my expectations. The way the producers and writers combined the action with the humor was remarkable. I had never seen it done so well in a movie before. More than that, the portrayal of relationships between the heroes was powerful. The tension, the underlying emotions, the valiant team effort in spite of feelings and circumstances; simply brilliant!
Thanks Marvel Comics for effortlessly bringing me into the world of my boys! I shall never return to princesses and castles!
What about you? What is the one thing that most people don't know about you? What is your dirty (rated pg please) little secret?
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Blessed Indeed
As I reflect on the last 41 years (yes, I know you had no idea I was that old because I don't look it) I am overjoyed at how truly blessed I am.
I have great friends, an amazing family and an indescribable God. Words can do no justice to how I am feeling today. Overjoyed simply doesn't describe it. So today I simply want to say thanks. Thank you for being a great friend. Thank you for being an amazing husband, precious kiddos and a selfless sister. Thank you for being the best dad ever! Thank you for being a reader who likes to laugh, or cry, at my crazy life from afar. Thank you for loving me in spite of myself.
As I sit her reflecting in the last 41 years I realize that for my birthday I could be given no greater gift than what I already have. I am blessed indeed!
I have great friends, an amazing family and an indescribable God. Words can do no justice to how I am feeling today. Overjoyed simply doesn't describe it. So today I simply want to say thanks. Thank you for being a great friend. Thank you for being an amazing husband, precious kiddos and a selfless sister. Thank you for being the best dad ever! Thank you for being a reader who likes to laugh, or cry, at my crazy life from afar. Thank you for loving me in spite of myself.
As I sit her reflecting in the last 41 years I realize that for my birthday I could be given no greater gift than what I already have. I am blessed indeed!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Super Heroes
A Mother's Day poem from my son Cameron:
Thank you mom for all you do,
Cleaning, cooking, and loving too.
I couldn't think of what a better mom could be,
Nothing better could you give to Rob, my brothers and me!
Today is Mother's Day and for all you moms out there let me just say you are a superhero! I know being a mom doesn't always feel super but it's days like today that hopefully remind you just how treasured you are. If you happen to be one of the superest of heroes, a single mom, let me just remind you how incredibly amazing you are. I know you don't always feel appreciated and I know first hand how incredibly challenging your job is but know that you are especially treasured by our God in heaven and He sees your daily sacrifice. To all the super heroes out there that we call mom, Happy Mother's Day.
Thank you mom for all you do,
Cleaning, cooking, and loving too.
I couldn't think of what a better mom could be,
Nothing better could you give to Rob, my brothers and me!
Today is Mother's Day and for all you moms out there let me just say you are a superhero! I know being a mom doesn't always feel super but it's days like today that hopefully remind you just how treasured you are. If you happen to be one of the superest of heroes, a single mom, let me just remind you how incredibly amazing you are. I know you don't always feel appreciated and I know first hand how incredibly challenging your job is but know that you are especially treasured by our God in heaven and He sees your daily sacrifice. To all the super heroes out there that we call mom, Happy Mother's Day.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Doing Good Without Growing Weary
My Pastor preached a phenomenal message at church this weekend and I just have to share. It is too good not to. The way he breaks down scripture and brings it to a practical level is nothing short of amazing. It is a gift from God that I wish I had (without coveting, mind you). Our church has been going through the book of Galatians over the last several weeks in a message called The New Normal and it has blessed me beyond words. This particular message, however, spoke specifically to where I am in life and I thought I would share just in case you are there too.
Personally, I have been in a season of transition which is why you haven’t heard from me in a while. I started a new and exciting position at work, got married in October (woohoo!!!!), have been struggling with different challenges with the kids, and have just been in a place spiritually where I don’t feel like I am hearing from the LORD. Have you ever been there? Just feeling dry spiritually and desperately needing to hear from God. That is where I have been for some time now. I have been stuck in several areas of my life and want desperately to hear God’s direction in those areas. It feels like I am literally begging God at this point. So what do you do in these times? Do you wallow in the pain and silence? Do you beg as I have been doing? I know many of us, including myself, allow seasons like this to literally freeze us right where we are. We do nothing, either out of fear or discouragement or other nasty little emotions that we let control us. For me, it has been all of the above to the point where I have felt trapped and unable to move forward.
So what am I going to do now? I am going to do what my pastor preached this weekend. Like Emmett Smith, who ran only 2 yards his entire first game but ultimately ended up breaking the record for longest yards, I am going to put one foot in front of the other until the momentum has me moving forward. I am not going to let my emotions control my life as I learn to obey the law of Christ no matter how I feel. How? By doing good as it tells us to in Galatians 6. We do good by helping others (v 2), doing our best without comparing ourselves to others (v 4), taking responsibility (v 5), being generous (v 6), and listening to God (v 7). Once I learn to do good by following the word of God, I am going to keep doing good by implementing a system that makes
doing good repeatable. I hate systems, but they make just about anything replicable. Even though they go against every fiber of my unstructured being I hope by implementing a system I will be able to live out God’s plan, even when I am not hearing directly from Him. Here is the one my Pastor uses with the acrostic BLESS. I think I am going to give it a try:
B – Bless others – x3
1. Bless someone in the faith
2. Bless someone outside the faith
3.Randomly bless someone else
L – Learn – x3
1. Learn something new from where you are in the Bible
2.Learn something new from somewhere else in the Bible (Proverbs is a great place)
3.Learn something new from some other source
E – Eat – x3 (great things happen around food, we have 21 meals on average per week. Pick 3 times this week that you will be intentional about who you eat with.)
1.Eat with friends
2.Eat with people outside the faith
3.Eat one on one with someone that you can be intentional with
S – Sense – x3
1.What is God saying to you? (hint: are you spending enough quiet time with him to find out)
2.What are you saying to yourself? (does it line up with what God says about you?)
3.What do you believe about what others say about you? (does it line up with what God says about you?)
S – Serve – x3
1.Serve 1 person inside the faith
2.Serve 1 person outside faith
3.Serve another person randomly
(By the way, a little suggestion here: If we are not hearing from God and are in a season of dryness we need to continue reading scripture. Scripture is the very breath of God and we will always, always hear from Him there.)
So, I feel like I have a good plan for moving forward and I plan on enlisting my accountability partners to help me with it. If you don’t have an accountability partner, I highly recommend one. I have 3. It will change your life. One of my precious girls texted me this morning asking me to read Psalm 143:8 reminding me to simply let God show me his unfailing love and as I trust Him, and lift my soul to Him, He will show me the way to go. Thanks Maria for your friendship and accountability. I know that I can always count on you.
So what about you? Are you struggling with something? Do you feel stuck? Are you feeling dry spiritually? I believe that if we learn to do good according to Galatians 6, allow God to love us as we pour out our souls to Him according to Psalm 143 and find an accountability partner to walk with us along the way we will be a lot less likely to grow weary in doing good and we will reap a harvest as God directs our paths.
Personally, I have been in a season of transition which is why you haven’t heard from me in a while. I started a new and exciting position at work, got married in October (woohoo!!!!), have been struggling with different challenges with the kids, and have just been in a place spiritually where I don’t feel like I am hearing from the LORD. Have you ever been there? Just feeling dry spiritually and desperately needing to hear from God. That is where I have been for some time now. I have been stuck in several areas of my life and want desperately to hear God’s direction in those areas. It feels like I am literally begging God at this point. So what do you do in these times? Do you wallow in the pain and silence? Do you beg as I have been doing? I know many of us, including myself, allow seasons like this to literally freeze us right where we are. We do nothing, either out of fear or discouragement or other nasty little emotions that we let control us. For me, it has been all of the above to the point where I have felt trapped and unable to move forward.
So what am I going to do now? I am going to do what my pastor preached this weekend. Like Emmett Smith, who ran only 2 yards his entire first game but ultimately ended up breaking the record for longest yards, I am going to put one foot in front of the other until the momentum has me moving forward. I am not going to let my emotions control my life as I learn to obey the law of Christ no matter how I feel. How? By doing good as it tells us to in Galatians 6. We do good by helping others (v 2), doing our best without comparing ourselves to others (v 4), taking responsibility (v 5), being generous (v 6), and listening to God (v 7). Once I learn to do good by following the word of God, I am going to keep doing good by implementing a system that makes
doing good repeatable. I hate systems, but they make just about anything replicable. Even though they go against every fiber of my unstructured being I hope by implementing a system I will be able to live out God’s plan, even when I am not hearing directly from Him. Here is the one my Pastor uses with the acrostic BLESS. I think I am going to give it a try:
B – Bless others – x3
1. Bless someone in the faith
2. Bless someone outside the faith
3.Randomly bless someone else
L – Learn – x3
1. Learn something new from where you are in the Bible
2.Learn something new from somewhere else in the Bible (Proverbs is a great place)
3.Learn something new from some other source
E – Eat – x3 (great things happen around food, we have 21 meals on average per week. Pick 3 times this week that you will be intentional about who you eat with.)
1.Eat with friends
2.Eat with people outside the faith
3.Eat one on one with someone that you can be intentional with
S – Sense – x3
1.What is God saying to you? (hint: are you spending enough quiet time with him to find out)
2.What are you saying to yourself? (does it line up with what God says about you?)
3.What do you believe about what others say about you? (does it line up with what God says about you?)
S – Serve – x3
1.Serve 1 person inside the faith
2.Serve 1 person outside faith
3.Serve another person randomly
(By the way, a little suggestion here: If we are not hearing from God and are in a season of dryness we need to continue reading scripture. Scripture is the very breath of God and we will always, always hear from Him there.)
So, I feel like I have a good plan for moving forward and I plan on enlisting my accountability partners to help me with it. If you don’t have an accountability partner, I highly recommend one. I have 3. It will change your life. One of my precious girls texted me this morning asking me to read Psalm 143:8 reminding me to simply let God show me his unfailing love and as I trust Him, and lift my soul to Him, He will show me the way to go. Thanks Maria for your friendship and accountability. I know that I can always count on you.
So what about you? Are you struggling with something? Do you feel stuck? Are you feeling dry spiritually? I believe that if we learn to do good according to Galatians 6, allow God to love us as we pour out our souls to Him according to Psalm 143 and find an accountability partner to walk with us along the way we will be a lot less likely to grow weary in doing good and we will reap a harvest as God directs our paths.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Discipline Is A Good Thing!
I sit here in my quiet time reading my Bible. The Lord is admonishing me AGAIN! Not a bad thing, it’s just tough to face him as I realize that I have been disobedient AGAIN! I love how living His Word is. How he speaks so clearly to us through it, yet at times it seems so cloudy and confusing. I am sure that perplexity is my own weakness because God is not a God of confusion. Thank you for making it discernable today LORD! Thank you for using your word to correct me.
Sounds strange doesn’t it? Who appreciates correction and discipline? I have been around long enough to know that when the LORD is correcting me, I should pay attention. In fact, I invite him to do so because I am well aware that he knows better than I what path is best for me.
As many parents do, I have been praying for my children for a long time; Praying for obedience, integrity and many other qualities that I want for my children. Today wasn’t any different but as I was conversing with God and reading his word, he gently reminded me of my own sin in this matter through the unlikely story of a priest and his sons.
From the time Israel became a nation, the tribe of the Levites served as high priests in the temple. Eli, a Levite, was serving in the temple with his two sons whom the Bible says were wicked because they had no regard for the LORD (1 Samuel 2:12). They were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt, sleeping with women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting amongst other sins. Eli wasn’t ignorant to it; in fact he reprimanded them for it but the Bible says that they didn’t listen to their father’s rebuke (v25). The LORD reminded Eli that he had clearly revealed himself to Eli’s family and asked him why he honored his sons more than he honored God himself. Both of his sons died on the same day and Eli’s family never served in the temple again.
God used this unassuming story to remind me that he has already revealed himself to my family in the matter of obedience and if I don’t deal with the sins of my children correctly, my family will suffer for it. You see, parenting in a godly manner is a lifestyle, not something that you check off your list. For me, it ebbs and flows. I focus on godly discipline for a while, the children respond well and I slack off only to resort to reprimanding them as Eli did with his sons. Soon enough I find myself becoming the threatening and repeating parent that lacks godly discipline and I discover that my sons are disobedient again. Maybe one day I will become more consistent. I pray it is soon because reprimanding is not enough. It wasn’t enough for Eli and his family suffered the consequences. I for one don’t want my family to suffer for my disobedience and inconsistency. I am convinced this is one of the many reasons God hates divorce because there is no one to balance the other person when they are lacking. No one to remind in times of absent-mindedness. No one to give strength when the other is too weak and tired to discipline. But God always provides. He has graciously put people in my life who have the freedom to point out the sins of my children when I don’t see it. Who have the freedom to look at me and say “are you going to deal with that”. It’s easy to reprimand, it’s hard to discipline.
So now it’s time for the hard part. This is where the rubber meets the road. Will I take this word from the LORD and simply hear it as I have in the past or will I make a plan and put it in to action. I think I will choose the latter and not only that I think I will invite someone to hold me accountable to the plan. Thank God there are many friends in my GFI Community who parent the same and are willing to come along side me for accountability. Thank God there are people like my boyfriend Rob and my friends Julie and Kathy who love me enough to tell me the truth, even if it hurts. So in the midst of my own correction from the LORD, I am grateful. Grateful that he loves me enough to discipline me and for showing me that discipline is love!
Proverbs 13:24 ~ Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.
Sounds strange doesn’t it? Who appreciates correction and discipline? I have been around long enough to know that when the LORD is correcting me, I should pay attention. In fact, I invite him to do so because I am well aware that he knows better than I what path is best for me.
As many parents do, I have been praying for my children for a long time; Praying for obedience, integrity and many other qualities that I want for my children. Today wasn’t any different but as I was conversing with God and reading his word, he gently reminded me of my own sin in this matter through the unlikely story of a priest and his sons.
From the time Israel became a nation, the tribe of the Levites served as high priests in the temple. Eli, a Levite, was serving in the temple with his two sons whom the Bible says were wicked because they had no regard for the LORD (1 Samuel 2:12). They were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt, sleeping with women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting amongst other sins. Eli wasn’t ignorant to it; in fact he reprimanded them for it but the Bible says that they didn’t listen to their father’s rebuke (v25). The LORD reminded Eli that he had clearly revealed himself to Eli’s family and asked him why he honored his sons more than he honored God himself. Both of his sons died on the same day and Eli’s family never served in the temple again.
God used this unassuming story to remind me that he has already revealed himself to my family in the matter of obedience and if I don’t deal with the sins of my children correctly, my family will suffer for it. You see, parenting in a godly manner is a lifestyle, not something that you check off your list. For me, it ebbs and flows. I focus on godly discipline for a while, the children respond well and I slack off only to resort to reprimanding them as Eli did with his sons. Soon enough I find myself becoming the threatening and repeating parent that lacks godly discipline and I discover that my sons are disobedient again. Maybe one day I will become more consistent. I pray it is soon because reprimanding is not enough. It wasn’t enough for Eli and his family suffered the consequences. I for one don’t want my family to suffer for my disobedience and inconsistency. I am convinced this is one of the many reasons God hates divorce because there is no one to balance the other person when they are lacking. No one to remind in times of absent-mindedness. No one to give strength when the other is too weak and tired to discipline. But God always provides. He has graciously put people in my life who have the freedom to point out the sins of my children when I don’t see it. Who have the freedom to look at me and say “are you going to deal with that”. It’s easy to reprimand, it’s hard to discipline.
So now it’s time for the hard part. This is where the rubber meets the road. Will I take this word from the LORD and simply hear it as I have in the past or will I make a plan and put it in to action. I think I will choose the latter and not only that I think I will invite someone to hold me accountable to the plan. Thank God there are many friends in my GFI Community who parent the same and are willing to come along side me for accountability. Thank God there are people like my boyfriend Rob and my friends Julie and Kathy who love me enough to tell me the truth, even if it hurts. So in the midst of my own correction from the LORD, I am grateful. Grateful that he loves me enough to discipline me and for showing me that discipline is love!
Proverbs 13:24 ~ Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Lessons From the Litter Box
As my children and I were doing our weekly chores this past Saturday my youngest son, Joshua, says to me “I am so glad that I don’t have to clean the litter box for my chores any more”. For those of you who have cats you know how revolting a litter box can be. My Pastor happens to believe that cats are straight from the underworld and if you have ever cleaned a litter box, you might agree. I went on to explain to Joshua that while it was difficult to train the cats to go to the bathroom outside and there were times I had to clean poop off of the kitchen floor, the training was well worth not having the stink of a litter box in the house. Now they come in and out of the cat door as they please and my house doesn’t smell like a dump.
I love it that God can use even the stinkiest of lessons to show us how his principles work. He used this conversation with my little one to remind me to continue the hard training with my children and I won’t have to clean poop off the floor when they older. Ok, not poop literally, but there will be a lot less messes to clean up if we continue to work hard on God’s parenting principles while they are still small. Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, two of my favorite people in the world, have taught me that if I do the hard work up front then the teenage years won’t have to be tumultuous and messy as most people expect.
There were times in the midst of training the cats that I wanted to give up. It would have been much easier to just let them do what they do naturally and continue to step in their own poop while carrying it on the bottom of their paws making a mess of my house. In the same way, sometimes I am completely exhausted and want to just stop training my children for a bit but I know if I do, my house will be a complete mess in a few years. They will do what they do naturally and sin, only if they don’t have the foundation that God provides for all parents, that poop won’t be so easy to clean up. So I, for one, will continue to train my children, even when it gets tough and I am pooped (pardon the pun), by relying on God for his strength and searching his word for wisdom. He is faithful if you just ask for help. His timeless principles are found in his word and in the godly wisdom of those who have already been there like Gary and Anne Marie.
Proverbs 22:6 ~ Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
I love it that God can use even the stinkiest of lessons to show us how his principles work. He used this conversation with my little one to remind me to continue the hard training with my children and I won’t have to clean poop off the floor when they older. Ok, not poop literally, but there will be a lot less messes to clean up if we continue to work hard on God’s parenting principles while they are still small. Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, two of my favorite people in the world, have taught me that if I do the hard work up front then the teenage years won’t have to be tumultuous and messy as most people expect.
There were times in the midst of training the cats that I wanted to give up. It would have been much easier to just let them do what they do naturally and continue to step in their own poop while carrying it on the bottom of their paws making a mess of my house. In the same way, sometimes I am completely exhausted and want to just stop training my children for a bit but I know if I do, my house will be a complete mess in a few years. They will do what they do naturally and sin, only if they don’t have the foundation that God provides for all parents, that poop won’t be so easy to clean up. So I, for one, will continue to train my children, even when it gets tough and I am pooped (pardon the pun), by relying on God for his strength and searching his word for wisdom. He is faithful if you just ask for help. His timeless principles are found in his word and in the godly wisdom of those who have already been there like Gary and Anne Marie.
Proverbs 22:6 ~ Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Can God Really Use Someone Like Me?
Do you ever wonder if God can use you? Really use you? I mean it’s not ordinary folks like you and me that God uses. Its great people like Moses and King David, and Peter and Paul right? Truthfully, I have often thought “why would God use me”? I have a sordid past. A deep, dark history that has brought shame, embarrassment and degradation to the person I am now through Christ Jesus. Not to mention, I have often considered myself just an ordinary person, lacking in any of the extravagant gifts that I see God give to others. But here is what I want us to consider, especially if you have ever felt or thought the same about yourself. Acts 4:13 (NIV) says “When they (the rulers, elders and teachers of the law) saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus”. Hmmm....Unschooled and Ordinary! Did you also know that Peter denied even knowing Jesus just as I have done in my past, yet Peter was the “rock” on which Jesus built his church!
What about Moses and King David? Now those are two extraordinary people who were used mightily by God but you and I…we are not even close to extraordinary, nor are we a leader like Moses or a King like David. But get this; Moses was a murderer who ran from the consequences of his actions and David was an adulterer who killed the girl’s husband to keep him from finding out. Yet God intervened in both of their lives and they became two people who were used in amazing ways for the kingdom of God.
Paul was a man that openly killed Christians until God intervened and radically changed his life on the road to Damascus. He became one of the biggest voices for the cause of Jesus and sharing the good news with others! So you see it doesn’t matter what your past is, what education level you have and how ordinary you think you are, when God intervenes he wipes out your past and makes you and your life extraordinary. He has a plan to use you in amazing ways just as he did these men and many other men and women. The only thing you need to do is come to Jesus with an open heart and empty hands. You will be astonished at the work he will do in and through you as he renews your soul and makes those of us who have been foolish, wise (Psalm 19:7)!
What about Moses and King David? Now those are two extraordinary people who were used mightily by God but you and I…we are not even close to extraordinary, nor are we a leader like Moses or a King like David. But get this; Moses was a murderer who ran from the consequences of his actions and David was an adulterer who killed the girl’s husband to keep him from finding out. Yet God intervened in both of their lives and they became two people who were used in amazing ways for the kingdom of God.
Paul was a man that openly killed Christians until God intervened and radically changed his life on the road to Damascus. He became one of the biggest voices for the cause of Jesus and sharing the good news with others! So you see it doesn’t matter what your past is, what education level you have and how ordinary you think you are, when God intervenes he wipes out your past and makes you and your life extraordinary. He has a plan to use you in amazing ways just as he did these men and many other men and women. The only thing you need to do is come to Jesus with an open heart and empty hands. You will be astonished at the work he will do in and through you as he renews your soul and makes those of us who have been foolish, wise (Psalm 19:7)!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
I Don't Want To Obey!
Last week was a tough week for my family. While it was full of amazing people and a production that changed many lives, the busyness severely interrupted my ability to parent my children the way I needed to.
If you know anything about personality, you know that children, even from the same womb, respond to situations differently than their siblings. Some are compliant and easygoing no matter the situation while others will spin out of control at the slightest change in your parenting strategy. This is my precious middle child Benjamin. His temperament is that of a choleric/sanguine which simply means that he is strong willed and loves to be around people. Obedience does not come naturally for these types of children (or adults for that matter). But I don’t think strong willed quite covers it. Benjamin is the kind of kid that could make Dr. Dobson cry! I think after some time spent with my sweet boy, the good doctor would probably consider rewriting a good portion of his book “The Strong Willed Child”. Benjamin is without a doubt strong willed10.
Last week we were participating in The Thorn, an epic portrayal of the passion of Jesus Christ! It was taking up a lot of our time which left little time to focus on parenting. While Cameron and Joshua, my other two children, adapt well to situations like this, Benjamin will pick up on it in a skinny minute and begin to push through those boundaries that the choleric personality abhors! I only know this because I too am a choleric/sanguine. Yes, the apple doesn’t fall too far from this tree! After a week of full out backwards emotional discipline, because that’s the way we parent when we don’t have time, Benjamin and I were at our wits end. We had been in a battle of wills all week and because I allowed the busyness to get the better of me, Benjamin was winning.
There are several things that I took away from last week that I would like to remember in the future:
1. There will always be seasons of busyness in our lives and if we don’t have a plan for our family, chaos will soon follow.
2. Anytime we parent from our emotions, the child will always, always win the battle.
3. While the child may have won the battle, we don’t have to let him win the war. We will not parent perfectly and when conflict ensues we must assess the wounds and mend the hurts because there is still a lot more parenting to be done.
4. There doesn’t have to be a battle if we follow rule #1.
After that week was over Benjamin and I had a chance to sit and assess the battlefield together. We walked through the process of repentance, forgiveness and restoration and he ended our conversation with this: “Mom, I understand why I have to obey God; I mean he is the creator of the universe. But you are human just like me, so I don’t understand why I have to obey you”. I reminded him of the truth that God’s word reveals about it in Proverbs 22:6. My job as his parent is to train him. God gave him to me for that purpose. His job as my child and more importantly as a child of God is to obey his parents as the LORD instructs him in Colossians 3:20. He completely understood, but enthusiastically made it known that he did not like it!
No one told me that parenting would be this hard. I often ask myself why people don't talk about how tough it is. I think it could be for two reasons. One because if they did, no one would want to have children and two, I think the love between parent and child covers a multitude of sins!
Precious Benjamin has had a tough trip on the road to submission and we are getting closer every day. We might take a few steps backwards as we did last week but I am confident if we stick to the timeless plan of God’s word we will finish the race!
If you know anything about personality, you know that children, even from the same womb, respond to situations differently than their siblings. Some are compliant and easygoing no matter the situation while others will spin out of control at the slightest change in your parenting strategy. This is my precious middle child Benjamin. His temperament is that of a choleric/sanguine which simply means that he is strong willed and loves to be around people. Obedience does not come naturally for these types of children (or adults for that matter). But I don’t think strong willed quite covers it. Benjamin is the kind of kid that could make Dr. Dobson cry! I think after some time spent with my sweet boy, the good doctor would probably consider rewriting a good portion of his book “The Strong Willed Child”. Benjamin is without a doubt strong willed10.
There are several things that I took away from last week that I would like to remember in the future:
1. There will always be seasons of busyness in our lives and if we don’t have a plan for our family, chaos will soon follow.
2. Anytime we parent from our emotions, the child will always, always win the battle.
3. While the child may have won the battle, we don’t have to let him win the war. We will not parent perfectly and when conflict ensues we must assess the wounds and mend the hurts because there is still a lot more parenting to be done.
4. There doesn’t have to be a battle if we follow rule #1.
After that week was over Benjamin and I had a chance to sit and assess the battlefield together. We walked through the process of repentance, forgiveness and restoration and he ended our conversation with this: “Mom, I understand why I have to obey God; I mean he is the creator of the universe. But you are human just like me, so I don’t understand why I have to obey you”. I reminded him of the truth that God’s word reveals about it in Proverbs 22:6. My job as his parent is to train him. God gave him to me for that purpose. His job as my child and more importantly as a child of God is to obey his parents as the LORD instructs him in Colossians 3:20. He completely understood, but enthusiastically made it known that he did not like it!
No one told me that parenting would be this hard. I often ask myself why people don't talk about how tough it is. I think it could be for two reasons. One because if they did, no one would want to have children and two, I think the love between parent and child covers a multitude of sins!
Precious Benjamin has had a tough trip on the road to submission and we are getting closer every day. We might take a few steps backwards as we did last week but I am confident if we stick to the timeless plan of God’s word we will finish the race!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
There is Hope in Suffering
When you are going through tough times do you ever feel like it takes forever to see any light at the end of the tunnel? Do you ever feel as if you are in bondage to your pain or suffering because it just doesn’t end? There are seasons in life. Some seasons feel as if we have reached the Promised Land, things are great in our world. But I think more so than not, in this world anyway, life in the desert represents the norm. It seems as if struggling is just a part of life. I think that is the reality of a fallen world.
In the midst of our desert, we cry out to God to stop the pain, stop the struggling and that’s ok. I think that is the most natural thing we can do. But have you ever stopped to consider that suffering may have a purpose? That God allows us to travel the long road for a reason? In Exodus chapter 13 God has just delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt after 430 years; and if 430 years of bondage wasn’t a long enough road of suffering, God decides “not to lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter” (vs. 17). God knew that if they went the shorter route that they would face war and more suffering and return to Egypt and a life of slavery.
You see, sometimes, we can only see what is right there in front of us. We can’t see what is down the road a little further. But God can! Sometimes God allows us to travel what seems to be the long route through our suffering but in reality he is protecting us from more suffering just as he was the Israelites. I have unfortunately chosen the short route one too many times in my own life only to have more pain in the end. At times, it has been a relationship that I chose because it was right there in front of me rather than waiting on God’s timing for the right person. I don’t have to tell you the pain that a broken heart brings; pain that could have been avoided. Being single seemed worse than slavery at the time, but I could have avoided suffering by avoiding the shorter road. Being single, I have learned, is not so bad! In fact, if it is God's plan then being single is just perfect for me! At times, I have chosen to punish my children out of anger or frustration rather than choosing the longer route of daily discipline. It is painful to everyone involved when discipline takes place through our negative emotions even if at the time it seems quicker and easier.
Another reason that we struggle is that God may be allowing us a Romans 5 moment in which our suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope! I can tell you this with 100% confidence. I have grown more through my suffering and have learned a greater dependence on God in the midst of suffering than I have any other time in my life. Really, that is the ultimate goal or at least it should be; to learn to depend on him more and learn to be more like him and suffering does just that. It causes us to cling to God because there is nowhere else to turn. As we cling to him, we discover that it is producing character in us. Character that blossoms. Character that grows. Character that emulates Him and that my friend is where we find hope! The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. When we abide in him, we can’t help but become more like him and if our character looks like his, like the fruit of the Spirit, then our hope is strong and we can persevere no matter the suffering around us.
So the next time you are in the midst of suffering and pain, consider thanking God for protecting you from the short road and asking him “what can I learn and how can I grow to be more like you”? I promise you won’t regret it!
In the midst of our desert, we cry out to God to stop the pain, stop the struggling and that’s ok. I think that is the most natural thing we can do. But have you ever stopped to consider that suffering may have a purpose? That God allows us to travel the long road for a reason? In Exodus chapter 13 God has just delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt after 430 years; and if 430 years of bondage wasn’t a long enough road of suffering, God decides “not to lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter” (vs. 17). God knew that if they went the shorter route that they would face war and more suffering and return to Egypt and a life of slavery.
You see, sometimes, we can only see what is right there in front of us. We can’t see what is down the road a little further. But God can! Sometimes God allows us to travel what seems to be the long route through our suffering but in reality he is protecting us from more suffering just as he was the Israelites. I have unfortunately chosen the short route one too many times in my own life only to have more pain in the end. At times, it has been a relationship that I chose because it was right there in front of me rather than waiting on God’s timing for the right person. I don’t have to tell you the pain that a broken heart brings; pain that could have been avoided. Being single seemed worse than slavery at the time, but I could have avoided suffering by avoiding the shorter road. Being single, I have learned, is not so bad! In fact, if it is God's plan then being single is just perfect for me! At times, I have chosen to punish my children out of anger or frustration rather than choosing the longer route of daily discipline. It is painful to everyone involved when discipline takes place through our negative emotions even if at the time it seems quicker and easier.
Another reason that we struggle is that God may be allowing us a Romans 5 moment in which our suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope! I can tell you this with 100% confidence. I have grown more through my suffering and have learned a greater dependence on God in the midst of suffering than I have any other time in my life. Really, that is the ultimate goal or at least it should be; to learn to depend on him more and learn to be more like him and suffering does just that. It causes us to cling to God because there is nowhere else to turn. As we cling to him, we discover that it is producing character in us. Character that blossoms. Character that grows. Character that emulates Him and that my friend is where we find hope! The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. When we abide in him, we can’t help but become more like him and if our character looks like his, like the fruit of the Spirit, then our hope is strong and we can persevere no matter the suffering around us.
So the next time you are in the midst of suffering and pain, consider thanking God for protecting you from the short road and asking him “what can I learn and how can I grow to be more like you”? I promise you won’t regret it!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Inadequate For The Calling
Do you ever feel inadequate for the job placed before you? I know I do. I used to feel this way in my role as a parent until Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo taught me how to be a better parent. I still feel this way at times, but I keep going back to the truth of God’s word and the biblical principles that the Ezzo’s taught me. No matter how inadequate I feel, I am reminded that God entrusted these children to me and he is bigger than any feeling I have. He will either make up for my shortcomings or he will equip me more than he already has for the task. But this is what I do know. I am inadequate without him!
The season I am currently in is different however. This feeling of inadequacy seems to be where I live lately. God is calling me way out of my comfort zone professionally and I don’t feel equipped for the task. Our mission at Seacoast Church is changing drastically and while I am ridiculously excited about it, it brings with it a lot of unknowns. As the Outreach Coordinator I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with a lot of questions. As I was sitting with my Campus Pastor, Josh Surratt the other day, I began telling him how unequipped I feel. Honestly I thought he was going to confirm for me that I am not the right person for the job and fire me; or at the very least demote me. But as any great leader does, he encouraged me. He simply said “Allison, you are in a good place right now” (really, it doesn’t feel good). “You are right where Joseph was when he was sent to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Joseph’s response to Pharaoh was I can’t interpret your dreams, but God can. Allison, you can’t do your job adequately. Neither can I, but God can”. I don’t think Josh even knew that he was giving me some encouragement. He was just sharing his heart with where he was and what God was teaching him.
I also feel inadequate and ill equipped to write this book that I know with every ounce of my being that God has called me to write. I can’t remember the last time I felt so confident about something. But feeling confident about God’s calling and feeling confident about our ability to accomplish it are two very different things. I was reading Exodus chapters 3 and 4 in my quiet time this morning. Moses is at the burning bush where God is calling him to go rescue the Israelites from Egypt. I am convinced that Moses was confident that God was speaking to him. How could he not be sure when the bush was on fire yet was not being burned by the flames, but Moses still responded with “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” Moses! One of the greatest men in history, responded with I am not equipped God! So I guess I am in good company. God then responds with several signs and wonders to show Moses what he will do in Egypt and Moses still pleads with God in chapter 4 verse 13: “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” That is exactly how I feel sometimes Moses. While I am humbled that God would choose me to parent these children, to serve him in ministry and to write this book, sometimes it is so overwhelming that I want to plead with him to choose someone else because I just can’t do it, however as Josh reminded me, I can’t, but God can.
What is God calling you to do that you feel unequipped to accomplish? Is he calling you to parent, to be a great spouse, to go on a mission trip, to witness to your neighbor? I have been in this season for over a year now and what I have learned during this process is that if God calls us he will equip us but we have to respond. God equips us for our calling by allowing us to bear fruit as we become more like him, but we must stay attached to the vine so that our fruit doesn’t wither and die. No matter how we feel about the calling and no matter how much we wrestle with God about it, our answer should be “Here I am God”. That response still intimidates me but I trust that God will take care of the details in the midst of my obedience. I can promise you this. No matter how you feel about the task, if you obey, he will not let you down! God wants to use every on e of us to show others his power through the events and circumstances of our everyday lives. He is calling you my friend; the question is what are you going to do about it?
The season I am currently in is different however. This feeling of inadequacy seems to be where I live lately. God is calling me way out of my comfort zone professionally and I don’t feel equipped for the task. Our mission at Seacoast Church is changing drastically and while I am ridiculously excited about it, it brings with it a lot of unknowns. As the Outreach Coordinator I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with a lot of questions. As I was sitting with my Campus Pastor, Josh Surratt the other day, I began telling him how unequipped I feel. Honestly I thought he was going to confirm for me that I am not the right person for the job and fire me; or at the very least demote me. But as any great leader does, he encouraged me. He simply said “Allison, you are in a good place right now” (really, it doesn’t feel good). “You are right where Joseph was when he was sent to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Joseph’s response to Pharaoh was I can’t interpret your dreams, but God can. Allison, you can’t do your job adequately. Neither can I, but God can”. I don’t think Josh even knew that he was giving me some encouragement. He was just sharing his heart with where he was and what God was teaching him.
I also feel inadequate and ill equipped to write this book that I know with every ounce of my being that God has called me to write. I can’t remember the last time I felt so confident about something. But feeling confident about God’s calling and feeling confident about our ability to accomplish it are two very different things. I was reading Exodus chapters 3 and 4 in my quiet time this morning. Moses is at the burning bush where God is calling him to go rescue the Israelites from Egypt. I am convinced that Moses was confident that God was speaking to him. How could he not be sure when the bush was on fire yet was not being burned by the flames, but Moses still responded with “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” Moses! One of the greatest men in history, responded with I am not equipped God! So I guess I am in good company. God then responds with several signs and wonders to show Moses what he will do in Egypt and Moses still pleads with God in chapter 4 verse 13: “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” That is exactly how I feel sometimes Moses. While I am humbled that God would choose me to parent these children, to serve him in ministry and to write this book, sometimes it is so overwhelming that I want to plead with him to choose someone else because I just can’t do it, however as Josh reminded me, I can’t, but God can.
What is God calling you to do that you feel unequipped to accomplish? Is he calling you to parent, to be a great spouse, to go on a mission trip, to witness to your neighbor? I have been in this season for over a year now and what I have learned during this process is that if God calls us he will equip us but we have to respond. God equips us for our calling by allowing us to bear fruit as we become more like him, but we must stay attached to the vine so that our fruit doesn’t wither and die. No matter how we feel about the calling and no matter how much we wrestle with God about it, our answer should be “Here I am God”. That response still intimidates me but I trust that God will take care of the details in the midst of my obedience. I can promise you this. No matter how you feel about the task, if you obey, he will not let you down! God wants to use every on e of us to show others his power through the events and circumstances of our everyday lives. He is calling you my friend; the question is what are you going to do about it?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Will You Pray For His Will With Me?
Over this past summer as I was spending some quiet time with the LORD, I really started sensing that he was telling me to write a book. I have known for years that he wanted me to share my story of healing and redemption but honestly I thought that it would be shared only with those who have been a part of the journey like my pastor, my mentor and a few others. I wanted confirmation on this because I have never been the writing type. Sure, I made A’s in English 101 and 102 in college and I spent a lot of time writing in my journals but writing just wasn’t me. One August morning I was praying for God’s will and telling him that if this is truly what he was calling me to do then I would do it, even though I didn’t feel qualified, and not to mention my lack of time. Really God; you do know that I am raising three children on my own right? Within 5 minutes, God gave me the title of the book, all 8 chapters in the book and a huge confirmation in scripture that this was what he wanted me to do. So simply out of obedience I have spent the last five months writing my little hands off. I say that a little facetiously because frankly something miraculous happened. As I think back over the last five months I can honestly say that this process has not been laborious at all. I don’t feel as if it has taken any time away from my family, my work in ministry, or relationships that are important to me. For those of you that know me well and know how busy my life is, you know I really didn’t have anywhere to fit this in. But God did and the book is now finished!
I am not certain at this point what his plans are. Isn’t it funny how sometimes he speaks to us so clearly, as he did to me in those five minutes of my quiet time and other times we can’t seem to hear a thing? I think it could be several things. We are either not still enough to hear his voice or he just wants us to step out in faith and watch him work. It is probably a combination of both for me right now. I really don’t know what he wants me to do next and that is where you come in. I am going to send the manuscript to some publishers. If you know anything about the industry then you know that the chance of a first time author being published is pretty low. Here is how I feel about the whole thing: If God wants my book to be published then he will make it happen as I step out in faith and if he doesn’t then it won’t. It really is that simple. I would love it if you would commit to agreeing with me in prayer for God’s perfect plan in this situation. If this book was simply to further my own personal healing then it was well worth the time I have spent on it. If, however, he had me write it so that he could be magnified through it then I need his warriors to pray for his will to come forth. I am so excited about the possibility of him using me to glorify him in this way and remain hopeful in the knowledge that he is in control. Will you pray with and for me?
I am not certain at this point what his plans are. Isn’t it funny how sometimes he speaks to us so clearly, as he did to me in those five minutes of my quiet time and other times we can’t seem to hear a thing? I think it could be several things. We are either not still enough to hear his voice or he just wants us to step out in faith and watch him work. It is probably a combination of both for me right now. I really don’t know what he wants me to do next and that is where you come in. I am going to send the manuscript to some publishers. If you know anything about the industry then you know that the chance of a first time author being published is pretty low. Here is how I feel about the whole thing: If God wants my book to be published then he will make it happen as I step out in faith and if he doesn’t then it won’t. It really is that simple. I would love it if you would commit to agreeing with me in prayer for God’s perfect plan in this situation. If this book was simply to further my own personal healing then it was well worth the time I have spent on it. If, however, he had me write it so that he could be magnified through it then I need his warriors to pray for his will to come forth. I am so excited about the possibility of him using me to glorify him in this way and remain hopeful in the knowledge that he is in control. Will you pray with and for me?
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Teaching and Modeling Values to Our Children
So this year I decided that rather than trying to make my children all things all at once, I would slow down and focus on one thing at a time. I have that personality where I want it all and I want it now but God is teaching me that just about everything in life is a process; especially if we want whatever it is to become a part of who we are. This year our family theme is respectfulness. I want my family, including myself, to learn to be respectful no matter the circumstances, no matter the choices of others, no matter what everyone else is doing, no matter what.
We all want respectful children but many of us aren't sure how to get there. Our children come in to this world as sweet, innocent creatures but give it a couple of years and it seems as if the devil himself has taken up residence. Just take a trip to your local Chic-Fil-A or children’s museum and you will see for yourself. The children cut in line, snatch from others, and hit their parents and that doesn’t include behaviors that are too unsightly to convey. Many of us even have children like this and if we were honest with ourselves, we could say that we have no idea how it happened or how to change it. Growing Families International, an organization centered on parenting, has a motto that they teach: “Begin as you mean to go”. It simply means to think about where you want your children to be in 20 years and begin where you want to end up. If you want your children to grow in to respectful, caring adults, then model for them a respectful, caring adult and love them enough to discipline them.
How do we model the behavior? Well, ask yourself these questions: Do your children see you disrespect authority by crossing the street when the sign says “don’t walk”? Do they see you being rude to the waitress because your order was wrong? Do they hear you say not so nice things about the person that just cut you off in traffic? These may seem like meaningless actions that have no relevance on training our children but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Think about it. When we cross the street at the wrong time, what we are really modeling for our children is that it’s ok to break the rules when it’s convenient. Ezra 7:25-27 speaks against this and Romans 2:13 calls those who obey the law righteous. When we are rude to the waitress our children see that it is ok to react negatively to our feelings even if it hurts someone else. When we curse the guy who cut us off in traffic, we are teaching that it is ok to talk behind someone’s back. Galatians 5:22 says that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. If we want respectful children we must model respect in every area, even if it seems futile and the best way to do that is to be so connected to the spirit of God that you begin to exude the fruits of the spirit. You can’t help but grow fruit when you are attached to the vine. Jesus says in John 15:5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”.
But what about discipline? So many of us see discipline as negative; as something that could scar our children for life but I don’t think discipline, in the true sense of the word, is meant to have the connotation that many of us associate with the word. The root word for discipline is “disciple”. Disciple means to teach or to train. Sure discipline involves chastisement sometimes, but the majority of discipline involves training. So, if we want our children to grow up to be respectful adults we must be willing to disciple them with instruction, clear expectation, accountability, relationship and yes, sometimes chastisement. Deuteronomy 6 instructs us to make these values a part of who we are and what defines us as a family. We can’t just talk the talk; we have got to walk the walk.
So for me and my family, even when it gets hard and no one else is doing it, we will choose to glorify God in all that we do including being respectful, and when I mess it up, as I know I will, I will seek forgiveness; not just from God, but from my family as well, for being a poor example and model of Christ to them. Then I will pick myself up and keep persevering and reaching for the goal but more than anything I am going to become more intentional about staying attached to The Vine.
We all want respectful children but many of us aren't sure how to get there. Our children come in to this world as sweet, innocent creatures but give it a couple of years and it seems as if the devil himself has taken up residence. Just take a trip to your local Chic-Fil-A or children’s museum and you will see for yourself. The children cut in line, snatch from others, and hit their parents and that doesn’t include behaviors that are too unsightly to convey. Many of us even have children like this and if we were honest with ourselves, we could say that we have no idea how it happened or how to change it. Growing Families International, an organization centered on parenting, has a motto that they teach: “Begin as you mean to go”. It simply means to think about where you want your children to be in 20 years and begin where you want to end up. If you want your children to grow in to respectful, caring adults, then model for them a respectful, caring adult and love them enough to discipline them.
How do we model the behavior? Well, ask yourself these questions: Do your children see you disrespect authority by crossing the street when the sign says “don’t walk”? Do they see you being rude to the waitress because your order was wrong? Do they hear you say not so nice things about the person that just cut you off in traffic? These may seem like meaningless actions that have no relevance on training our children but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Think about it. When we cross the street at the wrong time, what we are really modeling for our children is that it’s ok to break the rules when it’s convenient. Ezra 7:25-27 speaks against this and Romans 2:13 calls those who obey the law righteous. When we are rude to the waitress our children see that it is ok to react negatively to our feelings even if it hurts someone else. When we curse the guy who cut us off in traffic, we are teaching that it is ok to talk behind someone’s back. Galatians 5:22 says that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. If we want respectful children we must model respect in every area, even if it seems futile and the best way to do that is to be so connected to the spirit of God that you begin to exude the fruits of the spirit. You can’t help but grow fruit when you are attached to the vine. Jesus says in John 15:5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”.
But what about discipline? So many of us see discipline as negative; as something that could scar our children for life but I don’t think discipline, in the true sense of the word, is meant to have the connotation that many of us associate with the word. The root word for discipline is “disciple”. Disciple means to teach or to train. Sure discipline involves chastisement sometimes, but the majority of discipline involves training. So, if we want our children to grow up to be respectful adults we must be willing to disciple them with instruction, clear expectation, accountability, relationship and yes, sometimes chastisement. Deuteronomy 6 instructs us to make these values a part of who we are and what defines us as a family. We can’t just talk the talk; we have got to walk the walk.
So for me and my family, even when it gets hard and no one else is doing it, we will choose to glorify God in all that we do including being respectful, and when I mess it up, as I know I will, I will seek forgiveness; not just from God, but from my family as well, for being a poor example and model of Christ to them. Then I will pick myself up and keep persevering and reaching for the goal but more than anything I am going to become more intentional about staying attached to The Vine.
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