Devotion: Jump As Far Away from Trouble As You Can

"My child, if you have done this and are under your neighbor's control, here is how you get free. Don'g be proud. Go to your neighbor and beg to be free from your promise. Don't go to sleep or even rest your eyes, but free yourself like a deer running from a hunter, like a bird flying away from a trapper...You cannot carry hot coals against your chest without burning your clothes." Proverbs 6:3-5, 27

We all watched my sister's hand, holding our breaths, waiting. At first, there was nothing. No movement at all. Then suddenly the small, dried bean jumped. On its own. My sister was completely freaked out by it, she dropped the bean and ran screaming from the room. You see, my son was given a pair of Mexican Jumping Beans from his Sunday School teacher. None of us had actually ever seen one before, so it was a great source of entertainment for our family for days.

If you don't know anything about Mexican Jumping Beans, which, honestly, I didn't think were real, is that they truly do jump. Without going into the science of it all, basically if they get hot, they are designed to jump in order to get away from the heat. It's a survival technique for them. And it's really fun to warm up your hands, and then watch them jump around.

So this morning as I was reading today's Proverb {I'm going through and reading a Proverb a day}, I happen to see out the corner of my eye one of the beans, which was near my coffee cup, twitch. It was somehow fitting with this morning's devotion. The title of Proverbs 6, at least in my Bible, is "Dangers of Being Foolish." As I got to verses 3-5, God set upon my heart how important it is to get away from bondage, to be relentless about it. God hates sin and the hold it has on our lives. Verses 3-5 say to not even rest until you are free from the bondage. Don't put it off. Don't like pride get in the way of you apologizing to someone and don't let it stop you from turning away from activities that lead you to sin. I love how it says, "like a deer running from a hunter." You know that deer isn't stopping to eat some berries or refusing to leave its home because a hunter is coming. That deer RUNS and runs as far away as possible.

Verse 27 serves as a reminder that there are consequences to sin. Holding sin close to your heart is going to get you burned. Even if you do flee from sin, there are still consequences. The faster you get away from that sin, the less you are going to get burned. We are going through Hosea during church, and chapter 5 talks about how God will punish Israel for turning away from him and embracing sinful nature. Verse 15 says, "Then I will go back to my place until they suffer for their guilt and turn back to me. In their trouble they will look for me." Just as my children must face the consequences of their disobedience at home, we, children of God, must also face the consequences. We must understand that holding that sin close, whether it is pride, anger, gossip, jealousy, lust, or whatever else that replaces God in our lives, is going to affect your days to come. It's going to leave marks on you.

And I just love how much God desires so much for us to recognize our sins, release them, and turn back to him. Hosea 6: 1-3 says, "Come, let's go back to the Lord. He has hurt us, BUT He will heal us. He has wounded us, BUT he will bandage our wounds. In two days he will put new life in us; on the third day he will raise us up so that we may live in his presence and know him. Let's try to learn about the Lord; he will come to us as surely as the dawn comes. He will come to us like rain, like the spring rain that waters the ground." God loves us. He desires for us to be free from sin, from the bondage that holds us, from the burns that will be left on us because of our selfish desires. Just like those Mexican Jumping Beans are constantly testing the temperature and jumping as far away from the heat as possible, we, too, must always be assessing our lives, and jumping as far away from the heat and sin as possible.

Don't Let Your Thoughts Lead You to Destruction

"Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life." Proverbs 4:23











I was running, keeping a steady pace, training my body to run further and further. My heart was pumping and my feet were beating out the rhythm of the music I had pulsing through my ears. I felt great. Well, I felt great physically. My heart felt a little heavy. I was motivated to run, but there was no passion; it was just "get through this run, get through this run." It wasn't until I was on the "walk cycle" that I realized what the problem was. My thoughts were not pure. You see, I chose a "Workout Station" on Pandora, in hopes that it would give me upbeat music that would help motivate me to keep up a pace. And although it did help me keep pace, the words were making my heart heavy. All the songs coming through my ear buds were laden with words and behavior that is not part of my lifestyle. At first I thought the feelings were because I didn't know the songs, so I wasn't able to sing along in my head. Then I started listening to the words as I running. The talk was all about who someone was going to "hook up with" or how much that person was going to party until they didn't remember a thing. And so on. It was NOT my cup of tea. But I kept running, and I kept listening.

When I switched over to my "Sovereign Grace" station near the end of my run, I honestly felt a peace. Not even kidding; it was as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders. My thoughts began to focus on the beauty of the early morning. I was able to think, clearly, about things I needed to do that day, and my heart was reminded of people I needed to pray for. I recognized, in that moment, that the words of the songs in the "Workout" station had my heart going down the wrong path. Proverbs 4 is FULL of warnings about making sure wisdom leads you. Verse 27 says, "Don't turn off the road of goodness; keep away from evil paths." I, essentially, turned off the road of goodness by allowing the music direct my thoughts. I could have kicked myself for letting worldly things distract me from enjoying a morning a jog to its fullness.

As I was turning the last corner {and, at that point, the dog was dragging me home}, Philippians 4:8 came to mind. "Brothers and Sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected."  God was giving me that gentle nudge back onto the right path. The peace that filled my heart, the burden that was lifted, it was all orchestrated by Him, the one who can give peace and joy. Would that "workout" music have made me into a sinful heathen thrown far, far away from God? Most likely not, but it would have taken my eyes off Christ, even for just 30 minutes. And my desire is to keep my eyes on Him. I know now that when I go on my jog, the music I let push me that extra mile needs to be filled with words that are going to lift me up, bring me closer to Him, and set me on a better path for the rest of the day.

What things in your life, whether innocent or intentional, pull you off the path? Have you been on the road of goodness long enough to recognize you are heading down a dangerous area? It is never, NEVER too late to stop and enjoy the freshness and joy and peace that comes with going down the right path. You've got to just "switch stations" and plan in the future to keep it there. Don't let the temptations of the world trick you into a path that may be full of struggles.

Devotion: Storing God's Word on Your Internal Hard Drive

It's an early Tuesday morning, and I'm trying up upload my grocery list onto my phone. As I'm typing in "milk", my phone freezes. Now, this is not unusual. When I'm trying to run too many apps at one time on my personal pocket computer, it tends to freeze, shut down all apps, and lets me try again. It's a little frustrating, but I know it's my fault for trying to do too many things at once. 

So when my phone shut down that Tuesday morning, I thought nothing of it. Until I tried unlocking my phone again. Nothing happened. The screen wouldn't let me swipe my code, answer a call, or send a text. Luckily for me, it was time for my phone upgrade, but today just wasn't the day for it. I had a party I was supposed to be taking my daughter to; I had an appointment to meet someone; I had groceries to pick up; and what was on my calendar for that evening?! Why can't I remember?! I can't access all my information on my phone! Panic was beginning to settle in. When I suddenly had a need for all the information on my phone, I couldn't access it, and gone were the days of memorizing everyone's number. I quickly ordered a new phone, but I couldn't pick it up until the end of the day. I was going to have to use my husband's phone; his old, not-so-smart phone. 

When I got my new, and even better phone, I was hit with yet another "horror." None of contacts were saved online to transfer to my new phone, and my new phone didn't have a SD card, so all of my pictures were also stuck on the old phone. I essentially lost everything and had to start from scratch. I sent out an "all call" on Facebook asking for people to text me their contact information. I had to search through the new apps to decide which ones I used on a regular basis, which ones I really didn't need anymore, and which ones my new phone has that my old phone didn't. I had to reevaluate my dependency of my phone. I had to save all my information in 5 different places so I wouldn't lose all my information, calendars, and contacts again. 

As I was constantly updating my contact list, I starting thinking about the days when we memorized our friends' numbers. If I needed to call a friend, that information was neatly tucked in my brain, and I could access it anytime. Even today I can recite a long list of phone numbers from my friends 20 years ago. This all reminded me about memorizing scripture. Proverbs 6: 21-22 says, "Keep their words in mind forever as though you had tied them around your neck. They will guide you when you walk. They will guard you when you sleep. They will speak to you when you are awake." I am so lucky to live in a culture when I can have the Word of God at my fingertips at a moment's notice. I have my Bible, well-worn, and filled with notes. I have my computer where I can access specific scripture or various translation of my beloved book. I have my smart phone {well, most of the time} where I have devotions sent to me so I can read while sitting in car line or in stand-still traffic. But in so many countries, having any scripture at all can be dangerous. Those people must rely on memorizing verses so they may recall them in times of danger, when they need to be comforted, or when they need to just be reminded how much God loves them. The Bible speaks over and over again about the importance of memorizing scripture. Our minds are designed to recall things that we took the time to memorize; very much like a filing system inside our heads. In danger? Boom! Psalm 91. Need peace and rest? Remember Matthew 11:25-30. Need Christian assurance? Think about Romans 8:1-30. Seeking happiness? Think about what Paul said in Colossians 3:12-17. 

Although it was not cool at all that I lost all of my contacts and "vital" information on my phone, it sure did serve to remind me how important it is to store God's Word on my internal hard drive. He gave us such strong brains, where we can memorize long passages and recall in times of need. If I'm ever in a situation where I need to remember scripture, or to use certain verses to encourage others around me, the first source I should go to is scripture I take the time to memorize. Luke 13:8 reminds us to "fertilize" our hearts and minds. Doing so will help us produce FRUIT. One of the best fertilizers God gives us is the opportunity to memorizing scripture. 

Join me in making a point to memorizing at least one scripture a week. You may never know when you need to access it. 


Need additional verses about memorizing scripture? Go HERE. 

Devotion: Just Chill Out! I've Got This!

In Christ we were chosen to be God's people, because from the very beginning God had decided this in keeping with His plan. And He is the One who makes everything agree with what He decides and wants. We are the first people who hoped in Christ, and we were chosen so that we would bring praise to God's glory." Ephesians 1:11-12 

Photo Credit 

Blue lights flashed behind me. "What in the world did I do?" I was practically frantic. I was going under the speed limit; I turned my blinker on; I did everything I was supposed to do. So when the officer came to my window making me aware of a busted tail light, relief flooded through me. That is until I reached for my proof of insurance. It wasn't there! My heart rate immediately went sky high. Instead of a basic warning, I was actually going to get a ticket. So for three weeks my stomach ached at the thought of going to traffic court. All I had to do was show proof of insurance, and I was going to be let go. But all that kept floating in my head was that the last time I got a ticket, 15 years ago, the officer said the same thing, but then basically called me a liar in court, in front of a judge, in a room full of people. I had to pay the ticket anyway. I was just terrified that was all going to happen again. 

The morning of my court date I was a mess! I couldn't eat. I couldn't drink. My hands couldn't stop shaking. I know this sounds crazy, but I never get in trouble. I work real hard to do what is right because getting in trouble literally makes me sick. My husband, who takes everything in stride, was trying to calm me down. I begged him to come with me. "Why?" He said, "They aren't going to talk to me." I needed his presence, someone with me to give me a bit of confidence. I was on the brink of a panic attack when I shakingly told him, "I just need you there! I don't know where to go! I don't know what to wear! I don't know what to say that won't get me in more trouble!" I nervously alternated drinking my cold coffee and biting my nails. "I'm freaking out because I feel like everything is out of my control, and I can't get a solid hold on anything!" As those words came out of my mouth, realization dawned on me. Those words were so true! Everything was out of my control. I received a gentle nudge from God at that moment. He was in control. Whether I was going to be released of my ticket or not, He was in control of the entire situation. I needed to get my confidence from Him, and not myself. There are going to be circumstances in my life where there is absolutely nothing I can do anything about. I have to have faith that God knows what he's doing. When we pulled up to the court house, my husband and daughter prayed with me. Peace washed over me. I took a breath that for the past few hours I could not take. The Lord was going to take care of every little aspect of my life. 

We all go through circumstances in our life where we feel out of control. Some may be minor incidents like mine. You may get a ticket; your dinner party isn't coming together like you wanted; everyone cuts you off on the way to work on a morning you are already late. Or the circumstances may be major. Your daughter is sick and in the hospital; your finances are a mess and the debt collectors have your number on speed dial; you lost your job. The important thing to remember is God is in control. Of EVERY circumstance. His plan is greater than ours. One thing my pastor said the other night at church is this: "God does not cause bad things to happen. But he does allow things to happen in order for a purpose." He quoted scripture from Exodus. Joseph as sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of a crime, and was moved all over the place, away from his family. God's purpose was to have Joseph be the 2nd in command in Egypt when the time was right. The Israelites needed him to be there when the drought raged through Egypt. 

Maybe God's sole purpose for my ticket and anxiety was for me to be reminded how much I needed to rely on Him. I needed to remember that I'm not in control. Letting anxiety overcome me was a stumbling block for me, and I needed to get back on track with my Lord. If anything, I can do what the key scripture says and "bring praise to God's glory." 

My you find peace in the Lord today, trusting in His plan for your life. 

Devotion: Are You Truly Forgiving?

"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13









As yet another election season rolls around, we see a mixed group of people lining up for a coveted office. Some have very little experience with politics, but are great business leaders in the community. Others are running under the shadow of famous family members. And then there are some who have had experience, on multiple levels, working on government. As much of an emotional struggle this past Presidential election was, this was more of an emotionally spiritual struggle for me. You see, one of the candidates running for office was highly endorsed by most of the members of my church, and many of my friends {let's call him Phil}, and another candidate {let's call him Bob} held another position a few years back, and who really worked hard to make our state fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, though, Bob made one crucial, very public mistake that almost blacklisted him from ever serving the constituents he loved so much.

As the election approached, my heart began to hurt for Bob. He messed up. He embarrassed our state with his actions. His sins became nationally known, often the topic of comedians and political commentators. And instead of trying to pass the buck, as so many other politicians do, he confessed his sins and asked for forgiveness. Not only did he ask for forgiveness for those he hurt personally, but he asked forgiveness from his constituents. I have even heard of stories where he would personally speak to those who once supported him, asking them to forgive him of his actions. At the time he was asking forgiveness, he was most definitely not running for office again. Fast forward a few years and an opportunity came up for another office he could run for. In his campaign, he did not bring up his last, very public sin. He didn't make it an issue, but be sure other people did. His campaign signs were defaced with hateful words spread across them; social media trashed him for the stupid, stupid thing he had done in the past. And my heart hurt for Bob. People refused to forgive him. As good as a politician he was at the time, the one dumb thing he did at the end of term was apparently unforgiveable, even though it didn't affect his constituents personally.

What really frustrated me the most was the people I saw who refused to forgive him. As a believer, if someone asks you for forgiveness, you are supposed to forgive AND forget. It is not our place to sit in judgement of whether or not he really meant it. Our job is to love him and forgive him. What if I were to sin? Would you refuse to truly forgive me, too? Bob's sin was so very public, and I can't imagine the emotional struggle this has to be for him. He will never be released, fully, from this sin, at least in the eyes of those around him. I can totally understand nonbelievers refusing to forgive him. But for those who constantly work at walking in the Light of God, His love should shine through our words, thoughts, and actions. Matthew 18:21-22 says, "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'" And this is for how many times this person sins against you, not how many times you should forgive and re-forgive someone of the same sin. It is not our place to hold his sin against him. It is not our place to refuse forgiveness.

I don't really care if you vote for Bob or for Phil, or, for that matter, Susie, Jack, Mary, or Stephen. But what I do care about is how your words and actions as a believer reflect my Lord. We are to be his ambassadors here on earth, loving, caring, and forgiving each other and those around us. No matter what, no matter who you vote for, I ask that you pray for Bob to find peace, to soak up in God's love. If he gets voted into this new office, remember that was God's will. And if he doesn't, I pray it was because you believed someone else could do a better job, and that Bob can know with confidence it wasn't because people refused to forgive.

Here are the words of one of my current favorite songs. I ask that as you read the words, and even, if you like, see the video, think about those around you whom you have held forgiveness. Who are you hurting with your stubbornness. And if you realize you are sinning in your unforgiveness, maybe you should be asking for forgiveness as well.

And just a little side note. There have been times I have held forgiveness from others. I'm not just pointing fingers here. This entire situation has helped me to remember that I need to practice forgiveness more often, and show God's grace to everyone, whether their sins are great or small.

"Forgiveness" by Matthew West <----Click here to see a video
It's the hardest thing to give away
And the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don't deserve

It's the opposite of how you feel
When the pain they caused is just to real
It takes everything you have just to say the word...

Forgiveness
Forgiveness

It flies in the face of all your pride
It moves away the mad inside
It's always anger's own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge 
Say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It's the whisper in your ear saying 'Set It Free'

Forgiveness, Forgiveness
Forgiveness, Forgiveness

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible

Forgiveness, Forgiveness

Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness

It'll clear the bitterness away
It can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what it's power can do
So, let it go and be amazed
By what you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you

Forgiveness, Forgiveness
Forgiveness, Forgiveness

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness

I want to finally set it free
So show me how to see what Your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me
Forgiveness, Forgiveness

Devotion: Saving My House from Destruction

Picture Credit

"But the one who hears my words and does not obey is like a man who built his house on ground without foundation. When the floods came, the house quickly fell and was completely destroyed." Luke 6:49









My life is busy, and this morning as I was flipping through my prayer journal, I realized that my busy life was getting in the way of my spiritual life. Each Monday I am committed. Bible study? Check. Prayer journal? Check. But when it came to Tuesday through Sunday, my prayer journal entries were spotty. Yesterday I was thinking about how long it had been since I did a blog post. For someone who tends to post two or three times a week, I was really lacking. My policy with doing a devotional blog post is to not push it. If I don't hear God's message to me, then I don't try and share something with you. Otherwise it's just forced. Then I started thinking of why I hadn't heard God speak to my heart lately, and it all goes back to my life being busy. I was so wrapped up with my own life to stop and let God wash me with His love and wisdom.

Remember me telling you that when God speaks to me, he does it in two or three different ways? Well, He did it again this week. My daughter learned last week in Sunday School the story of the two men who built their houses, one on stone and one on sand. She has been humming that song, "The wise man built his house upon the rock..." all week. And THEN, this morning's devotion in Luke that I'm doing through Good Morning Girls was about the story of the Wise Man and the Foolish Man. I really looked at this story hard. For years I have read this story; I have sang that same song. But what hit me the most was the phrase "house". I have always looked at this scripture as talking about my spiritual life as being the house. If I don't place all my trust and build my life on the Rock that is Jesus, then it will all crumble when times get tough. This morning, though, the word "house" struck a new meaning to me, my family.

My husband and I are constantly trying new tactics to teach our children about God in hopes they will come to love Him and desire to be in His Word all the time. We have tried to lead by example, by having our own devotional time each day. We have tried getting them to journal. We have had them listen and discuss lessons they learned through listening to devotions from Keys for Kids, Focus on the Family, and a kid's devotional app I found on my phone. We print out kid-friendly sermon notes {see here, here, and here for examples} for our kids to use during church, and we discuss what they learned during Sunday School and Church each Sunday.

All of that means nothing, though, if our hearts aren't in the right place. God is all about the condition of the heart. Look at King David. Acts 13:22 says, "After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.'" If my husband and I are encouraging our kids to have a relationship with the Lord because "it's the thing to do", then our hearts, and their hearts, will never be in the right place. If we are doing it because, well, we live in the Bible Belt, and if you don't go to church, something is wrong with you, then our kids will never value developing a relationship with their Creator. If we make them keep a prayer journal and sermon notes because it's something that Christians are supposed to do, then they will put their faith in Christian checklists instead of putting their faith in God. GOD must put that desire to love and serve Him in their hearts. We can't force that desire upon them.

BUT

As long as we continue to teach our children these things, prayer, devotions, journaling, taking notes during a sermon, and as long as our intentions are about developing a relationship with God, then a firm foundation has been established. The story of the Wise and Foolish man makes it clear. Floods will come. We will experience difficulty. But if we base our lives, our hopes, our fears, our desires, our struggles in God, then we can weather the storm. We can stand strong while things are tough. And we will come out on the other side standing strong.

And that's what we want to pass on to our children. And that's what I want to pass on to you. And that is what God wanted to remind me this week.

May your foundation be firm and you, too, save your house from destruction.

Devotion: God's Timing During Struggles

Photo Credit 

"Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, 'His name is John,' and everyone was surprised. Immediately, Zechariah could talk again, and he began praising God." Luke 1:63-64. 








It had been almost 3 years, and we were still living with my parents. Our house, 100 miles away, was sitting empty, for sale, with very little prospects. And we were living with my parents hoping, each day, we would get the phone call that someone was interested in our house. Those 3 years were some incredibly trying times. It's hard to raise your growing family in someone else's home. And I'm sure that it is hard to let your grown daughter, her husband, and her 2+ kids basically take over your house. During the time we were there, we got pregnant with our 3rd child, our only girl, went through the entire pregnancy, and was there the 1st year of her life, never having a nursery or baby room of her own. It was also the time of my most difficult years of teaching. Every day I came home just emotionally exhausted with the struggles of teaching in a new school, with students who don't know how you work, and with parents who don't know to trust you.

It was a HARD 3 years.

But God is sovereign. He knows exactly what He's doing, and His timing is perfect. Everything He does has a purpose; each moment a piece of a puzzle grander than I'll ever see.

I was reminded of this time of struggle for me this morning as I was going through today's verses in the Bible study I am doing through Good Morning Girls. We just started the book of Luke, and today's scripture reading was about the birth of Jesus's cousin, John the Baptist. If you don't know the entire INCREDIBLE story, basically an older couple was able to conceive after giving up. Zechariah, the father, didn't believe the angel {yes, I said ANGEL...who doesn't believe an angel?}when he said Zechariah's aging wife, Elizabeth, was going to be blessed with a child, a boy who would grow up to help prepare the way for God's son, Jesus. Because of Zechariah's doubt, the angel took away Zech's voice.

So fast forward to today's verses. Read the entire section of John's birth HERE. In this Bible study I'm doing, we follow the SOAP method {"S"cripture, "O"bservation, "A"pplication, and "P"rayer}, and today's verses we were to write out are the ones above, Luke 1:63-64. At first I was not impressed with the scripture choice, thinking that maybe verses 65-66 would have been a better option. Then after really looking at the scripture, what I noticed was Zechariah's statement about the name of his son. No one expected the boy's name to be "John"; it wasn't a family name, and it was Zech's first child. Why not name him after Zech? It became obvious to me that Zech and Elizabeth had already "discussed", probably through writing and sign language, the child and what his name should be. You would think that God would have given Zechariah his voice back as soon as his heart understood the truth. But he still struggled.

God's timing is perfect. Because of the miracle of Elizabeth even conceiving a child and carrying it to term, there would be a ton of people present to celebrate this little miracle. God chose that moment to give Zechariah his voice back. It was a moment where everyone would see it actually happen, and would be amazed, and, most importantly, would tell everyone they knew. If you read the entire section, word of Zechariah and Elizabeth's miracles spread around town and through the mountains. His struggles happened for a reason. God had a greater purpose than just teaching Zechariah a lesson. He wanted the significance of John's birth, John's existence to be noticed, to be surrounded by miracle upon miracle. People would be watching this child. Word would get around that God had a special plan for this John. And word did.

Something simple as a person losing his voice set in to motion a chain of events that all went back to glorify God. His plan, His purpose is perfect. His timing has meaning.

What a reminder for me when I am going through struggles. There was a reason why my house didn't sell right away. There is a reason why I struggle with my weight. There is a reason why no matter how much we budget and cut back, we are still struggling to make ends meet. There is a reason why my children have their struggles. Why YOU have YOUR struggles. Waiting on God's timing can be difficult, but see it more as an honor that He is working something special in your life that will have a positive effect at the right time. It will be worth it in the end, and you will be able to see how incredible God's timing is.

Devotion: Evaluating My Progress {Reviewing my 2012 New Year's Resolutions}

"Brothers and Sisters, I know that I have not reached yet that goal, but there is one thing I always do.  Forgetting the past and straining towards what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above." Philippians 3:13-14

Happy New Year!

This past Sunday, my pastor presented three questions for the congregation to think about and, if willing, stand up and share their answers. 

"What did God teach you in 2012? 

What has your church meant to you? 

What are your hopes for Grace on the Ashley?" 

As much as I wanted to stand up and answer, there just wasn't enough time for me to spill out all that God taught me, what my church meant for me, and what I planned to do with the lessons learned. So here, today, I share the answers to my questions by evaluating my progress through the past year. You see, at the beginning of 2012, I made 34 New Years Resolutions. I was determined to make 2012 a year of true growth. And as much of a struggle 2012 ended up being, God taught me so much through accomplishing goals, not accomplishing goals, and re-evaluating some of the goals I had for myself. Below you will see my list of 2012 New Years Resolutions and my response to most of them. 

New Year's Resolutions for 2012

1. Do a devotion EVERY DAY
2. Organize daily schedule
3. Take a break from Facebook one full day a week
4. Walk every Wednesday and Friday
5. Bake bread at least once a week
6. Go to New Orleans
7. Go down one dress size
8. Meatless Mondays
9. Speak softer to my children
10. Be more obvious in my love for my husband
11. Make freezer meals at the beginning of each month
12. Go to lunch with my mom once a month
13. Pay off a major debt
14. Clean/organize the pantry room
15. Clean/organize the craft room
16. Have the youth over
17. Have the college kids over
18. Make a new friend (not an acquaintance, but a friend) 
19. Stick to chore schedule 
20. Stick to reward/consequences chart
21. Have family worship once a week
22. Take the kids to volunteer at a homeless shelter
23. Visit Connie Maxwell
24. Find a new hobby
25. Have one sewing project a month
26. Promote a local business on my blog once a month
27. Get a family photo done (professionally) 
28. Go to the dentist
29. Have a date with the husband once a month
30. Try a new, exotic food
31. Have a successful garden 
32. Read a non-fiction book 
33. Go to bed with a clean kitchen 
34. Recycle

I have organized my response to my Resolutions into five categories: "Relationships," "Home Management," "Life Changes," "Community," and "Accomplishments." 

Let's start with "Community": Numbers 22 and 23

I wanted to teach my children this year the value of serving others in the community. One was to volunteer at a shelter and the other was the visit one of my favorite places, Connie Maxwell Children's Home. I wanted my children to understand the world is so much bigger than just our home, just our neighborhood, just their school and our church. Although I didn't accomplish either of these Resolutions, I did, however, introduce my children to Random Acts of Kindness {see this post and this one}. What God showed me through this year was that teaching my children about serving others didn't always mean you needed serve food at a shelter or volunteer an afternoon playing games with children, but it also means speaking kindly to a waitress, greeting the Greeter at Wal-Mart with true concern, and bringing a gift to the cashier who serves you each week. 

"Life Changes": Numbers 4 and 8 {and sort of number 7}

My goals for 2012 were to finally lose that baby weight from my last child. I promised to change my diet by serving healthier options {see tab on the right for "vegetarian"}. I promised to make daily exercise part of my regular schedule. And although I did not accomplish number 7, God has showed me to be happy with how He created me. If you struggle with weight, and you have not read my post "I'm the Fat Friend in the Group...and I'm Okay," please do so. God placed me in the path of other people who are struggling to lose weight. He gave me words to pass on to others who are really about to give up. He brought others to me to lift me up, encourage me, and assist me as I struggled this year. NOT losing weight has turned out to be a blessing in so many ways. And my family is still benefiting from healthier eating, and my children are learning from  me ways to stay in shape and keep bodies moving. 

"Home Management": Numbers 5, 11, 14, 15, 19, 20, 25, 31, 33, and 34

My home has completely turned around. My children have learned the smell of homemade bread, so much so that my 1 Hour Bread has been renamed "Jed Bread" after my middle child helped me make it the first few times. We have turned our bread making into a family affair, many times making bread just to give out to others {Random Acts of Kindness}. In the past year, I have tried out quite a few bread recipes, and homemade bread is a staple in our house {see "Bread" tab on the right for more recipes}. 

As for my house, I did clean the laundry and craft room {read the last part of this post}, but we had some unexpected blessings come our way that caused us to move more things into the craft room. So, although my laundry and craft room are good candidates right now for "Hoarders", so many blessings came to us this year that I'm not going to chalk this one up as a failure. 

A few other hit and misses this year were also the chores and my garden. Well, maybe not as many "misses" as "hits". Despite it being a very dry summer, and the invasion of some nasty bugs that ate many of my plants, we were still able to enjoy our harvest. As for the chores, it took almost all year, but my children are really getting into the routine of coming home from school, doing homework, and then doing chores. Some weeks we just don't get to it, but for the most part, we did {including going to bed with a clean kitchen}. My house is much cleaner and is "guest-ready" more days than not. It has prepared our home to be a place where we can serve others. What a blessing. 

"Accomplishments": Numbers 6, 7, 13, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, and 32

So 2012 has been a very rough year for us financially. Because it was an election year, my husband worked extra loooonnnggg hours for most of the year. With those two things combined, most of these "accomplishments" never happened. We just didn't have the money or time off to "Go to New Orleans," "Get a family photo done" or even make doctors visits {my 3 year old completely missed her well check up}. And instead of paying off a major debt, we actually gained more debt. We missed paying a bill by one day {a bill, I must say, we have never missed in the past 10 years}, and as a result, we were charged an extra couple of hundred dollars. That put going on a 10 Year Anniversary trip to New Orleans out of the question, and caused us to skip out on a few other family things  we wanted to do this year. 

BUT, I will say we were still blessed. God is faithful. We ended up having a "Where are They Now...a 10 Year Wedding Anniversary Party". It was so much fun having most of our wedding party and some of our key friends join us to celebrate 10 years of marriage bliss. And when I said I wanted to find a new hobby, I initially thought I was going to learn a new language, but ended up, at the very end of the year, teaching myself how to knit. It came in perfect timing so that I could make a few Christmas gifts, and am now sitting just a foot away from a special new project I hope will bless another. God changed the view of my accomplishments and blessed me and my family incredibly. 

and finally...

"Relationships": Numbers 1, 3, 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 18, 21, and 29

I really wanted 2012 to be all about developing better relationships with others, those I knew closely, those I just barely knew, and those God would send my way this year. I was SO BLESSED this year. At the beginning of 2012, I was having emotional issues with the state of my relationship with my family and friends. I was oh-so-lonely and was being attacked by Satan about my lack of true friendship with other women in my lives. I made it a goal for 2012 to evaluate what I was doing or not doing that was keeping me from developing deep, meaningful relationships with other women in my life. Through a series of activities, I have developed some incredible relationships with other women in my life. I began a "Breakfast Club" where a few moms and I eat breakfast together at a small, old-fashioned restaurant, Eva's Restaurant. Not only have I grown so much with the women I eat with, but I have come to love their children as my own. AND, as a bonus, I have learned much about our waitress and am beginning to see such a beautiful ministry develop. 

Our church decided to start Home Groups on Sunday nights. Since we live far away from the church, it was rare that we were able to join the church in prayer each Sunday night. So for all of us who lived away from the church, we were given an opportunity to meet in someone's home to pray for each other. It has been incredible. This year, we have seen two babies born, someone got engaged, members moving on to bigger and better things, changes in jobs, and so much more. Through this meeting, I was able to really develop some great relationships with some women in my church whom I probably wouldn't have had the courage to develop a friendship with otherwise. AND I got to get to know some awesome college kids through ministering to them and high school kids through taking over their Sunday School class. Although I didn't have them over as much as I wanted, I really came to love these Young People as family. 

As for my family, we have had a rough year, but have grown so much through it all. My husband and I started off the year going on a date once a month for the first few months, but his job and our lack of money kept us from making it a regular thing. I developed ways to minister to my husband so that he would feel blessed and desire to come home each day. I also changed the way I dealt with my children. As expected, some days are better than others, but I took this year to really focus on learning how to love each one. My oldest son and I have some  pretty intense conversations about everything. My middle child and I have found new ways to enjoy each other's company, and I have learned so much about him. {I really think he's going to be my architect}. And my daughter. There's such joy with my daughter. I have started making Thursdays our day to just do something special together. Some days we just go to the park; others we go get dessert somewhere. She's growing into such a little lady. 

And finally my relationship with my Father in Heaven. Although I didn't do a devotion every day, I did one most days. I participated in a few Bible studies, and I began listening to my Lord more and more. When I was getting upset about not accomplishing my goals, about not having enough money, about how much my husband was away from home because of his job, about my weight loss goals, about my relationships with others, about my role as a homemaker, God would remind me in so many ways how He was blessing me. Many times those blessings came from unexpected places. I began looking for Him in everything. I can only grow more and more with my Father as long as I live. I am beyond amazed at how He knows what's best for me. 

So what's in store for 2013? 

I am not going to be as much as an over-achiever this year. I believe that last year's extensive list set up for how God is going to use me this year, 2013. As this year was coming to a close, God was opening my eyes to ministry opportunities. He placed in my life key people who I truly believe will help me as I attempt to serve others. He developed skills in me that I will be able to use this year to spread His Love. I am beyond excited to see what God has in store for me, for my family, for my friends, and for those who are going to be a part of my life this year. As in the verse above, I will put behind me the disappointments, failures, and struggles of last year and strain for the goal that God has set aside for me in 2013. 

May 2013 be a year filled with so many blessings and joy. I look forward to growing with you. 

Joy! Joy! Joy!

"You have not seen Christ, but you still love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you are filled with a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory." 1 Peter 1:8

I sat with my husband at the kitchen table, tears welling up in my heart. I was getting so frustrated!! No matter how many times we reworked the budget, no matter how many times we were getting ahead, finally in the black, something came up, and we were pushing the red once again. And this time, it was cutting into Christmas. 

We are not big Christmas shoppers in our family, almost always making the gifts we give. Even the gifts we get the kids each year end up coming from a consignment store, and most likely it is a gift of necessity. But this year, we had decided to utilize Lay-Away to get the kids one BIG gift that was for the entire family. Just as we had put down the first half of the payment and our family members had already bought the accessories that go with this item, we received a notice in the mail. A very unexpected AND very costly bill came up. And this was the cause of my frustrated, almost defeated tears. 

I started questioning whether or not I should still continue to stay at home. I ran over a list of things we actually need to function in our house and what we could get rid of. This was becoming a bit of a habit for us. Cutting back, cutting back again, and then cutting back even more. It wasn't until this last time did my heart actually break. What were we going to do?! 

After my husband had "the budget discussion" with me, he hugged me tightly and then left for work. As I sat in the kitchen, I tried to reorganize my thoughts. My first thought was "How is God going to pull us out of this one? And what, exactly, is He trying to teach us?" 

And then God did what He always does for me: He began to give me comfort in various forms. I looked around our house and took in all that we had, knowing that we weren't truly in need. There were others who had less and continued to survive and have JOY. Then a friend on Facebook posted a wise statement "Others are happier with less than what you have." {Did you notice that my own thoughts and the statement my friend made were pretty much the same thing...uh, God was seriously trying to let me know I needed to be content.}. And then this week as I was going through the Advent Bible Study through Good Morning Girls, I was reminded of the JOY we receive just being in God's presence. These verses stuck out for me: 

"God's power protects you through your faith until salvation is shown to you at the end of time. This makes you very happy, even though now for a short time different kinds of troubles may make you sad. These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold, which can be proved to be pure by fire but will ruin. But the purity of your faith will bring you praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is shown to you. You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You cannot see him now,but you believe in him. So you are filled with a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory. 1 Peter 1:5-8

HIS JOY should be sufficient for me. Not things, not silly presents, not having a perfect house, not having well-behaved children, not having a successful husband, not being admired by others. Those things will come and go. God gives and he takes. 1 Peter reminds us that struggles are what refine us. They make us stronger; and in my case, they help me put things into perspective. 

So as I continue into this Christmas season, whether we have the money to buy nice things or not, I will focus my joy on the PEACE, HOPE, and LOVE God provided for me through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Don't be discouraged, friend. Rest in Him and experience the JOY you receive when trusting that God knows what He's doing. 

Devotion: Unexpected Love

"Because Mary's husband, Joseph, was a good man, he did not want to disgrace her in public, so he planned to divorce her secretly." Matthew 2:19

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I am currently going through an Advent Bible Study through Good Morning Girls, and this week's theme is "Love." We started off this week reading Matthew 2:18-25, and as I was reading these verses to my children, it dawned on me Joseph's character. I always felt bad for the guy because he always seemed to take the back seat in things. His wife, Mary, was a key figure in this miracle story; her cousin, Elizabeth, was also key in her miraculous pregnancy with the child who would grow to be John the Baptist; in the manger scene, Joseph takes back seat in the awesome story of the Jesus, and the shepherds, and the wise men. We just don't really hear much about Joseph.

Today's key verse, though, speaks volumes about this silent figure. The Bible calls him "a good man" and we see how much love he has for Mary. As I was going over these verses with the boys, we were trying to pick out examples of love, as that is our theme of this week. Through this discussion, we talked about Joseph's unexpected love that he showed Mary. He had every right to publicly embarrass her, to divorce her, and to free himself completely of a woman who was having another's child {at the time, he didn't know she was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit}. But even before he understood there was a miracle in the making happening with the love of his life, he loved Mary enough to show her kindness. You have to imagine the intense love he had for her and how heart-broken he was to break off their engagement. But instead of lashing out in anger, he was preparing to reach out in love.

1 John 4:18 says, "My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring." Joseph's actions were a small example of God's love for us. As much as we deserve His anger and complete separation from God our Father, He chose to love us. As children of God, we, too, are to share that love with others. The Advent Study I am doing is challenging us to participate in Random Acts of Kindness for those around us, for those we know and those we don't know. I love RAK. And although I have a pretty decent list of things I can do {just do a basic Google search or look up examples on Pinterest}, I had to send out an all-call on Facebook for ideas my kids could do {because, honestly, they don't have the money to get a gas card and tape it to the pump for the next person in line}. I also checked out the list my friend made for RAK she did for others on her birthday. See the post HERE for a list of things she did to bless others.

I encourage you to Unexpectedly Love Others this week. As a believer, this shouldn't be a seasonal thing. Make a list with your family, and once a week decide on a RAK to do for others. I bet your mail carrier would love a candy bar left in the mailbox in March just as much as getting a special gift during Christmas. Make this a tradition; make this a part of your daily life; make this part of your ministry; and most importantly, do this because God loves you more than you deserve.

Love others unexpectedly, and you will be surprised at the blessing you will receive in serving others. 

Devotion: Appreciating the Desire for God

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Writer's note: You are going to follow my train of thought here. 

Stick with me as you will see how God revealed to me His truths of truly desiring Him. 

It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and we were driving the 2-hour trip home from my in-laws' house. My "Mom Brain" cranked back up as I began assessing what needed to be done in the next few hours to get my family ready for a regular week back at school and work. My kids had been out of school for 5 days, and I knew that Monday morning could be rough if I didn't prepare them. I then started thinking of the past 5 days and how I had blessedly slept to almost 8 am each morning. I groaned as I thought about my 530 am wake up call Monday morning. Another 4 more weeks of getting up before the rest of the house...and the sun...until I can sleep late again. ::SIGH::

But then I started thinking about sleeping in. I remember when I was working I promised myself that if I ever had the opportunity to stay at home, I would sleep in until 7 am every morning. Now that I have been blessed to stay at home, sleeping until 7 has rarely happened, even on the weekends. Even in the summertime, when I don't have to prepare my kids for school, I still got up at 630 each morning.What struck me, though, was how much I truly appreciated sleeping in when I had the opportunity. I realized that if I got to sleep in every morning, I would never really appreciate the joy of it. I wouldn't have a desire, a craving, for those few extra moments of blissful sleep.

So this all lead me to thinking about my desire for God, and how similar and different this is compared to my desire for things I rarely get to enjoy.

How are they similar?
That desire. When I really want something, I truly desire it. I can't wait until the moment I get to enjoy that peaceful moment, that piece of chocolate, the crisp air, the warm sun...and the presence of God. A few weeks ago, I described what it felt like to Feel God's Joy. It's not every day I get to literally feel the presence of God, to know that I am surrounded by Him. And I yearn for that. I look for God in the little things {a sunrise, my children's hugs, scripture, a good toe-stomping from my preachers}. When I am studying His word, I search the scriptures, I pour over commentaries, and I write out my  prayers. I have a TRUE DESIRE to be with God. 

How are they different? 
Time. I knew that if I got to sleep in until 7 or 8 am each morning, I would never really truly appreciate it. So I needed to just keep to my regular schedule in order for me to be delighted by those few chances I get to enjoy an extra hour of blissful dreams. BUT, I would never desire that for my relationship with my Lord. In this case, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. 1 John 2: 24-25 says, "Be sure you continue to follow the teaching you heard from the beginning. If you continue to follow what you heard from the beginning, you will stay in the Son and in the Father. And this is what the Son promised to use - life forever." We are encouraged and instructed to continue with our relationship with God. We need to constantly be in God's Word, through personal devotions, consistent attendance and fellowship with other believers, and deep studying of His scriptures. I have found some incredible Bible studies through Good Morning Girls, its sister site Women Living Well, A Virtuous Woman, and its sister site The Vintage Homemaker....Staying in constant contact with The Creator, with The Savior, only creates more desire. There is no momentary, fleeting pleasure like the kind you get from tasting a good, dark chocolate, or those few moments you get to see an incredible array of colors through a sunrise. When you stay with the Lord, your desire for Him increases to where you are constantly thirsting for Him.

Recognizing those similarities and differences can help put into perspective the type of appreciation I should have for the Desire I have for God. Take a moment today to reflect on the blessings God has given you {a warm home, children, food on your table, a car to get you to work, having a job, a strong cup of coffee, a cold glass of sweet tea...}. See how God has His Hand in so many aspects of your life. Look back at how you have grown {as a woman or man, as a teacher, as a mother or father, as a daughter or son, as a wife or husband....}. See how God has His Hand in molding you. See how He has intervened in your life {when you ended up being able to pay a bill you never thought would get paid, when you did NOT get a job you thought would be good and it turned out to be bad, when it rained on a day you wanted to go out, but ended up providing water to make your garden grow, when you were cured of a disease that tends to overtake so many in your family....}.

See God. Desire God. and Appreciate every aspect of Him and His involvement with you. You will experience such JOY.



If you also have a great Bible Study you follow or a website that is encouraging to you, please comment below with the link. I love nothing more than to discover other sites where the Truth of God is proclaimed and the study of His Word is encouraged.

Devotion: Co-workers for Christ

"Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family." Proverbs 18:24

I remember the moment as clear as day. It was the end of the Young Couples Sunday School class, and a young mom-to-be {with twins!}, whose husband was deployed, stood up and confronted the rest of us. "I was not at church last Sunday, and no one cared to call. No one made sure I was okay or asked how I was doing..." She sat down and a silence spread across the room. Guilt washed over me with such intensity. Sure I had a busy life. I had just had my 3rd child, I was living with my parents while we tried to sell our house in another town, and I was working hard through a particularly rough year as a teacher. But she was right. Her absence went unnoticed by me, and she neatly put me in my place, and that moment changed me forever. Now I do my best to check in on others when I don't see them at church or church functions. I don't ever want anyone to feel like she did that Sunday.

The best part of that situation was the friendship that came of it. She was alone. She wasn't from the area, so family was far away. She didn't live by the church, so even most of the church family was far away. Her husband was off fighting in the Air Force, and she was essentially alone. Through a series of events, she and I developed such an incredible relationship. She lived only a few minutes from me, so it was easy for us to meet up for food, to work out at the Y, or to even just hang out. And even sweeter was that her little boys stole my heart.

The most incredible part of our friendship, though, was our service to the Lord. This past Sunday our pastor said, "When you meet a new brother or sister in Christ, you don't just make a new friend, but you also meet a new co-worker." My first thought when he said this was of my dear friend who chose to boldly stand up that one Sunday morning. His point was that we tend to stay in our comfort zones and miss incredible opportunities to meet other believers. And if you fail to meet other believers, you are missing out on opportunities to serve the Lord together. We believers are CO-WORKERS for Christ. The bond you have with your church family should be closer than the bond you have with your biological family. And if your biological family also serves the Lord, then even greater still. If my friend had not been brave enough to stand up that Sunday morning, I may or may not have developed a sweet friendship. She and I spent much time serving others, individually and together, all the while lifting each other up in prayer and support. We were co-workers for Christ. She has since then moved away, but I continue to keep up with her and her ministry opportunities in her new town. And she continues to encourage me as I find new ways to serve.

What are you doing to meet other believers? Do you develop relationships with other believers who don't go to your church? Do you seek new ways to serve? Do you always sit in same place at church, therefore getting to know only the other people around you who also sit in the same place each Sunday? What would happen if you went to a different Sunday School class for a while? Or what would happen if you just changed your seats during church? How about serving in the community? That's a great way to meet other believers and to get to know other co-workers for Christ. Our pastor challenged us to sit somewhere else next Sunday. How about you? What will YOU do to change your normal routine? You may be surprised in how God will surely bless you.

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