An Imperfect Parent

I don't know about you, but I am far from perfect - especially when it comes to being a parent. That's why I like the words on the above photo. No matter how much I fail as a mother, God will still provide for my children. Their salvation isn't up to me. Yes, I have been called to be their mother and to teach them in the way they should go, but when I fail, God's grace covers me, and them.

I don't know if you're anything like me, but that's definitely a reminder that I need to hear more often.

I'm linking up with Word-Filled Wednesday over at Internet Cafe Devotions. 

Check it out for more Word-Filled posts by visiting: http://internetcafedevotions.com/

What's Your Passion?

A while back I decided to subscribe to my own devotions via - I know that kind of sounds silly, but I started writing them 3 years ago, and I just wanted to go back through and check for formatting or spelling errors now that I had distanced myself from them some. Not to toot my own horn, but on occasion it seems like I really need to hear the message that I wrote - I surprise myself. One of those occasions happened last week, and I just wanted to take a moment to share the devotion with you. It was written with teen girls in mind, but it definitely applies to our lives as well.

Just so you know, Teen Girl Devotionals are brought to you by www.FindYourTrueBeauty.com, and you or a teen in your life can sign up to receive them for free at http://www.findyourtruebeauty.com/devos - Anyway, here's the devotion:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 

There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

~1 Corinthians 12:4-6

I just love the fact that God gave each and every one of us unique personalities. Some of us are movie buffs, others get more into books, video games, or sports - and that's okay. That is how God created us. He created us with passions, talents and interests. He created us for different things, and with different passions. That came to my mind today while I was reading an article a friend shared on their blog. It was about how we are all passionate about different things, how we get excited about different events, books, or whatever, but the one thing that should remain the same, is our passion for our Savior. You see, even though we were all created uniquely for the glory of God, and God gave us all our own personalities and interests, we were still all created for the glory of God. We serve Him in different ways, but as Christians, we should still have a desire for Him, and for serving Him.

I guess that the point is that while God created us to be passionate people, there is an issue if that passion stops when we come before our creator. When we get totally psyched about the new outfit we just got or the new chick flick that is coming out, but we drag our feet when we have to get up early in the morning for church. When we can't wait to read our new book, or play that new video game, but we don't have the energy left to read God's Word.

God created passionate people. He sent Jesus so that we could live life to the full (John 10:10)! God wants us to be the people that He created us to be - to express ourselves. But as Jesus took the time to remind us, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Our passions reflect what is in our hearts. If we aren't as passionate about our Savior as we are about our shoes, we might need to take some time to reevaluate our hearts...

Reflection:

Are you more passionate about worldly things, or about the Creator of the world?

Application Step:

Spend sometime today thinking about our awesome God. Remember that He is the creator of the world. Without Him, your favorite pastime wouldn't even exist. Thank Him for the opportunity to express yourself, and for all of the wonderful things He has brought into your life.

Prayer:

Father God, I love you so much! Please help me to express the love that I have for you, just as much, no, more than the love that I have for the things you have created. Help me to show others that you truly are more important than my boyfriend, my favorite shoes, and everything else in my life, Lord. Help me to honor you, God. Thank you for allowing me to express myself, but help me to do so in a way that is pleasing to you. I want you to be the overflow of my heart. I want to be more passionate for you, than for anything else. Thank you for everything you do for me - especially for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins. It is in His name that I pray today. Amen.

I'm linking up with Word-Filled Wednesday over at Internet Cafe Devotions. 

Check it out for more Word-Filled posts by visiting: http://internetcafedevotions.com/

Teaching Hearts

“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”

~ Matthew 15:8-9

I read through the book of Matthew earlier this week, and God taught me so much! One of the things that I caught my attention was the above verses. Those are some pretty powerful and scary words! It really made me think about the way I teach my children. Am I teaching them to honor God with their lips and not their hearts? Am I teaching them to worship God in vain, simply obeying the rules of men? 

Whenever I start to reflect on my parenting, I always think back to my own mother. I had one of the most amazing moms in the world, but my childhood was far from perfect. Yes we went to church, but God wasn't the focus of my upbringing. Therefore, it's really hard for me to make sure that He is the center of my children's upbringing. I am an avid reader, but it's one thing to read about biblical parenting in a book, and another to actually experience it. 

I will never forget the little girl that was baptized last year. She had such an amazing understanding of the Gospel that it blew me away. Her mother is an amazing Christian woman, who I'm sure devotes her entire day to teaching her children and bringing them up in the ways of the Lord. I spent weeks wishing that I could be a fly on the wall in her house for just a day. I longed to learn how to be that mother - because I'm not. 

I'm amazingly thankful for a certain blog that reminds me that it's okay to fail. That being a perfect parent isn't required and that God is more powerful than our parenting failures. Just to remember that while I might fall insanely short of bringing my children up to fear the Lord, that God can still save them. Even the most wonderful parenting in the world can't save the souls of my children, only God can - and He can save them despite my parenting. 

Don't get me wrong, I still long to teach my children how wonderful my Savior is. I want them to know of His unfailing love, and to cultivate their hearts for Him. So much so that I contacted my pastor this week to see about getting a Titus 2 mentor. I had one last spring, but our schedules didn't mesh well, and it just didn't work out. 

While I long for my children to obey, I want them to do so because they want to - not because they have to. I want my children to know of our heavenly Father's love, but not just know what it is, but to actually experience it! I just seem to flounder when it comes to actually teaching them. Thankfully, I have God's Word, and God's grace, so no matter how many times I fail, no matter how horrible of a job I do, God is still God, and at the end of the day, He still loves me, and has the ability to save my children despite of me. 

I'm linking up with Word-Filled Wednesday over at Internet Cafe Devotions. 

Check it out for more Word-Filled posts by visiting: http://internetcafedevotions.com/

God's way vs the worlds way

On this wonderful, Word-filled Wednesday, I have been contemplating on a few verses. For one of the crafts the kids and I did, the verse was John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. This verse is about peace, but I think it applies so much to God's love as well. God doesn't love the way that the world loves. He doesn't give His love and then take it back, but loves unconditionally. If we truly love others, we will love God's way and not the way of the world.

On a side note, have you all seen the new Bible gateway? I love it! I'm a creature of habit and wasn't looking forward to the change, but it's great!

The world says love is jealous, that if you love someone or something you have the right to hoard it to your self and attack anyone or anything that might try to get in on it. God says love is kind, not jealous, but something beautiful to share. The world says love is something to be proud of, something you declare and let everyone know what you love is yours. God says love isn't proud, but humble. He says love isn't something to envy or boast about, but something to cherish and enjoy.

The world says love is earned, that it is conditional, and only given to others when it benefits you. God says that love is a free, unconditional gift, that is given to others regardless of whether or not they deserve it, and it has little or nothing to do with us.

The world would tell you that love is easily angered. That if we trust someone with our heart that we have the right to get angry when they make even the smallest mistake. God says that love isn't easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. He says that love forgives no matter what.

The world tells us that love has the right to talk down, gossip and exploit. God tells us that love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Word-filled Wednesday: Bethlehem

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” ~ Matthew 2:6

We have been doing a lot of learning about the Christmas story around our house the past week. And one thing that just keeps sticking with me is the way God didn't use anything that was 'great'. He picked a small town that people considered unimportant, and He picked a seemingly random young girl. It has really just been making me stop to think about what things I see as unimportant, that God might just use for something extraordinary. The entire town of Bethlehem missed the birth of Christ. They were all there, but no one took notice. What kinds of things are right before me that I am missing?


I would love for you to join me by posting your favorite Christ centered Christmas song. My personal goal is to post a different Christ-centered Christmas song each day between now and Christmas. (The only rule is that it has to be Christ-centered. Obviously no songs about Santa, Christmas trees or whatever...)

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the LORD say:
“His love endures forever.”



5 When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD;
he brought me into a spacious place.
6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
7 The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.

8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them down.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them down.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.



15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;
the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.

22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The LORD has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.



25 LORD, save us!
LORD, grant us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.



28 You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.

29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

~Psalm 118 (NIV)

WFW

"The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." ~Proverbs 31:11-12

Coming into this holiday season I am thinking about how much my husband has to trust me to prepare everything while he is at work. Not just during the holidays, but always. He has to trust that he will have clean clothes to wear to work, that there will be food for him to eat when he get's home. He also has to trust that I am taking care of our children, feeding them, and teaching them the things they need to know. I'm not going to tell you that I have never let him down, as that would be a lie, but I am so thankful that he trusts me, even when I make mistakes. I want to be a wife who brings him good and not evil all the days of my life. I love my husband!!

*This picture was proudly taken by our 2 year old daughter.

Giving forgiveness

Today I am faced with the opportunity to forgive something I never thought I would have to. I have to forgive something that others are faced with, but I didn't think it was something I would ever need to be concerned with. I'm not going to tell you what it is, because in truth, it doesn't matter. We all have situations where we are faced with forgiving someone when it's something that surprises us. There are so many verses flooding through my head at this point, but the one that speaks the loudest is James 1:2-3 ~ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. In the next verse James goes on to say: Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. So while I am sitting here in tears as I write this, I can tell you that I am learning to trust God in a whole new way. I wrote a post last month about afflictions, and this is probably one that I could add to the list. It's something that could tear me apart, if I didn't trust God that He works ALL things together for His glory. All things... Even this? The answer is yes. Not just yes, but an outstanding yes! Why? Because of James 1:2-3. Because I need to consider this joy, because it will produce perseverance in so many ways. Choosing to forgive will help me to trust God in this situation. Instead of holding grudges I can choose to love unconditionally, keeping no record of wrongs. No record of wrongs. That isn't exactly easy, especially in this situation, but if I consider it joy, it will be that much easier. I truly believe that God will use this in my life to strengthen my faith.

What about you? Have you been faced with something surprising that you need to forgive? It's not easy, but God has forgiven us a multitude of sins, who are we to hold on to things that God has chosen to forgive?




The Giving Challenge. The giving challenge is taking on a whole new meaning today for me. Giving is something that we do everyday, but it isn't necessarily a challenge. Today, I am choosing to give forgiveness, and it is a challenge.





This post is also linked with Word Filled Wednesday. To read more Word Filled Wednesday posts click on the button above!