Disciplines of a Spirit Led Life

 This Fall, I had the privilege of teaching a small Bible study group at my church. We worked our way through the Fruit of the Spirit, using a book by Jerry Bridges , The Fruitful Life,  as a resource. I have loved getting back in the groove of teaching and all that entails. I find myself losing track of time as I read sermons and scripture on each topic and spending hours at a time reading and making notes.  I thought this would be a good opportunity to share with you what the Lord is teaching me as I prepare to teach each week.

Each week, as we examined one fruit at a time, we looked at what scripture says about each one in relation to our relationship with God, the world and ourselves.

We know as Believers, we are called to live differently than the world. The fruit of the Spirit are what others see in us as we live our lives, day in and day out. But first, we need to understand what a life lived in step with the Spirit looks like. 

There are 3 disciplines that must be practiced consistently in order for us to walk in step with the Spirit effectively. When we are saved by faith, made right with God through his justification, the Holy Spirit indwells our Spirit. This enables us to live in a way we couldn't before. We now have everything we need to live a life pleasing to the Lord & differently than the world. That's what God did for us, now we need to train ourselves in godliness (as Paul puts it). In order to know God better and live according to his ways, we must practice living godly. 

Prayer

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kind of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18

Prayer rarely comes natural even though it should. Most often we use it as a smoke signal for when we are in trouble, at our wits end and don't know where else to turn. We yell "help!" to God. Instead, we should make prayer a daily habit. It should be conversation we start with the Lord as soon as we wake in the morning. 

 Burk Parsons had this to say about prayer,

Prayer is the daily surrender of our perceived control over lives. 

Submission

Submission is yielding to the authority of another. As much as we would like to think otherwise, submission does not come natural, rebellion does. It's a part of our sin nature that we are constantly waging war with.  Submitting to God is recognizing his lordship and sovereignty in our lives. Until our hearts are truly surrendered to Christ as Lord of our lives, there will be turmoil and strife. We will strive and struggle through adversity rather than trusting God. This is not the life God intended his people to live. in Psalms we are told tole "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)   We cannot walk in the Spirit and think we are in control of our own lives. It just doesn't work. In order for the Holy Spirit to have the ability to work in our lives, we must be surrendered to God and his will for our lives. We much have a clear understanding that God is God, we are not.

Obedience

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 1 John 5:2

And how can we practice prayer and submission and not obedience?  When our daily habits include studying & meditating on the Word, faithful prayer and submission, obedience is not a struggle, because it's our desire. Our hearts and mind are set on Christ and the Holy Spirit is working through us. Obeying his commands, doing his will creates joy and satisfaction in our soul. 

These 3 disciplines are practiced better when the habit of reading and studying your Bible is consistent. It's so important. In fact, unless we know what God's Word says about how we are to live our life, we can't submit to him or obey him well. We may try. We will want to. But his Word is alive and active. It changes us, inspires us and teaches us His ways.

A life lived in step with the Spirit is a life that reflects the character of God. In his book, The Fruitful Life, Jerry Bridges says, 

If we are not taking on the character of God, we are taking on the character of the world. 

We are always growing and changing, who are we growing to become more like?  This is why practicing these biblical disciplines are so critical. 

Peter reminds us in his 2 letter, 2 Peter 1 that God has given us everything we need to live a godly, spirit led life. It's there for us! All we have to do is grasp hold of it, practice it, live it, walk it out. This is the responsibility of ever Christian. 

Grasping the Goodness of God

 In 1999 I was in a very serious car accident. I had all six children with me and I was 10 weeks pregnant when I lost control of my suburban and rolled it, landing upside down in a wheat field. It was the most traumatic thing that I had ever endured and it wrecked me emotionally and spiritually.

I was consumed with depression, anxiety and flashbacks of the accident. I hardly left my house and I didn't drive for months. 

One evening I was at church for a gathering and a staff person asked how I was doing. I'm sure I said the typical, "I'm doing really good!" because then they responded with "God is so good!" That statement bothered me. Friends kept saying it when they heard what happened.  I remember thinking, "No way is he good! If he was, he wouldn't have let this happen to me!" 

Do we really understand what the goodness of God is? I know that in 1999, I didn't understand it. My thinking of God and his goodness was all wrong. 

Elisabeth Elliot said, "We can't really tell how crooked our thinking is until we line it up with the straight edge of scripture."

So, let's see what scripture says about goodness.

Exodus 33:19

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 68:10

..your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

Zechariah 9:17

For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.

Mark 10:18

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Titus 3:4-5

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

This is not an exhaustive list of scriptures on goodness. I encourage you to go do your own word study on this. You will be so encouraged and blessed by it. 

When we feast upon the word of God we taste his goodness and are satisfied in Him!

According to these scriptures, Gods goodness is a gift wrapped in mercy (Exodus 33:19), that will follow us all our lives (Psalm 23:6), as we dwell in it (Psalm 68:10)and enjoy the greatness of it (Zechariah 9:17). We must recognize that only God is good but that it is in that goodness that we are saved by faith, according to his mercy.

God is the source of all goodness and is the measure of what good is! 

Romans 8:28 reminds that all God does in our life is for our good as his purpose for us is accomplished.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

This verse is often misquoted or taken out of context. But when you view this verse in light of what we just learned from the scriptures above it should be a little more clear. 

What is good according to this verse? This is where my thinking was all wrong because I associated this "good" with only blessings & favor, but there so much more to it. Mark 10:18 tells us that only God is good. The greek word used in this verse is the same as used in Romans 8:28. 

Could it be this "good" is meant to grow us in godliness? Could it be God is using "all things" to make us more like him? 

The answer is yes. 

I had to stop viewing the goodness of God only as what the world considers good and see it as it is...becoming more like him. Sometimes his goodness doesn't feel good, it's painful, miserable, unthinkable, unbelievable...but it is still his goodness and I'm learning to praise him for all of it.

That means our trials, adversity, excruciating circumstances are the goodness of God just as is the favor, prosperous, pleasant and happy times God brings to our lives.

This sheds a whole new light on my life as a godly woman and how I am to respond to circumstances in my life.  When I respond to trials as a  sharpening of my faith I find joy in the goodness of God.  His mercy is so great and I'm so thankful he doesn't leave me in my sin but by his goodness he has washed me clean so that I may worship him and give him all the glory!

I don't know if that staff member who told me how good God is realized how he upset me, but as I look back I'm thankful he said it. It showed me how wrong my thinking of God was. Over the next 18 months I fought and I struggled and then the goodness of God consumed me and I surrendered to him. I experienced his grace and mercy in ways I never had before. He broke me and then restored me and his joy is mine!

By His Spirit and through His goodness I can be a woman of mercy and wisdom, patient and forgiving who embraces her trials to grow in godliness.

Daily Rhythms for a Healthy Home

 

I am not real big on strict schedules, but I love a good routine. I love waking up, knowing what is happening in the day, but in a flexible way. I wasn't always like this. I loved my schedule. When I had a house full of tiny people it really did help me to survive the day better. I can't believe I had my day planned out in 15 minute intervals.  As time went on the children knew what to expect in the day, our schedule turned more into a routine...a rhythm that helped shape our home into a safe and healthy place to be.

Rhythm is consistent, intentional activity with the purpose of creating a specific outcome.

There are things I learned I needed to do for myself that helped the rhythm stay on track.

The Mom Rhythm

I needed to get up by a certain time each morning. I'm not an early riser by any means. Mornings have always been a struggle for me, so I'm not trying to get up before the sun, but with the sun is more manageable. Often, the night before I'm prepping for the next day. If I ever have the thought, "I'll just do it in the morning." I do it the night before if possible. Chances are pretty good that I won't get up early enough to do it that morning.

Every morning I have to read my Bible and pray with coffee. This has to happen before I check the news, my Facebook or email. I am a big believer in figure out how to make it happen.  I have struggle for years reading my Bible first thing in the morning because I struggle so hard with mornings. A few years ago I figured out how to make it happen. I listen to my Bible through an app. I am going through the Bible chronologically this year, and each morning I listen through the app the passages while I drink my coffee. Recently, I've started keeping my notebook near by because I always hear and see things I want to remember or go back and study more of. By the time my coffee cup is empty, my Bible reading is over. Then I spend time talking to the Lord.

I get dressed, even shoes. Now, I don't go all crazy and put on make up unless I know I am going somewhere besides Wal-Mart, but I am dressed enough that if I have to leave quickly I don't have to worry about what I'm wearing.  I have arthritis in my feet, so wearing shoes actually helps me get through the day with less pain. But I noticed that when I wear shoes and get dressed I am also more productive. It's crazy how that works.

I eat. How many times have you gone about your day and forgot to eat? I do that. I make sure in the mornings that I eat. It's helped me in 2 ways. First, I need the nourishment. I make a smoothie or I eat eggs with toast. I have energy and don't get grouchy.  Second, I take a lot of supplements. If I eat, I remember to take my supplements. If I don't eat, I don't take my supplements.

These four things are what I need to do for myself so that I can make sure the rest of the home functions well.

The Home Rhythm

I manage my home. What chores need to happen today? What laundry needs to be done. Do we need groceries?  This is the rhythm I really depend on. When I miss a beat here, I feel like things are falling apart. 

The things mentioned above are assigned days to help us remember to do them. 

Right  now, Thursday is my grocery day. That changes when it needs to depending on our schedule. 

Everyone has a laundry day so that no ones laundry piles up. It has to be washed, dried and put away all in the same day.

I only have 3 kids left at home and they are older, so the house doesn't get destroyed like when they were all younger. So, keeping the house tidy is so much easier now. But everyday, we do a little and that helps keep things manageable. One day we clean floors, another day bathrooms, another day bedrooms.

The School Rhythm

Since we homeschool, that is always happening everyday in one way or another. Bible, Language Arts and Math happen every day. Mondays and Wednesday's we focus on History, Tuesday & Thursday we work on Science and Friday is our co-op day. Monday through Thursday, we have certain subjects we do before lunch and subjects we do after lunch. My goal for the day is to be finished by 2:00. It doesn't always  happen and sometimes we are done before lunch., Those are the really good days. 

We are much more relaxed now than I used to be. When I had more kids in school, our routine was much more tight and planned out. I had more kids I needed to teach, so keep that in mind.  

Our daily tasks may change but the rhythm doesn't. It is meant to be relaxed, organized and productive.  Doing these things on a regular basis has helped all of us to create healthy habits that in turn create a healthy home. 

Praying Psalm 16

I love praying scripture. I believe God loves hearing his words prayed back to him. 

Last week I shared on my Instagram and Facebook page prayers I was praying from Psalm 16.  I wanted to share them here, especially since it's been a while since I've posted here. Ok...more than a while. Let's go for 3 years. Lots of life has happened that I may post about one of these days. In the mean time....

For a week, I took a couple of verses everyday and wrote them out, then prayed them. I did this in a journal, but if you  have a Bible study notebook I also have this free download you can use.

Psalm 16:1-2

"Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge,  I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

Psalm 16:3-4

"As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips."

Psalm 16:5-6

"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance."

Psalm 16:7-8

 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Psalm 16:9-10

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

Psalm 16:11

 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy;  at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

What a rich passage of scripture to help bring me into a better understanding of what kind of woman I want to be. I am so thankful for Gods Word and how it never returns void. 

Joy Happens, Especially on the Hard Days

I have a long to-do list for today. I'm so behind that I have resorted to posting sticky notes everywhere to help me manage the list.

But instead of attacking that list, I sit here, typing.




The week has been a difficult one and I need to write it out.
The challenges.
Tears.
All the emotions. All.the.emotions!
All the joy!

Friend, it's been quite a week. I remember a couple of weeks ago thanking the Lord for giving us a season of calm. Isn't he so good to give us a moment to catch our breath before he moves us towards the next lesson.

The Lord is working on one of my kids. I posted on Facebook this week that it's difficult to watch it happen. As a mom, you never want to see your kid struggle or hurt. But then again, you do want to see it. You do want to see your kid experience consequences of bad decisions. You do want to see your kid learn from stupid mistakes. But all the emotions involved are what is hard to manage.

This kid. He belongs to the Lord and this week I had to give him back over and over again. He disappointed me.  He scared me.  He made me mad. He made me cry! All in the same day.

But Joy! In the midst of my prayers for this kid, God reassures me, comforts me, reminds me that he does hold his boy very close to him, which is why all of this hard stuff was happening. God was not going to give up on this kid. That is JOY!

Knowing, God loves your kid more than you can.

Knowing He never gives up on us.

Knowing he will continue to wait until my kid comes back to him.

Knowing this gives me joy.

I wish the world could understand what real joy is! It has nothing to do with how I feel, because I have had all the feels this week. Joy is about what God is doing in my life and in my kids life and knowing it is out of his crazy love for us. And because of his joy, we can walk in confidence that His plan for our kids is so much better than ours and he is piecing together a story that could change lives!


"So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)

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Motherhood...Hardest Hood ever

I've lost my joy.
I don't enjoy my children anymore.
I'm always cranky.
I feel lost.
I feel lonely.
I don't enjoy being a mom anymore.

Have you ever thought any of these things? I have. The early days of being a mom were so hard. I was basically still a newly wed, still learning how to manage a home and then I was a mom as well. Learning how to be a wife and be a mom and keep my house from becoming a complete disaster was too overwhelming at times.  I had days when I wanted to get in my car and drive away! For realz! I just couldn't handle this mom gig anymore! And if one more kid cried because I gave them the wrong dippy cup I was just gonna lose it!  You get what I'm saying.

So, I guess this post is to all the moms our there deep in the trenches of mothering.

Hang on!

Don't let go!

It's hard. Truly it is. Motherhood is the hardest hood you will ever live in!

God made you a mom because he knows you can not only raise kids, but raise them really well. It's hard to see the rainbow when you are still living in the storm, but it's there. Trust me. One day, your kids will arise and call you blessed! It's not a greeting card! It's a promise from God.

Here are a few ways you can do more than just survive.

1.  Cherish the days. They are short. I know this sounds like a hallmark card, but hang with me. I remember thinking, I can't wait until they are older. Now they are older. Some are married. Two of them have their own kids. And all I want is for my kids to be home with me! Now the days feel very long. But, God in his wisdom gave us Charlie. He is six years old. He is a constant reminder to me to slow down and cherish everyday I have with my kids.

2. Stop and have a tea party. Yes, I know the dishes are still dirty, the clothes need to be washed and I'm sure there are errands to run, but just stop, set aside the to-do list and spend that time with your kids. My older kids always heard, "I can't right now, I'm busy". Being an older mom, I've learned to stop and play a game of Monopoly with Charlie, watch Sam play Minecraft, take Gracie shopping for no special reason. It matters. They may not remember it, but I will. But I think they will. I'm always amazed at what my older kids remember that I don't.

3. Make God time priority. I remember how it was. If I opened my eyes at 6:30 am, my kids opened their eyes at 6:35. It didn't matter when I got up they were up too. Making time for prayer and Bible study is just as important as breathing. In fact, that time was my reminder to breathe. Even if all you get is 5 minutes...take it and pray.

4.  Date your husband. This ranks right up there with your God time! You need time with your husband. If you can't get a babysitter and don't have family to help out, have at home dates. Stay up late one night a week after kids go to bed, eat a special snack in bed, watch a favorite movie, whatever...it doesn't really matter. Just make time for each other.  One of these days your kids will grow up and leave (hopefully ;) )  What are you and your husband going to talk about when your kids are gone?

5.  Find a community. We were created for relationships and mothering can be one of the loneliest seasons of life! Join a MOPS group or participate in whatever your church offers for moms. If they don't offer anything then you start something. Invite moms over for dessert. Meet up at the local coffee shop. Join a Facebook group for Christian moms if there aren't any local options for you. Just find a community of moms and get plugged in. This can help in such a huge way. If none of that works, send me a friend request on Facebook! I love meeting and getting to know other moms!

Doing these will help, but you have to be intentional, or you will sink. Everyday is a new opportunity and a gift.

You will make it! I did...I know you will.

3 Simple Habits to Keep you Focused during Your Quiet Time

Tell me if you recognize this scenario.

You sit down with your Bible to have your quiet time and as you begin reading the scriptures and it's just what you needed to encourage your soul and then BAM...you remember you need to pick up some lettuce at the grocery store. What? Where did that come from?

You go back to reading and then it happens again, you remember that you need to return a phone call. You pick up your phone and see that you missed 3 phone calls. Stop! Focus! Seriously, why is this so hard now?

I get it. What could only take 30 minutes often turns into an hour because I cannot stay focused.

Lord, help me!

I've found a few things to do that have actually helped me to make the most of the time I spend with the Lord.

1.  Start off with prayer and a deep breath. This will quiet your mind. It can be hard to quiet down the noise in our mind that often pulls us away when we are trying to focus on scripture and prayers.

2.  Silent your phone.  I have my quiet time first thing in the morning with my first cup of coffee. So, typically my notifications are already turned off, but not always. This keeps me from checking my phone when someone text or calls me. I have to be very careful though because I often use an app for my Bible readings because I like to listen to it. I don't go anywhere on my phone except that app. If that is still too much of a temptation don't use any apps during your quiet time.

3.  Have Post-It notes or a notepad close by. When those random thoughts do come, write them down. That helps to get them out of the way. Sometimes the Lord will put certain people on your mind so you want to remember to pray for them and possibly contact them later. Write it down and move on.

They say it takes at least 21 days to create a new habit. Commit to doing this for 30 days and see if that helps you have a more focused and meaningful time with the Lord.

2018/2019 New Homeschool Year

We are getting ready to start our new school year.  I can't believe the summer is almost over. But in truth, I'm so ready for it to be over. The record breaking temperatures here in Texas have really drained us and has limited us on what we can do outside. We do not school year round, but I think this summer would have been a great time to start.

This year I only have four that are still in school. That is crazy! It seems like just a year ago that my planning pages had 9 kids across the top. Now I only have 4 and 2 of them will be completely independent so that means really, I only have 2. I don't know if I should be sad or thrilled!

I'm really changing things up this year. We are trying several new curriculums and methods. You would think after 22 years I would know exactly what I want to do, but my kids still have different learning styles so I work to accommodate while still challenging them.

My two oldest still in school are Zach and Gracie. Zach began working with his dad so he fell behind last year as he struggled to balance working and school, so we are working to get caught up. He is 16, super smart and willing to do whatever he needs to do.
He will be doing all of his school lessons online using Power Homeschool (formally known as Acellus School) It was suggested to me by a friend and I've spent the summer looking it over. I think it will be a good fit for Zach. For $10 a month he can take 6 courses. That's perfect and we can supplement what we need to.

Gracie is 13 and will be doing 8th grade work.  She is also working from the Power Homeschool site for some of her courses, not all. I'm working to prepare her for Highschool and I think this will be a good fit for her as she is already very independent in her work.
She will be using Apologia's Physical Science for science because she really loves that. She is also doing Geography with the younger boys and I. I love that she still enjoys doing hands on projects with her younger brothers.

Gracie loves Art. She found her talent with watercolor and sketching so I found Arty Factory,  a website she will go to twice a week and follow the lessons there. She can choose various types of art and I will assign some Art history to go along with her other lessons as well.

Sam is practically 12. His birthday is the last of our September birthday marathon.
He will be doing some 5th grade work and some 6th grade work. The beauty of homeschooling, we can focus on the areas that still need more work.  I realized last year that Sam needs more of a hands on approach with his math (and I do too), so we are switching to Math U See. I was really hesitant to switch him to this, but after talking with some of my homeschool mom friends I think we will be ok.

A friend told me about a fairly new curriculum that uses a touch of the Charlotte Mason method. I've always loved this method, but am too unorganized to make the most of it. The Good and the Beautiful site is a full curriculum for the younger grades and more is coming for the older grades. Language Arts for grades 1-5 are FREE! You can print it out yourself, or you can order everything already printed (for a price of course). I printed everything out yesterday. It's a lot of printing, but it really gave me a chance to look over everything in better detail and I am really looking forward to using this. She incorporates poetry, art, geography into the language and grammar lessons. I printed out grade 5 for Sam because we really need to get a more solid foundation in writing & grammar.

For several years I have looked at using My Father's World with my kids, but I could not afford to buy the whole kit. A friend was selling an older version of the teachers manual of Countries and Cultures so I bought it and loved it! Gradually over the summer I've been collecting the books needed. Many of them I already had. We are only doing the Bible and geography/history portions. But I'm excited and think the boys will really like this. As we study different countries, we are learning of various missionaries from past and present who have served in these countries. We are getting our hands dirty (which always makes me nervous) as we are doing a lot of hands on projects and cooking foods from various countries.

We attend a local co-op and Sam will be taking the rest of his classes there. He will be taking Chess, Literature, Anatomy & Physiology (Apologia), PE and Computer Coding.

Charlie is my baby and it's so hard to type this...but he will be in 1st grade! When did this happen? We like to call him our 40 yr old 1st grader because he just acts so much older than he is. Growing up in a house full of big people will do that to you.

I basically ordered for Charlie what I ordered for Sam just in 1st grade.

Language Arts: The Good and the Beautiful
Math: Math U See Primer
History/Geography: Countries and Cultures
Science: Apologia Anatomy. I bought him the Junior Notebook and he & I will work through parts of that together.

Charlie is taking classes at our co-op as well. He will be doing Grammar, Spanish, Bible, Art and PE. He can't wait to take big kid classes.

The boys and I are going to read through the Narnia Series together this year. They have only seen the movies (shame on me). I loved reading through this series with my older kids, so I'm really looking forward to this.

So, here's to a new year. I've been praying and searching and comparing and praying some more over what we should do, so I'm looking forward to how our new year will be. I'm expecting great things!

Facing Life with Confidence

"How's life?" a friend asked me. I cringed inside at her question. She appeared to be doing this "mom thing" so much better than I was. I felt as though I was barely hanging on, yet there she stood all put together, her children all put together. Do I really tell her  how life was or do I give her the glossy answer.
"It's great! How's life for you?" (glossy answer it is)
I was too embarrassed to let her know I was drowning in motherhood!

Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise against me, yet I will be confident.

Psalm 27:3

I love this verse. When my children were all young they were the army marching against me. At least that is what life felt like most days. I felt attacked. I couldn't do anything right. I couldn't make anyone happy. I was so mean for making them do chores. I was abusing them by making them eat their vegetables and drink water instead of Kool-Aid like "their friends" did. And Heaven forbid if I made someone take a bath!

Are you there? You could probably add to my list.

How many times have you asked God, "What have I got myself into?" This motherhood thing is harder than I thought!

Ok so, I understand that when David wrote this Psalm he was actually in a life threatening situation, but the point I want to make  is where he drew his confidence from. It's the same place for us. God is our confidence!

Whether you are facing an impossible situation or you are just trying to keep your kids alive, the mindset is the same. "I can do this because God is my strength!"

God is there. He is your strength, your life, your joy. With confidence we can face whatever it is God has us facing today and know that we will survive! In spite of what we may think at times, our children are not out to destroy us and neither is God.

Motherhood is hard, but that's ok. For the sake of sounding like your mother...doing hard things is how we grow. We know this, that doesn't mean we like it. One day I will be at a place in my relationship where I can welcome with open arms the trials God brings because I know they will draw me closer to Him. I'm not there yet. I still cringe and ask "Why?!" and then I say, "OK, I trust you." But I'm still kicking & screaming a little bit inside. God knows this and still loves me anyway.

Here are some additional scriptures I keep close as reminders that God is with me and is bigger than any trial, impossible situation or cranky kid.

Isaiah 43
Psalm 20:2-5
Psalm 27:13 & 14
1 Corinthians 1:25

I have a bit of homework for you. Write at the top of the page, "God is bigger than..." Then write out your "army encamped against you". What is it, who is it that is making you feel as though there is no hope. Now at the bottom of that page write, "God is my strength, my hope and my joy! I can do all things through Him that gives me strength!" (Phil 4:13)

Put this up where you can see it. If something new pops up add it to the list. Remind yourself daily that God is bigger. He love you! He doesn't want you to just survive, he wants you to enjoy being a mother. He wants you to find joy in it and satisfaction. 

Finding Gratitude

I had thought I would do a video for this post. I'm really trying to stretch myself these days, and video's are an area that really intimidates me. I'm not sure why. I used to speak in front of hundreds of people at a time.  Anyway, I decided I would write this out because I was really afraid I wouldn't get through the video without blubbering & shedding every tear in my head.

This time of year is hard for me. There, I said it. I feel guilty for it being hard because I know that part of it is my own attitude towards our living situation right now. We still live with my husbands parents and sometimes I just don't understand why the Lord would continue to keep us here. Then there are days when I know why he has. But that doesn't make it easier. 

So, gratitude can sometimes be hard for me. 

Then today happened. 

Last night, me along with 6 other dear friends threw a Christmas party for our Young Living team members. It was so much fun to love on our team members and bless them. 

We asked each guest to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to our local food pantry. They gave so generously and today the kids and I had the pleasure of delivering the items to the food pantry.  We pulled up to the little building and were surprised to find people already in line for food. 

The kids helped me to unload the car and as I stood there waiting to speak to the coordinator I looked at those in line. How humbling it must be to stand in line for food because you have no money to buy it. I thought to myself, "That could be us". 

You see, that was us at one time, except we never stood in line for food. We had no money for food. We tried to stretch our dollars as far as we could but it would never go far enough. I know what it is like to open my refrigerator and not see anything there to prepare for dinner. I know what it is like to go to bed at night and not know how we will eat the next day. It's a horrible way to wake up.

We had to rely on the government for a time to purchase our food. We were issued a card to use at the grocery store. It was humbling and humiliating. I felt as though all eyes were on me as I swiped that card to pay for our food. 

I can still remember the day when I left that card at home because we were finally able to buy food with our own money again. There was freedom and empowerment in that. 

While I'm thankful I never had to stand in line to get food for my family, I recognize that sometimes God uses ways to provide for us that we may not like. I was thankful we could have plenty of food, but I never liked how the Lord provided that food for us. I'm just being honest here. I thought I was being thankful. I thought because I would say with my mouth, "Lord, thank you for providing us food" that I had a heart of gratitude. But, really...I didn't. 

Gratitude is one of those attributes that leads to other attributes. When we practice gratitude we experience joy, freedom and happiness. 

We are told to be thankful! We aren't asked. I find that very important in scripture. I never find the Lord saying, "Can you be thankful?"  "Can you have gratitude?" 

No. He says, "Be thankful". It is His will! 

I think that is because he wants so much for us, he created us to live an abundant life. He came so that we may live and live life more abundantly! Yet, our attitudes so often hinder us. We are unable to experience His joy because we can't find gratitude hidden in the life he has given us. 

I am a work in progress. I'm not going to tell you I'm all there because I'm not. Obviously, because the Lord keeps bringing this up I still have a lot of work to do. But that is the wonderful part about living this life for Him. He never gives up. He's always there, waiting for us to "get it". His love never ends and his mercies are new every morning! 

I challenge you to write down things in your life right now that you would like to change. I'm talking circumstances, things happening around you. Read them out loud. Now, rewrite them and turn them into a prayer of thanksgiving. Pray them daily for 30 days. Come back here and comment on this post and let me know how you are doing. 

Did you find your gratitude?

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Company's Coming! {free download}

Don't get mad at me for saying this but.....

Thanksgiving is in less than a month! You know what that means right?

Christmas is in two months! You know what that means right?

Company in your house!

This is good news and bad news!

Good news...time with your family!

Bad news...time to clean

But it really isn't that bad! I have found ways to get my house ready for company without it becoming a major event. Ok that's a lie. It will always be a major event, but it's a good one.

Here are 4 simple ways we get ready for company.

1.  I get my kids involved. I make a list of all that needs to be done and they choose what they will do. If no one chooses, then I assign them. There is always a reward involved. Even I like to be rewarded when we tackle the task of prepping for company.

2.  I divide the house up into zones. Sometimes that's how we assign jobs, by the zone. Often we will work on the house for several days, one zone at a time.

3. Gather all our tools. I make sure we have easy access to what we need to get that zone cleaned up. If several people are cleaning, I make sure they each have a spray bottle of cleaner and a cloth. Here is the cleaner I use to clean my house with.

4.  I try to make it fun. Try is a really big word. Sometimes I just want it done. Other times I turn on our favorite music, set a timer, give a challenge or whatever I can think of to get it done with a smile on all of our faces.

A few years ago I learned of the importance of reducing the harsh chemicals in our house. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about this before. But it was shocking to me what is in the common cleaners I was using and the harmful effects it was having on our health. I have a son with asthma and realized the cleaners and candles I was using was only making him more sick!

Here is an article that explains what these ingredients are and why we need to avoid them. 

Instead of a bucket of cleaners under my sink that could be really dangerous if my little kids got a hold of them, I only have one bottle of cleaner. It works great. Saves me money. It's very versatile.

Download this PDF of simple recipes that I use when I clean my house! 

>>>> DOWNLOAD  CHEMICAL FREE CLEANING  <<<<<

The Day I Quit

You know you have said it too. "I quit".
I've been quitting for years actually.
I've quit motherhood.
I've quit marriage.
There was even a time in my life when I just wanted to quit living. But I didn't quit...obviously.

Life is hard. Right? We all agree? That is not a new revelation. I am not sharing profound, mind blowing information with you. Life is hard. It is messy. It is daily.

God never promised us that life would be easy.

A few days ago I had let so many things overwhelm me. (It didn't help that my quiet time was severely lacking.) I went to bed that night totally and completely done. I was quitting my business. I told the Lord I was done. I gave him all kinds of lame excuses too. I had to use a lot of oils to get to sleep that night. My mind was so unsettled.

The next morning I read Psalm 25.

How faithful our God is to be patient with us when we lose sight of the vision He has given us. His words draw us back in, remind us of His confidence in us and the love that we can't live a day with out.

I didn't quit my business. In fact I have a renewed love for it! The Lord continues to put lovely people in my path and I am so thankful for each of them!


Psalm 25:4,5
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.

Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

The Danger of the "What-if" Thought

Before I knew it, my heart was racing, hands were sweating and I was unable to move. All because I had a thought.
A "what if.." thought.
I wasn't facing an actual situation yet. I was thinking it into existence though and my whole body was reacting.

I was overcome with fear over something that had not even happened.

What is wrong with me? God, what are you doing?

"This isn't me." He whispered to my spirit. "I don't create fearful thoughts and worry."

And then he reminded me of what Paul said in 2 Timothy. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, and timidity, but of power, love and self discipline."

Then I opened my bible and it fell open to Isaiah 43.

Do not fear, I have redeemed you.
You are precious and honored in my sight.
Do not be afraid, I am with you.

Dear Lord, the enemy wants so badly to see me walk in fear rather than joy. He knows I am less useful to you when fear rules in my mind. Thank you for giving me the power to take every thought captive and make them obedient to you. That is my heart desire!

Greater Joy : Sunday Solitude

What a wonderful reminder this verse is as we start a new week.

Psalm 4:6-8 speaks volumes to me.

Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
    Let your face smile on us, Lord.
⁷ You have given me greater joy
    than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

The joy we experience from the Lord is truly better than any material possession that we could have. Some days are harder than others, but at the end of the day we can lie down and sleep knowing God is in complete control of whatever we are experiencing.

That is peace my friend!

Peace the world does not understand.

If you are on Facebook, visit my page; Joy Moms. It's my place to encourage moms, share life and hopefully add a little humor to your day on occasion. Motherhood is hard. Motherhood without Jesus is impossible!

Chemica Free Spring Cleaning! {Free Download}

Here in Texas, the weather is just about perfect. The days are warm, but not too warm. The evenings are cool, but not too cool. I love this time of year!!

This time of year also brings about a desire to clean & toss out! We have been working on minimizing our stuff. Now it's time to start cleaning.

It has become really important to me to pay attention to what we are using in our home for cleaners, body care products and air fresheners. It only made sense to make changes in those areas if we were making diet changes too. What good does it do to eat healthy if I'm coating my body in chemicals?

Did you know that the average person uses at least 300 chemicals a day and 80 of those before breakfast?  The biggest pollutants are fabric softeners, dryer sheets, air freshener plug-ins and candles.  We are literally poisoning our families when we use stuff that we can't pronounce in our home. Your bright blue dish soap doesn't need to be blue to clean your dishes. When I began to read labels I realized that so many of the ingredients used in the cleaners I was using were toxic!  Many of the ingredients are known to cause asthma or they are endocrine disruptors. That just means that they interfere with the way your body produces hormones.

Think about this...it only takes about 26 seconds for these chemicals to reach your blood stream!

I know what it is like to use chemical cleaners in my home. I saw the side effects but didn't realize they were possibly related to the cleaners we were using.  I began researching the ingredients I saw on the labels and did not like what I was learning.

Tossing the chemicals and cleaning with healthier products was a no-brainer for me! I'm not a DIY kind of person. I have a Pinterest board packed full of great DIY recipes, but that is where they sit. If I can't make it super fast I won't do it. But, I have learned to make a few things that have really helped me.

Dyer sheets are super easy. If I don't use these, I use wool dryer balls and add essential oils to them! So easy & work so well! (I buy my essential oils here)

When I went to the store and saw how expensive the "green" cleaners were I thought, there is no way I can afford this.  I tried using Vinegar & baking soda on everything but I cannot stand the smell.

Enter in Thieves Household Cleaner! (I buy mine here.)

Seriously friends! This stuff is the secret to my super powers when it comes to chemical free cleaning! I have learned to use this stuff to clean my house from top to bottom! It doesn't just work really well, but it smells really good. The ingredient list is short! It even has essential oils infused in it.

I love that it is safe. I can mop my floors with it and when Charlie was crawling, he crawled right through it and I didn't worry about him getting it on his skin.

I love that it's cheap. One bottle is so concentrated that it makes over 20 spray bottles of all purpose cleaner. That's less than $1 a bottle! I couldn't buy the "green" cleaners that cheap.  And since it makes so many spray bottles, that means it lasts me a long time. Double win!

I use Thieves cleaner on my windows, floors, counters, walls, doors, dishes, in the laundry. I've cleaned the inside of my car with it. It is safe on granite and tile. 

I don't just use this in a spray bottle. I've learned to make a few other recipes with it. I think this Tub & Sink scrub is my favorite!

It works so well. Like you wouldn't believe it! Our septic system backed up into our bathtub. My husband wouldn't let me get a new bathtub. I thought there was no way we would ever get that tub clean again. I used this scrub and it came so clean you couldn't even tell what had happened.

My kids are playing outside a lot these days! Which is great, but when they come in they have a bit of an odor about them! One of the products we tossed out was plug-in and aerosol room fresheners.  I love to diffuse essential oils.  But I also like to make room sprays. I keep one in each bathroom and I've even kept one in my car for when those stinky boys jump in.

If you want more recipes that you can use in your own home, I have a free download for you.

>>>>CLICK TO DOWNLOAD CHEMICAL FREE CLEANING RECIPES<<<<

If you are interested in learning more of how you can incorporate Young Living products into your daily life contact me to check out my website.

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