Archive for Joy

Today’s Christian Woman: Distinctly Unholy?

April 17, 2013 Sarah Beals 9 comments
Every Christian woman wants to hear and read books about being highly effective, being fulfilled as a person, finding your purpose and and being relevant in today’s society. But one topic that we are not clamoring to read about is personal holiness.
 
We’ve all been turned off by someone who thought they were acting “holy” when in fact they were just plain judgmental and critical making mountains out of what they thought was mountain-making-worthy. They are self appointed “police”–they figure, if I point out all your flaws, nobody will have time to notice my obvious flaws. (Note: truly holy people are so worried about their own sin that they have very little time to point out your.)
 
Or perhaps you are still reeling from the damage of a childhood spent in a works centered religion, where people zealously pointed out others “sins” like there was a reward for it, or you grew up in a works-centered Catholic home or a misguided fundamentalist work. Remember that that is not holiness.
No, 

“To be holy in our own strength and for our own glory is to be distinctly unholy.”

 
We’ve believed a lie about personal holiness. We’ve believed several lies actually. 
We’ve bought into the idea that holiness equals a
  • joyless,
  • secluded,
  • stiff,
  • puritanical,
  • disapproving lifestyle.
We may not verbalize it, but we act as though the world with it’s pleasures offers real joy. We relish our sin and keep returning to it as a dog returns to his own vomit.
It concerns me as I look around at the landscape of today’s Christian woman. Instead of getting better and better, we seem to have lost our moral compass and have embraced a distinctly unholy lifestyle. Oh, I don’t mean that we’d verbalize this, or that our public confession would be such, but that very few women are really concerned about their own personal holiness. And we are raising younger Christian women (who have learned from their mothers) who are now looking for fulfillment in the worthless and seem enamored by the world. 
 
They do not value God’s word as THE guide for life, a most precious love letter. They don’t see their relationship to God as paramount. There seems to be this justification of “living on the edge” and “acting like the world.” If we look like the world, respond like the world, love what the world loves, embrace what the world embraces and spend our time, energy, money on these lesser things, who will be salt and light to the world? And why do we wonder that the church lacks “power”? The church lacks power when the church leaders and God’s people are unholy and unsurrendered and they don’t even know it. 
 

THE TRUTH: holiness and joy go hand in hand in scripture.

 
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. Hebrews 1:9
Every Christian is commanded to be holy. The idea of holiness includes being set apart, belonging to God, hating what God hates and pursuing what God loves.
“Be ye holy as I am holy.” 
” Strive for holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” 
“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” 

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin…”

“Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.”

“For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.”

Holiness is not some conjured up, pick yourself up by your bootstraps, try harder life. The desire for true holiness comes as we compare our lives to the perfect life of Christ. It starts when we get a glimpse of our filthy sin and then gaze on the beauty of His holiness, seeing Christ as He really is. It begins when we abide with him, rest in him and depend on Him. In short, when life is more about HIM and less about me. It is a grace that enables us to say NO to our fleshly desires to pursue what makes the heart of God happy.
 
Holiness keeps us from the bondage of sin. For whatever reason, we think that we can dabble with sin and not be effected. But when we embrace sin in any degree, we can not be embracing holiness.
Sin is always deceitful. It lulls you to sleep, promising you pleasure and freedom, when in fact it always entangles you.
 
My mom would always say:
Sin takes you farther than you planned to go, and keeps you longer than you planned to stay.
playing_with_fire
 
Think of sin as a fire. Or poison. Or a viper.  Not only do you not dabble in it, you stay away from it. You don’t let your kids light a little fire on the kitchen table, or hold a little viper in their bed, or drink a little poison at dinner time. You keep those things out of the house because they can harm you.  
 
The same is true of a little sin. Holding on to and cherishing sin separates us from communion with God–and others believers. Today, believers are deceived into thinking that sin doesn’t have consequences. In fact, we think we can pretty much do what I want–after all, I’m an American. I take my political liberties and mix them up with my spiritual liberties and end up believing that I am free to do as I please w/o consequence.
  • I can watch immorality as entertainment and not have it affect me.
  • I can listen to unwholesome talk and be okay.
  • I can be unloving to one person without consequence.
  • I can indulge in the flesh in food, drink, sleep or s*x and nobody’s going to get hurt.
  • I can nurse that grudge and hold on to unforgiveness without it effecting me spiritually.
  • I can chase worthless pursuits because God wants me to be happy.
If you’ve thought these things, sin has deceived you. If you are living these things, it’s totally entangled you. When God’s word says to flee certain things, like immorality, youthful lusts, wrath, hatred, envy, jealousies, evil communication…and we not only indulge in them but justify them, we are in serious trouble.
And we have to ask ourselves,
WHAT is the state of a believer who will not obey scripture? Are we not followers of Christ? Did He not tell us to be holy, as He is holy? WHY would we think that sinning is okay? Are we truly in Christ? Or are we a scoffer, posing as a believer when in fact our life shows that we have no desire to “do the will of the father.” Have you asked the hard question, ”Why do you call me Lord, Lord, but do not the will of my father?” 
 
The world lies and says that sin is fun and fulfilling and freeing and sin may seem to be all these things for a short time. But in the end, sin brings death and separation from God. Sin dulls your sensibilities and renders you spiritually blind. You’ll lose your moral compass, believing that right is wrong and wrong is right. God’s word teaches that being set apart to God is a blessing and a holy life is what brings joy and freedom. A clean conscience before God and men should be the norm for every believer. 
 
When we are living lives according to scripture, not perfectly, but striving for holiness, we paint a more accurate picture of what Jesus looked like. We are called to this. Let’s not defame His name by claiming we are his, but living like we don’t care two cents about his will.
 
 
Christian living, Joy ,

20 Easy, Inexpensive, Warm-Weather Ways to Entertain

March 13, 2013 Sarah Beals 6 comments

Spring and summer are some of the best times to entertain and show hospitality. As the warm weather comes, you can move your party outside and enjoy warm evenings together. Casual barbecue dinners, sitting in the sunshine sipping lemonade with friends or more elegant dining on the patio with votive candles a-twinkling make this my favorite time of the year for hospitality!20 easy ways to entertain lemonade

But, the best kind of entertaining happens when we aren’t frazzled when guests arrive. Gourmet cooking might be your passion, but for the rest of us, I humbly offer these easy ideas that are perfect for the warmer weather that’s ahead of us!

1. Simple Chips and Salsa:  Find pretty linen napkins that you love. Line a basket with the colorful cloth, fill to the brim with warm tortilla chips and serve with my dad’s amazing salsa recipe here.

2. Soda Floats: In the summer, make root beer floats and serve them with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and a fun striped straw.

3. Movie Night: Initiate a movie night. This is especially great for families with little kids. The kids sit and watch the movie and munch popcorn while the grown ups gab in the kitchen.

4. Game Night: Invite some couples over for some favorite board games and serve simple brownie ice cream sundaes. You can use muffin tins to bake individual brownies in. While they are still warm, push the middle down to form a small indent for ice cream.

5. Pizza Night: Make your own pizza night. Make or buy pizza dough, and let everyone make their own pizza. The toppings are endless: pepper, onion, mushrooms, pepperoni, etc…

6. Coffee Double Date: Dessert and coffee with friends. (Or if you are in the north, iced coffee with friends!)

7. Cheese and Fruit Tray: Make an artisanal cheese and fruit platter. Serve ice tea in stemware and you’ve got an easy table assortment that everyone will pick at while you talk.

8. Use your crock pot. Crock pot meals take the last minute pressure off you as a hostess, and is usually forgiving if guests are late.

9. Frozen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Keep chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer so you can pull them out in a pinch when company drops in unexpectedly.

10. Soup and Salad: Have a soup and salad get together. Ask each family to bring a different soup. You provide the salad and rolls. Easy.

11. Play Date: Have a young moms play date. Ask the moms to bring snacks for their own kids since they usually have a preference as to what they eat, and you focus on the adult snack. Child proof your house so the moms can relax.

12. Casual Brunch: Have friends over for a casual brunch. Homemade waffles topped with fresh fruit, sausage, orange juice and coffee.

13. Grill Out: Invite friends over for burgers on the grill. Make a platter of toppings like lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, pickles, bacon, etc. In the warm weather, sit outside and place a candle on your table for atmosphere as the sun goes down. Grill corn on the cob. Delish.

14. Share a slice of your life: When Rebekah came home from her missions trip, we had several couples over for snacks and to view her trip pictures. We shared stories and enjoyed Christian fellowship.

15. Last Minute Meet Up: Initiate a meet-up at the park, beach or local attraction with other moms with young kids. Pack your own lunches, spread a blanket and enjoy the company.

16. Pretty Presentation, but all Pre-Made. You can find so many delish goodies at places like Trader Joe’s.  Again, use your ninja display skills to make something simple look elegant. Crackers topped with mild brie cheese and fruit jam, heat and serve hors d’oeuvres, store bought bruschetta on french bread, brie and cranberry wrapped in phyllo dough.

17. Beach Trip: If you like near the ocean, pack up the kids and a lunch and meet friends for a fun days of sand and sun. (the kids play beautifully at the beach and moms can talk!)

18. Taco Bar: Make your own tacos with all the fixings. Easy and inexpensive and kids love to make these.

19. Baked Potato Bar: Purchase large baked potatoes, bake and serve with lots of toppings including sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon, chili, or whatever you love.

20. Potluck BBQ: Everyone brings their own meat to grill and something to share: baked beans, potato salad, strawberry summer salad, or whatever you love. If you have a large party, ask them to bring their own lawn chairs as well. You provide drinks, plates, meat for your family and something sweet for dessert. Easy way to entertain a crowd.

When you have kids over, consider putting out bubbles, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes or other age appropriate toys that they can enjoy while the adults chat. It makes it easier for the parents and more interesting for the kids.

What are your favorite ways to entertain in the warm weather? Feel free to share in the comments!

 

Hospitality, Interests, Joy, ministry , ,

Hospitality 101 Series

March 8, 2013 Sarah Beals 7 comments

My sweet friend Niki asked me to share some ideas for extending hospitality in the home, a topic that I am happy to cover because it is near and dear to my heart.

In the last few years, I’ve been asked to speak several times to women’s groups on using the home for hospitality, and it seems that God is moving women to open their eyes to all that we have at our disposal in our homes for the sake of the gospel. (Stuff we often take for granted or complain about!)

I believe hospitality is one the most underestimated, under-utilized ministries in the church today.

I believe our homes are the “hidden talent” (Matthew 25:14-30) of our modern day churches, because it is a resource that is rarely used. Women today value being out of the home doing “important things.” But God says that by being a good manager of your home, and by caring well for your family and others, and by extending our hands–and homes–to the needy via hospitality, the gospel will be well spoken of.

In the scope of all church history, American women have so much!  I wonder what God’s response will be when we are asked how we used our goods (homes, clothes, meals, technology, etc…) for His sake? Were we good stewards of His gifts? Or did we use them for our own pleasure and indulgence? Will it be “Well done, good and faithful servant.” or “You foolish servant!”?

I often imagine the gasping, wide-eyed, mouth-gaped-open look of amazement in the faces of the other saints in heaven, when they realize all that I had at my disposal as a middle-class American woman, part of the top 5% richest people in all the WORLD. I imagine their excitement, their leaning in a little closer to hear what I MUST have done for our Lord with all THAT at my disposal, expecting to hear great things! It haunts me, actually, that thought.  It prompts me to steward our home well.

I encourage women to reach out of their comfort zones and into the community for the sake of the gospel. I joke and call it “Espresso Evangelism.” –Invite a neighbor in for coffee or to just to encourage her. Read out, instead of getting stuck in the rut of only associating with the women of your church, like it’s some kind of country club.  Invite a mom from the community over to your home and befriend her. What are her needs? The gospel? Parenting help? A listening, supportive ear? Counseling? Material goods?

It starts by simply using what you have. Look around you. Of what has God made you a steward? A teapot? A tea cup? Share it for the sake of the gospel.

I love this quote:

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR LIVING ROOM AS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR NEW LIFE, HOPE, MINISTRY AND MISSION.

and this one:

“The ultimate act of hospitality was when Jesus Christ died for sinners to make everyone who believes a member of the household of God.

We are no longer strangers and sojourners. We have come home to God. Everybody who trusts in Jesus finds a home in God.”


I’ve told Niki that I feel kinda silly writing some of these ideas down, because so much of it seems like common sense. She told me that if you didn’t grow up in a home where hospitality was modeled, then it isn’t common sense. So, next week, it’s Hospitality week here on the blog, so gear up for some basic Hospitality 101 type posts.

But before we start, I want to point you to some older articles I’ve written on the subject, and also share some of my favorite articles around the web.

In the comments below, tell what you’d like to learn in this series or share your favorite hospitality tip, won’t you?

Hospitality, Interests, Joy, ministry, Not So Common, Common Sense , ,

Schools Decide that Cursive is N/A, and Why I Believe in the Handwritten Letter

February 8, 2013 Sarah Beals 13 comments

Do you write letters?

I feel sorry for those who don’t know the joy of writing and receiving a personal letter. They don’t know what they are missing. In today’s world of efficiency and productivity, a hand written letter is undervalued. Why put all that time into something that only ONE person will ever read? is the mindset.

Each persons handwriting expresses their personality and helps you know them a little more intimately.

We’re bracing for a huge blizzard today here, and while I planned ahead for food for my family, books to read, and games to play with my kids, on the top of my list is letter writing.

This article in the WSJ about schools who plan to stop teaching cursive script handwriting just plain made me sad. “What child really needs to know cursive?” they argue. “What they need in today’s world is word processing skills!” 

I disagree. Children who are raised in an atmosphere of computers need the handwritten word more than ever. Education is not merely about skills needed to produce and be productive. Education should also include art skills, like beautiful handwriting, painting, music and drama because these are the things that touch souls and promote relationships. I rarely read and re-read a typed email, but I will return to a letter or glance at its beautiful script several times.

I have written letters all my life. When Peter and I were separated during our college years we communicated through letters every day. Not only did I read and re-read his letters, I could tell a lot by his handwriting, whether he was busy, relaxed, stressed, or anxious. Letter writing is more personal, and you can say things more thoroughly in a letter than you could say face to face. I’ve written to a dear friend for over 15 years, and although we’ve never met, her words of wisdom guided much of my homeschool experience. Her handwriting was a gift to me.

Edith Schaeffer in The Hidden Art of Homemaking encourages women to not only write letters, but to embellish them with artwork to add intimacy, warmth and personality to a letter.

Some of her wisdom:

“If writing is your buried art form, disinter it and develop it. Hidden art in the area of writing can be developed in a practical way for the fulfilment of the writer and for the enjoyment and enrichment of the lives of family, friends, and  casual contacts. Writing for enjoyment of expression, like music and art, does not need an audience of more than one.”

“You are writing a letter to a friend, your fiancee, your husband or wife, your children…but if you express yourself or your mood better with a sketch than in words, you sketch at the top of the page, or intersperse writing with sketches. They can be beautiful, serious or amusing. You have made the letter more interesting and more communicative.”

“If it is time for a card, do not simply buy a card but sketch one, paint one, or paint a whole booklet to commemorate a big occasion. While this is an outlet, it is also something which develops human relationships on a real and human level, rather than an artificial and plastic one.”

“Write without ambitious pride, which makes you feel it is a ‘waste’ to write what will never be published. Write to communicate with someone, even if it is literally only one person. It is not a waste to write beautiful prose or poetry for one person’s eyes alone!”

“If you are a parent with a children away from you for some reason or another-write, write, WRITE. Home is made up of communication and growing relationships. If you havent the daily possibility of preparing artistic and delicious meals for your children…if your children are in boarding school because that is the custom of your society, if your kind of work transplants you into a foreign country, writing frequent and adequate letters is imperative, whether or not you have a talent for writing!”

“You are making lunches for your children to carry to school or your husband takes a lunch with him to work–why not make the lunches communicate more than just the originality and deliciousness of the content, by slipping in some surprise communication in writing?”

“If you have an important letter it can go under the pillow to be read at bedtime when it is found just as the person is climbing in, before the light goes out.”

 

Don’t know when to write? Here are a few suggestions:

  •  When someone pays you a small kindness, gives you a gift, or encourages you and you wish to thank them.
  • When a child goes off to summer camp, hide a few letters in his luggage to be found during their week away.
  • When someone has a sickness, long-term illness, long-term rehabilitation or there has been a death in the family.
  • When children are away from home or in college.
  • When someone is discouraged and needs a kind word. If a child has had a particularly trying day or an mountain-top monumental day, a note on their pillow is a welcomed surprise.
  • When you’ve noticed someone seems a little down, and you want to encourage them.
  • When you want to invest in a relationship and get to know someone more intimately.

Tips to make letter writing more enjoyable:

Use high quality paper. It doesn’t need to be expensive. I like to use a heavy weight cream Strathmore linen paper that is easily available at Wal-mart in the resume and business aisle.  A linen finish has a nicer feel when you write. You can fold the cream paper in half or in fourth to make a quick card. They also sell small cream linen envelopes (4″X 6″) that fit a quarter-folded sheet and coordinates with your paper.
Find a pen you love. Be aware of what tool makes your script glide effortlessly and what seems laborious. You’ll know it when you write with it. Then stock up. I can’t write neatly with some pens. I prefer a smooth glide or fine, smooth glide felt tipped pen.
Have a special stock of high quality papers on hand for special occasions, or if you are crafty, make your own cards.  I personally love Boston-based Crane Papers. They make gorgeous stationery sets and I love addressing their heavy weight envelopes.
Shop for Handmade Cards on Etsy. There are so many lovely card makers on Etsy. Two I especially love are my friend Crystal’s designs here and this lady’s here.

Is this handmade card not the cutest? http://www.etsy.com/listing/107907390/sweet-shoppe-cupcake-happy-birthday?

 

Practice your own handwriting. I know this seems a little second-gradish, but handwriting is an art form that needs practice. I ordered the Spencerian Penmanship  Handwriting Course years ago and still enjoy practicing this old school method.

It looks overwhelming at first, until you realize that it teaches only 7 strokes that you need to know to form each lowercase letter. There are four additional strokes used for uppercase. That’s it. The rest is practice putting the strokes together. You can find a downloadable copy of an old Spencerian manual here. Don’t be overwhelmed by the front matter. Skip ahead to the first few lessons and analyze how each letter is made, and it will give you the courage to try it. :)

The seven strokes used for Spencerian Handwriting. Beautiful!

What do you say? Is handwriting a lost art in today’s world? Do you re-read hand written letters? Do you think that teaching kids to write cursive is a low on the totem pole priority in today’s world? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

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Christian living, Homemaking, Interests, Joy

Thankful for the Messes

November 1, 2012 Sarah Beals One comment

I am thankful that my house is sometimes messy.

I rarely post pictures of my hair a mess, the kitchen sink full of dishes, or laundry folded on my kitchen table.

But today, I am celebrating the messes, because kid’s messes mean that there is life and activity at home right now.

Someday, all will be silent, and clean and tidy and perfect. “Someday” will come sooner than I can imagine, I am sure.

But today, my life is violin cases scattered on my couches, Playmobil cities that overtake my living room, cake decorating paraphernalia and icing on my counters, computers and homeschool books on my kitchen table.

And I am glad of it.

Joy, My Family , ,

Peace in the Midst of Hurricane Sandy

October 30, 2012 Sarah Beals 6 comments

As many of you know, this week Hurricane Sandy came up the east coast. Many of you have expressed your well wishes for our family and told us that you were praying for us. I want to thank you all right now for that.

Our home and property had no damage, and although we lost power for just a few minutes, we got it back quickly and had no problems.

I would ask you to continue to pray for my sister Hannah’s family. They are still without power and of course, this is a major concern and inconvenience for their daughter Addy who is relies on a ventilator for breathing for much of the day. They were told that their electricity will not be restored until Thursday. They are doing well, but the nursing schedule and inconvenience of having to move all of her equipment is added work for Hannah and Jon.

We are thankful that our family and friends are all well. We are still praying for those who lost so much during this historic storm. Here is a video clip of our back yard, when the storm was still in NJ.

20121030-230749.mov

I took a la-de-dah attitude about the storm because we have never really had a major storm like this that I can remember. As I realized that this was going to bigger than I had thought, I started to panic inwardly. And the anxiety only grew as I watched news coverage of the storm.

I am thankful for a friend who encouraged me to put on some Christian music. I have to tell you that this was just the remedy I needed. Instead of listening to the howling wind, I was saturating my mind with words like “Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus,” and “I know a fount where sins are washed away,” and “Be still and know, that I am God.”

Amazing how refocusing on the One who is in control helps to calm our fears. And I am thankful for friends who have the courage to point me to God’s word when I am losing it! :)

Joy, Uncategorized ,

Choosing Joy During the Ho-Ho-Holidays {even when you’re stressed}

October 17, 2012 Sarah Beals 3 comments

 

Tis the season to be stressed out.

Really, that is how I feel when I see Christmas decor in Walmart well before October has even come or gone. My insides shake and worry rises in my heart.

Today, I am guest posting at my friend Elizabeth’s blog where I am sharing my 5 point simple checklist to rein in my thoughts during times of stress. Join me?

Guest Post, Joy

Thoughts on Friendship from Me and C.S. Lewis

June 16, 2012 Sarah Beals 8 comments

Today seemed like a holiday. A mini-vacation.

My friend Shana asked me to go over for lunch. We are both in the same season of life, each of us with a child away right now: hers in military training and mine in Germany.

Our kids are the same ages and have grown up together. I have pictures of our oldest kids together in their feety pajamas. It seems like just yesterday we were talking about child training, sippy cups and potty training.

But today we talked of children leaving home. We shared our struggles and confided fears. For me, Shana is a safe person to talk to. She has a kind heart that trusts God. She is always gracious and wise with her mouth. Her life honors God and blesses mine. Sitting on her front porch in the sun, chatting away and philosophizing did my heart good.

Then tonight I had one on one time with my sweet twelve-year-old, Holly. We went to the Christmas Tree Shop and bought silly things. She wanted a mood ring and flip-flops. I wanted a Turbie Twist and napkins.

My Holly Dolly

We went out for supper and she told me about her friendships and favorite things to do. Later we watched the stars. She thanked me for “all the stuff I bought her” and told me that she loved being alone with me. She is at a wonderful age, so full of questions and laughter. In her eyes, the world hold nothing but hope right now. I have no intention of shattering that perception. There will be time for reality later on. For now, I’ll let her dream and chatter on about her little friends.

Friendships are one of God’s best gifts. Iron does indeed sharpen iron. God taught us how to love and He calls us friends. He intends for us to pour our lives and hearts into others and tells us to love as He loved.

Nurture your godly friendships. Don’t be afraid to love and share your heart. There is always risk in any relationship, but that is okay. You can’t help but pity people who have never had true friendships because they are so touchy, moody, sensitive or combative: just plain selfish. They usually end up alone and lonely as a result.

C.S. Lewis said it best:

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless–it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

 

Have you thanked God for your friendships? Are you friendly? Are people better for having known you? Or are you someone that people avoid because they never know what they are going to get with you? What changes can you make today to be a better friend?

Christian living, Joy, Random, I know!, Uncategorized ,

Surrendering Our Will- Even in Harsh Conditions

May 10, 2012 Sarah Beals One comment

You may remember this post that I wrote last year about my lone pansy that had grown in our rock patio entitled “Growing Between A Rock and A Hard Place.”

Well, this week I came out to find a surprise. My little pansies were no longer alone. They had grown and multiplied and are now lining the wall of my stone foundation and bluestone patio. Seems that they did well in spite of their rocky surroundings. In fact, they not only thrived, they reproduced.

Do you believe that God has you right where He wants you today, whatever your circumstances?  Do you view them as an another opportunity for dependence on Christ and a surrendering of your will on a moment by moment basis?

In the midst of what seems mundane, can you embrace your reality or will you spend your days wishing things were “different”?

Can you accept your limitations, problems, trials–and even embrace them as good gifts?

Can you bloom where you are planted?

Let me encourage you today to remember that God is working on your behalf. Though the circumstances might not be what you “signed up for”, they are in fact what God is using to mold you into the image of His son.

It’s not about happiness. It is about holiness.

Happiness is temporal. Holiness reaches forth and carries on through eternity.

Doing what makes you happy is the easy way. Doing what makes you holy is the up hill, fight for every inch gained hard way. It is the upward path.

“Brokenness is the shattering of my self-will – the absolute surrender of my will to the will of God. It is saying “Yes, Lord!” – no resistance, no chafing, no stubbornness – simply submitting myself to His direction and will in my life.” Nancy Leigh DeMoss

And when you bloom where you are planted, despite your surroundings, you show God’s grace in your life…and you encourage others to bloom around you.

“I have learned that in every circumstance that comes my way, I can choose to respond in one of two ways: I can whine or I can worship! And I can’t worship without giving thanks. It just isn’t possible. When we choose the pathway of worship and giving thanks, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances, there is a fragrance, a radiance, that issues forth out of our lives to bless the Lord and others.” Nancy Leigh DeMoss

How about you? Are you whining today or choosing to worship?

LINKED TO SISTERS IN BLOOM

 

Christian living, Great Quotes, Joy , , ,

Hope for Moms In the Crazy Cycle

March 29, 2012 Sarah Beals 2 comments


Yesterday I slipped my oldest daughter’s Missions Prayer Card into the back her baby book.

Then I cried.

Not because of the trip. But because the time had passed so quickly and it just seemed so ironic. Here I was, cramming this card into the back of a baby book that clearly had no page for “college years.”

A younger mom called me this week. She was full of fear over the behavior of her little one.

The child was into everything, and not responding well to training.

But in reality, this child was not bad. The mom was just tired and desperate.

Moms of little ones, I am here to tell you that this too shall pass. Yes, you are in a crazy cycle, but it ends, this stage you’re in!

I know that you are caught up in the moment of the constant “No’s” and “Come heres”, the “Don’t touch!” and the thousand other things you say and do to toddlers.

You teach, train, correct, chase, wipe, clean, play, carry, feed and then do it all again. Every day. Same things, same surroundings, no changes.

Some of you have put your own dreams on hold and you wonder if this is what your life will always be.

And you get tired of the mundane. It is tiring.

And in your exhaustion you can lose focus.

THIS will end, this time of training and whirlwind of disaster averment before they crack their heads on the coffee table or fall down the stairs adrenaline rush of a stage you’re in.

 

This stage can be a blur.

So before you spin out of control or into dispair, stop and breath and see it for what it is. Passing. 

Take some time for yourself to add beauty to your life so you can jump back on this short merry-go-round of a time you’re in.

Go for a walk. Change up your scenery. Read a book. Buy some flowers. Do lunch with a friend.

Do what it takes to clear your vision so you can be all there.

Because they are leaving before you know it.

And you’ll be wishing you could add pages and addendum’s to their baby books like I am.

Christian Parenting, Joy
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