End of the Week Affirmation

At the end of a long, hard week, sometimes we just need to be reminded of who we are in Christ and where we stand with God.  The daily mess we walk through in this world can leave us feeling icky and looking stained in our own eyes, but we have to grab a hold of who we are to the One who matters.  

I took a handful of verses that speak to who I am and how God sees me and wrote a letter of affirmation to keep on hand as a reminder.  It is written in the voice of God, and based completely off of His Word.  My sweet sister, this is true for you too.  These words are for you.  God loves you!  If you are weary and in need of a reminder today as you wrap up your week, feeling run down by all the burdens you carried or the times you fell short through the week, grab on to this, stake claim in these promises, and rest in God’s unfailing love for you.  

My Princess, You are my chosen and beloved child.  You were predestined to be mine.  I chose you before the creation of the world to be my chosen one.  I sent my Son to die on the cross so that you would be perfect and blameless in my sight, and that you are; there is not a spot on you.  You are my beloved and I am enthralled by your beauty.  When I made you, I did my best work and made you perfectly and wonderfully.  I am with you and rejoice over you with singing.  Even when you go through trials, you are blessed.  Remember, blessed is the woman who patiently endures trials, for when you stand the test you will receive the crown of life that I promise to give you.  When you endure this life on earth, remember that nothing, NOTHING, can separate you from my love.  I promise my child, that I am going to work all things out for your good.  I have great plans for you, I am going to prosper you and give you a future and a hope.  I am with you, I’ve got you and I will never leave you or forsake you.  I love you!

(Psalm 45:11, Colossians 3:14, Zephaniah 3:17, James 1:12, Ephesians 1:4-5, Psalm 139, Romans 8:28-35, Jeremiah 29:11)

Seeds of Faith

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed.  It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that all the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 

-Matthew 13:31-32

I love this parable.  When the seed of faith is planted, it has the capacity to grow into a tall, strong tree in which others can find shelter.  This means so much to me as a mom.  I want to have the kind of faith that my daughters can nest in while they grow in their own faith.  When a tree grows strong and tall, it can withstand the wind and storms, but when the wind blows, the seeds from the tree are scattered.  I want faith strong and sturdy enough to withstand the storms of life.  When I encounter trials, I want to walk through them in a way that others will grow in their faith as they witness unshakable faith in an unshakable God.  I want seeds to fall from my tree daily to be planted in the lives of those around me.  Today I will focus on nurturing my own tree, feeding it with the Word of God and keeping any weeds from growing around it. 

Lord, my Precious God-

Thank you for your word and the power within it.  Lord, I want faith strong and big like a tree.  May my girls find shelter there as their faith matures.  Lord, mature me through your word and use me to plant seeds of faith in the lives of those around me.  I am willing and I am yours.  I love you! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

A New Path

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.  These are the things I will do.”

-Isaiah 42:16

Okay, so I have another “walking the dogs revelation” to share with you.  I am sorry to give you two in one week but I have to tell you that when I am walking my dogs, worship music playing in the headphones and the beauty of God’s creation all around me, God has my full attention.  So I get “walking the dogs revelations” just about as often as I walk them.  

Last night I took my dogs on a new path that my husband and father-in-law had just cleared for us by mowing down weeds and moving some equipment that was there.  They smoothed out the ground with the tractor and made a perfect path.  For over five years now my dogs and I have been walking the same comfortable, familiar, and safe path.  We walked some of our usual path last night but when I took the unexpected turn and headed down the new path my dogs were over the top excited.  Their tails were wagging, and, in excitement to see what was before us, they ran ahead of me.  But then they stopped and looked back at me with their heads cocked sideways as if to question, “Are you sure this is the way?”  I called them back to walk next to me, and I guided them home through our new path.  

As we walked, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart about walking new paths with Him.  He showed me, once again, how I am like my dogs.  When He leads me down paths I haven’t traveled yet, I get excited and run ahead sometimes.  Then I look back at him and ask, “Are you sure this is the way, God?”  But He always assures me that He has gone before me.  He has cleared the path and made the rough places smooth.  If I walk by His side, He will guide me through the new path and shine the light of His presence into the darkness of the unknown.

Are you headed down a new path? I bet most of us are headed down an unfamiliar path in at least one area of our lives right now.  Maybe you are headed into a new season of your life that is looking much different than the last.  That can be scary.  Perhaps you are starting to walk the path of a new relationship and the path before you is exciting but very unfamiliar.  The new paths we are on look different for each of us, whether they consist of new jobs, new places, new friends, or maybe even a new addition to your family.  It is both scary and exciting to walk blindly with Jesus down paths we have not yet known, but how rewarding it will be when we look back and see the intimacy we experienced with the Lord on our journey.  

Lord, thank you for the journey you are taking us on, and thank you that we don’t have to walk the journey alone.  Help me, by the power of your Holy Spirit, to be sensitive to your guidance and to stay by your side.  I know sometimes I get excited and try to run ahead, but by your side is truly where I want to be.  Help me to take it one step at a time, enjoying your company along the way.  I love you, my Lord.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Where's Your Hope?

“A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.  But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.  May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”

-Psalm 33: 17-22

We were terrified when we first came home from our two week stay in the hospital due to my baby Sydnee’s battle with parainfluenza and pneumonia.  We were scared to death that she was going to get sick again.  As I am sure you all know, little ones get sick often, but we were determined to do whatever it took to make sure that Sydnee did not get sick.  I lost sleep and wore myself out in my attempt to protect my baby.  Then one day the Lord spoke to me with this verse.  He assured me that yes, there were precautions to take to help protect her, but I was putting my hope in the wrong place.  My hope was in myself…I was the horse in this verse.  I tried to convince myself that I was strong enough to protect her and to save her from ever experiencing an ounce of pain again in her life. God gently put me back in my place that day and told me to put my hope and trust in Him and His unfailing love, so I did.  I was reminded that God loves Sydnee even more than I do, and He was the one who delivered her from death and kept her alive while I helplessly stood by and watched.  I still battle this fear often, but as I fight that fear I do frequent hope checks to see where my hope is.

 

Maybe you can relate to this as a mother.  As moms we carry so much burden and responsibility for our children, and it is exhausting.  Even if you are not a mother I am sure you can relate to putting your hope in something other than God at some time in your life, whether it be money, job security, people, or yourself.  Where’s your hope today? If you find it is anywhere other than in God, may you take this moment to redirect your hope.  Put your hope in Him and His unfailing love.  He is our help and shield.  He is worthy of our trust.  Let us not hope in vain, but hope in the Mighty, Loving God who has the power to deliver us. 

Father God, thank you for being the strong, loving God who we can put all of our hope and faith in.  Forgive me, Lord, for placing my hope in my own human strength or in worldly forms of security.  You, Lord, are my help, my shield, my strength, and my security.  My heart rejoices as I put my hope in you today.  I know that you are working on my behalf.  “May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”  Thank you for this unfailing love of yours.  You are amazing.  I love you. Amen.

Prone to Wander

My family and I live on a farm, and we have two adorable, sometimes obnoxious, pups, a chocolate lab named Yager and a golden retriever named Izzy. When we first got Yager, I would take him for a walk every day. Living on a farm I knew that eventually I would be able to walk him leash-free, but starting off, I had to train him on a leash. I had one of those long, retractable leashes. During our first walks together I would give the leash as much slack as possible. Yager would run ahead of me, determined to go his own direction while many times putting his nose where it didn’t belong. I would let Yager wander ahead of me and give him the freedom to explore, but I would always tug him back to me before he got too far or got himself into danger. Eventually, Yager learned that he would rather walk right by my side. He gained trust in me; he learned that I knew the way we should go and that I would lead him back home to his cozy bed and food and water bowl. He soon found pleasure in my company and no longer needed a leash for our walks, because right by my side is exactly where he wanted to be.

One day during one of our walks I realized a connection to my walk with Jesus. As a new Christian, God had me on a leash, but He let me wander ahead and experiment with my own paths. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” As a young believer God allowed me just enough space to explore each path before me. Like my beloved pup, I would often put my nose where it didn’t belong, but the Lord would always tug me back just before I got to the dead end. After traveling many paths and realizing the emptiness of reaching multiple dead ends, I learned that the best path to be on was the one my Master was on. He knew the way better than I did, and I could trust him to lead me to a place where I had all that I needed. God knew exactly what He was doing by allowing me to wander off the path just a bit. I chased relationships that left me brokenhearted and dreams that left me feeling empty. It took some time, but finally I came to realize there was nowhere else I’d rather be than walking right next to the Lord. Today I walk in complete freedom, leash-free, enjoying his company in my daily walk with Jesus.

This story reminds me of the lyrics of the hymn, "Come Thou Fount."  The lyrics say, "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love."  We are all prone to wander, hard wired with determination to go our own way.  But in our daily walks with Jesus we come to the realization that there is no greater place to be than by the side of our Master, Savior, and Friend. 

Have a blessed Sunday friends!

Peace: At All Times In Every Way

“Peace I leave 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.” 

-John 14:27

Close your eyes and picture “peace.”  Picture yourself at perfect peace.  Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you with?

I would be curious to know how many of you pictured yourself on a quiet beach with a book in your hand, soaking in some warm rays of sun.  Or maybe your peace is on the deck of a mountain cabin sipping on a warm cup of coffee.  Did anyone picture themselves in their daily chaos, juggling tasks of work, kids, husbands and other daily responsibilities?  

Notice that Jesus points out in this verse that He does not give as the world gives, and the Bible tells us that the peace of Jesus is for all times in every way (2 Thessalonians 3:16).  Hmmmm.  Take that one in for a minute.  This means that the peace of Jesus is for the moment when I am pulling out my hair with a one-year old latched on to me and a three year-old throwing a tantrum.  His peace was for me as I knelt in the hallway of the hospital’s pediatric ward praying for my child’s life.  His peace is for the mom of school aged children as she rushes kids to and from soccer practice and piano lessons and is feeding them fast food in the car on the way there.  This peace is for the mom who just sent her last baby away to college and is disturbed by the unwanted peace and quiet that she once longed for.  This peace is for the woman who is waiting for a child to call her own and finds the longing in her soul painful and some days unbearable.  This peace is for all of us, girls, at all times, in every way.  

I bet I know what some of you are thinking…how in the world am I supposed to grab a hold of His peace in those most chaotic moments?  Our answer is found in Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”  We fix our minds on Jesus, our Prince of Peace.  When you are in the midst of your chaos and find yourself planning your escape where you can runaway and take a nice, long bubble bath…alone…without tiny fingers poking through under the bathroom door…with classical music playing in the background…and a lavender candle burning an aroma that makes you feel calm and relaxed (oops, sorry.  I got carried away for a minute there.), just whisper the name of Jesus.  Fix your mind on Him. Talk to Him and ask Him to show you His peace, not like the world gives, but as He gives.  Let His presence overwhelm you in the moment.  

It is a supernatural miracle that occurs when we are captured by the presence of God.   Earlier I mentioned kneeling in the hallway of the pediatric ward, praying for my child’s life.   I mentioned that memory because it stands out as one of those moments when I experienced God’s perfect peace.  My 3 month old daughter was very near death and was having a procedure done.  The doctors asked me to step out so I went into the hallway and put on one of my favorite worship songs, got down on my knees, and cried out to God.  With tears streaming down my face, I felt Jesus come and sit in front of me, resting my head in his lap.  He was there with me.  I was overcome by His presence, and my heart was no longer troubled or afraid.  That is the perfect peace that Jesus promises to give us at all times in every way. 

I am not including a prayer today.  Instead, I am including a link to a song by Laura Story, titled Perfect Peace.  As you listen to this song, pray and fix your mind on the Prince of Peace.  You can choose to do it now, or wait until you need a fresh dose of peace after your day gets going.  Either way, I pray this helps you find peace.  

Fix your minds on Him today, and He will keep you in perfect peace.   Have a peaceful day today, dear friends. 

Happy Friday!