Posted on

“Sleep? Do We Really Need It?”

All of us have the same 24-hour period.  And what we do with our time is our choice. It seems that we try to get more done each day than is humanly possible.  A lot of times what gets cut is how many hours of sleep we get.

In my own life I have been working on implementing the “BALANCED” life, which starts with Bedtime.  I do struggle with getting enough sleep.  I keep trying to cram as much into my day as possible.  Before I know it, it’s 10:30 at night and I am still working on getting into bed.  And 3:30 comes very quickly for another long day.  I have learned that this is not the best for me physically, emotionally or spiritually.

For each person the need for sleep will be different.  We should get between 6-10 hours of sleep per night depending on age, and health conditions.

Those that are very young need a lot more sleep.  A baby grows very rapidly at first and believe it or not a lot of growing happens while they are sleeping.  For the first couple of years it is good for them to spend more than half of their day (24 hours) sleeping.  Then it cuts back to more of half of the day (24 hours).

Another time when big growth spurts usually happen is in the teenage years.  I have read that a little over 9 hours a night is best for a teenager.  Wow, talk about difficult. It seems impossible to get them to get that many hours of sleep.  They think they are invincible and they don’t need all that sleep.  But the attitudes we have to deal with tell us something different.  They don’t understand that they will have to pay for this later on in life.  I think those of us that are older can attest to that.

For the average adult, we need anywhere from 6-10 hours of sleep.  I think we all know when we do the best and how much sleep we really need.  Now we may be ignoring the signs but deep down we know.

You all have heard the saying, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise.”  I don’t know about the wealth part, but I can say by experience that when I get to bed earlier it does make a difference in how early I can get up and have a great day.  I seem to do better when I get more hours in before midnight.

I know a lot of people will say, “That all sounds good but I have a hard time getting to bed any earlier than 11pm.  I just can’t seem to get relaxed enough to get to bed any earlier.  I just go and finely drop at 11pm.”

It is really good to have a morning routine and an evening routine.  The evening routine can be really good in helping a person to relax, whether you’re a teen or an adult.  This can also apply to children and some things to babies.  Most of the time if we are relaxed our babies, as well as our children, will be relaxed.  If we as adults learn to be calm and relaxed in the evening it has an effect on the rest of those in our home.

But there are some factors that can help in bringing about this relaxing atmosphere.

  1. Journal.  One thing that I have found beneficial is to journal.  This can be added to your morning and evening routine.  I have been using a very simple free app called “Five Minute Journal”.  It helps me get a focus on my day and then in the evening I can write down my best accomplishments for the day.  It also asks you what is one thing that could have been better.  This clears you mind from thinking on the day’s activities.
  2. Make a list. I also find it good to make a list of things that I need to get off my mind.  These may be things that I need to get done the next day, or any day in the future.  I use the free version of “Evernote” for my memory.  You can make separate notebooks and name them.  I love it.  So you can make a list, put a date at the top of each note and then just lay out some notes.  This is a good way to empty those things out of your mind that keep your mind running a hundred miles per hour.  You can even make it a checklist.  Each day as you accomplish these tasks check them off.  If you don’t get them done just copy and paste them into the next days list.
  3. Turn off all electronics. It is best to turn off all electronics at least one hour before going to bed.  The lights and activity of phones, computers, and television keep the brain stimulated.
  4. Read a book or listen to some calm, quiet music. This is really good for everyone.  If you have small children, read to them.  As you are reading they will start relaxing and so will you.  Even a teen can crawl into bed and have a book that can calm and relax them so that they are ready to sleep.
  5. Drink a hot cup of calming herb tea. This can be a great thing to do to get you calmed and relaxed.  One of my favorites is “Sleepy Time”, which you can get at most grocery stores as well as health food stores.
  6. Try implementing an essential oil routine. This is something I have learned about more recently and I love how certain essential oils work for me.  I put some on the bottom of my feet just before going to bed and it gives me restful sleep.  It is great!
  7. Prayer.  I have found this to be amazing as well.  After you have gone through your routine, crawl into bed and spend the next few minutes in prayer.  I can tell you this is a wonderful way to lay all your burdens on the One that cares.  He is the answer to all your problems and perplexities.  It is so relieving to give everything to God.

Dear Father,

Thank You that you are there to take all of our burdens.  Give us Your rest as we cast all our burdens upon you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Remember to cast all your burdens upon the One that can give you true rest.

What routine do you do to relax yourself before bed?  I would love to hear your ideas.

 

 

Posted on

“I’m Going West, How About You?”

Do you feel at times that you are not going anywhere?  You’re trying to accomplish something in your life but it seems that you’re not progressing.  You go to your job every day come home and that is the routine.  You feel as if you are in a trap and can’t get out.  You maybe don’t even enjoy your job but you have to keep the money coming in, even though you can’t seem to get ahead.  But then the question remains, what is the most important thing in this life and why am I here?

I love history.  If we forget how the Lord has led us in our past history, we have something to fear.  We can’t take God out of history. He must remain.  I was reading History with my daughter the other day.  And I was realizing how much people went through to move west.

I can first look at the pilgrims that came to the New World.  They gave up everything to come here.  They gave up wealth, family, friends, and possessions. They gave up everything.

As the population grew, there were many that were seeking a better land so they would sell all that they had and buy what was needed to travel west.  They would often travel in a group because it was safer.  I would say most of the people who went west if they could have seen the future of what could or would happen they would not have even started the journey.

It would be a slow journey.  Along the way, they would have to lessen their load, getting rid of more of their cherished things.  There would be accidents or illness and some would die.  There were many times of sadness as they journeyed on to a better land.

At times there was discouragement.  They had to keep the goal before them in mind so that they would keep going.  There were those who got discouraged and turned back.  They forgot their past history. They forgot why they were going west and what their goals were in life, when trials came.

There were enemies that they encountered along the way as well.  Some died and some were wounded, some recovered from their wounds and others did not.  But they kept going.

It made me think of our Christian walk.  We are all on a journey.  Our goal is heaven.  We all have our reasons of why we started this journey.  But I think we can all agree that we are looking for a better Land.  We started this Christian journey to reach the Promised Land, the Land that is flowing with milk and honey.  The Land where there will be no more pain, neither sorrow nor crying.  A Place where nothing but joy reigns.

Just like the pioneers had to sort through their things and only take those things that they thought were necessary with them, we also have some sorting to do.  Each of us when we gave our heart to God we realized things that we needed to allow God to take out of our lives.

And just like the pioneers had to let go of more things along the way, as Christians we need to do the same.  As we go through this journey and we draw closer to Christ and closer to His coming to take us to the Promised Land, we see things that we need to drop out of our lives.

I am grateful that the Lord does not show us everything at one time and that it is all a growing process.  Just like the pioneers, if we knew all the changes and things that would happen through our Christian walk most of us probably would not even start.  God is so gracious to us.

There will be times in our Christian walk that we will be discouraged.  There will be times that we will get wounded through the battles with enemies of God.  But what is going to be our response?  Are we going to rely and trust God or are we going to turn back?  There may even be times where we feel dead spiritually.  When we feel dead we really need to hang on to the promises God has for us.  Our feelings are not trustworthy but God is.  This is when traveling with other believers is so crucial.

As the pioneers made their journey they could look back over their lives and their journey, as they kept moving forward, and could see how they were led and actually be amazed that they made it through the difficulties.

It is the same with us as Christians.  As we look back through our lives, we can see how God has led us and what trials and hardships He has brought us through.  This is what will help us as we journey forward.  We can’t worry about tomorrow but just know that the Lord will walk with us through it all.

As the pioneers traveled together for greater safety, as Christians, we need to travel the road to the Promised Land with others that are traveling in the same direction.  Fellowship with like believers will not only bring safety but also accountability.  It is also helpful when we are going through trials and hardships to have those that can be an encouragement to us.  It is like taking a coal out of the burning fire, if it gets separated it doesn’t stay burning for very long, it slowly gets completely cold.  We will get cold if we are not in fellowship with other like-minded believers.

Dear Father,

The journey can be a struggle but I am so grateful that You are there for us as we journey.  Continue to guide us and stay close to us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

The journey is soon to come to an end.  We are getting very close to the Promised Land.  The dangers and trials are going to become more real and more intense.  Keep on the journey and in the end it will be worth it all.

Love you all!

Do you feel like a pioneer as you journey toward Heaven?  What has kept you going?

 

Posted on

“Financial Disaster!!”

Have you experienced financial disaster at some time through your life?  I am sure most of us probably have.  There can be so many different reasons why we get into these situations.  You may have school bills that are eating you up, or maybe you have had a sick loved one or a loved one that has passed away and you are left with all the hospital bills, or maybe it has been just because of your own foolishness.  It really doesn’t matter so much how you got there but now the question is what to do about it.

All the time I have been married we have had financial difficulty.  It has been better at some times than others.  I remember when I got pregnant with our third child I cried, “We can’t afford this.”  But after she was born and losing her five weeks later, I learned that money is not everything.

But then again we do have to figure out how to make it in this world and when we don’t do things right it can be a disaster.  When you ignore things and hope they will go away, it does not work, I am speaking from experience.  The one thing about the banks, they will keep giving you credit cards and more credit until you are in big trouble.  There is no bank out there that is really interested in your good.  They are interested in making money.

One of the hardest things is when you and your spouse are not together on your finances.  That was our experience.  Sometimes you, along with the family, have to suffer until there is change.  But sometimes that is what it takes for some people to get to the bottom.  Financial Disaster!  When I told my husband it was looking like we were going to have to bankrupt he finally started to listen and wake up.

Are you feeling overwhelmed right now with your situation and wondering what you should do?  I am going to give you some steps that we have taken.  I hope this encourages you to make the step.

  1. Start with your local Bank. I went to our bank.  We had credit cards, lines of credit, and a personal loan.  Some banks are not as workable, as I discovered but our main bank was, on most accounts.  Most of our accounts, with our request, lowered the interest rates for the life of the loan, which lowered the payments and made it more affordable to pay.
  2. Contact all other credit cards or loans. After working with our local bank I called each of our other cards from other banks and lenders.  Most of them were workable also.  But there were a few that did not work with me.  I pay all those that worked with me first and if I don’t have enough to pay the ones that did not work with me, I either don’t pay them or pay what I can.  I have had them call me and be willing to lower the interest some after they did not receive full minimum payments.  It isn’t easy but you have to make a plan.
  3. Do the snowball plan. If any of you are familiar with Dave Ramsey you know all about the snowball plan.  You list all your credit cards and loans down, starting with the one you owe the least on.  Pay the minimum on each one and as you pay one-off add that minimum to the next one bill in the list and so on.  It is amazing on how it works.  I did use this method once before in our life and got us completely out of debt.  It does work.
  4. Take on extra work. We have been running our own family business for many years, which I have been a part of.  But at this point I went out and got an outside job.  The Lord provided me with just the right job for me.
  5. Trust in the Lord! I believe starting with asking the Lord for His forgiveness for our wrong choices is definitely a start, if we have brought this upon ourselves.  We can’t just ask forgiveness and sit back and wait for God to do something.  But as we step forward to make efforts, He will come along side us and help us.  I found that to be so true when I was looking for a job.  Not only did He provide me a job, as I was looking, but He also provided a job that will come to me at His bidding.  Where I work they call me in when they have extra work.  So my prayer has been that God will provide the work that He knows that I need to have.  I have had to trust Him because sometimes there has been a lot of work and other times there has not been.  But I have a job and I leave it to Him to bring in the work through that Job.  I do understand why He has given me some slack time, which I can’t get into here but I have learned that I can trust Him.

There are many other things that can be done that I will be sharing in coming blogs but for now this is a few steps that has led us along the way.  We have not arrived at the debt free status but we are heading in that direction.

Dear Father,

There are many that are suffering financially.  You know their need and I pray that You will provide wisdom and strength.  Give us peace as we do Your will.  Thank You for Your help and guidance.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Remember to trust God through the hard times and He will guide you through.  Take the steps that you need to take a He will provide.

Love you all.

Have you had financial difficulty?  What steps have you taken to get financially free?

 

 

Posted on

A “BALANCED” Life!

It seems like with the hustle and bustle of life can keep us from doing the things that we really need to be doing to keep a balanced life.  We get up run through the routine of taking a shower, dressing, getting the kids ready, getting a quick breakfast and out the door to school or to the baby sitters and then we are off to work.  At the end of the day we pick up the kids, get home fix a quick supper, get a little house work done, then sit in front of the TV, read a book, or play with the kids.  A lot of times the kids are left on their own because we don’t have time for them or we are just too tired.  We end up in bed late and then we start the cycle all over again.

We all have a busy life and it isn’t until we finally collapse that we have to take the time to reevaluate things.  I am going to share some ideas with you that have been a blessing to me.  I have an acronym that I will be going through in this blog but will be getting into more detail on each one in future blogs.  There are eight letters in my acronym and it leads to a BALANCED life.

  1. Bedtime.  We tend to think that we can just keep on going everyday without a proper amount of sleep.  We should be getting between 6-10 hours of sleep per night depending on age and health conditions.  There are so many benefits that come from getting plenty of rest.
  2. Aqua.  Aqua is Spanish for water.  Water is so important for the body.  Our body is made up of so much water.  We should be at least drinking half of our body weight in ounces.  Our bodies cannot function properly without water.  And it has to be water.  It is cleansing to our bodies.  Can you imagine washing dishes with soda pop, juice, coffee, or any other beverage?  Our dishes would not get clean.  We need to drink clean, clear water to keep our bodies clean.
  3. Light.  Our bodies need the light of the sun.  It is good for us to get out in the sunlight everyday.  We do have to be careful not to get too much sun.  But on the most part I think that a lot of us do not get as much sun as we should.
  4. Air.  We need to get some fresh air each day.  It can be easy just to go from our house to our car, from our car to our job and back again at the end of the day.  We need to be getting out each day and deep breathing the wonderful fresh air.  It is the way to clean out our lungs.
  5. Nutrition.  Nutrition is important for our bodies.  We need to be eating foods that will give us what our bodies need to function properly.  We need to be very balanced in what we eat.  It is also helpful within the times that we live to take a supplement
  6. Control.  We need to have self-control.  This can be a very hard thing to do.  We may be eating a lot of junk food and it can be hard to get a way from it.  We crave these things.  There can be some reasons for that, which I will get into in future blogs.  We can be struggling with our weight and staying fit because we are struggling with self-control.
  7. Exercise.  We need to keep active.  This not only strengthens our more visible muscles like our legs and arms but it also strengthens the heart.  Strengthening the heart is so important.  Exercise will help with many more things other than just muscles, like sleep and self-control.
  8. Dependence on God.  This is probably one of the most important.  We can do all of the other 7 things on this list but if we don’t have dependence on God our health can be destroyed.  We have to lay all of our burdens at His feet and let Him untangle the web that our lives may be in.

This is just a brief overview of the things that can bring a BALANCED life.  I will be getting into more depth on each of these in the coming blogs.

Dear Father,

You are the One that we can come to in any struggle that we may be going through.  To keep our lives BALANCED we need You.  Thank You that You are always there and all we need to do is reach out to you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Start one step at a time to get your life BALANCED.

Do you feel like your life is out of balance?  What are some ways that you have done to accomplish a more BALANCED life?

 

Posted on

“What Will Your Life Bee?”

I don’t know about you but I love honey.  Have you ever watched a honeybee?  It is amazing what a little worker bee can do.

When a bee is born in the cooler weather, like spring, they don’t have to travel as far to collect nectar.  There are more flowers available so it is much easier to find places to collect.

When it is summer time and the weather is hotter they have to travel longer distances to find the flowers.  So in the summer, when the bees work the hardest, they only live about 40 days.  When the heat is turned up the work is harder and short-lived.

An average bee travels about 500 miles.  During its lifetime, it gathers enough nectar to make about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.  This is a lot of hard work but they are persistent in their collecting.

Another thing that is amazing about the worker bee is that it can carry a heavy load.  When the worker bee is loaded down with pollen or nectar their wings must carry almost two times its body weight.  And they do this an average of ten times a day.

When worker bees are flying around looking for nectar or pollen they go in all different directions but when they get full they make a beeline for the hive, in other words they take a direct route to get back home.  They do not allow anything to distract them.  Their burdens have become so heavy that they no longer think about anything else but getting back home.

We are living in awesome times.  There are so many people out there that need to know about the love of Jesus. They are beautiful flowers that just need to be pollinated.  It may be someone right in your own home.

There is coming a time when the heat is going to be so strong upon Christians that it will be a lot more difficult to pollinate.  Sharing will shorten our lives.  There are parts of this world that are already in these conditions.

We need to work now while it is cooler.  We will be able to reach more people at this time than when it gets hotter.  “I must work…while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” John 9:4.  Another way to look at it, we must work while it is cooler because there will come a time where it is so hot no man can work.

It might seem at times that we work so hard with hardly any results.  But we need to be like the worker bee.  They don’t even think about it, they just keep working hard every day even though in their lifetime they only make 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.  We need to look at life with a different perspective.

As we strive each day to work for the salvation of those around us we will “collect” burdens.  At times we may feel so heavy that we cannot go on.  At this point we need to be sure that we are taking a beeline to “home” the Burden Bearer.  We need to be filled with the strength of God each morning as we spend time with Him.  And He will be our wings through the day and carry those heavy burdens.  “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10.  He will carry us through.

Dear Father,

Thank You for the example of the bee.  We need to work while it is in the cool of the day because the heat is coming.  Help us to work for You without complaint but with diligence just like the bees.  Thank You for the lessons that we can get from Your second book, nature.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Let’s keep busy for the salvation of others.  Remember it starts with our family.  If our family is in a lost condition, we need to be working for them.  To work for the salvation of others, when our immediate family is in need, is not God’s plan.  I have seen many families where they have spent many years in the mission of reaching others and their children were in a lost condition.  We can become so focused on winning others to Christ that we miss what work God really has for us to be doing.  It is easier to work for the salvation of others over our family because our family truly knows who we are. The best witness we can be to others is by reaching the hearts of our family so that our family reflects Christ.  Let’s make sure we keep the right perspective.  It isn’t about what other people think about your choices but what God thinks.

Love you all.

What lessons have you learned through the life of the bee?  I would love to hear it.

 

Posted on

“Please Save Them!!”

Most of us have children and if you don’t have children you have someone who you desperately want to surrender their life to Christ.  Some are living in such danger physically as well as spiritually that we struggle everyday with our thoughts of them. We can get discouraged and sad.

One of the things that I have found comfort in is praying for my children or any person that is burdening my heart.  There are times that fasting is in order, as well, along with prayer.

What I want to do today is share some of the prayers that I pray for my children.  They can be prayed for anyone but in this post I am directing it toward children.  You can read my “Happy Mother’s Day!” post on actions we can take along with prayer.

Each paragraph can be used as a separate prayer.  I don’t always pray all of these at one time.

Dear Father,

I commit my children to you today; give me counsel and instruction.

Lord, Put a hedge about my children today.  Guard our children and us with Your Holy Angels from Satan’s cruel power.

Lord, Give me my children buried in the rubbish of error, or I die!  Bring them to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.

Lord, Impart Your grace to my children.

Lord, I pray for my children.  Help me as I see them to see You as You hung bleeding upon the cross for them.  Help me to be earnest, broken, and humble as my petitions ascend to You for wisdom that I may have success in saving not only my own soul, but the souls of my children.

Lord, Give me blessings, from You, that I may communicate to my children.

I pray that You will heal my children’s broken hearts and bind up their wounds.

Lord, help me to be an agent through whom You will speak to my children.  Bring precious things to my remembrance and with a heart flowing with the love of Jesus, I will be able to speak words of vital interest and import.  So that my simplicity and sincerity will be the highest eloquence, that my words will be registered I the books of heaven as fit words, which are like apples of gold in pictures of silver.  Help Your words, through me, to become a healing flood of heavenly influence, awakening conviction and desire and Jesus will add His intercession to my prayers and claim for my children the gift of the Holy Spirit and pour it on my children’s soul.  And then there will be joy in the presence of the Angels of You over one child that repents.

Lord, help me so that my prayers are not selfish, asking merely for my own benefit.  Help me to ask so that I can give.  Help me to have the principle of Christ’ life.  For my children’s sake, help me to sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified.  Help me to have the same devotion, the same self-sacrifice, the same subjection to the claims of Your Word that were manifest in Christ.  I know my mission to my children is not to serve or please myself;  I am to glorify You by co-operating with You to save my children, who are sinners.  I am asking for blessings from You, Lord, that I may communicate to my children.  I know the capacity for receiving is preserved only by imparting.  I cannot continue to receive heavenly treasure without communicating to those around me.  Please help me in this, Lord.

Lord, I pray that the melting love of God may warm and soften my children’s icebound nature.

Lord, I pray that the mighty energies of the Holy Spirit with all their quickening, recuperative, and transforming power, my fall like an electric shock on my children’s palsy-stricken soul, causing every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring their whole being from their dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual soundness.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I have shared a few of the prayers that I pray and I pray they will be a blessing to you.

I would encourage you to never give up.  Keep praying.  And let’s pray for one another.

Love you all.

Have you ever felt discouraged about your children or someone else you pray for?  What has given you the courage to keep up the work?

 

 

Posted on

“Stop Trying To Get Out!!!”

Have you ever felt like you are trapped?  May be it is a job, a relationship or circumstance that you are in.  May be you are feeling trapped as a Christian with the do’s and don’ts or a sin that has wrapped its’ tentacles around you and you feel you can’t get loose.  Whatever may be the situation it can seem overwhelming.  You feeling like there is this tall fence and you’re trying to get over it but you just keep running into it.  The fence is way too high for you to get over.

I remember a few years ago when a deer got into our garden.  I am not even sure how she got in there.  But she could not get out.  She kept running into the fence over and over again.  She even had some blood on her head.

My husband finally went out and opened the gate but trying to get her to go through there was difficult.  She still kept banging her body against the fence.  I think someone finally went around the backside of the fence to try to get her to go toward the opening.  It seemed that she was trying so hard to get out she was not looking for the most obvious solution.  It would not take any real effort on her part, she just needed to go toward the doorway and she would be able to get out.

This is exactly how we start to feel about different things.   We feel trapped within “restrictions”, a job, or relationship.  We also may be trapped within our own inclinations to sin.  We keep trying to get back over the “fence” but it is too high for us to get over.  We don’t want any help.  We are afraid of what we might have to give up or what we might lose out on.  We are trying to take all the solutions upon ourselves and we can’t seem to figure it out.  The crazy part is that there is an opening, a doorway, but we are too focused on getting free by jumping the “fence”.

When we get desperate enough, we are wounded and bleeding we finally start to look for other solutions and suddenly we see the Doorway.  Jesus said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9  What a promise!

Jesus is the answer; He is the way out of all of our troubles.  But self wants its way.  It wants to get in the way.  But we do have the power of choice.  Sometimes we may need to agonize on our knees.  God will take control if we surrender to Him but surrendering can be hard work.  And surrendering is not just a one-time event.  Surrendering is done moment-by-moment.  Everything that comes to us we have a choice, am I going to surrender to the will of God or am I going to do my own thing.

I want to share some ideas to consider.

  1. Give up your rights. I want to put this into balance.  For someone who may be in an abusive relationship you need to get out.  This is not what I am talking about here.  But what I am talking about is just the normal everyday life.  We run into problems where we want to hold to what we want then fights ensue.  Whether it is with family members, friends or bosses.  Self rises and we want our way.  We need to head for the opening in the fence and let God help us through the “fence”.  We can’t do it on our own but He can help us give up our rights.  Jesus had every right to retaliate but He did not.  He gave up His rights so that we could be saved.
  2. Work as unto the Lord. I know I wrote another article more specifically to this subject if you would like to read it.  But the fact is whether it is a boss, family or friends, if we do all as if we are doing it for Christ or to Christ, it puts a whole new perspective on things.  Change the “why” of what you are doing and that can change your attitude.  This can even apply to every decision that we make in life.  Since our minds are always thinking of something I think spending a thoughtful hour each day thinking about Jesus life and what He has done for us can help us put a different perspective upon our choices. That leads to my next point.
  3. Fall in love with Jesus. This is really the key component.  We will feel trapped even in these steps unless we have fallen in love with Jesus.  We can only do this by spending time with Him.  You can’t love someone who you haven’t gotten to know.  Jesus is the only one that can help you out of whatever trap you are in.  But He is all love and He doesn’t force His way in.
  4. Keep moving moment by moment.  I would encourage you not to think about tomorrow, next week, month or year because it can be overwhelming.  Just take things a moment at a time.  Walking with Jesus by your side makes these things possible.  Stay connected with Him moment by moment.

Dear Father,

Thank You for Your Son Who is always a present help in trouble.  I am so grateful that we can come to You in our time of need.  Continue to guide us.  Thank You for Your patience with us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to fall in love with Jesus.  He is the opening and He is waiting to let you through so that you can be free from all the traps in life.  Surrender all today!  You will be glad you did.

Love you all.

I know what I have shared here is not exhaustive.  What have you found that has helped you in the surrendering process?

 

Posted on

“I Can’t See Where I’m Going!!”

Have you ever felt like you are going along in life and you really can’t see where you’re going? I believe we all feel that way at times. We maybe have made plans for our lives and things seem to be going as planned. But then things come into our lives and we don’t know where they came from and how we are going to make it through. We wish we could see as God sees so that we could understand the reason for our trouble.

I remember when I was around 20. I had a job that required me to drive around 45 minutes to work. We lived out in the country in a farming community. My drive was mostly on narrow, curvy roads. I recall one particular day when I was on my way home. It was dark and snowing really hard. The temperatures were just right for the snow to freeze to the window. I had the heat on full blast, hitting the window. And my wipers were going. But it would build up and I could not see. I would have to reach out the window, grab the wiper and bang it. I had to do this every few minutes. I did stop once to give it a more thorough cleaning but that did not last much longer. It was nerve-racking, exhausting, and dangerous. The car was a manual, adding to the difficulty. Thankfully I made it home safely. I do not enjoy times like this and I am always grateful to be on the other side of it.

I don’t know about you but sometimes I feel the same way in my Christian walk. I can be going a long and everything seems fine then a “snow storm” hits and I can’t see the way in front of me. The trials and temptations seem to stick to me. I keep reaching out and trying to “scrape” the effects away so that I can see clearly but it doesn’t seem to make any difference. It helps for a short time but then again I can’t see clearly. Then the frustration sets in. I am pouring on the “heat” (prayer) but it does not seem to be enough. I am putting forth the effort the “scrape” the temptations and trial away by spending time in God’s Word. What is going to make the difference?

I think there is good reason why God does not allow us to know what is coming. I think back to my drive home. If I would have known how bad of a drive it was going to be I might have stayed parked in town for an hour to see if it would pass over. Another words I would have stopped moving, at least for a time. I think the same is true of our lives. We would fail to keep moving forward if we could know what is going to happen. Maybe I would not have had children if I would have known that I would have lost one, maybe if we knew we were going to get in that car accident we would not leave home, or maybe we wouldn’t get that job if we knew what temptations we would in counter, etc. The problem is that if we always knew what was going to happen next we would live out of fear and we would never move or grow.

The question is what can we do about it. I have a 6 steps I would encourage you to do. They may seem elementary but sometimes I think we forget the simplicity of God.

  1. Spend time with God. You may be thinking, “I already do that and it doesn’t seem to be helping.” It may seem that it is not helping but it is foundational. Just like I needed to keep banging the ice off my windshield wiper, we need to keep in God’s Word.
  2. Spend time in prayer. We need to continue to pray, crying out to God. We need to keep the heat on that old devil and praying is a part of the formula.
  3. Memorize Scripture. Hide Scripture in your heart so that when the trials and temptations come you can quote His Word. Satan hates God’s Word and that will make him really start “melting”.
  4. Praise God. I have found that if I praise God through the trials I find blessings. This also turns the “heat” up on the devil.
  5. Ask God, “What are you wanting to teach me through this?” Everything that comes into our lives is for a purpose and as we ask Him, He will show us what refining we can gain through our situation. It may take time for us to see it but He will show us if our hearts are open to listen.
  6. Surrender all to Him. As we surrender to Him it will no longer just be us reaching out and banging off the windshield wiper. His hand will be over ours and His strength will be added to ours. As we cooperate together with Him we will have peace through the circumstances and trials. Things around might not change but God can help us live through these refining experiences with joy and peace. Remember His strength is made perfect through our weakness. (See 2 Corinthians 12:9)

Dear Father,

We struggle so much with giving all to You. We feel that if we give up our control that everything will go out of control. But the reality is that as we give all to You, giving up our rights and our control, we will have the peace that passeth all understanding. It is true that it does not make human sense but we want to trust You. Continue to prompt us with Your love.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I have had the peace of God when I have surrendered and it is so much easier. But I still have not learned to always give all to Him. I just encourage you do try it. No matter what you are going through, today, give these steps a try to see the blessing that comes.

Love you all.

These steps are definitely not exhaustive so I would love to hear from you. What have you done to help you through the trials and temptations of life?

Posted on

“What Planet Do You Want To Be?”

I have been reading Science with my daughter. It amazes me as I read how everything works within the solar system. How at first it was thought that all the planets revolved around the earth and then it was discovered that the planets actually revolve around the sun. They also came to understand that the sun is the center of our solar system and not Earth. Earth and all the other planets are all members of the same family and are held together by the pull of the sun. Every thing is perfectly designed.

Some planets are closer to the sun than others. The ones that are closer are void of any life because the heat is so hot nothing can live. Then there is earth. It is just the right distance from the sun and it doesn’t get too hot or too cold. It is just right for life to live. It is the planet of choice because you are able to live. On the other hand the farther you get away from the sun the colder it gets. The first planet farther out than earth has some ice that melts in summer but it does not appear to really have any form of life. But you get out beyond there and the planets become even colder and life cannot exist there. Because of the cold nothing can live.

As I was reading these things it made me really start to think. As a people living upon this earth we have been given a choice. We are all in the same family and the Son is shining on all of us. We each can choose Him or not, we are given that freedom. We have equal opportunity. The Son is just at the right distance. If He got too close to us we would not be able to handle the heat and we would die due to sin. If He pulls too far away from us we would become so cold that we would die. But we are left with the decision which direction we are going to go. He is stationary. He is not moving; it is us that can choose which direction we move.

The more we fill ourselves with earthly things the farther we get away from the Son. The farther we are from the Son the colder we become toward spiritual things, no longer do we having spiritual things living within us because we are too cold. Nothing can live in a really cold climate, everything dies.

But the more we fill our lives with the things God and empty ourselves of the things of this earth we can draw closer to the Son. Just as the planets, closer to the sun, have no life on them due to the extreme heat; if we fill our lives with God the things of this earth will be emptied out from the heat of the Son. Just like gold becomes more pure as it is put to the fire so we become more pure as we come closer to the Son. Just like the planets closer to the sun are empty of life, as we draw closer to the Son our lives will be empty of self and will be filled with His light. The closest we will be to the Son is when He comes in the clouds to take us home and if we are not empty of self and earthly things we will be consumed by the heat. But if we are empty of earthly things and dead to self, we will be able to live within His presence for eternity.

How do we draw closer to the Son? By getting to know Him and falling in love with Him. And you get to know Him by spending time with Him

Read His Word, meditate upon it, hiding it in your heart, and spending time communicating with Him through prayer.

Dear Father,

We want our lives to revolve around the Son. We want to become so empty of earthly things and self that we may come closer to Your Son. We cannot do this without You. As we surrender to You and spend time with You I ask for Your power to work within our lives. Thank You for Your love and Your power that will work within our lives to bring change.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Let’s spend that time with God that will draw us closer to the Son so that when He comes we will be so empty of self and earthly things we will not be consumed but be able to go Home and live for eternity with Him.

What has helped you draw closer to God? I would love to hear your story and ideas.

Posted on

“Happy Mother’s Day!”

Mothers, what does it mean to be a mother? I tried to look it up in the dictionary and I found that the definition of mother has changed over the years. There are many that take the role of a mother to someone. Just because a woman gives birth to a child doesn’t make them a true mother. By definition it may classify her as a mother but what is a true mother. I believe a true mother is any woman who gives of her time, love and energy to a child, teen or even grown up. There are many that are adults who have never really had the love of a mother.

I was very fortunate to have a mother that has given me her time, love and energy. She has been my mother all my life; she has never given that role up. I remember just a few years back when I was so sick some doctors thought I was going to die. The doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me. With a husband and five children I needed, not just assistance but all out help. My mother came lovingly every day and ran my household for over a year, fortunately she lived next door. I also would call her in the middle of the night because I was doing so poorly and she would come and sit with me massaging my feet until my fever would go down and I could fall asleep. She never once wavered. She was strong for me. She gave me love, time and complete support, running not only my household but her own as well. She was there for my children encouraging and comforting them. I thank God for my mother.

So what is the definition of mother? I cannot take the time to give everything but I am going to name a few. These are things that can be a struggle at times but we as mothers should strive for them. Here are five of many steps that I believe are important.

  1. Unconditional Love. Our children need to know that they are loved no matter what they do. We don’t have to love the behavior but they need to feel the love from us even when consequences have to be given. This can be a struggle at times but God can give us that love. God has given us unconditional love and we need to do the same.
  2. Speak Kind Words. I know I can struggle with this. Our children can be so frustrating to us at times that it can be hard to speak kind words. They come at us with unkind words and we can tend to send it right back to them. I heard a parent say, “Well they spoke this way to me.” I say, “Grow up.” We are supposed to be the example and when we take on the attitude, “Well they are doing it.” We are acting like children not adults. I guess some adults really don’t grow up.
  3. Saying, “I’m Sorry.” It is true that we are going to make mistakes, there is no question about it. It isn’t about the mistakes it is about what we do about it. We need to be able to admit we were wrong and ask forgiveness, with no strings attached. You might be saying, “What do you mean by that?” Some can have a tendency to make excuses when they say I am sorry. For example, “I am sorry but if you hadn’t yelled at me I would not have spoken to you in that manner.” We have to take full responsibility for our actions regardless of what the child has done. For example, “Son, I am sorry for speaking to you in a harsh way, you are special and you never deserve to be treated that way. Would you please forgive me?” Period, end of story. We never have an excuse for treating our children any differently than Jesus would treat them.
  4. Spend Time With Them. We need to spend time with our children. It doesn’t matter how old they are they need time. When they hit those teenage years spending more time with them may be necessary. How we spend time with them may change but time is still necessary. It may be just communicating with them or being involved with their interests. Showing that you care by being there for them, through the good, bad and the ugly.
  5. Pray With Them And For Them. This is an aspect that is so important. I try to make it a habit to go and pray with each child before they go to bed. I have a range from 25 all the way down to 12 still living at home and I do it with each one. There are some nights I forget but I do it fairly regular. I also try to make it a habit to pray with each one that is leaving for the day before they leave. It is well that we have secret prayer for them as well. We live in a world where our families are bombarded with so many things they need the protection of God. We never know when they walk out the door if we will see them again and we need to take advantage of every opportunity to pray with and for them.

You may be thinking, “Wow, she has it all together.” No, I really don’t, these are things I am striving for. I am not perfect at all these but with God’s help I am striving to make each one of these steps a part of my life.

Dear Father,

You know as a mother in this world today it can be more stressful and painful than ever. I ask for a blessing on each one of us as we strive to be more like You. Help us in being more loving and kind to our children and to lift them up to You in prayer. You are all-powerful and You can accomplish in our children those things that we are unable to do, thank You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Let’s draw closer to Jesus so that we can properly reflect His character to our children.

How was your mother been a blessing to you? I would love to hear your story. What have you learned to be helpful in your parenting? Ideas that will help us to be better mothers are what we strive for so please share your ideas with us.