Go with the Flow

by Jen G. 2011

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, For the LORD upholds him with His hand.” Psalm 37:23, 24

Earlier this month a friend, her daughter and I were to make a much anticipated trip to another friend’s home. It was to be a ‘Hen Party’, according to the many sons and one husband of my to-be-visited friend. We had the weekend all planned out. Visiting, laughter, a tea room lunch and cheese cake - what more could we want?

“Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

Then people in my house started throwing up.

“Okay,” thought I. “There is still plenty of time for everyone to get back to normal.”

Everyone got better just in time, and then…a big snowstorm hit. Plans were rescheduled for this past weekend and my excitement began to build again.

Then fevers and sore throats and congestion started.

Once again I thought I would have plenty of time for health to return to my people and for me to pack. Can you believe another huge storm hit us the morning we were to leave?

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Each morning I pray and ask the Lord to order my steps in the coming day. The words are sometimes very heartfelt, but other times they pop out from habit. Either way, I am praying for His guidance and leading. Why then, am I so irritated when my plans are changed? Could it be because I do not fully trust the Lord with the time He has given me? If my day is committed to Him and His will, then I will not be distracted or frustrated when He leads me down an unexpected path. Instead, I will be ready and able to meet the need before me or participate in the blessing He prepared.

“He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.” Proverbs 16:20

Does that mean I am not to make plans or prepare for events? No, it simply means that I recognize that while I have plans, the Lord has the greater purpose in mind for my day. True joy and happiness comes when I ‘go with the flow’ of the Holy Spirit’s leading.

“Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” Psalm 37:5, 6

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, For the LORD upholds him with His hand.” Psalm 37:23, 24

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your daily guidance. Each circumstance that comes my way was first filtered through You and holds the potential for me to honor You and bless others. Help me to remember to commit my works and plans to You each day and then react joyfully and peacefully when you answer my prayer! Amen.

Challenge:

Commit your works to the Lord each day. Watch for the Lord’s direction and follow it, choosing not to react with impatience or aggravation. Keep a journal of how the Lord directed you this week and how you did with following His plan. Remember what Psalm 37:24 says: “Though he fall (or has a massive change of plans – Jen’s paraphrase) he shall not be utterly cast down, for the LORD upholds him with His hand.”

Jen G. 2011

Being Set Free

by Zinnada H. 2011

For the past month or so, I've been blessed by a bible study by Beth Moore called Breaking Free. When I started the study, the Lord made it clear what He wanted to set me from and that was from the bondage of turning to sweets as an idol.
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Whenever I was stressed, discouraged, or whatever, I would turn to sweets to release. I would literally rush the kids to bed or nap time just so that I could eat come ice cream or whatever was in the house at that time. But, after doing that study and seeing how much I was allowing sweets to take the place of yielding to God and His Spirit, I was convicted to change. So, since giving up sweets, I've been able to loose 10 pounds and that ALL due to the glory of God!

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Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Mark 8:34

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But, the journey has just begun because I've got so much to learn as it relates to eating healthier foods since I didn't grow up eating healthy. But, it's been a good journey. I'm thankful for how the Lord helps me to rise early to exercise, drink water, and study His word. Seeing all of these things happening, is such an encouragement to my spiritual walk because it reminds me that I'm denying myself of my old pleasures of sweets in order to be faithful in my calling as His disciple.

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Prayer:

Dear Lord, Thank You for how You have changed my desire of sweets by showing me how much You and Your word is so much sweeter. Please help me to continue to enjoy being with You and Your word, In Jesus name, Amen.

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Challenge:

What about you? Are there things in your life that you seem to turn to when you find yourself stressed, discouraged, or something else? Seek the Lord on the matter and then repent from turning to other idol(s).

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by Zinnada H. 2011

No What Ifs

MrsB:) 2011

THIS IS my beloved and THIS IS my friend…Song of Solomon 5:16

My husband and I are not ones who regularly celebrate Valentine’s Day (“Every day is Valentine’s Day with you, Snookems…”). And neither do we regularly watch movies. So what caused me to go to Redbox and choose a love story so close to Valentine’s Day?

For many current and veteran homeschooling moms, one prayer we pray is that our children and grandchildren would give their hearts to only the Lord and to only the person they marry. Sadly, this was not the case for some of us. In fact, on my wedding day, the young man with whom I thought I had once been madly in love passed through the wedding hall just before the ceremony and leaned in to whisper something in my ear. He and I both had the good sense to let that moment pass. But what was he going to say to me? What if…?

That could have been the name of this movie. It was about an older woman who had loved and lost; it was about her subsequent search to find this man 50 years later, after spending a near-lifetime with another. They did find each other, and they did live happily ever after, as far as I can tell.

But at the end of the movie, my heart was so sad. What was wrong with me? Shouldn’t I have been glad that she found the one her heart had pined for all those years? No, I was not glad. All I could think about was how her husband, who she said was a good man, never really had all of her heart. And how she never went to sleep knowing, not for even one night in a half-century of living, that the man she was lying beside was her gift from God. Maybe her husband never knew about the shadowy chamber of her heart that he was not privy to, but if he had, how would he have ever sacrificed joyfully day in and day out for her and their family? Would he have been tormented by her “what if…?”

Dear ones, “This is my beloved and this is my friend…” The husband you have right now is your gift from God. Despite all his foibles, he is good for you, he is perfect for you, and he is from the Lord. How do I know? “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV). Thankfully, shortly after we were married, I did allow the Lord and my husband into that shadowy chamber of my heart.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to let go of all my “what if” issues of the past and embrace the “this is” from Your hand. This is my beloved, this is my friend, and this is the day You have made; I will rejoice and be glad in it! Help me to trust that You have sent this good and perfect-for-me man as my husband, so that together we can bring You glory.

Challenge:

Let’s let go of any of our shadowy “what if” issues (not just marriage-related ones) and embrace our “this is” opportunities gladly and with rejoicing! Let’s ask the Lord to give us one thing that we can say or do this week for our “this is” husbands that would demonstrate to them that they have all of our heart now and – for as long as we breathe life together – they always will.

PS – I know that some of us in this blog community have suffered through a divorce or have lost our husbands through death. Some of us have remarried. Some of us might be in marriages that need a miracle due to abuse, abandonment, addiction, or other pain. This is not meant to speak to those issues in any way. If you would like, I know that many of us who read these would join with you in prayer to ask the Lord for such a miracle. Leave a comment or email Jen privately, and we will pray.

MrsB : ) 2011

The Lord is Here

By Jen G. 2011

In Genesis 28 Jacob realizes that even in his darkest hour, sleeping on the ground with a rock for a pillow, that God is there. After studying this passage in December as part of our Advent readings, the children and I each wrote the words The Lord is here on small scraps of paper and tucked them in our pockets. Whenever we touched our papers we would remember that, even in that moment, we were not alone.* This morning I found one of those folded up papers and it prompted me to write the words on my kitchen chalkboard.

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17

It is amazing to me how quickly I forget that the Holy Spirit is with me 24/7. It is as though I have given Him a time card and expect Him to clock out for a certain amount of time each day. My human mind can not comprehend that He would choose to be with me while I change a blow-out diaper. Or yell at my husband. Or deal with a child's bad attitude. After all, I certainly do not want to be there in those moments. Yet He has promised that He will be, no matter what and no matter when. The God of all comfort is with me all day and all night. No matter the circumstance.

(fast forward six days.....)

The day after I wrote the words above, four of my children became ill. For the first time in 17 years of parenting I had more than one child with the stomach flu at the same time.  I do not do the flu. But - the Lord does and He was here with us through the entire week.  Everytime I passed my chalkboard on the way to get more cleaning supplies, I was reminded that...  

The Lord is here. 

Prayer:

Lord God, I am so amazed at Your gift of Your Holy Spirit - ever present, ever helping, ever giving wisdom.  May I be mindful of Your constant presence with me in every part of my day.  I want to walk in Your wisdom and with Your heart towards those around me.  Amen.

Challenge:

Sketch your own little Jacob's ladder (Genesis 28) and write the words The Lord is here on a scrap of paper.  Tuck it in your pocket; each time you touch it remember the incredible truth that the God of the universe is there with you!  Get the strength, patience, wisdom and love you need for the moment from Him.

Good reads: I highly recommend the book Forgotten God by Francis Chan. 

*(Credit: Jesse Tree Advent Devotional from A Holy Experience.)

Jen G. 2011