Following His Leading

 Following God's calling on your heart requires completely stepping out of your comfort zone and into the hands of God to take you where He wills.  

It requires day-by-day and often moment-by-moment surrender.  

Surrendering the desire to control, surrendering the desire to know what is coming next, and living in the here and now because that is where He has placed you.

That doesn't mean you don't prepare for the future, but preparations are more fluid, generalized and focused on the more prominent steps in front of you.  

One step at a time, glancing forward at the potential possibilities, but staying focused on the step you are on and what God has for you at that particular place and time in your life.

Focusing on Today. God has Tomorrow.

 Day by day.  Moment by moment.  Doing the next right thing, balancing life responsibilities with time to enjoy life too.  Daily time in the word and talking to God.  Often more than once per day.  Prioritizing my God-given ministry over the little things like sleep and food preferences...oh the joys of motherhood, ;0)

FAITH

 Faith.  Belief in something or someone that requires hope and trust.

Children have faith in many things.  It is innately part of who and what they are. Faith like a child.

My faith in Christ began as a young child. It is innately part of who and what I am.  Even when I struggle with doubt and fear, or insecurities…it is there.  The Holy Spirit, the gift given to me when I trusted Jesus for the first time, continually speaks truth to my heart.  Not “my truth”, but The Truth.  Truth that can never be denied.

And we are living in the last days…spiritually speaking.  No further prophecies need to be fulfilled before the rapture of the church.  We are to be watching and waiting.

I watch events unfold in my country and around the world.  I can see the way being made for Bible prophecy to unfold exactly as it has been told to us. It is a strange and amazing time that we live in.  And we are created for such a time as this.

Motives of the Heart

 The Lord has been good to me.  He has blessed my marriage and given us beautiful children.  He has answered my most desperate prayers and allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom, focusing my energy on my family as He has called me to.

I now live the dream I prayed for.  He gave me what I asked for and more.  This isn’t to say that life is perfect and joyful.  More truthfully, it is chaotic, and struggle is a common reality.  Raising a family in this sinful world, striving to let the Lord reign in our lives vs our own fleshly weaknesses is a daily battle.  One that we do not always win.

I remember our early years of marriage when we both worked full time and lived quite literally paycheck to paycheck.  It seemed any time that we had any extra money come our way, something would break on the car or some other costly expense would come along and leave us exactly where we were previously.  It wasn’t until we made a decision to surrender our finances to the Lord and started tithing on a regular basis that we started seeing a change in our finances.  We always had enough, but when we surrendered our finances to the Lord and committed to obeying and honoring Him above all else, that was when change started to happen. 

Slowly, but surely, overtime our financial situation has improved.  Our faith has also grown.  We have had many opportunities to choose whether to be faithful to the Lord with our finances or to lean on our own understanding.  The more we chose the Lord over ourselves, the more we have seen Him at work in our lives.  We are not wealthy by societal standards, but we have enough to meet our needs and the needs of others here and there.

We were infantile in our faith when we married.  We tried multiple church services in our new town.  None seemed to fit.  Most likely it was our own biases that hindered us, but for many years, Christian radio was the only “church” we had.  That was where we gave our tithe.  I remember listening late into the night to a radio show of a man called Bill Pearce.  My husband worked the late shift, so I went to bed alone most nights.  Bill spoke so slowly and so sincerely.  In the late hours, I found his message and voice soothing and peaceful.  The Lord spoke to my heart in those hours and strengthened my faith.  Today you can find his broadcasts on YouTube, called Nightsounds with Bill Pearce.

It wasn’t until years later when our second child was born that we finally found a church home and began to regularly attend church again.  It was a church that offered a live, online service where we could attend from the comfort of our own home and begin to see that this was a church we could grow in.  We attended that church regularly in-person and online for many years until God moved our family to another town and another wonderful church home.

We were a two-income family many years, despite my yearning to be home with my children.  I worked in a childcare center and my children were taught by others during the days while I worked.  God often heard my pleas to bring me home and let me focus not on other people’s children, but my own.  Eventually, with the arrival of our third child, He granted my heart’s desire to be home. 

We only had enough finances to stretch my maternity leave to five months.  Then I would have to get another job to make ends meet.  Three or four months into my maternity leave, after I had started applying for part time jobs, my husband was granted a promotion and a small raise at work.  It was just enough to allow me to stay home full time.  Money was tight, but I was finally able to be home and focus my energy on my family!  We honored God’s provision by increasing our tithe to match.  Tithing isn’t a guarantee that God will increase your finances, but for us, it was a physical action, a step of faith that we deliberately took to show the Lord our surrendered hearts and commitment to depending on God’s provision for our family.

The Lord does not look on outward appearances, but upon the heart.  He discerns the motives of our actions and the heart behind our behavior.

2 Timothy 1:7

 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind." NKJV

Some versions of this scripture change the word "fear" to "timidity" or "cowardice".  Some change the words "sound mind" to "discipline" or "self-control".

Fear to step out in faith is not from the Lord because He does not give us fear to walk in His will.  Yes, be aware.  Yes, pray for discernment and understanding.  God has clearly promised those things if we only ask for them.

Allowing fear (not healthy boundaries and spiritual discernment) to dictate what we do or do not do can be very detrimental to our ability to walk in God's leading in our lives.

Losing Hope

When hope seems lost, we can step forward to serve and encourage:

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another...

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..., but exhorting one another...  (exhort = encourage)

Find Hope in the promises of God's Word.

Pray for the day to come. (Psalm 30:5 Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.)  

When you don't know what to pray, ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you.

    Romans 8:26 Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Don't give up, don't bail out on the Lord.  Surrender to Him.

Take care of yourself practically, spiritually.  Strengthen yourself with food, rest, worship, and praise.

Give thanks in the midst of the storm.  Philippians 4.

Lighten your load.  Ease the burden so that you can rest, be comforted, heal, and stay afloat.

When you don't understand, fall back on what you do understand.

Instead of focusing on why God has allowed something hard in your life, ask Him: what He wants you to learn from this and how He wants you to react.

1 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

Walking In His Will

 Working outside of God's Will:

1. Impatience - straining and striving to make it happen, don't do anything in haste. 

    Instead, go to Him, wait on the Lord, seek Him first, you will hear a voice behind you saying, "this is the way, walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21)

2. Testing the Wind - letting situations guide you when you ought to be guided by the Word of God.

    Instead, let God guide you with a strong, inner conviction of His will. (see above)

3. Seeking Ease - the convenience and comfortable places of life.

    Instead, obey God, being faithful to Him.  He is there, even in the storm.

4. Following the Majority - letting the world sway you (John 12:43)

    Instead, obey the Lord and His direction, regardless of anyone else's opinion, understanding that godly council with prayer can be helpful.

Stand for the Word of God and for Righteousness, even if you stand alone.

Surrender, Obedience

 Acts 26:14, Jesus is saying, "Stop fighting against me, and surrender."

For such a time as this: God has a purpose for you.  Don't miss this opportunity.

Delayed obedience is still disobedience.

God measures success by obedience, not results.

Be open to God's leading, to interruptions in your life, be flexible for those divine appointments.

Your testimony is for His glory.  Tell your story for His glory.

I forgive you.

I forgive you.

I pray for you.

I ask the LORD's will be done.

I ask for Him to be glorified through it all.

His timing is perfect.

He is at work in even this.

Seek Him Above All Else.

My conversations with God have been comforting as of late.  He seems to be reiterating the necessity of putting Him first in everything and trusting Him with the rest.

He continues to remind me that seeking Him first, looking to Him first, and obeying Him first are my priorities.  He will handle the remainder.

Ecclesiastes 1:18 "...to increase knowledge only increases sorrow."

    In this day and age, knowledge and information are increasing exponentially, and one can get lost in it all.  He tells me to keep my focus on Him over all else.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 "God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please Him..."

    I see worldly knowledge vs. godly knowledge as two very different things in these two verses.

Ecclesiastes 3: 11-14 "...God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. ...And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.  And I know that whatever God does is final.  Nothing can be added to it or taken from it.  God's purpose is that people should fear Him." 

    His plan.  His works.  Final. Trust in Him.  Relinquish it all to Him.

Philippians 4:4-7 (NKJV)

Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!  Let your gentleness be known to all men.  The Lord is at hand.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

His ways are not mine. Thank God for that!

 Your ways are not our ways.

Praise you, Lord, for that truth.

Isaiah 55:6-7 "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call to Him while He is near.  Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive."

Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.' This is the Lord's declaration."

Isaiah 55:9 "For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.  For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do."

Cares of this Life

 

There is always a struggle in life.  There is joy.  There is pain. 

There is busyness.  There are many cares of life.

And then, there is You, Lord.

Luke 12:22-34

And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds

Luke 21:34-35

“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.

HCSB “Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly”

NKJV “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.”

 Romans 12:1-2

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Colossians 3:2

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Happy New Year!

 Our Christmas season break was very, very good.  We simplified and it was quite relaxing and enjoyable.  Purposefully we planned our big family gathering at the very beginning of our break and intentionally made decisions to create a low stress time together.

We actually made it through our entire December, never missing a day when we had a short advent devotional as a family.  God was present and we enjoyed worshiping throughout our time at home together.  We watched many movies, played games almost daily, and had time to be ourselves without the normal pressures of everyday life.

Regular routines begin next week and while I don't enjoy the idea of the busyness that it brings, I feel rested and mostly prepared for the challenge that awaits.

 If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out their offense.  If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.  Matthew 18:15 NLT

Continuing to Simplify

The more I simplify the things around me, the more I am noticing the ability to slow down and take in each moment.

I didn't anticipate that.  It has been an unexpected blessing.

This afternoon I played a game of cards with my son and was able to be fully present with him.  Often times, I am mentally an energizer bunny, but today it was just the two of us and our card game.  No mental interruptions or random thoughts.  It was strange and really nice.

I was recently inspired to simplify my social media.  I unfollowed several accounts on my feed.  Some, I think were only "followed" because my fat fingers hit the wrong button while scrolling.  Other pages that I unfollowed share content that I like to read and learn about, but at this time in my life were just cluttering my brain with information I couldn't put into application right now.

Taking away the mental clutter is freeing.  More and more I can focus on what is most important.  And the phrase that is beginning to take up more living space in my brain is this one:

Live for God's Glory.

I suspect God is teaching me more about this phrase and what it will mean in my life. 

What matters most?

 This year has been a growing year thus far.  I am learning to pay closer attention to my needs and limits, as well as the needs and limits of my family.  

I have often heard about priorities and balancing them.  But I've been learning something a level deeper than that. I serve, often to my own detriment.  I serve because it brings me joy.  But when I serve to the point that I am diminishing my own abilities to do and be what I desire for my family and myself, that's a problem.

Most specifically, I am giving my gardening and food preservation ideals a seat on the back burner.  I enjoy those things.  It is beneficial for my family when I do them.  Our economy and food supply issues in our country give my hobbies even more of a benefit than just being healthy.

The big 'BUT', is that it takes time and energy out of me and my day.  While I could keep up with my hobbies and still do the other things that I do, it taxes me.

I'm taking the concept to all areas of my life.  In homeschooling, we are part of two homeschool groups.  We won't participate in all the things; we will participate in some.  I'm writing fewer blog posts, spending less time on my phone, and more time on what matters most.

Priorities do not dictate my choices; they guide me in knowing which choices help or hinder me in living this life that the Lord has given.  I'm the type of person who can see both sides of the coin.  

Choices can be challenging for me if I don't have a strong opinion regarding the choice before me.  So, I am learning to prayerfully consider, "What matters most?"  Is that thing worth the time and energy spent to accomplish it?  Is it where God is leading?  Even if it is a 'good' thing, is it the right timing for our family?  

The best part is, I am finding that I have more time to pray, I can think about things with more clarity, and it is easier to say "no" or cut out that thing that hinders more than it helps.

Learning at Home

Every homeschool year is so different from the others.  This year is nearly completed.  

I am noticing a trend.  The longer I educate my children, the more comfortable I am in embracing home learning.  The public-school trends, timelines and rules are fading away.

The biggest difference I'm noticing currently is our school year schedule.  When we started, we were accustomed to the 9 months of school with a 3-month summer break.  We've generally kept that type of schedule.  

I notice that summers get busy with activities, vacations, and just the desire to be outdoors.  It is more difficult to do curriculum schoolwork.  At the same time, leaving our education routines and then trying to get back into a routine again in the fall is challenging -even for me as the adult!

Our littles, they have only known home learning.  There aren't any preconceived notions about what is required for our time or our learning routines.  I'm thinking we will take some time off, but not completely forgo our learning routines either.

The Parable of the Minas

This past Sunday was Palm Sunday.  Most all of us know that story.  Our pastor taught on what happened just before Jesus' triumphal entry.  I hadn't heard a teaching on this passage before and I hadn't realized it was just before Jesus' triumphal entry.  Knowing that made a lot of points click for me.

Luke 19:11-27 is the parable of the minas.  It is similar to the parable of the talents, but different with a different meaning.  

Verse  12 says "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return." (NKJV)  The nobleman is Jesus.

Verse 13 he gives his servants ten minas and said to them "do business till I come" other translations say "occupy till I come".

Verses 15-20 is the servants telling the nobleman what they have done with the mina they were responsible for.  Each servant received the same exact thing: one mina.  There is ONE GOSPEL.  

Each time the servant shares what they did with the mina, the nobleman rewards them based on their responsibility.  Being faithful with little means they were entrusted with more responsibility.

Lesson:  Live the gospel & proclaim the gospel. Be good stewards of the gifts and abilities that God has given us.  Be a good steward of your finances, your time, and the resources God has given you.

1 Peter 4:10 "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."  (reading this whole passage is good too if you want to delve further into it).

Minister to others with the gifts and abilities that God has given you.  

Homeschooling & Romans 5:2-5

Motherhood was always my easy-to-identify ambition.  Homeschooling in motherhood was never even part of my girlish imaginings!  This year I will graduate my firstborn.  God has enabled me to customize her education since she was a 5th grader.  It has been a blessing and an honor to be involved in her upbringing so intricately.  

Romans 5:2-5 "Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." (NLT)

Paul is speaking of Salvation in this verse.  I feel it also fits our homeschooling journey as well.  We began homeschooling because of our faith/convictions -and purely out of faith that God would lead us because we didn't know what we were doing! 

Being a parent that homeschools adds an immense weight of responsibility and dedication to your plate.

As parents we are called to teach our children, and to some families, that includes outside help from the public/private school system.  Nothing wrong with that.  God's plan for each child and each family is specifically tailored to that child and family.

For our family, God very clearly brought us to homeschooling when our girls were still in elementary school.  It wasn't something we had planned on or even considered prior to God presenting it to us as our only viable option.

Homeschooling is an undeserved privilege in my mind.  It has afforded me the honor of being present in my children's lives with an inside look at what they deal with.  I know their strengths and weaknesses, I see their growth and maturity in their struggles, and it constantly brings me to my knees in prayer -begging the Lord for wisdom and discernment to know how best to handle each situation as it arises.  God has been faithful throughout the years, and He continues to be.

Rejoicing in problems and trials is never the easy, or even the first, reaction.  But as I watch my children face their challenges, I rejoice in them because I know how their endurance, character, and hope in Christ may be strengthened.  I am blessed to walk alongside them, to pray with them, and to see the Lord move.