Friday, February 10, 2012

Resisting Temptations

My kids love their i-pods.  They each have i-pod touches that my husband bought them as gifts when he retired from the Air Force.  (With the exception of Tori who got a NOOK color instead)  They have many games, apps and even books on them that keep them intrigued.  The only problem is that they struggle to have the self control to turn them off when necessary. 
Last night my 8 year old Brady asked if he could charge his in his room since the "charging station" (the outlets next to the desk in the kitchen) was full with other charging electronic devices.  I knew this wasn't a good idea, but somehow he got the go ahead to take it upstairs and I saw it laying on the floor next to his dresser.  He sleeps in the top bunk of the bunk bed so it was quite a ways away from him but just in case I did remind him that he was not to get down and get his i-pod while in bed or in the morning before "free time" which is when our kids are typically  allowed to play them.  I asked him if I could trust him and he assured me "yes mom...I won't touch it.  I know you're trusting me."  I smiled and assured him that I knew I could. 
A little while late my younger son wanted his water refilled (remember my post from yesterday and know that I am still working on my responding like Jesus in this situation! :) )  When I returned with Max's re-filled cup of water Brady said from u-top the bunk bed....."Man mom....it is such a hard temptation to see my ipod over there charging and not want to go play it!"
What a lesson for an 8 year old!  Yes my love, sometimes God takes away our temptations to help us resist, but sometimes he also leaves them right there within our reach and calls us to have self control.  A fruit that can only be produced with the help of the holy spirit.  I prayed for Brady, and I pray for myself, that the Holy Spirit will always lead us to resist temptation.

1 Cor 10:13 NO TEMPTATION has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Free Will:  Choose life or death

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Responding like Jesus

I decided with the New Year to try and get my focus back on the things in life that are most important to me. That being above all else.... my family. Not that they ever were not my main focus, but I just want to intentionally be joyful about the job that has been placed before me as a wife and a mom. It is so easy to get frustrated when so many people want your attention all the time. There are so many demands from laundry to school work, to activities and meals that sometimes the temptation is there to become agitated or short with the ones I love the most. There isn't a whole lot of time for "me".  Balancing kids, husband, chores, school and self can seem like a daunting task.

I teach a 2nd grade Sunday school class every other Sunday at my church. When I first signed up for the job it was more to fulfill that "requirement" to serve with in the church.  It was just checking off the box in the area of stewardship but it ended up being a huge blessing to me. I am amazed each week at what teaching those guys teaches me.  I love those sweet kids and each week our lesson speaks to me personally more than I ever thought a 2nd grade lesson could!

This past week we learned about how Jesus fed 5,000.  In the story Jesus' 12 disciples had just returned from a missionary journey he had sent them on. After they told him all they had done and taught, he took them with him in a boat on the Sea of Galilee to a remote place, for rest and prayer.

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. Mark 6:30-32

 In my life this would equate to.....I have just spent ALL day "ministering" to my kids (with barely enough time to eat!)  and now it is 9:00 at night and I am ready to retreat to the remote place of my couch to rest and relax for the night! Here is where my biggest temptation to be frustrated and annoyed comes in.....one kid wants a cup of water, another forgot to pray for something, another wants me to scratch his back,  someone has something REALLY important they need to remind me of before tomorrow.....ect. ect.  This is "MY" time I say to myself. I have spent ALL day taking care of these guys why can't they just go to sleep and let me RELAX!!  Well listen to what happened to Jesus and his disciples when they went away for "their" time.  Make note of how Jesus responds.  It certainly isn't with frustration and anger like I normal tend to respond.

But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. Matt 6:33-34

He "HAD COMPASSION" He didn't snap at them. He didn't say "come on people!! Can I not have 30 minutes to myself!!!!??"  No Jesus simply had compassion.  He knew that they needed him and attended to them in love. I need to work on this.  It is so easy to think that we deserve "me" time. So easy to get aggravated when our "quiet time" is interrupted.  Yet another example of how I need to follow Jesus...in how I react and how I respond.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Keeping the focus

I have been a mom for almost 17 years.  Sometimes I get tired and think to myself...."is this really ALL I am going to do with my life?"  Sometimes I do feel like I have been doing this FOREVER!!  Even being the joy that it is, life as a stay at home mom, wife and homeschooler can seem mundane and often feel like its not worth anything compared to the other "more useful" things I could be doing with my life.  I have struggled lately with a constant temptation to look else where for better "more important" places to put my efforts and abilities.

Not to long ago I was talking to an older woman who made a comment about mothering at my stage in life and it really got me thinking.  She said..

"being a mom is such a commendable job.  For some woman it feels like a life long task that never ends. There aren't a lot of stay at home moms anymore because the world tells us that we can do bigger and better things.  Stay at home moms now a days aren't even stay at home moms like we were in my day.  In my day we stayed at home and that was that.  If you got together with other women you got together with your children and then you went home and prepared dinner for your family.  There were no side jobs, no working from home, no trying to be a mom and do 100 other jobs on top of that. There comes a time when I think women start looking for something "more" when they aren't yet finished with the job God has given them.  If your children aren't grown yet ...you aren't finished yet.  They may get older but they don't get easier.  I commend women who stick with it until the end.  Women who don't slack off half way to the finish line looking for "something else" Those woman will be the ones to finish well and they will hear from the Lord one day that they have been good and faithful and rewarded as such"

Now some may look at this older woman and thing "wow what an old-school grump!"  I may have thought that at one time in my life too.  but as I get older I treasure more and more the wisdom of older women.  This lady is no exception.  I think there is great wisdom in what she shared with me that day and I also think was a perfectly timed message to me from the Lord.  She didn't know this, but I was struggling with exactly what she spoke about.  I have been a mom for SO long, and honestly was starting to feel somewhat burnt out and wondering if maybe it was time for me to look for more in my life.  A job?  more ministry?  something?? 

I know this is not the case for everyone and this was definitely a personal conviction for me.  It is by no means meant to discourage those moms who are working or finding other important things to do while also still raising children.  Some women can balance it all and they do it well, but for me and for me alone...I know that God is calling me to keep my focus here at home.  To raise my children, school my children, serve my husband, and not look to much else where my time and attention will be divided.  I do still have ministy and activities that I'm involved in but they are centered around my one main focus.....My family.  As I hone in more on that focus I will be writing more about what God is sharing with me about it including the things He is calling me to fucus more on as well as the things He's calling me to give up.   

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." Proverbs 31:28-31

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Immanuel

Every year at Christmas I say that I am not going to let the Christmas season go by with out really focusing on what the season is all about.  I really try my best to keep that focus but with all the shopping, baking, parties, lights and festivities, before I know it the season is over and I find myself exhausted and completely off track from the real meaning of Christmas.  This year was no exception.  As I have been working to put all the Christmas decorations away this week it has crossed my mind several times that I can't even really believe it's over all ready.  I don't even feel like I experienced Christmas.  It all seems like a blur.  I wish I could do it all again now that everything is calmed down and it's peaceful again!! 

Today as I started my year of reading through the Bible again I was in my New Testament reading in Matthew.  At the end of Chapter 1 in v. 23 it says...she will give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel which means "God is with us"
As I read this I was overwhelmed by that simple little phrase.  That IS what the whole season is all about.  God gave us Christ so he could "be with us"  not just at Christmas but always!  Maybe I don't celebrate Christmas in December like everyone else.  Maybe December for me is a month of service and giving.  Giving to my family, my friends, my neighbors, my church.  I bake and I shop, I wrap and I create.  This year I even ran a little business and helped my family financially with my Christmas earnings. It was busy yes, but others were blessed.  My family got (almost) all the special treats that they love so much, we full filled all the traditions that they look forward to, we spent time with neighbors and with family. We delivered treats, we received treats, we taught Sunday school, we had a big Christmas dinner with ham and all our favorite fixings. 

Yes, maybe December is a time of service for me.  Maybe I celebrate Christmas on Jan. 4th. as I sit by my fire place with my Bible in my lap and a sweet 5 word reminder.....Immanuel-God is with us. All December during the hustle and bustle....and today by the quiet fireplace with my Bible and a cup of coffee....He is with us. 

Monday, January 2, 2012

Looking forward to what lies ahead

After a month off from writing (or doing anything else of leisure for that matter!) Its a New Year and a new beginning.  As much as I absolutely LOVE Christmas, this year was overly busy and for the first time ever I was a little happy to see it go!  I was eager to get life back to normal and relax!!  How ironic that a time that is meant to remind us of Peace becomes a time of total chaos!!!

Most people approach the new year with a bit of introspection. We look at what we accomplished this year, what we failed at, and then look at ways we can do better in the up and coming year.  The whole idea of Jesus (the main reason we celebrate Christmas!) represents a new beginning.  He came so that we all could lay down our old sinful selves and become New creations before God.  The old is GONE the new has COME!!  Praise God for that.  Has your 2011 been a year of loss? a year of sorrow? a year of failure?  If we all look closely we will find one of theses somewhere I am sure!  REJOICE in it!!  We can't have NEW unless there is OLD that can be trimmed away! Pruned! 
This new year lets remember to forget the past and look FORWARD to what lies ahead! Philippians 3:13
Lord, as I begin a new year help me to keep my head up eagerly looking forward to what you have for me.  I am excited to see what you have in store for me, my family and for those close to me this new year.  I know it is going to be good because you are good and your intentions are always good for those who love you!  Amen