guest writing

guest writing

Today, {well, actually last night 🙂 } I am a guest over on a friend’s blog.

picmonkeyrocks

Patty was one of my dormitory supervisors in college and was a great inspiration to me. I learned some valuable lessons watching her then, and I have greatly enjoyed learning of her life on the mission field of Ghana through her blog.

She is doing a series of posts of encouragement to moms about…

How to fill your cup when your hands are full

I have been blessed by her straightforward, honest manner. As momma’s we don’t really “get a break” yet we still need our cups filled–daily–by God.

But what does that look like?

It’s not a “one-size-fits-all” answer. I am honored to be guesting posting over there. I pray you’re blessed!

Leave a comment, and let us know you were there!

[There’s a free printable and a giveaway {closed}, too!]

signature

d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

BLOG body

post

my split personality: called {motherhood}

This is not exactly a “spiritually or Biblically-inspired” post.

It is more a “I wonder if anyone else has ever thought about it this way” post.

And it’s been sitting in my “draft” folder for a while now…

I had a conversation with a sweet new friend last night that prompted me to truly articulate this thought I’ve had for a while now:

Somedays, I truly feel as though motherhood may have given me a split personality {and I am not trying to belittle those with actual mental disabilities here!}.

kids

I realize my children need ME.

But they need ME differently among them. They are each so individual and unique. Yes, I must be consistent in rules and discipline; but things they need, things they forget and need me to remind them of, things they have not yet learned, are ALL different for each one. 

My poor oldest child, she is nearly a young woman, and yet I continue to remind her of things that, really, only her younger sisters need help with. I know that frustrates her. She’s so grown up and the others are still “babes”.

My middle daughter has some food and environmental allergies that sometimes means our whole family just misses out on stuff like… peanut-butter pie… because I just can’t chance it being around and her wanting a taste or being sad that she can’t have it. And she’s trying to grow up as quickly as her big sister, but she really isn’t there yet.

My  third… a whirlwind of a girl. She plunges head-long into EVERYTHING she does. She has gusto! 🙂 And thinks very little, if ever, before acting. But her little heart is so tender and pliable, I must be restrained when calling a warning at her to not sit on her brother, or some other situation that could cause harm to one or multiple people. lol. She will just loose it, and the whole situation will disintegrate before our eyes.

My youngest is a boy. After 3 girls we have a boy. ‘Nuff said.

C.mommy

To those with more children, I am not trying to ‘prove’ my life is as hard or harder than yours… just stating some observations. 🙂

And then, my husband needs a WIFE, not a mother {he already has an awesome mother!}. And apart from “child of God”-which is my identity at its core- this is where I find my primary role in life – to be the best wife for him. If I’m an awesome mom and a lousy wife, I’ve not become what God created me to be!

And I do have a few friends… who like to speak to me as adult in my own right, not as a mother or a wife….

And so, maybe this is a little bit to be encouraging spiritually

… I need God! You need God! 🙂

If God does not help us in relating to all the most important people in our lives, we are a people most undone!

us

If I cannot be Christlike to my own family, how can I expect those outside my family to see Christ in me?

I’m not saying I loose it every day, but there is at least a portion of most days where I struggle really hard not to! And there have even been a few hours all strung together that I feel I {MIGHT} have it all together–HAHAHAHA. nope. not really!

And only bending my knee before His throne will help me be “ME”–a child of God–to those around me, whether I feel SPLIT or not. 🙂

d31instad31fbd31twisignature

my soul must be still

my soul must be still

Again, there has been a song “stuck in my head” recently that has been encouraging to me… I pray it can encourage someone else out there, too. 🙂

“Be Still, My Soul”

by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

verse 1
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side; Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide; In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend –Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

verse 2
Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake –To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know –His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

verse 3
Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart –And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay –From His own fulness all He takes away.

verse 4
Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on –When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past, All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

and here is a beautiful rendition I found on youtube:

 

 

Friends, we must BE STILL… and let God.

Below is a recording I did during a time of very deep grief… I pray either is a blessing to you.

Again, there has been a song “stuck in my head” recently that has been encouraging to me… I pray it can encourage someone else out there, too. 🙂

“Be Still, My Soul”

by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

verse 1
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side; Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide; In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend –Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

verse 2
Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake –To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know –His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

verse 3
Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart –And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay –From His own fulness all He takes away.

verse 4
Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on –When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past, All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

and here is a beautiful rendition I found on youtube:

 

 

Friends, we must BE STILL… and let God.

Below is a recording I did during a time of very deep grief… I pray either is a blessing to you.

signature

d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

all in good time

I cannot help but PRAISE THE LORD for HIS goodness!

Recently my family endured some unexpected and abrupt changes. In searching out God’s direction for us, we have listened to several different preachers in the last few months.

It has been amazing to have God teach me a truth personally and then go to a church service [or listen online] and have it re-iterated to me from a different persepective.

God is just GOOD like that!

One such truth is that….

God’s delays are NOT the same as God’s denials;

the IMPOSSIBLE is done in a DIVINE timing!

God knew what would happen. He knew why and allowed it.

{{Sometimes He allowes things that no one understands just to try our faith.}}

God has become more real to me in the last 6 months than I have ever known… and, honestly, I felt close to Him before that. I talked to Him daily, hourly, as if He were actually right there with me–since He is. 🙂

But I still occassionally worried about little things, like money 🙂 desiring more space for my kids to grow in our house, eating healthier… just little things, that require money.

Then we had no income.

Bam.

And there had never been ‘enough’ before, so there was no savings to fall on… we lived paycheck-to-paycheck, with God filling in the gaps… somehow… every month a miracle.

But God’s timing IS divine.

All that previous stretching pennies proved to me that He could take care of us…

And He did.

There is absolutely no way around saying that.

He —GOD ALMIGHTY—literally paid our bills for 4 months. 

And this has brought Glory to Himself in our family!

And honestly, I have never felt MORE peace than I did those months.

I still feel it now…

Because HIS divine time has provided my husband with a new job.

HIS divine time has brought us to a new family of fellowship.

His divine time has introduced us to new friendships to develop.

His divine time has taught me that:

Jesus SPECIALIZES in the impossible!

Because it brings glory to himself!

praise the Lord

what is YOUR problem?

what is YOUR problem?

Yesterday, my husband preached in the stead of a pastor who was out of town.

His message came from Daniel 2-which is quite a familiar passage to most people who have “grown up in church”: King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream which troubled him, but he cannot remember it when he awakes. When none of the wise men of Babylon can give him the answers for which he seeks, the king decrees that ALL the wise men of the land be killed.

All of them.

Daniel and his companions are among these wise men, and this concerns Daniel.

With the upmost confidence Daniel tells the king that he will surely give the king his answer, with time. And then Daniel meets with his 3 closest friends, and they pray.

Something pointed out that I had never truly considered before was that they did not have some discussion about what the answer could be… they did not call on any other people to see if they had any ideas… they did not begin making plans for escape if no answer was found.

They prayed.

They prayed first.  {So important… but not my main point today.}

They had confidence in God to bring glory to Himself.

Did you get that? 

They had confidence in God to bring glory to Himself.  

And this brings me to the crux of what I took away from the message.

Daniel realized that his problem was not what was sitting right in front of him.

Daniel’s problem was NOT the king’s decree to kill him. 

Daniel saw THE Problem.

This problem that is actually THE problem at the crux of all difficulties that come our way.

How can God be glorified through this?

My problem is not that the bathroom needs cleaning.

The problem is that I do not think that the chore can glorify God.

My problem is not that I lost my temper… again.

The problem is that God wants to glorify Himself THROUGH my downfalls... and I don’t always humble myself before Him so that He can.

My problem is not ever that our vehicle does not start or has an issue with its engine.

The problem is ALWAYS: How can THIS bring glory to my God?

My problem is that I am not willing to take my hands OFF and just simply let God…    BE God.

Let me pray. But let me take my hands off the problem as I see it.

And let God.

Let God bring Himself glory.

His workings ALWAYS reveal Himself, bringing glory to Himself.

He is in every situation.

And through every “problem” He is working.

signature

d31fb     d31insta      d31twi