8/27/12

When Your Heart Hurts


Just the other day...I had a moment with God that I will not soon forget. I had a few minutes to myself and decided to relax for a bit on our hammock outside. The sky was bright blue, there was a warm wind blowing, and all was right with the world.

But God knew otherwise.

What I can hide from others, I cannot hide from my Father. He knew the stark truth of my condition. I was hurting. A relaxing moment wasn't my true need. What I truly needed was a conversation with Him!

So God drew close.

Lovingly, He spoke to my heart and the tears that rolled off my cheeks felt like a cleansing. He was so specific that it nearly took my breath away.

Moments like that change everything.

The sting of hurt was removed in an instant.

And later in the day, my heart was overwhelmed again as the Lord led me very specifically to this verse:

"I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul."
Psalm 31:7

He showed me in the Word what He had already proven to me...that He had taken note of my pain. He had rushed to my side. I, like the psalmist, rejoiced in His love!

Will you allow God to encourage you with this today...

HE SEES YOU.

He is not far off and removed! He is not distant and uncaring. He is near...nearer than you can imagine. If it concerns you -- it concerns Him! You are His child! He loves you.

He has not given up on you, nor has He thrown in the towel and proclaimed "hopeless" over your life! NO...it's quite the opposite!!

He is ready to meet with you and speak truth, life, healing, wisdom, and love. Don't worry! He has already taken note of your pain.

Will you get alone with Him?

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."

For His glory,

8/22/12

Put Love Into It


Just the other day...my child reminded me that for one, she's amazing (wink) and two, my attempts to be a "good mommy" don't escape her (and just for the record, your attempts don't escape your little ones either).

We were finishing up with supper when Princess #2 began asking me if she could have dessert. Hmmm, I thought..."Okay, I'll make some cookies." I knew that would be quick and easy enough. I had the break-apart Pillsbury kind right in the fridge, thanks to some lovely coupons.

"Mommy, you make the best chocolate chip cookies in the world", she remarked.

Knowing I shouldn't lead her astray, I quickly confessed, "Oh honey, all I do is spread them out on a pan and put them in the oven. I don't actually make them."

Her response.......

"Well, the reason they're so good is because you put love into them."

I immediately melted into a puddle of mush on my kitchen floor!

All-at-once, I felt affirmed...by my five year old, no doubt! To me, it was as if she was saying, "I know you mess up, Mom. I know you'd like to actually be the mom that makes cookies from scratch. Or, the mom that never forgets about clothes in the washing machine. I know you'd like to have every picture of me tucked away in a super-cute scrapbook. I know you'd like to monogram every single thing I wear, read to me 20 minutes every single day, and always make each meal perfectly balanced. But guess what? Though you may not measure up to your standard of perfection...you measure up to mine...because I see you and I know that your every effort carries behind it the most important thing - - LOVE."

That's what my five year old said to me in just 12 little words. And if you'll listen, it's exactly what your little darlings are saying to you, too.

Do it with love, and nothing else matters. Do it with love, and you'll lead tiny hearts. Do it with love, and you'll make lasting impressions...the stuff legacies, and the best mommies, are made of.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Cor 13:13

Linking up at:
Women Living Well
Raising Homemakers

For His glory,

8/20/12

The Why of It All

Just the other day...I closed the computer, went into another room, and let the tears flow. I knew that taking a blogging break might be hard, but until that moment, I had no idea how wrapped up in it I had been. The sweet presence of the Lord in those moments was tangible and I just knew His blessing was upon my decision.

I have had many, many defining moments since stepping away for a little over a  month and a half. I am so thankful that God, while unchanging Himself, is constantly changing us. I started the journey of blogging as one person, grew and became something different only months into the journey, and write to you today as someone completely different.

This blogging experience, for me, has been one of hearing His voice, stepping out on faith, and conquering paralyzing fear. And here's the deal...you can't trust Him, see Him move, and remain the same. It's impossible. There are things I've done since I listened to that still small voice first say, "write" that I never would have done otherwise.

However, I realized by stepping away that something evil had begun to creep into this journey and that was this...a feeling of needing to prove myself to those I deemed "better than" me. In actuality, when stripped down to it's core, it was really just heart-sickening pride (isn't it always?). I knew something was "off", but until I laid it down, I was so very blind to it.

The heart is deceitful and wicked. The Bible tells us that. Even when we think we are on guard, evil motives can creep in and tempt us to fall away from our purpose. That is why it is of utmost importance that we truly learn the voice of the Lord and after listening, quickly obey Him. If you start making waves, even ripples, in this world for Jesus, the enemy will be out to sideline you. You can count on it!

He has tried very hard to sideline me, to make me loose focus, and to tempt me to just throw in the towel. I have been knocked down, but not destroyed...all praise to God! Even last week as God was whispering, "It's time (to write again)", the enemy was whispering, "You don't matter."

That's when I received a message on Facebook telling me that this blog was used to open a door in someone's life. I can't share the specifics of it just yet, but just know this, I cried some big alligator tears and could not speak for a few minutes as the Holy Spirit graciously overwhelmed me with an answer I didn't know I even needed. I needed to step away because He needed to center me once again on the WHY of all of this.

And I'm not the why.

God is the why.

HE is why I push through doubts and fears and sleepiness, why I stumble and fall and ultimately stand back up - - all to get out a message of His redeeming love. Do you know how ashamed I am that it ever became about me and about proving myself?!

Lesson learned.

At the end of her message my friend said to me, "Stay encouraged. You may never know this side of heaven how many others there are out there that your blog is touching."

I have lived on that encouragement for days, quietly remembering it as I have prayed over "coming back". And do you know what? God wins. I surrender. If He can bring one to know about Him, He can bring two. He can multiply the tiniest effort.

Lives can CHANGE because of one simple act of obedience.

Here I am, Lord.

Send me.



"Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, 
and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24

Linking up at:
The Better Mom



For His glory,