18 years of growth

Being a mom for my son started 18 yrs ago today.
So many times of watering this young boy of mine into the young man he is today, much water splashed on me too and God has watered me right alongside of this child.
It's so interesting to think about all the ways God grows us.
I am humbled today when I think about being a mama.
I have been a student - studying and learning for 18 yrs about who my son is and who I am.
We are very different and yet this difference has been a huge way God has grown us both!!

Lots of watering and planting ... But so thankful God has done the growing!!

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 - 'What after all is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.'

This child of God is blessed to raise my child up in the way God has planned for him.

Thankful to know he is walking today with his Lord. I have joy in my heart.

Thank you Lord for your grace in my life!
Thank you for my son who loves you!
Keep growing us both -

Opportunities Abound

We have choices everyday. Choices to answer our phones or not.
I chose to answer the phone last Friday. I didn't recognize the number but answered the call anyway.
The voice was familiar - a brother-in-Christ.
A need presented itself to our family.
There in front of us stood an opportunity. To open our hands and receive God's blessing or keep our hands closed and miss out.
It's funny how often opportunities come our way just to simply be to others what Jesus pleads us to be.
I do not think we are saved to say no to the life giving opportunities that God holds out to us everyday.
In fact when we are filled with the Spirit
it becomes as easy as breathing.
We opened our hands and said yes to God.

The question is:
Are our eyes open to the opportunities all around us that God gives us to those who are hungry,thirsty and in need for a place to stay?

I am thankful for the opportunity to feed and give a brother & sister a place to stay this week ahead.
This is a blessing for my family to not be so comfortable.To give up their space and see into another person's life. Opportunities abound indeed!
We get to not just love God but love others in a practical way this week.

I know for sure - God is at work constantly. I want to see all He is doing around me and choose to say yes when He calls.

Matthew 25:40 - the King will reply,"I tell you the truth,whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

I pray this child of God always answers the call.

Being transformed

Sin is anything that puts my-self on the chair that sits in the middle of my heart.

Thinking today about that chair in the middle of my heart. My desire is that God sits there ALL the time. But, sad to say, that isn't true. I am constantly trying to put my-self there. I don't belong there, after all, God created me. I am HIS, I belong to HIM. The more I allow my-self to be transformed into the image of Christ, I, will stay off that chair. Only God can sit there!

Through the working of the Holy Spirit in me, I am given the power to say no to self and Yes to God being the Lord of my life.

1 Corinthians 3:18 says, ' And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with an ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Taking my-self off the chair in my heart and letting God's Spirit transform me today.

I like sitting on the floor anyway. God can have my seat today. I will sit next to His feet and hear Him whisper amazing things to me.

Being transformed ~

Abiding

Does my life look like it is abiding? I know my heart desires this more than anything. But, wait does it? Is this just what my mind tells me I want?

How does my life look like it is abiding when, I want something I know I can't have?

Or when I live in so many comforts of this city life?

Do I react or respond when a phone call from a friend reminds me only God is sufficient?

Abiding ~ a deep place where I have complete trust in my Father in heaven. Believing with all of my heart what God says is true. This keeps me yielding,trusting and waiting on my Father.

Abiding in Him.

Waiting on God. Not reacting to the noise and confusion that surrounds me everyday.

When all day I am focused on the presence of God...am I abiding then?

Abiding in Christ is staying in constant communion with Him.

I am thankful today that Christ wants to abide with me more than I do with Him. I know this truth will continue to draw me to Him.

The evidence of this abiding is fruit. God's abundant fruit. The fruit that will last and will nourish my soul and bring joy. The joy that Jesus describes in John 17:13. The full measure of Christ joy within me.

I think the thing is...we must get rid of the pride in us that keeps us from simply abiding. Pride tells us we must do something....

Abiding is doing nothing...but simply resting in the presence of God with not a care about anything.

God commands us to abide. What? I just love this!! God is commanding us to just rest in HIM.

Get over ourselves and just rest in the most capable arms of Jesus.

Abiding makes us look at peace with God and with others.

Thank you Lord for commanding me to abide in you. To trust you completely!

John 15 ~ Abiding in Him is what this child of God plans to do for the rest of my life.

May my life look this way so that God is glorified through me. So that, others will be drawn to Christ...the True Vine.

I pray Lord, for opportunities to reveal to others around me that I am abiding in the Most High.

love,

your daughter <3

What is time to God?

It is so funny the 24 hours we are given everyday. Actually, it's really only 16 hours of time we can actually get things done. Although, the dreams we have can also be quite productive. And now, I am finding myself using some of that time blogging. But, I seem to have so many thoughts running in my head that if I do not get them out..then I cannot do the other things I need to do.

So, I will take a few minutes of my 16 hours to share with whoever finds themselves on my page.

I am convinced that rushing through life is not God's purpose for us. For some reason, I see Him always saying to slow down. God's word in my head says to be still. I love the way these 2 words calm my soul almost immediately. Psalm 46:10

I think when we feel God has not answered our prayers, it is because we are so impatient. And we do not understand God's time. He lives outside of time. We are put into time. We are given 24 hours...and God says, "Here..do something with these precious hours"

He modeled exactly how we should live out these moments in our life.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, it says to be joyful always, praying continually and give thanks in all circumstances.

So there it is. My time must be spent in these three ways.

Lord, slow me down so that I do not waste the precious time you have given me to be joyful, to keep praying and to be thankful in all things!

having my family home

Today has been a day that rarely comes anymore.

All three kids sat around the table tonight. Dad was there too.

We prayed together and broke bread...it was a rare moment....all of us in the same place eating, laughing, talking, sharing together. I remembered in my heart the family we visited today. Thankful we could share love with them. Simply being the hands of Jesus. Being practical..living out the scriptures that we feed upon everyday! Really blessed that my three big kids walked with me today.

So funny, if I knew these days really would be rare...would I have cherished them more? Not sure, probably not.

I am thankful to have a heart that longs for more of God in my life. I know with more of God in me, I will see these rare moments more.

Praying for less of me and more of God. John 3:30

Thank you Lord for today. So many things to thank you for. Mostly thankful for the laughter I heard today in my big kids.