Daily Reflections #9

Living Loved

Here are a few declarations to ponder on this week:

I will trust God, even when I don’t see a way out.
I will be okay with not always being okay. I am growing.
I will see my beauty beyond the mess.
I will love my life.
I will live loved.
I will walk imperfectly. Jesus is perfect.
I will love my people right where they are. Pray!
I will……….(fill in the blank).

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…” Eph. 3:20

Daily Reflection #8

The words we speak about ourselves matters….

This picture is a jar that my daughter made for my birthday last year. It says ~ When you are having a bad day and feeling blue here are 48 things we love about you~ She went around to everyone in my family and collected encouraging words that speak straight to my heart.

It’s easy on the days when the inner voice is screaming and drowning out the voice of truth to believe the lies that seem so true at the moment; however, I don’t (and I’m sure you don’t) want to be stuck and weighed down by failures, disappointments, unfilled expectations. I want to cling to the power of truth. I want to see my goodness, even on the days when all I see is the “crazy” all around.

Seek to be overwhelmed by the truth of God

Lord, may I speak well about myself. I want to see my value and worth. I am loved beyond measure. May Your truth overwhelm me today.

Daily Reflection #7

Living One Day at a Time

In a world full of uncertainties, we get to rest in the fact that our God is never changing. We walk in His strength. We call upon His power. We believe He is mighty to save. We don’t fear tomorrow because He is already there. We pray over our children and the future generations. We trust that God is going to do a mighty work in them. We walk one day at a time.

My, Lord, I call upon You. Cause peace to rise in me that has nothing to do with the foolishness of this world. May my children see me trusting in You. Draw them close. Draw me close. Jesus!

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”‘ Psalms 91:1

Daily Reflection #6

 The Struggle is Real

The struggle of a mom’s heart is real: She worries that she can’t protect her children enough. She thinks she is blowing it big time. She sometimes doesn’t have the solution to the problem. She gets tired, frustrated, and can feel guilty for feeling either.

But her heart is full of love for her babies, so this causes her to press on:)

Does this describe you? It describes me on many occasions. The other day this prayer was on my heart:

Lord, I don’t want to get twisted up in everything I think I’m doing wrong. It’s easy for me to come up with a 1000 things I need to fix. However, I want to be at the point where I’m reckless, abandoned, and sold out for You because at that point I’ll be able to let You do the transforming work in my life ~ It is in the everyday things of life that we get the see the mighty power of Jesus on display.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1Cor.15: 57-58)

Lord, help me be the kind of mom I want to be:)

*Come join me over on my Facebook group. I would love to have you.

Linked up with Chasingcommunity.

Daily Reflection #5

 A True Friend

True, genuine friendships are a precious gift. I’ve been blessed with some amazing friendships throughout my years. Some have lasted a lifetime, while others were only for a season. Some have been easy, while others didn’t turn out so good. It’s a chance you take when you open your life up to someone, but I believe it’s vital to find a friend who will love you enough to point you back to Christ. A friend who will lead you to godliness and not away from it. Someone who is willing to hold you up when you can’t hold yourself. Here’s the truth…everyone you know is not a true friend. Only a few qualify for this position. Some people are just better left not knowing all of your business. We need each other, ladies.

“Choose good people to be friends with. Be discerning in your choice. Recognize your own weakness and tendency to be influenced and molded, so that the friends you choose will shape you for the good, and encourage you in wisdom and godliness” (From a study I’m doing… It’s good advice to pass on to your children, too)

Lord, help me form healthy friendships. May I see the need for this because I need others to speak truth into my life. I don’t want to be the lone ranger. I need the support of others.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up! Ecc 4:9-10

Daily Reflection #4

 He Knows

Isn’t it piercing to realize that God not only knows where we live, but also knows the gutters into which we crawl! He will hunt us down as fast as a flash of lightning. No human being knows as God does. ~Chambers

When I woke up this morning, my heart wanted to go into instant worry mode. I wanted to think about all the unknowns. Quickly, I began to realize how foolish I was being, and I changed my focus to the goodness of God….🙂

Remember, what we think about matters.

Lord, I don’t want to stay stuck in the gutter of my mind. I am Yours. May I stop in my tracks today, even for a brief moment, and rest in Your goodness.

Daily Reflection #3

Be still…my soul. When turmoil is raging inside, stop and reclaim the peace of Jesus. This might have to happen one to a thousand times a day.

Lord, help me remember where my peace comes from.

Daily Reflection #2

A heightened awareness: God sent His son Jesus to set His people free. The truth is God does not give us what we deserve; instead, He lavishes us with His grace. Another truth is I have a hard time extending this kind of unfiltered grace. My natural self-wants to say…I will extend grace when you become what I want you to be. But, Jesus’ example is I will extend grace because so much has been given to me.

I think what my son and I read last night sums it up pretty good:)

Wherever I go I know
God’s never stopping
Never giving up
Unbreaking
Always and Forever
Love
Will go, too! (Jesus Storybook Bible. I highly recommend this for your kids:)

Jesus, help walk this out in everyday life.

Daily Reflection #1

I post on my Facebook group 3 to 4 times a week. I want to start sharing those posts with those of you who aren’t on facebook. It is just some daily encouragements. Thanks for stopping by.

 Here are a few things I’ve always known about myself, but I’ve been pondering about lately. I get distracted easily. I can get trapped by the fear of the unknown. I have a constant battle with insecurity.The good thing about knowing how I tick is I can be aware when attacks are coming from the enemy. Sometimes I have to put my Holy-Spirit-filled boxing gloves and punch him in the face. The first one, fighting against distraction:

I can get distracted so easy by a bunch of busyness. I don’t work well when I have a thousand things coming at me. My patience with anyone within striking distance wears thin. Usually, it’s the ones I love the most. So, how do I fight against this? I focus more on the important things. I become more intentional about the relationships around me. I learn to say the word “no” to the good things that want to weigh me down (It’s not all bad:). I often evaluate where I am, and I make the necessary changes to keep taking the next step to where I want to be, which is where Jesus is.

Lord, help me discern the best things for my family and me. Let me love my people well. Teach me to fight for joy and peace, because everything around me will quickly steal it.
Are you distracted?

“He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” Luke 12:31

When I am not so Loving..

It is a typical day like any other day; my thoughts are lining up, and I’m feeling pretty good. Then, I see him. He is walking down the street. I don’t know him from Adam (whatever that means:). But instantly my-lined-up thoughts take to turn – a detour. Suddenly, I am quick to make assumptions and judge this person I’ve never even met.

However, I didn’t end there. With one heated hurtful comment. The poison dripped from my mouth. My heart instantly sank into a deep pit.

Why was I so quick to judge?

Was it because he looked different than me? Maybe my assumptions brought me to believe he was from a different background? Maybe it was his size. Or, just maybe….it was because he reminded me of my very own insecurities.

Sometimes our ignorant, judgemental, non-deserving views of someone else say more about what’s going on inside of ourselves. Think about it!

You see, lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the book of John where “Love one another” rings over and over.

Who am I called to love: neighbor, people who look different than me, those who think differently than me, the needy, the broken, brothers and sisters in Christ, my husband and my children.., etc.

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:35 NLT

 My heart sank that day because deep in my gut I knew the truth of God’s word. I was also a bad witness to my son, who was in the back seat and heard my words.

I was convicted instantly. And what is the purpose of conviction? The purpose is to cause a change of direction. Turning around and heading the other way. Which means I have a choice. I can continue on my destructive path, or I can seek the heart and eyes of Christ and choose to see people as He does?

I don’t know who the boy was walking down the street that day, but I do know his face will be etched into my memory for awhile. My heart’s desire is to walk close to Jesus that I began to resemble Him in my flawed, non-perfect way. I fail. I fall. I get back up with grace and forgiveness as my anchor. And I’m able to press on.

If you are like me and your instant response isn’t always to love, join me in seeking forgiveness and choosing to align our hearts with Jesus. On any particular day, I am sure we will get plenty of chances.