2015

I have sat down so many times to work on this, but every time something interrupts me and I can't manage to get back to it. So here we go, it's 2015 and January is almost over. This year is flying by and I can already tell that if I'm not diligent with my time the days and months will begin to blur together. 
Earlier this month our church did a week of early morning prayer together. We gathered together across three different campus and on-line at 6am to get together to pray for specific needs of people in our body and those loved ones who don't know Christ yet. What an incredible week it was! Joining together to get in to God's Word and to lift each other up in prayer, was refreshing and encouraging. I have been challenged to continue to get up early and to be in prayer. Life with an unpredictable toddler keeps things fun and interesting. So many mornings we set our alarms to get up early and sure enough our son decides that he needs to get up even earlier than our alarm. The struggle is for real. Making the time and setting that time aside to put God first each day makes such a difference. I know I can't be the wife or mother that God is calling me to be if I am not first grounded in Him. A verse I have been chewing on this past week is 

Psalm 119:1-2

"Joyful are people of integrity, 

who follow the instructions of the Lord. 

Joyful are those who obey His laws 

and search for Him 

with all their hearts." 

Praying scripture is one thing I have learned can be so powerful and useful when sometimes we can run out of things to be praying for. I'm praying that to be a person of integrity, someone who follows the instructions of the Lord, and obeys them.  Although we are a ways into the new year, lets not forget the things that God is calling us to. Let's throw off anything that is distracting us and let us fix our eyes on Jesus, making 2015 the best year yet. This year I am working on simplifying my life of the excess junk so that I can be more eternally focused.   

Restless Study

This spring, I've got the opportunity to be teaching again and can't be more excited. I took some time off while I was pregnant and the first year of my son's life to adjust to mommy life and life in full time ministry, as my husband in the last year went on staff at our church as a tween pastor. (That's 5th and 6th graders, in-case you were curious) Some time I'll share our whole journey of faith that God lead us through to call us into full time ministry.

The study is called Restless by Jeanie Allen, and it goes through the life of Joseph where we will learn how his suffering, gifts, and relationships fit together to be apart of his story that God uses greatly. We will learn to look at our lives as not random things happening, but rather letting God use us right where we are for His glory, and see that He has a greater plan in process. To live on purpose for purpose. 

I can already tell as I am preparing for this class that God is going to do something deep in my own heart and life, and I'm praying He will also do a deep work in the heart and lives of the women who are apart of it. We can so easily slip into the motion of just doing life with out realizing that God created us for a purpose and has a race marked out for each of us. 
Just being real, having a child is one of the most amazing joys I have ever known, but it does change life up, and it's a huge learning curve. You know we are all selfish by nature, wanting to look out for number one first. Once you have a baby, they are fully dependent on you, and they are often very needy. Everyday I feel as if I am learning in new ways to lay my life down and let it not be about me. Which let me say is much easier said than done. It's amazing though when I stop and think about how much I love our son, and then how much greater God's love is towards us is. It's overwhelming!  All that to say I am excited to see what the Lord has planned for this study. 
Below is the link for the promo video if you want to check it out 

-Have a blessed and joyful week 

Restless Promo Video


    

Christmas in the Home

Can anyone else believe that we are just a few weeks away from Christmas? Wow, where has the time gone? I know growing up everyone says the years go faster and faster but I never really believed it until now. I know you are all probably busy doing your countdown advent calendars, or catching up on them if you're like me. As Christmas is approaching let's be thinking about how we can be Jesus to those who are in our homes and will come into them. Or maybe we will be going to other family member's homes? 
I have personally been challenged with slowing down and spending time with people. Who cares if the house is decorated perfect or if the lights are up outside, it is people that matter the most. I need a daily reminder of this, when the list of to-do's is longer than the hours in the day.
A friend was over recently and we were talking about the importance of people and taking the time to invest into others lives. I mentioned that I would rather have meaningful conversation with someone while sitting on a dirt floor rather than having the most beautifully decorated HGTV style home with no life in it. Now if you know me, that it huge that I would say that. God has really done and I should say is doing a work in my life with this. I love a clean, prefect and orderly home, but I can't let that dictate how my life. Trust me I wish I lived in one of those beautiful homes you see on tv. But God has been teaching me and showing me that it isn't about the actual physical home as much as it is about the relationships in the home.

"Better is a dinner of vegetables where love it, 

than a fatted calf with hatred." 

Proverbs 15:17   

"Better a dry crust eaten in peace 

than a house filled with feasting and conflict." 

Proverbs 17:1

"It's better to live alone in the corner of an attic 

than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home."  

Proverbs 25:24

I want to encourage all of us to begin to see those in our homes and those who come into our homes as opportunities show the love of Jesus to. Jesus was with people all the time and he didn't care what the physical home was like. Jesus cared about the heart of each individual that he came in contact with. He was living on purpose with a purpose. As Christmas and the New Years are fast approaching, it's okay if the house isn't perfect. Let's turn the cell phone off, shut down the tv and spend some quality time with the people in your life. I'm praying that it will be a joyful time that you spend together.