• Mar. 31, 2006
Unique Diversity
It is amazing how uniquely God establishes families. How diverse we all are and yet there is a common bond that we share as children of God that is universal - our love for Christ and the desire to fulfill his purposes for our families. There is tremendous diversity within the homeschool sect, but yet we are all serving Christ and walking according to the plan that he established for us. Each day we are learning, growing and discovering what God has in store for our families. We're learning to savor the sweet blessings of motherhood more and more, recognizing giftings, strengths, talents, abilities all the while more clearly identifying God's hand upon our very lives. He is aware of all of our unique situations and He knows the areas that we need to develop and mature in. Believe it or not, He knows us better than we know ourselves.
Another wonderful point that I would like to make is that within each of us, God has deposited special passions and desires that He wants to fulfill and bring to pass through our complet surrender and adherence to His plan. You see, He loves to stretch our faith and operates in doing within us what seems impossible. All the while developing our faith in the " I can do all things through Christ" mentality. So each and every day I am learning to trust Him a bit more and allow Him to stretch my faith (even if sometimes I'm not as flexible as I would like to be) lol . I still look forward to the opportunites that present themselves allowing me to reach beyond my comfort zone and step out into the open air of expectation. It's worthwhile surrendering to His will totally and allowing Him to direct us. I know without a doubt that He will guide us into His perfect will.
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• Mar. 15, 2006
Gently Leading
I have learned that in this day and age parents must be discerning. According to the New International Encylopedia of Bible Words, discernment is defined as understanding gained by evaluating. Knowledge and information alone are not enough. We must know what to do with what we learn. As parents, we want to be as thorough as possible, not leaving out an ounce of preventiveness. But even our gargantuian efforts cannot cover every detail. We are by human nature prone to mistakes, errors, and even irrational emotional behavior. This alone can hinder our decision-making ability. So what are we to do then? Well, it has been my experience to "call upon my present help in times of need." The spirit of God is the fresh assurance within a believer that we learn to rely upon and trust. It is the part of us that assists in making decisions even when we've exhausted all of our mental reserves. It's that small voice that says " don't give up; consider this; ask; pray; trust . . .
The mirad of concerns we as parents have today and are faced with on a daily basis can be overwhelming. We read to find the best solutions, we consult our human counterparts to shed light on our feelings of reservation, and to clarify what we don't understand. But human knowledge has its limits. We need something with more promise and assurity than just the opinions. So we pray for wisdom. Not conventional wisdom alone, but spiritual wisdom as well. Here are some scriptures for reference:
I Corinthians 1:24-25
I Corinthians 3:18-20
James 1:5
Ephesias 1:8-9
He thought of everything we could ever need. That's wisdom at it greatest. Colossians 1:9 states . . . that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Colossians 2:3 reads . . . In whom are hid all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 3:16 goes on to say . . . Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.
So you see no matter how resourceful we are, our education, our knowledge, and our wisdom have their limits. Therefore we need to consult "Infinite Wisdom". He knows us, and our thoughts before we even think them. There is nothing hidden from Him (Psalms 139:2-18)
He fashioned our lives so who better to consult than He who knows us so intimately.
Ask and it shall be given
Knock and the door shall be opened
Seek and ye shall find
Matthew 7:7-8
And when we come to Him in prayer we must believe that He will answer ( Hebrews 11:6)
He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Seek Him daily and in faith, trusting that the steps of a righteous man (or woman) are ordered by God.
Jeremiah 29:11 is a good verse to keep close to your heart . . . I have it all planed out,-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Message Bible
He is our loving Heavenly Father who cares for us. Desiring to help us with every detail of our lives - small and great. He too is a parent, with many children - including our own. He wants what's best for us and them as well. Do not fear, but take heart because the Creator of all things is looking out for us. . .
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 40:11
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• Mar. 13, 2006
MOTHERHOOD
Hi Moms, hang in there. You're doing a great job. I know there may be times when you look around in this season of your life and ask..."Where am I?" If you're like me, usually by the end of the day you're in a place most of us moms are familiar with, it's called "exhaustion".
But you know what? These little whirlwinds and dynamos are only this age once. Sure it gets tough picking up the living room floor for the umpteenth time over a course of just a few hours. Or running from here to there on automatic, trying to get to your meal while it's still warm in the midst of sequences of . . . "can I have mores". Late nights, and early mornings aren't necessarily a picnic either but we mothers are blessed with a love that rises above the challenges of motherhood with grace. It is an enabling power from within that allows us to carry on and do it all over again tomorrow. Each time with a little more ease than the day before. This season of our lives is a place of growth, learing, trusting, leaning on, hoping, enduring, and most of all loving. Loving those within our keep unselfishly. Determined to set the stage of our homes and lives in a manner worthy of the high call we hold in this life.
Mothers be encouraged for you are doing a great work, one of unsurpassable beauty. Polishing gems to shine for glory; hanging stars to illuminate the night; adorning hearts with the love and wisdom of their Creator. Yes, motherhood is the greatest and most challenging task you will ever do, but it also carries with it unparalled benefits for you, your children, and the world, one day at a time.
