BBB

I spoke to a new mother who is realizing her bundle of joy has turned into a bundle of battles. Whether it’s a new marriage, new baby, new car, new position, new job, or a new business, our season of bliss will bring battles – it’s guaranteed. Blissful times often take our focus off God, but battles bring us back.  

Years ago, I would have prayed for this new mother to be delivered from her adversity, but now I know her storms are exactly what she needs to be strengthened. Every woman reading this can agree. From Bliss to Battles to being Blessed – that’s life.

We pray to be healed from sickness and delivered from difficult times, but can we trust God enough to let Him have His way? We don’t want to experience physical, spiritual, emotional, or even financial pain, yet pain empowers us! Storms teach us to fly like eagles – above the storm! Our battles will even empower others if we aren’t ashamed to share. We’ll say God brought us through, but we won’t say what He brought us through. This young mother needed to hear how God brought me through my past days of sleep deprivation, emotional muddle, and sometimes feeling like a single mother. I shared because I knew we both would be blessed. From Bliss to Battles to Blessed.

My prayer for this new mother is not for deliverance from her battles, but for peace and endurance to go through; she will definitely be blessed! We rarely learn anything in good times, but battles invite growth. From Bliss to Battles to Blessed.

I Dare You!

Secondborn and I talked about his gifts and talents this weekend.  He sometimes doubts himself and lacks confidence in his God-given abilities. These doubts lead to discouragement. As his mother, I continually remind him of the supernatural power he possesses to excel. My teaching moment immediately turned into a life lesson for myself. The words I shared with Secondborn should be applied to my abilities – especially my writing.

I recently found the nerves to submit articles to various magazines and received my first acceptance – with pay. Why didn’t I do this a long time ago? Because I doubted my abilities, which is actually saying I doubted God. After all, it’s His gift; I’m just an instrument for words to flow through. We all have gifts, creative abilities, and unique talents. What are we doing with them? I dared Secondborn to let God have His way with his abilities and to watch what happens. I also dared myself. A dare will push us pass our carnal limitations. Fear blocks our optimum performance and doubt limits our faith. I dared myself to allow God to consume my writing. I dared myself to give my writing back to God. I dared myself to seek God for direction with my words. I dared myself to put God’s super on my natural each time I sit down to write.  

As women, we naturally overflow with God’s creative spirit. It seems our creativity travels in so many directions, but our lack of focus on Him also takes us in soooo many directions. We sometimes appear to be all over the place.  I’m good at many things, but one thing I know – writing is God’s special gift to me. You too, can make a list of things you’re good at, but what’s one thing you know is a special gift? I dare you to allow God to have His way with it! I dare you!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Motivate Me

Hubby is sent off to work with a hot breakfast, a hot hug, and words of encouragement. The last thing he hears from me each morning is to have a great day!

The boys are also sent off to school motivated and knowing having a good attitude will make a good day and I pray with them individually every morning. Keeping my family motivated and on the right track is a job in itself – especially Mondays.

Who motivates me? Well, if I don’t motivate myself, no one gets motivated. Some mornings are more difficult to motivate myself than others. The mornings I’m held captive by my covers are the hardest. Who wants to be motivated when you don’t even want to get out of bed?  The days I’m dealing with the horror of my hormones are extremely difficult - the word motivation sounds more like mutilation!

My only source of motivation is knowing my strength comes from above.  There is no morning cup of coffee, but a morning cup of Jesus. There is no music, but meditation. There is no self help book, but I speak words from The Book…I can do all things through Christ…the joy of the Lord is my strength…He will keep me in perfect peace…the Lord is the strength of my life…I will never leave you…with God all things are possible…abide in me…God is able…let not your heart be troubled…follow me…fear not…Repeating power-filled promises motivates me in the right spirit to begin my day. God’s words empower me and counteract the pessimistic and self defeating words I hear throughout the day from others and sometimes in my own head. I can’t sit and wait for someone to motivate me. I have to motivate myself! I have to encourage myself! If you haven’t been motivated today, speak a few of God’s power-filled promises and meditate on them. Your Monday and every other day will be okay!  He promised!

Have a marvelous Monday!

33 Cent Stamp

For days I contemplated whether to send my mother a Mother’s Day card or not. I personally don’t care for the cards, but decided to send her one anyway. I searched and searched until I found one saying something remotely close to what I would say.  I placed a stamp on the envelope and it was in the mailbox on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I realized a little late that the envelope had only one 33 cent stamp on it. Good grief! I called Mama to apologize for my scattered brain mistake. I then waited for the cards to return to me, so I could add the correct postage. Mother’s day came, but the cards didn’t make it back to me. I called Mama to say Happy Mother’s Day and she received her card! I didn’t try to figure it out, but I thanked the post office and thanked God! Mama said the post office probably knew it was a Mother’s Day card and felt sorry for me. Whatever the reason, I was grateful. My old 33 cent stamp also bought me a priceless Mother’s Day life lesson. As a wife and mother, when I come up short, God has my back – in everything.  When I’m low on energy, He fills me up. When I’m low on money, He is my sufficiency. When I’m low on giving, His giving Spirit steps in. When I’m low on love, His love covers me and comes through. When I’m low on serving, He serves me with an extra ounce of His grace and mercy. Thank you, Lord for being my sufficiency, my energy, my strength, my peace, my light, my joy, my comfort, my HELP, my everything! It’s another Monday morning and as I ask God to fill me with His Spirit to get through the day, I will also remember to ask Him for a refill when I begin to run low. Let’s have a marvelous Monday!

My Haitian Babies

 This weekend, my pastor and a few others from my church returned from a mission trip to Haiti. While they were away, they sent journal updates and pictures via Facebook. The pictures of the Haitian children tugged at my heart. I looked at those big brown eyes and innocent faces over and over again. I wanted so badly to take care of one. Knowing they couldn’t, I asked the mission group to bring one of those precious babies to me. Sunday, while driving home without my Haitian baby in my arms, the Lord let me know there were plenty of children all around me needing love. I’ve mentioned before how our house is the neighborhood gathering spot for children to play. Since the boys have been in public school, there are even more children around. We have more sand than grass in our yard because of the football, baseball, and endless games of hide and seek and tag going on. The children God wants me to love aren’t from Haiti, but they are from Him. I failed to recognize the work God has for me right in my front yard. I get tired of knocks at the front door, but these knocks are God’s knocks. I have children all around me, but noooo, I wanted a Haitian baby! I have two teenagers that need all the love and attention I’m capable of giving, but noooo, I wanted a Haitian baby! I have nieces and nephews that I need to be a loving aunt to, but noooo, I wanted a Haitian baby! There is a youth ministry in my church needing help, but noooo, I wanted a Haitian baby! The message is loud and clear. I don’t need to look for someone to love because the need is all around me and my first ministry is the homefront.

Have a marvelous Monday and if you’re looking for someone to help, check your homefront first! 

My Search Has Ended

While visiting my parents over the weekend, my mother dragged me to her friend’s yard sale, which was held in an empty parking lot.  Her dear friend was selling items her deceased mother left behind. A mid-sized U Haul truck pulled up packed with items to be sold. We helped unload the truck full of clothes with tags still on them, countless boxes of shoes and hats, dishes, linen, kitchen ware, and so many other items. Unloading the truck brought my recent job search to mind. The bottom line is… I want more money. Do I need the money? Well, everyone can use extra money, but I don’t need the money. All my needs are met. My bills are getting paid – some may be paid late, but they get paid. We always have food and to be honest, we eat too much. We don’t have enough closet space for our clothes and we have transportation. What else do I need? My heart truly wants to be at home using the gifts God gave me, but the opportunity to make more money stole my heart. More money means more stuff. More stuff will require a U Haul truck that can’t go with me when I die. My unusual job search journey showed me I wasn’t as content as I thought I was. The U Haul truck reminded me my heart is at home. My job search has officially ended. If God wants me to work outside the home, He’ll have to drop a job in my lap - literally. I’m back on track seeking His face instead of the face of a new boss or the face of dead presidents. It’s scary and sad how stuff can steal our heart from God. Subtle acts of idolatry aren’t easy to recognize.  God knew my heart from the beginning and the continuous resume rejections were actually blessings! I’m content being at home – where I belong and obviously where He wants me. Yes, my search has ended and thank God I didn’t get a job before the U Haul truck showed me the way back home!

STRETCH

A woman’s body is stretched to hold and carry the seeds we conceive. Our bodies are stretched to deliver our bundles of joy. Our hearts are stretched to love our children. Our mercy is stretched to help and forgive our men. We are stretched from one end to the other meeting everyone’s needs. We stretch a dollar when we need to make ends meet. We stretch meals to feed others besides our family. We should stretch our muscles…it’s important as we age. We amazingly stretch all we do into 24 hours. We stretch our eyes to help with late night homework and projects.  Our energy is stretched when it’s time to turn into a sex machine. Our patience is stretched when our family doesn’t recognize we’ve been stretched. Our character is stretched as God draws us closer to Him. In the evening, we finally allow our bodies to rest as we stretch out.

This morning, I thanked God when my eyelids stretched open. I stood up, stretched out my arms to Him and received a fresh supply of His strength, energy, and power. My connection with my Power Source is secure and I’m ready for another day of stretching. Stretch, one, two, three, stretch! A woman’s ability to stretch in so many ways is amazing, yet it doesn’t compare to how our Lord stretched out His arms to die for us. Because He stretched, we can.

Burger King Doesn't Want Me!

After eight years of retirement life, being a happy homemaker and homeschooling mom, I’m on a job search. I’ve completed several online applications to jobs that ‘fit’ my criteria. After receiving several rejections, I applied to Burger King. Can you believe Burger King didn’t want me either! This job search has definitely been a humbling experience.  After I retired, I said I would never work outside the home and here I am eating my words. Both boys are in public school and I’m still at home. I love having dinner hot and ready at 3 p.m. every day and greeting my three men one by one. What a life! Well, my ‘what a life’ has been stirred. I really don’t want to leave my warm, cozy home and I love watching everyone else play the 9-5 game, yet I’m applying for jobs like I’m in a trance. Hubby doesn’t care if I work or not, so what’s up with this, Lord and what’s up with all the rejections? Burger King, are you serious? Well, I recently heard of a few other jobs that ‘fit’ my criteria. I applied and now I wait. I’m not waiting on a phone call, but on God. This whole process is a life lesson. My blind faith is being sharpened, my pride pruned, and my obedience tried. I realized my job search isn’t about a job at all, but about the journey. Through my many rejections, I learned that if I continue to look for the end result, the grand prize job, I’ll miss the journey. Life is a journey! Whether it is getting a job, a raise, having a child, children graduating, getting married, or retiring…we miss out on life waiting for an end result. End results don’t always end up the way we want them, but the journey is full of life! I’ll keep you posted on my job search, but until God moves me, I’m enjoying my life! What a life!