yesterday i determined to get in some good study time. i carved it out and spent a wonderful couple hours in the Word of God. the boys were good (minus a couple squabbles) and the house was reasonably quiet. i got done feeling refreshed and so excited at having time with my Father and even a little time to share with you here.
and then the assault hit. it caught me totally off guard. Isaac decided to have a one sided fist fight with his brother for no apparent reason. i calmly asked Isaac to come upstairs and a furious meltdown dissolved my little man resulting in 45 minutes of handing out judgement and helping him learn to get control of his emotions and talking through his decision to sin and the consequences of choosing sin over righteousness. (have i ever mentioned that biblical parenting is very time consuming????) that put me very behind on making treats for Bible study & Christian felt that he was completely neglected and so spent the next hour crying, begging to be held and screaming at his brother while i tried to pull together supper. the rain prevented grilling our meal like i had planned and because my oven was preoccupied with affore mentioned treats, supper was late. thus, no shower for mommy (sigh...). after changing into clean pants (that were way to big 6 months ago) and pulling my greasy hair into a pony tail, we headed out into the rain for Bible study.
it might not get to some people. i know that not everyone would feel bad serving supper late or being reminded that they have gained weight. and on another day, it probably wouldn't have bothered me either. but yesterday, after such an amazing high, i was emotionally crushed. how could i have spent so much time eating up the words of my Lord and end the day feeling so defeated?
as we sat in the kitchen, my loving husband reminded me that when we seek to live an active christian life, that is when we are so viciously attacked.
once we reached Bible study, Kyle shared Ephesians 6:10-17 with us...
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand first.
Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sward of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
notice a theme? STAND FIRM. the devil will attack and he is not alone and he is strong. do not take lightly the task of standing firm.
God has given me so many tools to use for this defensive position. the armor of God is everything i need in order to maintain a strong place, here where my Father has put me.
yet, i neglected to prepare for the attack yesterday and was overtaken.
today, in order to have time in the Word, i traded sleep and woke at 6:40 with Nicholas. my brain was tired, but it was still wonderful to have some quiet time before the business of the day set in. and today, i was more prepared for attack. not completely prepared, but more than yesterday. Lord willing, tomorrow i will be more prepared than today.
Showing posts with label devotions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotions. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
the trade off...
i've had some mom's ask me lately if i have any good tips for getting into the Word daily. As a mommy this can be more difficult than anything else you do in your day. it often feels like every time you try to crack the cover on this precious book there is something or someone practically screaming for your attention. even now as i have sat down to write of spiritual things, my boys are yelling my name from the basement.
i have had to admit to these mommies that i have been floundering with this for quite a while. feels like you are making ground until life happens and before you know it, it's been a week andyou I suddenly realized i've missed my devo's again. and why? i can't remember what was so important that it stole all my time.
i know there are things i must do. i must cook if we want to eat. and that takes prep work, planning, etc. i must do laundry if we want to go out without smelling funny. that takes effort, many trips up and down the stairs, and oh, the folding... and i must spend time with my boys! i want to make many memories and have lots of smiles & loves on a daily basis with them. and that takes more time than any of the others! in fact, godly women in the Bible are commended for working hard. look at the Proverbs 31 woman. she is constantly working & providing the things that her family needs & in verse 29 it says "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."
but i also know that i will not grow, in fact, i might indeed regress in my spiritual walk if i continue to neglect time in the Word. i know from personal experience that when i neglect the scripture, i have less patience, i forget the wisdom i knew & i find it so much work to show love to others, just to name a few things that make living life less joyful. and like "they" say "if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." oh, there is more truth to that than "they" realized! Proverbs 17:22 says, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."
so now i come back to the question i have been hearing... how do you make time for the Word? i've been praying and thinking about this a lot lately. and when it all comes down to it, it's a trade off.
i wish i could say i just add it in there, like a multivitamin that i can pop in the morning and will just fill in the gaps though out the day. but it's not. it's so much more than that. the Word of God needs to be my sustenance, not just a multivitamin! i have to plan to eat and take the time to do it, so it should be with the Word. i'm not going to tell you how much, but only that it needs to be daily, just as you eat daily!
so what do i give up? what will i be trading to afford time spent learning of eternal things? well i can tell you, for the sake of my family, it can't be cooking or laundry. and i cannot ignore my children as they are my charge from the Lord. it's got to be something else, so what's it going to be?
this can at start to feel like a painful question. but then i'm reminded of the lesson i have been hearing over and over again for months, and for some reason, not absorbing until these past couple days. remember your salvation! (Romans 10:9-11) remember that Christ gave up everything to save you. remember the eternal hell you have been saved from, and the life of wickedness & evil that you have been saved out of.
now, think again about the trade off. what are you willing to deny yourself in order to spend time in the letter from the One who did all that for you?
are you willing to trade tv time? are you willing to trade sleep? are you willing to trade a hobby? are you willing to trade time with other people?
i know that we have more time than we think, if only we remember our salvation and look for time in the Word in light of that beautiful blessing. and i know that if you pray & ask, He will show you where the trade off is in your life. so look carefully. pray hard. this will still be hard. but more than just worth it, can i assure you!
Proverbs 16:20
"He who gives attention to
the word shall find good,
And blessed is he who
trusts the Lord."
i usually ask for no comments (as i've wanted this to be a place to start you thinking and talking to the Lord, rather than men) but today i need help with this as well. when do you find time in the Word? what have you had to trade in order to have that time? tell me what has worked for you. perhaps we all might find some encouragement and help in this area through the sharing of thoughts here.
i have had to admit to these mommies that i have been floundering with this for quite a while. feels like you are making ground until life happens and before you know it, it's been a week and
i know there are things i must do. i must cook if we want to eat. and that takes prep work, planning, etc. i must do laundry if we want to go out without smelling funny. that takes effort, many trips up and down the stairs, and oh, the folding... and i must spend time with my boys! i want to make many memories and have lots of smiles & loves on a daily basis with them. and that takes more time than any of the others! in fact, godly women in the Bible are commended for working hard. look at the Proverbs 31 woman. she is constantly working & providing the things that her family needs & in verse 29 it says "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."
but i also know that i will not grow, in fact, i might indeed regress in my spiritual walk if i continue to neglect time in the Word. i know from personal experience that when i neglect the scripture, i have less patience, i forget the wisdom i knew & i find it so much work to show love to others, just to name a few things that make living life less joyful. and like "they" say "if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." oh, there is more truth to that than "they" realized! Proverbs 17:22 says, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."
so now i come back to the question i have been hearing... how do you make time for the Word? i've been praying and thinking about this a lot lately. and when it all comes down to it, it's a trade off.
i wish i could say i just add it in there, like a multivitamin that i can pop in the morning and will just fill in the gaps though out the day. but it's not. it's so much more than that. the Word of God needs to be my sustenance, not just a multivitamin! i have to plan to eat and take the time to do it, so it should be with the Word. i'm not going to tell you how much, but only that it needs to be daily, just as you eat daily!
so what do i give up? what will i be trading to afford time spent learning of eternal things? well i can tell you, for the sake of my family, it can't be cooking or laundry. and i cannot ignore my children as they are my charge from the Lord. it's got to be something else, so what's it going to be?
this can at start to feel like a painful question. but then i'm reminded of the lesson i have been hearing over and over again for months, and for some reason, not absorbing until these past couple days. remember your salvation! (Romans 10:9-11) remember that Christ gave up everything to save you. remember the eternal hell you have been saved from, and the life of wickedness & evil that you have been saved out of.
now, think again about the trade off. what are you willing to deny yourself in order to spend time in the letter from the One who did all that for you?
are you willing to trade tv time? are you willing to trade sleep? are you willing to trade a hobby? are you willing to trade time with other people?
i know that we have more time than we think, if only we remember our salvation and look for time in the Word in light of that beautiful blessing. and i know that if you pray & ask, He will show you where the trade off is in your life. so look carefully. pray hard. this will still be hard. but more than just worth it, can i assure you!
Proverbs 16:20
"He who gives attention to
the word shall find good,
And blessed is he who
trusts the Lord."
i usually ask for no comments (as i've wanted this to be a place to start you thinking and talking to the Lord, rather than men) but today i need help with this as well. when do you find time in the Word? what have you had to trade in order to have that time? tell me what has worked for you. perhaps we all might find some encouragement and help in this area through the sharing of thoughts here.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Psalm 105:1-5
Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek his face continually.
Remember His wonders which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth,
These verses are very special to me. God showed them to me about 2 years ago and has brought them to mind several times since. i love the constant praise to our Lord and the reminders throughout to seek Him and remember Him constantly.
i have a confession to make. i have been struggling with my self-control/self-discipline. the lesson at Titus Tuesday a couple weeks ago really brought that to my attention. not that i'm an out of control fly off the handle type of person, but i have been failing to manage my time & home to make the best use of it and not denying myself in order to serve my Lord better. and that is very selfish .
this revelation has been very hard to come to grips with as i'm also struggling with some crazy emotions and weird physical trials. so, through much prayer, i'm seeking balance.
i'm not going to be staying up til midnight every night to try and get things done, my body just won't allow it. but i will be getting up a little earlier in the morning to seek some quite time with my Lord before the kid-o's arise.
i will not be doing an overhaul cleaning/organizing this week to correct everything at once. but i will be implement a better weekly cleaning schedule that i came across here and organizing one closet at a time (3 down, 1 closet & a storage room to go).
i will not be perfect at this. but i will be trying to cut out distractions (ex. computer time, little errands that could be done all at once), plan my meals better (i'm really bad at this), limit my creative crusades (ex. starting a dress when there is supper to cook) to the proper times, and mixing more scripture and prayer throughout my day.
through the power of the Holy Spirit, things will change in a God honoring way. i already know that if i try to do it by my power, things fall apart, don't get done, and i'm a wreck.
again, Psalm 105:4
"Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually."
Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek his face continually.
Remember His wonders which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth,
These verses are very special to me. God showed them to me about 2 years ago and has brought them to mind several times since. i love the constant praise to our Lord and the reminders throughout to seek Him and remember Him constantly.
i have a confession to make. i have been struggling with my self-control/self-discipline. the lesson at Titus Tuesday a couple weeks ago really brought that to my attention. not that i'm an out of control fly off the handle type of person, but i have been failing to manage my time & home to make the best use of it and not denying myself in order to serve my Lord better. and that is very selfish .
this revelation has been very hard to come to grips with as i'm also struggling with some crazy emotions and weird physical trials. so, through much prayer, i'm seeking balance.
i'm not going to be staying up til midnight every night to try and get things done, my body just won't allow it. but i will be getting up a little earlier in the morning to seek some quite time with my Lord before the kid-o's arise.
i will not be doing an overhaul cleaning/organizing this week to correct everything at once. but i will be implement a better weekly cleaning schedule that i came across here and organizing one closet at a time (3 down, 1 closet & a storage room to go).
i will not be perfect at this. but i will be trying to cut out distractions (ex. computer time, little errands that could be done all at once), plan my meals better (i'm really bad at this), limit my creative crusades (ex. starting a dress when there is supper to cook) to the proper times, and mixing more scripture and prayer throughout my day.
through the power of the Holy Spirit, things will change in a God honoring way. i already know that if i try to do it by my power, things fall apart, don't get done, and i'm a wreck.
again, Psalm 105:4
"Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually."
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
change of plans...
ok, so i have a confession to make. i have utterly failed with the whole read through the Bible in a year plan. like... disastrously... yeah...
i was completely frustrated with myself. then, i had coffee with a friend on monday night. we talked through my difficulty and she shared some tips with me (that had been shared with her by a very VERY wise woman) that i will be implementing in my daily reading.
it seems that with the period of life i am in at the moment, i need something more flexible. especially because i don't just want my reading to be about covering ground, but rather soaking in the Word. i may have days where 4 or 5 chapters is totally doable. and then i have days where i sit down to read and am constantly interrupted by screaming boys, poopy pants, throw up, phone calls, etc. so any reading that does get done is in one ear and out the other.
the new plan:
a- i will continue through the Psalm as i have been doing ever since we moved back to NE in June. i'm only just into the 70's, so i have a bit to go. but i have found that often i need to re-read a chapter and stew over it for a couple days before moving on.
b- i will be picking a "theme verse" as God so directs. i'm hoping this will be about one a week. this verse will go on an index card and hang next to my kitchen sink (a place i find myself many times throughout the day). i will read this verse throughout the days and really chew on it, find other scriptures that support it & parallel it. i will not go to commentaries or other "christian" books, because at this point in time i don't need more things to do & a bunch of opinions of man... i need the WORD! and in bit size pieces.
now i'm not wanting to stick with "milk" when i should be eating "meat." i'm not looking for something less offensive or that makes me feel better about myself.
rather, i'm hunting for a way to get daily doses of my Lord that will not make me dread sitting down with my Bible. i'm looking for a way to tuck in bits of God's wisdom to help me grow.
soon enough, i'm sure my boys will get bigger and become more able to help themselves potty, get a drink, or play quietly for a reasonable amount of time. but until that happens, i must get more creative about consuming the Word.
i think of it kind of like how right now, i'm coming up with tricks to get my boys to eat the veggies they aren't so fond of. i know they will ignore big chunks of steamed carrots sitting on their plate. however, they will munch away on spaghetti sauce that has those carrots pureed into it. not that i turn up my nose at the Bible like i would cauliflower... but i know i need it, so i'm cutting it down and tucking it in throughout my days.
and so, this is the new plan. who knows. in another couple months, the plan may change again. and, Lord willing, i will do my best to roll with it and still get some Bible in every day.
questions for you to think about:
are you getting the Word daily? why not? is there a way to change up your daily plan to make it more manageable?
are you allowing other things to take priority over the Word that you really just need to set aside?
praying for you guys as well.
i was completely frustrated with myself. then, i had coffee with a friend on monday night. we talked through my difficulty and she shared some tips with me (that had been shared with her by a very VERY wise woman) that i will be implementing in my daily reading.
it seems that with the period of life i am in at the moment, i need something more flexible. especially because i don't just want my reading to be about covering ground, but rather soaking in the Word. i may have days where 4 or 5 chapters is totally doable. and then i have days where i sit down to read and am constantly interrupted by screaming boys, poopy pants, throw up, phone calls, etc. so any reading that does get done is in one ear and out the other.
the new plan:
a- i will continue through the Psalm as i have been doing ever since we moved back to NE in June. i'm only just into the 70's, so i have a bit to go. but i have found that often i need to re-read a chapter and stew over it for a couple days before moving on.
b- i will be picking a "theme verse" as God so directs. i'm hoping this will be about one a week. this verse will go on an index card and hang next to my kitchen sink (a place i find myself many times throughout the day). i will read this verse throughout the days and really chew on it, find other scriptures that support it & parallel it. i will not go to commentaries or other "christian" books, because at this point in time i don't need more things to do & a bunch of opinions of man... i need the WORD! and in bit size pieces.
now i'm not wanting to stick with "milk" when i should be eating "meat." i'm not looking for something less offensive or that makes me feel better about myself.
rather, i'm hunting for a way to get daily doses of my Lord that will not make me dread sitting down with my Bible. i'm looking for a way to tuck in bits of God's wisdom to help me grow.
soon enough, i'm sure my boys will get bigger and become more able to help themselves potty, get a drink, or play quietly for a reasonable amount of time. but until that happens, i must get more creative about consuming the Word.
i think of it kind of like how right now, i'm coming up with tricks to get my boys to eat the veggies they aren't so fond of. i know they will ignore big chunks of steamed carrots sitting on their plate. however, they will munch away on spaghetti sauce that has those carrots pureed into it. not that i turn up my nose at the Bible like i would cauliflower... but i know i need it, so i'm cutting it down and tucking it in throughout my days.
and so, this is the new plan. who knows. in another couple months, the plan may change again. and, Lord willing, i will do my best to roll with it and still get some Bible in every day.
questions for you to think about:
are you getting the Word daily? why not? is there a way to change up your daily plan to make it more manageable?
are you allowing other things to take priority over the Word that you really just need to set aside?
praying for you guys as well.
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