Strength From the Storm

     Hey y'all!  It's almost the end of the month, so it was time to get back to the blog!  (I'm trying to keep my goal of one per month!  So far, so good!)  Plus, today came with some reflection time for me.

    Most of you know, eight years ago, all of my immediate family went through a tornado.  Or, to be more specific, a tornado went through us!  Ha!  If you want to read more about that, check out my post here.  We were amazingly protected and preserved through this major event.

     Today was also the volunteer appreciation picnic hosted by the pregnancy resource center I volunteer at.  I spent a couple of hours of fun and fellowship with some great friends I have met through this ministry opportunity.

    Well, the coincidence of these two events got me thinking.  Really, that storm marked more than a miraculous preservation of our lives.  It was a beginning of an overall shift in the focus and direction of our family.  Not long after that event, we went mostly full time in the work here at the school and church.  We said goodbye to the financially stable, full-time job and stay-at-home mom lifestyle and said hello to going to work together at the school every day and focusing our energies on growing and nurturing that ministry.

     You see, it became time to think, "Why are we here?"  God preserved us miraculously...He has a plan for our lives...are we living it?  Is there more we could be doing?  Turns out, the answer was "yes."  And since that time, we have seen even more evidence of God at work in our life.  Stepping out on faith was just easier when we had just been shown evidence of God's active work in our life!

    In the Bible study I've been attending the last couple of months, we've been studying the fruit of the Spirit.  This week's fruit was faith.  And one statement really stuck out at me.  The two enemies of faith are fear and familiarity.  And it was the second one of those that caught my attention the most.  How easy is it to become too "familiar" in our Christian walk?  We know the Bible, we may have grown up in church.  It's so easy to just make it our "culture."  To simply exist rather than be active.   Our faith cannot be really strengthened if it is never exercised.  So, sometimes, God needs to shake up your life to see if your faith is able.  Able to hold.  Able to believe.  Able to trust His plan even when we can't see what is good.

     So, my faith grew because of that storm.  I was able to trust that God would provide for our still-growing family even without a "real" job.  I was able to face with faith the next storm.  I was able to deal with relational challenges, personal sorrow, and the day to day busy-ness of our new life without thinking, "Why is this happening?  I can't do this any more."

    Because I knew why.  God had more for me to do, and to be able to do it, He needed me to grow up in faith.  To overcome that trap of familiarity.  So that when He whispered, "You need to do this for Me," I was able to believe and move forward.  When He said, "You could teach that class," I didn't say, "But I'm already doing so much...how can I do more?!"  I simply moved.  Because I knew how I could do it.  And it wasn't me.  It was Him.

    So, if you are just coming out of a "storm" in your life, it's a good time to think about what your faith level is.  Is God sending you through some "growing pains?"  Is He challenging your faith because He has even more planned for you?  It's a good possibility.  It may be that God is getting you ready for your next big adventure.  I promise you, it will be amazing, and you won't want to miss it!  :)

Book Review--"Girl, Wash Your Face" & "Girl, Stop Apologizing"

     Hey, everyone!  Hope you are enjoying your first few days of spring...and that you have gotten a break from winter weather for at least a couple of days!

     How many of you have heard of the two books I mentioned in the title?  I admit, I hadn't heard of them (or the author, Rachel Hollis) until about a year ago.  This is about the same time I became involved in my side hustle (which you can check out here, if you don't know about that.)  Anyway, if you've spent any time in DS, or any type of networking type business (or even just work in an office environment) you know there's a lot of "you can do it" positive thinking books and resources out there.  I have read several of them.  (I have an affinity for self-help/time management books.  I get it from my Dad.  No joke.  Who knew that could be genetic?!)

    These fall into that category for me.  I enjoyed reading them for that purpose.  She has some good ideas about time management, some better ideas about getting big things accomplished in life, and she isn't afraid to be pretty real about her story and her circumstances.  (I mean, it's her book...she could have left the parts about majorly embarrassing things that happened to her out, but she didn't.  Kudos for that!)

      Then, as I'm reading them, and doing a little research into her and her books and biz, I start hearing these rumblings from other websites and bloggers about how terrible the books are and how they are a personification of everything that's wrong with Christianity today.  Wait, what?!  Who is reading time management/self help books for Bible study?  Do people do that?!

     Apparently, they do.  Or they know other people who do.  Whatever.  (And maybe that is part of what's wrong with Christianity today...)   Um, no where that I could find are these books classified as a Bible study, y'all.  So, first of all, stop freaking out.  If your church is doing a Bible study on them, and you have an issue with that, yeah...go talk to your pastor.  (Nicely!)  Because that's not what they were meant for.  (And it's not really fair to attack a book or an author for something that she didn't even intend...just saying.)  And *news flash*  just because a book is published by Thomas Nelson or is sold at LifeWay DOESN'T make it appropriate for a Bible study or a personal devotion guide.   If you are wondering if these books are good for that, they answer is no.  They are good as what they are: time management/ self-help books written by a woman who has built a very successful lifestyle business from literally nothing.  If you are looking for that, then by all means, check them out.

    If you are looking for a Bible study book, maybe look for the ones who actually say "Bible Study" on them. (Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth or Francie Taylor are just a few names to start with in that category.)  Just saying.  Or just study the actual Bible.  Be discerning, people.  It's your job to do that.  Not the internet, a Christian article from that website you read, or your friends.  It's your job to search the Scriptures "to see if these things are so."

     So, to sum up, if you have a thing for rah-rah, you-can-do-it books, then you might want to check these out.  You'll definitely get a laugh, if nothing else!  If you are looking for your next devotional book, these aren't it.  And that's okay.  There are plenty of great ones out there to choose from!  (Also, the Bible...in case you didn't hear me before...)  But most of all, discern!  Take the good, filter out the not-so-good, and stay away from the bad.  Practice.  Because I'm pretty sure no one wants to be one of those "silly women" Paul referred to in 2 Timothy 3.  So, go wash your face and read your Bible!  :)





   

   

Joy Check!

    In my personal devotional time these past couple of months, I have been working through the book "Adorned" by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth.  (Snag your own copy here.)  Anyway, over this last week or so, I have been in the chapter that discusses the principle mentioned in Titus 2:4 as "...to love their children."  She really covers the idea well, but that was not the aspect that really struck me this time.  It was when she mentioned another verse, almost in passing.  It is found in Psalm 113:9.

    And there it was... like a brick.  "...joyful mother of children."  Huh.  Well, then.  Okay.   It also coincided with my recent watching of Marie Kondo's show on Netflix, and the new buzz words going around: "Does _______ spark joy?" 

     Am I a joyful mother of children?  I know I'm a busy mother of children.  An often impatient mother of children.  An occasionally frustrated mother of children.  A distracted mother of children.  But joyful...?  Hm... ouch. 

    So, I thought I'd spend a bit of time thinking and meditating on this idea, and just wanted to share my musings with y'all.  What are some practical ways I can be a more joyful mother of children?  Here are a few things I came up with: 

            1) It only works with Jesus.  Really, you don't even have to look elsewhere for this...it's right in the verse: "He maketh..."  Y'all, we can't do this motherhood thing without Jesus.  All the parenting books, videos, seminars, and blogs won't help a bit if we don't have the right foundation to build on.  And, believe me, I know how hard it is to find time to connect with my Lord in a meaningful way.  But if we really think about it, we can find those 15 or 20 minutes in our day.  Even 10.  To stop, come apart, and re-connect with our Power Source.  Do it.  Let the laundry sit.  Don't respond to the chirp of your text notification.  Put in a DVD for your little people.  Sit in your car before work.  Spend the time... it isn't wasted. 

          2)  Let it go.  Fair warning... this is my biggest struggle.  But to maintain a joyful spirit, you might need to overlook certain things.  I mean, is it really going to hurt anything if your toddler goes to the store in mismatched socks and a super hero cape?  If you give your kids cookies for a snack instead of carrot sticks?  Baths only happen every other day?  Does that make you less of a mom?  Nope.  Not to your kids.  But they will remember it if everything you do turns into a power struggle over your way or theirs.  Ask yourself, "Why do I feel that this is so important to me?"  If you can't give yourself a good answer, you may just want to roll with it.  At a minimum, it will be worth it to see the look on your kids faces! 

          3)  Don't let it go.  Ha!  Contradiction warning!!  Yes, on the surface, this one appears to be the opposite of what I just said, but hold your horses.  I have come to see the importance of letting little things go... and the importance of not letting the big ones slide.  Is it easier to let your kid get down from the table after you made yourself clear about the remaining broccoli on his plate?  Well, duh.  But did you give a firm direction?  "Eat the broccoli?"  Well, then, you'd better stick it out.  Obedience is one of the best things we can teach our kids.  That sports game happening during Sunday morning church?  What are you teaching about priorities?  Kids are crazy and you're tempted to skip family Bible time and just put everyone to bed so you can veg out a few minutes early?  Careful... they are paying more attention than you think.  So, be consistent on those big things. 

          4)  Smile when you see your kids.  I heard this quote from someone several years ago... and I have never forgotten it.  They said that when your kids come into the room, or you are seeing them for the first time in a while (picking up from school, daycare, etc.), to let them see your happiness to see them on your face.  It is so easy to let our faces reflect the million other things we are mentally juggling when we interact with our kids.  But when is the last time you just made eye contact with your kids and smiled at them?  Rather than a distracted, "Hey, honey. Have a good day? Get in... we're late for ...."  (Or in my case, "Hey guys.  Pick that up. Put away your stuff.  Have you done your chores?")  I know this is one I need to put into a bit better practice for sure! 

     I hope these tips help us to re-focus on being joyful in our motherhood.  God thinks kids are important, and He entrusts them to us for a short time.  Let's not treat that responsibility as if it only means drudgery and depression.  Let your kids see that Jesus has made you to be their joyful mother...even in the daily dose of chaos!  :)