Showing posts with label day of the Lord. Show all posts
Showing posts with label day of the Lord. Show all posts

Friday, March 16, 2012

being brave



word for the day: brave

start.

the time is coming soon, whether i am ready or not. 

i better get ready.

it is completely natural and yet the most intimidating thing i have ever done and will ever do again. 

i have to be brave.  being brave doesn't mean that you aren't a bit nervous on the inside.  being brave doesn't mean you are ignorant of what is coming.  actually being brave is counting the cost and going into it fully aware of what it will take and what it will look like.

and no one knows for sure the day or the moment that it will start, but God has left that mystery up to Himself.  but i do know it is coming and i need to prepare.

in so many ways, as i write, i think of the parallels to the time before the return of Jesus.  i mean, they call it birth pains, right?  and here i am, thinking and reading and planning for very real, very physical birth pains in just a matter of weeks.  part of me is nervous.  part of me is excited.

but i know, most of all, what it will take is all of me being brave.
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. 2 timothy 1:7

He has been my Rock to navigate me through 4 births already, and i know He will be my Rock once again.  even when things get more intense and the contractions get stronger, i don't have to be a hero.  no, i just have to keep my mind steadfast and look at the One who is my Hero and He will guide me through.

He is always faithful and there will be such a great prize waiting for me on the other side - my baby.

someday He will be the One waiting for me on the other side and that will be the best prize for being brave.

stop.


want to join in?  it is easy.



5 minute friday rules:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them.

as always,  i love to hear from you.
charis

Monday, January 30, 2012

how to change what your heart loves


one of our family's goals is memorizing the Word.

we decided to start with the psalms and work our way through the longest book of the Bible and the easiest to memorize (in my opinion because of the poetry).

last year asher read heavenly man, the autobiography of brother yun. asher was 6 years old when he read this book.  i have not yet read this book.

asher came away from reading this book so convicted and challenged to memorize Scripture because brother yun has most the books of the Bible memorized.  memorizing more of the Word has always been a desire of mine, but my son was the one who really gave me the kick in the pants i needed to refocus my efforts on it. 

as a family, we have the 1st 3 psalms memorized... even david my 3 year old.  i wish we were going faster through it, but i am honestly content that we are working at it at our slow pace and at least doing it!

one great incentive for our kids is my mom offered to pay them $1 for each chapter of the Bible they memorized.  her grandma paid her to memorize chapters, so she wanted to pay her grandkids.  what a great way to earn money, right?

while i started in on psalm 4 i found so much truth and encouragement to hide in my heart.
o sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? how long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? selah.

as i was meditating on this passage and praying through the psalm, this section just kept standing out to me.  

there is just so so much i can give my time and attention to... so much that can consume me and worry me and steal my affections.  while i wish this passage was speaking just to other people and not me, i know it also speaks to me.  as much as i long to be fully His, i still have worthless things that steal my affections.

and when it is all said and done and i am standing before Him, face to face and eye to eye, like each one of us will... well, when i am there, what am i going to wish i would have loved?  am i going to be happy with what took my affections?  am i going to be proud of how i used my time?  will i wish i made choices a bit differently?

i am asking the Holy Spirit to help me love what He loves and give myself to those things.  with His help, you and i will both grow in righteousness and keep pursuing a walk with Him that will prove us blameless in the end.

let's hide His Words in our heart... He promises that when we do this it will strengthen us to not sin against Him.


still counting gifts to 1000...

431 - 449:

431. beautiful weather.

432. a day sledding in the snow with the family on saturday.

433. my sweet uriah turning 6!  can't believe how fast time flies by.

434. warm weather forecast for this upcoming weekend meaning we will have the boys' birthday party outside!

435. God's faithfulness to fill in the gaps in our finances.

436. a warm comfy bed to fall into at night.

437. God's faithfulness even in hard circumstances and even when it is hard to understand.

438. time by myself with God and my Bible when i am really needing it.

439. the offense in the book of matthew that keeps me from my comfort zone in life and keeps pointing me towards the narrow path of walking with Him.

440. a reminder yesterday of what has been on my heart... "he who gives to the poor lends to the Lord."

441. that God knows the unfulfilled desires of my heart and is trustworthy.

442. lately i have really liked ice.

443. the small organic fancy dark chocolate my husband brought home for me on saturday... just because he knows how much i enjoy fancy dark chocolates.

444. so much encouragement while reading the Word of God.

445.  the Holy Spirit's activity in my life.

446. broccoli in this upcoming week's csa box!

447. much needed green juice from my juicer - this time it is ginger, lemon, beet, pomegranate, celery, mixed greens juice.

448. the rare times all 4 kids go down for a nap at the same time and the house is quiet in the afternoon.

449. learning how to be a christian mom who raises her kids to know the Lord.


i am linked up at a holy experience. i would love to hear from you in the comments below!





charis
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