On Credit.....By Faith

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Life is so full of Lessons don't you think?  Its the reason for this blog, I wanted to capture the little lessons that I face in my everyday life, and share them and document them so that I or my children will have something to look back on.  Lately the lessons have been personal and hard to share, but today my hope is to encourage you :) .
  We sing a song during our worship service and the lines declare this:

     I will bless the Lord for ever,

     I will trust Him at all times,

     He has delivered me from all fear, 

     He has set my feet upon a rock, 

     He has made me glad, and I'll say of the Lord....

     You are my Shield ,  my Strength ,  

     my Portion, Deliverer,  

     my Shelter, Strong tower 

     my VERY Present Help in time of need.....

Total honesty:   I haven't always felt these statements were true and operating in my life.  But then, I haven't always been looking for the Lord to operate on my behalf.  I've been in places were I thought , "I can handle this matter" or, "I made this mess so I'll have to figure out how to clean it up" oh and this one too "I'm too insignificant for the Lord to even worry about my problems....others need Him much more".  You may relate to one of these, or you may have your own reasons why that song wouldn't feel like truth to you.  As we sang that song together this weekend, I realized that maybe...(it's possible) the one who penned this song needed to make this declaration, not because there heart was FULL of faith, but just maybe it was because they knew it was true, even when the circumstances of life try to prove differently. And maybe they wrote this on "credit" (or by faith) because they believed that God does honor His word!  

If you're in a hard place today, a place that feels lonely , empty, unsafe, hopeless.....I've been there.  I can relate ,but here's what my heart cries to yours today: There is HOPE and there is a Heavenly Father who can, and desires, to take care of you.  It does take faith, and faith is hard, but just like you trust that your credit card will take care of the purchases you sometimes make , trust that Jesus can take care of this trouble you face today.  Now, I'm sure you know what happens when you leave that credit card unpaid.....a MESS (been there too).  The faith you place in Jesus must be managed as well.  It needs some things to thrive:  Learning/ Reading the Word of God, Prayer/Communication, Application.

The Word is a wonderful tool.  It is full of wisdom and knowledge and some great stories to draw from.  It also lets you know the Character of God.  He is GOOD and JUST and FAITHFUL, and so much more.

Prayer(communication) with Him creates a relationship, and we know that in a relationship the more you share with someone and the more you learn about them , trust is built and a special thing begins to form, but if you end commuincation what happens? That relationship suffers.

Application is the hard part because it requires us to take action on the new, sometimes difficult, things we learn, but when we walk out our faith instead of TALK out our faith, it benifits us, and causes hope to spring up in others around us.  

I'm standing by faith today, choosing to believe what I have known to be true many times in my life.  God is GOOD, He has a plan for my life and He will give me every bit of power, knowledge, strength etc, that I need to come to the expected end He wants for me.  Will you believe with me today? Maybe just on credit (borrowed faith).  I know Him to be faithful and I know that He will prove Himself to be the same to you :)

P.S. I think I'm gonna make the sign above for my little girls room ;)

Perception and Reflection

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It's been awhile I know, and I want to make this at least a weekly blog and eventually a daily one.....one step at a time. I hope you are all doing well and enjoying this HOT summer. :)

So, today I'm pondering this thing....When I'm walking down the snack isle at the grocery store, how are the people around me perceiving me? What does my expression say about me?

Before school ended I was at an open house for my son, and I caught a glimpse of someone I went to high school with.  Eyebrows narrowed, lips pursed,walking swiftly down the halls with 2 curly haired boys 3 strides behind.  The snapshot stuck in my mind and I kept asking myself, "why is she so angry?".  A list of possibilities began to form in my mind and my day went on. 
Back here, to the snack isle...As I'm speedily pushing my oversized "family Cart" loaded down with loud chaps and necessities, I see faces looking at me, and when I make eye contact they do the most puzzling thing! They jerk their attention in another direction, and not just one person, please know....everyone  I'm encountering.

Wow, now I'm suddenly aware that my face is reflecting something other than what I'm feeling!   The girl with pursed lips flashes in my mind.  I'm her! We are the same vision to this snack isle!And now I know these people are trying to figure out what I'M upset about!

The answer dear friends, this day was NOTHING.  The trip was smooth, I had the Lord on my mind, I had Joy. Unfortunately,  no one would have guessed it. Here is a mental picture for ya

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Now isn't that how we all want to be greeted on a Wednesday morning!

I want to ALWAYS reflect the joy of Christ.  It should be evident on my countenance, and my goal this week is to make myself aware of my express.

Our face can invite or reject people, and as a believer we should be inviting all to partake in the joy of being set free, through Christ.

What about you? do you have any "face" stories?

In Training

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It is so tough to navigate this parenting thing! I knew it would be hard, I even knew I would mess things up, I knew my kids wouldn't be perfect, cuz lets face it imperfect people can't produce perfect ones ;).
What I didn't have a clue about was the fact that I would be in large part responsible for "training" these sweet innocent babies to become whatever it is they were meant to be! The gravity of my role in their lives just never hit me, until I'm smack dab in the fight....the ON GOING battle to teach them all the little things that collectively will make them awesome people.

 I ask myself how many times will I have to remind them that yelling is NOT an acceptable form of communication, or that it is NEVER ok to put your hands on someone when you are angry, or that picking your nose will cause you to be labeled that gross kid.
I'm sure there will be years and years of these reminders and many other lessons they will need to learn, but I want to be in charge of this mission!

 Everyday we as parents, or teachers, or childcare providers, or grandparents, all of us are presented with this really important opportunity to develop and form a child in a positive way. So here's the thing....you ARE training them. The big question is WHAT are you training them to think, say, do, become?

 My hope is that I can lead by example my children and those whom i impact:
 Love unconditionally,
Extend mercy even when I want to react with rage,
Be patience and realize they aren't always able to see the full picture (just like us sometimes),
Use gentle words even when I feel like I'm at my breaking point,
Never be ashamed to say "I'm sorry" in front of them or to them,
Pray over them often,
Teach them to Honor the Lord in all they say and do.

I'm learning to seize the opportunity when its given to train them. I'm not promised a certain number of years or chances to train them so I'm encouraged to embrace this lifestyle now and make each day count. How about you? Are you a trainer?

Memory Maker

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I want my kids to have great memories that will forever be stamped on their hearts, and so many times I let something really "important"  steal the opportunity.   Recently we spend a WHOLE afternoon at the park.  This day had been on the schedule for quite a while, but something always hopped in its place.    Oh but the day finally came and it was wonderful....well it started off if-y......
Ok so I must admit right now :
I am a list making, time slot filling , day calculator, and must have every minute accounted for and ALSO adhere strictly to this plan or else we might as well not even bother!
(now you probably have all kinds of thoughts like..."no wonder she can't make memories with her kids cuz you can't always plan those"  tell me about it!  Hey its a lesson I'm slowly  learning ;) ) -> back to the story...

We slept in which seemed nice until I realize that we actually have to prepare for this fun day, you know shower, get dressed, dress three kiddos, and pack a lunch.  And as luck would have it there was no picnic style options in the house....so off to the the store we go.....I'm starting to feel the stress level rise and the questions well up in the deep places of my heart.  Lots of whys circle around: Why did we wait so long to leave? Why even bother with a picnic?  We MUST eat at exactly 12:00 pm because that's lunch time!  Then at the next breath something new happened:

Brandie, You have no time frame today.  The schedule is clear, nothing is written down with ink.  Go with the flow!  Well praise the Lord! I mean really praise His holy name!  Breakthrough :)

We got to the park around 12pm played on the playground until complaints of hunger rolled in :) it was nice.  My sweet boys help their Daddy carry our cooler to the perfect picnic table and we had a great lunch (around 1pm ish ) we rode a train, admired some sweet baby ducklings, ate ice cream, spied out snakes and all kinds of critters I hope never to see outside of the glass, and rode the carousel.  I was THE BEST day i can remember and I hope the stamp proves time in the hearts of my sweet babies!  Here's I'm favorite shot of the day :)

Lesson to me:  Don't hold so tightly to the schedule that you snuff out the memories

Tired

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Do you know that feeling when everything is turned upside down and all you want is to be the one who can use YOUR strength to right everything? And, you try.... and try... and if that doesn't work you try again.

If you can relate then you most certainly know that all your efforts get you to one place..... Exhaustion!
Tired, no fight left, maybe no hope either. I can say to you today that as a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, I have been exhausted over and over again.

Today I find myself wondering how many times I will choose this path?????
I can do nothing in and of myself, BUT through Christ I can do ALL things!
There is a silver lining in all of this though. One that ensures that you never have to be without hope!
Because of Jesus, we have an ongoing invite. When I let myself wonder down the path that leads to exhaustion, I have this promise....
Matthew 11:28 Come to me....I will give you rest!

What about you? Have you allowed the enemy to load you down things that you weren't meant to carry? Things you could not possibly fix? The invitation is to you as well....Come to Him! And keep partaking of His rest over and over again :)

I hope you have a BLESSED week!!!!

Brandie

The Parts You Can't see

I went to the grocery store a few months ago and I just so happened to be alone, solo, NO KIDS IN TOW. It was such a pleasant trip....no screams, begging, or bathroom stops.  As the trip went on I was struck by the interaction I received from my fellow shoppers. Ok, so my usual trip might sound something like this:

Well hello! What beautiful children....Are they ALL yours????

Where's there Daddy????

Oh let me help you pick up all those boxes

They are so well behaved! ( not really ;) just had to slide that one in on you)

And THEN my children act like they have never had human interaction before! The make unfamiliar sounds, cower, cross their little eyes, stair blankly , OR speak rudely. (We are a work in progress)

Now, this particular child free day, I had no such occurrences.  I thought "wow people see me as something different"  maybe a young woman, a single woman, a college student, I don't really know, but I do know that I felt like I had a different title. Then I thought, "oh but if my scars were exposed....if they could see my c-section scar they would know I was a mom.  If they could see my left shoulder they would know I've had major surgery.  If they could see those things how would they treat me?"  Probably like someone with life experiences.  And those are just some of my physical scars...What if my emotional scars were on display as well? 

I was overwhelmed with regret.  How many times do I misjudge someone based on what I can see?  What if their scars were showcased for the whole world to see?  Would my compassion be stirred?  Would I be more likely to relate...be more tolerant...more relaxed?

My prayer is that I can see passed someones appearance and actions. That I'll have compassion, patience and understanding for those in my path today!  What about you...do you struggle with being critical ?

I Can't Make it

I had the privilege of attending church this morning, and being in the midst of a congregation that love and adore the Living God!  As I listened to the praise team sing a familiar song I was overwhelmed by its truth.....I NEED God's mercy and grace! I can't won't make it with out God!  

Sometimes I get bombarded  with thoughts of insecurity and failure, and I feel so unworthy and ashamed.....I learned a valuable lesson today!  I NEED God's mercy and His unfailing grace and guess what?  He knew that I would...He knew I would fail him, and so many others, but HIS love was not hid from me or you! Ephesians 2:4-5 assures me that He never expected me to take care of my self, that's why, I believe, He instated Mercy and Grace! I thank God this morning for security in Christ.  

The song goes on to say surely Goodness and Mercy will follow me all of my days! Well lets all shout right now !!!! That's a Promise for us, praise God! I can take that to the bank of Heaven and cash it!  I will no doubt stumble and fail God again in this life, but His goodness and His mercy are following me (because of Christ) EVERYDAY of my little ole life .  

Dont be ashamed today that you have to call on his mercy and grace yet another time! He is a kind and loving FATHER, and He promises to pick you up and give you strength, just ask and believe.

oh and if your belief seems lacking you can ask him to help that too ;) He's got you covered! 

Have a Blessed Sunday