Everything Old is New Again

Have you ever had one of those times when you think of something from your past, something that you've known forever and it just seems like a new thought? Let me explain what I mean.

About 5 years ago I was taking the boys to basketball camp. We were driving down a back road and we were singing away to one of the songs we'd recently learned at the camp my parents helped run. Thank the good Lord I had both boys buckled safely in their booster seats because suddenly the cars in front of me stopped and I had no choice but to veer off the road. Unfortunately, where I veered was right into the wooded lot on the side of the road. There was quite a bit of damage to my car but God was watching over us and no one was hurt.

The other day I was driving down the road and for whatever reason I started thinking about that wreck and how blessed we were that the damage was only to the car and not to any of us. We came so close to truly being harmed. It happened long ago but suddenly it was new again.

Maybe the most recent and most meaningful of these little moments was actually more of an epiphany for me.

Webster defines as epiphany as "a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience. "

So here's what happened. I was cleaning house and listening to music on my iPhone. My newest favorite song came on and I started listening- really listening- to the lyrics. Suddenly I realized something that I had known for many years- but I heard it with new ears. I saw it with new eyes. I understood it with a depth that I hadn't before.

Here are the lyrics that suddenly took my breath away:

"One of these days I'm gonna see the hands that took the nails for me"

Yes, I have known for most of my life that one day I'm gonna die and when I do I'm gonna go to heaven. But wait...did you see what those words above said? Did you really SEE them?? Did you understand them? I "knew" them. I "understood" them, or I thought I did until I heard the song again.

Let me type them out again for you.

"One of these days I'm gonna see the hands that took the nails for me"

Suddenly I KNEW something NEW. One day I'm gonna get to SEE JESUS! Did you hear that. One of these days I'M GONNA GET TO SEE JESUS. Yes, I know I'm shouting it. But goodness gracious, if there is anything worth shouting it's those words.

People, I AM GONNA SEE JESUS!!! Do you understand how wonderful that is? Do you realize what that means?? I sure hope you do 'cause boy I no now.

Like my title says- "Everything old is new again." I've known this for a long time- but now I KNOW it!!!

Listen to the song- I hope it will bring new meaning to your life as well!

A Nation's Theme Song?

At this critical time in our nation, oh how I wish we could adopt THIS song as our nation's theme song!

You're the God of this City

You're the King of these people

You're the Lord of this nation

You are

You're the Light in this darkness

You're the Hope to the hopeless

You're the Peace to the restless

You are

There is no one like our God

There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done

in this City

Greater thing have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done

in this City

There is no one like our God

There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done

in this City

Greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done here

There is no one like our God

There is no one like our God

Greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done

in this City

Greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done here

Monday Moments for Mom

Week 3

It's been for-evah since I posted a MMM so if you'd like to check out Weeks 1 and 2 feel free.

The Power of a Positive Mom Devotional and Journal by Karol Ladd

The Grace Challenge

Key Scripture: Leviticus 19:16-18

Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. Do not try to get ahead at the cost of your neighbor's life, for I am the Lord. Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront your neighbors directly so you will not be held guilty for their crimes. Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Mom's Reflection:
With thousands of Israelites trudging together through an unknown wilderness, a plan for civility was essential. The people had a long way to go, and they would never make it to the Promised Land if they turned on one another. So in the book of Leviticus, God provided laws for dealing with both people and circumstances. As you can see from the brief passage we just quoted, those laws of civility and decency were not always easy to follow. Yet if we as mothers were to employ even a few of these laws in our relationships today, we would be so much better for it.

As Christians, of course, we are no longer under the rule of Levitical law; we are under grace, thanks to Christ's sacrifice on the cross for us. As recipients of God's glorious grace, then we ought to be showering grace on others in turn. And what does grace toward others look like? It looks like today's passage. Guarding our mouths from gossip, forgiving, not holding grudges-all of these are practical ways we can shed God's grace on the people around us. Let's teach out kids, through our words and example, to reflect on the goodness of God's wonderful grace and, in turn, to offer that grace to others.

A Few Thoughts:

• In what ways do I need to show God's grace towards others in my life?
• This week I will choose to focus on God's great love and grace toward me.
• This week I will choose to show grace toward others.
• This week I will choose to ask God's help in guarding my heart and mind.
• This week I will choose to....

Prayer:

"God of grace and mercy, thank you for pouring your grace on me through the sacrifice of your Son. I praise you that through faith in Jesus, I am forgiven. Help me now to forgive others. Guard my mouth from gossip and my heart from grudges. Teach me to be a conduit of your grace, so that grace flows freely through me to my family members and all other people in my life. Thank you for your Word and the direction it gives for living and loving in grace. In Jesus's name I pray, amen"

I praise the Lord that HE does not hold grudges. Oh what trouble I would be in if every time I wronged Him, He turned His back to me and ignored me. I praise Him that He pours His grace on me - every DAY, every HOUR, every MINUTE. I pray that I will be a reflection of His grace toward others, and especially that I will be able to set an example for my children!

Our God is an Awesome God!

Man oh man. What a weekend I had. I spent part of Friday, all day Saturday and most of Sunday with a group of amazing women!

Our church held a women's retreat in the beautiful NC mountains. Our topic was prayer and let me tell you I did a lot of it. Our speaker was amazing. And what was even more amazing was the story we heard from our guest speaker, Valinda Miracle. If I had a lifetime of years I don't think I could put into words the blessings we received from hearing her testimony. This woman has a story that will touch your heart in so many places there won't be a single crevice left untouched!

And then, to end an awesome weekend I was given two wonderful gifts.

1. My middle school son Mark and I had a wonderful conversation on the way home from youth group. We just talked- not about anything specific- we just talked.
2. I walked up the stairs as Lewis was in Luke's room getting ready to tuck him in (he's my fifth grader). As I ascended the stairs- I hear in stereo the two of them saying the Lord's Prayer together as Luke's goodnight prayer.

Yes, our God is an awesome God!!

Peace

About two weeks ago Lewis installed a new attachment to our front porch.

I casually mentioned recently that I'd love to have a porch swing. We talked about it, stood outside looking at the porch trying to determine if a swing would look right and if we'd have enough room. Thankfully the answer to both was yes- and he bought one and installed it within a few days!

I now have a new place to start my mornings. I get up pretty early so I can have my devotions and exercise before the boys get up- which means I try to have both finished by 6:25 each morning.

I absolutely LOVE getting up and going out on the front porch and swinging on my new swing as I read God's word and talk with Him.

I listen and sometimes I hear---nothing! Other times I can hear a rooster crowing in the distance and occasionally I even hear a donkey braying! But the best part is that it is just so peaceful. I just sit and swing, and read and pray and soak in the blessings that God is giving me.

I really have found that God is blessing me with this time-I'm striving to give Him the first in my day- and in return He is providing exactly what I'm seeking by being up that early-Peace. No distractions, no interruptions, no one yelling for Mom to help with something. It's just me and God- and occasionally Lewis will sit with me for a while and pray with me before he heads off to work.

I really don't know how else to describe it- other than

PEACE!!!

John 14:27
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Philippians 4:7
7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And so, my wish for you this day is:

2 Thessalonians 3:16

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

Rockin' it in Church This Morning!

My oh my! We were rockin' it in church this morning. The Spirit was moving. People were clapping, smiling, heck I think a few were even dancing.

No, I KNOW a few were dancing.

Our praise band sang this song and it was AMAZING!!!!

A Hedge of Protection

As I sit here writing this post I have a pit in my stomach that just won’t settle. I know it’s ok to feel this way- but at the same time I feel kind of silly being this upset.

Why am I upset you ask- well let me tell you why- my “baby” (ok, really he’s my oldest but still) is starting Middle School tomorrow.

I’m not upset because he’s growing up and moving on to new endeavors. What is bothering me is that it’s –Middle School-! I’m terrified for him. He’s entering what I view as the “real world”.

When he was in elementary school, he was “loved on” (well by most elementary school teachers). He wasn’t- for the most part -faced with the many temptations that are going to be in front of him daily. It’s a scary thought. I thank God that He has allowed us and guided us as parents to direct Mark’s feet along the path of Godly instruction and I pray that He will continue to be a light on the path before him.

Already at this age, Mark is a young man of strong conviction. He knows what he believes and how important it is to live up to and stand by those beliefs. I pray that he will feel our Lord Jesus Christ standing right there beside him during those times when he needs it is especially hard stick to those convictions. One of his teachers from last year told me in a conference that she saw Mark as a role model for her two boys- She told me she would be blessed if her children grew to be the type of young man that Mark is. The boy makes his parents proud.

So, why it so hard for me to watch him take this step? I know that the only thing I can do is to pray a hedge of protection around him that Satan can not penetrate. Satan even complained about the hedge of protection that God placed around Job- “Have you not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side?” Job 1:10.

As I searched the Internet for prayers for children I found this information about praying for a hedge of protection:

1. Ask God to bind and rebuke the power of Satan in the life of each one in your family. Be mighty through God to pull down strongholds. “No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man” (Mark 3:27)

2. Pray in the same and through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. “And I will do whatever you ask in My Name, so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in the Son.” (John 14:13). Christ’s name is Protector, the Good Shepherd that gives His life for His sheep.

3. Claim the Scripture that relates to the kid of protection that is needed. For example, for protection from sin, you can claim a verse such as Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you”. For protection from discouragement, you could claim the promise, “…for He Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will no in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down.” (Hebrews 13:5)

My Prayer for Mark:

Precious Heavenly Father, I ask You, in your infinitely love and grace, to bind and rebuke the power that Satan may attempt to have over Mark. I pray a hedge of protection around this precious child of Yours. Lord, because You are Mark’s rock and fortress lead him and guide him in his steps. Lord, guide his steps that he may be a light that leads others to You. Dear Lord Jesus- though Mark may fall, he will not be utterly cast down, for You, Lord grasps his hand in support and You uphold him.(Psalm 34:24) InYour most gracious and loving name I pray- AMEN!

Sshh- they're listening!

Ok, the title was really supposed to represent the fact that I think my Pastor has bugged my house because the prayer below was sent out in a mass e-mail this morning and yesterday was not a day where I was careful with my words:

Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, Thank you for this day and for the instruction you provide through your Word. Please help me to always have a soft answer to turn away wrath, not harsh words that stir up anger; help me to use knowledge rightly, not to speak foolishness. I pray that my tongue would build up others as a tree of life giving shade and shelter and never speak perverseness that would break the spirit. Let me always receive your instruction and correction with an ear to hear, a mind to accept, and a heart that is humble. (Based on Proverbs 15:1.) I thank you and offer this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

But as I read the prayer over and over I started thinking that I shouldn't have focused on the fact that maybe someone outside of my house heard my words- but two certain people inside my house.

How can I possibly expect my children (both tweeners) to speak respectfully to each other and to me when I don't speak respectfully to them. It's all in the tone of voice I tell them- as I say the words in an extremely harsh tone of voice.

I don't want to be one of those "do as I say not as I do" parents! I want to be a Christlike example!

Pray for me will ya??!!

Preparing Your Fields-I'm digging deep so the seed will grow!

No, I don’t plant gardens. In fact, I don’t do any type of yard work unless necessary.

I’m talking about preparing your fields for what God has in store for you.

There was a drought in the land. Two farmers prayed to God for rain, but only one went out and prepared his fields. Who do you think had greater faith?

--Facing the Giants

Have you seen the movie Facing the Giants? This movie has a wonderful message and two things really struck me and have stuck in my mind and heart since watching the movie. The first is about preparing for rain. The other I’ll write about another time.

I am not sure what it is but I really do believe that God has a very specific plan for me- something that He wants me to lead-it might be a group a church- a women’s reading group, or a Bible Study. Or it might be a prayer group for Moms of students in our elementary school- or it could be anything. I can just feel His spirit working in me and I want to be ready for whatever the task. So, I’m trying to prepare my fields for rain.

How am I doing this? I joined an online Bible study and I am reading my Bible- cover to cover in 90 days. While it may seem that there is no way you can really truly “study” the Bible when reading it that quickly-that may be true in some aspects- but in all honesty, I have drawn so much from this reading. I only have about 4 days worth of reading left and I have been amazed at how enlightened I have been during my readings. I’ve been in church all of my life and I’ve “read” the Bible a lot-although never all the way through-but this time I feel like I’m really learning.

Another way I am “preparing my fields” is through my listening to Chip Ingram and Joyce Meyer on Podcasts. I can not even begin to tell you the depth of understanding and knowledge I am drawing from these messengers of God. WOW is all I can say!!

I also have a nice stack of books-Bible study, self “help”, and spiritual growth books that I am using right now.

Whatever the task that God has ahead for me- I want to be ready. I have faith that IT is there and I know God wants me to prepare my fields so the seed will grow when it is planted!

Are you ready to run the race?

Hebrews 12:1-13
Discipline in a Long-Distance Race
1-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
4-11 In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?
My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.
God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.
12-13 So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!
*********************************************************************
Are you ready to run the race? Do you have on the right “attire” to run the race for God? What do you need to do get ready?

A few weeks ago one of our Pastors shared a sermon on Running without Fainting. Here are the steps that we need to do to prepare ourselves for the race.

YOU must fill in the blanks- what is it that you need to do to prepare?

1. Remove __________- What is it that distracts you from God? What gets in your way of worshipping and serving Him?
What are your priorities?
Does it make you miss what God has for you?
Wait on the Lord- stop long enough to focus on God

Philippians 3: 12-14
Focused on the Goal
12-14 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back

When we fix our eyes on God He gives us the power to turn away from those things that we don’t have the power to turn away from on our own.


2. Remember ___________- think about the reward at the end of the race.
There are 7,000 promises in the New Testament
If you’re starving spiritually- then feed yourself!!

YOU have to do it- You do need training but you still have to do it on your own to get it all!

YOU have to want it! Think about this- a deposit isn’t enough- you’ve got to be in it for the full commitment! Personal Commitment is what it takes to run this race.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24-25 You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.
26-27 I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself


3. Resist __________- what discourages you or distracts you

~~~Satan’s greatest tool is causing discouragement in you, his second is causing procrastination!

God wants us to keep working! Keep running until we reach the finish line! He doesn’t want us to give up!

Galatians 6:9
9 So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.

Psalm 94:19
The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling,"your love, God, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up.

Philippians 1:6
6 There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.


4. Renew _________ - need to renew ourselves daily!

Do you ever feel so tired that you just don’t think you can go on?

We need to MAKE time in our life to get renewed is God’s spirit! Renew yourself through His word! Through spending time with Him!

2 Corinthians 4:16
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

2 Timothy 4:7
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith

Are you prepared for the Race? Are you training daily?


Are you being renewed DAILY! Do you make time for renewal? Next time I plan to write about what I’ve learned from listening to Joyce Meyer’s lessons on Spending Time with God!

God sure knows how to tie things in together! It continues to amaze me how faithful He is in providing the lessons that I need to learn.

It is truly A GOD THING!!