​I watch my children play in the sun-bathed yard. - It's an idyllic scene.
I walk by their pictures on the wall, and pause...contemplating what their future holds.
Life is unpredictable.  I've heard it all my life, and have put the rhetoric into practice.

I know that I can't predict what will happen next year, next month, or even in the next minute.
It has always been my preference to keep a controlled hand on the unfolding pages of my story.

I wrote the "Once upon a time," and "They lived happily ever after" stories as a young girl.
Every girl got her guy. Every sunset was glorious, and every character was the picture of perfection.
If I could edit those childish stories now, I would add a whole layer of realistic drama to the story lines.  

Isn't it funny how life works?

My husband and I are raising 4 unpredictable human beings, who will undoubtedly have their own versions of the family story we are creating.
We don't know who they will end up becoming, what they will end up creating, or how they will end up living.

It occurred to me the other day that my children will most likely have some type of "smart device" in their possession in the near future.  I realized that even if I tried to protect them from these limitless investigators into the internet, they will at some point be exposed to the vastness of the world-wide-web.

I don't mind telling you the momentary feeling of terror that gripped me right then.
I found myself asking questions in my mind...

"How will I keep them from the evil out there?"
"How will I convince them that there are beneficial paths to walk upon?"
"How can I control the outcome of their lives?"

You see, I realize that no matter how many boundaries I put around them, no matter how many filters or safeguards I put in place, there will come a day when the choice will become their own.

I've read statistics about the psychological harm that comes with exposure to explicit content.
I've read about the torment they have to endure replaying all the things they have seen, read, or listened to.

And I look at my children's generation, many of whom are in possession of unlimited internet access late at night or the ability to watch TV from the comfort of their bedroom, and I wonder...

What baggage will this generation be dealing with?
What images will they be unable to force out of their tortured minds?
Which lyrics will play over and over in their heads as they attempt to sleep?
And, then, how many of them will believe that behavior like that is some version of normal?

The truth is, I'm something of an idealist.
I am a firm believer that just because there is potential for failure, does not mean it has to turn into a reality.
I've seen enough parents raise outstanding children when the odds were not in their favor.
I've seen young men who were written off as societal failures turn into men of integrity and faithfulness.
I've seen young women who were plagued by painful memories of destructive behavior, transformed into delightful emissaries of grace, who are desperate to rescue anyone from the possibility of their past.

Because redemption is a reality.
Change is possible.
Breaking generational curses is something I know is within reach.

That is why I have hope.
I was there when my parents raised me.
I know what I was capable of.
I saw the person I could have turned out to be (and still could if I made wrong choices).
I know what happened in my mind when their control over me loosened.
I have no trouble recalling the time when it occurred to me that I was free to make my own choices.
Suddenly I had the ability to go anywhere I felt like, watch and listen to anything I wanted, and become the person I decided I should be.

How liberating, you might say...

And yet, I could not get my parent's voices out of my head!
Every snippet of wisdom, every instruction, every purposeful discipline was with me forever.
It still is...more than a decade after leaving home.
And, truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Because you see, I know what I am capable of.
I am aware of the temptations that come my way daily.
And I am also very much aware of the consequences of any poor choices I may contemplate.
Because of the faithful instruction of loving parents, I know that the things I choose to dwell on will determine the trajectory of my life.

And while I can't control who my children end up becoming, any more than my parents could with me, I can follow in their footsteps.

There are no guarantees with parenting.
Discipline, instruction, boundaries...all are needed, but don't guarantee a promising future.
But, there is one method of parenting that I believe our children can never ignore.

That is, the consistent declaration of God's will and purpose over their lives.
They may choose to follow unhealthy patterns of living, but when they come to the end of their proverbial rope, one strand of hope will endure.  

"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." 
(James 5:16 NLT)

I am choosing to hold on to the promises that my parents held on to, and are still trusting in.
Prayer will be the foundation of my parenting.
Guidance and instruction will be lovingly encircled with the fervent prayer of this Mommy.
I don't know what I'm going to think of our parenting skills when I look back.
But, one thing I am sure of... I will do my best to pray with expectancy, knowing that the same God that answered my parent's prayers, is the One who will hear my cry.

I pray  with fervent hope...and I trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to "equip [them] with all [they] need for doing his will. [That] he produce in [them], through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen." (from Hebrews 13:21).

I leave you with the prayer that I pray almost every night over our children:

"May the LORD bless you and keep you.
May He make His face to shine upon you
and give you peace.
May you walk in the straight paths all 
the days of your life.
May you love the LORD your God
with all your heart, soul, mind and 
strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
May you be a mighty man/woman of God.
Amen


​Photo by Jamie Taylor

What is faith in action?
How do we take the things we believe to be true, and move into the realities we want to live in?

First of all, God tells us through His word that "...without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

So, the actions that follow faith cannot be adequately realized until faith is in place.
It's not enough to "want" to do good. Faith in God alone brings true repentance.

In fact, II Corinthians 7:10 tells us that the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death." (NLT)

I've been thinking about the things in my life that I tend to place above God.
I was reading in Deuteronomy when Moses instructed the children of Israel to destroy idols in their lives...not to allow any part of it to remain...to smash...to burn.

Naturally, my mind went to my life in the modern world.  I know there must be idols that I place above God.  I asked Him to show me the things that I need to smash...to burn...to destroy.
One of the things He spoke to me about was my need to control.  So much of my life revolves around how I want things to go.  I want to have the say.  I want to decide.  I know best.
Whether that control exercises itself in how I want my day to go, or in what I decide to do with my time, or what I put in my body, I realize that I have a tendency towards personal dictatorship.

I want what I want, when I want it.

We don't often admit that.
We pretend that because the things we want are "acceptable," that it is okay.

In a Christian's life, nothing is supposed to take a place of authority over God.
Nothing.
And, if I'm being honest, there are things that threaten His place as Boss every day.

You may have similar experiences.

You have given Him your life.  You have asked Him to be the Lord of everything.
You want Him more than anything... 
And, somewhere between the wanting and the doing, you find yourself succumbing to the element of control in your life.  You find yourself making excuses for your lack of self-control.

You tell yourself the lie that you can work on that problem tomorrow.

You lie to yourself.

I do too.

Wouldn't you know that a day after God spoke to my heart out of the Book of Deuteronomy, He also spoke to me through the Sunday church service!
We sang this song...

We bow our Hearts
We bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes from evil things
Oh Lord we cast down our idols
So give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
And God let us be
A generation that seeks
That seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob

When our Pastor started speaking, conviction flooded my heart and mind once again.
He talked about the need to "clean house..." Asking God to remove any of the "respectable sins" that might be residing in our life.

Ouch.

All weekend I've been thinking about what that is in my life.
I don't want to allow anything (no matter how small) to have first place in my heart.
And, control...the need to control is the thing that keeps inching up to first place.

Our Pastor suggested that we go home and write down the thing that God is speaking to us about. I knew as soon as he said it what my subject matter would be.  I knew what I would be asking God to change in me.

The need to control.

But, aren't we supposed to control?
Doesn't the Bible instruct us to have self-control?
Yes it does.  

Read this passage from II Peter 1
"To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."

It's there.
I should be fine, right?
Control is needed.

Yes it is...

We just need to have the right control.

Self control is "restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires."
I've got that down when it comes to "normal sins." You know, the ones everyone says you should stay away from.  The biggies like adultery, lying, stealing, murder.  Yeah... I'm self-controlled. 

But, am I self-controlled in the more acceptable sins?

Do I have a tendency towards gossip (self-control over my tongue)
Do I spend my time and money wisely?
Do I focus on myself and my desires more than the desires of God?
Do I have a tendency towards selfishness?
Towards pride?
Is there anything in my life that means more to me than time with God?

If we break down some of the words in that passage, we can get an idea of how to live an abundant, victorious life.

Diligence - "persevering application"
Faith - "allegiance to duty or a person :  loyalty" also, "strong belief or trust in someone or something"
Moral Excellence - "conforming to a standard of right behavior" "greatness, superbness"
Knowledge - "information, understanding, or skill that you get from experience or education"
"awareness of something : the state of being aware of something"
Self-control - " restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires"
Perseverance - " continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition - the action or condition or an instance of persevering :  steadfastness"
Godliness - "believing in God and in the importance of living a moral life"
Brotherly Kindness - Synonyms...benevolence, courtesy, grace, indulgence, favor, mercy, service
Love - "unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another" "the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration"

It is kind of like a path...
Faith...Moral Excellence...Knowledge...Self-control...Perseverance...Godliness...Brotherly Kindness...Love

Faith leads to morality...power through the Spirit of God...Then, we must arm ourselves with the knowledge of God's Word... and ask Him what areas in our lives need self-control. Then, through perseverance (a continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties) we press on to Godliness...are able to live a life of brotherly kindness, and show true love to those around us.

When I know the areas that I tend to put above God, I can search for good ways to keep myself accountable.  I can set up good parameters...boundaries...etc.
If I know the things that steal my time and affection,
I can limit those things.

There are many things that are not wrong, when used in moderation.
Most of the time, we are very much aware of what it is that steals our affection from God.
We aren't usually walking in ignorance, but rather we are walking in disobedience.

May we fall on our faces before God, and ask Him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness... especially those areas where it seems okay to fudge a little.

Areas like:
Time management.

Idolizing our families over God.

What we put in our bodies.

What we say to other people.

What we spend time thinking about.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

There is only ONE thing - ONE priority that should always be first in our hearts.
We know what it is.
Now, let's live it out.



"Father, I ask right now that you would fill us with your power and strength to follow you in the way you ask to be followed.  May we walk in your paths...the straight paths, all the days of our lives.  May we never allow anything to come before you and your rightful place in our lives.  And, if we become aware that we are allowing other "gods" to form in our lives, may we repent of this sin, and look to you for the strength to be victorious in those areas. Amen." ​


​Image via Unsplash

I've been thinking about purpose lately.
Do I have one?
If I do, is it a good one?
Does it involve goals that are higher than my own well-being?

Goals are important.
Purpose is good.
Direction is profitable.

And, I can't help but turn to the Bible to read more about what Christ's purpose was on this earth.
If, as a Christian (follower of Christ), I want to live like Him, then I want to catch His vision.
In Luke 4, Jesus reveals that He is the Messiah, and what His purpose was on earth...


Beginning in verse 16,
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up.
And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

What a beautiful verse.
What a faithful promise.
And, what a meaningful purpose.
Today, and every day, I want to ask God how I can:

1. Have the Spirit of the Lord fall on me.
2.  Be anointed to proclaim good new to the poor (this isn't just the poor financially, by the way).
3. Proclaim liberty to the captives.
4. Proclaim sight for the blind.
5. Liberate those who are oppressed.

We can all have a part in each one of those things.
We can pray that God's Spirit would rest upon us.  We can ask Him to forgive us of any un-confessed sin in our lives.  We can repent of those sins and ask for His favor to rest upon us.
We can ask for His strength and anointing to give us the courage to proclaim His good news.
We are all sinners, in need of a Savior.  
We are one decision away from an eternity without God.
Christ is the answer to all of our questions, and asking Him to be Lord of our life brings peace.

We must be a part of bringing liberty to the captives.
There are slaves all around us...even in our country.
Pray that they will be released.
Act in whatever ways you can to bring freedom to those who are held captive.
There are excellent organizations that are bring hope to the hopeless...let us fight alongside them!

Tell those who can not see that there is a way their eyes can be opened.
And if they refuse to see it, then pray that God will open their eyes for them.

I heard an amazing story not long ago of a good friend of mine who came to understand what it meant to follow Jesus Christ.  She explained that she had been blind for so many years, and suddenly (after many faithful times of prayer by her friends and family), she said it felt like God had removed the blinders from her eyes.  Her eyes had literally been opened... sight had been declared for her.

We can all have a part in God's plan.
We can pray with conviction and faith.
We can plan with courage.
And, finally, we can act.

We act, knowing that God is on our side, and ultimately He will be the one to see His plans unfold. 
He is in control.
His purposes will prevail.
And, yet, He invites us to join Him on this journey of significance.

I choose to step into that today.
And, I am praying that you find this place of purpose for your life as well.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May He make His face shine upon you.
And, may He give you peace.


​Image via Unsplash

Time.
We say it's precious. We complain that we don't have enough of it. We beg for more of it.
We fill our days from beginning to end with all the events that we either believe to be, or must feel are important. Whether that event is our job which pays the bills, our child's sporting events, or our favorite tv show, it somehow manages to use up a few of the minutes we have been given by Almighty God.

Has anyone else looked over your calendar of scheduled events for the week and said, "How?" 
How will we fit it all in?
How will we keep our sanity?
How long can I keep up with this schedule?
If Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that there is a time for every matter under heaven, then when is that "me time" I keep wondering about?

I would venture to guess that most of us spend plenty of time on "me," and by me, I mean...me, you, moi.  Now, if you are a person that has 10 kids, takes care of a sick relative, plants a garden, volunteers 2 hours a week at church, makes cookies for your neighbors, and gives your spouse a 30 minute foot rub at the end of every day, this post is NOT for you.

This post is for me, for the ones who have plenty of time, and yet still complain that they don't.
If we have time to surf the internet, write a blog post, keep up with facebook, attend 2+ sporting events a week, watch 2 hours of tv, and still go camping on the weekend, I think we might have more time than we pretend we don't have.
I'd say it's a matter of misplaced priorities, but that's just my humble opinion. 

I amaze myself when I say I have no time for... (enter important work for the Kingdom of God), and yet somehow in the same hour, I find myself discussing my latest creative endeavor with a friend.  I found a whole afternoon for that one, but serving at a soup kitchen..."sigh," I just don't have time. 

Now, some of this is in jest.  I realize that there is nothing wrong with creative projects, or tv watching, or kids' soccer, or, or, or... 

There is nothing wrong with so many things that we allow to fill our days. But, maybe we need to look at our calendar with fresh eyes.  What if we filled in the best things in the boxes that represent days, and then penciled in the good things that we all love so much.

What are the best things, you might ask?

The best things are those things which last forever. They are also the things that God focuses most on in His Word.  A few things come to mind...

Loving God, loving your neighbor.
Luke 10:27 gives us insight into what is most important to God: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

Oh yeah...that.

"Honey, should we go to church this weekend, or stay at home, grill steaks, watch too much tv, and wallow in our selfishness?"

Oh, I can hear it now... "Church doesn't save you.  It's not religion, it's relationship. They just want my money anyway!"

Well, if you love God with all your heart, soul and strength, you might want to learn more about Him, His Word, His people, His church... 

Oh, you don't?  Enter Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of Heaven."  Just because you say you love Jesus doesn't mean you really do.  What do your priorities say about your love for Jesus? What are our actions telling the world what we really think?

If our schedule is so busy that we don't have time to help people in need, our schedule needs tweaked.  

Our kids don't have to play a sport every single month of the year. 
The world will not end if we do not watch our favorite tv show or news program.
Pinterest will not cease to exist because we did not pin any images in the last week.
Facebook...oh Facebook.  There is so much to say.
We don't need to (enter favorite way to pass the time), if it interferes with helping those whom God loves.
James 1:27: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

This is another verse that talks about God's priorities.  To be honest with you, this whole subject has been frustrating me lately.  I don't know how to do the most important thing.  I don't know what to do. I don't know when to do it.  If loving God, loving my neighbor, caring for orphans, and others in need are what is supposed to be occupying my time, what is the best way to accomplish that?

I think there are a few options. First of all, give your best to God. Second, give your best to your spouse. Third, give your best to your children. Fourth, give your best to the work of God.  These are the things that we should be placing first in our lives.  All the rest is just extra.  All the rest should be secondary.

And, putting your kids first does not mean giving in to every single whim they have.  It doesn't mean purchasing things you cannot afford to make them happy for 5 minutes (or even 5 days). It doesn't mean taking them on camping trips when you could be serving together and leading people closer to Jesus (although there is nothing wrong with the occasional camping trip!)  You put them first when you meet their needs with Jesus' help, teach them about Jesus, show them Jesus through your life, and allow them to witness you being Jesus to others around you. 

I used to wonder how I could possibly help widows and orphans. Actually, I wondered how I could help anyone in need.  I just wasn't sure how to go about it.  

Most of all, I've been staying in my favorite corner of my comfort zone, unwilling to feel that twinge of fear that creeps in when I do something new.

I have a couple of thoughts on this.
We should be doing what we can, when we have the opportunity.  When we hear of a way that we can help, we should be prayerfully asking God if we can fill that need.

However, did you realize that God put the church "together" in part to meet needs like this?

Did you know that when you volunteer 2 hours a month cleaning toilets at your church, it frees up money that would normally go to a janitor, so that said money can go to lift up those who have fallen? 

Did you know that when you give $8 a week (price of two over-priced lattes) to a pregnancy center, you are enabling people that God has equipped to provide necessary services to babies that need to remain alive.

Did you know that when you give up $15 of your grocery budget each week to pay for a few items that your local rescue mission needs, you are caring for your "neighbor."

It's really not as hard as we say it is.  If each one of us would sacrifice (is that even the correct word in this scenario?) in these small ways, lives could be impacted!  I mean, it's almost laughable to call 2 hours a month volunteering, and less than $25 a week donated, a sacrifice.

And these are only a few ways that we could have an impact. 

I believe that if each one of us will prayerfully proceed in the areas that God has given us passion for, great things can happen.

I am praying that God gives me clear vision...His vision, for what He wants me to accomplish.  It's all for Him anyway.  My entire life is a result of His grace, love, and blessing.  Is it better for me to spend a little extra time on the "interwebs," or spend that time praying with a friend in need, organizing a "food blessing" for a widow in need, making a meal for someone who is sick, or donating time and money to church/organizations who are busy with God's work.

This post is the result of God's convicting work in my own life.

I'm getting out of my comfort zone. 

I have enough time to do what really matters, and I'm going to do it.

Image via Unsplash