Thank Goodness for Grace

Galatians 5:1  “Christ made us free.  Stay that way.  Do not get chained all over again in the Law and its kind of religious worship.”

Romans 12:2 “…Let God change your life.  First of all, let Him give you anew mind.  Then you will know what God wants you to do.  And the things you do will be good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 8:28 “We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan.”

Mistakes…we all worry about mistakes.  I grade 90% of my assessments with my students.  I let them grow from their mistakes, learn from the problems they have gotten incorrect, and give them strategies to help overcome and understand the process of finding the correct answer.  Today, one of my young-ins’ asked me why I want them to correct their papers with me.  I didn’t answer the question, I asked the class if they knew the answer.  One little lady raised her hand and pointed to a sign posted in the classroom, “We learn from our mistakes.”  She then proceeded to explain that if we always got the answers wrong and never explored why we got them wrong, we would never grow.  

Thank goodness for God’s grace!  The mistakes I make daily are mistakes that help me grow to be the person He is wanting me to be.  We all make mistakes, but do we take the time to reflect, learn, and dig into the “why” of that mistake.  OR do we try to quickly forget that mistake, glossing over the details, and sometimes even pointing our fingers at others and blaming them for our mistakes.  Again, thank goodness for His Grace.  

Some of us tend to take another route…worry.  We worry about these mistakes.  We let the mistakes become shackles that tie and bind our hands together.  Worrying about mistakes can weigh us down.  We loose our focus on how to get out of the situation and becoming self-absorbed.  This drives us away from Him and His purpose for us.  

Give your mistakes to Him.  Spend time with Him, your teacher, asking Him to give you those strategies, asking Him to help you understand the process, and to gain the strength it takes to overcome that mistake, or mistakes, regardless of how minuscule it might be.   He doesn’t condemn us, He gives us conviction that encourages us and helps move forward.  Again, thank goodness for GRACE, because “GRACE WINS EVERY TIME.” 

Enjoy Matthew West and “Grace Wins” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JXl1czvh7g

Be blessed!

Cloudy with a Chance of Sunshine

1 Peter 5:8-11 “Be self-controlled and vigilant always, for your enemy the devil is always about, prowling like a lion roaring for its prey. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and remember that the strain is the same for all your fellow-Christians in other parts of the world. And after you have borne these sufferings a very little while, God himself (from whom we receive all grace and who has called you to share his eternal splendor through Christ) will make you whole and secure and strong. All power is his for ever and ever, amen!”

Yesterday, the smallest things seemed to get under my skin.  My kids seemed to be irritating each other a little more, both my personal kids and my classroom kiddos.  The negative happenings seemed to jump out around every corner.  I found myself wanting to give into the “dark hole of negativity”.  The weather yesterday even fed this emotion, which leads easily to wanting to go home, put on my comfy clothes, and find some chocolate.  

Why do we have days, or even seasons, like this in our lives?  We tend to lose focus and then our judgement and clarity is “clouded”.  Our lives begin to look like the carnival mirrors and out of sorts.  Who is standing behind the curtain that is weaving these feelings and events into our lives?  Pull the curtain back and it is revealed…the enemy is orchestrating this madness.  The enemy knows our weaknesses and the easiest way to attack.  

Put on your 3D glasses and see the full picture.  God doesn’t want us to be attacking one another.  He doesn’t want us pointing fingers or blaming.  He created us to work together for His good.  

So how do we put these 3D glasses on and see the thorns that are being strategically placed?  We have to put on our armor that God provides us.  Reading the word daily, praying, giving all the negativity to Him, and letting your faith drive your actions.  

By the way, my day didn’t end up in sweat pants eating chocolate before dinner.  (HA…take that big guy!!!)  My amazing husband came to pick up the kids smiling and encouraging me to go to the gym.  My daughter decided to give me her Mother’s day gift a few days early.  A beautiful group of women encouraged me while working out my frustrations at the gym.  My son begged me to read to him a little longer as I was putting him to bed.  I thank God, as I write this, that those last little bits of sunshine shine the brightest, even on a cloudy day.  Find your beams of sunshine and let those be what drive your actions daily.  

Be Blessed!

Loosing Focus

Hebrews 12:1-3  “All these many people who have had faith in God are around us like a cloud.  Let us put every thing out of our lives that keeps us from doing we should.  Let us keep running in the race that God has planned for us.  Let us keep looking to Jesus.  Our faith comes from Him and He is the One Who makes it perfect.  He did not give up when he had to suffer shame and die on a cross.  He knew of the joy that would be His later.  Now is sitting at the right side of God.”  

James 2:4 “Sailing ships are driven by strong winds.  But a small rudder turns large ship whatever way the man at the wheel wants the ship to go.”

Focus.  The word “focus” has multiple meanings.  For the teachers reading this, it is what the kids are lacking as the days draw closer to summer.  Having a strong focus while learning something new is important, in order to complete that task.  Focus on goals can be challenging and almost seem impossible.  However, the focus, I want to “focus” on is similar to going and getting an eye exam.   “Is your vision better with 1 or 2?”  

Where is your focus?  How are you viewing life?  You can focus on 1 - the positive in situations - or - 2 - the negative.  What are you letting in?  Jealousy, anger, envy, having an “its about me” outlook.  Your vision is connected directly to your heart.  Our perspective of what is around us drives us on a daily basis.  “If you gaze too long at your circumstances, you will be come dizzy and confused.” (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young).  The choices we make with our focus drive our thinking and then directly influence our actions.  

What if you are in a season that just keeps running you ragged?  Give it to Him.  Dig deeper into the word and into prayer.  Find someone that makes you stronger and helps you stay focused.  We aren’t put here to be conformed, but to be “transformed”.  

Alan Jackson “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO4uIyz_d90

Be Blessed!

My Beautiful Hot Mess

Matthew 6:34  “Do Not worry about tomorrow.  Tomorrow will have its own worries.  The troubles we have in a day are enough for one day.”

Proverbs 12:25 “Worry in the heart of a man weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad.”

We are our worst critics.  We reflect on our actions daily.  “What could I have done better today?” “Am I 100% in all areas?”  Then we proceed to let those thoughts weigh heavy on our shoulders.  We critic our journeys, beat ourselves up mentally, and exhaust resources to make ourselves better.  At times it feels like we are swimming in a deep pool, trying to keep the cinder block in our arms above water.  

For the educators reading this, we are evaluated through a system we all know too well.  When an administrator comes in with iPad in hand, the nerves start to build up, we tend to highlight the best in the room, and sweep the little imperfect pieces under the carpet in hopes that they won’t be revealed.  

Well, thank goodness God doesn’t walk into our lives with an evaluation system.  Thank goodness He can see the good and the bad then love us unconditionally.  No matter what, His love is never changing.  We can be a huge success, and He loves us.  We can be a huge failure, and He loves us.  

Please don’t read this thinking that you need to find a “comfort zone” and just feel God’s love.  God doesn’t want us to have a stagnant life, He wants us to have an active life.  A life that reflects His unconditional love to others.  So, if today is one big “hot mess”, rest knowing that He doesn’t see it as a “hot chaotic mess”, He sees it as a “beautiful hot mess”.  

Lauren Daigle “Here’s My Heart Lord”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTDoDA-1lsE

Pruning Season

John 15:1-4  “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer.  He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes.  And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more.  You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.  Live in me.  Make your home in me just as I do in you.  In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only being joined to the fine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.”

At dinner tonight, my son asked about a hat that was sitting on the other side of the room.  This hat has been in that same spot for a while, but he wasn’t sure who it belonged too.  I told him that it was “Papa’s” hat (my father).  

In 2007, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 57.  I won’t go into detail the emotional rollercoaster that journey dealt, but it was both mentally and physically exhausting.  I questioned God, my faith, and life.  However, He always would wrap me back in and love me relentlessly.  I am telling you this because through that difficult period of time, God was pruning my heart.  This was a pruning season that continued a year after my dad gained his angel wings.  

We go through pruning seasons, blooming seasons, and a season in which we bear fruit.  God is the vine that keeps us intact.  The moment that we start to wander, seem lost, or hopeless, God wraps Himself around us and draws us nearer.  A vine does the exact same thing,  grabs whatever is near it and then proceeds to curl itself around that object providing stability and life.  

So that hat, yes it represents a life that was lived by an amazing man, but it also represents the fruit that has come from that period of time.  Fruit that none of my family would have seen possible during those dark moments.  Whatever season you are in, rest in knowing that He is always there and will wrap Himself around you.  Stay strong and know that you will see fruit again. 

Be Blessed!

Heart Check

 

Psalm 51:10 “Make clean a heart in me, O God.   Give me a new spirit that will not be moved.”

Luke 12:22 “Your heart will be wherever your riches are.”  

The other day I had packed a large apple in my lunch box.  As I pulled it out and examined how huge it was, I began to wonder if Eve had been faced with an apple of the same size and if its color looked as red as the one I had in my hand.  I then thought to myself, how often I’m handed something that looks so good on the outside, but the minute I have my hands on it and take a large bite, it is not as good as I thought it would be OR I want more.  My mind begins to be weighted down with the thoughts of wanting more or something different.  

On a daily basis, we fight this satisfaction battle in our brains.  Take a real quick heart check.  Look around at the blessings you have, be grateful.  Sieve through the thoughts that bring on that stinkin’ thinkin’.  Surround yourself with reminders of what you do have to be grateful for and know that there is only one way to truly be satisfied.  It is in a constant, growing relationship with him.  Because, that stinkin’ thinkin’ can bring you down and take the passion right out of your life.  Let Him fan our fire and keep our passions burning, even when we are pulled into so many different directions.  

What can you do to remind you of the many blessings you have been given?  My family and I sat down and wrote out a list together of blessings we have seen unfold over the last few years. Beautiful to see their wheels turning and their little hands create that list.   I also created a list that is on a notecard stuck in my Bible as a reminder.  It looks a little something like this:

  

I will bless the Lord today because…

His love for me is NEVER changing.  

I have a loving husband who loves me unconditionally.  

We have 2 beautiful kids who make us laugh daily.

I’m surrounded by daily reminders of Him and His grace.

I’m surrounded by a community of faith warriors.

These are just a few.  So get out a notecard, scrap of paper, or whatever you can and create a visual during your quiet time.  Do some spring cleaning within yourself, get ride of those cobwebs, and refresh your mind with all that you have to be grateful for.  

Be Blessed!

Missing Piece

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord will all of your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding.  Agree with Him in ALL your ways and He will make you path’s straight.”

Jeremiah 29: 13-14 “You will look for Me and find Me, WHEN you look for Me with ALL OF YOUR HEART.”

Recently my mother brought something to my attention that I have never noticed before.  Do you see what is missing?  Let’s see if you can figure it out as I unravel what He has on my heart tonight.  

In John 12:1-8, it discusses a scenario in which Mary, whom most of us know that Mary is the one who sits at Jesus’ feet while Martha works and puts food on the table (also note Martha gets very frustrated with the details of the house and not Jesus).  Mary takes her most prized possession and pours it over Jesus’ feet, wipes them with her hair, and then clings to His feet.  She clutches so tightly and is hanging on knowing He is the most important detail of that dinner.  

We all are Martha’s and Mary’s at some point, if not changing roles daily.  Our minds get so caught up in the daily agenda, that we forget to cling to His feet.  We have to let him in our hearts and in our minds.  “God has deliberately chosen this particular vehicle (prayer) as the one that drives HIS activity in people’s lives.  It’s what He allows us to use to cooperate and partner with Him in the fulfilling of HIS will.” (Fervent, Priscilla Shirer).  

Have you figured out the missing piece to that picture?  It is missing a door knob.  WE have to let Him in.  He can’t let Himself in our hearts, minds, and lives.  WE HAVE TO LET HIM IN!  So, get out your tool boxes and start working on that door handle, because He is knocking.  

Be Blessed!