Hope in the Pit of Depression

It's no secret that this past year has been one of the most challenging for me. I won't go into details as to why, but the extra strain has caused issues with depression/anxiety like I don't normally struggle with. I have always been quite an emotional person (I'm a girl, give me a break!) but not always what I would consider depression. I still don't think that I've experienced depression to the full degree, like I know some people do. I know I haven't.
However, it feels as though my emotions take over sometimes, and when my logical brain tells me that something isn't that big of a deal, my body and emotions take over and say, "Wait a minute, buddy, this a huge deal and we're not going down without a fight!" It's exhausting, really. And while I don't know any of the medical side of these things, and have no idea how depression and anxiety are linked, I do know that I don't want to live here. It has been so bad lately that I have lost sleep, and have been afraid to be around certain groups of people. I tell you this not to just spill all my dirty laundry, but I have always been about being an open book, telling it like it is, and about transparency.That has always been kind of my mission, something important to me. I don't think we were meant to bottle things up inside, never share them with anyone (especially the body of Christ), and go on as though everything were okay. I'm also not for sharing every little deep, dark secret and not moving forward. But I think on the flip side, that we tend to stuff things down, especially in the church, and pretend like we are okay. When we're not. We're so not.
So again, I don't claim to be an expert in the fields of depression and anxiety, but I know for me, there are certain things that I think are important in combating these feelings, and I want to try my best to move forward with these things so as to combat the devil's push to drag me down with him. Here are the things I want to engage in more, especially as the feelings of depression/anxiety overtake me:

1. Getting sufficient sleep
2. Getting a high-intensity workout
3. Taking care of myself and eating healthy
4. Being in the Word and daily connected to God
5. Being intentional about being around the people who love/care for me
6. Counseling with solid, wise, godly women who care about me
7. Memorizing Scripture, writing it on notecards, keeping it near me and in front of me
8. Using essential oils that can calm and soothe
9. Listening to the Holy Spirit's guidance for my life (not trying to run the show on my own)
10. Realizing that when I am weak, He is strong. He wants me to learn to rely on Him.
11. Trust in Him. He's got this. I don't have to carry it on my own.
12. Set aside time to do things that are enjoyable to me. (Sitting in the sun, reading a book, cooking, listening to music, getting away by myself, date nights with my husband, a walk on the trail with the kids.)
13. Filling my mind with positive, true things. Listening to podcasts of sermons, worship music, books on cd. That I would consciously fill my mind with the positive and true instead of passively filling it with worldly TV shows, songs that don't speak truth, and people's talk that doesn't align with God's plan and truth.

So, those are just some suggestions. Things that have been rolling around in my head lately about how I can combat these ugly feelings. These feelings that overwhelm, try to take over, try to take me out of the game to advance His kingdom and feel His blessings. Through Him we are more than conquerors. I don't need to bow my head in shame. I don't need to compete with other people. I don't need to worry about situations. I don't need to have a pity party. He is all-sufficient. He is enough. Satan is feeding me lies that I don't need to entertain for one second. Out with the old, in with the new. I am a new creation in Christ.

I hope this will be an encouragement to someone. Someone out there who feels alone, like no one understands, or can't get over that hump. Be proactive in getting help, seeking out truth, and not bowing to the one who is trying to pull you down. I'm not speaking on my high hill because I've done all these things and I'm perfect now. I'm speaking as one who is in the pit, and looking to get out. Maybe we can do it together. If you have an encouraging word, quote, verse, or things that have helped you out of the pit, please post them below! Sometimes we need to just know we're not alone.

Early Riser Mom?

Awhile back, I wrote about the Maximize Your Mornings Challenge over at Inspired to Action. It was basically a Challenge that I read about that challenged moms to get up before their kids in the morning to spend precious, quiet time with God, get some kind of workout in, and start to plan their day. There was some awesome accountability on Twitter, opportunities to study the same things in the morning, and just that mom camaraderie of being intentional together to make our health and relationship with God a priority. Over the years, I have gone back and forth between getting up early and sleeping in. But I must say, when I get up early, I have a head-start on my day, and when I sleep in, the day seems to run me.
With all my responsibilities these days, I really need to get up before my kids, spend quiet time with God (the key word being quiet), get my workout in, and know what I need to get done that day. It seems so simple, and yet the concept is so profound. I want this to be a new habit this year. To consistently get up early. Not just now and then. Not just 2-3 times per week. But that my norm would be to set that alarm for 5:20 or earlier, and be disciplined enough to get going. On the Maximize Your Mornings Challenge, they even encourage moms to not hit the snooze button. To be disciplined enough to just get out of bed when the alarm goes off. Is it possible?
I think being a stay-at-home mom affords me the opportunity for many freedoms in how to run my day. I am in charge. I am in charge of so many things. I am in charge of the house, finances, homeschooling my children, our CC community, my Beachbody business, the menu for the day (so essentially, the health of my family!), and so many more little things. It gets busy. I think when things get busy and overwhelming, the tendency can be to get lazy. To sleep in. To stay up late to "relax" but then struggle to get up in the morning. And these bad habits may be contributing to my "depression" and "anxiety" that have plagued me this last semester. I put quotes around these words to sort of label my feelings but not necessarily diagnose a super serious version of these things.
So, as a New Year's Resolution of sorts, I want to commit to getting up early. And in doing that, to put my relationship with God and my health as 2 of my first priorities in my day. I get up, spend time with God (usually doing my Bible Study that is over the book of Galatians) and then do my workout for the day. I seem to be more motivated to get up when I know I am not working out right away. I get to drink my coffee and pre-workout formula, and just relax in God's Word in the quiet of my house! That kind of motivates me to get up!!
The key to making this a reality is to plan the night before. If I don't lay out my pre-workout formula, coffee, Bible Study, workout clothes, tennis shoes, workout dvds, and water bottle the night before, then chances are I'm not going to get up at 5:20 and dig around for those things.
I have to plan. I have to plan to succeed. And THAT is what I plan to do.

How do you start your mornings?

Grateful for Christmas Break

Ahhh. The day after Christmas. Time to unwind, clean up, and relax. I was so ready for Christmas day. For all the craziness of the season to finally be over. Not in a bad way, just ready to relax and enjoy versus the days leading up to Christmas that were filled with hurrying around, millions of trips to the store (with 3 kids in tow), and last minute projects like Christmas cookies and Christmas cards. Each thing is enjoyable in its own right, but when all is said and done, they are big projects that Mommy ends up finishing herself. I'm excited for this week between Christmas and New Years. I am hoping to relax, get some projects/deep cleaning done that I don't usually have time for, and do some fun things out of the ordinary like playdates, playing with Maddy during nap time, and playing with the kids with their new Christmas toys!
These days, there isn't much "down time" where we can just relax, catch up on stuff, or work on projects. Life has been full of lots of busyness but also lots of blessings. This summer, while on vacation, I was really trying to take that time to think, pray, and counsel with people about what "things" I should keep in my life for the next school year. I have lots of opportunities to do things, be involved, and serve. But the reality is, I can't do them all! And when I try, I end up frustrated, miserable, and exhausted. I am still in the same boat. I think after all that thinking, praying, and counseling, I dropped 1-2 things out of our hectic schedules. It was good that I actually did drop 2 things, but I could probably do better. I just don't like being the frantic mom who is always running behind, stressed out about something, showing up early to everything because I have to prep, plan, prepare something. This semester, Thursdays were my favorite day of the week. I have bible study on those mornings, and it was the one place I could go, be around godly women, socialize, make new friendships, and just be. I didn't have to serve, work, show up early, coordinate, or run around. I could simply partake and take in what was being offered.
Now, I'm not saying that I just want to relax, be on vacation, and take instead of give all the time. I'm just saying that sometimes it feels like I am just go, go, going all the time and rarely have the time to just be. That's why God knew He had to include the "Be still, and know that I am God" verse in the bible. Just for me. And maybe you.
Those moments of being still and quiet are so rare, and yet so vital to our relationship with God. We forget that. Satan tempts and lures us with all these "things" we need to be apart of, serve in, and do, and yet God tells us to just "be still." Now, of course we are to serve, love, care, give of ourselves as a living sacrifice, and I get that. But hopefully not at the expense of our still moments.
So this next week, I am hoping to get some of those still moments. To relax, and to get some reading time in. I am looking forward to reading the appropriate book for my life season right now by Lysa Terkeurst called "The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands." Hopefully I will get a book review out about it once I finish it!!
So, Happy Holidays, my fellow exhausted, weary Moms!! Get some rest and some still moments in soon, and let God speak to you about what you should keep in your life, and what you may need to let go of!! Blessings!

Retreat

I just got back from a Women's Retreat our church had this past weekend. I am so fortunate that Tad really pushed me to go; not that I didn't want to go, but the thought of spending the money and finding someone to watch the kids is a little stressful. But he really thought I should go, and his sister came from out of town to watch the kids while Tad was at work. The Lord has been doing such amazing things in my life. Which is so comforting because it reminds me that He hasn't given up on me, despite all my faults. Things have been tough lately, I'm not gonna lie, but God has a way of reminding us of Himself, reminding us that it's not all about us, and directing us back to Him.
The retreat was such a time of refreshment, relaxation, a time to get away from the normal distractions of 3 little ones that always need my attention, and a house and a slew of other things that need my attention, and to just breath. And think. And pray. And to be with other like-minded Christian women to laugh with and talk about spiritual things with. It's not like retreat can happen all the time, but when the Lord blesses us with it, we can appreciate it all the more.
The theme of the retreat was "You are His Treasure" and the messages were powerful. The speaker was this amazing missionary who spends most of the year living in Sudan, where there is no electricity or running water. Her messages were vibrant with her passion for the Lord spilling over. I wanted to catch her passion! She talked about so many amazing things. She said that we are so resistant to change that we settle for less, and we are getting jipped. She said the more broken we are, the more eligible we are for service, and the more love can leak out. I was pretty broken on retreat, and I think that I needed to hear that so that I didn't go away thinking I was a failure, or ineligible. That is what Satan wants us to think. But when we feel like we are nothing, when we have nothing left to give, when we feel like we couldn't possibly do anything for Jesus, that's when we are in the perfect place for Him to use us because it needs to be Him working His amazing power in us. When we are prideful, and feel like "we got this" and that we have "arrived" in our spiritual walks, then we have all kinds of walls built up around us, and it is hard for God to use that. I have to keep remembering this. How often do we think that we have to just try harder, do better, memorize some more Scripture, get up a little earlier, attend one more church service, and then God will be more pleased with me? That's the way the world works, so that's how our mind assumes that God works. But God is bigger. He is bigger than our stuff, and our best efforts. And He is here to radically change our lives. Now!! Not just in heaven, not just for eternity, but He is offering us new life, that we would be a new creation, and I am begging you all to take hold of what He has for you! Even if you are already a believer, He has more for you! More of His power, more of His Spirit, more opportunities, and each day is a new day of grace, opportunities, forgiveness, growth, evangelism, and surrender. We must surrender our all to Him, so He can work with all of us. Don't hold anything back. And you will not be disappointed.
She also talked about our sword, the Word of God, and knowing it well. And how the stronger the Spirit gets, the weaker our flesh gets. And one big thing that stuck in my mind is that, "our life's hurts are temporal-they will pass away." Such perspective. What are we going through right now that is menial compared to the greatness of our God and the things that matter for eternity? And how many of those things are we letting into our hearts to sabotage the work of the Lord? Are we quenching the Spirit in our lives by roots of bitterness? She also said, "The more I realize that I am the Lord's treasure, the more He will become my treasure." It reminds me of 1 John 4:19 which says, "We love because he first loved us."
The speaker also said, "we don't have to be able, we just have to be willing." Are we really able to do anything without the Lord? "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3
"Each time we die to ourselves, a little bit of us dies and a little more of Jesus takes over." Humility. Such a tough thing for us prideful human beings who always want to be right, have the last word, not let anyone speak out against us. We can be ruthless. But what does God want us to do? What did Jesus model for us? To be servants. To be humble. To not return evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good. To love our enemies. To do good to those who hurt us. Easier said than done, but when we let go of ourselves, and let God work in and through us, we will start to see more of Him, and less of us.
So, really, I could go on and on, but those were just some of the highlights from retreat. And if you are a momma who just can't get away on a retreat, then see if you can go on a mini-retreat! One blogger goes on a prayer/planning retreat every week! On Sundays, she gets away for a couple of hours while her husband keeps the kids, and she gets her week planned out and spends time alone with God, getting refreshed and renewed. I think we need to be recharged and rest every once in awhile so we can be the best mommies we can be to our kids. We need that daily time with God, our daily bread, but we also need some extended time every now and then, however we can get it, to rest and reflect, and to really hear what God would have for us at that time. I hope all of you are encouraged and excited about what God has for your life. Don't get stagnant! Ask for God to fill you to overflowing with love, passion, surrender, willingness, and humility! Don't waste your life on anything less than Him!!

 

Book Review: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

I just finished reading one of the most amazing books. I had heard people talking about One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp for awhile, and this summer my aunt asked me if I had read it. She then sent it to me, which was so nice! I picked it up and started it, but it was a slow start to get into the habit of reading again, and finding the time to really get into a book. I'm so glad I decided to bring my book with me on our recent trip. Since there were so many hours in the car, and I happened to not get too carsick to read, I had plenty of time to finish my book! I have to say, I haven't read too many books since having kids! In fact, I have never been a huge reader, so the ones I have read are all big accomplishments! Ha!
So, the book. Oh my, where to start. It's about a dare that the author received to start recording 1,000 gifts, or blessings, or things she was thankful for. She did it because it was a dare. I love how she starts the book in being completely raw and honest about her doubts in her relationship with God. Doubting His goodness. Doubting His plan for her life. Her pain. His choices. Other people's pain. I totally relate to people when they expose themselves and their true feelings and hurts and even their ugly thoughts and feelings. It makes people seem more real. Like they are like me. And it was the very thing that has been between me and God lately, I think. That doubting His goodness in the face of pain. Or other people's pain. The pain around the world. The fear of pain. The fear of loss.
But as she starts to record these blessings, these little ounces of gratitude for things so small and usually unnoticed, her heart starts to change, and the depth of her love and understand of God go to unmeasured depths as it opens up so many theological levels in her relationship with God. She goes beyond 1,000 gifts because the fruit of it is so rewarding and she sees God in a way she hasn't before.

"The act of sacrificing thank offerings to God - even for the bread and cup of cost, for cancer and crucifixion - this prepares the way for God to show us His fullest salvation from bitter, angry, resentful lives and from all sin that estranges us from Him."

I love that it's written by a stay-at-home mother of six who wants to find the deep things of God among the mundane, everyday life of laundry, cooking, cleaning, raising kids, and even the rough patches of breaking up fights, fearing for their farm, and hard things that come their way. She is real. She is honest. She is human and her realness along with her deep passion and thirst for her relationship with God is inspiring.

"I make soup and I bake bread and I know my supreme need is joy in God and I know I can't experience deep joy in God until I deep trust in God. I shine sinks and polish through to the realization that trusting God is my most urgent need. If I deep trusted God in all the facets of my life, wouldn't that deep heal my anxiety, my self-condemnation, my soul holes?"

I can find God among the little things. I can still trust Him in the "ugly-beautiful" things in life. Those things that Ann describes that are painful and hard but God uses them to shape us and continue to mold us and draw us closer to Himself. She even labels some of her "blessings" under "ugly-beautiful." That we would be thankful for all things.

"I walk in our back door to candlelight still flickering, hang the keys on the hook, and look around at the steep mountain of laundry there in the mudroom, the shoes scattered, a coat dropped. The mudroom sink is grime ringed. Fingerprints smear across the mirror. I laugh the happiest wonder. In the afternoon's drizzle, I give happy thanks for the daily mess with a smile a mile wide, because this is again my chance to wholeheartedly serve God, to do full-bodied eucharisteo with the hands and the heart and the lips. I can count each task a gift, pure eucharisteo. Grace! This work-the thousand endless jobs-they each give the opportunity for one to become the gift, a thousand times over!Because with every one of the thousand, endless jobs, I become the gift to God and to others because this work is the public God serving, the daily liturgy of thanks, the completing of the Communion service with my service."

(I know that was such a long quote, but it is one of the ones I want to remember. I live my days in the mundane. I get so frustrated by the endless messes and my list that never ends. And when it might seem to be nearing the end, it is the same list on repeat the next day. It is tiring and overwhelming. I so needed this encouragement to be the blessing to others and to let it create joy in me in God. And I try to remember when I wasn't well enough to take care of my home when I was pregnant and extremely sick. If I didn't have my health, I would be wishing for the ability to do those one thousand endless tasks!!!)
 
I was also challenged in her naming the smallest of things to be thankful for. When I think of gratitude, I think of my husband's job, our house, our 3 beautiful, healthy children, our health, food to eat, a warm home. But she goes beyond those things and finds beauty in the smallest of things in her life, and it causes her to see the depth of God's love for us and how He blesses us constantly with all things to enjoy. We just have to stop and slow down enough to notice.
And then, as she learns to be grateful constantly, without ceasing, she also realizes that we are to bless others and be the blessing that God has been to us. To serve without limits. To pour out, to empty, to be filled again beyond measure. It really is such a beautiful book. And completely the opposite of how the world tells us to live. 

"Spend the whole of your one wild and beautiful life investing in many lives, and God simply will not be outdone. God extravagantly pays back everything we give away and exactly in the currency that is not of this world but the one we yearn for: Joy in Him."

So, if you haven't read this book, it's time you picked it up! I will shortly be passing it onto another lady in our church, and encouraging other people to read it. It will change your perspective, and it has already begun to soften my heart and change me. I have started my 1,000 gift list, and I hope to be changed and softened and brought to deep joy in the God who loves me so much more than I can imagine. He is the reason we live. To Him be the glory.

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New Bible Study: True Woman 101

I am going to reference a blog that I reference all the time, called Passionate Homemaking, that is hosting an 8 week bible study called True Woman 101. When I saw that Lindsay was doing this bible study on her blog and posting weekly videos, I thought it would be a great way to keep up with a bible study and have something to work at getting done every week.
It is a really important bible study as our culture is losing its value and importance of different gender roles. You can see it everywhere you look. And the media pretty much shoves it down our throats that men and women can do the same things, have the same roles, that women can dominate over men, and that we can't be told what to do. I think that a lot of this comes from years and years of women being controlled and domineered over in a poor way, as men were not "leading" in a way that was in line with Scripture. So the result is women fighting back and trying to reestablish themselves as dominant. But as this bible study shows us, the design that God has for women is so much more important than what we do, how we view ourselves, or how we feel about our roles. It has everything to do with putting God on display, and using our specially designed roles to honor Him, and to show the world what a beautiful relationship between husband/wife, and Christ/church looks like.
If you are interested, you can check out her blog here and see her introduction of the bible study. We are currently on week three, but I am a little behind.
There are weekly blog posts for each week of the study, along with a video panel of the two authors and other godly women who discuss the study. And oddly enough, the girl who hosts the videos and writes some of the blog posts on the True Woman website was on my floor at Moody Bible Institute! So that is so fun to see her pop up on my computer and talk about the bible study I'm doing!! Go Paula!!
So if you would like to join me on this adventure of an awesome new bible study, just leave a comment so I know you are on board! It's okay that we are on week three already. I'm a little behind too, and you can always catch up at truewoman.com with the videos and blogs or go to passionatehomemaking.com and catch up with Lindsay's church as they lead the bible study and discussions there!
Either way, it has already been an excellent bible study and I highly recommend it for you women who want to reclaim biblical womanhood to further the kingdom. It is so awesome how God fashioned us for a specific purpose that goes way beyond what we could ever think or imagine! I have been amazed at God's wisdom! So come on board if you are looking for a new bible study to challenge you!

Retreat

Retreat. Really, a word that every mom can resonate with, or at least hope for quite frequently. I was not planning on taking a retreat at any time in the near future, but God knew I was ready for one. I was feeling overwhelmed, overloaded, busy, and like I didn't have the energy to keep up with it all. First of all, I talked to my mother-in-law, and she helped me with some of the practical aspects of getting all of the important things done, and getting my priorities in order. The words of encouragement were much appreciated!!
Second of all, there was a Women's Retreat coming up for our church ladies. The sign-ups had been up for months and months. I had never been on a Women's Retreat, and I never thought I would be able to go since Tad would have to work. So I never gave it a second thought. Ironically (but not really), Tad's work schedule got changed about 3 days before they were suppose to leave, and he got the whole weekend off. His boss put a notice in his box that changed all of his days off, giving him that specific weekend off. Coincidence? I think not! God knew where I was. He heard my cries. I believe He planned the entire situation!
So Tad talked to the Pastor's wife and signed me up, at the very last possible time, and I got to experience a wonderful time away from home! Not that I don't love my family, but this was only the 3rd time I have been away from being a mom since Maddy was born! The retreat was just what I needed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The food was amazing, the free time was much needed, and the sessions we went to spoke to my heart and challenged me right where I was at. It was about cultivating the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. But I have a tendency to focus on what I need to be doing, and what I'm not doing right. The biggest thing that stuck out to me for the weekend was, "You don't grow by trying, you grow by abiding." (John 15) That was exactly what I needed to hear. The most important thing right now for me is to be with God daily. Whether that's for a half hour, praying while I'm going about my day, meditating on Scripture, or being still to listen to Him, I need to just be with Him. That's where the fruit comes from. The fake fruit comes by me trying with all my might to please Him. It usually doesn't last long. It's when He is doing the work in my heart that the fruit naturally pours out. And that's where I want to be.
So, thanks God. You knew I needed those 2 days to rest, relax, be refreshed, and take a break. I came back with a new perspective, and with gratitude that my husband took care of the kids for the weekend!
God is so good!

So thankful for these ladies!! Women from our Calvary Chapel!

Head on over to Alicia's Homemaking to read other women's new adventures! Just click on the button!

10 Random Joys

Sometimes it's really easy to get bogged down with all the work that needs to be done around the house, the ill-behaviors of the kids, or my husband working overtime and being gone more. I can easily get depressed about being away from my good friends and family in Chicago and Ohio, not keeping up with the house as much as I'd like, and the fact that I'm only about halfway through my pregnancy!!
But what I really need to do is to stop and thank God for all the many blessings He has given to me and my family. We didn't even know if we would be able to get pregnant with our second and here we are with a third on the way! God is so good. I'm always reminding Maddy that "every good and perfect gift is from above..." So I thought it would be a good time to remind myself and encourage you to remind yourself of all the blessings that you are being showered with right now, be it big or small, and to not let Satan surround your heart with the negative.

1. I love this time of year, when the leaves are falling, school and schedules are in full swing, and the weather is finally cooler!
2. Yummy, fresh omelets!
   Adding different, fresh vegetables adds such variety and taste!
   
   
3. Two special kids who love to play together and do things together!
   
   
4. Fun, random day trips with the family!
   
   
   
5. Our fun, new dog that everyone loves playing with! Well, except when she is biting, nipping, and scratching. But that's besides the point!
6. Being part of small town fun! We got to go to a local Frontier Festival where Maddy rode a pony and we watched a parade that ended with a herd of cattle walking down the street!
   
   

   
   
   
7. Swim lessons for Maddy! She has really enjoyed her little class and learning new things in the water!
8. Homeschool fun! I have learned how creative and smart Maddy is as she works on her lessons, learns more about her letters/numbers, and remembers the things she is learning!
   
   
9. I'm so glad that I am feeling better and have so much more energy than before! It's helping me to get more things done that I need to get accomplished!
10. Special family times! I love when we get to get out as a family and do things together! It looks different now than it did in Chicago, but that makes it fun! We are finding new things to do together on Tad's days off, and really having fun!
    
    
    My special big boy who really is almost done taking a bottle!! But isn't he cute???
    

Well, this sure brightens my mood! No matter what is going on in our lives, we can always find the good, and dwell on that! And not to mention that I have the most amazing, loving husband who I just can't get enough of! I still, after 6 years of marriage, hate when he goes to work, and treasure every hour of his days off! And surprise dates don't hurt, either! Love him!

Tragedy: A Special Time to Point our Kids to God

image(s) credit

Click here for the video of the fire
Click here to read news article
Although many of you have heard via Facebook, not all of you have heard that our church, Calvary Chapel of Enid, Oklahoma burned down this past Thursday. It was an old building, and there were some renovations being done to it with a torch, and once the fire started, it was out of control within minutes. They are counting it a total loss, with only some things that could be recovered. The building will have to be demolished, and we will have to build somewhere else, or purchase another building.
Although this is sad news, and devastated many people in our congregation, we still serve a God who is in control!! The cool thing about all this is that I have gotten to talk to my 4 year old daughter, Maddy, about some pretty important things lately. Luckily, this is a tragedy without the loss of life, so even though we are sad that we lost our church building, our church body is still intact!! Our Pastor gave a beautiful message on Sunday, when we met at another location as we were hosted by another gracious church, reminding us that the church body is fine, strong, alive, and well!! Our building got destroyed, but the church is fine!!
Throughout the course of us finding out about the church, driving by the burning church as they were trying to put out the fire (it took hours and hours to put the fire out), and getting phone calls, Maddy was right there, taking it all in. It's interesting how a 4 year old's mind works. You can see the wheels in their head turning. I have to admit that the wheels in my head might have started turning in a negative way in lieu of what happened. But I found it strengthening my faith to have to simplify things and talk to Maddy about it all in simple, easy-to-understand terms. It was really encouraging to talk to her about how God is in control, that the fire didn't take Him by surprise, that the actual church is the people and not the building, and that God is going to take care of us and provide for us.
I know that people face real tragedy with loss of life and things much more grievous than a building burning down. But this is what we are dealing with now, and it was neat to be able to give perspective and hope to a 4 year old who was shaken by her first real encounter with something tragic and real to her.
Maddy was concerned about where we were gonna get extra money for a new building, if the "bench" that all the kids sat on was still there, if her class got burned, if the toys in her new class would be different, and more questions. It's definitely interesting to go through things with young children, because your concerns get minimized to a very simple level, and you have to help them learn how to think with a godly perspective and to help them understand what is going on and how to cope with it. It's a huge, daunting responsibility, but awesome as well! It helps you, as an adult, to think through the situation in a healthy, positive way. It really helped me to think positive and look towards God instead of worrying and being negative about it!!
This is just another example of how motherhood is a ministry. We have the privilege of getting down on our kids levels and showing them how to walk through life, but not only that, we get to share with them how they're not alone!! We can teach them how to have hope and faith at a very young age. And those moments remind us how much our roles count!! Keep pressing on and show your kids that God is on our side, and how that fits into their daily lives!!

God is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:1-3, 10.

Ministry of a SAHM

Lately, I have been thinking about ministry and how I could be a part of some kind of ministry to others. Tad and I met at Moody Bible Institute, and had to do practical mission work every semester we were there. We were trained to do ministry. We watched ministry. We learned from missionaries and others who did ministry full-time. I would love to start a ministry for crises pregnancies, battered women, women in need. I would love to volunteer at already established ministries, working to help with projects, and making a difference in the lives of people.
But every time I get to thinking about the things I would like to do, and how I could do them, I remember my number 1 job right now: my kids. Sometimes I forget the 'ministry' I am privileged to have in raising my kids. It might seem like it's holding me back at times, because I can't get involved in other things. But really, what more important ministry could I have at this time in my life?? Sure, I would love to help in other ministries, and they are important!! But I don't want to take huge chunks of time out of my day to be doing something else that doesn't involve my kids.
I am the only one who has such a huge role in my kids lives. Daddy's are important too, but the mother is the nurturer!! I have all day to invest myself in my kids. I know their every scratch, every encounter, I read them books, watch them play, and even teach them how to play!! I am there for those important questions, and even the times when they watch to see how I react in certain situations.
I think as moms we can easily get distracted with things that aren't our main priority. We do need to have hobbies to keep us sane, and breaks so we don't go crazy. We need to keep our houses clean, and teach our kids how to play by themselves. But we also need to show our kids love and they should know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we love them dearly and that we want to spend time with them!!
We have teachable, "ministry" moments with our little ones all day long. And I hope that in being a stay-at-home-mom, I'm not using my extra time to keep my house perfect and to get all my projects done (guilty). I hope I remember that I'm home so that I can better invest myself into my kids lives and teach them about God, life, and being someone who they can model themselves after (God help me!!)
So the next time you are tempted to think that you aren't "doing anything" or that your job doesn't matter at home, or that you don't have an official title, or that you need to get out there and do some "real" ministry, remember those little people who tug on the bottom of your pants all day long, and remember that helping to shape them into God-fearing adults in the biggest ministry you will ever have.

Disclaimer: I am in no way condemning doing ministry and being a SAHM. My point in this post is to examine the huge role that we play in our kids lives, and to encourage us not to feel like we aren't involved in ministry as SAHMs. I want to encourage the moms out there to press on in the role we have right now with our kids!!

Am I who I want my kids to be??

image credit

One of my favorite blogs, Inspiredtoaction.com, had a blog post entitled "12 words on selecting goals for the new year."

Need goals?

Imagine who you want your kids to become.

Be that.

This was the whole post. Few words. Lots to think about.

There are so many dreams we have for our kids. So many things we want for them that we didn't have. We want them to be the people we weren't. The person we wish we could be. Well why not put our effort into becoming that person instead of trying to get our kids to be that?? They watch our every action. Our every reaction. The copy us, mimic us. Even as teenagers, they are people who have learned to deal with life from us. Scary thought?? Not if we are putting God in the center of our lives and allowing His Spirit to transform us into being more holy. People who love more. Have more grace. Have become more humble.

Do we speak lovingly to our kids, or do we just order them around?

Have we cultivated a relationship with our kids, or are we more interested in making sure they obey a strict list of rules we have for them?

Do our kids see us putting others first and sacrificing our needs/wants for the good of others?

Do our kids see us on our knees, pursuing God in prayer and doing what He is asking us to do??

I want my children to love God with all their heart. To be kids and adults who want to do what God wants them to do. People who aren't influenced by the world, but are motivated by God's love. There are so many things that I'm not, that I want my kids to be. So a good investment of my time would be to write a list of who I want my kids to be, and then put those things on my to-do list. To pray over them and actively pursue becoming that kind of person for my children to model. With God's help, I think we can be the godly example that they can look up to!!

The Daniel Fast: Fresh Vegetable Pasta

If anyone is familiar with the Daniel Fast, it's something I am doing right now as part of a devotional. I know a lot of people are doing this fast as part of NewLife Community Church, and other churches also do fasts at the beginning of the year.
The Daniel Fast basically is from 2 passages in Daniel, where Daniel decides to have only vegetables and water (in ch. 1) and abstains from several other things (in ch. 10). From those passages, a specific "Daniel fast" arose, that has specific guidelines and things to abstain from. Basically, you avoid protein, dairy, artificial flavors/sweeteners, and anything with sugar. So, that leaves you with vegetables, fruit, whole grains (except leavened bread), healthy oils, nuts, legumes, and a few other things. For more information on the Daniel Fast, click here.
It's interesting trying to be creative with these foods. Tonight, though, I decided to whip something up for dinner. I had an idea to use some vegetables that I had, and it turned out so good!! It's rare for me to make something from scratch without a recipe, and honestly, I was expecting this to turn out mediocre at best! But I loved it, and am excited to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!!
So, I will try to give a recap of how I put this together, and just know, that you can substitute regular for whole grain noodles, different vegetables for ones you like, etc. Put it together according to your own tastes!!

Fresh Vegetable Pasta:

1/2 medium eggplant, chopped small
1/2 medium zucchini, chopped small
1/2 medium onion, chopped small
1 small container of cherry (or grape) tomatoes, chopped in half
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
8 oz. whole grain noodles, cooked according to package directions
Olive oil

1. In a medium sized saucepan, heat 2 tbs. olive oil. Add garlic cloves and saute for about a minute. Add onions, cook about another minute.
2. Add chopped zucchini and eggplant and saute until all the vegetables are browned and fragrant. Add salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Add more or less, depending on the spices you like. (I also am adding more olive oil as needed, if my veggies need more and are getting dry in the pan. This also helps with the sauce.)
3. Add cherry or grape tomatoes. Let the mixture cook until the tomatoes "burst." Add some more salt and pepper if it needs it.
4. Add 2-3 ladles of pasta water from the noodles to the vegetable pan. Stir around to create a sort of "sauce."
5. Add the cooked, drained noodles to the vegetables and stir to combine. Enjoy!!!

This is part of aliciashomemaking.com where every Thursday, bloggers participate in her Try New Adventures Thursday. If you think this sounds fun, then do the same thing and link up to her website!!

Challenge Week 4: Relationships

Last Week
I know these weeks are flying by and getting so busy, but I hope you have a chance to sit down and read these little blog posts about being intentional, so that even though we're busy, we are still focusing on those important areas of our lives. With packing, moving, houseguests for the next 2 weeks, and 2 kids in a small apartment with lots of energy, it's been crazy around here!! Not to mention all the Christmas things I'm trying to get done on top of it all!! But it's been good to try to remember to pray for my kids. To try to spend extra special time with them. To show them that I love them and care for them. I know I haven't been doing enough lately, and it's tough with all we have to do right now, but let's all remember that they are little people with feelings, and they know when we are "too busy for them."
This Week
The next area I want us to be intentional about is the area of relationships with others. We were made to live in community with one another, to bear with one another, and forgive one another. We were made to work together with our different gifts, to build each other up, and to be united as we all work towards the kingdom of God. It all sounds so beautiful, but our world of relationships can get so ugly. All the nit and grit, all the feelings that are left undealt with, the scars, memories of injustices done to us, and the list goes on. It's tough. None of us is immune from people we just plain don't get along with, or family we can't get away from, or people who rub us the wrong way. Or even people who try to abuse us, to ignore us, to make us feel "less than." I'm reminded again this week of the injustices in this world, the situations I forget that people are going through, and how much we can't control.
But God encourages us!!! He gives us promises and truths to hold onto, His Word will never fail us, and we must keep our eyes on Him as we work through these hurdles, lay ourselves on the line, bear our hearts to Him, and let Him work in us a spirit of servanthood and forgiveness.

Live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16a

Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. Romans 14:13

Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. Romans 15:2

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

There are so many verses on how we should relate to each other so that we can honor God and be refined by our relationships. Pick a verse and memorize it, repeating it to yourself throughout the week as you encounter people, especially those who may get on your nerves or aren't the easiest to be around (even if it's your husband!!!)

Challenge
We all probably have at least one relationship that could use a little (who are we kidding, a lot!) of work. Maybe it's a broken relationship that needs forgiveness. Maybe it's someone you are around all the time, but you don't speak kindly to them. Maybe it's someone that you don't treat very nice, and can change how you interact with them. My challenge is that you pick just one person and take a step towards healing. Pray over the verse you have chosen to memorize and put the person's name in the verse. Such as, "Bear with _____ and forgive whatever grievances you may have against _____ . Forgive _____ as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13) This week, work through the issues you have with someone. Don't put it off, leaving your ill feelings to take root and grow into bitterness, anger, and sin. Don't let Satan get that foothold. It's gone on long enough. It's time to deal with it now.
Get on your knees. Spend your time with God today dealing with one relationship. Heal it. Make a phonecall. Write an email. Forgive them. Forgiveness is a conscious choice, not an emotional feeling. It is hard. You might not feel like it. But with God's help, we can choose to forgive, and continually give it over to God for healing. I would recommend you to read Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss if you would like some further reading on forgiveness. It is an excellent read.
This is a great time of year to start the healing process. A time where we will see and be around family that we might not otherwise see. People we might choose not to see the rest of the year. We might go home and see friends who might not be as much a part of our lives anymore. There might be buried feelings. Don't let this time pass by without intentionally making one of those relationships right. Satan has a way of lying to us by getting us to subconsciously put off dealing with our feelings and grudges. By the time we realize it, we have unresolved anger, hatred, or grudges that can go on for years. It's ugly. Don't even wait to make it a New Year's Resolution. Do it this week!

So, here's a recap of this week's challenge:

1. Memorize a verse to challenge you in the area of relationships.
2. Begin the healing process with one person this week.
   
3. Pray over your verse and insert their name.
4. Take action! Pray for them daily, contact them, resolve forgiveness in your heart.

If you have just jumped on the Being Intentional Challenge, here are the links to the first 3 weeks of challenges!!
Week 1: Our relationship with God
Week 2: Our marriages
Week 3: Parenting

As always, I'd love to hear from anyone who is reading, participating, or just popped by the site!! Leave a comment, or email me at steph4given@yahoo.com!

Join me next week for Challenge #5: Organization of our homes!!

Challenge Week 3: Parenting

(This picture makes me smile. Such classic looks from both of them!)

Last Week
I would love to know who participated in last week's challenge!! Did anyone daily pray for their husband, serve him in some way, and do something special for him? If not, I encourage you to make him a priority in your busy week!! They are off working hard for the family (as we are at home working hard raising the family!) and we need to remind them that we see that and appreciate them! Focusing on intentional marriages is so important. Pursuing our husbands. Making them feel special. Doing things that are important to them and letting them know that we can stop what we're doing and listen to them without folding laundry, checking emails, and unloading the dishwasher at the same time. These are our lovers! Let's preserve our marriages!
This week
Parenting. Not for the weak at heart. It takes everything we have. Every ounce of patience, every bit of time, every emotion imaginable, every little piece of our heart. And you can't even fathom what it's like until you become a parent. The huge amount of responsibility coupled with concern for your child and love that spills over for these little beings that came from your womb. It truly is a huge blessing and miracle that we get to experience here on earth!
With all those emotions, love, and amazement at these little beings comes the huge responsibility of training them in the way they should go. Those are not light words. I am at this stage with Maddy at 4 years old now, and she definitely needs some major training and discipline. It's tough work, let me tell you. Maddy is not easily corrected. She is strong-willed, hard-headed, and not easily swayed (not like anyone I know!) So I have a huge job!

Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul. Proverbs 29:17

Intentional Parenting
I really like the idea of intentional parenting. That might sound really dumb but it is so easy to fill our time with a myriad of other things and convince ourselves that they take top priority in our day. I have found that it is so easy to get so distracted by things that aren't the main idea. Our main, number one job is to raise our little kiddos in the admonition of the Lord. To disciple them. To lead them along this journey of life and point them in the direction of the Savior.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Lately in my reading on parenting in To Train up a Child by Michael and Debi Pearl, they talk about "the rod and reproof give wisdom" and how we often discipline our children, and then fail to take the time to correct them. To talk about what they should have done, what the Bible instructs them to do, and how they should act in the future. I was really challenged by this and how too often we discipline them to "get them off our back" so we can get back to what we were doing (i.e. washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning floors) when our MAIN JOB is to be training them up in righteousness. We need to remember our main reason for staying at home with our children! It's not so we can have spotless homes!!!! It's so that we can use our time most effectively to train and disciple our children!!
I often miss this all too important point.
In Proverbs for Parenting by Barbara Decker, she states, "Clearly, instruction in God's Word is to be an integral part of a child's daily life, and not something that is limited to a special half hour of the day or reserved for a formal fellowship." We must be training them up in the ways of the Lord throughout our days, that is, being intentional to use Scripture as we teach our children how to act, respond in situations, talk to people, serve others, etc.

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26

Challenge
Let's be mothers who are conscious of the short amount of crucial time we have with our kids. These years pass by so fast! This week, let's make an effort to faithfully train our children. Each day, let's all commit to praying over our children, as we cannot ourselves carry out the duty of training our children without God Himself guiding us, our tongues, and giving us wisdom in each situation. Again, a prayer card for each child will remind us to pray over specific things for each of them daily. My grandparents and parents have been such prayer warriors throughout my life, such examples of what it means to faithfully pray for their children and grandchildren! We can pray for their friends, salvation, interaction with others each day, their learning to resolve conflict, their future mates, schooling decisions, etc. Talk to your husband about what you would like to pray for them.
Let's take more action to train them in the instruction of the Lord. When disciplining, let's bring out the Bible, or a Bible storybook, and show them what God's Word says to do in the particular situation. You can even write down 5 main verses for different trouble areas (forgiveness, kindness, good attitude, serving, obedience) that you consistently go over with your child when the situation arises. You can get a little creative here. Put verses up on the wall. Use the Bible after discipline. Just be more conscious of bringing the Word into your daily lives.
Spend more time with your kids. Get the basic stuff done, but show them that they are important to you. What do they like to do? What do they ask you to do all the time? What do you refuse constantly because you always have something else to do? They know if you are too busy for them! How can we encourage their little hearts and show them that Mommy thinks they're special and wants to spend special time with them?? It will make their day.
I know that this may sound like it will take extra time this week, but if we can't find some extra minutes focusing on our kids, then what does that say about how we value our kids and our responsibility as mother in the home? I want to raise kids who love God and I want to look back and say that I was intentional about raising my kids and not too busy cleaning my house to raise them sufficiently.
I don't want to shrug them off.
I don't want them to feel like I'm too busy for them.
I don't want to discipline them to "get them off my back."
I want to discipline them so that they learn and become more obedient, respectful children, understanding more and more about our heavenly Father.

Here's a recap:

1. Write out a prayer card for each of your kids and pray for them daily!
2. Use every opportunity to point them to the Bible for instruction!
3. Spend focused time with each of your kids, filling up their love tank and making them feel special!
   

Join me next week for Challenge #4: Our relationships with others.
Remember, if you are participating in this 6 week Being Intentional Challenge, I'd love to hear from you!! Accountability is encouraging! And new ideas, breakthrough moments, and growth are what it's all about, so don't be shy to leave a comment or email me at steph4given@yahoo.com!

Challenge Week 2: Our Marriages

Last Week
Okay, how was last week (If you missed last week's challenge, click here)? Did anyone write a challenge on a notecard to keep handy? A visual reminder to work on all week long? Perhaps you attached a verse to it to memorize or read every time you see your reminder card? Well, for me, having a notecard with one simple (well, not simple!) reminder to be gentle was good for me. It seemed that gentleness was on my mind all week long. God would remind me in circumstances and even as I was teaching my 11 month old "gentle" as I gently stroked his hand on my face, teaching him not to hit or play rough with my face. I didn't master this area of gentleness by any means, but it was amazing how much more my mind was focused on it and working towards it. I hope someone out there was challenged!
This Week
Okay, I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert on marriage. It has seemed daunting to even prepare to write this blog post, because I am no author, speaker, professional, or even highly experienced person when it comes to the area of marriage. So let's just start there. Tad and I have only been married for 5 years, and we have lots of growing to do. I'm not even gonna tell you all these things we do that make for a rockstar marriage, because honestly, in our 5 short years of marriage, we have had to go through some tough stuff.
The Plan
What I do want to do is to highlight some important areas, challenge our hearts for the week in regards to our marriages, and then give a simple challenge that will get our minds and hearts engaged for a week of focusing on our husbands.
Marriage
I think being a SAHM can be really difficult on a marriage. I have heard so many people say that husbands and wives get so wrapped up in raising their kids, that once the kids leave home, the marriage ends because their lives were all about their children, and not about each other. We have many roles as SAHMs and though a mother is a highly demanding role, taking all our energy, time, creativity, etc. we are still wives as well. We were wives first.
A marriage is a beautiful picture of Christ and the church.

"Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:24

There is this beautiful thing happening as we follow the model for marriage that is laid out for us in Scripture (see Ephesians 5:22-33), but that is the hard thing. We make up our own models and wonder why our marriage is failing. This is so easy to do. To live life day to day, to focus on what we want and how we want our homes to run, to want our family to serve us instead of us serving them. Guilty. To want things to go my way instead of their way. Guilty.
In Calm My Anxious Heart, there is a quote by Dr. Larry Crabb in The Marriage Builder, "a wife will either minister to her husband or manipulate him to get her own way." That rang in my ears after I read it. I have a huge responsibility as helper, helpmate, my husband's trusted friend, his biggest fan, his lover. How am I handling this responsibility? Lightly? Or intentionally?
I am not saying this is easy. I think it's probably easier when you are first married, in the honeymoon stage, have 2 incomes, no kids, and living debt-free. Just sayin'. Throw in 2 kids, one income less, long days, short nights, bills to pay, two completely different roles from each other, and did I mention sleepless nights? Well, you get the picture. Sometimes the last thing we want to do is focus on our husband. We would like for someone to focus on us.
In A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George, she says, "So the first step on my journey of a thousand miles to becoming a godly wife was beginning to understand that I am on assignment from God to help my husband." She also says, "God wants us as wives to focus our energy and efforts on our husbands-on his tasks, his goals, his responsibilities." I think that if we are looking to be fulfilled by our husbands, we will be greatly disappointed. We just weren't created to be completely fulfilled by anyone other than God Himself. If we aren't being refreshed and having alone time with God where we are being renewed and satisfied in Him daily, I fear that we will look for that in our husbands, and that can be danger for a marriage. And it will make it difficult to serve our husbands because we will feel weak and unsatisfied ourselves.
Challenge
So here's the challenge for the week:
One way we can focus on our husbands is to pray for them. Someone once told me she married and her husband had so far to go in his walk with God, his desire, and growth as a man. She decided to write out a prayer card for him, and prayed for him daily. Within a year, it was like he was a completely different man. He grew in leaps and bounds in his faith, he had a desire for service in the church, and he was growing.
I'm not saying that writing out a prayer card will solve all your marriage problems or bring you a new and improved husband in a year, but it is a place to start. A place to focus all your frustrations, longings, comparing your husband with other people, etc. and putting them at the feet of Jesus, and LEAVING THEM THERE. Daily commit to pray for your husband.
Serve him. Pick one area that you can serve your husband this week. Just one area. Can I pick up his socks every day without complaining, and without telling him where they go? Can I bring him a cup of coffee every morning when he wakes up? Can I do one of his chores without complaining that he never remembers to do it? Just pick one small thing to do to serve him without complaining.
Finally, let's do something special for our husbands. There are a myriad of options. Does he enjoy quality time? Plan something special, even if it's after the kids go to bed. Is he a talker? Spend time listening to him talk about his day, his job, his concerns without being "too busy" or doing something else while "listening." Does he enjoy gifts? Buy something special or make him his favorite meal/snack. The list goes on and on.

This is just a beginning. There are so many things we can do to intentionally pursue, serve, and submit to our husbands. Date night is a good idea. A getaway, if you can do it, is a good idea. Be creative! Only you know your husband in that special way! And only you can bless him in that deep, meaningful way that no one else can. I'm excited to hear how we can be intentional to make our marriages strong and Christ-centered!!

As always, I would love to hear from you!! If anyone is participating in the challenge, how did your week go? Any God-moments or words of encouragement to share? I would love to hear how God is working in your lives!!

Here's a recap:

1. Write out a prayer card. Commit to pray daily!
2. Pick an area to serve him daily without complaining!
3. Plan something special for your husband!

Join me next week for Challenge #3: Our parenting!!

P.S. Sorry there were no other blog posts this week, our internet was down Monday morning through Friday morning. Hopefully you will see more this coming week! Happy Monday!

Less than one month until our move to Oklahoma!!!

A blast from the past. Not sure if we were even married yet in this pic!! Ah, how things change!!

Challenge Week 1: Our Relationship with God

"It's not as important what a woman is as what she's becoming, for we shall be what we are now becoming!" Calm My Anxious Heart Linda Dillow

God has been doing some amazing things in my heart. He has been challenging me to take action in specific areas in my life. I am starting to realize, as mentioned in my previous post, that people who are successful in their personal lives are the ones who are intentionally pursuing growth. We don't just become godly women, we don't just happen to start acting more kind, or more loving, or more forgiving. Life is a process, a journey. And if we are not actively working towards growth, then we are either stagnant, or sliding down the slope, away from our goal.
As Christians, our goal should be Christ.

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. (Phillipians 3:8)

What does that mean? What does that look like in my everyday life? As I have shared in a previous post, I have loved the Maximize Your Mornings challenge, where I have started getting up early in the morning to pursue God, plan my day, and exercise before my kids wake up. This has made a huge difference in my life towards pursuing God, and having the quiet time for Him to speak to me in the morning. Before that, I made a million excuses for why I didn't have time to spend with God, but it all came down to not making it a priority. Getting up early took away all the excuses because it is how I have gotten in the habit of starting my day!
So, pick a time. A no excuses time. Choose a time slot of 5, 10, 15 minutes or more where you can commit to spending time with God, daily. I remember someone once saying, "Even if we pick up our Bibles everyday and read while the coffee is brewing..." And if that seems like something attainable, then start with that!
Once you have a time picked out, then intentionally choose an action for God in a specific area. Try to pick just one area that you feel you need to work on. Pray and ask God where He wants you to direct your focus this week. Thankfulness would be a great place to start for this week! If you can't think of an area, then start there! Start living in a place of gratitude, and remembering that all good and perfect gifts come from above! If it is gentleness, forgiveness, love, joy, whatever it is, this week make it your goal to focus on this area.
Then, get a notecard. Write down your specific area of growth, and then pray over a verse to tag with it. Make it brief here, folks. Don't write a huge paragraph about your relationship with God over the last 5 years. Use your journal for that! We want something short and sweet and easily visible for throughout the day!
Now put it somewhere visible. If you are at home most of the day, post it where you will see it often. On a cupboard, on the kitchen counter, fridge, bathroom mirror, or if you are gone most of the day, then take it with you!! My goal here is to intentionally work on an area. I spend time with God in the morning, and then I get busy with my day. Lately I have been frustrated at my lack of rememberance for the areas I want to be working on. This way, my busy, scatterbrained mind can have visible reminders all day long to "be gentle," especially with my kids, my husband, and other people I encounter.
If you can, find a friend. Community is so important. If we can find someone else to do this small, simple thing with, then it will give us a sense of accountability. Ask each other how we did. One week. One goal. One verse. Can we memorize the verse? Can we pick one way to work on our goal per day? These things are up to you. Don't get too crazy!! I'm going for simple, small steps towards obedience. I need something visible. I need to be reminded.
The goal here is to practice redirecting our minds towards Christ and away from the lies and distractions that fill our day.
To quote my Pastor (Pastor Kevin @NewLife Community Church, Lakeview) from this morning's sermon, we need to "overthrow the altar of 'me' through God-imitating self-sacrifice." Let's move away from our day revolving around us and our kids and all the things of this world, and be more conscious of God moments. Sacrifice. Our lives as offerings. Our lives and our kids are important, don't get me wrong, but our growth towards Christ will shape our kids as well, and we also need to show them that He is most important in our lives.
So, to recap:

1. Pick a time
2. Intentionally choose an action for God in a specific area
3. Get a notecard
4. Put it somewhere visible
5. Find a friend

I hope someone out there will take these small, simple steps, and work on one area with me this week. If you have any comments to share regarding this post, please share, or you can always email me at steph4given@yahoo.com.
Go forth in the Lord this week, and I hope you all have more God moments! Happy Thanksgiving week!

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Psalm 119:35

Join me next week for Challenge #2: Our marriages.