Bone Weary Tired

I'm not sure I fully understood the phrase, "bone weary tired" until becoming a mom.


But today, that's me.


Bone. Weary. Tired.


To my very core.


Why? What causes such weariness?


Our kids. Our precious gifts. Life. The loss of life.


There are hard days. I'm sure even harder days to come.


Right now, it feels like we are in the trenches.


Nothing supremely out of the ordinary I suppose for us.


It's a battle we've been in for over a year now.


Countless tears & even more prayers.


"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28


I cling tightly to this verse & have found it to be proven through & through. I'm so thankful that God's word is real & a firm foundation to plant my feet.


This week has been heart breaking. Watching our Hope struggle again. Trips to doctors. Awaiting tests results. More medicine to try.


But I've felt the prayers of the saints. Those who are believing with us that Hope will be healed. In the moments when my faith wanes & I begin to doubt, I get a text or a call or someone stopping by to pray & encourage us.


And I breathe. A sigh. His peace & comfort renewing. Bringing hope. Restoring again.


The nights. They are long.
But the coffee is strong.
And God is stronger.
I'm thankful.


So, momma, you're bone weary tired...Sister...Friend... Let Him give you rest. Reach out. Let the prayers & hopes of others help carry you through this time. You don't have to be strong or have all the right answers. Be real. You don't have to wear a mask. Just rest in His unfailing promise & word & brew that 3rd or 4th or 5th cup of coffee. I won't judge.

faithfulness

faithfulness.
what a word.
full of indescribable emotion.


Wikipedia gives this definition: Faithfulness is the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something and putting that loyalty into consistent practice, regardless of extenuating circumstances.


unfailingly remaining loyal...
putting that loyalty into consistent practice...
regardless...


This morning during worship service at church, I was feeling pressed to my very core about the portrait of my faithfulness to the Lord. Not that we have to "prove" anything to Him but as His bride...His beloved... What does my faithfulness to Him look like?


My loyalty to the Lord in every season...Every trial...Every tragedy...Every triumph.... Does my life reflect that of a faithful bride? Does it continually point people back to Him? Or are there other "lovers"...Other things that deter my loyalty to Christ?


Do my "extenuating circumstances" cause my faithfulness to Christ to grow? Or do I allow them to pull me away & question His goodness?


He is faithful.
Always.
Every situation.
He never leaves.
He never forsakes.
He is not swayed by emotion.
He is.
The Rock I'm standing on.
The Hope I'm hanging on.
The Truth I'm living on.


Every season.
Let it be said of me...


She remained faithful.
She spoke highly of her King.
Her faith did not waiver.
Her trust in who He was did not falter.


Through it all...
She remained faithful.

shifting sand

shifting sand
ever changing world
ever changing you
ever changing me


the only certainty
Him
Christ
the One who came
because of you
because of me


to bind up our brokenness
heal every wound
rebuild the ruins


on Him
a sure foundation
solid rock


not deterred by shifting sand
or the change of the wind


He is
completeness
making me
making you
into His likeness


unworthy ones
made worthy
because of who He is




let the sand shift
I have found the One
on whom to build my life
though shaken
I will not fail
my eyes are fixed
on Him

"That mom"

Today, I was "that mom." You know what I'm talking about... That mom that everyone is whispering under their breaths needs to get her children under control. It wasn't an anything out of the ordinary day. We went to the Y then headed to Walmart. Everything was fine until halfway through the store when Caden starts chanting that he needs to go potty. So, I take him to the family restroom. He does nothing so I grab the kids (as my patience is waining) and take them to the cart.
So begins all out sobbing, tears rolling off cheeks, snot dripping, and shouting that indeed he does need to go potty. At this point we are in the very back of the store. I calmly just push the cart (and Caden who is trying to push the cart back to the bathroom) to the front to check out. He is putting on a real show. I can feel the stairs from people. Questioning my ability to parent. Ever so calmly I put our items on the check out, pay, offer to take Caden to the restroom in the front. Oh no. No, no, no. More sobs. Because he can't use THAT restroom. He wants to go all the way to the back of the store to the family restroom. The Caden melt down show continued to escalate and lasted a good twenty minutes. Somehow, I managed to get the kids to the car & home. All I could think, as the tension in my shoulders began to mount is... I am so sorry people. I am sorry to every mom I ever judged or questioned when your kids were having meltdowns.  Sorry for disrupting your peaceful shopping. I had no idea my kid would have a major melt down today because of a potty. But please don't judge. I feel your glares and questions about who is on control. And maybe, somehow I had lost control today. All I know is a momma, no matter how well equipped, cannot anticipate such meltdowns. They come when least expected. I'm just really thankful for grace today to make it through the meltdown moment without having a meltdown of my own. In case you were wondering, he did make it home and to the bathroom...& the sobs eventually did cease.

learning to trust again...

lets be honest.
trusting is not easy.
people betray.
people hurt.
but that's people.
that's you.
that's me.
if not for Jesus.
we would all be a hot mess.
turned inward.
broken.
lonely.
discouraged.
distraught.


but why?
because we can't move past our own insecurities?
our fears?
our failures?


we miss out on relationship.
life giving relationship.
sharpening relationship.


we must be willing to risk again.
open our hearts.


we will get hurt again.
that's life.
that's ok.


pick up.
heal.
restore.
love as Christ loves.
be filled.

Misunderstood

I'm not who you think I am.
I'm often misunderstood.
From an early age, I was taught to wear a smile even if I was crushed on the inside.


I try to be real.
In my realness, I am flawed.
Broken.


The war within me is real.
I'm torn.
Tired.
Weary.


I'm not in some big crisis.
No.
It's just the every day mundane.
Mom.
Wife.
Friend.
Daughter.


Feeling like I'm failing in every area.
Disappointed.
Discouraged.


Trying not to look back at past glories.
But wondering what happened to that vibrant 20 something.
Who could survive on minimal sleep & was always up for a new God adventure.


I'm just not who I once was.
I'm sure that's to be true for most of us.
We change.
Time changes us.
Being pressed changes us.
Trials.
Circumstances.
Life.
These things change us. Form us.
Challenge us at our very core.


Learning to be true to who I am today.
And who I am becoming tomorrow.
Because the truth is... I'm not a young twenty something anymore.
Time has done it's job in changing that.
And that's ok.


Even still...
In whatever state I am in...
I am loved.
Dearly loved.
By my Creator.
By Father.


And I rest in that truth.
That no matter how misunderstood I am...
Or I feel...
He knows me at my very core.
He understands.
He cares.


He is with me.
Always.

Pretty Packages

Have you ever received a gift that was extravagantly wrapped?


Elegant.
Perfect bow.


And it made your heart skip a beat with anticipation as to what could possibly be inside such a gorgeously wrapped gift?


Then... You open it...


Total disappointment.


Come on... You know what I'm talking about... We've all gotten "those gifts" that are maybe less than stellar & their packaging is deceiving... Leading us to believe there truly is something wonderful inside...




{Enter You. Enter Me}


And that's us sometimes. Isn't it? You. Me.


We think we've fooled the eye of the beholder.
All glammed up on the outside.
A royal mess on the inside.
Afraid to be transparent & allow the inner workings of our lives to be exposed.
For fear of judgment, maybe.
For fear of rejection, perhaps.
For fear of pride being bruised, possibly.


Sundays can be the worst. Can't they?


All morning long is a battle within...And perhaps without... You struggle to even make it out the door & get there on time... But, no fear, you've got your "Sunday best" on & even glossed your lips...Ready to walk in with a smile, say your "God bless you's", hear the message, make some small talk... & be on your way...


Pretty package on  the outside.
Royal mess on the inside.


What's so wrong with being vulnerable in church of all places? And letting our guards down? And just... being...


Being who we are.
Unashamed.
Unafraid.


Judging less.
Loving more.


I'm grateful...That my Father is the best at taking messy, broken lives... And making them whole again.


He's done it for me. Over & over again.


That wholeness... That healing... That restoration... That comes through intimacy & rightness with the Father...


That is what ultimately takes what is seemingly "less than stellar on the inside" & makes it extravagant. Beauty radiating from the inside out.


Pretty Packages.
Being made over.
It's what's on the inside that matters most.

Crisis

It is inevitable.
There will be a day...


When you find yourself in what feels like an unbearable crisis...
Job loss.
Death of a loved one.
Grief.
Marital strife.
Divorce.
Untreatable disease.
Betrayal.
Infertility.
Heart break.
Addiction.


The list has no end.


There are days when I personally feel like I'm in a crisis & won't make it through the day because I was up all night with a sick baby... As the days pass, and health is restored, I laugh at myself & how pressed down I get in these moments. Worn out, yes. Exhausted, yes. But in a crisis? No. Undoubtedly chronic fatigue could lead to crisis...but that's not what I'm talking about...


And I'm reminded that my daily testing & trials are just that... Testing. Trials.
There are not a crisis. It's just every day life stuff.


However, if we are not remaining in Christ, they just very well may feel like crisis as our "smallness" cannot comprehend the "greatness" of what God is intending to do in our lives daily.




John 15:4
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.


Not often enough do I lean on the strength of the arm of the Lord & allow Him to encourage me as only He can & work through my feebleness.


However...


We will have trouble. Crisis.


John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”


But even in the midst of what seems like crushing crisis, Jesus Christ, the One who is peace, will give you peace that surpasses ALL understanding. He will see you through. He will be with you. Always.




Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 28:20
...Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.


Trials. Temptations. Testing.
Crisis.


Wherever you find yourself today, you are not alone.
I believe with my WHOLE heart that truly, truly, truly...Nothing is too difficult with God. He will be found faithful.


Luke 1:37
For nothing is impossible with God.

snow days

It's a snowy cold day here in Indiana.
What is it about not being able to leave the house that makes you want to leave the house so badly?
On any given day, I'd probably embrace the opportunity to stay home & not have to run errands toting two little ones.
But today, I just want to go to the gym or Starbucks or the grocery... Somewhere.
Alas, it's in the negative digits & my car doesn't like the cold or icy snowy roads.

Maybe its because being stuck at home makes me take a look at all the mess that needs tackled.
Oh, I've started... A bag of trash at my feet from my desk & a trash bag of clothes across the room for goodwill...

Maybe it's because at 11am...I couldn't believe it was ONLY 11am because I had already pulled out a majority of my mommy tricks to keep the kids happily entertained. Come on nap time!

And so it is... nap time... The house is quiet... Smells of red lentil & kale soup wafting through the house... Comfy thick socks on & still in my pjs... Thank you notes from Christmas finally written, bills paid... And nearly time for that afternoon cup of joe.

Just another day...
Just another day...

It is what it is.
I pray wherever life finds you today...that you pause, if only for a moment, and take in the goodness & beauty of the Lord that surrounds you.

The ugly...freeing truth

Truth is...

People will always disappoint you.

God will not.

There may be days that it FEELS like He has forgotten you.

He has not.

There may be days when it FEELS like He doesn't see.

He does.

He sees the now.

And all of your tomorrows.

There may be days when it FEELS like you are alone.

He is with you.

He promised to never leave you or forsake you.

There will be days that you FEEL confused.

He is wisdom.

He is truth.

He will guide you.

There will be days that you FEEL uncertain.

He will be your confidence.

There will be days that you FEEL weak.

He will be your strength.

Yes, people will disappoint you.

But there is One... One who surpasses them all.

Jesus. Abba. Father. Friend. Faithful One. Beloved. Redeemer. Savior. Defender. Steady Rock.

In Him do I put my trust.

Keeping Up With The Jones

Picket fence. Beautiful flowers in bloom throughout the yard. Swing for the kids. Rocking chairs on the front porch. 2 story house with a 2 car garage. Mini van in the drive. & a mailbox with the family name proudly displayed.

The Jones.

You know them. Maybe you are them.

The ever striving to appear or be the "so called" perfect American family.

Whatever that is. I don't know. Truth is... We will never be them. And I'm ok with that.

This past week was in a phrase... laborosly tiresome. Or here is another for you... sweat equity.

Andrew took the week off  of work (well, kind of...but that is another story), Caden was sent to my sister's, & my oldest niece, Lyndsey, came to help with Hope so that Andrew & I could work on a few things on the outside of the house. We "thought" our small list of weeding, pulling up bushes, & painting was very doable in the time alloted.

Here we are... It is Saturday evening. Lyndsey has returned home & Caden is here asleep in his bed. Not one of our goals was achieved in completeness.

Our home is over a hundred years old.

We have a postage stamp yard.

Caden, our nearly two year old, would rather run down the ally.

We have bushes that are out of control. I lost count at 36 thistle weeds/bushes that I pulled out from among the bushes this week.

We share our home as it is split into 3 units. Because of this Andrew doesn't really "feel" it's home. I say we pay the mortgage & utilities every month so I don't know how much more "home" it can be.

Our failed attempts this week of finishing what we started weren't for a lack of trying...but rather each job created another job that had to be completed before starting the original job.

So, here we are. Our back deck is pulled away from our house.
We have a roof that needs completely replaced. Not only on our house but also our garage.
Siding behind our deck that needs replaced/repaired.
The house & garage have been mostly scraped & ready to paint...for who knows when now...
The sun window has been disassembled...
On & on & on...

That's just the way it is.

Andrew works a modest job. A job that he enjoys. It provides for our family. I'm grateful.

He bought this house at a time in his life when he honestly thought he wouldn't marry. It made sense to him then.

Now he's married with two kids.

...Many are the plans in a man's heart... But the Lord's purposes will prevail...

The Jones. We will never keep up with them.
And that's ok.

This is who we are. This is where God has us.

With that knowledge... That God has not forgotten us & takes care of His own... We can rest easy...Peace.

That doesn't mean the days ahead won't be long... Or more pennies won't be "pinched"...

It just means that we don't have to worry or fret or dispare because nothing...nothing....nothing...is too great for God... & anyway... I don't think He is really bothered by our chipping paint & overgrown bushes.

It is what it is

Mom life. House wife. Stay at home mom. What's in a title anyway? Lately, I've honestly been a little edgy & emotional... If I can just be candid for a moment... I know for some this may seem harsh or like I'm ungrateful, I'm not... Just wired up a little differently than other women, I guess. You see... I love my babies. But I didn't pick this life. In a way, I guess it picked me. Neve ever was I the girl that just day dreamed about being a mom & staying home & raising babies. But here I am. And it's no joke. Most days around 5-6pm... I'm just done... The final push to get dinner on the table, babies bathed, ready for bed... Is here and all I can think about is how I'd love a shower & the ability to climb in my bed by 8pm & read or journal or write those long overdue "thinking about you" & "thank you" cards... But that my friends, is a rare occasion. I honestly can't remember the last time I finished a book in its entirety...& to my friends that haven't heard from me in ions... I really do think about you... And promise... Some day we will catch up on life. Right now, life is a little "unpredictably" predictable... Meaning... I don't know what time of day Caden will dump his snack or if/when Hope will actually let me put her down... But at some point it will most likely happen... Life. Funny. The plans we make. That never purpose themselves. I think the Word says something about that... Many are the plans in a mans heart... But the Lord's purposes will prevail. Anyway... I don't think this "thought" really came full circle... Maybe another day...

expectation

Christmas. Just two days away. Kind of hard to believe. I'm 39 weeks pregnant this week & really anticipate we'll be having this baby girl any day now. We've purposefully made little plans with family & friends as we are just waiting for our little miss to arrive.

Even though I'm very aware that there is a little person growing inside of me, it still feels very surreal that in a matter of days we will go from a family of 3 to a family of 4. I really cannot even begin to wrap my mind around it so, to be honest, I've stopped trying.

The last few days, Christmas...the true meaning of Christmas...having this baby....and all that it entails...have consumed my mind.

I can't help but think of Mary and the conditions she faced in giving birth to Jesus. Even so, from the very announcement that she was "with child" her response was "so be it unto me." There is A LOT behind that phrase & yet, she embraced it & lived it with such dignity & grace. What a woman!

I pray this Christmas season finds us all more aware of the divine simplicity of our Savior's birth & that in the midst of "it all" we will once again find ourselves in awe of this little One born in a stable, laid in a manger, sent to earth to die so that we might live. Such sacrifice.

Let us not belittle the role of Mary as she was deemed worth of carrying the promise of God... & learn from her example so that we might too become such containers of the glory of God... That who He is... would truly shine through all that we are & all that we do.

Merry Christmas.

"Stay at home" mom

Today has been a difficult, long day. My husband has been at work all day and is currently still at work. He also is working all day tomorrow. I'm very grateful for a husband that works so diligently to provide for our family. However, days like today, with a teething, feverish, 14 month old...no contact with any adults & only conversations that contained minimal words with Caden...I'm wiped. I often think to myself, "how do stay at home moms do this all of the time?"

I'm not going to lie... This was never a dream or a plan. I know many women wouldn't trade being stay at home moms for anything. I also know there are mommas that have to work and so wish they were able to stay home with there babies. I'm sure everyone has a story.

So, here I am. It just so happens that two years ago I was let go of a job that I was ready to build my life on, give my life to, and raise a family while doing it. It's hard to imagine now, with Caden and another baby on the way, living that life...but it was my passion. I know we would have managed. I always thought it was cool when my director's kids were like the the MC kids and we raised in such a stellar atmosphere.

My own mom was a stay at home mom for much of my growing up years and I can't imagine not having her home when we all got home from school. She was the best. It seemed there was always something yummy coming out of the oven for an after school snack as soon as we walked through the door. With my dad being a bi-vocational pastor, honestly, my mom did a majority of the parenting. I know if it weren't for her dedication to us kids, I definitely wouldn't be who I am today.

I never imagined being a "stay at home" mom would be so difficult. I guess how would one know until you're living it?!?

But let me assure you, it is not a walk in the park. This is by far the hardest thing I've done in my life. And for all of the moms who embrace this calling every day, I say "kudos" to you.

It's hard to imagine that I'll always be a stay at home mom. I have dreams and vision beyond staying home and raising our children. In the mean time, I'm allowing the Lord to correct my mentalities of the "lowliness" of being a stay at home mom and wife and that somehow I'm not doing enough and should be doing more. I'm certain this is exactly where God wants me right now. I don't understand it all and feel like I probably never will. None the less, here's to humbling myself and continuing to serve in such a selfless, humbling manner.

So to all the moms out there...and moms-to-be... kudos to you in whatever role you find yourself... your strength and endurance amaze me!

Weeds

This summer most of Indiana has been under a severe drought. The losses have been much greater than the gains for farmers.

Our yard, as small as it is, has virtually no grass left after our minuscule amounts of rain.

I have marveled at the amounts of weeds that have successfully grown in the extreme drought conditions. I've watched them shoot up over and over again...seemingly out of no where.

We have sprayed weed killer, cut them down...alas, they keep coming back.

Today, I decided enough is enough. Dreading the task that was before me... I headed outside to pull the weeds up at the root. I had imagined a lot of huffing and puffing...

Surprisingly, for most of the weeds, that wasn't the case. I just got down right at the base of each weed and gave it a good yank....out it came...roots and all...

Goodbye, 5 foot tall weeds!

...And isn't that just the way it is with our lives...

The things we "temporary fix" keep coming back...sometimes stronger than before... We dread actually dealing with the situation at the root... But when it comes down to it, once we do... It isn't as awful as we allowed our vain imaginations to make it.

Eviction Notice

Living in the land of owning a rental property presents many interesting, notable moments...especially since our rental property also happens to be the home in which we live...having two apartments that we lease.

Recently, we had to serve an eviction notice to our upstairs tenant...not without MANY gracious warnings leading up to this point as he was continually breaking the lease agreement in one way or another.

All day long, as I've dealt with 3 situations just today involving the tenant, I've been thinking about the process of an eviction notice...

You see...  When Andrew & I come to the place of serving an eviction to someone it takes a lot to get us to that point... grace extended....grace extended....grace extended...boom... NO MORE GRACE.

Once the notice has finally been served, however, we've been pushed to our limits. Enough is enough! We won't take it anymore.

...So, then I begin to think, "man, isn't this just the way we are with sin...addictions...temptations...complacency...apathy"

We live with it. Accept it. Tolerate it. Convince ourselves it's really not a "big" deal...we can handle it...

We treat the grace of God like it is cheap... And somehow forget that while He is gracious... He is also just, full of mercy, & jealous for our affection.

 Then one day we come to the place that we're just sick of the deceit, the lies, the hidden life... And we decide it's time to serve the devil & the strongholds he has on our lives an eviction notice.

But here's the thing... An eviction notice isn't instant. There is a process involved. Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying that God can't deliver you in a moment... It's just that though He may and is very able to do so, there is still a process in dealing with the consequences of the life that you chose to live, the decisions that you made....

All the while, God is working....healing....recreating....restoring... He is faithful like that. Even through the messiness of an eviction notice... He is there. Making a way when there seems to be no way.

...So, here we are...a few more days left with the "non-stop fun" of tenant 3. I can't help but pray, "Dear Jesus, Give us wisdom & discernment with whomever will next rent from us. Let it be a person who can live at peace with others & will not have to be served an eviction notice."

Let it be so. That once the enemy of your soul has been served notice...that you let it stand & don't ever look back, go back, or return to that old, stinking, rottting life style. Live in the freedom that is yours as a child of the King.

Hunger

How often throughout the day does your hunger drive you to stop everything you are doing & grab something to eat? Or how about those moments that you are so ravenously hungry that you can't even concentrate on what you're supposed to be doing or the conversation you are having because you think your stomach is going to start eating itself any moment?!?

What if our hunger for God was that way? What if our hunger for the Word was that way? What if our hunger to worship God in spirit & in truth was that way? What if our hunger to reach the lost was that way?

...It would change everything.
A generation.
Our todays.
Our tomorrows.
Our relationships.
The Church.
Society.
The World.

I don't know... I just don't think we are hungry enough.

Maybe we allow other things to "choke out" our appetite for the One who really matters.
Maybe we've cheated ourselves with the "processed" for so long that we don't desire the "Real" anymore.

All I know is.... I've seen the face of true hunger... I've heard the SOUND of real hunger.... It hasn't been for some time...

True hunger will drive you to do things you otherwise would not do....

So "what if" we were truly hungry?

I don't know....

I just think it would change everything.

And Love Grew...

It seems so long ago now that I was thrust into a place that almost felt like a prison. Not that I know what prison feels like but I have an idea through conversations with my brother. (That is a whole other story.) It was a time in my life where it felt like everything was a go, moving full speed ahead, & definitely in the divine will of God. And then, a "suddenly moment" happened, the light turned red, it felt like everything came to a dead stop, & the light was definitely not turning green again.

My spirit was conflicted. My heart was a broken, tangled mess. My mind was a war zone. My emotions were a hurricane category 5.

I felt... Alone. Betrayed. Mistaken. Misunderstood. Forgotten. Unworthy. Unloved. Unusuable. A broken cistern unable to hold water.

I was... Afraid. Uncertain.

And perhaps it was Providence itself, the Divine One, who brought me to a place where "all of me" was laid at His feet...time and time again...Waiting....Trusting...Hoping....Believing...

I don't know when it happened. I suppose it has been a slow going process...as with most things...when it comes to the divine nature of God being revealed in us...But somewhere along the way love grew...love grew for this place that I now find myself. I honestly wouldn't have chosen it on my own, but that is what I love about my Father...He always knows best.

Wherever you are, let love grow. You might just be surprised when you begin to acknowledge God in a greater way in the process of your life...how love begins to grow in the places that you find yourself... Because you've stopped trying to figure it out on your own & you've embraced God in your journey...Leaning on Him, Trusting in Him...

Picture Perfect

Recently, I had a "friend" unfriend me on facebook. No big deal, really. This isn't junior high anymore. Usually, to be honest, I wouldn't even notice if you unfriend me on facebook...Believe it or not, I don't sit all day watching the amount of friends I have on facebook decrees or increase. The only reason I knew I was being "unfriended" was because this particular individual felt it was necessary to message me and explain their reasoning of why they were "unfriending" me. Which leads me to the following thought... If you are constantly living in a land of comparison and envy...you're missing the point of living. Keeping up with the "Jones" is a far fetched, unrealistic mindset. While you may look at other people and their families and think that they have it all together... I want to remind you, in love, that there is no such thing as "picture perfect." We live in a messy, messy world....Why? Because we have messy, messy lives. Every day, we are faced with new "messes"....The real difference is those people who whallow in the mess or realize that without Christ we are all just jacked up people. I don't know about you, but I am grateful for a  Savior who is in the business of cleaning up messes when we turn to Him, in humility, and confess our need for Him. We are truly an imperfect people who have been offered a realtionship with the Divine....Perfect God... Here's to not striving for "perfection" as the world demands it, but striving for the One who is perfect & is daily guiding our messy lives....

Remove Temptation

Being a new mom has taught me so much already. As of late, Caden has become a very active little guy crawling, cruising, climbing, and getting into anything that he can. When he heads for something he shouldn't, Andrew and I try to redirect him to something he can have such as a toy or a snack. However, wouldn't you know it...He just can't get his mind off of what he is not allowed to have & usually attempts to keep going back to it. For instance, the toilet. He is obsessed with the toilet & toilet paper. Just the other day, I had him in our laundry/guest bathroom with me while I was changing laundry over to the dryer. I had my back turned for maybe 30 seconds, I turn to check on him and he had unrolled like half a roll of toilet paper. I must admit, I did laugh because he looked so funny & was so entralled by the toilet paper. We've learned already there are some things we just have to REMOVE out of his site & ability to engage in. We now always keep the bathroom doors closed, have turned our dvd rack to face the wall so he cannot pull them off the shelf, & put a childproof lock on the bathroom cabinet where the cleaners are kept.

And sometimes, this extreme action is what is required for us if we are to truly be free in Christ as He has called us to be free. Remove the temptation. Don't even allow it in your home, in your heart, in your family, in your relationship with your spouse....

Removing the temptation doesn't mean we won't be tempted. In this life, it is a guarantee we will be tempted....some days more than others... However, removing the temptation, is telling the enemy where to to stick it & that he isn't going to win the battle for your soul that day.

Here's to living a life of freedom in Christ!