Last week I sat in a doctor's office twice with my son. Early in the week we were in the Orthopedics office having his hand checked after a fall at church. This visit led to a bright orange cast & the possible end to basketball for the season. The second visit was to the Pediatric Neurologist he sees for migraines. As I sat in the office I was overcome by how blessed I am with the health of my children. We sat in the waiting room with parents whose children have illnesses that prevent them from having a normal childhood. One boy in particular touched my heart. He was not much younger than my son in age but developmentally he was so much younger. This boy won't be able to play basketball or baseball with his friends. He won't be able to climb pine straw covered hills in his backyard or build forts in the woods. There are a lot of things he may not be able to do but as I watched him I saw how happy music made him. As he listened to the music on his mother's phone I loved seeing the smile that crossed his face and the way he danced in the waiting room. It brought a smile to my heart to watch him find pleasure in the little things of life. How often do we get caught up in the busyness of life and forget to thank God for the little things? How often do we focus on the negatives in our lives and fail to see the small gifts God has given us in our life?
There may be things about ourselves we don't like, things that we see has a disability or things we wish were different. Instead of focusing on the negatives why not focus on the positives.
Ask yourself how God blessed you by making you unique and what you can do with that unique quality to bless others.
As Garrett & I passed the time I talked with him about what made him happy and what he was thankful for.
Continuing this Joy Dare with an 8 year old boy #1041 - #1050:
watching you tube videos
reading Everest Book 1
working on my wax museum project for school with mom & dad
water bottle with cold water to drink after recess
With a few words we encourage, build up, inspire & praise. But, with just a few words we also deflate, hurt, anger or tear down.
As I reflect on this portion of Psalm 19:14 my thoughts go to the words I use with my children.
Do I
speak words that show my love for them
speak words that show God's love for them
encourage & praise them regularly?
or Do I
easily lose my temper with them
focus on the things they do wrong
have little patience with them?
"...be Pleasing in Your Sight..."
When I stop to reflect on these questions I realize there are areas I succeed in but, there are also areas I need a lot of work.
My husband & I often joke that I have no task patience but I have a lot of people patience. Unfortunately that isn't the case with my children. I want them to do exactly what I ask/tell them to do immediately. When they don't act immediately I become frustrated.
Problems arise when my words aren't pleasing to God. When I focus on & express my frustrations I hurt my children by showing them impatience. Too often I've watched them exhibit that same kind of behavior with each other, only to have me tell them to be nice & loving to each other.
OUCH! That Hurts!!
When I realize the impact my words & actions have on my children I am forced to examine those words in the eyes of God.
As I start to become frustrated or impatient, instead of showing those feelings I now stop and pray...
"Lord may the words of my mouth be pleasing in your sight. Help me show your love to my children. Help me teach them to show your love to each other."
When I stop, pray & take a deep breath I am Refocused on God instead of on me & my feelings.
When I'm focused on The Cross my words show God's love to my children.
Words of encouragement, words of patience, words of love please God.
What words are you using with your children? Do you speak words that build them up & inspire them, or do you speak words that hurt or deflate them?
Take time today to examine the words you use with your children. Ask God to reveal areas you need to work on in order to please Him.
Dear Lord thank you for your love. Show me words I use with my children that are not pleasing to you. Help me stay focused on you so that my words to my children show your love. Lord may I slow down and speak words that are pleasing in your sight. In Your Name I Pray, Amen.
Do I speak words to my husband that show my love for him?
Do I speak words to my husband that encourage & life him up?
Do I pray for my husband?
In April Jeff & I will be married for 15 years & together for 19 years. When we first met & dated we were together as much as possible & talked on the phone for hours.
Nineteen years later life has changed a lot. We are not the carefree college kids we once were. We have responsibilities at work, home & church. We have 2 kids & family responsibilities. Many times at the end of the day we fall into bed exhausted without having a chance to really talk.
Do you find yourself in a similar situation? Do you & your husband take time to know what is going on with each other? Do you make it a point to show him your love?
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one anther..." Hebrews 10:25
When we as a husband and wife Refocus on each other & make a point to sit and talk we gain in many areas.
We learn ways we can encourage each other.
We have an opportunity to discuss small issues before they have a chance to mushroom into bigger problems.
We find out ways we can pray for each other
Taking time to sit and listen to Jeff shows I am interested in him and is an expression of my love for him.
It is also a time to protect my marriage from
miscommunication
hurt feelings
drifting apart.
It pleases God to see a strong marriage where the husband & wife communicate, encourage each other & support each other.
What specifically can you do this week to Refocus your time & attention on your husband?
Dear Lord, I thank you for my husband. Thank you that you desire for my marriage to be one filled with encouragement and love. Lord I pray that you will help me to slow down and refocus my attention on my husband. Show me specifically what I can do this week to encourage and pray for my husband. In Your Name I Pray.
I am linked today with Melanie at Only A Breath. Visit her blog to see all the wonderful One Word posts.
But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.
Psalm 71:14
Throughout the course of 2012 as I counted 1000 Gifts, over & over again I was reminded of God's Faithfulness, His Love, His Strength & His Glory.
He blesses me each & everyday in the breath of a moment, the laughter of a child, the pain of the hard times & tears of heartache. He blesses me in the good, the bad & the in between.
This Sunday I was reminded all over again how even when I am hurting, sad, lonely, or fearful if I REFOCUS my attention on Him & Praise Him for Who He Is and for what He Has Done, He will give me the Strength I need. Praising Him lifts my eyes, my feelings, my heart & my soul!
I walked into church with a crushed spirit. I was hurt, sad & anxious, all over a comment from one person. A comment in which that person had no idea those few words would bring back feelings I thought I had long ago dealt with.
Walking into the choir loft I wanted to crawl into a dark corner and hide. Praising God was no where on the top of my mind.
But then the music began...
Thou Oh Lord
I had to force myself to sing the notes but as the words came from my mouth they began to reach deep into my soul. A little tug...a reminder that my Lord is "a shield for me. My glory and the lifter of my head." Oh how I felt the words as "I cried unto the Lord with my voice". I remembered the nights I cried and I remembered how He lifted my head in the darkest days. He is "my shield, my glory and the lifter of my head"! My hand was clinched tight in a fist as I sang... not ready to totally let go of the pain that had surfaced from deep within.
Today is the Day
This is the day God has made! I WILL REJOICE and be Glad in it!
Oh but how do I rejoice when I hurt and fear?
And then we sang "What have I to dread what have I to fear leaning on the everlasting arms?" His arms are strong enough to carry my burdens! His arms are strong enough to carry me. And His arms are strong enough to comfort my fears.
I may not know what tomorrow holds but I know who holds tomorrow!God holds my future and the future of my husband and the future of my children in HIS hands! And because of that I Will Rejoice because this is the day the LORD has made!
Great is Thy Faithfulness
And then He quietly reminded me of His Faithfulness.
I stood there with eyes closed, heart lightening, and hands opening, feeling His Peace and His Presence as He was ready to guide me - Guide me out of the fear & hurt that had resurfaced and guide me into each new moment that He has planned for me.
Who Can Satisfy My Soul Like You
As my hands opened and my heart lightened I asked Him to "cleanse me and refresh me" as I trusted Him as my fountain and my king.
With one hand lifted high and one hand across my chest I praised Him for He is my "Victorious Warrior...my Rock...and my shelter...who Reigns upon the Throne."
Total Praise
I stood there Praising God with a heart & mind Refocused on God giving Him the Total Praise He was due - Total Praise for the good, the bad & the in between. For He is "the source of my strength, the strength of my life. I will give my total praise to Him."
Refocusing on God started with slowly opening my tightly clinched hands and heart to Him. With each breath and word sung my heart lightened, my hands relaxed and I gave it all to Him - trusting Him with each day and each moment that He makes.
Are you hurting, afraid and anxious? Are your hands grasped tightly closed, holding in all the pain & fear you feel? Do you want to run and hide in the darkest corner you can find? Oh Sister, refocus your heart & mind on God. When you take that focus off of yourself and instead focus on the blessings He has given you and the Mighty God that He you will see how much He loves you. Open your hands a release the fear & pain to Him.
Continuing to open my hands and praise Him for each gift #1014 - #1030:
Friends who can see me without make up & see me as a beautiful child of God
2 little friends catching up
brothers & sisters having fun on the trampolene
cheers of excitement over a great play
rain to refresh the earth
packing up Christmas to begin a new year
yummy donuts
friends supporting each other
big brother helping his little sister with a game
the alarm that says school has begun
teachers who love & protect my kids as much as they can while they are at school
answered prayers for safety
going through the hard days so I know how to pray for others when they go through the same thing
Did you see her? I’m sure you did. I know my sister & I
did.
She was the one popping up on facebook, pinterest,
instagram, & twitter sharing the perfect crafts & goodies she made with
her kids over the holidays. She’s the one who had the beautiful Christmas cards
out the day after Thanksgiving. And she’s the one who calmly welcomed dozens of
people into her perfectly decorated home to celebrate Christmas with made from
scratch goodies.
Yep, she’s Super Mom!
The wife, mother, sister & friend who manages to have it all together while
I’m the one struggling to remember what day it is.
I’m the one who ran out of the house like a crazy woman
trying to get to my son’s class Christmas party on time and the one who forgot
to send the books with my daughter for her gift exchange at school. I’m the one
who made a vow I would have my Christmas cards out just after Thanksgiving this
year instead of the end of January like last year. But to no avail…I was still
scrambling to get them in the mail before Christmas Eve. And I’m the one who
had the mismatched serving pieces and platters from the grocery store mixed
with some homemade goodies franticly scurrying around to make sure everything
was perfect.
In today’s world of social media it’s easy to compare
ourselves to other Moms. We see another woman and think, “Look at her, she has
it all together. Her children are dressed beautifully. Her husband comes home
to a hot cooked meal on the table every night. She works fulltime and keeps a
spotless house. But I can’t manage to get myself showered in the morning.”
On Christmas eve while I was sitting in the middle of my
floor at 2:30 in the morning wrapping Christmas gifts – yes I really was
wrapping gifts just hours before they were opened – I realizedit’s not about being the “perfect” mom I
think I am suppose to be.
It’s about being the mom &
wife God wants me to be. God knew what He was doing when He placed my husband
& me together. He knew what He was doing when He gave me my children.
He knew exactly what my husband needed in a wife and He knew
exactly what my children needed in a mom.
I’m not called to be
the “perfect” mom & wife shown on facebook, pinterest, instagram &
twitter.
I’m called to be the PERFECT mom GOD called me to be!
But what does that mom look like? How do I know who that
perfect mom in God’s eye is? When I
spend time in God’s word - meditating, studying & praying - I learn how to
be the mom & wife God has called me to be.
He shows me what is important for my family. And He shows me
what sacrifices need to be made in order for my family to thrive. After all,
whether we want to admit it or not, the
“perfect” mom we see in social media has to make sacrifices too. We just don’t
see those sacrifices.
This year as I “Refocus” on the mom & wife God has called me to
be I will set my sights on pleasing God and being the “perfect” mom & wife
in His eyes.
Do you struggle with living up to the standards of the
“perfect” mom & wife you see in social media, I would love for you join me this
year on The Calm of His Presence as we Refocus our hearts towards God.
Dear Lord, Thank you for the gift of a loving husband and children.
Thank you that you trust me to love them and minister to them. Help me to stay
focused on your call for me in our family. Help me to be the “perfect” wife
& mom you have called me to be. In Your Name I Pray, Amen.
During 2012 my One Word was Intentional. I knew it was going to be a very busy & exciting year and because of that I also knew I was going to have to be Intentional in staying in God's Word and spending time with my family. If I wasn't intentional with those things it would be very easy for me to put them on the back burner.
2012 was one of the most incredible years I have ever had but, it was also one of the most difficult years I have ever had. I experienced tremendous growth & exhilarating moments along with agony & despair all through following God.
I have a mentor who frequently says that "following God is never boring" and 2012 is a prime example of that, 2012 was filled with blessings from the good, the bad & the in between.
As 2012 came to a close God laid on my heart Psalm 19:14. I quickly new this would be my focus verse for 2013.
There is so much God has already begun to teach me through this verse. Multiple times each day I stop, take a deep breath and pray this verse. My deepest desire is that the words of my mouth & the meditation of my heart be pleasing to God.
I would love for you to join me in 2013 as I delve into how God is going to use Psalm 19:14 to Refocus my mouth & my heart on God.
Has God led you to a verse or "One Word" for 2013? Please share it with us in the comment section so that we can all see what God is going to do for you in 2013.
Thank you so much to Melanie at Only a Breathwho so graciously made the One Word button for me. I am linked today with Melanie as she brings together others who are focusing on "One Word" for 2013.
