"And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." Deuteronomy 30:6

but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

I don't want my kids to be alright!



"I did that growing up, and I turned out alright." ~pick the person

How many times have you heard those words?

It worked for my generation.

We got to do that.

What is so bad about ..., we aren't that bad.

Pick your version. As a parent we make many decisions on how to raise our children every single day. We have all heard these sayings in one form or another.

Well, you know what!?!  I don't want my kids to be "alright"!!!

I want my kids to have life more abundantly.


There is a thief that is in our world to steal, kill and destroy. Am I just trying to get my kids through life? Is alright enough?

NO!

Jesus is not just "alright". He is ABUNDANT!

There is more to life than alright. I don't want to get to heaven and have to tell God, "Well, they are alright, aren't they? They aren't breaking the Big 10. They are good people."

What would I hear? "Good doesn't have anything to do with it. It is all about Jesus! If they aren't living life for Him, then they aren't alright. What have they missed out on by being alright instead of abundant. I came for them to have life more abundantly!"

God's rules aren't here to make life hard and boring. They are here for me to have freedom! For me to have abundance! I want more than "alright"! I want JESUS! I want my kids to have Jesus!

Just because something is good, doesn't mean it is edifying. Just because it doesn't "hurt" in the moment, doesn't mean that it is life giving for the next moment.

We live in a world of do what feels good and you will be alright. What feels good isn't always what is good. It isn't life giving and abundant!

Am I feeding my children life or alright?!

I'm not talking food here (although that is definitely something to consider!), I am talking about everything that is in our day. The people we spend time with. The amount of time we spend in the Word and in prayer. The media that we allow to fill our children's minds. The activities that we allow them to engage in.

Even more than my children, I must look at myself!

Is my life "alright" or abundant?
Am I doing things because it's alright for her, so it must be alright for me?
Is Jesus my measuring stick?
Is my life putting in my children a desire to have life abundantly or to be alright?
 
 
 
I choose to let Jesus take over and give me life more abundantly! Only through surrender can He have control. He has to pull out the weeds in my garden (the next post on my heart, so stay tuned).
 
 

 Love, Michelle

Friday, April 18, 2014

Reflections


I know of a couple women going through a very difficult time this week. One lady's mom is deathly ill and may not survive, probably won't. One lady just found out her baby will not live outside the womb, if he/she is born alive at all.

I was laying in bed last night thinking about them for quite some time. I then thought about the fact that Easter is this Sunday. How could you go to worship on Easter Sunday if your mom just died? How do you go to worship on Easter Sunday when the baby that you love so much is not going to be with you very long without a miracle from God this side of Heaven?

Finding out about this precious lady who had a horrible doctor's appointment yesterday just brought me back to mine. I thought of the songs that I sang so much during Janie's journey, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms and Because He Lives.

Because He Lives, that is the reason that I would go to worship Easter Sunday! If Jesus didn't live, then what would be the point. Because He lives, I have hope! Because He lives, I will see Janie again. Because He lives, I have comfort when a loved one dies, and I get to rejoice if they are meeting Jesus face to face. Do I still hurt? YES!!! But God....

No matter the hard time that I am facing, or you are facing. Let us not lose sight of the One who goes before us (Deut 31:3). Let us not forget that He walks with us and will not leave us (Deut 31:8). The glory of the Lord shall be our rear guard (Is 58:8) and the angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them (Ps 34:7).

The storm clouds are raging, but the sun is always shining behind them. The storm clouds of life may be raging this Easter Sunday morning, but the Son is shining behind them. There will come a day when the clouds part and He will descend!

Because He Lives
Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
All fear is gone

Because I know
He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives!!!!