Every parent needs to read…

Thank you Jon, at “The Prodigal Jon” for How To Love a Prodigal.
As a mom who went through this, I think his words can bring not only comfort, but also strength to the paretn who is going through this.  Sometimes as homeschoolers we think this will never happen to us. All I can say is, don’t be so sure. My son’s rebellion was birthed in the halls of a Christian school during the one year we didn’t homeschool. The next few years were spent rebuilding him and the relationships in our family. We have a happy ending, and his “prodigal” years didn’t involve him running away or getting involved with drugs or anything like that. However, the pain and stress of that time was no less traumatic for our family.

Take Jon’s words to heart, I think he is absolutely right in how to relate to your kids during this time and how to love them back into relationship with God and with you.

What I know about the Wilderness…

God’s power flows through faithful people, those who are faithful in the wilderness as well as in the Promised Land. (Joyce Meyer)

We’ve all been in a wilderness of one sort or another. In fact, I’d say I probably find myself there at least once a year!  Sometimes they are brief periods of dissatisfaction or disappointment; other times they knock the wind out of my sails and make me question who I am, Who God is, and what I really believe. I’m sure you can relate.

I was thinking about what I know about those desert moments:

• It can be preparation for a new season of service, lifestyle, or ministry.
• It may be a breaking away from old habits or addictions.
• You are caught between what was and what will soon be.
• Crutches will be removed or destroyed and God will be your only support.
• The past will look inviting; at least going back would be some movement.
• You can only live one day at a time–as you won’t know what tomorrow will bring.
• You may feel a loss of control, like you are facing the impossible, and like nothing is ever going to change.
• You may even be tempted to give up or think you missed God somewhere along the way.
• To survive the wilderness, you must get your eyes off the circumstances and onto God.

Which of these speaks most to you in YOUR Wilderness?

Such Hope

“…Character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope… Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us…”                                                                                                                       Romans 5:4-5

 

There is a need and a place for hope in our lives. We must have something to fix our sights on, something we are moving toward. It’s our nature. Hope is a powerful rudder moving us out of the waters of apathy, self-defeat, and doubt into the waters into the river of belief. It only takes a little push in the right direction and faith can become an anchor for our souls keeping us grounded in Christ.

According to Romans 5, there is a kind of hope that never disappoints.  Such hope is habitual, joy-filled, and confident. It is not a weak airy, “I hope so” kind of thing. It’s a hope built on years of trusting God and seeing His faithfulness; it’s filled with joy because it knows God can be counted on and even if the things we are hoping for fall through–God has something better in mind.

Real hope is confident that God’s hands are on our lives and that He is tenderly and carefully watching over our hopes and dreams.  We are confident that we have what we ask for, that He hears us, and that it is His good pleasure to give us the Kingdom. 

This hope is habitual, constant, joy-full, not tentative, but confident. It is strong enough to step out on. This hope quickly grows into faith…in fact, it is the breeding ground for real, powerful, faith!

God of our Hope

God is amazing isn’t He?  He’s been such a God of comfort to me lately, and to others I know who are hurting. What’s awesome is He doesn’t just leave us there. His comfort is active in that it nudges us along toward a better perspective, a better attitude. He fills the places of pain and discouragement with a hint of hope for the future.

Hope is a powerful rudder moving us out of the waters of discouragement, defeat, and doubt into the river of belief.  It only takes a little push in the right direction for hope to become an anchor for our souls keeping us grounded in Christ.   Not only is God the God of all comfort, He is the God of our HOPE. 

“May the God of your hope…so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope”  Romans 15:13

When you find yourself in need of comfort, grieving, growing, relying helplessly on God to put the pieces of your life back together, there comes that moment when things begin to “turn around.”  It happens first in our hearts, when we catch a glimpse of God as not just our Comfort, but our Hope.  

All I Need to Know

“For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down ( relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]“  Hebrews 13:5

Last week we discussed unanswered questions. Now, while trust will require we leave the details up to God…and not worry about the unanswered questions, trust also requires that we know certain things. If we are to walk in absolute faith and trust in God, there are four things I think we need to know. That’s what I want to talk about today.

The first thing we need to know is found in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NKJV). God is love. No matter what is going on, or how loudly circumstances seem to scream otherwise, God loves you. His ultimate goal for you is good. That is something you need to know to be able to walk in complete trust.

Secondly, you need to know that God has a plan: “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV). Your life is not out of control. (I am definitely talking to myself here!) Even if events seem random, chaotic, and indiscernible, God is weaving it all together into the fabric of your life. I like the saying, it takes a test to get a testimony. How true. Or the other one: If you take your mess and add age, you get a message. God will use what doesn’t make sense right now for your good, and for His glory!

Thirdly, you need to know that God is faithful. Consider First Corinthians 10:13: “But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.” The things you don’t understand right now, the unanswered questions, even the struggles are not proof that God is not faithful. He is completely and utterly trustworthy. You need to know that the One in whom you have placed your trust is faithful.

Read today’s verse again. The last thing you need to know is: God will never leave you. He will not relax His care for you, or walk away from His promises to you. He is with you. He is walking through every day with you, eager to carry your load, ready to bear your burden. His presence is a constant reminder of His love, purpose, and faithfulness to us.

If you are struggling with decisions, questions, or tough situations, this is all you need to know: God is love. He has a plan. He is faithful. And He will never leave you. Hebrews 4:3 gives us one more promise regarding trusting God: “For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest.” Trust brings rest. As you create a lifestyle of trusting God, you will find rest for your mind, your soul, and your spirit. Worry robs you of strength, but trusting God will restore you. As you face uncertainties, if you remember these four things, you can rest in knowing you know all you need to know.

Prayer: Father God, thank You that You have not left us on our own. Even when we can’t see Your hand, we still trust Your heart. Help me to take to heart the four things outlined here today. May I walk in them personally, and teach them to my children. Thank You that You have given me all I need to rest in You, amen.

Trust Requires Unanswered questions

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Can I ask you a question? Are you facing any unanswered questions right now? How about you, Mom? Are there some areas of life that are almost taunting you because you really don’t know what you are going to do? Job situations, financial issues, curriculum decisions, vacation plans, not to mention those with Seniors this year…college questions, missions trips…and on it goes!

I heard a quote recently: Faith requires unanswered questions. Isn’t that true? As I was studying for this month’s devotionals, I read this note in one of my study Bibles: “Every situation we encounter is an opportunity to choose to trust God, rather than our own inclinations. Faith involves an element of risk, but always yields the richest rewards.” Of course on paper it’s easy to mentally agree with that. However, in real world living, can we admit, we’d rather have all the answers?

This reminds me of Abraham, when God sent him out of Haran. The Lord told him to “…Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you” (Gen 12:1). God hadn’t even shown him where he was going. He said, “I will show you”…the implication is that God would show him after he had already left. And Abraham went. Faith required unanswered questions.

At my conference this week, our speaker, Donna Partow, shared a great example, (which I am going to borrow). A young girl, living in her home, felt called to go on a mission trip. To participate, each young person had to purchase a specific pair of work boots and begin to wear them months ahead of the trip to break them in. She received the boots, but no financial support. She had sent out her letters and nothing came back. She decided God must have changed His mind about her going, so the boots sat in the back of the closet…for three months. Eventually, she realized God would provide a way for her and began to believe again. Then He gave her an idea—she could make bookmarks. And so one bookmark at a time she raised every penny she needed for the trip! Now, the point of the story is: there are times when you can’t see any possible way for things to work out. Unanswered questions loom large and you feel helpless. Don’t hide your boots (your hopes, plans, ideas) in the back of the closet—just because you don’t have all the answers. If you keep walking forward in what God has put in your heart, He will provide a way.

Perhaps you are even questioning whether you will continue homeschooling another year. Maybe, you are ruminating, going back and forth, listing pros & cons, and feeling stuck. My simple advice is this: just keep doing what God called you to do, and if He changes His mind He’ll let you know. He will make it obvious if He wants you to change direction, so until then, you don’t have to worry or second-guess yourself. (Just a note here, if you do feel God is making it obvious and feel He is calling you to make a change, He will be faithful to reveal His plan for that as well. Above all, follow peace.)

I think many of us are in situations where we really need some answers. Yet, if we do what our verse says, and acknowledge God in all our ways, He will give us what we need when we need it. Until then, we must (and can) leave our concerns in His hands and put our boots on anyway! As we keep doing what we know to do, God will be faithful to answer those questions in His timing.

Prayer: God, we acknowledge You. We draw near to you, lay our concerns at Your feet, and surrender our need to have all the answers. Help us to keep our hearts set on You and refuse to worry about the future. Thank you in advance, for showing us where to go and what to do…when we need to know. I praise You for Your faithfulness to me, my children, my family, and my email friends—in Jesus’ name, amen.

Fond Memories

I was thinking about smores the other day. I was wondering if this is a lost art? Do families still make smores while camping? Do families even camp the way we did when I was young?  It seemed kind of sad to think that the things that were part of our childhood might be lost in the years to come!  They are little things, but they were important to me then…things like:

• campfires and stupid songs…and SMORES
• Sunday School (growing grass seeds, listening in awe about Jonah and the whale, thick, white paste…)
• neighborhood games (capture the flag, ghost, to name a few)
• outdoor plays and community theatre
• marathon monopoly games
• rummy, war, speed, and blackjack
• swim team ( at our outdoor neighborhood pool)
• writing notes and homemade cards
• cootie catchers and God’s eyes made of sticks and yarn

Any of this sound familiar? What would you add to the list?

Leave it in His hands

Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. Psalms 37:5

Wow, May’s been a busy month hasn’t it? I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with the number of items on my plate. Maybe you are feeling the same way.

As I was spending some time with the Lord the other morning, I wrote this verse in my journal. I noticed that both of the scriptures on my journal pages also had the word trust in them, so I thought, maybe this is a hint of what we need to talk about this month.

Our scripture encourages us to “roll” our cares upon the Lord. So I began listing all the things that were weighing on my mind. This was a little scary, as the list was a little long: major changes at work, Mark’s new job, our need to find a new home and keeping the house clean for showings, my son who needs a job, another who wants to go back to college, keeping up with my blogs (!) and so on…I share these things only to make a point. Each of us carries, at any given time, more than we can handle. Would you agree?

Yet, if we take today’s verse literally, we see that God wants us to “roll” our cares on Him and trust Him to handle everything. I encourage you to take a moment today and write out those things that are on your heart. Share with the Lord the outcome you are hoping for, then leave it in His hands. He is more than willing and able to handle these things for us!

Not long ago, I was dealing with another issue, a need in my life that left me feeling completely overwhelmed and incapable of fixing. God spoke very clearly to my spirit and said: “Why don’t you let me take care of that?” It was such a sweet reminder that God desires to be my provider. I immediately laid down the issue and recorded in my journal that from that day forward I would let God handle the details of my life. (Of course, I still have to remake that decision on a continual basis! But I’m getting there.)

I believe this is a message for each of us. At the end of the year, we may be questioning ourselves and our success. We wonder…Did we make the progress we should have? Are my children prepared to move on to the next level (whatever that is…)? Did they grow in their Christian walk? Do I see evidence of maturity in their character and emotional state? In all of this, we must be willing to trust God with the details—with the feared shortcomings, the perceived lack in some area, the issue that keeps reappearing, the fear that our children won’t get everything they need, or the sense of futility that somehow what we are doing isn’t really making an impact. Yet, God has promised, hasn’t He? He’s promised that if we commit our ways to Him He will bring it to pass. So if you are feeling overwhelmed by these things, leave it in the Lord’s hands. He is more than willing and completely able to handle the details of our lives and make them all work for His glory.

Prayer: Lord, I commit my cares and concerns to You. I ask You to handle each one in Your careful, caring way. Thank You that Your plans and purposes for my life and for my children will succeed. Help me to trust You more…with their schooling, their growth, and their progress…with every aspect of our lives. Thank You for handling it all—in Jesus’ name, amen!

Do you have a plan for your closet?

Did you know that experts say that we actually only wear 20% of what we own! I’d have to say, I probably agree. I’ve bought some “great” things over the years (great bargains, cool designs…) that spent their time IN the closet looking great. They never got the opportunity to venture out into the real world. Personally, I think this is unfair. I am determined not to bring home items that will be deprived of a real life, confined to the dungeon that is my closet.

Mary Hunt (Live Your Life for Half the Price) strongly recommends having a plan for your closet! This is a detailed outline/list of the styles, colors, and quality of items that will fill your closet that will maximize your fashion dollar and keep you from wasting any more money on closet hostages!

I had done this years ago but somehow had gotten away from my plan. Lately, I’ve purchased some rather random items that I really liked, but they didn’t mesh with the rest of my wardrobe very well. This is fine, but it means in essence, my wardrobe is more expensive as these items will get limited wear.

How much better if I had purchased a piece I needed to complete an outfit, or create a new look with something I already own? I guess that’s the point of the wardrobe plan…

So, here’s my plan.

• Choose “staples” in neutral colors. Staples create the structure of a wardrobe. For me they consist of slacks, capris, skirts, and jeans. Also jackets and sweaters. For example, my neutral colors are black, white, and shades of brown. This means that most of my basics have some form of these colors in them. This enables me to mix my pieces around for different looks, and for different temperatures (especially important in Colorado).
• Then I add accent colors to put with these staples. Mine are (for this season) pink, light blue, and yellow. So if I purchase solid pieces (tees and tanks or tops of your choice) in these colors, I will be able to add them to any of my staples for a finished looking outfit.
• This also enables me to get good use of my limited accessories. I know I need black, white, and brown toned jewelry. So when I find a bargain, I know if I stick with my basic and accent colors the pieces will go with what I have.
• Shoes: I think this is the hardest part of any wardrobe! If only we were like men, who need 3 to 4 pairs of shoes and they can wear those with anything. However, if we stick with our core colors for staples, this makes shoe buying easier. I know I need casual shoes, dressy shoes, and sandals in each of my basic colors. I can add a fun pair once in a while in one of my accent colors and know I should be able to wear them more than once!

I found this to be a helpful exercise. I feel much more focused on what clothes I actually need and I believe in the long run will save me money as I won’t be as tempted to but that orange sweater or lime green jacket–even if they are a screamin’ deal.  Clothes everywhere are rejoicing…as they won’t get stuck in the wrong closet and will live full, free lives instead. Hopefully, you can adapt these ideas to suit your lifestyle and closet, too!

Choose Life: Weekly Word 4/21

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live… and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life”   (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NKJV)

I want to continue a thought from our last Weekly Word; the idea of speaking life. According to today’s verse, God wants us to choose life (blessing) over death (cursing). How do we choose life? By what we focus on, what we think, and what we say. We face this choice many times a day! We can agree with God, speaking life…or we can agree with our doubts, our flesh, and our negative attitudes.

Our words are so powerful! Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (NKJV). When we approach a situation, we must resist our natural tendency to speak what our senses tell us. Perhaps this seems obvious. Yet, in moments of frustration, it is very easy to fall back on our flesh nature. This is what Galatians 5:22 calls renewing your mind. We must renew our minds to what God’s Word says about our children…and about situations in general. We must study to be prepared…this is where positive faith confessions make all the difference in the world!

Some of us may have a negative perception of faith confessions. Maybe that sounds loopy or “out there.” Yet, what I mean here is to simply speak life into our relationships, our children’s lives, and our homes. This may mean actually speaking out positive scriptures over your day early in the morning. It may mean writing promises and scriptures on 3×5 cards and keeping them handy. Perhaps you will need to memorize those verses that speak life to you. It takes a little homework, but it is so worth it! You can see your home life and your relationships transformed by simply changing the words you speak…and by choosing to speak life not death into situations!

Listen to Moses’ words to Joshua and the children of Israel: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life…” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47 NKJV).

These things are not futile! They can be your very life. When you commit to speaking life-filled words, you release the creative power of God into your situations.

One last thought, we are made in God’s image. God spoke and created the world. We are to speak and also create. We have the power to create, by the words of our mouths, the very things we desire in our lives…the positive changes we long to see. The choice is ours!

Prayer: Lord, Thank you for calling us into life—with You. Please, help us to discern words of life from words of death, and to speak creative, powerful words that will impart life, joy, and peace into our homes, amen.