One Thousand Gifts

As I near the end of this book by Ann Voskamp (One Thousand Gifts) this little nugget of wisdom stood out to me.

             "Feed the hungry, help those in trouble.  Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.  The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring." (Isaiah 58:10-11)"

"It's the fundamental, lavish, radical nature of the upside-down economy of God."

"Empty to fill."

"While the Deceiver jockeys to dupe us into thinking otherwise, we who are made in the image of God, being formed into Christ's likeness, our happiness comes, too, not in the having but in the handing over.  Give your life away in exchange for many lives, give away your blessings to multiply blessings, give away so that many might increase, and do it all for the love of God.  I can bless, pour out, be broken and given in our home and the larger world and never fear that there won't be enough to give.  Eucharisteo has taught me to trust that there is always enough God.  He has no end.  He calls us to serve, and it is Him whom we serve, but He, very God, kneels down to serve us as we serve.  The servant-hearted never serve alone.  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." 

Spend the whole of your one wild and beautiful life investing in many lives. 

Ready.  Set.   Go! 

Do you know how often I hear this little boy tell me he loves me? 

More than I can count!

He is WILD at heart.  He is tender and full of love. 

He is God's creation and gift to us.

I love all of my kids the same but I just had some one on one time with Cody this afternoon and he is so precious....and photogenic if I can brag a little. :)

Here is a quote that I read somewhere a little while back (also under my quotes section). 

“The season of young children is a time to refrain. Refrain from most outside activities, even some church activities. Now is a time to be faithful in discipline…it’s the springtime of mothering. Redeem the time, don’t waste it.” Sono Harris

This resonated with me and I have come back to it many times since.  It has also convicted me and encouraged me at the same time.  It's ok.  It's ok to not do it all. 

"Parents! The work entrusted to us is holier than we know.  The precious instrument, so delicate, so wonderfully made, so marred by sin already and so exposed to its power, is of such inconceivable worth.  To take charge of an immortal soul, to train a will for God and eternity, surely we ought to shrink from it.  But we cannot.  If we are parents, the duty is laid upon us.  But, thank God!  Sufficient grace is prepared and promised, too.  If we do but give up our home and our life to God for Him to come in and rule, He will Himself take possession, and by the gentle influence of His Holy Spirit bow their will to Himself."  Rev. Andrew Murray,  The Children for Christ, 1887

And for that sufficient grace I'm thankful because I don't always feel up to the task of this parenting stuff but pray that God will fill in the gaps where I lack the energy, strength, knowledge or wisdom.

So I leave with this.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matt. 6:19-21

Give Them Grace

Best.  Parenting.  Book.  Ever. 

"Therefore, there will be no rest for my bones or yours unless we listen to the Word of grace and stick to it consistently and faithfully." Martin Luther

How true that is.  How often I forget.

I think I could sit here and quote so many things from this book but I won't.  My fingers would get tired.

If you are serious about your kids, and if you are serious about parenting, then get this book.  You know what?  I think I will read it again.  I need it drilled into my head.  :)

No coincidence

This morning I opened my bible to Psalms and this is what I read: "O Lord, make me know my end and what is the end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!" Ps. 39:4 

Then I opened this book I've started called "A Place of Quiet Rest" by Nancy DeMoss and in my reading I read this quote by seventeenth-century preacher Lewis Bayly: "But it may be thou wilt say, that thy business will not permit thee so much time, as to read every morning a chapter.  O man, remember that thy life is but short, and that all this business is but for the use of this short life; but salvation or damnation is everlasting! Rise up, therefore, every morning by so much time the earlier: defraud thy foggy flesh of so much sleep; but rob not thy soul of her food, nor God of His service; and serve the Almighty duly whilst thou hast time and health."

Now I don't believe in coincidences when it comes to stuff like that.  None of knows the length of our time on this earth.  Truth be told I hope it's not some warning that I'm about to go pretty soon!  I DID think about that of course. 

Only God knows. 

But either way, I took it as a reminder to care about and invest in what is of eternal value!  And also to make it a habit to keep getting my "foggy flesh" up out of the bed in the mornings.  Not as some duty that I can check off of my legalistic to-do list.  

But because He will, "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days." Ps. 90:14

Romans 11:33

Oh, the depth of the riches both of Your wisdom and knowledge, O God!  How unsearchable are Your judgements and Your ways are past finding out.  Your greatness cannot be imagined.  You are greater than all language, and no words can express your majesty.  You are above all, outside of all, and beyond all I can even imagine.  You are without limits.  When I speak of You I cannot refer to amount or size or weight, for You are beyond measure.  You are not less or more, large or small.  You are simply God, the infinite One.  A human mind has no capacity to comprehend You.  What I can do is praise, adore, and worship You. ~Robert Savage~

God is God.  We are created beings.  We will never understand all of God's ways.  We are not meant to.  We are to love Him, trust Him, and worship Him.  When life doesn't make sense, He is in complete control.  Completely and wholly in control. 

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

Henry Ford said "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." Who brings out the best in me and who brings out the worst? I've been thinking about it. During this time of my life I need friends who will encourage me, who share my beliefs, values and priorities. Not ALOT of friends. Just a few very close friends. I want to lift up and be lifted up. Not drug down. So for the few friends who speak the truth in love, who pray for me, who truly care...thank you. I'm blessed to have you in my life. Good friends come easily. Great friends are hard to come by. I can honestly say I have GREAT friends! You know who you are. ;)

A lesson to be learned every day

"Christians can be and ought to be content with the simple necessities of life...First, when you have God near you and for you, you don't need extra money or extra things to give you peace and security...God is always better than gold...Second, we can be content with the simplicity because the deepest, most satisfying delights God gives us through creation are free gifts from nature and from loving relationships with people. After your basic needs are met, accumulated money begins to diminsh your capacity for these pleasures rather than increase them. Buying things contributes absolutely nothing to the heart's capacity for joy...Third, we should be content with the simple necessities of life because we could invest the extra we make for what really counts (God's kingdom)". -John Piper