By His Grace
God’s Faithfulness in Transitions

God’s Faithfulness in Transitions

We all experience transitions, and it is important to remember God’s faithfulness to us in those times and seasons of our lives. With the new school year approaching, like many families, my family is in a major transitional period. We are leaving behind the relaxing days of summer and looking ahead to new routines and schedules.

My husband will be doing some traveling with his job, and I am transitioning from being a full-time homeschool mom to launching a writing, blogging and speaking ministry. My boys are all growing up and heading off in new directions.

Change can be exciting, but change can also be scary. Click To Tweet

We all experience transition periods when we start a new job, send our kids to off to school, get married, have a baby, or move to a new city.

We all fear the unknown, but we should not be afraid.

Our God is with us wherever we go.In Joshua 1:9, it says

Have I not commanded you? 

Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,

for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

We have no reason to fear. Our God is with us, and He has good plans for our lives. From these verses, we learn that we are to be strong and courageous and to not be afraid. We can face the days ahead in faith, instead of fear—not looking to our circumstances, but looking to our God who is faithful.

A prayer journal serves as a reminder of God\’s faithfulness in answering my prayers!

During times of transition, one way I keep my focus on God is through prayer. I like to keep a prayer journal. It serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness in answering my prayers. God has been faithful to us in the past, and will continue to be faithful in the future!

In Philippians 4:6 ESV we learn that should not be anxious, but in everything, we should pray:

Do not be anxious about anything, 

but in everything by prayer and supplication 

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  

Let us approach the transitions of life through prayer. Knowing that the Lord loves us and wants us to be strong and courageous; knowing He has good plans for us!

 

 

Choose Joy!

Choosing joy in the midst of difficult circumstances is not always easy, but it is what the Lord commands us to do.

  “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” –  Philippians 4:4

We can rejoice no matter what circumstance comes our way, because of the great love that Jesus has for us, in that while we were full of sin, he chooses to lay down his life to save us. Jesus has forgiven our sins and cleansed us from all unrighteousness. Through his death, burial, and resurrection we have divine power to choose joy, no matter our circumstance.

In the many years, I have been alive, I have experienced many difficult trials. From having the monumental task of raising a special needs son, to the death of those closest to me—my Mom and Dad, my Mother-in-law and Father-in-law, my brother, several babies, and dear friends. Other tragic situations happened as well, like family problems, marriage problems, health problems, terrible accidents, financial difficulties, church splits, and just the overall effects of sin in a lost and fallen world. Life can be downright, and if though you have walked on this earth very long, I can guarantee that you have had some sort of trouble in your life.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James 1:2-5

[ctt template=”2″ link=”k8i3o” via=”yes” ]Whatever problems seek to plague us in life, we are told to COUNT IT ALL JOY![/ctt]

We all face trials of different kinds. Our struggles and challenges may be similar or different than our friends’ and neighbors’, but we all face difficult times. These challenges test our faith, and as we endure these trials it produces a life of faithful endurance. That steadfastness then helps make us more Christlike and conforms us to the image of God, which is a gift from God to make us whole and bring us to maturity in our spiritual walk.

Horatio Spafford penned the beautiful lyrics to the song “It is Well with My Soul” after a Job-like tragedy struck his life when he lost his son at age two in the Great Chicago Fire. The fire financially ruined him and then shortly afterward, all four of his daughters perished in a shipwreck crossing the Atlantic. Horatio could have become consumed with anger, bitterness or regret, yet he chose to have joy and to praise the Lord! In this life we will have struggles, but how will we respond? We will choose joy? May we learn from his example!

“It is Well with My Soul”

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:

It is well, (it is well),

With my soul, (with my soul)

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Was nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so it is well with my soul!

Learning to Let Go of Grown Children

Learning to Let Go of Grown Children

Nobody warned me that it would be this hard. Watching them grow and then letting them go….

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORDthe fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. – Psalms 127: 3-4 (ESV)

It is hard to believe that I grew these three young men in my belly. Where did the time go? They seemed to be little for so long, and then one day, almost overnight they have all become men. Each one is unique with differing gifts and abilities, but all are a blessing. We have raised them to be warriors for the kingdom of Christ. Peter and I have been intentional and careful stewards of these treasures, and soon we will be launching these arrows out into the world.

No one warned me how difficult and painful it would be on me when they started to pull away.

A boy has to detach himself from his Mother in order for him to grow into the man God calls him to be. This is the way it is and has always been. It is good and natural, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Letting go is hard on momma’s heart.

First, we dream of them before they are ever conceived. Then we grow them inside of us, oftentimes in pain and sickness, but we love them and long to meet them. Then we bring them forth into this world and our lives are forever changed. We nurse them, feed them, diaper them, dress them. We kiss boo-boos, tell bedtime stories, and give baths. We teach them to pray, to love Jesus and to love one another. We discipline and teach while they grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

After years of being the most important person in their life, suddenly one day they start to pull away and they don’t need you as much or at all. As they pull away it is heartbreaking to their mama!

How do you love them with every fiber of your being and then simply just let go?

By entrusting them to the care of Jesus. I will always be their mother and no matter how old they are they will always be my little boys, but I need to let them go so that they can become the men God created them to be.

3 Things I Have Learned in Letting Go of My Kids

1. Jesus is able to complete the work that was started. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

2. My job as a parent never ends, but the way I parent must change with the changing of the seasons. “For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:”  – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)

My kids need my continued prayer, no matter old they are. “ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

Jesus, thank you for the blessings of children! Help me to cherish every moment that I have with my boys. Help me to remember that we have raised them well, and it is not my responsibility to control them, but instead it is time to let go and entrust them to your care.

 

A Leap of Faith

     Have you ever wanted to try something new, or learn a new skill, but you were afraid to get started? Or is there a desire or dream within you to do something and you just don’t feel qualified to do it? 

Many people today lack the courage they need to start new projects or follow their dreams.

     The other day while buying a new computer at the Apple store, the sales associate and I were talking about what I would be using my new laptop for. I told her that I was an author and blogger and that I would be using my new laptop to write my first book. She was very excited for me, and thought that what I was doing was really neat. She told me that she also had a dream of being an author, and one day hoped to write a children’s story.

She was bursting with excitement as she shared with me that she already had a great book idea, but something was holding her back from acting on that dream. This young lady is currently going to school for her teaching degree and wants to be a kindergarten teacher. I don’t know if she was just afraid to get started, or she didn’t think she was qualified enough to write a children’s story until she had a degree, but I sensed her hesitation—something was holding her back. So I encouraged her to go ahead and get started on her book now.

Too often, I see people who are held back from pursuing their dreams because they don’t feel like they have what it takes to pursue them. But the Bible tells us a different story.

According to 2 Timothy 1:7:
“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and of love and self-control.” 

In 2 Peter 1:3 we learn that:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

     I would have missed out on some of God’s greatest blessings for my life—like motherhood, homeschooling, or blogging—if I would have waited to start until I felt qualified. God equips those He calls.

God has given us everything we need for an abundant life.

     If God has placed a dream or desire in our hearts, then we do not need to be afraid to proceed. Through His divine power He has given us everything we need, and through Christ who strengthens us, we can do all things!

So don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith: step out of your comfort zone, knowing that you are empowered by divine power, and follow your dreams.

Leave a comment below if God has recently empowered you to do something out of your comfort zone.

Declutter My Heart

Last weekend, I cleaned out my closet. I don’t know why the prospect of cleaning it out is so hard for me, or why I waited so long to actually clean it! My closet was a disaster. I could barely hang anything in it, and there were clothes and shoes strewn all around.

Sometimes, I really have a hard time letting go of things that belong to me.

Maybe it has something to do with growing up with a post-depression era Mother. As a child growing up, we didn’t have a lot of excesses, and I can still hear my mom say, “Don’t throw that away. We may need it someday.” I think that is the attitude that I still have toward my clothing. Maybe I will wear it again, or if I just lose a few pounds that outfit will fit really nice. “Don’t get rid of it, you might want to wear that again someday,” I tell myself. And sometimes, that someday never comes, and so things are there taking up space, making it difficult for me to find things I really want to wear because I can’t see through the clutter.

How many times in life do we miss out on God’s best for our life, because we clench things so tightly with our fists that we don’t let go and make room for God to bless us?

I wonder what blessings that I have missed out along the way because I was holding on too tightly to things, or feelings and emotions, or sins like jealousy or envy.

Back to my closet: My husband and boys helped me clean out my closet. They would pick things up, and say “Mom, the 90’s called and they want their clothes back!” It was straightforward for them to see what was faded, stained, or things I no longer wear. It took us the entire day to clean out my closet. Wouldn’t it have been easier on the whole family if I would’ve just periodically cleaned out my closet along the way? Or take a hard look at what was cluttering my closet?

On a different level, what about the sin that is cluttering my heart and my life?

It’s easy for us to make judgments toward other people. It’s easy to compare ourselves and say “well, I am better than that person because I don’t _____.” But our own sin clouds our hearts and minds and keeps us from living the abundant life God has called us to live.

” Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” -Matthew 7:3-5

Just like cleaning out my closet, sometimes it is easier for other people to see what I don’t see. Lord, please help me to see what is obvious to others, help me to let go of whatever holds me back from living for You completely. Help me deal with the sin in my heart, before it gets so cluttered that I can’t contain the mess.

Cleaning out my closet was a very liberating experience. I can now walk in and find exactly what I am looking for, and I also have room left to add a few new pieces. The Bible is full of verses detailing God’s great blessings for our lives.

For example, in Philippians 4:19 (ESV), Paul writes, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

If God will take care of everything I need according to his riches, then why would I want to hold on so tightly to things, attitudes, behavior, sin, that keep me from God’s best in my life?

Lord, help me not to judge others but help me become a better judge of my own condition!

 

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