Community--It's a way of life

As I am away from the internet for a while, I have asked several very wonderful friends and people close to me if they had anything to say. This article is by Christie Weakly, Joy's best friend. Our families and a couple of others made a covenant group a number of years ago, which means we needed close accountable friends, and so we challenged some people closest to us to help us develop the kind of community that we and our children would need in this isolationist culture. It is so great to see this from the eyes of one of the children who participated in our community plans and schemes. Joy and Christie left this week for college and so it is all fresh. Be blessed!

By Christie Weakly

Most people just have one mom. I have, like, five. They all hug me, pet me, pray for me, feed me, and give me advice, and I pretty much love it. For all you moms out there who read my blog: this article is mostly for you. I wanted to talk about what it looks like from the kid's perspective to cultivate community and adopt each other as extended family. It's wonderful.

As you know, I left for college a week ago. Before I left, we partied hard with all our family friends to send me off with a bang. We had four or five families over on a couple different nights for dinner and a prayer time for all us kids who were leaving. My family, the Clarkson family, and the Rose family gathered at my house, ate burgers, and joined in a circle to pray over me, Joy, and Joel as we all went our separate ways to school. It was so fun! Auntie Sally (I call her that since it's as close as I can get to "mom" =P) and Ms. Brandee and Ms. Shelley and my mom all hugged me and gave me advice about school and boys and God, so pretty much everything I need to know. I felt loved and supported as I left, and as a result, I'm not lonely since I know I have people praying for me and loving me from afar who are just a phone call away.

I noticed something very concerning the other day as I said goodbye to my Bible study girls: there are NO older girls mentoring younger ones! And especially no older guys mentoring the younger guys. Have you noticed that? Mentors just a few years older than me who are mature and godly and intentional are quite absent. I've never had a mentor within the age group above me.

But my mom has more than made up for this lack, as have all the other women in my life. We have a core of about five moms and their families who have been together for years. We all love God, are going in the same direction, and are committed to growing in maturity along the way. I hear these wonderful women talk about their struggles and how they've decided to mount over them. They are glowing examples of godliness in a wife and mother, more-than-worthy templates for a godly woman's life that younger woman can aspire to. And since they've fed me and had me over and loved on me all these years, they have earned the right to speak into my life--and let me tell you, they sure do! Sometimes it's hard to swallow, but my mom usually tells me the same things, and they reiterate it and support me in it, so it assures me that it's the correct path to follow, even if it's hard.

But our little community hasn't come easily. When you decide to commit yourself to someone for years and years and go deep with them spiritually and personally, things can get messy. We're all sinful. We've had PLENTY of times where someone has hurt or offended someone else, we've had little fights and disagreements, you know. Typical relationship stuff. But we've always forgiven and stuck with our friendship. We've never considered ending it; it's never been an option. That's what it takes if you ever want deep relationships of any kind--commitment.

And you know what was the clever thing on my mom's part? She fostered relationships with people who she knew would be good influences on me and Jack. She basically picked our good friends for us. We didn't really have a choice. But the more we came together and got to know each other, the more we liked each other! And of course, she was much more willing to have these friends over than the other neighborhood kids who weren't good influences on us, so we got more playdates back when we were kids if we asked to have those friends over. It was really a good scheme on her part.

You can do the same thing! Form groups for your kids. Have family dinners. Model the Christian life to your kids and encourage your mom-friends to foster relationships with them. Strategically place people in your children's lives who will influence them positively and create a strong Christian community they can grow up in and call home. This community could have the potential to change their lives forever.

One of the most convincing arguments for why I should live in Colorado Springs near my family that my mom has come up with is the one where she says she'll take my kids, when I am a mom,  when I need a break. My mom's friends have picked up on it too. Ms. Faith (I love her SO much) told me, "You can just call us anytime. 'Ms. Faith! I need a break! Can you take my baby??' 'What time is it? Midnight? Sure thing sweetheart, bring him on over!!'"

I want my kids to grow up in the same community I grew up in, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if I took them up on their offers. There is strength and protection in community. There's support and encouragement. I've NEVER felt alone. It's like that verse that talks about the great cloud of witnesses; I have my own living, breathing cloud of witnesses who will join with me in my resolves as life gets hard. They pray for me, send me encouraging texts, and will one day accept me into their number when I become a mom myself!

Ms. Faith has a 12-year-old, and she said, "If you get married at 21 and have a baby a couple years later, you and I could be stay-at-home moms together!" That sounds super weird since she has a son my age, but hey! Doesn't that sound fun?? It's community. Support. Love. Commitment. Foster it. It's important! Your kids need community: godly role-models and friends in a time where none step up to the plate. Model our faith through your walk. Have dinners! Pray for each other! You're investing in eternity when you foster a godly community committed to friendship and love no matter what life throws at you.

The Other Man Who Called Me Away (Unconditional Love)

Many years ago, before we'd even begun dating, Clay called to invite me on a surprise adventure. He wouldn't tell me anything about his plans for the day, but I soon found myself seated in a darling Polish restaurant complete with a costumed waitress, beautiful woven tapestries on the walls, and carved figurines about the room. I was delighted at his efforts to find such a special place for us, as I'd spent many years as a missionary in Poland. Afterward, as we drove home, he pulled over to a lovely spot next to a bubbling stream. And then he began a speech I'll never forget.

 "'I used to make lists of the qualities I hoped to one day find in a wife,' he said. 'But one day when I was reading my Bible, I realized that God's love for us isn't conditional, because of what we've done to please Him. He gives us His love freely because His nature is to love generously. So I decided that when I get married, God would want me to be committed to love a woman someday, not because she's perfect, but because she's someone God has called me to love unconditionally and to give my life to, no matter what. So I threw away my list and asked God to show me how to develop that kind of generous love He has given to me. But I'm not coming to you because you meet all the expectations I once had on my list. I want you to know that out of all of the women I've met, I think I would love to be committed to give my love, as best I can, unconditionally to you, and to spend  my life with you, giving to you as God has given to me.'

I was so surprised by his words! All my life I felt that I had lived with conditional love. I had spent so much time and energy trying to do the right thing in order to be loved. But here he was, saying that he wanted to be committed to loving me unconditionally in an act of faith and commitment; he wanted to model in our relationship the  kind of love he had received and experienced from God. It was such a purehearted gift. 

My heart overflowed with gratefulness and a natural responsive love. How could I not respond that way?"~ Dancing With My Father

As God romances my heart and I remember the man who swept me off my feet (and still does so) I'm reminded of His unconditional love.

It is always wooing, always drawing, always whispering to me of His beauty and wisdom, causing my heart to want to respond to Him well. The ways He deals with me in kindness are my daily lessons in how to relate to the others He's so graciously placed in my life.

Whom, I wonder, might He want to love through me today? 

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Be sure to join me today at Momheart.org for 10 ways to build fun and laughter in your home!

I wish you well

The one who has painted this sky, and has chosen these colors to delight my soul, has invited me away, to retreat with Him and to just be with my inner circle friends and family for some time away from the crowds.

I will not be here for a while, as I hope to spend these days refreshing, celebrating life with my sweet ones and cherishing last memories made, and filling my soul for the days ahead when I will be speaking into the precious lives of others. I am but an ordinary mama who wants to live in peace during these beautiful, cool crisp last days of summer, and celebrate my life with Him and my sweet children and Clay, my best treasures.

So, peace of the Lord be with you and yours. I will see you again when I decide I am ready to come back. Meanwhile, there will be some little blogs prepared from my heart and books, here and there. But I wish you well and pray you wish the same for me.

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Enjoy one of Joel's, (my composer son!), new musical pieces he just scored for an upcoming film!

Wonderful Nathan, chasing God in a world that longs for light

A REAL LIFE STORY OF GOD WORKING THROUGH A MAN WITH DREAMS But He [Jesus] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. -2 Cor. 12:9

As long as I can remember, Nathan, my 19 year old son, (now 23!)  has been acting. He would listen to me read stories of heroes and adventure, and then he would don the bright blue cape I had made him from a yard of material. He would become that hero. Superman was the most prominent of stories that he heard somewhere along the way. "Mom," he would say, "Superman is like Jesus. He came from a far off place to redeem the world and get rid of all of its bad people and rescue those who needed help. I want to be a superman someday."

Nathan would garnish  his sword and wield it high, and act out and dramatically host radio dramas, and dream of his valiant stories of heroism.  As the years progressed, he and I would still cuddle close and become captivated in  tales of great people and those who shaped  history. Stories of those who fought off the darkness and brought light, were his favorite. Nate started foraying out into the world of teenagers. There were some bumpy roads along the idealistic pathways  through teenage-hood, but as he grew, he continued to stretch in his desire to reach those who needed light and the goodness of God. My pied-piper, charming son  developed many friends.

Hungry for direction, affirmation and  in need of light, redemption and restoration, many flocked to our home because of him. "Mom," he would say, "I want to be a light and I am praying for God to open doors in music or acting or performance of some kind." He pursued shining that light in the darkness of many lost friends. Nate practiced making wise decisions and grew from inevitable mistakes.  Mounting up experience in faithfulness and faith, even amidst the difficult pressures he was facing, stretched and shaped his soul to become more like Jesus. Dreaming of a time when God would open doors, he  worked as a pizza delivery guy, very shortly as a Starbucks barrista and saving money at a landscaping job every day. So for two years, he has prayed and waited and worked. Often, I wondered how realistic it was, and supposed perhaps his dreams would fade away.  Late night discussions were filled with hopes and dreams and the sharing of hearts.

And so we prayed with him, that God would open doors. Nate stayed unflinchingly strong. "God will open his doors in His time, Mom." I kept praying for God's will in the life of this idealistic young man, but couldn't imagine just how it would happen. We live in Colorado, not exactly the mecca of the music industry or the movie and television capitol of the world.It seemed I knew hundreds of youth who had such dreams, and yet he was my son, so I prayed because he wanted us to and because he prayed.

When I prayed, I was confronted with fears--- the terrible secularism and garbage of the media. It wasn't the place Clay and I had dreamed of sending our children. But we kept praying and Nate kept praying and telling us that He knew God would open a door.

So, in April, in the midst of too many activities and responsibilities. two different friends called me and told me about a national Christian group who was auditioning local talent. I didn't follow up because it was just a commercial on a Christian radio station and I thought it was probably just a way for an agency to make money on all the "want-to-be's" who were hopefuls for the acting and music industry. But, both of my friends who had been praying with me for Nathan, called three times, unbeknownst to each other! Finally, one morning, my friend called and said, "Sally, it's on the radio in 5 minutes. You need to listen to the interview and decide for yourself--after all, Nathan has been praying for 2 years for God to open the doors.

So, I went to  my car to listen, since I couldn't get my indoor radio to work! After listening to the interview with the leaders of the organization, I decided that it couldn't hurt to audition. So, off we went where Nate had to prepare a monologue and have an interview. After the audition, we were invited to a national conference in Orlando where 890 talented people from 4--65 would be showcased before agents, casting directors, music companies and other industry leaders. No smoking, drinking or immodest clothing allowed at the conference. Clay and I made a step of faith to support Nathan in this endeavor because of his faithfulness to us and to the Lord.

After 12 weeks of input and training, we flew to Orlando. Morning, noon and night, people competed-while all the parents supported and prayed and hoped for a good outcome for their children. Nathan was particularly excited about the Monologue competition and the singer-songwriter competition, though he participated in 9 all together. (he had never had more than 3 months of piano so I knew he was depending on his own faith in his internal confidence in the song he would sing and play on piano!)

By God's grace Nate made the showcase talent show where just 40 were presented--dancers, models, singers and actors.  This meant that about 90 leaders in the industry  got to see these  contestants one extra time. I was  on pins and needles as Nate got up to perform his song in front of 1800 people . He sang from the bottom of his heart with poise and confidence I can  say only came from his trust in the Lord's strength.

Lots more to tell, but the bottom line is: he received a scholarship to the school in New York he was hoping to attend; he was approached by 5 other large industry agencies who want to give their execs a chance to hear his music and two agencies who want to represent him for possible jobs in acting, modeling and performing that will come up in New York. And, a godly young man, who is very well known in his field and established in the industry, approached Nathan to be a part of a discipleship group he was starting in the fall for young men to have a witness together in the industry in New York. Now, we are home and trying to figure out how to move Nate there by September and Joel to Nashville and Clay and I both writing  a book and speaking in Canada and feed everyone and attend Joy's performance from a drama camp and take care of the medical issues and and and you know the story! But I am so grateful that there are open doors after waiting and believing with our sweet third child.

So, I learned that it is not just my prayers the Lord hears, but always the fervent prayers and hopes of my sweet children. Nate acted as though he was not surprised at all. "Mom, there needs to be light in the industry. I have been praying every day for God to open doors. And He did! I am so grateful for the amazing things God did. But I was always leaning on him and trusting in His power!"

So, now, one more faith step as we send him off to New York in September. Please pray for Nate if he comes to mind. I know the Lord will be with him  in his Babylon as He was with Daniel. I hope and pray my sweet son will make Daniel choices.

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I wrote this story several years ago. As  many of you know, since then, Nathan wrote a book about his time in New York City where God met him, amidst all the glitz and glitter. Wisdom Chasers, where God whispered in his ear to follow hard after him through all the pathways He would lead Nathan, is filled with personal stories of his journey of faith as a young man.

The years have matured him, taught him to become a warrior in a place of much spiritual and moral battle, and the discipline in endurance in pursuing the dreams God put on his heart. As a mom, I would seek God and pray so very often for him. I had a choice to make--to believe in his dreams and to support this impossible pursuit or to tell him to live a more practical life.

But our home has been founded on the idea that God uses normal people who are filled with His Spirit, to bring his kingdom messages and light into all realms of the world. And so, I have become an advocate for Nathan--both before the throne of heaven and in daily life through phone calls, emails, visits and words of life. I believe that as Nathan walks with God and follows hard after Him, that God will use this talented young man in ways beyond my imagination. I am so very proud of Nathan staying strong, working hard and pursuing His God on a journey of faith.

In the past years, He became one  of the head marketers for Dolphin Tale. God also opened doors for him to be in a variety of television shows, commercials,  and movies and as an extra and with small parts. Cultivating faithfulness took him in so many directions, including becoming an blogger, writing music, cultivating friends and Bible study through his church and he continues to see God open doors.

Will you  be so kind and generous as to pray blessing and open doors and God's favor on my wonderful Nathan,  as he continues to seek open doors where he might develop a testimony of God's story in and through his life to those who are hungry and longing for a light in the darkness. I thank you with all of my heart because he is in a very challenging place, but his faith and hope send him daily to trust God and to continue to wait on His timing and blessing as he develops messages and works on books, music, messages and dreams.

So many of you have written of how his book encouraged you and your husbands and teens! Thanks for your kind letters. You may buy it here and know that you are helping support the dreams and work of this wonderful man, my sweet superman, dreaming son, Nathan! Thanks for praying for him!

Now, I will spend just a few more minutes tonight talking to God about Nathan, as he is freshly on my heart and since I cannot hug him, I will do the next best thing.........

**used blog 8/27/2020 Overprotective? It's Not a Bad Thing.

"Homeschooling parents are often criticized for being overprotective of their children, an apparently bad thing to do in the world's way of thinking. That caricature, though, originates in a culture of passive parental neglect that is almost dysfunctionally underprotective of its children. Even though it is a pejorative term in secular parenting lingo, you should not be reluctant to bear it as a badge of honor as a caring and committed Christian parent. God wants you to be an overprotective parent! Your children, by God's design, need an overprotector, a parent who will stand over them to protect them--to guard their innocence and purity, to prevent spiritual wounds and sinful footholds, and teach discernment and sensitivity to sin. In God's design for families, overprotecting your children is a good thing.

Still, the enemy is very good at infiltrating even good Christian homes with corrupting influences ... With technologies such as cable and satellite TV, computers and the Internet, a constant river of information, images, and ideas can flow freely into your home, much of it good, but too much of it ungodly and corrupt. You can control that flow, but when your children interact in the community with other children, those children all too often are deeply influenced, informed and indoctrinated by the same river--often without controls on its flow of the worst that culture has to offer--and they will offer it freely to your children. The only thing that is standing between those and other influences, and your child's heart and mind, is a committed overprotector--you! If you don't have a heart that beats strongly with a passion to protect your children against unhealthy appetites, unwise relationships, and ungodly secular media, you can be certain that the enemy stands ready to take full advantage of any holes in your commitment and to exploit your children's innocence, vulnerability, and receptiveness. Diligence is the price you pay for staying safe on the path."

~ Clay Clarkson, Educating the Wholehearted Child

Have you ever been accused of being "overprotective?" I often wonder what exactly people would prefer us to do; to "under-protect," perhaps? And of course, whatever is less than what they personally do would be underprotective and whatever goes beyond what they're comfortable with would be overprotective.

Ultimately, it is important to remember that our children are just that--children. They are in need of protection, which is why God gave them to parents who are charged to guard and protect them until such time as they can stand on their own. Even then, we are to speak words of life and wisdom to them, encouraging them to follow God's precepts and listen for His voice of direction.

I'm grateful for my own Shepherd, who watches over and protects me, guiding me with His staff, leading me beside still waters and making me lie down in green pastures. How wonderful that He has given me this image and example to follow as I care for and nurture my own children. And if that's being overprotective ... I'll take it!

No regrets, just pure Joy!

The era of Joy and her Beanie Babies, all who had to be prayed for and put to bed each night.

This month marks an ending of an era for me. Joy will leave to go to school at Biola University in California next Tuesday. Waves of sentimentality have been sweeping over me. As I walked up the stairs to our bedrooms, I realized that she will not be there for me to bring a cup of tea in the mornings to start our day together, or to sit on her bed to have late night talks.

Oh, how I will miss sparkling, extraverted, always busy, always thinking and teaching and pondering and reaching out to her gazillion friends, singing, acting, speaking, making life beautiful, Joy.

For over 28 years, I have given over my life to being an intentional mother. I have sacrificed body, my time, my energy, spent many an anxious moment; prayed unending hours; faced conflict and tears and one more moment of training countless times; had thousands of devotions; made thousands and thousands of meals; carpooled everywhere from doctor's appointments to plays, speech tournaments and productions; listened on her bed for hours and hours of dreams and heart thoughts spilled over late night vigils, and so many more memorable and forgotten services of love extended as faithfully as I knew how.

Last week, Joy picked up a stray dog, Bobbie, and brought it home for a few hours!

And now, as I ponder my life, I feel so very, very blessed and satisfied.

It is not the books I have written that comfort me at night. It is not the blog  posts and followers and commenters or the face book fans or the face book friends or the twitter followers or the thousands of sweet moms that have attended our conferences that fill my heart with love, though I am so very grateful for each of them. But it is real live, flesh and blood, Joy, Sarah, Joel, Nathan who  hold my hand and say, "I love you, my momma!" --whose love and relationship is what matters to me and to Clay.

Last fall, Joy traveled with me to Hawaii to speak to military wives. Such a sweet time of memories made.

But it is indeed  the tangible, best friends, life and joy shared love with my real, next to my side, children that are with me and who have become the most important treasure God has given this side of life. I live daily to talk with them, to love them, to serve them and to pray with them. I am truly the most blessed of women, because God gave me these years of sanctifying me, tenderizing me, disciplining me and teaching me what really matters in life as I followed Him in this call to be a mother, giving his life to those He entrusted into my home.

Joy, last fall, in Sense and Sensibility

When I read and understood, "The Wise woman builds her house," I know that God's call on my life, whatever else I did, was to build with the Holy Spirit's guidance and grace, a godly heritage in my home.

And so my labor of love and worship to God, no matter what else I did, was to accept these precious human beings from His hands as the best and most eternal work I would ever do--to seek to show them Him and to seek to incarnate Him in my home.

My sweet girls, and best friends, this spring, together at a friend's home.

Taking on this God-designed role, crafted not only the hearts and souls of my children, but it was God's accountability for my own life to show me more of what He was like as my very own patient Father; to see His unconditional love; to better understand His undying sacrifice for me, his own child.

It was in the building of a godly home that my soul expanded, my knowledge and education grew, my capacity to work stretched, my Biblical knowledge and understanding developed as I taught them, and my heart deepened and grew so very satisfied.

When we walk in God's ways, mysteriously, we eventually see that His ways fill the longings of our hearts and satisfy the yearnings of our soul for a sense of purpose and belonging to a great cause and people.  In submitting to His will, we find what we longed for all along.

...Because in pursuing my precious children and the best for their lives, He was building for Clay and me our own best friends and a tight community of people who belong together and live to love and serve each other--the Clarkson history and heritage that ties all of us together.

Joy in California this spring, where she will be this fall,  pursuing the horizons of life with God holding her hand.

And so, I will miss her, I will spend many more hours praying for her and calling her and serving her in new ways, as I have done with my other three precious children, but there will be a deep joy in my soul, a satisfying rest, knowing that choosing this as the work of my life, that my children are the best book I could ever write, has been the right choice for me, and that my work of faith has been met, by Him, with grace, wisdom and eternal blessing.

And Joy, one of God's best gifts, will continue to fill my heart and soul with such humble gratefulness and joy. I love you, my sweet girl. God will be with you and you will be with me always in my heart.

I just can't wait to see the adventures and courses God has prepared for you to walk. May You know His presence and blessing each and every day, because, as you know, you are also so very dear to Him, too.

**used blog 8/20/2020 Because Someone Has to Have Ideals

This picture makes me long for a mountain breeze, a deep hammock, a cup of tea, an engrossing book and an open-ended afternoon.

I can probably swing one of those, the open-ended afternoon being perhaps the most elusive of the four. But one can dream!

In many ways these beautiful classic art pieces are evidence of ideals I have in my own life. Perhaps they're indicative of the way I wish life were, more often than it actually is. Perhaps you, too find yourself longing for life to be more settled, more peaceful, more predictable, more tame than you find it.

As I wrote several years ago in my book, The Mom Walk ...

"I am a deeply romantic woman, always yearning for a picture-perfect home--fires on the hearth with feasts and laughter nearby, pleasant and gracious conversations, an ambience of beauty and peace. I write about my ideals. I breathe my ideals in the secret moments of my life. I want a picture-perfect marriage where I am adored and appreciated. I want my children to be healthy, happy, and harmonious. I want strong friendships and a stable community with friends. I want an extended family to be close to us and to provide my children with love and support and lots of godly input. I want there to be money for all the bills, a home that isn't always exploding with messes, and time to sit and read a good book and ponder life.

These longings are not wrong. Ideals and the desire for beauty are simply the echoes of God's design in our hearts. He was the one who designed the world to be a masterpiece of wonder and life. The yearning for peace, health, and comfort is natural to our souls and comes from the depths of our hearts where we can still feel and imagine what God created life to be before the fall."

I think God is the biggest Idealist of all. He created everything in a perfect state, and someday He will "restore all things." (Acts 3:21.) I think He understands my heart's longing for a beautiful life and fulfilling relationships.

I think He feels just the same way I do. When I long for life to line up with His ideals, I reflect His own heart. When I create pleasing settings, soothe ruffled feelings, play beautifully crafted music, offer grace to a tired and cranky child, or prepare a hearty meal that fills stomachs and enriches souls as we share ideas around the table, I remind those who share in the moments with me that we are, indeed, sons and daughters of a King, meant for more than workaday life in this broken world.

 How can you remind those around you, today?

A This and That Thursday

From my Sarah, who is today in Oxford:

I feel the need to tell the world that I am staying in Magdalene College (Lewis's college) and have a window seat that overlooks the garden and Addison's Walk. My first few days of writing are going to go very, very well.

Isn't God lovely?

A GREAT SALE JUST THIS WEEKEND!

My sweet friend, Sarah Mae, and co-author of my new book, Desperate, is having a great sale on her eBooks this weekend - they are all .99! Be sure to take advantage! Find all the eBooks and details HERE!

 

And finally, a sweet, sentimental blog from my sweet daughter, Joy, as she ponders life from leaving home in less than two weeks, and adjusting to all of the issues of her life:

Encouragement for the Faithful

Posted on August 8, 2012 by joynessthebrave

Encouragement for the Faithful

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, ² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. ³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,      which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—     whatever they do prospers.

-Psalm 1:1-3

All my life, when I read passages like Psalm One, my heart jumps and says “Yes! That is what I want to be! Oh Lord! Help me be like that.” And it is what I want my life to look like. And so I try, and push, and fall, and then ask for God’s grace, and he picks me up again. And in my own little pathetic way, and with God’s incomprehensible way, I have endeavored to live a faithful life. The be the “blessed one”.

But being faithful can be tiring. Can’t you relate to that? Sometimes you wait and wait, and wonder, when will I be like  a tree planted by streams of living water? That’s sounds great! But I feel tired. If you are in that place today, my dear outside world, I just want to encourage you. It takes a long time to become a tree by living waters. It doesn’t happen overnight. Your faithfulness is worth so much. The little decisions of integrity you make are seen and valued by God. Each day that you turn your heart closer to God, you are putting down roots to be that strong tree. Hold fast and wait, for you will see the faithfulness of God.

For the rest go to Joynessthebrave

And have a lovely day!

Today, I am changing my world....

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Anne Frank

As I have sat with my children this summer on the porch in rocking chairs, talking, sharing life, discipling from my quiet times, comforting, advising, and making a gazillion meals with literally a couple of hundred people in and out of our home in the past 3 months, I have realized again:

Any great accomplishment takes great effort, all of your energy, focussed time, sacrifice, hard work and then all of that all over again.

To develop a great soul, one must engage in  great effort and intentional  focus and immeasurable unselfish sacrifice of your whole being. Just because it is not easy, does not mean you are not doing it right.

Mothers are in warfare for the souls and yet our work will yield fruit for eternity.

So, today, I am very, very busy at the work of continuing to shape souls, and have little time for writing.

And yes, this soul shaping of the next generation of adults is God's way of using us to bring His kingdom to bear in this world, and as Anne says, we are improving the world by raising godly leaders.

Extending Grace in Relationships

Dear Lord, So far I've done all right. I haven't gossipped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I'm really glad about that.

But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed. And from then on, I'm going to need a lot more help."

Ever felt like praying this prayer? I have! A candle, cup of tea and my Bible get me started off right. I've laid my burdens at Jesus' feet. I've read His words and they have ministered to my heart. I've worshiped Him. I have asked Him to change me, to help me grow, to bless my family and lead them. I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful day, and all is well with the world.

And then I get out of the chair.

And sometimes, it feels as if all is downhill from there!

Wouldn't motherhood, wifehood, even Christianity be much easier ... if there weren't any other people involved? But I suppose then we have the problem alluded to in that scene from It's a Wonderful Life, when the family's help says, "That (the noise happening upstairs) is why all children should be girls!" and then the elder Mrs. Bailey says, "But if they were all girls--oh, never mind!"

God loves relationships. He, Himself, exists as a relationship--Father, Son and Spirit, three in One--a mystery we can't wrap our minds around. We bear His image, and part of that is this need we have for relationships; to know and be known, to love well, to draw strength and learn from one another. Yet relationships are not easy. Sinful people, living together in a broken world, sometimes hurt one another. We misunderstand and are misunderstood. We struggle with pride and envy, greed and deceit. So do those around us--and our children are no exception.

We need God's grace.

"Giving the gift of grace to our children is actually a two-part process. First, we need to help our children receive grace. We do this both by extending grace to them and by teaching them about God's grace through salvation. After that, by our teaching and example, we must train our children to give grace to others in turn.

Jesus summed up this two-part process when He was asked to name the greatest commandment. He said we are first to love the Lord God with all our hearts (receiving grace) and then we are to love our neighbors as ourselves (giving grace). This commandment, therefore, sums up the first gift we can give to our children--the desire and ability to understand and receive the grace of God and to give it to the rest of the world.

Understanding the importance of the gift of grace has really helped me respond to the daily dilemmas and frustrations of life in a household of four children. As we go through our days, for instance, I try to be mindful that, to God, relationships are always a top priority. I try to think of ways I can model for my children the redemptive grace and love of Jesus--and also influence them to extend grace to others through their actions and their attitudes." ~ The Ministry of Motherhood

We will always be pressed by our relationships. My prayer is that they press us all closer to the heart of God, Who loves to extend His grace to us, and teaches us through His example to do the same.