Saturday, March 4, 2023

Motherhood is Holy Work

 




These days look like little hands always reaching up to be held. They always seem to be reaching for whatever I am currently doing and I admit this can feel like interruptions to my day. Something that I just want to stop because I can get things done faster without the help of little hands. God reminded me this week that these little hands won’t stay little forever. These little hands won’t always be reaching upward for me. These little hands are a gift today. These babies are a gift from the Lord. They aren’t interrupting my day but blessing my life with a vision of God’s love for us. 


Jesus loves me so much He never stopped reaching for me. When I was running away He never left my side. When I turned my back He patiently waited for the day I turned around to run back into His arms. Like a child we may come and go from our Father but He never sees us as an interruption. The picture I see as my grandchildren run around my feet is joy and unconditional love as I gently care for them as my Heavenly Father cares for me. 


There is holy work in motherhood. 


It is sanctifying work raising our children. 


As I follow Christ I am laying the stepping stones to a firm foundation for their little hearts to see Jesus. As I keep reaching for my Father my prayer is that my grandchildren will all keep reaching up as well. 




Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Have you thought about God’s Love




“and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬ 



Have you ever deeply thought about the love of God?

 I guess love is probably on the top of my mind as my husband and I are fostering our two grand girls. They have lived with us for 8 months now. It has been life changing for us and knowing God loves us as his children has been a comfort these days. His gracious hand on our lives has taught us we are taken care of but can we ever know how deeply God loves us? 

 We will find it hard to grasp the love of God with our limited minds. Gods love is limitless, God’s love is “agape” love. It is not a reciprocal kind of love. It isn’t the love that is easy to give because it requires the Spirits work in us and even still I am not sure we can ever grasp it. In Ephesians, Paul says it surpasses knowledge. This love isn’t the same love we give to our spouse or kids. We can love so deeply but in our flesh we want some return for it. We want our spouse or the person whom we have loved on to reciprocate that love or give us something back. It’s our human nature and everyone likes to be appreciated, don’t we? God’s love isn’t that way. He loves without any strings attached. I mean we can love someone and do all the things that go along with loving that person and tell ourself we don’t expect to be lavished with love back or even appreciated. But is that really true? 






 In our most basic nature I believe we find it hard but that’s where surrendering our life to Christ comes in. We can only love with this agape kind of love by prayer and letting the Spirit’s power do His work in us. Only then we will find our way to love like Christ knowing it is for His glory not our own. It will be with intentional action and no expectations. It isn’t easy and I would even say it is a selfless kind of love that only points to Jesus. There will be blessings and joy as we walk worthy of this calling by faith and obedience to the Lord. 

My encouragement is to keep praying and trusting God’s love will carry us as we learn to love like Christ. 

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Days of Doubt

 



Some days I have doubts. 


I doubt God can see my dreams and desires to fruition. 

I am not sure I should doubt. I don’t want to be double minded like James tells us not to be. 

I see there is so much goodness and beauty yet life can be hard, sad, and hurt sometimes. The world wants us to question God. 

Then I doubt but really it’s me I doubt the ability of not God. I know He can do immeasurable things. I have seen others have their dreams fulfilled and God has answered my prayers so many times. Yet there are days I hesitate to believe it for myself. I let doubt hold me back.  Though it isn’t me in whom I should trust for anything. 


It is God. To fear God. 


sigh.


What is wrong with me? Should we ever doubt? I am not sure. There are days I believe God then the world screams in my ear, “it’s not for you. It will be too hard. It will cost too much.” 


What is the cost? My soul, my time, my money? 


I let fear paralyze me. I do nothing. I let my big emotions take me captive. 

It is in these times I go to The Word for answers. 


 Believing God is surrendering my doubts, the fear and the what if’s over into his arms. Freeing me of myself. All my resources are His. One big resource is prayer! 


My doubt brings me to prayer. Where I want to talk to God through my doubts, bringing me and my daily life to faithful surrender. He is faithful and never changes. So if He can do immeasurably more than I think I want to exchange my doubts with belief in Him for everything! 


Will I be faithful? 


Will I keep being obedient to keep doing what He calls me to do even in the beautiful days and in the hard days ahead? 


Will I believe my dreams are valid and He will work them out one day through my faithful obedience. 


I don’t want to doubt God can do anything even beyond what I can imagine for my life. 


What about you? 


#knitthegospelintoyourheart

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Colossians Reading Plan

Bible Study Begins January 12th


If you would like to know about future studies and encouragement plug in here

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Join the group here

Knit the Gospel into your Heart Bible Study Group



Every Wednsday, we will read and exegetically study Pauls letter to the church at Colossae.

 I will have a LIVE chat in the group to read and discuss with you what we are learning. 



WEEK ONE

Read Chapter 1

*focus v. 1-14           



WEEK TWO

Read Chapter 1

*focus v. 15-20



WEEK THREE

Read Chapter 2

*focus v. 1-15


WEEK FOUR

Read Chapter 2

*focus v. 16-23


WEEK FIVE

Read Chapter 3 

*focus v. 1-17


Week Six

Read Chapter 4

*focus v. 18-23


Week Seven

Read Chapter 4

*Last session of study!