God is Present With You

 

Wow! I can’t believe it is October! This summer has gone by so fast is has been a blur. 

This coming week in our children's classes at church we are going to be looking at the miracle of when Jesus walked on the water.

As Jesus and his disciples are leaving the crowd of over 5,000 people that Jesus has just miraculously fed with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, Jesus sends his disciples in a boat to cross a lake and He goes up a mountain to pray. During the night a storm comes up and the boat is being tossed by the wind and waves. You know the story. Jesus walks out on the water to his disciples. What a shock! They are terrified! They think he is ghost… I mean people don’t walk on water… right! But immediately, Jesus calls out to them and tells them not to be afraid. Peter asks, “Lord, if it is you, then call me to come to you.” So, Jesus tells him to come. Peter gets out of the boat and begins to walk on the water to Jesus. The scriptures tell us that then Peter saw the wind, was afraid and began to sink.

There are so many things that I love about this story! I love that Jesus is never hindered by the natural. He needs to get to the other side of the lake and doesn’t have a boat, so what does he do? He walks on the water. I love that Jesus loves the disciples so much that when they see Him and are terrified, He calls out to them and tells them not to be afraid. Aren’t there times all of us need to hear the voice of Jesus telling us not to be afraid that He is with us! I love that Peter gets out of the boat! Yeah, he sinks, but who else besides Jesus do we ever hear of that actually walked on the water? How many other men sat in the boat and just watched!? I love that Jesus reached out and caught Peter even when he was sinking in doubt and fear. Aren’t you glad that Jesus doesn’t abandon us in our fear and doubt?!? I love that Jesus gets into the boat with the disciples that didn’t get out of the boat? They didn’t take that step of faith and Jesus still got into the boat with them and calmed the storm that surrounded them. Jesus is continually working with us as we grow in our faith, confidence and trust in him. I love the truth embedded in this story. Don’t take your eyes off of Jesus. Keep your focus on Him. Don’t begin to look at and focus on the storm around you or fear will creep into your thoughts and you will begin to sink. This may be a relatively short story in the Bible, but it sure packs a punch! There are so many truths about God and His love for us that can be seen. This story stretches me. This story calls to my inner being. I sense that desire to focus on Jesus and get out of the boat. I desire to disregard the storms around me because of the miraculous God that stands before me! I want to trust that if I fall I know He will catch me! I want to get out of the normal and mundane boat and take a wonderful walk on the water with my God and Savior! I am comforted that when I fail, He picks me up. I am comforted that when I don’t get out of the boat because of fear, He still loves me and comes to me! Don’t you just love the One True God that is revealed in this story!!!! Jesus can be trusted with our lives! He is faithful and  loving. And He is for us!

What an awesome God! He is not limited by this natural realm. He is the Creator of all things. He is the Healer, Redeemer, Life Giver, Restorer, Provider, Peace Giver, Holy One, Righteous One, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and He cares about you!

Whatever you may be facing today I want to encourage you to trust in the Greater One! He is more than enough!

Only 18 Summers

Can you believe we are already in the middle of September? Time is flying by so fast! And as time flies by, your kiddos are growing up! I heard someone make the following statement to parents once, “You only have 18 summers.” What did this person mean? As parents, we only have 18 summers where we are the primary influence in our kid’s lives. After 18 summers our kiddos begin to branch out and become men and women. They begin to make decisions for themselves. They begin to form a life apart from us. If we develop healthy, close relationships with our kids, then they will still value our input and guidance. We have 18 summers to develop relationships and create and atmosphere of love and respect with our kids so they will value our advice and guidance.

One of the greatest ways to help develop this relationship is to invite God to be in the middle of it. We get to pray with and for our kids. We get to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us concerning our relationship with our kids. We get to teach them what honor and respect looks like… not just them honoring and respecting us but us honoring and respecting them. We get to show them what love looks like. We get to show them what forgiveness and asking for forgiveness looks like. We get to show them what humility looks like. You have 18 summers to do this with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit and you are more than able because He lives on the inside of you.

It can seem overwhelming at times, but don’t take this task on alone. Lean into the peace of God. Lean and trust that He will not let you fail. He will show you what to do. And as He shows you… do it. You’ve got this moms and dads! Because He’s got you!

Take Time to Sit With Him

I have had a thought running around in my head this past week and haven't taken the time to get it out on paper (or should I say digital device), so here goes.

As important as it is to spend time with your kids and to make sure their needs are being met (and believe me I am a strong advocate for doing both of these and doing them top notch), the time you take to sit with your Heavenly Father is way more beneficial when it comes to you being a good parent.

I am learning more and more each day, how dependent I am upon God and His wisdom. So often, I try to figure out how to fix a problem, minister to someone in a difficult situation, reach the kids at LFC (a.k.a. Living Faith Church) with the truths of God's Word or create an atmosphere where each child can experience God in a tangible way. In these times, by God's grace, I am beginning to catch myself, backtrack and sit and talk with God about what needs to happen. I find that when I inquire of Him...when I ask Him what needs to be done...how it needs to be done...if it needs to be done, I avoid a lot of frustration and wasted time.

God's Word says in James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." Notice it doesn't say He may give you wisdom, but it states that He WILL give you wisdom.

God wants to be involved in the smallest, minute' parts of our lives. He longs for that kind of intimacy with His kids. He wants to show us how to handle situations, what His perfect timing is and when to sit back and enjoy the ride. He is waiting on us!

So, this is why I know that the time you sit with God is more beneficial to your becoming the best parent your kid could ever dream of having. When you sit with Him and ask Him, He will give you the wisdom you need to know how to spend the best quality time with your child, how to meet the needs of your child and how to point your child to their Heavenly Father in a way that will have lasting effects on their lives and the lives they will touch along the way.

I am finding, after much trial and error, that life is so much easier when I sit with my Heavenly Father. The day seems brighter, longer and much more effective.

I hope this thought blesses you as much as it is blessing me! And I know as you put it to practice it will infinitely bless your children!!!

Being Led to Lead

Let's Speak Truth Into the HEARTS of Our Most Precious Gifts

I think we all want to get it right! I think this is especially true for parents. I have read a couple of articles lately that spoke to my heart...things that I would want my sons and daughters to know. I am going to post the links below. I hope you enjoy them half as much as I did.

Wisdom for our Daughters:  http://momastery.com/blog/2013/12/31/6676/

Wisdom for our Sons:    http://wearethatfamily.com/2013/05/what-every-son-needs-to-hear/

LET’S KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!

LET’S KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!

One of my greatest desires this Christmas is to keep Christ in Christmas. Many of you are probably thinking…you’re a Children’s Minister, of course that should be your focus! Well, unfortunately, I have been finding this to be a difficult task. I know, it shouldn’t be so, but I’m just being real and saying that it is.

I was standing in the return line at Walmart a couple of weeks ago thinking, “Can this take any longer?” You know the hustle and bustle of Christmas…trying to get everything done and feeling like you just don’t have the time. As I’m standing there, I took a moment (something I don’t do often enough) to turn around and watch. There was a buzz of activity going on behind me. People shopping like crazy, buzzing from one item to the next, reading labels, looking at their watches, probably thinking like me…can this take any longer? All of a sudden, my thoughts turned to Jesus. All this…and how many are thinking of You! I wonder what it would be like to have a birthday that was celebrated worldwide (or almost worldwide)…parties being thrown, presents purchased and given, decorations going up, celebrations with feast, etc…and not be invited.

Now, don’t get me wrong…I am all about Christmas. I love all of the traditions and fun things that happen this time of year. I just had a moment. I have a second to stop and think about Him and His perspective on the holiday season.

Unfortunately, many of us are so busy this time of year that we don’t feel like we have time to stop and really focus on Him. I know the feeling.

I just wanted to encourage each of you, as well as myself…Let’s keep Christ in Christmas this year. Take time with your families to focus on the real reason we celebrate and the importance of what happened on that day so long ago. Sometimes, we are so familiar with the story that we forget its significance in our lives. Take time with your children to focus on the real meaning of Christmas. You are preparing them for the future and the focus they will put on Christ, not just at Christmas, but in their lives all years long.

You Are Not Alone

Do you ever have moments when you feel totally overwhelmed with the job before you?  What am I asking…of course you do…you’re parents.

I started off this week feeling overwhelmed. Christmas is coming. That means Christmas curriculum, programs, parties, events, etc.  And to top it all off, at the church we work with a volunteer army. A very busy, active and often overwhelmed army.

I was thinking of all the things that needed to be done and in the midst of it all I heard a prompting from the Lord…don’t forget me. I didn’t actually hear a voice…just a thought.

Pause…take a deep breathe. I took a few minutes and shared with the Lord all that was upcoming (somehow I don’t think He was surprised or shocked) and asked for His wisdom, guidance and direction.

I felt like the Lord was leading me to let go of all the pressure, opinions of others, ideas of how things should be or how they have been in the past and let Him be God of the present. All of a sudden things were not so overwhelming any more. I was at peace. Things don’t have to be like they have always been. It’s a new day and He always has a new way!

As I am ending my week, things are looking up and the vision is a lot clearer. Plans have begun to unfold and take shape, step by step as I have followed His leading.

Sometimes, I need that reminder that I am not in this alone. I know…duh. The Greater One with all the answers is living inside of me. All I have to do is ask and listen. He will show me the way.

For all you parents out there that may be feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. There is One living inside of you that is just waiting to be released as you seek His wisdom and guidance. So stop, take a breath, inquire of Him and listen. He will not let you down.

And don’t forget to remind your kids of this too! They are never alone. The Almighty has chosen to live inside of them.