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Thursday Devotion

4/12/2018

Good morning! I hope your week is going well. As I told you, our week has been a bit crazy! Yesterday I was up and ready early to go over to the house and organize the kitchen. Believe it or not, it's almost done. Which is a very good feeling because that's usually the one room that can be very frustrating after a move. I didn't want that to happen this time so I set to work. There is definitely an advantage to a move that's just 15-20 minutes away. Today we plan to take some more things over because the weekend is calling for a huge snowstorm, so the less we need to do, the better! In fact, we've changed our moving time to Sunday after church because Saturday is predicting heavy snow and high winds all day. We just don't want to take a chance with not being safe. So, pass the word around if you know of anyone planning to help. Thanks! Today looks like it will be a beautiful day. mild and around 50 degrees. Yay! And yesterday was nice as well, and Molly and I walked around the apartment for awhile. That was a good thing for her because I think she's getting confused about all that is going on. And, I just have to mention that last evening was a blessing for me as I met with my discipleship partner. We had a great discussion! So, what do you have going on in your life? Any interesting stories to share?

Devotion

A great devotion today about God's grace in our tough moments, focusing specifically on our "mom" experiences, but also just our lives in general. We have to see ourselves as God sees us. Have a Thankful Thursday ladies!

“Bad Moments Don’t Make Bad Moms”

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.”
Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

Ever felt like the Ping-Pong ball in a heated match … bouncing between feeling like a good mom to a bad mom?

My kids are older (and mostly out of the house now) but, oh, how I remember the intensity of those feelings when they were younger.

Like the time we volunteered to keep the class guinea pig over spring break, much to my daughter's delight. After all, we had a hamster we adored, so we were highly qualified … GOOD MOM!

Two weeks before spring break our pet hamster had an accident and made an early exit from this world. I got a letter from the principal informing me that after hearing about our unfortunate hamster situation, we were unfit class guinea pig babysitters … BAD MOM!

Another time, I delighted the teacher by showing up on time to read to the class … GOOD MOM!

That same day, a teacher emailed … listing three parents who hadn't turned in permission slips, and I was on the list for all the world to see … BAD MOM!

I would make sure my kids packed something healthy for lunch … GOOD MOM!

The schedule would fall apart, and I would feed them sugary cereal for dinner … BAD MOM!

I spent my days so desperately wanting to be a good mom. And sometimes I felt like I was, when life was clicking along with good attitudes, healthy hamsters, turned-in permission slips, and actual dinner plans. But let's be honest. The days where everything turns out right are sometimes few and far between. All too often I found myself feeling like a failure.

Ever been there?

I remember processing these things with a friend one day. A strange theme seemed to arise, and I just started laughing. I told her that many of my days told the same story … I was on the verge of a breakdown, and then I spent some time with Jesus, and He made things better.
My friend quipped back, “Well, isn't that where most of us live?”

Not that we’re always on the edge of a breakdown, but we live in a place of utter dependence on God. I know I live in constant need of His love, encouragement, wisdom, perspective, strength, patience and grace. Even as a parent of adults I need all of these things!

Anything I've done right as a mom was because of my constant dialogue with God. I learned early on to talk with Him in honest, plain language and say things like, "Hey God, I feel like a bad mom because I snapped at my kids. But my circumstances don't define me, right? You do. So, I'm receiving Your grace and letting go of those feelings pulling me down. Please help me."

As moms, I pray we’ll remember the truth of today’s promise in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.”

God’s grace is always willing to step in. Not to excuse us from being more patient, organized or responsible. But it reminds us we’re doing better than we think we are. His grace says, “My love for you is great! Stop bouncing from feeling good to bad to good to bad. In the good times, rejoice and thank Me. In the not-so-good times, call out to Me quickly.”

With God we’re never a bad mom. We might be having a bad moment … or two … or 17. But a few bad moments do not define us.

God’s grace is there to cover us. Teach us. And even in the middle of a bad moment, interrupt us, redirect us and change us.

Forgiveness is there.
Love is there.
A second chance is there. And then another one after that.

You are a good mom, my friend … even if, like me, you’ve had a few bad moments … you are the exact mom God knew your children needed. Let's live in that truth today.

Dear Lord, I know only You can fill me. I’m thankful Your grace is always there to cover me, especially on my tough mom days. Help me stop bouncing from feeling good to bad. Teach me, redirect me and change me today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
Lysa TerKeurst

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Colossians 3:15, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (NIV)

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Wednesday Devotion

4/4/2018

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Good morning lovely ladies! It's a bright, sunshiny morning after snowing ALL day yesterday. I can't even begin to guess how many inches are on the ground now. And I told PK that it doesn't even feel like an April snow; it's more like a winter snow because the temps are below zero with the wind chill. Brrr. How are things in your area today? Our Twins baseball home opener is tomorrow, and I know they are working around the clock to clear the stadium out!

Just the usual planned for today...packing! I lost a few days there because of the flu and I'm still pretty weak, but I'm doing just a little bit more. PK is still struggling and went to the doctor again yesterday. He got a CT scan done, and depending on the results of that, we'll see if he needs a different antibiotic or an appointment with an ENT.

Devotion

We don't always think about how powerful our words can be. Today's devotion gives several examples of this point. Have a Warm Wednesday!

“Invited Into His Story”

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)

My son was 4 years old when I read aloud the legend of the first U.S. president, George Washington, and the cherry tree. Maybe you know it? It goes something like this:

In his youthful foolishness, 6-year-old George Washington used a hatchet to cut down one of his father’s prized cherry trees. He regretted it almost immediately, knowing he would be whipped as punishment for being so careless and brazen. When his father asked him if he did it, the small boy drew himself up and proclaimed, “I cannot tell a lie; I did cut it down with my hatchet.” He didn’t get punished, because his father — in legendary wisdom — declared that an honest son was worth more than a thousand cherry trees.

I read the story to my son, Drew, and then sent him out to play while I finished cleaning the kitchen. When I looked up a few minutes later, I saw him hacking away at my yellow tea roses with a large stick, his little body swinging in exuberant destruction.

I flew to the back door and threw it open, shrieking to him to stop and asking what on earth he thought he was doing.

Drew dropped his stick and turned his brown eyes to me, “Ask me if I did it!” he exclaimed.

You know where this is going.

I asked him, of course, and he responded by puffing up his chest and declaring, “I cannot tell a lie!”

My tea roses paid the price that day, but what I learned has stayed with me long past the tea roses would have anyway. That lesson is simply the power of words. Specifically, the power of a well-told story.

Stories arouse within each of us an insatiable thirst for heroism. They are sweet and healing, yes, and they’re also incredibly inspiring.

In 2 Samuel chapter 12, God sends a prophet, Nathan, to talk to King David. Nathan is sent to rebuke David for his bad behavior (following his adultery with Bathsheba). David has become lost in his own world, failing to see what his actions are doing to the lives of the people around him. He cannot see his life for what it has become.

It’s helpful to notice that Nathan didn’t arrive in the king’s presence and begin to deliver a lesson or lecture. He didn’t begin by reciting laws, commandments and dire warnings.

Rather, Nathan told a story.

“There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor …” (2 Samuel 12:1b, NIV)

That story reached King David where nothing else could. He dropped his defenses and opened up to something truer than the story itself — the message God wanted him to hear.

When, as they say, we cannot see the forest for the trees, a story helps us to see. Proverbs 16:24 reminds us: Words are powerful. “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

When we’re reading the story of Jesus healing Jairus’ daughter, or curing the lepers, or raising Lazarus from the dead, we understand in a visceral way that God is good, kind and powerful. When God pours manna from the heavens to feed the Israelites in the wilderness, we realize He will provide all that we need, right when we need it.

Stories bring this truth right down to our bones. They nourish us. We begin to understand that we’re only one small part of a great, big, glorious story, and the author of that story has invited us into it. We begin to realize our role is to seek after and follow Him, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.

This is a story that’s indeed sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. What a wonder that we’ve been cast as one of the characters in it, to tell the tale of courage, trust and undying love. To be invited into His story.

Lord, thank You for the invitation to Your story. Help me hear Your voice in every story I encounter and, by sharing stories with others in my life, love others as You love them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
Sarah Mackenzie

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 18:20, “From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.” (NIV)

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Tuesday Devotion

4/3/2018

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Good morning! On this third day of April we woke up to more snow and it's still coming down. I have no idea anymore how much we have, but it's just adding to the four inches or so that we got over the weekend. I think it's supposed to keep snowing throughout the day and many schools are closed, mostly south of us. I'm very thankful for a warm home and that, apart from taking Molly out, I don't have to go anywhere today. For those of you who do, be careful!

I can't believe we are closing on our new house in less than a week! The day is coming quickly. We sign the papers on the ninth and our move is scheduled for April 14th. We'll probably take a few things over in our van as we can, such as clothing, the plants, and a few very fragile items. It's nice to be able to do that. I'm feeling a little bit behind since being sick, but I know it will all get done. I'm feeling better today and I think maybe on the mend. PK is still quite congested and coughing a lot. He might have to call and get a decongestant. We would appreciate your continued prayers. Thank you!

How are all of you doing? Maybe you'd like to share about your Easter with the rest of us. I'd love to hear about it!

Devotion

It seems like the world around us is getting further and further from God. In fact, as the devotion tells us, it goes against the "norm" to follow God and His Truth. We who know the Truth are responsible to teach it to the younger generation so that it continues. Have a Terrific Tuesday ladies! Think Spring!!

“It’s Time to Rise”

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.”
Judges 2:10 (NIV)

I watched the news report in amazement. A little girl ran into the ocean for a swim while on vacation with her family. Her mother spotted a shark’s fin in the distance and instantly ran to her daughter, screaming for her to swim back to shore. Just as the mom reached her girl, the shark attacked, grabbing the girl’s legs. The mom would not let go. A nearby fisherman came to the rescue and freed the girl. The little girl survived in large part because her mom refused to let go.

I’m thankful I’ve never experienced anything like that, but it’s certainly a vivid picture of the battle we face against Satan for the lives of our children.

Whether you’re a parent, aunt, teacher or friend, you have an influential role to play in the faith of a child. Children need spiritual truth, especially in this screen-driven, morally corrupt world. How can we successfully pass our faith in Christ to the next generation?

We can look to Joshua in the Old Testament for help.

As long as he was alive, the people of Israel followed Joshua’s strong example. He proclaimed in Joshua 24:15b, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (NKJV).

Unfortunately, when Joshua and his peers died, our key verse says, “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). While Joshua was all about how “we will serve the Lord,” the book of Judges was all about how “all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 17:6b; 21:25b, NLT).

It makes me wonder, What happened to cause such a radical change between the book of Joshua and the very next book, Judges?

Parents stopped teaching their children what God had done for them. The people didn’t obey the repeated command to drive out all the Canaanites from the Promised Land. There was no God-fearing leadership to restrain sin and without that, “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Judges 2:11-12a, NKJV).

The bridge of faith was broken.

Perhaps it started with a touch of apathy, rationalizations and a few choice excuses. The Israelites should have fought for their lives, but they decided it would be easier to have pagan neighbors. They tolerated evil and eventually accepted it as normal. Then they went a step further. They imitated their idolatrous neighbors by serving the false god Baal, too. They wanted to fit in.

Like the children of Israel, we live in an ungodly, pagan culture. Walking with Christ means going against the flow, against the world’s system. Maybe it means not allowing certain movies in your home or prohibiting violent and obscene video games.

It means when a figurative shark comes for the soul of a child, you don’t just sit on the beach and lament. You fight with everything in you. It’s time for a generation of parents and concerned adults to rise in vigilance, stand against evil and share our stories of hope and redemption.

The next generation must know God’s goodness and mercy. This is not a time for passivity and just going with the flow. It’s time to proclaim once again with Joshua, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15b).

Dear Lord Jesus, we live in evil days, but Your Word is unchanging. Help me share Your love with those around me, so the next generation will know the God of Israel. Forgive me for imitating the world’s system instead of following Your commandments. I dedicate my home for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
Arlene Pellicane

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Deuteronomy 6:1-2, “These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.” (NIV)

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