Matthew 11: 25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(The day before I was led to these verses, I was wailing & whining about what God was calling me to with my children. I honestly think I felt for a brief moment what Jonah experienced. Just call me “Jonette”! I was sweating, exhausted, running on empty already at 10 a.m. in the morning wondering how I would make it through the rest of the day with my children- not to mention the rest of the summer! I was like “how could I ever even considered the thought of possibly homeschooling them at some point?” That was me… totally freaking out!) Continue reading “God trusts ME with His children?!!!”
Have you ever watched the shows “Hoarders” or “Fixer Upper”? Well, my intention is to describe what happens in my life when, spiritually speaking, I let the Holy Spirit take my Hoarder Home and turn it into The Ultimate Fixer Upper! -Matthew 20:28 “Jesus did not come to be served but to serve…”
The Book of Ecclesiastes says “My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.” Are you delighting yourself in the Lord and the privilege He’s blessed you with of partaking in the sacred roles of wife and mother while upon the earth? If so, a delightful countenance would be your reward, according to Solomon. Do you walk around downtrodden, heavy laden, overburdened and stressed or do you understand how Solomon also goes on to say that there is nothing better than to find satisfaction in your work? Actually, he boldly proclaims how “enjoying your lot in life is the gift of God!” As one of the wisest men who ever lived, Solomon declares that “there is nothing better for us than to enjoy our work!” His words are paramount for any Christian Sister to accept God’s grace and space and pace solely marked out for their distinct race!
Recently, our family went on a vacation to the Atlantic Ocean where Jesus reassured me, yet again, how He is the Anchor for my soul! Consequently, this blog will be written merely as an analogy comparing the condition of my soul to a novice brought out to the deep. So, for all my sea-faring friends and readers, I hope this post calms you the next time God leads you through a tumultuous voyage to remind you how He is still in charge of the winds and rains!
Let’s take an assessment? Do you feel you may need a tourniquet for your heart? Are you bleeding out somewhere internally, unawares? Symptoms may include but are not limited to: depression, anger, suppressed emotions, hopelessness, prolonged pessimism and/or a loss of desire for life in general. The real question (as posted above) is: Are you willing to seek healing for the unforeseen, hurting, desolate parts of your soul?
There are spaces within us which lie untouched because we are not yet ready and are unwilling to completely fall into the arms of Jesus by surrendering our deep and secret woes, fears and burdens into His care. It is as if those compartments inside us are barred off tightly from anyone or anything entering in behind the walls. And those walls have probably been reinforced over time because our former modes of protection from enemies, both foreign and domestic, once worked in order to keep us safe, hidden and far away from danger. (I get it. That is why I can write about these types of topics in the first place.)
The King James translation of First Thessalonians 2:7 reads: “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children“. The word “cherish” is a verb meaning “to care for tenderly; nurture.” My children are learning verbs in grammar so they know that a verb is an action word. Therefore, we must show our love by what we do. And according to the Scripture mentioned above, one aspect of how we moms can show care for our children is to love them like nurses! 
How does one become “purposefully present” in a digital age where technology is one of the main sources of how people work, play and communicate these days? As for myself, in order to accomplish that objective, it’s taken tons of prayer to learn how to guard my heart above all else, as Proverbs says, knowing it is the wellspring of life! Personally, this means making the commitment to eradicate some things in order to give people my full, undivided attention! And in my search for answers, I have found that focused intentionality is the only route for me towards becoming distraction-free and purposefully present!
For my 10 Year Wedding Anniversary, let’s take a look back at what my refinement has been like as a piece of clay in the Potter’s hands! Over the years, The Divine Potter has meticulously and miraculously molded me into His image so that I could become the Cristine I was created to be for God’s Glory! Over time, every squeeze of His hands applied just the right amount of pressure and was used to transform my ways and will to Christ’s likeness. It didn’t always feel good, to say the least, but a fire is meant to burn after all!
Sheep are not known to be terribly fierce. They’re not frightful beasts. And where the popular culture paints children as terrors to be cordoned off, caged or relegated to “the kids’ table”, Jesus regards them as important members of His flock. While the Bible teaches us “spare the rod; spoil the child”, it also tells us not to provoke them to wrath. So, what do we do?