Finding Faith in the Mess
I had good intentions with my quiet time. I sat down, lit my candle, got my pen and journal ready (I forgot to tell you that journaling during quiet time was an absolute must), and opened my Bible. I prayed. And then my brain started wandering.
You ARE valued.You ARE valuable.You ARE worthy.You ARE highly favored.You ARE loved.We need YOU. My youngest was taking a bath in my bath tub while I was getting ready for bed. We were chit-chatting about things when he noticed a 3×5 card on my mirror. …
I took our puppies on a walk like I do most days. One of the pups had a tough time. He was all over the place and barking like crazy. When we got to the house, I decided to drop his sister off and take him for another lap. He needed the extra practice.
When I walked up our steps to the front door, my mind was racing. I was tired. I had a million things to get done before the kids were home all summer. Taking this (dumb) dog around the block one more time was not what I wanted to do. But, I knew that if he was going to stay living in this house, he was in desperate need for some extra practice.
We went on that extra lap. And, wouldn’t you know, he did so much better. Go figure.
Isn’t parenting this way? Our kids need an extra lap. They need the extra practice, extra help, extra encouragement, extra discipline, extra rerouting but we are exhausted. Our to-dos are overflowing and we do not have time, nor the energy, for an extra lap. Can I encourage you, and me, to take that extra lap with our kids.
It is easy to look at our older kids and think they’re a good kid; they are older and don’t need me as much. Oh, but they do. I have found that the older ones need us more now (especially emotionally) then they did way back when.
Our kids need to take another lap with us and we need to be available. How many laps has God walked with you? For me? That number is infinite. So many times, He has patiently walked next to me around the block until I finally got it. My kids need the same.
I love how God teaches us through our children; and even our pets. We all need an extra lap. Are you willing to take it?
Love & Blessings,
Meg
The moment they uttered those words I thought of Jesus. In the middle of an Avengers movie, I thought about my faith.
You know what your dream is, now what? How do you activate that dream? In this episode, Sarah and I talk about how to live in an active state and how to sustain it. We talk about how the middle is the sweet spot but …
A few months back, I decided to make a theme for myself for each month. I try to use the first letter of the month for the first letter of my theme. March was, Make Room to Grow. April brought me Always Be Kind. And May? May is gonna be tough.
Move Out of Your Own Way
Do you ever get in your own way? I do. Doubts. Fears. Insecurities. Listening to the wrong voices. Listening to my own voice. I get in my way and it is time I step aside.
I thought this post was going to be more dream driven but, what I am finding is that it is driven by faith. I don’t know about you, but I can get in my own way when it comes to my faith. I want answers. I want to figure God out. Sometimes, I wonder if I really believe all this stuff. I get in my head and I can’t get out.
‘He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’ Matthew 18:2-4
Kids don’t question. I mean, they question us (like, a million bazillion questions a day). But, when it comes to believing, when they are little, they just believe. They don’t get in their own heads. They don’t need all the answers or to figure it all out. They just believe. I want some of that.
In John 14:15-21 (click the link to read), Jesus tells his friends about his departure. He doesn’t fully leave them, though. Instead, he leaves an advocate; the Holy Spirit. Listen, I know talk about the Holy Spirit freaks people out, but stick with me.
We listen to outside voices; too much on most occasions. These outside voices are only speaking based on their experiences and their opinions. We are so quick to believe their truths but don’t hold tight to that pit-of-your-stomach gut feeling. That feeling is the Holy Spirit. The more aware we are of the Holy Spirit, the more we learn about God. Lean into that.
I’ve got to move out of my own way; get out of my own head. I don’t know about you, but I need to stop trying to figure God out. My hunt for answers are keeping me from God; from a full life of faith.
We need to create space to rest in the mystery of God. We can still learn about him: about his character, his attributes, his plans, and his promises without getting wrapped up in figuring God out.
Learn about his character and his love for you. This is where you will find God. This is where you will find that abundant life you hear about.
This May, let’s all move out of our own way and let God in.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
Are you American? Are you a Christian? If you say you’re American, most assume you are Christian. Have you ever wondered why that is?
One of my boys is more emotional than the others. He feels big and loud. I’m not sure where he gets it from. (Actually, I am sure. I know exactly where he get it from). The other day, his emotions got the best of him. We sat together to chat about what he was feeling and how he could better handle his emotions in a healthy way. I don’t want him to grow up thinking he couldn’t feel or express his emotions. I want him to feel.
God created us to have emotions. Even Jesus cried. (John 11:35) He designed us to feel. Yet, we live in a day where feeling all the life feelings is seen as a bad thing.
“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; ” Ecclesiastes 3:4-6
We are on a constant hunt to subdue our feelings. We put out pillows and soft landings on the road before our children so they won’t get hurt. No one wants to feel pain. We post all the happy moments instead of the real ones. We are afraid to feel. Because of this, we have become a society of zombies; a people walking thru life numb to it all.
God designed us to feel. Part of living an abundant life (John 10:10) is allowing our emotions to play out. We can all agree that a good cry, while difficult, is cleansing to the soul. We’d do anything these days, however, to avoid the tears.
Our children, everyone, can’t cope with life because we aren’t allowing ourselves to feel. We avoid any negative emotion out of fear. What we don’t realize is that our souls, our innermost parts, were designed to feel. Those hard feelings, the negative emotions we run from, are the very ones that lead us straight to Him. We don’t realize we need a Savior until we allow ourselves to feel.
Allow yourself to feel today. Don’t be afraid of your emotions. Know that they come from the Creator. There is purpose in your feelings; value in your emotions. Let them play out. Feel all the feels. And watch Jesus meet you there.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
We all have a word. Maybe you don’t have a word. Instead, you have a thought, a goal, or a dream. You might not be a New Year’s resolution type, but we all want more for our lives. My word for 2018 is expectant. I …
