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My journey through the “that was then, but this is now” space in raising young adults. I have a knack of trying to do God’s job for him. So far, it hasn’t worked out.
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When it comes to adulting, love is who we are, but unfortunately not all we know. The practice of “being still in God’s presence” is no longer second nature. Which means if we aren’t mindful and making a conscious effort, the reflecting of love is probably not going on as much as we think.
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Becoming a mom does a lot of things to our heart and soul. The love factor is beyond comprehension. Then there’s the fear factor, which exists in a league of its own.
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Projecting fear and worry based on potential circumstances or scripting how we will respond to this or that is trying to control an illusion. Only God knows the path for our kids and for us as parents.
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Clean foods are edibles which come in the purest form, unprocessed and light. The definition is almost too easy an analogy to choosing love over fear. Who represents love in the purest form, the unprocessed salt of the earth, and Light? Um, yes. Jesus. He is the only item on the ultimate grocery list for clean living.
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HOW ARE YOU FEELING, MOMMA?
(You don’t need to say, “I’m Fine.”)
Do you or a fellow Momma need some heart encouragement?
As moms, we deal with emotional overload—often pretending to be ‘fine' even when we’re not. My dear friend, Lisa Leshaw, and I want you to know your're not alone in how you feel. Our personal and candid reflections on 31 mom feelings meet you where you’re at while inspiring you to embrace your emotions and match the pleadings in the Psalms to the pleadings in your soul.
Purchase at Amazon Here
Fifteen years ago this beautiful woman disrupted my world in ways I never saw coming. It’s been everything transforming in my life ever since. This past week God gifted me with a rare opportunity to see Beth up close and personal, including an intimate exchange where I was able to express to her how much she’s impacted me over the years. At first, I thought it was a dream, but the picture is still on my phone so… real life it is.
I could say a million things about Living Proof Ministries with Beth Moore including the fact that I’ve now seen her live in five different cities, or that my first blog was called Gilgal Moments (her coined phrase for God bringing us full circle in something), and even that I had a vanity plate that said Gilgal for 10 years. But instead, I want to share the message I learned from her in the Believing God study I took in 2004—a message that keeps on giving and is crucial to cling to as Mommas.
The crux of her study is centered on a 5-statement pledge. A pledge I’ve held onto for dear life. This is my take on her words in relation to motherhood:
*God is who He says He is*
Mommas, if there is anything we can rely on as we journey through the joys and sorrows of raising our kiddos, it’s this truth. We may question who we are on any given day, but God is who God promises to be: loving, faithful, merciful, kind, extravagant, trustworthy, and safe among a zillion other plus sides.
*God can do what He says He can do*
I often lament over how “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” Being human is complicated, and hard, and longsuffering at times. We not only want to do all the things, but we often try to all those things without error. God, on the other hand, can and does do all the things with perfection. When He says He can take care of our kids, He is able. When he says He can help us through our pain, uncertainty, and fear, He means it. When He says He will love us no matter what, He follows through.
*I am who God says I am*
If there is a truth most of us need to sink our hearts into the most, it is this. God says we are love. Period. End of story. When we look in the mirror and think we aren’t enough, God wants us to know it’s impossible for us to be ‘less than’ because we are made in His image, which is ‘more than’ anything. It may take us a whole lifetime to believe this above and beyond the lies that beckon for our attention, but as long as we keep striving to anchor our identity in Christ as a beloved child of God, worthy and complete, there is hope. We want our kids to believe this, right? It starts with our understanding…
*I can do all things through Christ*
One thing I’ve learned for sure after 25 years of parenting is that ‘I can do no things through Shelby.’ None. Nada. Zilch. She alone does not strengthen me, heaven help her. Surrendering to the power of Christ working beside me, before me, behind me, above me, below me, and within me is how I put one foot in front of the other. And along with this supernatural strength from the Divine, we need one another, Mommas. We need to be the hands and feet of Christ to each other as we walk these challenging walks through motherhood. It’s crucial.
*God’s word is alive and active in me*
God spoke many words, all of which can be summed up in four letters: love. We are called to love one another. To be the love we are made of. The command is hardwired, alive, and active in all of us, something we act out in loving on our children on the daily. May we all remember that same word applies to us as well in the way God cares for our precious hearts. Love is about the giving AND receiving. Let’s stay in the flow of both.
xo
