faith

November 21, 2018

Honoring Gratitude

It’s been a long year. I’ve lost two of my favorite people, battled annoying physical issues and been blindsided by multiple challenges. These circumstances often left me ungrateful even though God wove in wonderful and unforgettable moments amid the woeful and wearisome. The year has simply left me tired and unsure of what’s next. But the last few weeks have also given another perspective. It’s time to honor gratitude.

As Christians, we are called to give thanks in all circumstances. Realistically that’s easier some days than others. Instead we often complain, ask why, or are mad at what God gives and allows. It’s difficult to be thankful when struggling to keep our heads above water. But in all my circumstances, especially the not so good ones, I’ve always known and felt God’s presence. For that I am grateful.

God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. In fact He knows better than anyone we aren’t. Which is why He’s always faithfully present. He fully comprehends our imperfection and sent Jesus to save us and the Holy Spirit to speak to us. So in the moments we don’t understand, want to cry, pull our hair out, or throw up our hands, we can instead call upon God and shift toward gratitude.

We do this not because we want to or should, but because we can. The gift of God’s saving grace ensures a heavenly home for those who believe. But God’s grace doesn’t begin when this life ends. His grace also provides the gift of His in-dwelling peace and presence right now.

Right now-in the midst of the mess, loss, hurt, rejection and pain this life can bring, God is here. God won’t always change what’s happening to us. But He will always be present with us.

God won’t always change what’s happening to us, but will always be present with us #gratitude #trust

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Sometimes life isn’t fun. Often it’s painful, sad, and worrisome. It throws curves when we’re expecting the fastball. It zigs when we want to zag and leaves us breathlessly swinging to keep up.

But we shouldn’t let the swinging, zagging and worrying make us lose sight of what we already possess-God’s presence, peace, and grace. He’s here with each us. Even when we feel no one can fully understand. God can and does and He’s right here fully understanding everything about us. We’d be wise to remember this. {I just heard this fantastic song, Remember by Lauren Daigle (love her!) that reminds us to remember God’s faithfulness and presence in everything.}

This Thanksgiving and holiday season when everyone else is merry and thankful, circumstances may tempt us to not feel the same. Yet, I’m remembering while I may not be thankful for everything, I am grateful for His never ending presence in everything.

Instead of feeling sad, worried, or unsure of the future, I’ll simply shift my perspective and honor gratitude. I will give thanks to and for the God who created me, saved me and never, ever leaves me.

Honored to link up with this special gift guide from Crystal Storms-check it out!

October 31, 2018

Finding Presence

But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone. ~Psalm 33:18,20-22

Something about a hurricane threatening your child makes one’s mama bear instincts kick in. Three weeks after our son went to college a potential hurricane loomed on his horizon. My pride in not worrying too much blew away as Tropical Storm Gordon blew close. Thankfully it bypassed his area and all was well, but for a nervous few days, I lived 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “never stop praying“!

Simultaneous to Gordon, additional family issues blew in and a few days rolled into a swirling month of life storms. On the other side of those life changing storms, I am simply thankful. Thankful to my God who through it all, never left me or mine. His presence was ever present. As literal and figurative storms approached, hit with fury and now in the aftermath, I always sensed and leaned into His presence.

When the words Present Presence came for this year last December, I anticipated they had to do with my son leaving for college and my dad’s failing health. I wanted to be present for both of them, the rest of my family, and feel God’s presence in all of it. Now approaching the end of this year, our son has indeed moved across the country to college and my dad and other loved ones have moved to their eternal home with Jesus. I miss them all in different ways, but one thing has remained constant: God’s presence with each of us.

For those of you anticipating a blog series on God’s presence as mentioned in my last newsletter, recent life storms have blown that plan away. But not even minor or major life situations could blow God’s presence from me. While my writing plan may have vanished with the wind, God had another, better plan for me-to show His presence even more powerfully than any literal or figurative storm of life.

Instead of writing about His presence, I simply felt it in so many ways. I found God was present in:

Those who came beside me and mine. They prayed, gave up their sleep, helped with what was needed, or simply lent a hug and their presence. So many were His hands and feet as we weathered life storms. Another reminder to always be available because we may never know how a simple act can mean so much. (I sense another blog post from this lesson…)
His Word. Multiple times daily His Word came to me with just what was needed in a daily devotion, verse of the day, scripture at worship, or Christian songs that came on at just the right moment. Don’t dismiss the coincidences of life-they may simply be God showing His presence.
Prayer. His presence soothed as I whispered prayers for so many situations this last year. He heard me, lead me to solutions and comforted me in the midst of it all. As I prayed incessantly, I often would sense an answer or a direction afterwards. Even if the next step wasn’t always clear, I ALWAYS knew He heard me and was with me and those I love. One of my last memories of Dad was praying with him the prayer Jesus taught us. It’s a gift I’ll always treasure.

This year began with a desire to be physically present with those I love more. I feel blessed I did this in many ways. Most importantly, His presence was acutely palpable, often when least expected. I began seeking to be present and feel His presence and found so much more.

Winding down this year, there’s an even greater desire to be present for those I love, serve and find in my life daily. His presence continues to prompt me to be His hands and feet and encourage others along the way. I sense that will still include writing here on the blog, but not sure how that will evolve.

In the interim, I pray He continues to give me words to share and encourage. But for now, some time away is needed. I’m going to continue seeking His presence and path for me and mine, trusting in His timing. More than ever before, He has shown me His plan reins higher than mine, especially in life’s small and even hurricane force storms.

But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy. ~Psalm 68:3

My hope is in Him alone. He is with me, my child across the country and my dad in heaven. He will never leave me or any of us just as Joshua was told:

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

Trusting in these promises, let’s continue to follow one footprint at a time. Keep seeking His presence and see how it changes you and your storms of your life. Need some more encouragement in seeking His presence? Check out this song I found over and over again this year. Please keep in touch and let me know how His presence helps you with a comment or on social media. Until we connect again, let’s keep following His footprints to wherever they lead us.

September 5, 2018

Instilling Faith to Follow

It’s back to school season and this year that meant a college far, far away for my first born. I often wondered if I had done enough as a mom to pave a path of faith to follow. It made me think of all the ways this world can impact our children and how our influence as Christian parents can create a firm foundation.

More than any other time in history, our children are being raised in a world surrounded by expanding temptations, publicly differing opinions and increasing negativity. The rise of social media platforms give way to things like divisive political arguments while television programming and movies are less edifying-all shaping the current environment. As parents, it is more important than ever to do what we can to set a good example and encourage our children’s faith as they grow.
Form traditions & habits while they are young
We’ve talked about being purposefully present and how easy it is to be distracted by the littlest things, but it is just as important to help our children be mindful of being present in their faith. It begins by being a good witness with our own faithful actions, sharing the ups and downs of leading a life of faith, and setting a Godly example.

Another good way to do this is to instill habits that bring our children closer to God daily. Simple ideas like having them pray before meals and at night are the start to getting our children conversing with God throughout their day. Reading their Bible along with daily devotions can give them spiritual wisdom to take with them in their day ahead. Start traditions that they can look forward to like worshiping together or a family Bible study once a week.

Quality family time is important for any child’s growth, but it’s even more imperative to instill a strong spiritual mindset for our children. Attending church every Sunday is a good start, but the church’s additional opportunities can immerse them in the Spirit and help them make new friends who have similar values. As they get older, they can participate in youth ministry groups, worship services, and Bible studies.

Outside of the church, look for spiritual opportunities during family outings and activities. Go on nature walks and visit parks, appreciating the majesty of the Lord’s creation. Curl up on the couch as a family for movie nights, and whether the movies you watch have a specific message of faith or not, discuss lessons learned and moral observations of the characters. They then will be more mindful of this thinking and relate it to their Christian perspective when they consume media on their own.

Communication is key
It is so important to be open and honest with our children and expect the same from them. If they see something inappropriate on TV or hear something bad in school, discuss why it is inappropriate from your perspective as well as in God’s eyes. When they talk about the types of media they want to consume or want to do something with their friends that we don’t agree with, let’s not just just tell them they can’t watch or do something and leave it there.

Being specific in why something might not be appropriate as a Christian is definitely more important as they grow into their teenage years. It will hopefully instill not just knowing right from wrong, but a desire to be their best self for God. Most importantly, when they do set a good example or otherwise make us proud, let’s not hesitate to give them praise and appreciation for doing the right thing.

I pray these these simple reminders will help strengthen our children’s faith and give them the encouragement to develop into the great Christ-following individuals they were created to be. I know there were moments I didn’t always follow through on all of these suggestions. But it’s my prayer that I created a foundation of faith to follow nonetheless.

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Proverbs 22:6 NLT

March 28, 2018

The Time is Now

The time is now. This saying can apply to most anything, but in thinking about how to #BePresent, it’s incredibly accurate. Our moments are measured by God. We only have so many, so let’s make the most of them now.

Thus far in our Lenten series of how to #BePresent, we’ve covered being Purposeful, in Real life, with our Eyes open to all that is around us. Being present has its own inherent Stress at times but it’s still important to make Every moment matter knowing God is Near. King Solomon, gifted with wisdom from God, tells us of the seasons of life in Ecclesiastes 3:1

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

He reminds us everything happens in its own timing. To wrap up our series, let’s look at how to #BePresent now, in this time. T=Time.

I’m a clock watcher, I like to know what time it is, enjoy being on time and hate being late. But too often I get caught up in plans, to-do lists, or what someone else may think is important and lose sight of the bigger picture. Missing the forest for the trees as they say. Which is why I love this Jimmy Buffet song describing a watch which always reads ‘now’ and if it bothers us we can just bow our heads and breathe in, breathe out, move on. Indeed.

Being present isn’t always easy. Yet if we want to live how God calls us, sometimes we need to wait, walk alongside or persevere through difficult times. We all have these moments and have different ways of being present in them. Some may defer, deflect, or push away being present in these moments. However, this can cause us to miss some of the most important moments of this time of our lives or what God is showing us in them.

For Christmas, I received a new camera and one morning was able to capture the beauty of the sunrise by clicking quickly. I was happy to be present enough to notice it since many times before, I’ve looked away, trying to find my camera and missed the moment. In less than two minutes, the beauty I beheld was gone. Just as the sun will rise whether or not anyone is witness to its glory, our lives will move on whether we choose to be present in them or not.

Time waits for no one.

This time, this moment will never be here again. So, I’m still seeking to answer the question-“am I present, am I spending my moments well?” Digging into the nuances of how to #BePresent has helped me realize my answer is “not always.”

Things we do, the way we spend our time needs to adapt as we change and time moves on. What was important years or even moments ago may not be important now. However, the one thing I know and always want to be important is following God’s will for my life and helping those around me to do the same.

My current season in the ‘sandwich generation’ can be trying and wonderful, often at the very same moment! It’s a roller coaster of emotions at times. My attempts at being purposefully present are evolving, but I know I can do better. I don’t want to blink and miss a sunrise or my life as the band Revive reminds us in their song. Blink. So even though this Lenten series is coming to an end, I’ll still be seeking to #BePresent.

I pray this series encouraged and inspired us all to make the most of our moments in a purposeful way, in real life, with eyes open and even when stressful. Let’s be present in every moment knowing in them all, God is near. The time is now. It’s time to be present.

In writing this series, it’s increasingly evident my desire to be present and follow God’s will at this time includes a break from this blog. It’s been a draining season of life lately and it’s time to press pause and be present in my life and with loved ones. I hope to be writing here again soon, but for now, it’s time to #BePresent elsewhere.

I encourage you to pray and seek God’s direction for where, with whom, and how you can #BePresent today and in every time of your life. I’ll be praying for all of us and for God’s blessings upon you as we all seek to Follow His Footprints.

March 14, 2018

Every Moment Matters

What’s special about this moment, right now? For me, it’s conveying thoughts to you in this blog post and for you, it may be gleaning insight or encouragement by reading it. Every moment has an inherent specialness simply because we’ll never have this moment again.

Thinking of our moments as finite fragments we’ll never relive causes me to pause. Maybe because I work with those experiencing memory issues or because I’ve walked alongside loved ones at the end of their earthly moments, but I’m learning to appreciate my moments more. Am I spending them well? Am I being fully present as I follow God’s plan for my life?

As we continue our #BePresent Lenten series, we’ve explored how to be Purposeful, be present in Real life, with Eyes open and to seek God’s path when Stress threatens. Whether stressful or blissful, each moment of our lives is important in God’s plan. I’m realizing this significance and how being present includes making every moment matter. E=Every moment.

There’s a reason MemoryMinders tagline is making moments memorable. Our moments are measured by God. He gifts us with only so many, so I want to help others remember and cherish them. I try to do the same, but sometimes life’s challenges and distractions steal them away. How can we truly make every moment count?

It begins with being present and I sense that’s the reason for this series. But being present includes measuring every moment not only by how we want to live but also by how God wants us to live.

Being present is measuring moments not by how we want to live but how God wants us to live #BePresent

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In my moments, am I blind to what God wants to show me by only seeing my wants and needs? Am I overcome by stress or seeking God’s answers to a problem? Am I wisely pursuing things, people, and experiences He wants for me or am I too busy comparing, lamenting, blaming, or worrying about what I cannot control?

In my quandary, I realize full surrender and obedience is the best course of action. We cannot worry about the future, argue about the past and still embrace each moment well. So I stop and ask the simple question-what would Jesus do?

This simple question we teach our kids points the way to making every moment matter. I doubt Jesus would continue to argue, worry, sulk, mentally check out, or procrastinate. Following His lead, let’s ask ourselves-in this moment of sadness, how can I comfort? In this moment of anger, how can I forgive or be kind? In this moment of frustration or worry, how can I fully surrender to God and trust?

In this moment God has given, how can I spend it well?

It’s not that Jesus wasn’t ever angry, sad or didn’t want to experience the difficult times of life. Think of when He cleared the temple, wept for Lazarus, or prayed fervently in the Garden.

He was fully man AND God and fully understands how life’s moments can be less than blissful. Yet, He always chose to spend every moment well. This, this is what I want.

How to do this is often where I struggle. But God’s word provides direction as always:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. ~Romans 12:2

How to make every moment matter stems from letting God transform how we think.

Never stop praying. ~1 Thessalonians 5:17

Having problems with anything in life? Pray-not just once, but continually!

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. ~Matthew 16:24

Lent reminds us to focus on the cross and Jesus’ saving sacrifice. All we need to do is look at His life of making every moment matter as a model on how to live ours. Sin and the enemy will threaten to steal our moments or insert roadblocks as we follow. In these moments, let’s spend them wisely by looking to Jesus as our guide. Let’s seek, pray and surrender to the One who created our moments. Then, we simply follow.

Linking with #ChasingCommunity, #HeartEncouragement & #GraceMoments

Honoring Gratitude

Finding Presence

Instilling Faith to Follow

The Time is Now

Every Moment Matters

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