Finding Strength

         I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26

 

It has been an emotionally draining week.  But like many obstacles in life, lessons are always learned, so for that, I am thankful.

 

I want to be useful.  I want my life to be worthy of breath and existence.  I step out in life welcoming tasks that I can feel good about and then flop in a heap from emotional exhaustion.  I wonder how I got myself in this state and how do I get out.  I know many have experienced this realization.

 

I found myself overwhelmed with responsibilities and began questioning my competence.  Homeschooling my oldest was much "easier" than it has been with my youngest.  Realizing that my youngest learns differently and trying to find the most suited learning techniques has been quite the challenge.  I should mention that my daughter is coming along well with her education and I don't foresee any distressing future issues.  With that being said, we still struggled this week and I sat exhausted and in question. 

 

Along with my feelings of incompetence in this homeschooling area, I beat myself even more trying to balance photography and church responsibilities.  "I'm going to disappoint people." "Why did I sign up for this?"  " Why did I say, 'Okay' to this?" "I don't think I'm good enough for this." Again, I sat in total emotional exhaustion.

 

If those feelings were not enough, a discrepancy (that I did not ask for) with an extended family member would certainly push me over the edge.

 

Why? Why am I feeling overwhelmed and incompetent during this season of life? Why am I questioning myself?  How do I succeed in all of these areas? Is it even possible? Or do I just "throw in the towel"?

 

And then I read this:

 

Nothing is impossible for you

because all things are possible for the God who lives within you.

There's no obstacle too great, no wall too high, no valley too low.

You can get through it, over it, beyond it together.

With Him, you have more than enough...

you have everything you need

and you're everything you need to be

for His purposes to prevail in your life.

Holley Gerth

 

I sat in wonder and amazement that my God would reassure me that my purposes will be fulfilled with Him.  And that reassurance is enough to pull up my bootstraps and charge forward.

And so, I begin my day feeling revitalized and very much competent!!

 

Let's Do This!

 

I Need Courage...

Time for a revelation.

The other day I was contemplating how I would answer when I was asked to take photos for a Senior photo shoot.  My first impulse was to say "no."  I thought of many reasons why I couldn't or why I wouldn't.  I'm just a mom; a mom who enjoys taking photos of her own children. I wanted nothing to do with the responsibility of taking photos of others. At the same time, there was an overwhelming excitement.  That excitement was fleeting; fear took over and I decided to not give an answer right away.  I needed to pray about this.

I'm not sure what I prayed, I just remember thinking, 'Is this what you want me to do?' I thought of my responsibilities of being a stay-at-home-mom and how I would prepare for my future plans once Alayah was enrolled in public school and once Alexa was in college.  I called it, The Two Year Plan.  In the meantime, I would take as many photography classes as possible and really hone in on technique.  Maybe then, after two years, I might be ready for something more "serious." Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?  It did to me.

'It's now. The time is now.' This was the thought running through my mind.  Why am I so afraid?

In an instant, I thought of my daughter Alexa and all the things she has accomplished because she 'gave it a chance.' I remembered the time when she was five years old and asked if she could go play with the new neighbor.  I said, "But you don't know them." She quickly answered, "I will go and say 'hi' and then I will know them."  Motherly wisdom took over and I let her go meet the neighbor, not wanting to attach my insecurities on to her. I remembered when she played soccer for the first time.  She ran.  That was about all she did.  She just ran; back and forth, and round in circles.  I remember thinking, 'She is way more courageous than I am.'  I remembered the time she asked, "Why am I not in dance?" And so, we put her in dance.  She went on to join a competition team and danced her heart away in front of hundreds of people! She also joined a softball team for a few years all because I asked her if she would be interested.  In middle school she joined Literary and again found herself in front of people and judges waiting for critique!! Really? Her courage continued with school plays and speech team.

It was her high school fall play, Letters To Sala, that did it for me.  My brave girl gave an outstanding performance with a strained voice.  I sat beaming and amazed, once again, at her courage.  I then hear my voice speak to her, "Just do your best! You will never know what you are capable of if you don't give it a chance."

And so I say, "Yes." I say yes to the photo shoot.  Not because I think I'm amazing, but because I need courage. I need courage....like, her.

What's Your Word?

In Debbie Macomber's book, One Perfect Word, we learn to choose one word to be encouraged by throughout the year.  In order to grow in that one word, Macomber suggests that one study it deeply.

"When I find my word and begin to explore it, God takes me deep into that one word. Because I've kept journals nearly my entire life, I have been able to look back at them in the light of my word of the year and see how my life experiences dovetailed with my exploration of that year's word...When we choose one single word from His Word and spend a year with it, I've found that the Lord takes us by the hand and walks us through the year, teaching us about that word, about ourselves, and even more, about God Himself."

 

Macomber uses the start of a New Year to choose a new word.  She shared several words that she focused on over her many years of practicing this concept.  Those words are: Desire, Believe, Hunger, Trust, Brokenness, Prayer, Obedience, Seek, Balance, Wisdom, Surrender, Hope, Passion, Purpose.

 

Macomber also gives creative ways to keep that word as a forever reminder. "My friend has a large stone with her word of the year cut into it.  She uses it as a paperweight. She has another one she uses as a doorstop; she says, "I like to stumble over my word every now and then." Stones like these can be purchased online at www.inspirationstones.com and at other places." Another way to remember your words: "My friend gave me a silver charm bracelet with many of my words engraved on hand-tooled disks.  When I wear it, it is a reminder of the lessons I've learned over the years. Jesus said, "Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? (Mark 8:18). I don't want to forget all I've explored with the Lord. Tangible reminders, like my bracelet, become meaningful symbols of my walk with the Lord."

 

One Perfect Word is filled with encouragement and would be a great addition to any woman's library!

 

 

 

Be Encouraged!   



A Heart's Desire

                  Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe
                                                               pasture.

                                                Take delight in the Lord,

                                   and he will give you the desires of your heart.

                                                Commit your way to the Lord;

                                                trust in him and he will do this:
                                                            Psalms 37:3-5

 

What are the desires of your heart?  Are they to live in a more prestigious zip code?  Are they to be in a higher tax bracket? Are they to be several dress sizes smaller?  Are your desires the will of God? Or are your desires the will of You?

 

Many find their desires conflicting with those of the Lord.  Because of this, we find ourselves frustrated.  Until we reevaluate our desires, discontent will rule our hearts. Instead of desiring material possessions or a more prestigious status, we should seek that which brings real goodness to us and to others.

May I share some of my desires?  I want my daughters to not only grow healthy, wise and obedient to the Lord, but to also raise their children in the same way.  I desire for my girls to marry a man who depends wholly on Christ; a husband who is gentle and patient, yet strong and confident.  I hope to grow to an old age with my husband; enjoying our commitment to one another.  I desire to live in close proximity to my future grandchildren where I can be a constant influence in their life. I desire more opportunities to do some traveling; not just destinations for touring, but also for serving. I would also love to pursue my hobbies more seriously. These examples are the top desires of my heart.

In the above verse, in order to receive the desires of your heart, you must do a few things.  The first one is to trust in the Lord. Easier said than done in many cases.  When you put your complete trust in the Creator of all things, "doing good," becomes less daunting. 

Let's look at an example.  Let's examine the life of a addict, particularly one that is a shopaholic. A shopaholic has an addiction to buying things, even if they are on sale! Over time, this person admits to having a problem. With a depleting bank account and an angry spouse, it is difficult to not see this addiction as a serious issue.  The shopaholic desires to give up the compulsion to shop.  She/he must do a few things.  First, she must trust God and believe that her worth is not in the things that she buys, but in who God has made her to be.  She must also trust that God will fill the void that shopping seems to fill. From there, she should refrain from shopping, whether it be online or at the nearest shopping center.  This is the "doing good" part in the verse. 

Doing good, is not easy.  Doing good takes a lot of energy in making the right choice, time and time again.  When it gets tough to do what is good, it is time to trust even more.  With determination and discipline, the desire to give up compulsive shopping will become a reality.  Hence, receiving the desire of heart.

The above verse shares with us many promises.  All we must do is, trust, do good, dwell, enjoy, take delight and commit....A small price to pay for a heart's many desires!

Love and Blessings,
Tina

 

Breathe

Do you ever feel that distractions are placed in your life on purpose?  I have been distracted, lately.  The distractions in my life have kept me from here (from blogging).  They have kept me from feeling the goodness of my Jesus. 

Let me begin with some of the distractions I have been overcome with.  For one, this world scares me.  I read or see what is happening in our world and find myself having multiple panic attacks!  What is the world going to look like when my children are raising children of their own?

I don't want everyone to think like me; that is the beauty of individuality.  We each have the freedom to think.  THAT IS AMAZING!  We get to think! I can seriously stop right there and just ponder that thought.

Sometimes, though, thinking can back you into a darkness of fear.  I fear the health of my children and my husband.  I fear their safety.  I fear the future. I fear whether or not my loved ones will spend eternity with Jesus. And the list goes on.

If I allowed it, I could worry every day.  I used to think it was just a "mama thing".  Oddly, I found comfort in knowing that other mothers worried about the same things!  It felt normal. But one day I found my heart pounding a bit more after fretting about the human race.  No, this is not normal.  I see Christians being attacked from all sides and I CAN'T BREATHE!  Why do they hate us?!  Why do they laugh at us, yet everyone else is okay??  Breathe, just breathe.  But I can't breathe, it feels like my air is being cut off!  Breathe, just breathe.  BUT THEY DON'T LIKE US!

Then I read this: The battle belongs to God, not you. 

The tears spill over.  And then.....I breathe.

Our God is a big God.  He can handle the hate.  Let me repeat that because it is truly profound....He can handle the hate.

God called us to love and to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  That is exactly what I want to do and who I want to be!  I can't worry about who likes me and who doesn't; there's no time for that.

Distractions will come.  Worry will come.  Let God, and just.....Breathe.