Do it anyway...

I love reading Mother Theresa's words. If you ever get the chance, read something she wrote...she led such an awesome sold out life and yet remained such a humble woman. Here is a poem she wrote...

DO IT ANYWAY
Mother Teresa


People are often unreasonable, illogical,
And self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you
Of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
False friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank;
People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God
It was never between you and them anyway.

The Value of Motherhood

"She senses the worth of her work"

(Proverbs 31:18 - Message)

Being a mother is a hard job! On a daily basis we perform countless tasks, many of which are things we do not enjoy doing, and most of which go unseen. When we become mothers our whole life changes, we can never return to who we once were because never again will we be able to imagine life without this precious one who has filled our hearts. However, in the daily grind of cooking, cleaning, changing dirty diapers and separating whining children it is all too easy to forget what it is being a mother is all about.

So what is it all about? For me, it is to raise my children to know the one true God, for them to have a deep and fulfilling relationship with Him and for them to know just how much He loves them. That is the goal I am working towards. That is why God has entrusted these four lives into my hands. It is not about the meals I cook for them, the clothes I wash for them, the house I clean for them...it's about the character that I build in them, the love I show them and the Christian life I model for them that matters. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14)

I believe that God is calling me, and all Christian Mothers, to a higher standard as Christ's ambassadors to our children. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us" (2 Cor 5:20) Through us our children will learn what it is to be a Christian, they will learn of His immeasurable love for us and they will learn how to live a life of faith. Of course as Christ's ambassadors we are called to a higher standard of living. A standard that demands we live a purposeful and intentional life before our children. Letting go of these high standards set before us has consequences for generations to come. These standards include demonstrating the fruits of the spirit to our children, showing Christ-like behavior even in circumstances that make it difficult to do so, and modeling a relationship with Christ to our children.

So with that huge task God has set before me I am able to truly sense the worth of this work. It is the most important job on earth. It is the most challenging and the most fulfilling job I am ever likely to have. It is also an impossible job without prayer, without God's word and without His grace, but we hold firm to His promise to us... "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26)

Consider...

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place..." Psalm 8:3

"In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him" Psalm95:4

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters....He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me" Psalm 18:16&19

"The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth, you founded the world and all that is in it" Psalm 89:11

"You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn" Psalm 18:36

"Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has pronounced....He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth..... He remembers His covenant forever..." Psalm 105:5-8 Psalm 105:5&8"

"He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills" Psalm 147:8

"My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth" Psalm 121:2

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon" Psalm 92:12

Perspective

This was posted by a friend of mine somewhere else in Cyberworld and I wanted to keep it here so I can read it often! I hope it blesses someone else as much as it did me!

Perspective is key... Kim Potter

Perspective is a vital part of the walk of faith. Perspective means ones point of view, belief or opinion.

It is very important that we have the same point of view as God has about our life, our children and our situations. Now, I am not saying it is easy to see things as God sees them, it will take practice but it can be accomplished.

Jesus only did what He saw the Father do - He only said what He heard the Father say - He was in continual agreement with God's perspective. As I was doing a Bible search on the word 'perspective' I was interested to find that the only translation I could find that had several scriptures with the word 'perspective' in it was the Jewish Bible. Jewish people understand the importance of seeing things from God's perspective.

Do you recall when Jesus was telling the disciples all that He would suffer and eventually die in Matthew 16? If so, you will remember how Peter said 'no way this is going to happen to You, Jesus.' Jesus replied 'Get behind me Satan; you are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men.'

I have read this scripture many times, but today I read it in a different translation and it shed a whole new light - in the New Living Translation it says 'Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view and not from God's.' The Jewish Bible states it like this; Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because your thinking is from a human perspective and not from God's perspective.'

We can see from these two translations - when we see things from a natural or man's point of view - or perspective, it is an obstacle and a dangerous trap.

It was a difference in perspective that caused the ten spies to return to Moses with a bad report, while Joshua and Caleb declared in faith 'we are well able to overcome and possess the land.' The ten saw from man's perspective, which became an obstacle to them and they never entered into the Promised Land and it was certainly a dangerous trap for them to speak out of their mouth because it sealed their fate forever.

Perspective is vital in the Kingdom of God. How you see things will determine much of your outcome because you will react based on what you perceive.

Do you remember when Elisha asked God to open the eyes of his servant? You see, the servant was afraid, terrified, because he was seeing from man's point of view and not seeing as God sees - but God opened his eyes and he saw that there was indeed more with them than with their enemy.

You see, that is always God's perspective -when an enemy comes against you - God always sees that there is more with you than with them. God always sees that you have the upper hand because He has the upper hand and He dwells in you. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. The Bible even says that God sits in the heavens and laughs at the enemy because God knows the outcome - wouldn't it be great if we simply laughed at the enemy when he came against us? We would...if we saw from God's perspective.

God always sees you healed and whole. God always sees you prosperous and abounding to every good work. God always sees you as righteous. God sees you as victorious and triumphant because you are in Christ and Christ is in you - the question is, do you see from God's perspective?

Do you see yourself healed and whole and prosperous? Do you see a great outcome for your life, a wonderful future? Do you see your children walking with the Lord and being a blessing around the world? God does. Today, I ask that you seek God for His perspective, His point of view, opinion and belief concerning you. Then you choose to agree with His perspective.

His perspective will take you into the Promised Land - it will take you into the Eden Blessing. It will cause you to be at peace in the midst of storms knowing that He is with you - He who calms the seas is with you. His perspective will enable you to walk through the fires of life without even the smell of smoke. His perspective will cause the Red Sea to part on your behalf. Seeing as He sees - it's vital in the Kingdom of God.

The wonderful world of my two year old!

My boy - he's such a wonderful little man! He is teaching me so much and his independence is growing in leaps and bounds each day! Take dressing himself for example, something he really wants to be able to figure out all by himself. He is learning how to fasten the popper on his jeans and today I watched him struggle patiently with this for a while. I heard him talking to himself about it and then he said, "get up on the chair". He proceeded to climb up onto his chair (we were getting ready for lunch) and then continued trying to get the popper fastened. Why on earth would he think that getting up on a chair would help him in this I wondered! I was laughing silently to myself as I watched him work on his task and then it came to me....that was how he got it fastened yesterday! How? Let me explain. He was sitting at the table last night waiting for dinner and again trying to fasten his jeans. I saw him struggling, so I told him to stand up on to his chair and I helped him fasten it. Task done, Niyi was a happy camper and we sat down for dinner. Well my boy didn't know why I asked him to get up onto the chair, all he knows is that getting up on to the chair solved the problem! So... fast forward to today and he is yet again presented with the same problem and his smart brain puts all that information together and he thinks the way you get your trousers fastened is to stand on a chair!

This is a funny situation of course, one I think I will remember for a long time, but I also think there may be something we can learn from my son! All too often we (by 'we' I mean 'I' of course!) don't give a second thought to how we explain things to our children. We expect them to pick up on what we are telling them immediately and get frustrated with them when we need to repeat instructions or they need to be explained in a different way. When we (again..'I') talk to our children it helps if we remember that for the most part of the first three years of their lives all they are doing is learning new things. Activities that are second nature to us, are learning experiences for our young children. If we take a moment and think about this maybe we ('I' !) will be parents who are more understanding and patient with our children...

Little Man after a hard day's learning!!

'My Jesus'

This song is my current favorite, it's by Todd Agnew and is called 'My Jesus'. I love the words, I'm crying each time I hear it. Read them and weep people! ;-)
If you want to listen along I have it on my playlist to your right!

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like my Jesus

What we've been doing...

I've not been here too much recently and although some of that has been sheer busyness, some of it is on purpose too. I've been in a reflective kinda mood recently and have really been thinking about what kind of memories my children will have of their childhood. I feel I've been too focussed on school, chores and obedience and I've missed out on some fun times with my kids. So after some quiet reflection on my part, I have decided to become a more purposeful parent and focus on how I spend time with the kids and although I initially started this for the kids sake I think I have been benefiting the most from it!! So often I spend the day chasing the kids around, getting them to finish up something or correcting them or sending them away to go play as I am busy cleaning, cooking or on the computer I have missed so many opportunities to enjoy life and to spend time with my little ones. They are little for such a a short period of time and it may be a cliche but it is - true they really do grow up quickly!
We have been having fun just hanging out enjoying each other's company. We've played games, read books just for fun (not only school books!), baked cookies and made fudge, spent time outside, built cities out of blocks, raced cars, snuggled up to watch movies and generally just had some fun conversations. I've learned that chores really do wait, that learning can take various forms and that my children are really great kids who can teach me a thing or two!
Christmas is a natural time of year for me to think about making memories, but this is not something I want to be a once a year thing. My goal each day is to live it like it is my last day with them. I want my children to remember that they were loved and that I really enjoyed them. I want to teach them that being a parent is not only about getting kids to act right and to graduate from college successfully. I want them to know that I am learning from them and that each and every day I am growing as a result of God giving them to me.

If you are interested in seeing what we do on a daily basis I've started another blog - an online home school journal. It is mainly for me to see what learning we have done each day, and might not make inspiring reading ( school isn't always a picture of perfection) but it's there if you want to see what we get up to each day!

Words to live by...

I read these today and had to post them to my blog...

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33 Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36.[*] Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

Change CAN happen!

Last night I sat with my husband and daughter and watched the world become a better place. It is now a place where a child can look to the future and believe that all their dreams can come true. It is a place where the older generation can look back on all they've been through and say it was worth it. For a moment we can believe that all things are truly possible. With the history of this Nation behind us, now I feel we can begin to look to a brighter future. Whatever your politics, you can't deny this is an historic moment in time.

Consider this:
Romans 13:1-5
"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. ² So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. ³ For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. ⁴ The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. ⁵ So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience".

Lets remember all that has been lost in the name of 'right and wrong'. Lets remember all the lives that have been lost in the fight for civil rights and please lets remember that God is in control!

Happy Birthday to me!

Well another year has passed and I'm getting older! I may have the gray hairs and wrinkles to show that I am, but if you ask me sometimes I don't feel much older than 18! We have just come home from a lovely family night out at Olive Garden (I am stuffed!!!) and I am in a reflective mood. Driving home from the restaurant I was thinking just how much has happened in one year and how far I have come as a woman. This time last year we had just found out that we were expecting Kemi and I was truly 'freaking out' about becoming a mother of another child. I didn't know how I could do it, and to tell you the truth I was scared. At that time in my life I felt completely out of my depth and I couldn't see how I was going to do it. The news about Kemi's imminent arrival came at a time of major changes and life decisions for us as a family and for a moment I felt as if God had taken His hand away from us. The few days I lived thinking that God didn't want the best for us and that He didn't really want to help us were the scariest few days of my life. I lived with out hope and that is no way for anyone to live. I came out of my hole after a few days - God in all His love and mercy pulled me out and helped me focus on Him again - I know I can't go back there again, life with out Jesus is no life at all.

Fast forward twelve months and I am a completely different person. The journey that we have been on this last year has deepened my relationship with Jesus, has solidified the trust I have in Him and has helped me find my peace in the storms of life. I have learnt that all things are indeed possible through Him and that He really doesn't give us more than we can handle. I have lived this past year learning that all I need to do is to trust Him and let Him lead me and I will make it! It's not just having that fourth child - we've been through a lot as a family and a couple, things that at the time looked insurmountable, but now looking back it is clear that God was taking us through those challenges to grow us.

As I begin my 35th year on this earth I can truly say that I am content. I am becoming all God has created me to be. I am living my life with purpose, I am happy with who I am and I know that God has an awesome plan for the rest of my life. I wouldn't change thing about this past year despite it's difficulties - I wouldn't be who I am today if we hadn't been through all we have.

Chocolate is coming!

I wasn't sure the psychic waves would work tonight so I just had to call Kunle and tell him to read my blog! LOL!

I think he got the *not so subtle* hint! Now I've just got to wait one more hour to jump in the tub! Tomorrow is a new day! :-)

I'm sulking!

Not sure why...there is truly no reason to be in a bad mood, but today I am in one! I don't want to do anything and with four kids at home that is pretty much impossible!

I am counting down to a bubble bath complete with a nice glass of Chardonnay, a good book and possibly some chocolate (if Kunle receives my vibes to stop at the store on the way home and buy his wife some Dove chocolate!) :)

Anyway I guess I'll just have to keep going - the kids get kinda cranky if I don't cook for them - not sure a bowl of cereal can count as dinner tonight! LOL!

Food for thought...

I am reading a great book right now - Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson - I've read it before, but it is truly one of those books a homeschooling Mom should re-read each year!
Anyway, reading through Chapter 8, subtitled 'Making it work', I was struck by this: "It will come because of your faithfulness - because you faithfully follow God's design for motherhood. Faithfulness is simply learning to see with God's eyes and seize with God's hands the hundreds of small opportunities you have every day to influence your children - to shape their values and attitudes, build their faith, discipline their disobedience, inspire their genius, nurture their emotions, train their habits, ivate their character and set their feet on the path of righteousness"..."The reality of homeschooling is that God is asking you to become a servant to your children, willing to sacrifice your time, energy , emotions and expectations for them. That takes more than natural strength - it takes strength. It takes the kind of faithfulness that comes only from trusting God and depending on His grace everyday"...."If you are trusting in the Lord and depending upon His grace, you can still accomplish your purposes as a mother".

I have been guilty all too often of trying to do this alone - and guess what...it's impossible! But with Christ all things are possible and I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. Lord help me let you help me...I can't do this alone and I need you more than I comprehend....

Our First week home!

Well here I am ~ mother of four!! Very strange feeling really, and I 'm not quite sure what to do with all of these kids! LOL! I am definitely outnumbered now! But we have made it through this first week home alone and although it hasn't been all smiles, we did make it through with quite a few good times! All the kids have adjusted pretty well to Kemi's arrival and are all truly in love with their new sister! The most surprising was Niyi - he has not shown any jealousy at all and with him being so young we were getting ready for at least a few days of acting out, but there has been none! He is very sweet with his little sister and surprisingly enough he has been very gentle - for those of you who know my little man in real life 'gentle' is not the first word that comes to mind when thinking about him!

Kemi is now two weeks old and she is sleeping and eating well. Already she is holding her head up a lot more than before and she is beginning to really notice her surroundings. As for her temperament, she seems to be a pretty laid back kinda gal! As long as she has been fed recently she is quite content and she spends pretty much 20 hours per day asleep! The s are ready for her to be a little more interesting! You forget how much a newborn sleeps!

I have been so completely blessed by friends these past few weeks it has been very humbling. So many gifts, prayers, phone calls and meals have have been given to us and it has truly been a blessing! To all of my friends that have been a part of this time in our life we are touched and thank you all so much! It is always hard to be away from family at times like these, but you have all made this time a special one. You are all true 'family' to us - thank you!

So here are some more pictures of what we have been getting up to these past few weeks!

Lola with Kemi - she has been a great helper since we got home.

Tayo with her little sister!

I told you he is gentle!

Kemi in her bassinet doing what she does best!

Kemi with the men in her life!

I had to take this picture of Kemi on snuggled up after her bath!

...yes we've been getting some school done too!

...and Niyi is as busy as ever!
(Yes that is one of my shoes he is wearing!)

We had an amazing sunset the other night!

I have just discovered that we don't have any good photos of me with anyone - I will work on that this week! I guess I am always the one behind the camera!

Enjoy the moment...

As many of you know I am pregnant - really pregnant! And of course with this stage in my life come many discomforts and lots of dreams about getting my body back (specifically, being able to bend in the middle again!). Well this morning was no different when at 4:15am I awoke again to visit the restroom for the, oh let me see now....100th time! I was plodding slowly around my bedroom, trying not to open my eyes, but having to to avoid tripping up, when I heard the Lord whisper to me, "Enjoy your day". Hahahaha! Yeah - great one God! Just what I need to hear after a night of tossing and turning in my bed!
But there it was - He said it, and then said it again! So this time I listened. Now, I know God is not into sarcasm, so I guess He was actually talking to me about something He thought important enough to tell me in the early hours of the morning. "What do you mean God?" I asked, and He told me that I have been wishing away these last few days waiting for my baby to be born complaining and whining about how I feel, all the while these days have been given to me as a gift to be enjoyed.
Recently I have alternated between resentment (at the non-pregnant world) and guilt (for not getting enough done each day) for the majority of the day. I have woken up each day with a plan of action, with ideas for things I must get done around the house 'before the baby comes' which gets put to the side each day as I get more and more tired. My children have been bearing the brunt of all this and living with a grumpy Mommy who just wants to be left alone and that of course leads me to deep guilt about what a poor mother I am being... I could go on, but I think you get the picture!
So I got up this morning and decided to spend some time praying about what God had spoken to me and with Him this morning all I felt was another liberal dose of His grace and love. Repenting of ungratefulness and impatience I am now free to really embrace today. "Enjoy your day" means to relax, to not put any expectations on this day, to be free to respond to His leading - wherever that takes me. It means to put aside all my plans and to embrace His. To let go of all my expectations and to respond to the Holy Spirit living inside of me. To really "be glad and rejoice in the day the Lord has made". Today I have laid aside all my plans and really want to just follow His lead.
So now as one of my little ones is getting up right now - I will use this time to snuggle him close and just enjoy today with him! As we wait for his sisters to wake I will avoid making plans and trying to do, do, do. Today I will just be!

Happy Mother's Day!

Here I am on Mother's Day awaiting breakfast in bed and a day of complete rest. I've already been showered with kisses, hugs flowers and homemade gifts galore and now I am here with some 'me' time before the bacon is cooked! I was up early this morning and I've been thinking about being a Mother and all that it entails. One of the greatest influences we have as mothers is our own mother and I want to take a moment out and honor her...
My mother and I have not always seen eye to eye and I know that I gave her such a hard time as a teenager, but through it all she has remained steadfast, a rock in my life that I knew I could turn to whatever I did. She gave grace to me when I needed it on so many occasions and she gave me the confidence to become who I am today.
I now know as an adult some things I did not appreciate as a young child. I know that things were tough financially for a while when I was young, but I never did feel it back then. Going through tough times now and trying to plan a future for our children has really shown me what a great job my parents did in protecting us from all that.
My Mother ensured that I was given a great childhood (well, Dad did too of course, but today is Mother's Day!) My memories are full of adventures in the park, walks along the beach in the height of winter (boy did I complain about that at the time!) reading good books, baking cakes and scones and lots of family time in the woods with the dog or at the DIY store buying something for the house (I love that place!) I may not have had the latest craze in shoes or toys, but I had a great childhood and the memories of that time are worth so much more than whatever material things could have been given to me!
My Mother has taught me many things, but I think the greatest thing she has taught me is how to be accepting of people no matter what. As I was growing up I never felt pressure from her to perform a certain way or to be a certain type of person. I was always given the opportunity to become whoever I wanted, with no pressure from her. If I had a different opinion about a world issue we debated it, as adults, with my opinion always being listened to. If I made a choice about my life's direction it was always respected, in fact those choices were encouraged. No matter what I have done, as a child or adult, I have felt that quiet support of my Mother and that has given me the strength to become so much more than I would have otherwise. I hope to be able to give that kind of support to my children.
My Mother made many sacrifices for us when we were growing up and I know that is all a part of being a Mother, but it gives me great joy now to see her become the woman she is right now and to be really enjoying the life she has now! You deserve it Mom, so take all life hands you now!! Thank you for being a such a wonderful Mother...I love you.

Changing Rhythm...

One of my favorite passages of scripture is from Matthew 11. My favorite version is the Message version -it speaks to me so clearly..."Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me, and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly". (Matt 11:28-30 Message)

Anyone here need to live "freely and lightly"? Or is it just me? There are some days that this kind of life seems so far away from my life it's a joke. When thinking about my days I have plenty of reasons why they are not "free" or "light" - I mean how could they be I am just so busy. Can't you see Jesus - I have three children, I homeschool, I am pregnant, I need to cook, clean, shop, plan ...blah, blah, blah! Okay...hold on! Am I really saying that Jesus was less busy than I am??? Oh...better stop right there! I guess Jesus can take the prize for busy! So how did He do it? When I read my bible I see that Jesus has promised to teach me how to live this life and to live it daily. So how? That's what I wanted to know - I'm all about the how (and that may be part of my problem, but that's for another time!) Well, if we look in this passage Jesus tells us to "watch how I do it". So I did. I took a few days out to really examine how He lived His life and what He actually did - I figured I could learn a few things...

First things first: Jesus did nothing apart from His Father (see John 5:19)...What does that mean? He took time in prayer every single morning and communed with God. I'm sure that He didn't get up and jump immediately into everything He had to do without relaxing and taking time to talk about the day with God. I'm also sure that He didn't pray some religious pat prayer and say, 'There! I'm done with my prayer for the day, I got that out of the way!'.
Jesus spent quality time with His father, time to chat and be Himself. I think that is all He wants us to do. Not to feel that this is just something a good Christian woman has to do everyday; that because the Proverbs 31 woman got up early and prayed it's something I have to do every morning or I am a failure. Jesus wants us to come to Him in the morning to take a few minutes and just be with Him. He wants us to want to spend time with Him to desire that special time each morning, not to have it as #1 on a long list of things to do each morning. Adding Jesus to your list each day won't make your day light or easy...
Jesus also did not limit time with His father to the early morning hours and leave it at that. Jesus went to God whenever He felt He needed to. I notice that He especially spent time in prayer after particularly busy times in His day (you know...feeding 5,00...healing crowds of people etc, etc!) There was a reason He did that...He needed to be refueled and take a moment for himself. I know there are many times in each day I could use a refueling. How about you?

The result of Jesus spending time throughout the day talking to His father was that He was able to know what was important and He was able to let go of all that was unnecessary in His day. he didn't pressure Himself to do what others expected Him to do. If I really took all that I feel I need to do in my day to God, how many of those things would make it onto God's list of things He feels are important for me to do. All those expectations I place upon myself - are they from God? I'm not so sure...I'm not sure God is really upset with me if my house is not quite perfectly clean. I'm not sure God wants me to forgo fun with the kids because we must do all the workbooks we had planned for the day. And I'm not sure God really wants me to worry so much about how much damage I must be doing to my kids as their teacher!
Jesus had plenty of outside pressure telling Him what they thought He should be doing, but He was able to stay focused on what was truly important because He was in rhythm with what God wanted. I don't think I 'm quite as rhythmical!

Jesus was not all about work you know! He was busy I give you that,but He also knew how to enjoy life! Oh! that sounded sacreligious didn't it! But look into it! Jesus enjoyed His closest friends, He spent time eating meals with people and just relaxing too. I think that was how He was able to minister to such a large variety of people from professionals to s - he was REAL! He was fun and relaxed and didn't make people feel that they weren't worth His time. Jesus really got up the Pharisee's noses with this! Am I able to really relax and have fun? Do I turn my husband and children away from me when I am all about the work, work, work? I think Jesus was onto something here!

What did Jesus do when His plans for the day went astray? He just flowed with it. He seemed to have a sense of what was truly important for His day and if that was something that was not in His plan then so be it. Take the woman with the issue of for example (Matt 9:20). Jesus could have easily told her to come back later as He was on a schedule and couldn't be late, but He didn't. He stopped what He was doing and went with it. This is what I think Jesus meant when he spoke of unforced rhythms. How many of life's interruptions are put there by God Himself who wants us to take time out of what we have planned and go with what He has planned?

So what will my life look like if I take Jesus up on His offer to help me in my day. What do the unforced rhythms of grace look like?

Here's what I think...I think my prayer life will not be on my list of things to do. I will seek time with Jesus whenever I need it and nurture a relationship not a religion. I will seek to enjoy the life I have now! I will enjoy my children, my husband, my friends and family today. I will not focus on my checklist! I will learn to go with the flow when God interrupts my day and not fight against it because my plan is so important. I will respond now when I hear that still, small voice in my head and not put it off for a better time. If God tells me to do something I will! I will stop worrying about all the things I should be doing and am not. I will lay down my plans and keep company with Jesus!