Let Go Let God
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Let Go – Let God

Let go and let God.  I know it’s a saying that can be overused.  But, it’s a pretty important thing to remember.  If we truly have faith and believe that God’s got this and He is in control, then why would we need to hang on?  If we do it for show, and just say that God is in control, but try to be a puppet master behind the scenes, then that’s really all it is – a show.  Deep down we know it definitely wasn’t us.

We aren’t strong enough, or – let’s face it – smart enough to solve problems the way God can.  Way too many times I find myself getting in God’s way trying to control and guide a situation.  I wonder how many times my trying and my attempt at controlling something actually causes more work for God in the end…  (If you have kids, you know how that one usually turns out.)

How frustrated should God be with me?  I can just see Him shaking His head, with a sort of half-smile and a bit of sadness in His eyes, because this was supposed to be the time I actually submitted…

If I were Him, I would have put me in a time-out years ago… I thank Him every day for His patience.

Turns out, I have a really hard time letting go.

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Believe
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Don’t be Afraid; Just Believe

Eliana is home from school today.  Yesterday afternoon, she had her first encounter with a bee.  As it turns out, their relationship isn’t that great…

At first everything seemed pretty normal.  Elle got stung and she cried.  I get that.  It scared her and I’m sure it hurt.  But then, after getting home and giving her medicine, the swelling kept getting worse.  When she started complaining of itching on her trunk, my radar turned up a bit.  And, then, I saw her very pretty, red and bumpy eyelids, and I knew it was time to go.

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The Armor of God
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The Armor of God

In my last post, Is it Enough?, I talked about how much the world throws at our kids every day.  It really hit me how important it is for us to equip them with tools they can use when they are subjected to all the temptations and Satan’s lies.  After being super convicted that we haven’t been doing enough to help our kids, I studied out Ephesians 6.  I really appreciate Paul’s use of imagery when he describes The Armor of God –

But to do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God’s approval.  Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the Good News of peace with God.  In every battle, you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.  And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God.                             Ephesians 6:14-17 LAB

As I started writing, I began by breaking down each part of Paul’s description.

The Strong Belt of Truth…The Breastplate of God’s Approval…Shoes to speed you on…Faith as your Shield…The Helmet of Salvation…The Sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God.

And, then I realized, I didn’t need to break it down.  Right now, I need to focus on what should be the foundation of it all.

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Is it Enough
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Is it Enough?

It’s hard to believe the kids are starting their second month of school today.  It seems like we were just going back-to-school shopping… But, as they rushed around this morning, getting themselves ready to head out the door, I found myself wondering, is it enough?

I wasn’t thinking about the clothes they were wearing, or the supplies they were stuffing into their backpacks.  Nope.  Thankfully, those items are well-stocked so I don’t worry about those so much.

Instead, what really makes me stop dead in my tracks from time-to-time is when I think about everything that the world throws at them.

Every.  Single.  Day.

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9 Ways to Create a Home of Joy

You know that feeling when you walk into a clean and organized home?  For me, it’s almost as if a hush comes over everything and I just want to stop and stare.  I actually get a feeling of joy and happiness that starts in my chest and spreads outwards.  It is a true sense of peace and tranquility.  Because my surroundings are so wonderfully neat and tidy, my perfectionist tendencies are at bay because not one thing is out-of-order or begging to be changed.  I can almost hear the harps…

And, then, I wake up.  That is my dream.  Certainly not always my reality…

But, every so often, when the moon is in just the right phase and all the planets are aligned… if I’m really lucky, I can get ONE room in our home to give me that feeling. Unfortunately, everything doesn’t always come together to make that possible.  It’s way more rare than it is common.  But, it’s a good goal to have, regardless.

So, in order to bring more joy into our home on a more regular basis, I started looking around and thinking about what is truly needed to create a Home of Joy.  Along the way, I discovered there is a lot more to joy than just looks.  (Pretty sure there’s another lesson wrapped up in there somewhere…)

But, for now, here’s a quick list of what I came up with this time around…

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