31 days of Surrendering to God Day 28 Connection

I think to be living a life truly surrender to God, I have to stay connected to God, and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. My connection with God is critical. It is my lifeline. I need to stay connected to Him by reading the Bible, and by praying through out the day. I also like to listen to worship music, and read books and devotionals that remind me of His word. I also think that staying connected to my brothers and sisters in Christ is very important. I was having a conversation with my oldest daughter yesterday, that the body of Christ is supposed to be like one big family. This is how I feel about my church family, and it is reflected in our church’s mission statement that we are a gospel-centered family. I find that if I am not connected to my brothers and sisters in Christ, I feel very isolated and lonely. I need my sisters in Christ, and I am thankful for the connections that I have made through church, blogging, and other means. I am blessed to have wonderful women in my life.

 

Five Minute Friday Overcome

Revelation 12:11

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

I am so thankful that I serve a Risen Savior. He overcame the grave. I cannot overcome anything in my own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, I can be an overcomer. I am also amazed at the believers referenced in Revelation 12:11, They did not “shrink from death.” It reminds me of Ephesians 6:15 to stand firm in the faith with the shoes of peace. I have been learning about the Armor of God referenced in Ephesians and the shoes of a Roman soldier had spokes in the bottom of them that helped him stand firm. God will help me stand firm no matter what the storms of life throws my way. He wants us to know that because he is with and for us, we can be overcomers.

 

Day 26 of Surrendering to God Change Me

Author Stormie Omartian says that one of the most impactful prayers that you can pray is, “Change me Lord.” I believe this is true, and I think that this may be one of the most humbling prayers to pray.  I often desire  that my circumstances change or people in my life change their attitudes, but to realize that I need to change. Whoa, that is really hard to admit sometimes. Change is hard. I have prayed asking God, “Why am I the one who need to change?” ,but as I tell my children the only person’s opinions and actions you can control are your own. I need to remember that I cannot change anyone around me, but I can ask to change me, and then follow His leading. I think this is a big step in living a life surrendered to God.

 

Day 25 Because He lives

I think it is really important to know your why- the reason that you get up each morning and live life the way that you do. A few months back my Pastor encouraged the church to write 100 word stories. Stories of what God has done for each one of us since we each individually decided to follow Jesus. I was telling friends yesterday, that I think I need to read mine every day. It reminds me of who I am in Christ, and why I do the things that I do. It reminds me of my “why” or my because. If I do not remind myself of whose I am, I am more likely to chase after things that are not God’s best for me. I get distracted by things that I should not be focusing on. I need to focus on the eternal- loving God, and loving others. So often, I lose sight of that. I need  to keep my fixed on Jesus.

Day 24 31 days of surrendering to God Revise and Refine

Can I be honest about something? I love putting my thoughts on paper. Revising or refining those thoughts- not so much. In fact, my parents would proofread my papers for me in high school, and I hated when they found errors in a paper that I thought was finished, but when I accepted their correction and made the changes it meant the difference between an okay assignment and a well-written one. This reminds me of Hebrews 12:11 , ” For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” There are many things in life that are not easy, but are worth the time and effort put into them. Surrendering to God and allowing Him to refine is not always easy or enjoyable, but it is worth it. The most comforting part is that God is with us every step of the way.

 

 

Day 23 of Surrendering to God Whatever You’re doing

Philippians 1:6

⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I will admit this that I am not always very confident that God is doing a good work in me. I was talking with a friend today that I sometimes get fixated on tangential issues. Our Pastor preached this Sunday on the power of the tongue, and I confessed to her that I am not always calm, kind, and gentle with my children. She reminded me that this of course would be an area I need to work on, but I accomplish nothing by feeling down about it. I need to pray about it, and make a plan to be more mindful about speaking words of life, and carry out that plan. Having a pity party because I have areas of my life that I need to experience growth in does not actually help me grow. Trusting in God that He has began a good work in me, and partnering in that work, by filling myself with the Word and prayer are the first steps toward growth. So, what do you need to trust that He is working on in you, today?

Day 22 31 days of Surrendering to God Lead Me Where the Light Is

I think in every persons life, there will be seasons of darkness and storms. I think what has helped me during dark times is to remember that God is still there, during those times. He is there. He loves me more than I can comprehend, and He longs for me to call out to Him. If I call out to Him, trust Him, and surrender to Him, He will eventually in His timing lead me to where the light is. I just need to keep my focus on Him, and stop focusing on the darkness and storms around me. I also think looking for little blessings and joys along the dark journey are helpful. Praising God in storm builds my trust in Him. I need to get His word in my head and heart, and just keep preaching it to myself. Joy will come in the morning even when the night seems like it will never end.

31 Days of surrendering to God Day 21 Give

Some days I feel like have nothing to give. I am running on empty. I got nothing left. I usually feel this way when I am trying to live life in my own strength. If I keep running full steam ahead, checking things off my to do list, and trying to juggle it all, by the end of the day I am wiped out. I have totally been the mom asleep on the couch at 8 o’clock at night while my kids are still running around playing, and I wake up wondering how I am going to make it through the bedtime routine. In those moments I also marvel that they still have so much energy at that time of day. I was reminded by a friend this week that the old saying, “God does not give us more than we can handle.” is a lie. God wants us to cry out to him, when we have nothing left to give. Actually, I am sure that He wants to call out to us before we get to that point, but I admit I am stubborn sometimes. I get to that point of total depletion, before crying out to him. I am so thankful that in those times that I am in my greatest need that I can find comfort, rest, and peace in Christ.

31 days of Surrendering to God Discover

I believe that this is a sign of the stage of life that I am in as a homeschool Mom, but when I read that the prompt was discover, I thought of the often used line in the Magic School Bus series “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” I like seeing my children stretching themselves creatively, and I know that the only way to learn is by sometimes making mistakes. As a tired Mom, I must admit the getting messy part makes me a little nervous. I believe that our Heavenly Father wants us to make discoveries, also. He wants us to be willing to try new things, grow, and make new discoveries about ourselves, others, and most of all Him. I believe that he made this wonderfully intricate world as an invitation for us to explore and discover. It makes me smile to watch my children discover new things, and I believe that God as our Heavenly Father smiles when we live without fear of failure, and view the world with the wonder of a child.

 

 

31 Days of Surrendering to God Day 19 Brave

I don’t really think of myself as brave. Rather, I am a big chicken. You won’t find me on roller coasters. I would much rather view a mountain from the ground rather than climb it. My oldest daughter who loves to climb trees, asked me if I climbed trees as a kid. My answer to that was, “Nope.” There is a different kind of bravery though. The bravery that it takes to just show up. The bravery to lay my agenda at Jesus’s feet, and ask Him to use me to love others today. My kids and I were talking about Matthew 5:14. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” My son said that he learned in Sunday school, that Jesus is the light, and we are the mirrors.   I want to lay me down, and be a mirror of the light and love of God.