by tascha |
Just last evening I found out about a challenge called 31 days of writing on one topic. I thought: I should do that! It might get me back in the groove of posting more frequently… but, everyday? Can I do that? I mean, if I could, would I not already be?
But I have been contemplating recently that I really need/want to get back to why I started this blog: sharing how God is working in my own heart about being the woman God has created me to be!
So maybe… maybe it’s the jump-start I need! I never planned to blog every.single.day. But that doesn’t mean I can’t every once in a while.
I have had several different ideas of what/how to do devotional thoughts every day for a certain period of days, except I don’t blog on Sundays and rarely on Saturday-but I can get in a Saturday groove… and schedule for Sundays.
So I have decided to do a 31 days of be still and KNOW… because when I’m listening, God touches me each and every day-right where I am in my ordinary life. My goal is to have something posted just after lunch each day.
by tascha
My son, hear the instruction of thy father,
and forsake not the law of thy mother:
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,
and chains about thy neck.
Proverbs 1:8, 9
cute?
When I read these verses this morning, I was struck by them from a different angle than I have been in the past.
Normally, I think:
these are for me as a child–I should not forsake the spiritual upbringing my parents gave me. I think of children in general, even my own children, and how they need to learn to listen and obey-and I must teach them this.
oh MY!
But this morning, I noticed the words the law of thy mother
-not that children should listen and obey but what they should listen to and obey.
As the “mother” here, what is my law?
Law means regulations, standards, rules, guidelines, doctrine.
And my law as mother should line up with God’s Word in principles and doctrine.
My law should be the same as Jesus command in Matthew 22:36-40: Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
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Many of my 31 days will probably come from the Proverb for the day because I decided that this month I wanted to get back into the habit of reading a Proverb-a-day. But we also have special services this month in our church… and the Lord often speaks to me through situations that arise with my children!
by tascha
…to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things… Proverbs 2:1-12
We must seek after God’s Words and hide them in our heart in order to acquire knowledge and wisdom
But just having God’s Words in our head {memorized} does not automatically make us wise. I am sure most of us know examples of that.
We must incline our ear and apply our hearts…
which indicates a heart issue of even wanting to have God’s wisdom.
Only when my heart is right in applying God’s Words will discretion preserve me from the evil man and from the man who speaks frowardly [to lead astray, be stubborn or disobedient].
My desire for today is to allow God to work on my heart so that His Word can be applied... and my ear will be inclined to hear His leading so that I may teach my children also to hear God’s voice for themselves.
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Let’s connect on FACEBOOK!
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I’m also on Instagram!
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and I’m on Twitter!
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by tascha
Last night in my church’s special Revival Services, the Lord touched my heart. He convicted me about my witness… out in public, not an online public, but where people see the actual flesh and blood of my body and who I am.
Though He has many times spoken to my heart about its conduct. And He has changed many things in my life in the area of speech and dress and attitude. This is not how He spoke to me this time {that is not to say I think I have arrived! but it is something I consciously work on frequently.}
During our 9 years of living in this home, we have canvassed [invited neighbors to visit our church as well as ask about their salvation] our street and a few surrounding streets several times, though rarely is anyone home. And while I think we as a family could do this more frequently, that is not what He spoke to me about either.
Being a stay-at-home-wife-and-mother with 4 children [ages 1-8 yo], and many years off/on only having the one vehicle [and now fuel is so high, it’s almost like having one vehicle as we use them both at the same time so rarely], I did/do not leave the house often outside of attending church. But when I do, I am not normally thinking about speaking to anyone. I have a grocery list and a time-frame, and often 2 or more children with me.
What the Lord so graciously and lovingly knocked me up-side the head with is that even then, even when rushed to make sure I do not forget the bread or that I don’t forget to look at the sales racks for that bargain…. I must not block out the world around me. The world that is literally rushing to spend an eternity in hell.
How long would it take me to grab a tract out of my purse and hand it to the lady perusing the canned goods with me? How much brain power does it really take so ask “Do you know Jesus?” to the family also looking for a deal in the toothpaste? How can I be so focused on the toothpaste that it takes precedence over a human soul? I am positive that if I came home and told my husband that someone promised to come to a service or even let me talk further about salvation right there in the grocery store, he would not be in the least upset that I told him I forgot the toothpaste… or even the milk and eggs and bread!
So, this soul-beating that I took last night has softened my heart to SEE the world around me. Just because I am not OF the world does not mean I am not IN it, and I have a grave responsibility of sharing Jesus with someone!
by tascha
Let thine eyes look right on [on your own path], and let thine eyelids look straight before thee [literally, right in front of you]. Ponder the path of thy feet [think about where you are going], and let all thy ways be established [this will strengthen what you are doing]. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left [don’t be looking around while you are walking your path]: remove thy foot from evil [that will protect you from evil].
Something that is often a difficult lesson to learn, whether by child or adult, is that of keeping our eyes on our own path.
The lesson in these verses is something we are working on in our children’s lives. It is natural enough for them {all of us} to notice when others do wrong. I do not discourage them to gently and only one time tell a friend if they think they are doing wrong. That is friendship and kindness. After that, it is the authority’s responsibility to notice and take care of it {with the exception of violence-that is always to be made known to an authority, immediately}.
But because noticing others’ faults is so very natural, this lesson is necessary to learn. It is for children to learn that they must be responsible for their own path. Us too!
Often, when there is a “sight to behold” of something or other, one or more of my girls will literally walk into a wall in order to keep gawking. Turning around to see another child be scolded, straining the neck to watch some activity that seems strange… all these distractions are too much for them to watch AND know where they are headed! To carefully see something, they must stop. and not continue on their path.
The same is true spiritually. We must all learn to look at our own path. I must teach my children by example to keep my own eyelids straight before me, lest I be straining to see another’s fault and slam into a spiritual brick wall…. it is just as painful spiritually as it is physically! And if I am to take time to notice something in another’s path, I must stop. I must stop my own forward progress to see someone else’s path. This often leads to evil {my judging unrighteously of another}.
So, for today, I am re-focused on keeping my eyes on my own path {which includes my children’s paths :)} and teaching them by example that our first and most important responsibility is our own path {actions}… not someone else’s.
by tascha |
What is growing me today!
Proverbs chapter 5 gives warning to a young man about the dangers of the “strange woman.”
I would like to think that there is not a whole lot for me, a Christian, trying-to-be-Godly woman to really get out of that.
But, there is much there for me. There is an example, several explicit illustrations, of what I should not be as well as character traits I need to guard my own daughters against developing and principles I need to teach my son.
I know that, in general, people can be a little touchy about the subject of the “strange woman.” Many people have used her as a launching point for dwelling on dress and “modesty.” I am not going there!
A totally different thought struck me this morning as I read this chapter.
…the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: but her end is bitter as wormwood… [Proverbs 5:3,4]
How often do I speak as honey purely with the intention of getting my own way-which in turn often has results that are bitter as wormwood…?
… ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. Hear me now … depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her…Lest thou give thine honour unto others… [Proverbs 5:6-9]
Are my ways moveable? Do I allow my “mood” to affect {move} how I treat my family? Sadly, that is something I struggle with at times-to the point that my husband canst not know [my ways]. When I allow how I feel to so deeply affect how I act, I am a detriment to the Lord’s ministry in my husband’s life as well as my own testimony to my children {and others}… and the honor of our family is harmed.
Now, I know that this “strange woman” spoken of here is an harlot, and I know that the Bible is teaching young men not to seek out a woman with these traits as she will lead them to ruin; but as a Christian, trying-to-be-Godly woman… I need to guard my own heart against those tenancies.
…because I cannot forget that I have 3 little girls and a sweet baby-man looking at ME to see what a Godly woman should act like.
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{{As I close this post, I feel I must say this…. I realize that some of the thoughts I am sharing during this 31 days may seem a bit strong. I apologize if I come across that way. I am truly only sharing things the Lord has shown me about my own life, about the lives of my children and what to teach them.
I totally get it that some people may not see or understand the same thing I do. I do not always see a passage the same as another, but we can edify each other that way.
That is the beauty of studying Scriptures on a personal level. That is the beauty of our God! I pray you are blessed and encouraged!}}
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by tascha
totally “fall”decor – it was beautiful!
So, today we had a wedding at our church-two young people who grew up in our church… who had a beautiful engagement and now wedding. I am praying their marriage is just as beautiful!
I read the Proverb for today, and there was many directions I could take this post.
But today, I am going to just tell you how God spoke to me at the wedding… even amid needing to take my children out because the baby was not agreeable :/.
yep, goldfish!
Today, I remembered just HOW MUCH my husband means to me. He is my gift. He is the man God gave to me to take care of and cherish me, and he does.
One of the songs sung during the ceremony spoke of “the two of us is all we need.” And another one sung spoke of “walking hand in hand”… being friends. My husband truly is my best friend. And to keep a harmonious friendship {with anyone!} I must be friendly {a different Proverb}. I must speak kindly, lovingly even when occasionally reproving. I must allow the Lord to temper my reactions when they are not what they should be.
gorgeous & delicious
And I must remember that, after God, he is my life.
My husband is my life!
He is my ministry. As and extension of our love, our children are my ministry… but they are not my life in the same way that my husband is. I must remember that I am training and teaching my daughters how to have their own home one day. I must teach my son about being a Godly leader in his own home with his own wife one day!
So, today, this evening…. I am remembering to be intentional so that he will know he is my life.
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Let’s connect on FACEBOOK!
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I’m also on Instagram!
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and I’m on Twitter!
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by tascha |
Sundays are a little hectic. Usually I try not to schedule or allow anything that might take away from any calmness that might be found in getting ready for church services and praying for our Pastor. Thus, I did not get my post typed out yesterday for day 7.
But the Lord did speak to me…. {smiles}
one of the faces that makes my heart HAPPY!
There were several things that I wrote down in my notes from the messages yesterday. I want to share one with you.
The source of our strength… in those weak days {or any day!} is the Lord. A verse that popped in my mind was from Nehemiah where it says: the joy of the Lord is your strength.
I think this thought originated with what the preacher was saying {and I think he actually spoke of that verse}, but honestly, there are times my mind is triggered by something and I start having my own little service in my head for a few minutes… with verses and thoughts ministering to me… inside my head… {am I strange? does this happen to anyone else?}.
Regardless of where it originated, this thought encouraged me:
I often would think of this phrase in that verse in the context of
“God’s joy in my heart will give me the strength to face the day….”
But what if another way to think of it is equally true?
“When I do things that bring God joy,
I receive the strength I need to carry on.”
And this thought made me wonder about what I might do that brings God joy!!
Thinking about the parent/child relationship, I know my own children bring my heart joy when they
obey….
or when they
do right even when their friends do not…
or when they
just say the love me and give a hug… out-of-the-blue….
Is it possible those things bring my Heavenly Father joy, too?
Thus giving me strength to keep on going.
Thinking about the friend/lover relationship, I know my husband brings joy to my heart when he speaks up on my behalf…. {maybe I could speak of the Lord’s goodness}
when he tells me how much I mean to him {in prayer, I can praise God for who He is… simply because I know He loves me}
How about you!?
What sort of things do you think might bring Joy to the Lord in your life?
When you do those things, do you find that strength results? I know I do! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Let’s connect on FACEBOOK!
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I’m also on Instagram!
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and I’m on Twitter!
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