Our God is an Awesome God

My son went to sleep singing Our God is an Awesome God, and I cried for him. Most of you know my son suffers from things such as allergies, eczema, and pretty much both attack his skin and cause him to have cuts all over his hands and feet. I wish it was so easy just to put something on it and it disappear or try a new cream and it feel better. Nothing works. That's how I feel anyway.

I as a mother want the best for my children, when I see them in pain my heart aches with them. I wish I could have Isaiah's skin and He could have mine. I want so badly to take his place, that's been my prayer these past few years.

Tonight Isaiah asked "mom why did God make me this way?" I responded "son, I don't know but what I do know is God will get the glory! The blind man didn't do anything wrong but God had a greater plan, so too with your life God is going to do that same thing son...(John 9:1-4)

The enemy is putting thoughts in Isaiah's mind that He did something wrong to deserve this pain he is always in. But I know he has done nothing wrong and God has allowed this, but why? We don't always know why God allows things in our lives. We don't always understand what He sees because His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. And who are we to say what the potter should do with the clay?!

No matter what we are facing or what hardship we are going through we must bring glory to God. We must continue to worship Him. Isaiah has a very tough path and as a mom I am so sad weeping and praying over my son but I find strength in who God is and what He promises. Friends our God is able. There is not one thing He can not do and I am teaching that to my son.

So tonight me being a mom I cried as I seen my boy raising his hands proclaiming that "Our God is an Awesome God who reigns from heaven above with wisdom power and love our God is an awesome God!"

We can learn a lot from these little turkeys. Their pure hearts for Jesus brings glory to the Father always.

Maybe you're facing something that is causing you to doubt the goodness of the Lord tonight, can I just encourage you to change your thinking. Remember His promises. Remember that God is ALWAYS doing a good thing! Even in what seems bad and painful to us. Trust the Potter!

Where's Your Joy?

I can always tell in my own life when my joy is gone or diminishing that my relationship with God is weak. And when I say weak I don't mean He has anything to do with that but rather my heart is distant from Him. Have you ever seen a believer that is ALWAYS downcast and so Eeyore like. It is the saddest thing in the world because even on our worst day or toughest trial we still have hope!

Can life be hard? Yes. Do we lose loved ones? Yes. Do we experience great pain? Yes, no doubt but during that time God never leaves us and even if we don't see His hand we can trust that He is there. His word promises us that nothing can separate His great love for us, not one thing! And when the waters rise we cling to Jesus. We look up and know that the trial will pass, that the pain someday will be gone because Heaven is coming and in heaven there will be no more tears or suffering. We know that as children of God all the evil we have done has been wiped away and forgiven and so on judgment day we will be seen white as snow. Friends this is good news. This is the promise we have to cling to when life is a mess. Unending joy should fill our cups so much that it overflows onto others. That's how the world will see the difference in us. See bad things happen to everyone but the believers life should look different when trials and storms come, our lives should radiate the smell of the joy we have in Jesus.

It always makes me sad when I see someone fall away from God or lose their joy. It's a good sign that they are heading backwards instead of forward. Now don't get me wrong, I get grouchy and cranky, I snap at people and sometimes I cry. Well sometimes I cry a lot lol. However God always lifts me back up. When I am downcast the first thing I know I need to do is get on my hands and knees and when I don't feel like it a close sister comes alongside of me speaking truth in love to encourage me to get where I need to be. How can we fall away from this perfect love that is forever wooing us? Today my heart aches for my family who knows the truth yet chooses to walk in rebellion. They wallow in their own misery and keep rejecting God. This makes me sad. They are losing out on the blessing of joy that they can experience in their everyday life.

See that's it guys, life is good! I'll say it again, life is good!! God is good! If you are a believer you should be able to say this and mean it. If not that is a sign that something is wrong. Go to God He will fix it. Don't walk in depression  or anxiety. Don't walk around in anger or un-forgivness. Have you seen God's beauty? Have you seen what He created around us? He is majestic and there is none like Him. None!!!

Too often each day the enemy comes to steal our joy and we just hand it over like It's ours to give away. God paid a high price so that we can walk in freedom so take the gift and give it away and not to satan, Give it to people who walk around depressed,  angry and sad. Let the joy God has given you bless this dying world we live in.

I write this with a heart of righteous anger. It bothers me that some of my family knows the truth yet walks in darkness. It bothers me that far too many Christians have no joy and it bothers me that people I love are straying from Jesus. Here is the thing friends, today is one day closer to Jesus coming and one day closer to us standing face to face with God. Hit your knees and accept God's love then fall radically in love with Him because He is radically in love with you!

They are HIS First

I remember the thought of my kids not being able to attend private christian school frightened me. We were blessed for 4 years to be at an amazing small christian school the staff was amazing, the families were amazing and I knew my kids were in a safe place. Having to pay one tuition wasn't too bad, I felt it but we made it work but when Athena got to kindergarten trying to get 2 tuition's paid or work off one just wasn't working for our family. The sad day came when I realized we just couldn't do it. I was forced as a mom to look for other options to school my children.

Public school was completely out of the picture and I knew that for certain. Being honest while I had a great group of friends all the way through school looking back I realize it wasn't the best place for my siblings and I to have been. I didn't learn as much as I wished I could have, no teacher ever came beside me to make me better and to be honest I seen way too many things that easily could have waited a few years down the road. And the class sizes, Wowzers it felt more like a zoo then a classroom. I have some stories to share but that's not really what this blog is about. Point is I had a bad experience with public school and I knew there had to be a different way for my family.

So then there was home school and that just creeped me out because all I had in mind was "sheltered UN social kids". Kids who didn't know how to socialize or get involved in extra curricular activities. I knew that I wanted balance for my home. We liked sports and ASB functions however we wanted them in moderation and wanted God to always be first and the center.

As I investigated I realized home school was not what it use to be or what I as a child portrayed it to be lol. As I prayed more and more the Lord revealed to me that home school was the exact avenue I was to take with my children. I kind of thought He was crazy to be honest because what single mom home schools her kids? Me I guess. All I knew is I needed to walk down this path.

It was scary leaving our Christian private school and sad too. We had to learn a whole new way of everything and it was kind of hard. To be honest the road has been a rocky one but can I share that it's path has had the most peace in all of our life's journeys. God has made it our safe place with Him. Our single parent home has become very close with one another as we have chugged along this path as the Lord as our guide.

My mom shared that she wished she would have schooled us differently growing up but she didn't know there were other options. I didn't know there were other options either and the more I share how I home school my children the more I see how so many parents don't know they have a choice.

Our children are given by God to us for us to raise as our responsibility. When we stand before the Lord someday each parent will take accountability for what he or she has done with what we have been given. I really take that serious. My choices reflect my children and the choices I choose for them will set them on the path they will feel led to take.

While I have seen some amazing kids come from public school I just want anyone reading this to know that you have other options and choices. And if your kids are at school away from you 5 days a week get involved in their classrooms and schools. Ask questions,  see what they are learning about. Our government is really stepping in to raise our children and fill their minds with the world's knowledge. We as believers do not want that. These kids are our arrows to shoot back at the kingdom of hell. My kids go to school 2 days a week and even then sometimes I know they get taught stuff we don't believe in but we talk about it. We have discussions on the world's stance and point of view along with what God's word says about it.

While I realize God has a different plan for each family I'd just like to encourage you to ask God where He wants your children to be schooled. Before, I just did as I pleased because they were MY kids.... but now as a believer I realize they are HIS kids first and He has given them to me as a gift temporarily. So now I say "God where do you want your kids to be?" 

So that's my encouragement to you. You have other options. You can do anything God is calling you to do. Will you need great faith in God to trust your kids to be in a public school? Do you need strength and endurance to home school this year? Or do you need to trust God will provide financially for a Christian private school. I don't know the answer but God does. Listen He will answer.

The safest place to be is in the center of God's will because where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. It feels good to live FREE!