3 Ways To Begin Loving God More – And It Won’t Happen Overnight

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When Jacob was born, I’d only been a christian for 3 years. I was desperately hungry for godly women to show me how to raise godly children.

I read every book I could get my hands on. I attended every Bible study offered. I even went to a women’s retreat at a church I didn’t belong to and didn’t know a soul attending.

I’m an introvert and never before recall doing something so wild.

A hunger for the Lord leads us to do what we never imagined doing.

I began going to a group for young christian moms very similar to MOPS when my boys were babies. 2 mentor moms led a large group session. Then we split into small groups, led by a mentor mom and also filled with an equal mix of young moms and older, wiser moms. It was one of the best decisions I made as a young mom. By far.

A hunger for God will not be left to starve. He will fill it in ways we never imagined when we seek Him with our whole heart.

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The wisdom these women shared found a spot in my heart forever. My favorite mentor mom spoke with such passion and conviction. I’ll never forget her sharing a story of a time her daughter lied. She told us never to call our children liars, even if we know they are lying. She said instead to pray that the Holy Spirit bring about the conviction and allow Him to do the work that brings heart change.

I’ve followed her advice on numerous occasions, and she is right. The Spirit does what I can’t do. And the growth that begins in their hearts as they learn to hear His voice is astounding.

Once she told us how to pray for our children. Covering every area of their lives. She told us never to stop praying for their salvation, even after they’ve accepted Christ. I never got that until years later when my young boys accepted Christ. Salvation is only the beginning. That is the point true life for them begins.

She told us to love God more than we loved our children. I nodded my head in agreement, but in my heart…it wasn’t true. If I’m totally honest, I said I loved God more than anything, but I actually loved my children and my husband more than God.

I began praying simply for God to give me a love for Him that is far greater than my love for anything else in the entire world. God is faithful. He’s now done that. I may not act it or show it all the time, but I can honestly say I love Him more than I love my family. Yet, I recognize I still don’t love Him enough.

And at one meeting, I took note of her daily Bible reading plan. I had no idea that this one simple step would be the means by which God began to turn my so-so love into a passionate love for Him.

Christians are notorious for giving the answers “just pray” or “read the Bible.” Sadly, we often brush these away and look for something with some substance. Something tangible and measurable. We look for the action plan. We look for the secret that no one has discovered. Partly because we don’t believe that the Word is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. Partly because when we pray, we often feel we are talking to air (not true…but we’ve all felt that way at times).

We look for the latest bestseller that tells us something new. The author who has discovered what no one else has discovered. I have bookshelves of christian parenting books. And while they have ALL helped me become a better parent, none have done what I was most desperate for. None made me love Him more.

What I needed most to be the best mom I could be is to love Jesus more than I loved being a mom.

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I needed to fall in love with His Word. And I did. Slowly. Over many years. It didn’t happen overnight. It happened little by little. With each reading of His Word, He grew me up just a little bit more. As He grew me up, He opened my mind to understand new things in His Word. And that cycle continues. And I pray it never ends. That I never stop seeking Him, to love Him more than I do right now.

The thing about His Word is that our human minds can read it cover to cover 100 times, and it will never, ever, not ever become boring. God will illuminate certain passages at different points of our lives to speak straight into our hearts.

At this mom’s group, they gave a method for reading the Bible daily to grow in wisdom. Whatever the date is you start there in the Psalms. For instance, if it is September 28th. You start in Psalm 28. Then you add 30 and read Psalm 58, add 30 again and read Psalm 88, add 30 again and read Psalm 118, add 30 again and read Psalm 148. Then end it by reading that date in Proverbs, so Proverbs 28.

In some seasons, I was only able to read these chapters each morning. In other seasons, I’ve been able to read them in addition to other books of the Bible or in conjunction with a particular study. But reading Psalms and Proverbs daily gave me a plan to stay in His Word every single day.

3 simple steps will begin the process of turning our love for Him into a passionate love.

  • Reading the Bible daily – His Word alone. Christian books are awesome and wonderful tools. But they must be secondary.
  • Praying – all kinds of prayers. Some in quiet, some on the go, some long, some short. Prayers of nothing but praise. Prayers of thanksgiving. Intercession. Simply talking to God throughout our days. Not getting into a routine and forgetting He is with us.
  • Memorizing scripture – this can be intentional, but it also happens with the habit of daily reading. The Lord often brings scripture to mind that I don’t remember intentionally memorizing. Reading His Word will soak into our souls, and He will bring it forth when we need it. And we don’t always realize it, but we need His Word every hour, every day.

I still have a long way to go to love Him more. There is no point where I will arrive. I will never say, “Yes, now I love Him as much as possible.” I believe it’s impossible.

God is love. If God is love, the creator of love, as He grows our hearts to love Him more, we will naturally seek Him more. When we seek Him more, we will see Him more. When we see Him more, we love Him more. And it will never end. The love will grow more intense and burn brighter with time, but it will never reach a point where our heart says enough.

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Mom, you are always on your phone!

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Steve and I stumbled across videos from when Jacob and Zachary were about 1 and 3. We both sat mesmerized by the videos not believing how quickly the time has gone by and fully aware it will not slow down.

Afterwards we found ourselves struck by the same observation. He and I were 100% in the moments we watched on tape. We both seemed so relaxed, wearing contentment on our face.

Something was different about us in those videos.

We were distraction free. Completely.

We didn’t own smartphones. We had no devices. When we were together, we were all in, and the outside world wasn’t invited to crash the party.

We took video for our private viewing, not for the world to like.

No dings, alerts, or alarms chimed barging in on our time.

Whatever crisis took place in the world, we found out about hours after the kids went to bed. No worry and doom lingered over us forcing us to plaster smiles on our faces while our thoughts were miles from the moments.

All the moments were all in moments.

When we were with the kids, we were with the kids. I wish I could say the same is true today.

I continued thinking of those tapes long after they were stored away again.

I’m so glad smartphones weren’t around when my kids were babies.

What might I have missed along the way?

Maybe I would’ve missed:

the way his little hands clapped hard at the bubbles in uncoordinated attempts.

the moment he held the lady bug and tried hard to find her smile.

the time he accidentally kicked that boy’s shin and how he reached down and patted his back until he knew he was ok.

the first time I saw him hold a door for a little lady.

the time he swept the garage and I noticed the proud smile he wore unaware.

the time he, shy and scared, joined the group and the fleeting moment when his face showed the relief of acceptance

I have the opportunity to record millions of small moments that create one amazing journey of life. I have an opportunity to be both an observer and participant in the trivial moments of their days.

Sometimes the trivial moments of the day become the ones they remember most.

I can watch the life in front of me, or I can watch life partially through a screen. I can catch glimpses and not realize how much I’m actually missing. Only when I put down my phone completely am I fully aware of all I’ve missed with eyes darting up and down.

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I’ve told myself I don’t have a problem with distraction because I’ve justified my need for screens. My excuses range from ‘I don’t have a home phone, so I need to have it with me at all times in case of emergency.’ Or ‘I don’t want to miss a photo, so I need it close by in case they do something worthy of a capture.’ Or ‘someone will be contacting me and I can’t miss it.’ Or…..the list goes on and on.

In all honesty, I do have many valid reasons I’m on my phone not simply distracted. Life is pretty much completely online now. My work is on the computer, my bills are paid on the computer, I communicate with people on the computer. It is necessary for me to be on a screen at times. The problem is that it never seems to stop. And it creeps in and takes over without us even realizing it.

I find myself out loud telling the kids what I’m doing on my phone. I want them to know I’m not checking out on them but that I’m doing things that must be done.

The other night I followed Andrew up the steps to tuck him in and read stories. As always the phone came along. Because….Steve might need to reach me….or an out of state family member might need something….or a classmate might need to reach one of the boys….or….

And because phones simply never respect my desire to spend time with my children, my phone alerted me to two texts while we headed up the stairs. Andrew was mid-story, I checked my messages, and out of instinct I began to type responses. Andrew stopped talking for a minute then said, “You are always on your phone!”

I halted, dropped the phone, then my flesh became defensive. (Not sure about you, but when I become ultra defensive, it’s because a nerve has been struck, and I know there is likely truth behind the words.)

I began defending myself and explaining all the important reasons why I have this phone attached to my fingers all the time. Then I stopped. I put the phone hidden away in my bedroom, and I continued about our evening.

Andrew’s comment haunted me. How many years have I been blogging about making the most of the moments we have been given? How many posts have I written about the intrusion of electronics on family life? How passionate have I been about protecting our family in a screen driven world? And how little by little I’ve allowed it to creep in. Quietly and slowly.

My kids don’t compare my electronic consumption to the rest of the world’s. All they know is they want my time. They want to know I’m actually listening to their stories. They want to know I actually saw with my own eyes their accomplishment. They don’t care if I missed a photo. We have 100 others we’ve captured this week to make up for it I’m sure.

The world shouldn’t revolve around my kids. And they don’t need to think that they come before everything in life. But when they are away from me 7 hours a day, I need to capitalize on the times I have with them. I care about what they will remember about how I spent my time with them.

When my kids draw a picture of mommy, I don’t want to see a phone in my hand.

While I’m so grateful for the moments I had in their baby years that my phone didn’t steal from me, I can’t put my guard down now. I didn’t want to miss the baby years, and I sure don’t want to miss the preteen and teen years either.

When my boys were small, many wiser women told me to learn to step over the mess so I wouldn’t miss the moments with my babies. Times have changed. Now we battle less learning to step over the laundry piles, and we battle instead the need to put down the phone instead. Lots exists on my phone that is as important as the laundry and dishes, but if I thought it was important to leave some housework undone, then I need to apply the same logic in the digital age.

It all seems urgent and pressing. But sometimes we actually get more done when we put it down, are all in with our families when we are with them, and pick up the phone when we are apart.

It’s time I take a personal offensive position against the invasion of screens in our family life. Even the necessary uses of them. And that doesn’t mean throwing them out the window.

I’m taking the advice I gave my kids. If we want to protect ourself from temptation, I need to decide ahead of time what I will do. We must set our boundary lines before we find ourselves having to fight for self-control.

Social media, phones, news feeds, the latest coolest gadgets, they are all here to stay. But my kids aren’t. And there is nothing my phone can feed me that will take away the regrets of missing some of the sweetest moments of my life.

Yet it is more than missing the moments. If I allow electronic distractions into my life on a daily basis, I miss the call God has placed on my life in this season. What has He called me to that I’m missing because I’m on my phone? Even on my phone for good things.

I’m called to love Him above anything else. Above staying current on the news or up to date on the lives of everyone I know.

I’m called to be a wife. I’m called to be a mother. I’m called to raise my children to love and fear the Lord. I’m called to ministry in so many different venues – we all are.

Without self control, I will miss fulfilling my callings to the best of my abilities. My phone is just one small area I need to practice self-control. But it’s a good place to start.

Last night I pulled the covers snug up to Andrew’s chin. I looked in his eyes and realized he is still young enough that he looks at me with complete adoration. He pulled his arms out of his covers, squeezed my cheeks, kissed all over my face, then pushed my face away so he could look in my eyes.

In that moment, I remembered all over again that there will come a day where he will not look at me like that or kiss all over me like that or give me butterfly kisses with his eyelashes. He will be too old, too big, too mature.

It is worth it to put my phone away so I can be all in when I’m in.

No more excuses, no more justifications, and no more comparisons. Today I choose to be with my people when I’m with them. For me that means that my phone isn’t invited into these times. My people are more important than my feed.

I’ve written many posts on electronics and the family. On the sidebar of my blog, click the electronics category to find them.

The most popular is a letter to my boys on why we limit electronics and has been viewed over 3 million times. You may also enjoy:

 

Dear Kids- A Little Secret About What Electronics Is Stealing From You

How To Rob A Childhood And Miss The Sacred Of Parenting

Why Shutting Off Electronics Is Good For Kids

Exploring Limiting Electronics With Kids

5 Benefits Of An Electronics Fast

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Why Looking Back Might Move Us Forward

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There was a time I thought I wanted the furniture in my home to stay pristine and beautiful, unmarred, scratch-free. I wanted my house to sparkle and shine.

 
Gently over time, God began to show me my most beautiful pieces are the ones that bear the greatest scars for they have the most interesting stories to tell.

 

He began to show me that the chips actually add to the outer beauty and that magazine perfection is overrated.

 
The pieces of furniture in my home that look perfect are pretty boring. They hold no stories and tell no secrets. While they are nice to look at, there is nothing beyond what meets the eye.

 
But the ones dinged and scratched? Well, pull up a chair, preferably the one with the cracked spindle or the stained cushion. These are the ones that tell a story you will want to hear.

 
These stories are important. Remembering reminds us of who God is and what He’s done. Remembering takes intention. Remembering will unlock what needs to be unlocked.

 

Often we talk about moving forward requires we stop looking back. While there is a lot of truth in that statement, looking back can at times be the very thing that draws us closer to God. Looking back reminds us of who God is. While our stories won’t be perfect, we are reminded through them of a God who is.

Would you join me at The Kingdom Life Now where I’m sharing the power of looking back?

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Dear Boys, Saying No To Sex Starts Today

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Want your teen to stay sexually pure? Here's a conversation to have.

Dear Boys,

We’ve been talking about sex for a lot of years now.

You know how dad said, “I know it’s hard to believe, but one day, all you will think about is girls.” And how you all laughed and said, “No way!” Also, remember how dad said that you would begin to experience feelings and urges that are very powerful? And how you looked at us with confusion?

It’s hard to believe, but one day you will understand what we are talking about.

Right now, at 10 and 11, it’s easy to say you will remain pure. It’s easy to say you will not have sex until marriage. It’s all easy when you aren’t in the situation.

The reason it’s easy is because you have never been overcome by hormones, passion, or infatuation. The forces of these have brought the wisest of men down. (Think Solomon) The forces of these have brought down “a man after God’s own heart”. (Think David)

We can learn from their mistakes. And we can learn from the wisdom of others. The choice to remain pure until marriage can literally save your life.

How do you say no to premarital sex in a culture that shrugs its shoulders?

  • You first recognize you are powerless to say no
  • You ask God to give you wisdom to make good choices and the power moment by moment to say no
  • You decide now, right this very moment, that you will remain pure. Don’t wait until you are facing temptation. Otherwise, it might take you down.
  • You stay out of situations where you might say yes to sex before marriage. When it comes to sexual temptation, God says to flee. He doesn’t even want you in that situation. He knows the power it holds. (1 Cor 6:18). At the same time, if you find yourself in temptation, He provides a way out. (1 Cor 10:13)
  • Choose to obey God. No. Matter. What.

Out of this list, I want to stress one decision you must make today. It’s a decision today to remain pure no matter what.

Let’s talk about how ahead of time decision-making played out for Daniel. Daniel, along with others, was brought into the royal court by the king of Babylon. The king instructed that this court be given choice food and wine.

Now Daniel loved God very much. He knew that this food and wine would cause him to sin against God because the food was offered to idols and the wine poured out on pagan altars.

Daniel knew in his head and his heart that he should not take part in this food. Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”

Did you notice that phrase…Daniel resolved not to defile himself.

Before Daniel sat down with a plate of this delicious buffet to tempt his watering mouth, he made a choice to say no. Daniel did not wait to decide when faced with the decision. He took the offensive position. He took the upper-hand. Daniel said no before he faced temptation.

Follow Daniel’s footsteps. Choose to abstain from sex before marriage before you are faced with a girl telling you how much she wants to be with you, and that it’s not a big deal, and everyone else is doing it.

How can you be a Daniel in a sex-saturated teen culture?

  • Decide now to remain pure
  • Decide with friends to remain pure and hold each other accountable.
  • Pray for yourself and your friends

Daniel and his 3 friends held strong together. Together we are stronger. Stand with friends to remain pure together.

Find a friend, find a brother, but find someone today that will walk the road of purity with you.

Now, Daniel was faithful to God. And God was faithful to Daniel. But it still ended up with Daniel being thrown into a lion’s den later in life.

Don’t think for a second that just because you have made a decision for purity that you won’t find yourself in a lion’s den. You likely will.

God will deliver you from the lion’s mouth. Stay steady and sure in your faith. Never waver for one second. Don’t be scared by the lion’s den. Remember, God sends His angels to shut the mouths of the lions.

You have nothing to fear.

Daniel never regretted choosing God.

You will never regret choosing purity.

When you say your wedding vows, the greatest gift you can give your wife is the gift of saving yourself for her. When you take your wife, if you remained pure, I promise you will not look back and say, “Wow, I wish I hadn’t waited for this.”

Listen carefully, you are in your training years. When Daniel made the decision to abstain from the king’s food and wine, he was in his training years. Those are the years that God prepared him to be able to sit among the lions fully confident in the one who held those lions back.

You are in your training years. It won’t be easy, but the places God will take you because of your faithful obedience will blow your mind. What God has in store for you because of your obedient faith, doesn’t hold a candle to a moment of pleasure. One that could very well end or change the course of your entire life.

Be a Daniel.

Decide ahead of time that you will say no to sex before marriage.

Keep yourself out of temptation.

Don’t fear. God holds you secure.

And remember, God isn’t trying to withhold anything good from you. He’s trying to protect you so that He can give you the VERY BEST.

Psalm 119:9-11

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

I love you with all my heart. I pray daily you will choose a path of purity. I pray you love God more than you love the pleasures of this world. They are enticing and deceitful. If you remember who God is, you can remember that He would only desire what’s best for you.

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I highly recommend the book series God’s Design for Sex. We’ve used these books for years with our kids. It gave us the tools to begin the conversations. We started as early as we can remember so that we would always have open dialogue. Ultimately, our kids will make their own choices. As parents our responsibility is to pray them towards purity, to prepare them with knowledge, and to keep open the doors of communication. Kids today are very confused, and they are going to the wrong sources for information.

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Are You Ready To Pick Up Your Pace?

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It’s a new season in our home. A new season in more ways than one.

Only Andrew is playing baseball this fall. Zachary is waiting to start a sport when schedules for his brothers slow in October (this child is a gift to us in his selflessness). Jacob is trying a new sport. Cross country.

Running is a good fit for Jacob. It takes patience and endurance. Your true competition is with only yourself. It takes training and dedication. It takes pushing through pain. It takes a laser like focus. It takes a decision not to quit before you take the first step.

Yes, running is a good fit for this first born of mine.

Listen to how good the Lord is. Several weeks ago, Jacob said to me what he loves most about cross country is that the coach cares about each individual runner on that team. The fact that an 11 year old noticed this is a pretty big deal to me. She must REALLY care.

In the race of life, our Coach cares about each individual runner as well. He’s running alongside us, coaching, encouraging, carrying, refueling. 

Oh the value to a child to know that an adult other than their parent cares for them is huge.

There are snapshots in my heart of seeing pure joy on Jacob’s face when he’s running to a finish line. It’s this head toward Heaven and wonder-filled eyes, a smile that speaks its own language. Joy.

Years ago Jacob ran a 5K with Steve and me and some of our friends. He smoked us all. In fact his time was a full minute per mile faster than mine!

I’ve seen this joy on his face, but I’m his mom. Recently, his coach stopped me to share how she felt the Lord speaking to her as she watched Jacob run. How she felt he was made to run. Watching Jacob made her think of Chariots of Fire “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” One of my favorite quotes of all time.

What is it you do that when you do it you feel God’s pleasure? What is it that when you do it, you feel a joy come bursting forth?

Jacob had his first meet this week. The night before the race, Andrew said, “Jacob I hope you win and beat everyone.” Jacob answered back, “Well, I’m not really trying to beat anyone. I’m running to get my personal best.”

I’ve replayed this over and over in my mind since I heard him say this. I’m running to get my personal best.

Is this not life? Are we not in a race to the finish line? In a see-all world where comparison tempts us, our life is a race to finish as well as we can possibly finish. Regardless of the race anyone else is running.

Christians, we are in our final laps in this race of life. It’s time to pick up our pace. Picking up our pace will look different than the pace the world is running.

In a distance race, you start easy. You set your pace. You gain confidence on the course. As you near the end, you pick up the pace. You’ve reserved enough energy to be sure you make it to the end, but when you get to the end, there is no need to save energy anymore. You increase your speed, you pump hard, you realize you have more in you than you anticipated. You see the finish line, and you go hard.

I watched Jacob start his race at a decent speed. I saw him at mid-point slower than he started. Then I saw him at the finish putting forth all he had left in him to give.

It’s time for us to put on our sprinting shoes. It’s time we graduate from a slow jog and run like it’s a 50 yard dash.

God has specific uses and purposes for His children. We all share one ultimate purpose in this life, which is to glorify God. Under that umbrella we each have unique ways we bring Him glory. It’s time for us to rise to the race and finish well.

I imagine one of the biggest regrets of my life would be to reach the end and look back and see all along I had more to give but I held back.

Run hard. Run fast. Say yes to God. Don’t hold back and save anything for later. God will replenish you along the way. He will sustain you and carry you. Run hard to the finish. 

This new Toby Mac song has become a family favorite. (And if you run to it, I promise you will run faster than you typically run.)

“I can’t stop
I can’t quit
It’s in my heart
It’s on my lips
I can’t stop, no
I can’t quit
It’s in my heart, yeah
I’m all in

[Chorus: tobyMac]
Til the wheels fall off
Til the spotlight fades
I will lift your banner high
I will lift your banner high
And til the walls crash in
For the rest of my days
I’ll lay it all on the line
Til the day I die
Til the day I die
Til the end of the line
Til the day I die
It’s Your name I’ll glorify

Toby sums it up well….”all in til the day I die.”

I want to be all in til the day I die. I want to give every ounce I have to give to the Lord til the day I die. I long for the day I see Him face to face. I want to know I lived my life with no regrets from the moment I surrendered my life to His lordship til the day I die.

Do I though? Do I really? Sometimes. And if I’m honest, sometimes not.

Remember those small assignments? Those are the ones I’m tempted not to give my all to. When my kids make me late, and I begin to scream and the meanest words fly out of my mouth with disgust. I’m not running so hard in that small assignment.

When my husband has a hard day, but I’m too busy running in 3 other directions to take note of what he needs. And I run hard in other places, but running hard in that moment might look like stopping, looking him in the eyes, and hearing what’s on his heart.

Running hard isn’t necessarily doing more. Running hard to the finish is seeking God with my whole heart and obeying Him at every turn. Chasing Him, not chasing life. Studying His Word harder than I’m studying Facebook. Spending more time in prayer than I spend in worry. Running hard is literally keeping my eyes fixed on Him.

Running hard is reaching out to the lost. Serving in His name. Running hard is a heart and soul clean up. It’s getting rid of what needs to go to make room for more of God. Running hard is killing selfishness. Running hard is slamming shut the door of pride.

Running hard is an awakening to the days we are living in and a new resolve to face each day with a bold courage wrapped in grace, love, mercy, and truth.

Running hard is letting the light of Christ shine brighter than it’s ever shone before.

Running hard for Christ is chasing a love affair with the lover and creator of your soul.

When we fall in love with Him, running hard becomes pure joy. And that’s when I get it. Jacob’s face – pure joy when he’s in a sprint is a reflection of the pure joy when we are so madly in love with our Lord that we run hard to the finish line.

And the finish line we are running towards….well, I tend to look at it as the start line. When we cross that line, when we’ve finished this race, the life everlasting begins. And it is beyond the wildest of imaginations and dreams. It’s worth the race.

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When I Was Held At Gun Point

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Two men entered my home. One stayed in the shadows. The other had the appearance of a robot. Like C3PO. The robot man told me to stay on the couch and not move. I began screaming at them to get out of my house.

They said they were looking for gold. I told them we had none. We don’t store up treasures here. We store them where rust and moth don’t destroy!

He told me to stop screaming and to move aside. He pointed his gun at the place I moved from. He pulled the trigger. There was no bullet. Only a red laser light and a loud sound.

I wasn’t scared at all. I got up from the couch and moved to another room. Suddenly everything in the house was moving, shaking, tossing around. I thought I was seeing the way the robot man would see but realized I was seeing as everything was actually happening. It had the feeling of an earthquake.

I made it into the kitchen. I could hear the men tossing my stuff around in search for gold. The kitchen window was open. In the window was a nest with a beautiful mama bird and her two babies tucked secure under her wings.

A black shadow came toward the window and my heart quickened, and I bit my lip just knowing those babies were about to be plucked from their nest.

The shadow came and went. The babies remained securely in the shelter of the mama’s wings. The mama bird held her position with no fear, completely confident.

Then I woke up.

Dreams have always fascinated me. I took a psychology class on dreams in college and it was by far my favorite class ever. Then again, I was an accounting major. Just about any class is more fascinating than debits and credits.

Typically, these types of dreams bring on a wave of fear. I wake up and look around, realize I’m safe, and thank God it was only a dream. This one felt different. I wasn’t scared in this dream. At all. It was weird.

I know that people say we’ve been saying since the beginning of time the world is getting worse, and I agree with that. But you can’t deny it’s getting worse by giant leaps today. We’ve crossed boundaries and broken covenants. We’ve redefined what only God can define. We’ve taken life that only God can give or take. Our world has changed because the choices we have made. And it will never be the same again until He makes all things new. But don’t lose heart. Hold fast to the faith you once had.

As a christian we look around and feel like strangers in a strange land. And we are! But we can’t dismay. While it is maddening to watch culture glorify sin and mock God, we know that it only means we are that much closer to eternal glory. And that is worth getting excited about.

We must remember that none of this is a surprise to God. None. These things must happen. These things were written about in the Bible. If we’ve been studying, we know where we are in history.

We have a choice to make today. And it’s a choice my husband and I were awakened to by our pastor several weeks ago. Will we be believers or followers? There is a difference.

Remember I wrote about an awakening happening in our hearts? God is waking up His people. We are His sheep, we know His voice.

Our pastor preached a sermon on becoming a true follower, a true disciple of Christ. My friends, it was convicting. And if you sit week after week in church, and you never feel challenged or convicted, then you must ask yourself some tough questions.

Lord, may I never become so comfortable hearing your Word preached that it fails to penetrate and divide my soul and spirit, judging the attitudes and actions of my heart. Awaken me from my slumber.

I wish I could share with you every tiny detail of what God has done in my life, in my husband’s life, and in our kids’ lives over the last several weeks. Since I can’t, I’ll just say, God jolted us awake, and when He did, He lit a fire and a passion in our hearts for Him and Him alone.

I think my passion scares some people. I met with a pastor once when I was marketing Seeking Christmas. As my passion came bursting from my lips, he had a look of surprise on his face. He was quiet, reserved, of few words. As I left his office, he said, “You certainly are passionate.” The drive home I replayed my words, how I should have toned down my voice, not been so animated. Then I realized, I just can’t. It’s who I am. When it comes to my faith, there is no tempering it.

What a time to be awakened. When our world feels like it is spinning out of control, we are alive for such a time as this. He is coming and every day we are here we are here to glorify Him.

All the years God sent prophecies about the Messiah, Jesus was missed by the very ones who were the smartest, most intelligent scholars of God’s Word. They had a lot of knowledge, but look where that knowledge led.

When Jesus came, look at the ones who became His disciples. The ones who chose to go outside the realm of belief and to follow.

I want to encourage you today to ask yourself the question our pastor asked us. Are you a believer or a follower? Do you know the difference?

This culture we are living in needs followers not believers.

A friend 2 weeks ago asked me if I sensed God asking me to focus on the small assignments. Yes. Yes, I do. Jesus didn’t discount the small assignments. The one person who needed to be touched and healed. The one person who needed a word of encouragement.

Jesus mastered the small assignments, which led Him ultimately to the point of conquering the biggest assignment of his life.

What small assignments is God placing before you today? Will you be faithful in the small assignments He places before you today?

Is that not where we begin if we want to follow Him well? Do we not say yes to everything He asks of us? Deny ourselves. Say what? That is radical in a selfish generation that pursues passions and pleasures hard.

To follow Him well, we must say no to us and yes to Him. In a world that is saying “learn to say no”, I say we need to learn to say yes. We’ve mastered saying no. It’s time to master saying yes to Him.

Do you want to stop believing and start following? Take the first step today.

Look for the small assignments. Start there. God will increase your assignments as you learn to follow Him. Follow the example of Jesus. The most humble example we will ever have, the most selfless model we could ever admire.

Jesus said yes to His Father. He said yes to every small assignment the Father asked of Him. Will we follow Him and say yes to the small assignments He gives us today?

If you still don’t know where to start, this is where knowing God gets really fun. He speaks so intimately to His people. If you seek Him with your whole heart you will find Him. Seek Him, you will find Him. He will speak to you. Open the Word. It holds power nothing in this world can stand against.

Happy Monday, my friends. Let’s start this week with a new resolve to follow Him wherever He leads!

I’m so glad you are here with me. This small community is one of the greatest blessings and joys the Lord has given me. A small assignment to write, and He blesses me with your encouragement and your notes. Thank you.

 

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The Power of the 20 Second Hug

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It was the days leading up to school beginning. Nerves were being stepped on by offenders at least 18 times an hour. Tones changed as impatience and irritability tried to move in. Words escaped lips that left divots in hearts. Eyes rolled and sighs exhaled. We were all tired. And just a tad bit anxious about the upcoming new routine and new school year.

Jacob stood in the kitchen, calm and quiet. He’s an observer, always taking in the life around him. An old, wise soul. And honestly, often the Holy Spirit will speak right through Jacob to convict me. I’ve learned to listen when he speaks as often the richest words and thoughts find a spot in my heart through him.

I finished my tirade about being sick and tired of saying the same thing, and why can’t anyone just obey on the first time, and didn’t I ask someone to take the dogs out an hour ago, and why for the love of all things lovely are y’all just lying on chairs staring at ceilings when so much must be done.

I’m grateful secret video recorders aren’t planted in my home. I’d hate to see what I sound like in these moments.

Jacob moved closer to me, held out his arms, and said, “Mom, clearly, you need a 20 second hug.”

I laughed and pulled him tight. Yes, I was in desperate need of many 20 second hugs.

Did you know that hugs heal? Or that hugs actually release the hormone, oxytocin, aka the love hormone? And it reduces our stress hormone, cortisol? It acts as an anti-inflammatory. Hugs have been called a natural anti-depressant. Here’s a few fun and interesting links on hugs:

10 Reasons to Give More Hugs

Hugs Have Healing Power

Give Somebody a Hug

When we hosted an orphan several years ago, at training they talked about the power and importance of a hug. These children may have never received a hug in their life, or maybe they rarely feel a loving touch. During that time we gave an enormous amount of hugs.

When my children were young, I hugged them all the time. As they’ve gotten older, my hugs have become fewer, but I’m changing that. In fact, I’m beginning to believe the bigger they get, the bigger the hug they need. Because the older they grow, the bigger their worries become.

At our orphan training, they told us that hugs should be 20 seconds long. No quick in and out type of hugs. And no half-hearted, one armed hugs. A hug is to put both arms around the other person and squeeze. Hold for 20 seconds.

Before life became rushed and distracted, I bet hugs did last 20 seconds. But now? We are too busy. We are rushing out the door barking orders most of the time. Or in my house, this is how it feels. We run in for a quick hug that lasts about .78 seconds and holler an ‘i love you’ over our shoulder as we part ways.

Last year the boys and I spent some time talking about the power of hugs. It became a fun game we’d play. We’d see someone down and say, “Looks like you need a 20 second hug.” We’d hug, we’d feel better, we’d forget our problems, we’d move on.

We started taking time to really hug before leaving for school. No more quick in and outs. We went in for the real deal kind of hugs. The long lingering kinds. When they walked in the door from school, I’d scoop each into a hug and hold tight for 20 seconds. It seemed to reset our buttons and pull us back together. It reduced our anxieties as we remembered we are loved.

But how neat, seriously, how neat that God is such a God of details. I mean He thought of everything. Sometimes, a hug is all we need, and He gave us arms to hold tight to another.

We moved into the first week of school, and the schedules became regular, and we began to get tired.

I saw Jacob sitting quietly in a chair. I walked by as he called out to me. “Hey, mom? I really a need a 20 second hug.” And his face confirmed, he did in fact need a hug.

It’s ok to ask for a hug. Most of the time our kids are completely unaware that all they really need is a hug. A hug is a tangible way we can remind them they are ours, they are loved, and all is well even when it feels it’s not.

I highly encourage you to tell your kids the power that hugs hold. How God created our arms to hug each other and when we do, our bodies release a love hormone that makes us feel good while taking away our feelings of stress. That hugs can even heal our sicknesses and make us feel better often times. I promise your kids will want more hugs! It becomes a fun challenge to see who can give and get the most hugs.

We need more than one hug a day, even as many as 10 and 20. Here’s to new traditions – hug more, hug often, hug hard, hug long.

Hugs,

Renee

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