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Archive for Just for Her
Introducing a New CWAHM Blog: Diary of a New Christian by Sheree Wright
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Thank you for ALL things which are truly worthy of your praise, Thank you today for the beautiful sunshine, calm breeze, happy children and devoted husband. Thank you for the opportunity to be at home with them and enjoy every precious moment of their lives as they grow and develop through their journey.
Of all the things I struggle with – I think the hardest is poor mental condition and WRONG thinking.
To have a physical illness that reduces your quality of life would be devastating and difficult to cope with – however, suffering mental illness that reduces your quality of life (I believe) is much harder to recover from. Physical stuff can be treated. Mental stuff needs to be resolved. It is a painful destructive struggle to be a victim of your own mind. Unless you come to Christ.
{This is my journey}
The Bible says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5)
Father, help me to resolve my issues and transform my mind through the power of your Holy Spirit. Help me to consume my mind with your truth and revelation that I can have such a hunger for it nothing will stop me searching and seeking and drowning in your love.
It’s such a wonderful revelation to know “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)
{Food was my enemy. I’ve had a long battle with Bulimia that I repeatedly tried to overcome in my own strength}
When I am eating, binge eating, I am caught up in the desires of the flesh and completely block out the spirit of God. I know in my heart what is the wise and righteous thing to do – however, I fail to do that when I choose to ignore my spirit. Making decisions that deliberately stop me from tuning into my heart and soul is like saying you don’t want to get wet – but standing out in the rain unprotected.
I repent of this sin Father, and thank you for your forgiveness through the powerful blood of Jesus. Thank you for sacrificing your one and only Son to save me from my old ways.
I get scared so easily and crumble and shut down immediately. Help me to see your help and have stronger faith that all things are working for my good. Please don’t let me doubt. Don’t let me worry. Open my eyes and my heart to see you working in the depths of my life. Give me a constant drawing for your power and convict me immediately when I am diverting off track.
Help me to carry out all that you want me to carry out. That I may glorify you and live to my full purpose.
Please make clear to me, the things I should be doing, the times I should be doing them and the opportunities that are way too good to pass up.
I WANT CLARITY
I WANT FOCUS
I WANT VISION
I WANT YOU!
I want to surrender everything back to you Father, that I may open the door for your blessings and fulfil the one true purpose you have for me.
This is all I ask Father – that you keep my mind simple, my heart pure and focused and my energy high enough to accomplish everything for you.
I pray that I may have a set plan to go about my daily habits and line up the supernatural powers you have waiting for me.
I pray you do the same for everyone reading this article.
Let’s hear an AMEN in the comments below and praise his wonderful Name.
Love and Blessings xox
As Much as Possible, as Far as it Depends on You, Be at Peace With Everyone
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- What is my motive in confronting this other person/group? If your answer reveals a desire for revenge, to put the other person in his/her place, or something of that flavor, please wait until your emotions have calmed down enough to handle the confrontation with respect for the other person.
- Am I ready to accept that the other person may not respond the way I would prefer? Take the time to release your expectations and desires to your heavenly Father. Going into the confrontation with an agenda can put both you and the other person on the defensive if/when things don’t go your way.
- Is this safe? Not to be melodramatic, but the truth is that some confrontations are unwise because the emotions involved can escalate in some situations putting one or both people at risk for harm—either verbally or physically. If it isn’t safe, don’t confront (or don’t go it alone). Common sense applies here. (As shared in detail in the above section.)
- What do I hope to gain? If you recognize that the importance is that your voice be heard, and not that the other person respond the way you desire, then you are probably ready to confront.
You Aren’t Supposed to Blend
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We have some visitors in the pond behind our house.
Although it’s been a few years since we’ve seen them, these ducks are welcomed guests. And we are not just talking about a few. No, there are hundreds of ducks wintering here.
As I was sitting on the deck taking in some warm sun yesterday, something odd caught my eye.
These ducks were chasing each other around the pond. They were biting one another and quacking in frustration and disgust. It was a pretty loud and chaotic situation.
But in the middle of this huge flock of ducks just hanging out… was a goose. Being twice their size, this gentle intruder stood out like a sore thumb.
His cover was blown.
Like Jesus
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As I read about the night Jesus and Peter walked on water, I realized there are seven things I admire and want in my life that Jesus did that night.
- Jesus prayed. He sent the crowds off so He could draw near to God.
- Jesus left prayer to help friends. Even though He was on the mountaintop with God, He went down to the waves to help His disciples.
- Jesus lived the miraculous without fanfare. He simply walked on water. He did not say, “Hey, look at me!” He just did it.
- Jesus heard and answered. When Peter asked to walk on water, Jesus said, “Come!” When Peter freaked out at the wind and sank. Jesus immediately lifted him up.
- Jesus spoke truth. Peter needed to know that he lacked faith and still struggled with doubt. He simply stated the truth because the truth sets us free.
- Jesus’ presence stopped the wind and the waves. Creation obeyed Jesus. His presence is powerful.
- Jesus’ presence brought healing. And all who touched Jesus was healed.
Faith Is As Faith Does
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With “faith” accessories thriving, it seems much easier to wear our faith than to actually walk in it. God was never meant to simply be an accessory.
Faith can be appealing until we find that involves more than just acquiring a free ticket to heaven. If we’re living in faith, then the Holy Spirit is at work, overtime, and we’re going to find ourselves turned inside out. Faith reaches into the innermost part of our being and radically changes who we are. It’s not what about you will be different when you decide to truly follow Jesus . . . it’s that NOTHING will be the same. Faith permeates how we talk AND walk. If “faith is as faith does” in your life, then there are three things that are happening:
Are You Hoping for Perfect Kids?
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Are you raising your kids to be… perfect?
Are you teaching them that mistakes are… unforgivable?
Are your kids scared to tell you when they… mess up?
When they miss the mark, does their offense carry a great… penalty?
Be careful.
Our job as parents isn’t to raise perfect people.
It’s to teach and train our kids to be respectful, compassionate, caring, mindful, engaging, healthy, Godly, and honest adults.
Raising a “perfectionist” is a dangerous game.
Why?
Because in their minds, they will never be good enough. And on top of that, nothing will ever be good enough for them.
That breeds discontentment.
Discontentment leads to a lifelong pursuit of a happiness they will never attain… or sustain.
I want my kids to know that everyone and everything in life is imperfect.
I want them to have realistic expectations of themselves and others. I want them to know that true happiness isn’t something the world can (or should) give them.
- Do I expect honest effort? Yes!
- Do I ask them to go the extra mile in certain areas? Most definitely.
- Do I promote or allow the easy way out or laziness? No way.
- Do we set goals and push our kids from their comfort zones? Of course.
- Do my kids receive rewards and consequences accordingly? Without a doubt.
But… my husband and I are very intentional in making our family a place for grace, acceptance and forgiveness.
We are okay with messing up.
We want our kids to fail while under our roof so we can walk them through it, teaching them that failure is just a part of life and not the end of the world.
They need to know it doesn’t define them.
We want them to understand that true happiness … true identity… true acceptance can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Not in the world.
They need to know that while the world will never be happy with…
- who they are,
- what they look like,
- the amount of money they make,
- the career they choose,
- the friends they keep…
God will.
God is.
And because God is happy with them, our kids can be happy with themselves… too.
They can adopt a healthy self-esteem that has nothing to do with the world’s standard of… perfection.
The goal being that our children will see themselves as God sees them.
“I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.” Psalms 139:14
Sisters, teaching our kids to be perfect sets them up to struggle in life.
As parents trying to raise Godly kids… be careful not to teach it, model it, or expect it.
Instead… let’s purpose to impart grace, acceptance, and love.
Always.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carey Scott is an inspirational speaker and writer, honest about her walk with the Lord… stumbles, fumbles and all. She loves to challenge women to be real, not perfect. Through her blog she encourages women to stop living a mediocre, risk-free life and instead step onto the battlefield of life and engage! She is a bi-weekly blogger on CWAHM and serves as a host on the Moms Together Facebook community. She and her husband live in Colorado with their two kids.
Counterattack
Posted by: | CommentsWhy do we allow Satan’s voice to interrupt our joy so easily?
I wonder…
How many times have you walked out of Bible study where you just had 2 hours of God’s love and truth poured into your thirsty hearts and spirits, and you started feeling oogie about the comment you shared in group.
Or when was the last time you were jammin’ to some Christian tunes and an ugly thought popped into your head about the fight you had that morning and suddenly, you’re angry again.
What about when you walked to your car after a great church service and noticed that the woman walking in front of you looked 10x better than you do in those jeans, and suddenly you felt ugly and unlovable. Read More→
Spring Cleaning Your Marriage
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It’s April! I feel like I have never needed the promise of spring…of new life….as much as I have this year. My family and I have been in a difficult season of transition for some time now. One where stress abounds and sleep is little-to-be-found! Have you been there?
Recently at church, Pastor Craig Peters said “God often brings us to a breaking point so that we might experience a breakthrough in understanding and embracing His love and forgiveness.” That was a powerful message that I needed to hear!
Through the fall and winter so many things get broken or warn-out in our homes and we set them aside to fix in the spring (or put in the garage sale pile!)…from lawn mowers and grills to toys and clothes….it is in our very nature to “Spring Clean!”
Do you have a pile of things at the breaking point in your home? As you think about that, consider your own heart as well. Are you going through a difficult time? Are you at a spiritual breaking point? What areas of life need some spring cleaning?
God is doing some serious spring cleaning in my heart right now and I believe all of us need to do some spring cleaning in our marriages each year, too. Our relationship with our spouse is the most important earthly relationship God designed us to have. Yet we spend so much time building relationships other than the one that means the most. I am guilty of this, too.
So, what can we do about it?
Here are 4 Spring Cleaning ideas for your marriage:
1. Pray together before the day starts…and before the kids get out of bed! Actually start a prayer list that you pray over together instead of just a quick prayer before you go to sleep each night. (I have never been a “happy-to-see-the-morning” kind of riser, but I’m really going to TRY this week to have a few moments of quiet time with my hubs before he leaves for work. I’ll let you know how that goes! J )
2. Plan a date night ASAP and ask each other the following questions: (this can be an AT-HOME-DATE after the kids are in bed, too)
- What is broken or worn-out in our marriage right now? Is there anything that needs a good fixing?
- Are we both feeling loved and respected in our relationship? Why or Why not?
- What are our priorities for this year? How can we help each other meet our goals this spring/summer?
- Are we being good parents? Why/why not? How can we be better?
- Is Christ at the center of our relationship?
3. Read Ephesians 5: 22-33 together and discuss what this means to both of you. Consider reading it in a different Bible version (like THE MESSAGE) to get a fresh perspective. Wives—how can you respect your husbands more? Husbands—how can you love and cherish more?
4. Get a marriage retreat on your calendar! One weekend a year is not too much to ask each other to invest in your marriage. Make it a priority! Check with your church or visit Family Life online. They have awesome Weekend to Remember couples retreats all around the U.S. Find one in your area HERE. (if you are unable to attend a Weekend to Remember, Family Life also has live and video kits for a series called The Art of Marriage. If you can’t attend something, consider being a host!)
Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
Happy Spring Cleaning!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MariLee Parrish is a coffee addict, wife to Eric, mom of 2, author, speaker, Jesus-follower and singer/songwriter. She has authored multiple books including “50 Ways to Improve Your Relationship With Your Husband.” Her upcoming title is Proverbs & Praise: Prayers and devotions for Women in stores nationwide on October 1, 2013.
Exiting the Poverty of Aloneness
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In my previous post I interviewed Nancy Raatz, a missionary to Moldova. I asked her what she thought was the number one cause for women to end up in situations where they need to be rescued. Her answer: lack of family. Yes, she gave a nod to poverty and the effects of its clawing need on the family, but there is a poverty that eclipses financial poverty: aloneness.
Do you have someone you can turn to when life gets difficult? Is your family there with a net, ready to catch you when you’re falling?
Nancy stated that most of the girls at Freedom House have no idea what a healthy, strong family unit looks like. Do you?
One of the primary jobs of parents according to Larry Christenson, author of The Christian Family, is to have access to God so we can present God to our children. How do we do that? Read More→
Jesus’ Plan
Posted by: | CommentsRecently, while serving as a volunteer at the Open Door Mission, I caught a great truth about the Bible story as I asked questions to get the group dialoguing about the passage.
I just finished telling the Bible story about Jesus asking Peter to cast the net into the water and Peter saying, “Master, we fished all night and did not catch anything, but since You ask, I will.” As I turned to 
the board to write something down, I remembered that Peter had fallen on his knees asking Jesus to leave him because he realized he was sinful as the boat nearly sank from all the fish. Jesus responded by saying, “Do not be afraid, for from now on I will make you a fisher of men.” It occurred to me that Jesus revealed to Peter in that short phrase that He had a plan for Peter.
Often when we think about moving forward, we are so confronted with who we were, where we have been, and what we have done that we do not allow the LORD’s perspective to guide us. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid!” Jesus is not looking at our past. He is looking toward our future. “For from now on, I will make you a fisher of men.” He sees what will be.
I asked, “Where was Peter’s focus in his confessions to Christ in this story?” The class answered, “on the fishing the night before,” “on his sins,” and “on what he knew from the past.” I started to get excited. They were catching what I just caught the moment before.
I then asked, “What did Jesus’ words reveal about His focus when He answered Peter?” The group chimed in quite quickly, “Well, for him to not be afraid,” “He looked ahead,” and “He said what Peter would be!” Read More→
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