Here

Sometimes I pray as if God is not here. I guess I visualize Him in heaven which seems so far away. It's almost like I need to cup my hands and shout my prayers so He can hear them. But if I've asked Christ into my life - He's here. Living inside of me. It's kind of an odd thought to think of Christ inside of me but isn't that where the Holy Spirit is? So there is no need to "shout" my prayers anymore. I could whisper or think a prayer. Sometimes He answers my prayers without me even praying them. Those aren't characteristics of a faraway God. How would your life change knowing that God is right there with you and not far away?

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."
Psalm 139:7-14

Mommy Tip of the Day: Do you ever rest? Do you ever (dare I say it?) take a NAP? (Gasp!)
I officially give you permission to take a nap! It will feel strange at first. You might even feel guilty. But where did we get this idea that we need to be "productive" 24 hours a day? Actually getting some time of rest during the day is what helps me be productive. Each day after lunch we have rest time. This is a time where we read, do our devotions, do a quiet activity or even sleep. This act has saved many stressed-filled days. You may think, "I don't have time to take rest." But you will actually get more done the remainder of the day if you take the time. Are you ready to be more productive? Rest!

Ask

Today while I was doing my devotions and resting, my youngest daughter was supposed to be sleeping. She came in and asked if she could get a toy to sleep with and I told her yes. As she walked back to her bed, she had something "hidden" behind her back. A couple minutes later she came back and said she wanted me to shut the door so I couldn't see her walk by again. I asked her why and she "didn't know. " I asked her if she wanted to sneak something. To her credit she was honest and said, " Yes." I asked her what she wanted. She wanted a Barbie to sleep with as well. I told her all she had to do was ask instead of trying to sneak around and do it on her own. As the words were coming out of my mouth I was struck with the thought of how I try to hide things from God (kind of like my daughter "hiding" her toy behind her back that I could plainly see). For some reason I don't think to ask God about certain things in my life. I'll pray for the obvious things like safety, wisdom, and guidance. But other things I'll leave out of my prayer life. It could be something big like "how to handle my finances" to something small like "what should I wear to an event." I believe that God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives, from how to raise our kids to what I should cook for dinner. Maybe the reason why we don't know the answer sometimes is because we don't ask.

"Ask and it will be given to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8



Purpose Tip of the Day: Do you have dreams? What are they? Are they lost in the hustle and bustle of every day life? Take some time and plan out your 10 year goals. What do you want your life to look like in 10 years? Be very specific in your description and cover every aspect of your life. Some questions to ask yourself: What do I want my house to look like? What are the characteristics of my kids? What are the activities in my life? What do we do for fun? How am I serving the community? You'll be amazed at the results of simply taking the time to write down some goals. Before you know it, your goals and dreams will become a reality!

Adoption

Adoption was God's plan from the beginning.

It says in John 1:12-13:
"He came to that which was his own...to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

As children of God we are born of God. We are born again. We have a new life (John 3:3). We have a new relationship with God that wasn't a result of our birth.* We are adopted into God's family. We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and renewed by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3;5).

So I ask myself: Do I live as one of "His own?" Do I live knowing and believing that I am a child of God? How does this change my perspective and life knowing these truths?

Are you a child of God?

*taken from NIV Study Bible Notes


Mommy Tip of the Day: Are your kids involved with chores around the house? Our house motto is, "Everybody Helps." You will be surprised at how even the smallest amount of help from your little ones can contribute to your daily duties. My little girls started making their bed at age 3! It wasn't perfect but it gave them confidence in knowing that they could do it by themselves AND it was one less thing I had to do that day.