Fire for HIM

When asking this morning what my family should look like, I laughed to see cans on a string.  The cans were not perfect but splotched with color and dented with wear, bouncing along behind the bumper of a car.  These cans made plenty of noise, and neither driver nor passenger seemed to mind but rather relinquish the comical aspect of the adventure.  Their faces were full of joy and laughter, the sun warming their faces.  My heart was softened to see the analogy the Lord had given me regarding our role as parents and the collection of treasure that our full quiver really is.  With my tendency toward perfectionism, I truly was not expecting such a response from my Master.  My heart was open, however, and my eyes ready to see.  With just weeks or possibly days prior to the birth of our sixth child, the timing is perfect.  He is telling us to rest and delight in the imperfect gifts that He has given.  I believe His desire is for each canvas he ...

In my family, most of my sisters could care less what others think about them.  For me, it has been a struggle as far back as I remember.  Really, though, why should others' opinions matter? I am not saying to be mean and cruel.  Maybe why that is why it has been so important for me to examine my actions and words.  I could not stand when others around me were hateful or insensitive. Regardless, if anything weighs so heavily in our decision making...it can consume our thinking and shade our judgement.  " ...We will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about.... We will not be influenced... with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church." (Eph. 4:14-15 NLT) Truth: God's truth does grow us up in Him, molding us to a heart more like Christ.  It is time we speak the truth in love to ourselves about...

Reflecting over the past few days, "little things" had been making me extremely angry.  Being that I am usually of a calm temperament, this emotion has brought me to scratch my head in wonderment.  It was as if 'something' was simmering on the stove of my heart.  These "little" events or aggravations turned up the heat and caused what was already cooking to boil over, making a mess of my emotions.  As I restrained myself from analyzing (my comfort blanket) but did some soul searching, I was able to find the ingredients simmering beneath the surface. What I found was a potentially toxic remedy I had allowed to be concocted.  If you have ever seen baking soda and vinegar mixed together, the reaction of my ingredients was much like that.  I had allowed the bitter and the sour to be stirred together.  What happened?  You may ask.  One particular 'incident' was when my eldest child hid another child's new toy.  I let THAT act make me so...