Annoyances or strengths?

Yesterday my husband and I talked about our differences and though they cause annoyances at times they are often a blessing. For example, I am very creative, Kristian is very efficient. Well, creativity is a process and being efficient doesn't always yield my desired results. Creativity is also very spontaneous so Kristian doesn't always know what to expect from me, which is frustrating for someone who doesn't like surprises. These differences are a great blessing in our lives, family and marriage. I need security and knowing my husband is diligent and willing to go the extra mile provides me with a sense of security. It also gives security to our children because they know that daddy always comes home, and that he will drop everything and play with them. My creativity helps make our family fun. I love finding new ways to explore things with the kids and new approaches to teach them the things they need to know. 

This got me thinking, what are some things about the kids that are challenging but a blessing to our family? Summer is unrelentingly persistent. I know it's redundant but if you met her you will agree, it fits. She in unwavering when she wants something. She makes us stop and analyze our interaction with God. She teaches us to stop and play, to color outside the lines and to dance in the grocery store aisles. She brings us such joy.

KJ is so calm and peaceful, no matter what. We've been having really rough nights so we haven't been getting much sleep but when he wakes up and I go into his room he looks up at me and smiles. Teaching us though life gets hard, joy can prevail. At 4.5 mos old we are still learning his personality but he is a great blessing. Defiantly a calm in the midst of the storm of life. 

I just want to encourage you today to look at your child(ren)'s personality even the things that annoy you and how those traits bless your family. It's not by accident your child is in your care. Acts 17:26 "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings," God picked you to care for them, he trusted you with their little souls to raise to be who they will be. 

Thank you God for these little people who come equity with such wonderful lessons of your love. Please continue to equip us with the knowledge of your word so we can use wisdom in raising our children. Please send people into our lives that will call out the best in us as people, parents, and your children. Help is be a blessing and to raise blessings. In Jesus name, amen. 

Worshiping Through

My sweet girl is teaching me to worship through. To understand how powerful this video is let me tell you about her morning. She woke up and wanted yogurt for breakfast, we didn't have any more. As her dad fixes breakfast I shower and prepare for a client who's coming to get her hair done. She wants me out of the shower and playing with her instead. We're scrambling around cleaning so Summer's morning was filled with, "stop, wait, don't touch that, no, and put it back."  

Finally, we were done with the busyness or the morning and we put on some music. Immediately her hand shoots up into the air, her eyes close, her head bows and shakes as she walks through the house saying, "Hallelujah." This is what it looks like to worship through. Sometimes we get into a place where God tells us "stop, wait, don't touch that, no, and put it back." We get frustrated, much like my 23 month old. However, when the opportunity comes to worship we need to take it. Worshipping did not get Summer the things she wanted, but that wasn't the intent of her worship. It did, for a moment in time make everything else insignificant. Worship changes the atmosphere. Her worshipping touched my heart and I'm sure it moved the heart of God. 

Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  

A Little About Me

Before getting pregnant I had a plan. I knew exactly how things would go. My husband and I had just gotten married. We would wait three years, two if I could reach my goal sooner. During that time I would work my butt off and get to the point in my career where I could work from home. I would finish my MBA and be done with school all before my first trimester of pregnancy. We would have two incomes and be financially stable so we could raise our children without much worry. Sounds good right?

Well God revealed to me that my plan had nothing to do with Him. It did not require much faith, or any room to grow closer to Him. Sure I could have penciled that into my plan but God did not want to be penciled in to my life He wanted to consume my life. Proverbs 19:21(NIV) says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose which prevails.”

My having a plan wasn’t the problem, the problem was I did not make sure my plan lined up with God’s purpose for my life. As the word of God says His purpose prevailed in my life. Six months into being married, I got pregnant and my whole world changed. I was working as a temp for an HVAC company, working on my MBA and learning the ropes on being a wife.

When I was 5 months along with my daughter, Summer, I was placed on bed rest and my husband became the sole provider for our family. It was unexpected, and it was a stretch of faith. Even then, God was using this precious baby girl to teach me to rest in Him. Being pregnant and on bed rest was one of the hardest things for me to do.

I felt fine, I looked fine but there was something going on inside of me that required me to be still. Have you ever felt God stilling you when all you want to do is run? I wanted to be out and about, I wanted to work, I had a plan, but God told me to rest and wait.

With my next pregnancy it wasn't as hard to trust God. My husband’s job moved us to a new state, my blood work during pregnancy showed early signs of cancer and I was far away from my friends. This time I knew to trust God and rest. I could see this child, my son, was teaching me early. God blessed me with good friends, after much prayer and months of testing it was found that I did not have cancer, and my son Kristian II was born perfectly healthy.

I see myself in my daughter all the time. Not so much in her features as in her actions. There were days where she would cry and want everything right at that moment. For example, during a growth spurt, Summer was so frustrated she was screaming at the top of her lungs, she just could not get satisfied. As I tried to nurse her she continued to scream, it's was only when I stopped and pulled her away to calm her down did she latch on and eat.

God revealed to me that I do the same thing. Sometimes I get so frustrated and I want something so badly from God. I feel so misunderstood like my need is not important to Him. Doesn’t He know that I need this now? What is taking so long? God I need you to satisfy me. It sometimes gets to the point where He has to pull me away from the thing I desire, calm me down, and offer it to me again.

I wonder how many times God has had to pull me back from my blessing because I was so close I didn’t see it as such. How many opportunities has He had to re-present it to me because I didn’t recognize it as the thing I had been praying for. I thought I was older spiritually but God is revealing to me that, at times, I don’t act much older than the children I am raising. While trying to raise children for a purpose, God is raising me to be a purpose parent.

Promise for Your Children

The promise God gave you for your child is significant. Your child(ren) was created for a specific purpose. John 15:16 tell us God chose your child(ren), He hand picked your child(ren) and according to Jeremiah 1:5 He knew who your child(ren) would be before He formed them. If God has not given you a specific word concerning your child(ren) hold on to this. They have been formed, called and chosen to be a part of the body of Christ, and as a member of the body your child(ren) will transform peoples lives. The promise is beautiful but it comes with our commitment as parents to submit our will to God’s by nurturing, developing and protecting the promise within our children.