"Judge not lest ye be judged"

Let me preface this post by saying that I am fully aware of the hot water I will undoubtedly get myself into by saying what I'm going to say. It's nothing new to me. I seem to ruffle feathers every time I open my mouth.

If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, this picture probably stirred up a bit of anger in you. It sure did in me. This is just a snippet of the many insults to Jesus, and His followers, I have witnessed on Pinterest. The idea that Jesus was in any way 'gay' because He hung out with 12 men is absolutely ridiculous and anyone who sides in that philosophy is trying to justify their own sinful lives. I see all kinds of 'pins' mocking Christians, calling us judgmental and quoting scripture to prove their point. Really, a non-believer quoting scripture to me makes about as much sense as me quoting WebMD to a medical doctor. I wouldn't know what in the world I was talking about. Unless I study the actual medical books and learn from actual doctors, I have nothing to offer the medical world. Here's the thing, in Matthew 7:1 when Jesus says, "Judge not, lest you be judged," He was speaking of Christians judging other Christians. Also, using only Matt 7:1 is entirely incomplete. This verse is not speaking to not judging at all -- it is speaking to not judging unfairly or any other cheap and selfish way. Here are a FEW examples of His desire for us to judge:

# 1Cor. 6:2-3 Do you not know that the saints [the saved; Christians] will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
# Prov. 3:21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;
# John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
# Jer. 22:3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness...
# Phil. 1:10 so that you may be able to discern [judge] what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ...
# Phil. 1:7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you [judge you]...

Look at John 7:24. There, Jesus tells us to judge, but to do so righteously. Righteously means to use the Truth of the Word to discern sins and not by appearances only. In 1Cor. 6:2-3 Jesus authorizes us to judge. Judge we must else we could not discern good from bad, proper from improper, righteousness from evil. But judge behavior, not the individual; the deed not the doer; the choice not the chooser. The individual/doer/chooser is accountable for his/her deed/choice, but judge the deed/choice in your judgment. Jesus could see a king in a shepherd boy. And an Apostle in a murderer. So while we must judge one's behavior we must we try to nurture the goodness in an individual: to separate the deed from the doer. Yes, we do have the right and the authority to judge the behavior of others as long as we honor and obey His Word in doing so. That Jesus is the only one who can judge is speaking to judging whether someone is or is not saved. Neither you nor I nor anyone else who ever draws a breath (except Jesus) has the authority to say whether another has or has not been saved. Only Jesus can make that judgment since only He can give Salvation. Nor may we who discern poor behavior based on His Word think of ourselves as "better than" the one whose behavior we judge as poor.

The Bible provides quite enough knowledge and understanding to make each of us a righteous judge of behavior, even and especially our own if we r-e-a-d it and not just look at the words and use the total of what He says, not just the pieces that seem to fit an agenda or those that seem to fill our own bellies.

Anyway, back to Pinterest...
I love 'pinning' things but I must say that I have witnessed so much anger, and hatred about believers on Pinterest that I feel the need to mentally prepare myself before I sign on. It's very sad to me. A man was just sentenced to death in Iran for not renouncing his beliefs. Are you going to tell me that he's just not intelligent or is worried about not looking like a better person? Jesus freaks die every day for their beliefs. But we forget that our words, our jokes, our sarcasm get the ball rolling towards violence. If what you preach is 'tolerance' and 'acceptance' and there is nothing tolerant and accepting about you to those who base their beliefs and life standards on the Bible then you are nothing but a big, fat hypocrite, plain and simple.

Now, to address the question "Why does God let so many bad things happen?" It is a very good question. Most don't want to face the truth but HE didn't choose for this to happen, WE DID! Adam and Eve chose to turn against God and that is when sin entered in the world. From then on mankind's choices have hurt one another. When we sin it hurts us and others. It's hard to hear but I tell you the truth. It is because we turned our backs on God that there is pain in this world. Jesus came to make a way so we can be saved from the punishment of our sins. He took the death penalty in our place so if we trust in Him we can be saved when we die and face God. No matter how good you say you are by man's standards, by God's perfect standard if you have told one lie you're guilty and you broke the 10 commandments, that is God's law. We are all guilty ...

What I Believe

Many times I have sat back and kept my mouth shut when all I really wanted to do is shout my views from the rooftop for all to hear. The time has come...I am so sick and tired of being belittled because my views are not 'politically correct.' I am a strong, opinionated Christian woman and I have things to say. I assume since you have made the choice to open this blog post then you are open to listening to my views. Here's what I believe: I believe Jesus is God's one and only Son. I believe in family and that a woman who answers God's calling to take care of her family is NOT less of a woman. I believe that a man is the leader of the home and that his wife should submit to his authority. I believe that it is a man's job to financially support his wife and children. I believe that a man should be his wife's strongest supporter and that a woman should be her husband's soft place to fall in this world. I believe homosexuality is a sin. I believe that marriage is only between ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN and that those who either approves of or participates in otherwise will one day be judged by an Almighty God for that approval and/or participation. I believe there is no such thing as a 'gray area.' I believe drinking alcohol and doing drugs is WRONG-nothing good ever comes of either. I believe women who dress overtly sexy are doing so for attention and not for their own self-esteem. I believe that as women we have the heavy responsibility of being sure that nothing we wear, do, or say has the potential to cause a member of the opposite sex to fall. I believe in second, third, and fourth chances as well as forgiveness. I believe that if a person identifies himself/herself as a Christian their life should reflect that very important and life-changing decision. I believe in heaven and that hell is a real and terrible place and that God doesn't send us there-we send ourselves by choosing the world and ourselves over Him. I believe in satan, the devil, and demons. I believe that demons lie to people because satan's ultimate goal is to keep as many people from a relationship with God as he possibly can. I believe that anyone who says there are many ways to heaven is wrong. I believe that sex before and outside of marriage is a sin and when you know better you should be expected to do better. I believe abortion is murder and should not be brushed off as someone's 'choice.' I believe people who say 'only God can judge me' really know they are doing something against God's will and just don't want to face it at the moment. I believe that EVERYONE makes judgments of people based on current actions & behaviors and anyone who says 'don't judge me' is being very hypocritical. I believe that a person can give up their salvation by choosing not to follow God's rules for His followers. I believe mothers & fathers who choose not speak to their children or be involved in their day-to-day lives for weeks at a time are anything but good parents. I believe that a person must be physically & emotionally present in another person's life to be considered a great friend, parent, sibling, or spouse by that person. I believe that it is a parent's responsibility to be their child's parent and not their 'friend.' I believe that there is a huge and undeniable difference between an occasional sin and living a life of habitual sin. I believe that repentance is admitting you have done wrong in the eyes of God and doing your very best not to do it again. I believe that what we do on this side of the cross matters in a major way.

I believe that I was once guilty of many things in the above paragraph. I believe that it's only by God's grace that I didn't die in my sins and spend eternity in hell. I believe that God has forgiven me and through Him I have the strength to deny myself daily, take up my cross and follow Him. I believe God chose me to be the mother of 4 beautiful, strong daughters and 2 handsome, smart stepsons and to be the wife of an amazing & strong man. I believe that God's grace and mercy is sufficient enough to save you and CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

I'm one of them...

I thought people who loved Jesus were freaky! I admit I did my share of rolling my eyes and steering clear of people that constantly talked about their Jesus. I found myself whispering under my breath, "Enough already" or "Here they go again". I mean total FREAKS! It was okay that I was a freak for fun with friends or my family, but those were things I could see and touch. In my mind, Jesus was a history lesson I had heard about in my occasional childhood visits to church. He was a Sunday kind of thing and not very relevant to my present day. I was the girl that sat in Sunday school praying with a vengeance that the teacher wouldn't call on me to answer any questions. If only I had been praying as hard for my salvation...

I remember going to church with a friend of mine in middle school once during revival. For me, the 'only go to church twice a year' kind of girl, this was quite an experience. Later in life I did my own thing, without giving God even a tiny say so. At the age of 22 I started feeling Jesus wooing me, but it freaked me out!
I stopped listening to the Holy Spirit and continued to seek my security and my worth in other feel-good things. I do remember that the harder I searched, the bigger the void became. Pleasures were short lived and the constant running to fill the hole in my heart became tiring.

Nine years later I found myself in a bigger mess than even I had ever imagined. It was then that I began thinking back on those 'freaks' who had witnessed to me over the years and I knew that He was the only one who I could turn to to give me a sense of stability. I gave my life to Jesus in September of 2007 and things have been a whirlwind ever since. I get it now! I am one of those freaks. There is a good kind of freaky that just gets you talking and changing everything about your life. To be honest, at times it is just as hard as that life I had when I was searching, but now it has purpose and there is a power that comes from the One I am freaky about. A power that can get you through anything. A power that is there beside you through it all and gives you a security that nothing in the world can provide.

So now that I am one of those freaky Jesus lovers, I have a lot of people I care about that I need to be freaky for until they get it. I am sure my words, my actions, and even my blogs wreak of freak. That is okay. I have a responsibility to help plant some seeds and let it "get on you". I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for those unselfish freaks in my life. I love them!!!!! I now know that I mattered to them. More importantly, I know that with all my poor choices and my junk, there is a Jesus who desires to hang out with me. Not to punish me, but to fill the void that only He can fill.

So, for those of you who roll your eyes and cannot wait for freaks like me to hush up and leave you alone I ask you to step out of your comfort zone and hang out with the freaks. This world is full of them but make sure you hang out with the kind of freaks that you want to get on you. It may be uncomfortable at first, but it is just the thing you don't even realize you are looking for! I have been on both sides of the spectrum and, I tell you with reckless abandon, I prefer this side.

Jesus sees you, He hears you, what you say matters to Him...

Drama and the way God calms the storm

Yesterday I had a bit of drama in my family. Thankfully it wasn't serious drama but, as with many circumstances, I didn't know that the whole time. It all started when I got a tear-filled phone call from my almost 17 year old daughter saying she had been in an accident. She doesn't drive yet, mainly because the idea of it scares me to death, so she was on her way to a church function with a friend. We were 20 minutes away from her so my husband and I gathered the other children in the car and headed to the scene of the accident. The whole way I was asking God to be with her while I couldn't be and, of course, he was. Just after the accident, which was a minor fender-bender, she and her friend prayed together and later I found out that a fireman had prayed with them. See, God was right there! I had calmed down over the 20 minute ride until I saw the scene: traffic was backed up, cops and firemen everywhere. It looked like something from a movie and I knew my baby was in the middle of it all. I got out of the car before my husband had time to stop good, but I JUST HAD to get to her. The moment she saw me we grabbed each other and hugged like we had never hugged before.Thankfully Emm and her friend were fine, they just are sore today from the seat belt & air bags but they are overall fine. My Emm cried for at least an hour because she was so shook up from the experience.I write this for myself more than for others because I need to see it in black and white to really believe that it happened and that we made it, but only with God. When I didn't fully know if she was badly hurt I had no choice but to trust that He was taking care of it all. As a control freak, that was a mighty hard thing to do. But He did, just as He always has and always will.

It wasn't until this morning when I sat down to read my devotional that I realized that He had prepped me, in a sense, yesterday morning for what would happen in the evening. Sometimes we just have to marvel in His ability to do things like that. He is a God of great detail, for sure. Here is a direct quote from the devotional for March 22 out of the book 'Jesus Calling' by Sarah Young:

"REJOICE AND BE THANKFUL! As you walk with Me through this day, practice trusting and thanking Me all along the way. Trust is the channel through which My Peace flows into you. Thankfulness lifts you up above your circumstances. I do My greatest works through people with grateful, trusting hearts. Rather than planning and evaluating, practice trusting and thanking Me continually. This is a paradigm shift that will revolutionize your life."

~this is a great devotional and I highly recommend it! Buy it here http://www.amazon.com/JESUS-CALLING-Young-Author-Calling/dp/B004NH8FX0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1300911372&sr=8-5

I usually skim over the previous day's devotion to refresh my memory before going into the current day's. I am so thankful that I did it this morning because it allowed me to really notice what He took time to do. I got a second blessing out of it and, honestly, felt a little giddy over the whole thing. While things were chaotic yesterday I felt God telling me to just trust Him, and I did my best to even through all the tears. I felt a quiet peace as I knew we were surrounded by prayers from friends and family. Emm calmed down eventually and things went back to normal. I even let her go with a friend to a youth meeting and birthday gathering for that friend tonight. I cannot make her stop living her life just as I cannot allow myself to live in fear, a fear that is not of God. After all, if the God who created the universe took the time to let little 'ole me know He was handling it all then I can trust that He will forever do just that-handle it ALL. Now, it's your turn to trust Him with whatever is going on in your life. We all have craziness from time to time but NOTHING is too crazy for Him.

FORGIVENESS

In light of certain local events I feel compelled by The Holy Spirit to write this post. Here is a bit of background: on Friday 2/4 a newborn baby was found in a restroom toilet in a local arena~the baby was rescued by cleaning staff and is expected to make a full recovery. Yesterday, 2/8, the baby's mother turned herself in and was arrested~she is not a scared teen, as I thought, but a 24 year old married mother of a 4 year old. She has since claimed amnesia~which is preposterous~and that she never knew she was pregnant. As a mother of 6, two of which are step children whose mother has very little contact with them, I was and am appalled at the actions this "mother" took to get rid of her unwanted baby boy. I am also like many others, who think the worst of her. It seems that there are many who are condemning her to hell, as if we have that power. Last night I felt the need to pray for this woman. I was struck with the thought that I should see her as God sees her, and He STILL loves her! Forgiving her of her actions does not make them okay or give her a 'get out of jail free' card. It does, however, show Christ to her and the world. If we call ourselves followers of the most High God, then how can we not forgive her...He will, she need only ask.

"He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would reach heaven; for everyone has need to be forgiven." ~Lance Morrow

"I have discovered that most people who tell me that they cannot forgive a person who wronged them are handicapped by a mistaken understanding of what forgiving is."
~Lewis B. Smedes

I realize I may get a lot of grief for this, but...oh well. It isn't the first time, and will not be the last, I caused a debate. I just want us to stop and think about what we are doing with our words and thoughts. Satan would have nothing more than for us to hate her, along with anyone who sides with her. The bottom line is that she is still a person, still a child of God, and~hold onto your britches~she is still someone that you may see in Heaven.

So, I'm not saying that we should at all excuse her behavior, which I am confident God hates, rather that we should forgive her. I have been actively working on forgiveness in my life over the last year or so. I see my stepsons hurt by the things they have been forced to go through and that makes me angry, and bitter, which could easily translate to hatred & unforgiveness. It has not been an easy thing for this stubborn, control freak to tackle...but I must, just as we all must. I must be an example to my children of how we should live. I don't want my children living with bitterness, hatred and unforgiveness...do you?

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."~Matthew 6:14-15

Well, I have said my piece. I hope this opens dialogue on this subject but I ask for comments to be kept kind. Remember, it's not WHAT we say but HOW we say it.

The Throne Room of God

The book of Revelation has always scared me, mainly because in the past I knew, without knowing Him, I was well on my way to hell. Since giving my life to Jesus 3 1/2 years ago I have avoided really studying this one book in the Bible. Call it fear or ignorance. Whichever it was, it was wrong. We cannot pick and choose what we want to learn, or believe & follow, when it comes to the Word of God. True, knowledge is power, but revelation from a relationship with Him is beyond powerful. When we allow satan to put fear of the Word in our minds then we allow him to have the power. I have since learned this firsthand.

During today's study I could barely contain my tears and, upon standing, I realized just how much The Holy Spirit had moved through that lesson. The picture above is an artist's rendition of the Throne Room of God that John described in Revelation 4. The fact that God never leaves His throne is beyond amazing. Just ponder on that...He NEVER leaves. No matter what you or I go through in our lives, He is there. He has always been there...even before you were born. As Beth Moore said in today's video, "We must live a theocentric (God-centered) life. Living a self-centered life will never lead to fulfillment." How true that statement is! I know that from serious personal experience. In order to live the victorious Christian life, we must make Him the center of our lives. There is no other way.

I write this to myself, as well as to you. In the coming weeks my circumstances are sure to be trying. The only way I can get through what is coming is to make Him the center of my life, as well as the lives of my children. This is the revelation God has given me and, as much as I wish I weren't, I am scared of what is to come. The only way I can get over that fear is to give it to Him, for He has not given us the spirit of fear. No matter what happens I know that God has placed me where I am for a reason; to influence those whom He has entrusted me with and to learn from these things, among many others I do not know. In the end He will get all the praise and glory. I know that God will not give me more than I can handle, or rather, more than He can handle through me.

A Woman's Heart Week 1-Broken Hearts, Broken Ties

This week has been a tough one for me; I have been sick with strep throat since Tuesday morning but now I can finally hold my head up and eat, PRAISE JESUS!! I considered a nap today to try to recover more but I am just too excited to put off this week’s study, I will nap later. I hope and pray that each of you is as excited. Let’s get week one started!

Today’s Treasure: “THERE, ABOVE THE COVER BETWEEN THE TWO CHERUBIM THAT ARE OVER THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY, I WILL MEET WITH YOU AND GIVE YOU ALL MY COMMANDS FOR THE ISRAELITES.” Exodus 25:22

A Woman’s Heart: WEEK 1

Day 1:An Empty Garden
*According to Exodus 25:8, why were the Israelites to build the tabernacle? …so God would come dwell with them.
*Discover who is involved. Who is talking?…God
*Whom is He addressing?…Moses
*Who is the “them” in Ex.25:8?…the Israelites
*What is Moses to have them do? …build God a sanctuary
*How are they to construct it?…according to the plan God gave them
*What two names does God call this structure in verses 8-9?…sanctuary, tabernacle
*Review the definitions of sanctuary & tabernacle. Considering them jointly, check any of the following that apply to the tabernacle.
~a simple structure ~a dwelling place ~a holy place ~a place of purity
~devoted to sacred things ~a storehouse
*Each of these Scriptures pertains to the tabernacle: Exodus 25:22;29:42-43;30:6,36. What is the obvious purpose of the structure?…It is where God meets with His people
*Read in 2Corinthians 5:18 a beautiful definition of what the tabernacle in the wilderness represented. What has God given us? “…the privilege of urging everyone to come into His favor and be reconciled to Him.”
*Why was a place where God dwell among people necessary? …He wants us to know where to find Him.
*What had happened to separate god from man? …sin had come into the world.
*What was god doing in Genesis 3:8-9? …He was looking for Adam in the garden
*What did God do to cover Adam’s and Eve’s nakedness (Gen. 3:21)? …He clothed them with animal skins
*What must happen to an animal when it is skinned?…it must die, blood MUST be shed
*Glance ahead to Genesis 4:6-7. According to these verses, check each word that accurately describes sin.
~watching ~aggressive

Day 2: A Perfect Heart

Today’s Treasure: “THE EYES OF THE LORD RANDE THROUGHOUT THE EARTH TO STRENGTHEN THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO HIM.” 2Chronicles 16:9

*What does Matthew 6:21 tell you about God’s heart? …since we are His treasure His heart is with us!
*What does God measuring His wealth by His children mean to you?…We can break His heart when we choose anything other than a close, intimate relationship with Him.
*Psalm8:4-8 records the position of humans in comparison to all other creation. List what was over and under them. OVER: the angels, UNDER: all other things (birds, fish, animals, etc.)
* What is the human heart like apart from fellowship with God? …lonely, searching, empty, lost
*Read Genesis6:1-9 and answer the following questions.
*What did God see according to Gen. 6:5?…wicked men with evil hearts
*What was His response in verse 6?
~God regretted making man and grieved what they had become.
*What was his plan of action in verse 7? …He would destroy man and beast
*How does Genesis6:8-9 describe Noah? …He was a pleasure to the Lord; the only righteous man living on the earth at that time.
Check Noah’s response to God in Genesis 6:22.
~obeyed
*What did the rainbow represent? …It was a sign of His promise to never again flood the earth to destroy all flesh
*What parties were involved in the covenant? …God and all flesh that is on the earth

Day 3: A People For His Name

Today’s Treasure: “REMEMBER THE FORMER THINGS OF LONG AGO;I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NO OTHER; I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NON LIKE ME. I MAKE KNOWN THE END FROM THE BEGINNING, FROM ANCIENT TIMES, WHAT IS STILL TO COME. I SAY: MY PURPOSE WILL STAND, AND I WILL DO ALL THAT I PLEASE. FROM THE EAST I SUMMON A BIRD OF PREY; FROM A FAR-OFF LAND, A MAN TO FULFILL MY PURPOSE. WHAT I HAVE SAID, THAT I WILL BRING ABOUT; WHAT I HAVE PLANNED, THAT I WILL DO.” Isaiah 46:9-11

*Read Genesis 9:1. What command did God give Noah and his sons? …be fruitful and fill the earth
*What unified the people? …one language
*For what specific reason did they build the city and the tower?
~they wanted to make a name for themselves
*Why did the people want to build the city and make a name for themselves? …to keep them from scattering.
*Read Genesis 11:6-9. How did God respond to what He saw? …He confused their language
*In Genesis 11:7 exactly who “went down”? …the Trinity
*What action did the Lord take against the people?
~He confused their language and scattered them over the earth.
*In Genesis 9:1 God told them to MULTIPLY
*In Genesis 11:4 the people built a tower and a city to make a name for themselves so that they would not…BE SCATTERED
*In Genesis 11:4 the Lord SCATTERED T HEM.
*What does Isaiah 46:9-11, Today’s Treasure, say about God’s will?
~It will be accomplished
*Recall Genesis 9:18-19. Because of God’s faithfulness to His covenant, He has never judged the whole earth again as He did in the flood, no matter how wicked and perverse people have been; therefore, all the earth’s population has descended from either SHEM, Ham, or Japheth.
*List every piece of information about Abram offered in this passage. (I just put that he is a direct descendant of Shem)

Day 4: The Original Love Story

Today's Treasure: "TAKE YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON, ISAAC, WHOM YOU LOVE, AND GO TO THE REGION OF MORIAH. SACRIFICE HIM THERE AS A BURNT OFFERING ON ONE OF THE MOUNTAINS I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT." Genesis 22:2

The Bridge:
1. The Garden of Eden
2. Adam & Eve cast out
3. Noah built ark
4. people scattered
5. Call of Abram
6. substitute for Isaac
7. burning bush
8. The Tabernacle

*What did God preach to Abraham? ...the Gospel
*What action does Philippians say everyone will take? ...every knee shall bow!
*Genesis 15:18 "On the day the Lord MADE a COVENANT with Abram."
*What was Abram doing while God cut the covenant? ...sleeping
*What does Abrams' lack of participation imply to you? ...God didn't need help
*Write a sentence describing the contents of Genesis 22: ...Abraham offered his son as a sacrifice
*How was the sacrifice held in the thicket (Gen 22:13)? ...it was caught by its thorns

Day 5:On The Move

Today's Treasure: "THEY PUT SLAVE MASTERS OVER THEM TO OPPRESS THEM WITH FORCED LABOR...BUT THE MORE THEY WERE OPPRESSED, THE MORE THEY MULTIPLIED AND SPREAD." Exodus 1:11-12

~~~The heart questions are mostly personal, so we will keep them private. If you have anything you would like to discuss, please comment.~~~
*Why did the Israelites become slaves?
~they were mightier and more in number
*What impact did oppression have on the Israelites?
~they multiplied and grew
*From which house of Israel did Moses descend?
~Levi
*What caused Moses to flee Midian?
`Pharaoh wanted to kill him
*Name every supernatural sight Moses beheld in Ex 3:2.
...an angel appeared in a flame, burning bush
*By what name did God tell Moses to call Him to the Israelites?
~I AM!
*the masses...could not go up with Moses
*Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders...worship from afar
*Moses...come near the Lord
*number in order these events from this foundational unit
~7,6,1,3,4,2,5,8

He Giveth More Grace

I am very often asked how I do it by other women and mothers. My answer is usually, "I don't know!" But that's not an entirely true statement. I know exactly how I do it...how I raise 6 children, how I get up before everyone (most days,LOL) and stay up later than everyone, how I cook and clean more times in a day than I can count, how I love my husband more than I knew I could love a man, how I work tirelessly for my church, how I devote my every waking thought and action to my lord Jesus~I do it ALL by His grace and for His kingdom. I am reminded daily that I cannot do 'it' without Him. You see, I didn't always have His grace. I am a new Christian, 3 years to be exact, so for the first 13 years of being a mother I didn't depend on Him, and I was miserable. I know what it's like to be at my rope's end, hanging on by the tiniest thread and having no way of escape from the frustration and stress. That was before I gave Him control over my life. Being a wife and mother is the hardest thing I have ever done, but it has been made a bit easier since that day three years ago. I still have tear-filled moments of frustration, the only difference between now and then is that I now spend those moments on my knees asking Him for a little more strength to make it. Here is a poem that I found recently that inspired this post. I pray that you read it and think of it when you feel like you cannot do 'it' one more second. Darlin', He is there with more grace each day & He knows your needs, all you need to do is receive it. Won't you let Him love on you and fill you with peace beyond all understanding?

He Giveth More Grace~ Annie J Flint

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.