My Calling

I started this post months ago but just never could pull together my heart on this issue. Then, it all finally came together, but in a really different way.

My daughter woke up early Sunday morning vomiting; because I couldn't sleep and she wanted to be held, I decided, while I held her, to read a book, GLOBAL SOCCER MOM, which I will discuss in another blog.  As I read about this soccer mom who was fighting AIDS, the desire to do "something more" stirred in me again.

Ironically before I went to sleep the night before, I had read the article When You Want To Do Great Things for God and He Keeps Calling You to Be a Mom.

So, with both of these thoughts clashing in my brain, I simply let my memories and thoughts take over.

I thought about the sweet chubby little princess in my arms who was battling a fever and just needed her mommy.

I remembered my months in Africa as a single missionary.

I thought of my sweet son who was learning and growing in Kindergarten.

I thought of my desires to be "Run Ma Run," William Carey or a Katie Davis, (a superhero for the cause of Christ.) 

I thought of Susanna Wesley, the mother of Charles Wesley and John Wesley. ...and I let my mind sit.

She taught her children.

She helped provide for them.

She cared for them.

She fought for them.

She was an intentional mom.

You see, God called her to something great.  ->  It was motherhood.

Moms, I know, I know...it  looks like another load of laundry.  It looks like another meal.  It looks like another child's book, read for the tenth time.

...but Mommy, it is more...

Proverbs 31 says "She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. 15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.... 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Oh, my dear moms, it is so much more.  Motherhood is a HUGE calling. These kiddos are our next generation.  You may be raising a John Wesley, a Katie Davis, a Hudson Taylor or a Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  You never know.

So, instead of ministering at church and reaching into other people's lives, T & I sat and cuddled. We watched her favorite songs on YouTube like Jesus Loves Me and we sang. We read a whole basket of books and we worshiped Jesus together.

It was beautiful!

It was and is my highest calling.  I love ministry.  I enjoy working but my children are God's assignment to me.  If they are not getting the care they need, then I need to step down from my other positions.

THIS is my calling. - Rejoicing in the Present

Love and Law

You see two extremes in church culture.  Some have even given names to the extremes--liberals and fundamentalists.  Basically, there are the ones who love with no rules OR there are those who rule with no love. 

Both extremes have positives.  

Loving is important and keeping God's commandments are important. BUT, did you know that they are both equal?  IN FACT, did you know that God equates them to each other.

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." - John 14:15

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: - John 14:21

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." - John 15:10

I don't know which one you lean toward.  You may lean more to following and enforcing rules OR you may lean toward lawless love.  However, I would encourage you to be balanced. 

We must follow the commands that God has given us, out of the love that we have toward Him.  We must also love others with the sacrificial love He has bestowed on us and teach those in our care the commands that He wants us to follow.

So what's the plan?

Know what his laws are.

"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." - 1 John 3:23

The most basic way to wrap it up is to love God and love everyone else (including your enemies). ...with the commands that He gives us.  What are His commands? You can read the most basic commands in Exodus 20 and Jesus' teaching in the gospels.  But His commands are spread though out the Bible, so my best suggestion is to READ the BIBLE.  Ask God to show you his commands and He will. 

Let there be a balance.  Love God AND follow His commands. - Rejoicing in the Present

Love One Another

In his commentary on Galatians 6:10, Jerome tells a famous story of "blessed John the evangelist" in extreme old age at Ephesus. He asked to be carried into the congregation in the arms of his disciples and was unable to say anything except,

"Little children, love one another."

At last, wearied that he always spoke the same words, they asked: "Master, why do you always say this?"

"Because," he replied, "it is the Lord's command, and if this only is done, it is enough. Stories about John (Kelly Minter, What Love is)

To Love Is Enough

I want that phrase to really sink in. If we can just get it right about loving everyone, the rest will fall into place. 

Your relationship with your coworkers-How would love change that situation?

What if you truly sacrificially loved your husband? How would your marriage change?

In your neighborhood? 

The family-less foster child? 

That person who looks, smells and believes differently than you? 

Do you unconditionally love them?

Before we go on, I must state something important. Love is not tolerance for sin, but it is tolerance for the people. It is not saying that you are ok with a sinful lifestyle, but it is saying that you are ok with that person. It is not saying that you push aside truth; it does mean that you embrace the person and the person that God created him/her to be. 

This also doesn't mean that you allow sin-happy people to become your best friends or let them influence you. What it does mean is that you reach into their lives, praying for them, befriending them, encouraging them and doing acts of kindness. 

We see so many illustrations of Jesus, the friend of sinners, who often stopped what He was doing to reach out to the unlovely like, as in Luke 18:35-43.  He sat with sinners in Mark 2 and simply gave truth while everyone else judged (John 8:1-11). And, of course, we can't miss His sacrificially death and resurrection for all sinners. 

So as a Christ-follower, how are you sacrificially, unconditionally loving? 

Because my dear friend, to love is enough. - Rejoicing in the Present

I want to be GREAT!

Have you ever watched little children get in line?  Many of them will be fighting to be the "line leader."  They push and shove to get to the front.  Often you even see this with adults.  Just turn on the news and watch the presidential election campaigns.

... but leaders are not those who slander others to build themselves up. They are not those who shove others aside to get to the top. This is childish behavior and we must reject it.

Sadly, this is not new to our generation.  We see conflict and strife in Luke 22:24-27.  The disciples were fighting to be #1.  They all wanted to be the greatest, but Jesus stopped them.

He says in verse 26, "but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the youngest (meaning least); and he that is chief, as he that does serve"."

...and then, to add fuel to the fire, He adds in verse 27 "...but I am among you as He that serveth."

BAM!!!

Ooooooooooooooo!

You can't ignore that one.

If you want to lead........ serve!

I have been blessed to be in churches over the years where the pastors didn't think it below themselves to serve.  You might see one of them cleaning a toilet, setting up chairs or staying late next to the hospital bed of a sick patient.

"To lead a church is to serve it." - Kelly Minter

This is true leadership.

If you want to be a great boss, serve your employees.

If you want to be a great pastor, serve your congregation.

If you want to be a great mom, serve your family.

You want to be a leader?  Dear friend, SERVE.

We will never be great, until our focus is off of our selves and on to our great GOD and those around us. Let's plan to serve someone this very day! - Rejoicing in the Present.

I NEED HAIRSPRAY

...Ok, so I know what you are thinking.  I moved to TN and now I need "big hair". 

Well, yes, I did move to Tennessee, BUT, no, I still have regular mom-hair and pretty much NEVER use hairspray ON MY HAIR. 

However, as of late, I have been using hairspray DAILY.

My sweet lil "T" has decided that she enjoys writing on the couches. 

Oh, yes. 

Since we started Avery's school, she has really been getting into the school supplies.  A few days ago, I stepped out of the room to use the bathroom and came back to artwork ALL OVER the back of couch. Then, a day later, I gave her a pen and board to write on while we were doing school and she decided to walk over to the other couch and decorate it. 

She knows. She has been corrected. She had guilt written all over her face, but yet she still did it.  (Sounds like us adults, sometimes, right???)

Well, anyway, this is where hairspray comes in handy.  Hair spray is AMAZING at getting ink out.  It is definitely my GO-TO product whenever "T" starts decorating my furniture. 

• I spray. 
• Leave it for a minute. 
• Wipe/Scrub. 
• Then I spray again. 
• After the ink is mostly gone, I use water to finish the job and get the stickiness out. 

The "artistic" 2s can be trying, but hairspray saved the day again. ,If it weren't for "T", those poor hairspray cans would get awful lonely.  I'm sure she is glad to help. - Rejoicing in the Present

Victory

My husband and I love to tease, tickle and wrestle with the little kiddos.  Often they will run to the other parent screaming “Poe-tect” ME!!!!   It’s funny to see them run to the one with the most power and then turn around with confidence and continue the fight.

Priscilla Shirer gives a similar story in her book ARMOR OF GOD.  She tells us a story about her boys playing around with her and wrestling her to the ground…

“…sometimes one of them will spring from around a corner, nestle a shoulder into my waistline and sling me, flailing and begging, over his shoulder. His brothers will laugh hysterically while I’m hauled to the sofa, tossed onto the cushions, and then forcibly pinned down, no hope of escape."

Later on in the chapter she writes. “At some point during my wrestling matches with the boys, when I’ve been thoroughly subdued despite my best efforts at fighting back, their father will appear, ready to save and rescue me. The sight of his looming six-foot-three-inch frame will send all the younger Shirer men careening in a million different directions. All of a sudden, I’m free and back on my feet. Not because I’m particularly strong – in fact I’m not as strong as my boys are becoming but because I’m in a relationship with someone who is."

Ladies, did you get that last statement?!?!?!  We are NOT able to fight the devil and his helpers because we are so witty or so strong.  You are not truly free from your addictions because you just woke up and decided to get over them.

The only way for TRUE victory is because i have the power of the ONE who can actually do something about it.

Ladies, there is victory.  We can win!!!! …but we can’t do it alone. It’s all about our Partner.

In Ephesians 1:18-21 and 3:14-19, the Bible speaks to us about the power and the riches He has for us.  It’s not that if we pray we will get them. I t is that THEY ARE ALREADY THERE.  We just need to have our eyes opened and see that they are there.

I want to give you a challenge.  I want you to vow to pray these scriptures over your life every day for at least a week.

Pray that God would open your eyes and that you would see his power and truly know the love He has for you.

Ladies, God is right there ready to empower us, to surround us with His love, to show us what He has planned for us.  Will I take the challenge? Will you pray this over your life and those around you?  I can promise that if we truly desire this, God will answer because this is a YES prayer.  I have already seen Him work in my life. Will you join me??? - Rejoicing in the Present

Follower

Beth Moore

Priscilla Shirer

Nancy Lee DeMoss

Lysa TerKeurst

These are all great woman who have encouraged me to grow closer to God through His Scripture and through Bible study.

I have other friends and family who have influenced me as well.  There are some that are still in my life and others who have gone on to heaven or to other ministries.

But what is amazing about each of these people is not themselves.  It is the One they serve.  You see, if we took God out of these people, there would be no reason to read their books or listen to their advice.

I am not a follower of man, I am a follower of God. 

I am grateful for their walks and examples.  I am grateful for their advice, encouragement and godly wisdom.  I am a fan of their work, but I am a follower of God.

What about you?  Who encourages you?  Who brings you closer to the Lord?  And, ultimately, who are you following? I would love to hear your comments. Feel free to comment below. - Rejoicing