Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Good, Good Father

I cannot keep Caven in clothes. We get him dressed in the morning, and about 5 minutes later he is running around in his Paw Patrol, or character of the day, underwear. The funny thing is, he will run up to me fully clothed, say "I'm so cold!", then proceed to take his clothes off. No matter how many times Nate and I try to tell him that if he's cold, he needs to keep his clothes on...off come the clothes. He doesn't realize what it is that he truly needs.

I have found myself in that position so many times.

Times where I am grappling for someone's approval, not realizing that the only one I need approval from is my Lord, and He has already approved of me.

Times where I am stressed over bills, not realizing that He is my Provider.

Times where I feel so covered in shame, not realizing that He has covered me in the righteousness of Christ.

In these times, I need to realize Who it is that I truly need. One day I was reading 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, and I read it in a different way...

God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. He does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. He never fails.

You see, if I don't view His love for me accurately, I will never realize (become fully aware of something as a fact; understand clearly) that His love is all that I need.  If Nate and I don't keep telling little Caveman that he needs to wear clothes when he is cold, he will be very cold and have some very awkward encounters as an adult.

He is a good, good Father. He will meet your needs. Bring them to Him and let His perfect love work itself out in your life. There is honestly no one like Him.

This song has rocked my world, I hope you enjoy!

Good, good Father - Bethel

Friday, January 15, 2016

Bowden is a very passionate child. He feels things deeply. Things that I just cannot understand. Like when he can’t get his action figure guy to move the way he wants him to. You would think that his little world has ended. In his head he knows the way that he wants things to go, or bend, and sometimes...they just don’t. No matter how badly he wants them to. As his mommy, I have some choices to make. I can either try to rationalize away his frustration at limitations, or I can just sit and hold him as he mourns the fact that life will be unfair and fused plastic elbows will not bend. In these moments with him, I try and think of how my heavenly Father would be with me. In those moments I have where there is inexplicable loss, frustration, and anger at how this world - this life - works, I imagine that He scoops me up into His all knowing and capable arms and lets me cry and be irrational. I imagine that He smooths my hair while my head rests on His shoulder and whispers, “I know the plans that I have for you, and they are so good…” That is why I am able to comfort Bowden, because I have received the same comfort in my moments. I don’t know what it is in your life that won’t bend, but let me encourage you, go to Him with all of it. It doesn’t matter how big or small you think it is. Nothing is insignificant to the One who knows the number of hairs on your head. Let Him whisper His perfect comfort into your heart as you lean your head on His shoulder. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ."



"It is Well", by Bethel Music, has been such a comfort to me through these past couple of months. I hope it blesses you like it has me!