"Like a city broken into and left without a wall, so is a person who lacks self-control." Proverbs 25:28
Bad habits are like breaches in the wall of the "city" of our lives. If left in disrepair, they become an easy access point for destruction and decay.
I felt challenged this morning to examine a few places in my life where the "wall is broken." Usually these things are easiest to spot in my children. For example, I think they consume too much sugar. (I wonder who they get that from?) That's when the Holy Spirit brought this scripture to mind. I felt like He was reminding me that any place in my own personal life where I consistently lack self-control will be an area where my children will also lack self-control. He's right.
Like the old phrase, "most things are caught, not taught" my children are affected by the areas in my life where I choose to either walk in self-control or a lack of self-discipline. As Joyce Meyer says, "either we will suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." There are certainly several areas in my life where I've opted to simply "do as I please" and disregard a more beneficial option. Eventually, that type of behavior wears down at the wall of protection and encroaches upon the good boundaries that should be set up in our lives.
I think the Lord is kindly reminding me that I need to address some issues in my own life -- repair the wall -- and therefore help bring a lasting and effective change in the lives of my children.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Cares of this Life
A torrential down pour of thoughts
have been steadily falling lately
tugged to and fro by the blustery winds of urgent details
and demanding "to-do"s.
The days are hard to hold onto
slippery and slipping by so fast
I try to squeeze them hard and make them stop
but I cannot.
Somewhere in front of me I sense the joy of Jeremiah 29:11
it is peeking around the corner
and it keeps smiling at me
as if it knows something that I am unaware of.
But I forget to see it and I bend down to try and tie my laces
only to find that they are already tied
I wonder if I am wearing the right shoes
for this journey.
I wonder...
I wonder...
I wonder...
I... I cannot understand a journey I have not yet seen.

As I wait, the Lifter of my head
stoops low to look into my eyes and
He reminds me that
He has prepared the way.
"It is extraordinary what an enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention from God. Refuse to be swamped with the cares of this life." --Oswald Chambers
have been steadily falling lately
tugged to and fro by the blustery winds of urgent details
and demanding "to-do"s.
The days are hard to hold onto
slippery and slipping by so fast
I try to squeeze them hard and make them stop
but I cannot.
Somewhere in front of me I sense the joy of Jeremiah 29:11
it is peeking around the corner
and it keeps smiling at me
as if it knows something that I am unaware of.
But I forget to see it and I bend down to try and tie my laces
only to find that they are already tied
I wonder if I am wearing the right shoes
for this journey.
I wonder...
I wonder...
I wonder...
I... I cannot understand a journey I have not yet seen.

As I wait, the Lifter of my head
stoops low to look into my eyes and
He reminds me that
He has prepared the way.
"It is extraordinary what an enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention from God. Refuse to be swamped with the cares of this life." --Oswald Chambers
Friday, November 12, 2010
Getting Closer 11/12/10
The moving sale was a ridiculous success. The Lord blessed it and we made $1200, which brought our savings to just enough to purchase 4 plane tickets to Seoul, South Korea. I bought the tickets a couple of days ago (wiping out our savings account.) That was a little stressful and exiting all at the same time. It was another reminder that our security is not in Navy Federal Credit Union, a paycheck, or any other earthly possession, but only in the Lord.
It feels like we just jumped out of a plane. We've got our chutes, but aren't using them yet. We have to trust that they'll open when we need them. There's no going back. But, I know with all my heart that the Father will honor His word and give us a safe landing to the place He's calling us to go. Genesis 12 is a passage that He gave me a few months back when I asked Him to talk to me regarding Korea. He simply said, "Go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make you a blessing." It's that simple.
We have 3 details that have yet to come together, so please pray with us that these loose ends will soon be tied up. 1) Our house. What should we do with it. Rent it out? Well, we'll need a tenant. We've had a few prospects, but nothing has solidified yet. 2) Our sweet dog, Lizzy. She'll need a home for the next year and I so want her to have people who will love and enjoy here. She loves her people and loves to snuggle and it breaks my heart to think of her feeling too lonely. 3) Our visas. We're working on them now, but we need the details to fall into place for that. Thank you so much if you've read this and will stand in prayer with us.
I'll keep you posted...
It feels like we just jumped out of a plane. We've got our chutes, but aren't using them yet. We have to trust that they'll open when we need them. There's no going back. But, I know with all my heart that the Father will honor His word and give us a safe landing to the place He's calling us to go. Genesis 12 is a passage that He gave me a few months back when I asked Him to talk to me regarding Korea. He simply said, "Go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make you a blessing." It's that simple.
We have 3 details that have yet to come together, so please pray with us that these loose ends will soon be tied up. 1) Our house. What should we do with it. Rent it out? Well, we'll need a tenant. We've had a few prospects, but nothing has solidified yet. 2) Our sweet dog, Lizzy. She'll need a home for the next year and I so want her to have people who will love and enjoy here. She loves her people and loves to snuggle and it breaks my heart to think of her feeling too lonely. 3) Our visas. We're working on them now, but we need the details to fall into place for that. Thank you so much if you've read this and will stand in prayer with us.
I'll keep you posted...
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