Saturday, August 16, 2014

Missed My Jesus

"Breathe Me in, rest your soul in Me, and find grace-filled love in Me,"  I heard my Jesus speaking softly to me tonight.  It's been a busy week of work, school, cleaning, and  my sweet girl catching her first back to school cold.  In the busyness, I have missed my Jesus, not because I couldn't find the time, but because I chose to let my weariness rule my quiet times.  It was easier to fall onto the couch and zone out to a good show, or to fall asleep before uttering my goodnight prayers and thanksgivings to Jesus.  I felt the weight of this time missed with my Jesus, as I plodded through another day under my own meager steam.  My shoulders tensed and my patience ran thin.  Still I kept going on in this manner, broken down and melancholy.  What a stinky thing I did to myself and those that I came into contact.  I was a tired, grumpy grouch who wanted to be left alone, not one of my finer moments I must say.  As I prepared for bed tonight, Jesus pursued me with His gentle reminder to draw near to Him.  It felt good to center my focus back to Him, a relief actually.  That is how it's suppose to be all the time. I am so thankful my Jesus pursued me and how He pursues me daily. I need my Jesus, plain and simple, Amen to that!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Discipline: Lavish of Love

A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them. (Proverbs 13:24 MSG)

These words ring extremely true now that I am a Mama to a sweet but feisty little girl.  She is bound and determined to do life her way, which is well and fine when she is being well behaved.  However, the days she chooses to do wrong and to disobey, I'm the one frazzled and on my last nerve.  I dish out godly discipline through stern but respectful words anchored in God's truth.  Sometimes, I get through to my girl and the times she's just had it, I let her collect herself in a timeout (sometimes I need the timeout more than she does to collect myself and my wits).  As a Mama, I go through all this with her because I love her so much and want God's very best for her.  Yes, I could choose to appease my girl and let her do whatever she wanted to make her happy.  Let me say clearly and truthfully, appeasement is not real love though it masquerades as such.  It might feel like the loving thing to do to make your child happy.  Truly though, your child is not happy, just miserable because no one would want to be around him or her.  He or she might even begin to dislike who he or she is.  My Mama heart rebels against this lie because I have grounded myself in God's truth, and I have experienced His gentle but firm discipline in my life.  I know the blessing that godly discipline brings, and I utterly want that richness of blessing for my daughter.  I love her so and can't fail her by choosing appeasement. I rest in knowing that I am lavishing God's true love upon her.