Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10, NIV.
This story starts with broken pipes. Let me just say that if you hear water running in your home and a faucet is not open, it's not good. If you live on a slab, it's worse. We had a leaking pipe in our bathroom. It was fixed not once, but twice. During this time, a Christian radio station that we regularly support, WayFM, was having a pledge drive. I felt led to give, but we didn't. This is the conversation I had with God on a daily basis during that time:
God- you should support this station
Jamie- I know, we usually do
God- you should support them today. Now.
Jamie- I know, but it's going to cost $1000 to fix the leaking pipe
God- wouldn't you rather give that to spreading the gospel than to fixing a pipe?
Jamie- yes, but we don't have a choice
God- give to me, I will take care of everything else
Jamie- not this time
The pledge drive ended, and we did not give. Our leak was fixed, the counter put back in the bathroom, all was well. Just a few days later, we heard water running again. In a different room. This time it was the kitchen. I approached my husband, suggesting "We should give to the church. It's been a while since we have been giving faithfully and I really believe God is telling us to give." He wanted to sell our house and move. Not kidding.
The very next day, our pastor finished the book of Colossians. The very last few verses are about friendship. He spoke for at least 30 minutes about giving to God. How did we get on that topic? I can't even remember. He spoke about Malachi 3:10 and also the parable of the rich fool, found in Luke 12:13-21. You can read it here. I kept thinking about these things in my heart and discussing with my husband at length my desire to give generously to the Lord.
During this time, I was doing a Bible study on the parables of Jesus. That Sunday night, I opened my study to find the next parable we would be going over- the parable of the rich fool. Wow! I used to be surprised by these occurrences, but not anymore. I just laughed and thought 'I knew it.'
My husband and I committed to give a certain amount to the church that Sunday. As soon as we committed to doing this, blessings began coming. Sometimes monetary blessings, sometimes not. We received a check from the hospital, we had paid too much. The leak in the kitchen required no moving of cabinets and we were able to pay for it without an insurance claim. The replacement tile had been discontinued, but the employee told my husband "I almost threw this out last week, but for some reason I kept it." Therefore, we didn't have to re-tile the entire kitchen. God is good. God is so good! This would have been enough for me to see that when we give, God gives back. But it kept going...
For the first time in a long time, we got a tax refund this year. A refund! That means they send you money back. When my husband told me the amount we were expected to get back, I cried. The amount of state+federal+hospital check was $9 less than the total amount we gave to our church. In my mind, that is essentially the same amount. Awesome, God! But it kept going...
A couple of days after filing electronically, my husband informed me that he got a notice and had accidentally put one number in the wrong place on our taxes. We would be getting back a little more than he had previously told me. Nine dollars more. Did you catch that?! Mind. Blown.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
For Moms...And Other Humans
You know those blogs, facebook pictures, tweets, etc. that glorify motherhood? The ones that scream "Look at us over here! We love every moment of every day! My children are so awesome and even when they misbehave it's adorable! I couldn't stand to be without them for a second! I love being a MOMMY!" You know the ones I'm talking about. Don't they just drive you crazy? There was a time, not too long ago, that these posts were everywhere. They have a tendency to make a mom feel inadequate by comparison. They have a tendency to make a mom feel that she is the only one with struggles.
You know those blogs, facebook pictures, tweets, etc. that glorify the struggles of motherhood? The ones that scream "Look at us over here! Every moment of every day is a struggle! My children rarely behave! When can I get away from them and have some wine? Being a mommy is...AAAAHHH!" If you haven't seen one of these posts recently, keep looking. They are out there. These posts, although probably more truthful that the blissdom posts, are still full of lies. It seems the majority of mothers have swung to the completely opposite end of the spectrum. They love to congratulate each other on being transparent about the struggles of motherhood and bond over a virtual glass, or bottle, of wine. These posts have a tendency to make a mom feel "normal," by comparison. She is not the only one with struggles.
I am all for being transparent. So I will start there. I am a mother of two boys ages 3 and 1. I have struggles. I struggle with behavior problems, discipline, communication, injuries, sickness, trying to get it all done, trying not to have a meltdown in public... The list can go on forever. I also have blessings. First words, first steps, kisses, hugs, play dates, birthday parties, cuddling, being the only person in the world that my child wants... This list can go on forever, too.
I believe the desire of most mothers is to be "normal." But I don't want to be normal. I don't want to get to a place where I read the doubts and fears of other moms and think "Yes. That is true. I will never be good enough at this. I can't do it. It's too hard. I'm glad I'm not the only one." Mothers, those are lies! I'm not ready to throw in the towel to the hardships of motherhood and just accept that this is the way it is.
I've shared the fact that I have many trials raising my two young boys. With some of you, I've shared some of these trials in detail. The difference in raising them comes from the truth of God's Word. Of course I feel inadequate at times. Of course I feel overwhelmed, exhausted, alone at times. I'm human and imperfect. But God tells me that I can rest. I'm not alone and He has given me everything I need on this journey. Below I've written some of the lies that moms believe about themselves and the truth that God has spoken to me.
Lie: I can not do this.
Truth: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
Lie: I'm too exhausted and overwhelmed to deal with this.
Truth: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Truth: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your
God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold
you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Lie: I'll never be able to get through this day.
Truth: Those that hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
Isaiah 40:31
Truth: Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our
burdens. Psalm 68:19
Lie: I have to get it all done!
Truth: Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
Lie: I'll never be enough for my children.
Truth: and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head
over all rule and authority; Colossians 2:10
Truth: and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may
be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19
Lie: I am alone.
Truth: God has said "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you." Hebrews 13:5
Truth: ...surely I am with you always, to the very end of age.
Matthew 28:20
This is God's truth about those that He calls his own. If you haven't come to know Jesus as Savior, I would encourage you to consider it, pray about it, and know that He loves you more than any words can ever express. For those that are followers of Jesus, remember this as you fight the daily battle-
You know those blogs, facebook pictures, tweets, etc. that glorify the struggles of motherhood? The ones that scream "Look at us over here! Every moment of every day is a struggle! My children rarely behave! When can I get away from them and have some wine? Being a mommy is...AAAAHHH!" If you haven't seen one of these posts recently, keep looking. They are out there. These posts, although probably more truthful that the blissdom posts, are still full of lies. It seems the majority of mothers have swung to the completely opposite end of the spectrum. They love to congratulate each other on being transparent about the struggles of motherhood and bond over a virtual glass, or bottle, of wine. These posts have a tendency to make a mom feel "normal," by comparison. She is not the only one with struggles.
I am all for being transparent. So I will start there. I am a mother of two boys ages 3 and 1. I have struggles. I struggle with behavior problems, discipline, communication, injuries, sickness, trying to get it all done, trying not to have a meltdown in public... The list can go on forever. I also have blessings. First words, first steps, kisses, hugs, play dates, birthday parties, cuddling, being the only person in the world that my child wants... This list can go on forever, too.
I believe the desire of most mothers is to be "normal." But I don't want to be normal. I don't want to get to a place where I read the doubts and fears of other moms and think "Yes. That is true. I will never be good enough at this. I can't do it. It's too hard. I'm glad I'm not the only one." Mothers, those are lies! I'm not ready to throw in the towel to the hardships of motherhood and just accept that this is the way it is.
I've shared the fact that I have many trials raising my two young boys. With some of you, I've shared some of these trials in detail. The difference in raising them comes from the truth of God's Word. Of course I feel inadequate at times. Of course I feel overwhelmed, exhausted, alone at times. I'm human and imperfect. But God tells me that I can rest. I'm not alone and He has given me everything I need on this journey. Below I've written some of the lies that moms believe about themselves and the truth that God has spoken to me.
Lie: I can not do this.
Truth: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
Lie: I'm too exhausted and overwhelmed to deal with this.
Truth: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Truth: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your
God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold
you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Lie: I'll never be able to get through this day.
Truth: Those that hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
Isaiah 40:31
Truth: Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our
burdens. Psalm 68:19
Lie: I have to get it all done!
Truth: Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
Lie: I'll never be enough for my children.
Truth: and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head
over all rule and authority; Colossians 2:10
Truth: and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may
be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19
Lie: I am alone.
Truth: God has said "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you." Hebrews 13:5
Truth: ...surely I am with you always, to the very end of age.
Matthew 28:20
This is God's truth about those that He calls his own. If you haven't come to know Jesus as Savior, I would encourage you to consider it, pray about it, and know that He loves you more than any words can ever express. For those that are followers of Jesus, remember this as you fight the daily battle-
"So then, just as
you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up
in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with
thankfulness." (Col 2:6,7)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
I Don't Have Time
Let me just tell you what that is- a LIE. It is probably the biggest lie that we all believe every day of our lives. Because of the simple fact that we are surrounded by technology. I know that there are some families that really don't have much spare time, if any. But for this family, the "I don't have time" excuse is just that- an excuse.
Let me backup a little bit and let you dive a little deeper into my thought process. Wednesday night I attended a class at my local church. One of the ladies pointed out a verse in the text that says "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admireable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me- everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you" (Phil 4:8-9). Then she commented that even watching the evening news is the opposite of this. I know she had no idea at the time, but that really convicted me. I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but I'll admit that it is almost always on. There is one thing I do try to watch every day- the evening news. I never really tried to figure out why I have to get my 'news fix' daily. But now I've come to realize that it is because I want see the day's drama. Another thing I do about twenty or more times per day is look at facebook. I don't post things twenty times a day, I just like to check on the day's drama. This is absolute craziness. It is, for sure, not focusing on anything "worthy of praise."
Another red flag went flying Thursday evening when I started crying because husband put one of my sweaters in the dryer. He was trying to help. I cried. I CRIED! That is craziness. Actually, it is exhaustion. Why was I so exhausted? Because I didn't have enough time. That is what I told myself, and I believed me. But God said "Be still. Know that I am God."
So Friday afternoon, I made a decision: No TV and no internet for the weekend. Surprise, husband! He could totally use the internet if he wanted to, but I asked him to please leave the TV off for the weekend. (Obviously we aren't NFL fans.) I'm thankful that my husband joined me in my desire to turn off the world and focus on our family. You know what happened when we turned off the world? I had time. A lot of time. I spent 3-4 hours in bed Saturday because I am fighting an illness (again) and I still had a lot of time.
We spent our time as a family building an awesome space shuttle out of 1200+ Legos. I read almost a week's worth of my One Year Bible. I sewed a really cute monkey place mat for G. I cleaned, cooked, did laundry, read some more, played memory, and still had more time.
Something else happened when we tuned out- I didn't miss it. We agreed to take a little time to glance at the internet Saturday night. I logged on to facebook and immediately started filling up with negativity. I think husband looked at Legos for sale. I was ready to turn it off pretty quickly. We also agreed to turn on the football game this evening for a short time. We didn't watch it. Instead, G watched Clifford for a little while and we called it a night for the TV. I'm happy that it remains off. New rule for our house- no TV or internet one day a week. You should totally try it.
Let me backup a little bit and let you dive a little deeper into my thought process. Wednesday night I attended a class at my local church. One of the ladies pointed out a verse in the text that says "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admireable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me- everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you" (Phil 4:8-9). Then she commented that even watching the evening news is the opposite of this. I know she had no idea at the time, but that really convicted me. I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but I'll admit that it is almost always on. There is one thing I do try to watch every day- the evening news. I never really tried to figure out why I have to get my 'news fix' daily. But now I've come to realize that it is because I want see the day's drama. Another thing I do about twenty or more times per day is look at facebook. I don't post things twenty times a day, I just like to check on the day's drama. This is absolute craziness. It is, for sure, not focusing on anything "worthy of praise."
Another red flag went flying Thursday evening when I started crying because husband put one of my sweaters in the dryer. He was trying to help. I cried. I CRIED! That is craziness. Actually, it is exhaustion. Why was I so exhausted? Because I didn't have enough time. That is what I told myself, and I believed me. But God said "Be still. Know that I am God."
So Friday afternoon, I made a decision: No TV and no internet for the weekend. Surprise, husband! He could totally use the internet if he wanted to, but I asked him to please leave the TV off for the weekend. (Obviously we aren't NFL fans.) I'm thankful that my husband joined me in my desire to turn off the world and focus on our family. You know what happened when we turned off the world? I had time. A lot of time. I spent 3-4 hours in bed Saturday because I am fighting an illness (again) and I still had a lot of time.
We spent our time as a family building an awesome space shuttle out of 1200+ Legos. I read almost a week's worth of my One Year Bible. I sewed a really cute monkey place mat for G. I cleaned, cooked, did laundry, read some more, played memory, and still had more time.
Something else happened when we tuned out- I didn't miss it. We agreed to take a little time to glance at the internet Saturday night. I logged on to facebook and immediately started filling up with negativity. I think husband looked at Legos for sale. I was ready to turn it off pretty quickly. We also agreed to turn on the football game this evening for a short time. We didn't watch it. Instead, G watched Clifford for a little while and we called it a night for the TV. I'm happy that it remains off. New rule for our house- no TV or internet one day a week. You should totally try it.
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