Blazing a Trail

Have you ever tried to cut a new trail? Many, many times we have endured that toilsome process here on the farm. Through swamps, weeds, and trees amongst the elements of freezing cold or scorching heat we have been known to be out working on new fences or repairing the old ones or winding our way out in the woods to design horse trails. There are the old barbwire fences and posts to pull out or trees to be removed. New ground needs to be travelled over again and again to stay ahead of the weeds so that we can travel the new trails with the horses. Sometimes even the big equipment has had to come in to remove large trees or chunks of earth. I have come to see this journey of Motherhood to be much like blazing a new trail in my life. As a Christian mother besides, one who was saved shortly after becoming a mother, this path also has had many obstacles to go around, forge through, prepare in advance, or endure all for the sweet reward of hopefully watching my children one day walk in the ways of the Lord.

One of my revelational thoughts lately has been how as much as I am training my children up in the Word of God I am at the same time trying to conform them to the world so they are seen as acceptable to others. Entering the teenage world has been as much of a learning experience for me the second time around as it was the first. After over a decade of mothering you would think you would be ready to watch your little children start to soar on their own but I am realizing it is as scary as when they first let go of your hand and went to Sunday School by themselves, or were finally old enough to play in the yard by themselves without you. Growing up in the public school I only know public school ways. Be the popular one, do what others do, don't look different or act different and by all means don't be a God freak. Maturity has slowly transformed some of those thoughts, but our foundation is still our foundation. I heard the other day that people rarely change their world view after they are 20 years old, just past the time one would graduate. How fast those first 20 years go and how little we really knew when we thought we knew it all. Now I'm rambling.... my point is this teenager.

This teenager who, since the age of 2, has been challenging me in the ways of the Lord versus the ways of the world. This teenager who has chosen to not conform to the ways of the world but rather be transformed by the Word of God. This teenager that does not strive for social acceptance by giving in to her peers' opinion of what is cool and what is not but rather has her goals set on her Lord and His calling in her life. This teenager who is addicted to the Word rather than the worlds opinion of her. This teenager who longs to be trained up to be a servant to one day serve in a higher calling. I am humbled. I repented. I gave her back to God and His plans in her life, not my plans.

May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice! Proverbs 23:25 I am glad; I am rejoicing!

Just Some Thoughts

Just some of my God thoughts for the week because some of you ask and actually really want to know.

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James 1, especially verse 2 "Consider it PURE JOY my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds...." and verse 5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." PURE JOY in trials of many kinds. PURE JOY means no more whining, fussing, whimpering, pity parties. Suck it up buttercup. PURE JOY! And how many things do I take into my own hands, thinking I know how to handle them, rather than asking the God of the universe for His wisdom? He's already started implementing that in my self focused heart.
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James 4, particularly verse 5 "Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?" And just what is the Spirit envious of? He is envious of anything that is anti Christ. Anything that is not glorifying to God that we harbor and coddle in our hearts. He envies intensely. Hmmmm..... which side do I lean to mostly, and am I making his struggle to conform me to the Word easier or harder? How subtle these "little" things are that we allow to rule us, rather than the Spirit Himself.
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Isaiah 31:1&3a. "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord. But the Egyptians are men and not God, their horses are flesh and not spirit." How easy it is to trust in our own created horses and chariots rather than God alone. Trying to define mine and destroy them, looking rather to God for His wisdom and strength and provision.
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Isaiah 32:17 "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." Hmmmm.... righteousness, peace, quietness, confidence. Forever. Forever. Forever. A little Michael and Debi Pearl for some conviction this happy morning. Conviction is good stuff my friends:
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"The first and the most important thing you will ever do as a mother in training your children is to reverence your husband, delight yourself in him, love to obey him, feel honored to be married to him, joy in his presence. In doing so, you are building up your house, you are creating a home, you are establishing a foundation. This is the first and most important ingredient in raising happy, obedient, creative, respectful children, children who delight to be part of the family. This kind of atmosphere in the home causes your children to love each other, to enjoy being with their own brothers and sisters...... Ladies, we have in our grasp the opportunity to reverence our husbands, thus teaching our children how to reverence God. I can change eternity by choosing to delight myself in my husband, obeying him, loving him, and causing him to stand before God free from the shackles of domestic condemnation. As Mike once said, "When a wife suggests that her husband take the lead, any leading he does after that is just following her suggestion."" Taken from page 89 of their fabulous book No Greater Joy, Volume One, in the article titled Carnal Husbands, Cranky Wives and Cantankerous Kids. Read the whole article here, along with many other good ones.
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And one last thought, after watching my older children start their early limited venturing into the world without mom this summer is the realization that their foundation has, for the most part, already been built and established in our home. They are now starting to build their own lives on the foundation we have layed for them. I can see faults in it, but also so, so many strengths (Praise the Lord!). I see them maturing and glorifying their Lord, not only their mother's Lord. I also see the hard work I need to commit to the younger ones as their day will soon come too.
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So.... what's God doing in your life??? And How's your Heart???
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I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy

I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy
Down in my heart!
Where? Down in my heart!
Where? Down in my heart!
I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy
Down in my heart to stay!
And I'm so happy, so very happy
'Cause I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!
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Do you remember that song from Sunday School? It's one that we sing quite often here. Alot of times when somebody is not so very happy. It really is a heart check moment. Do you have friends who make frequent heart checks just to see "how's your heart"? I do. And she gets me every time. But back to the song. It's been a topic that God has been weighing on me to consider the past few weeks. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and the world has failed to promise all that it dangled before my younger eyes and every time I go to Walmart it is more a disappointed feeling than that old high of getting something new. As people and circumstances continually refuse to fill that joy spot I realize that they were never meant to fulfill it in the first place. All over in scripture God keeps bringing me to joy verses. And your joy will be complete; for the joy of the Lord is your strength; with the joy of your presence; the joy of your salvation; Shout with joy to God all the earth; gladness and joy will overtake them; that your joy may be complete; their overflowing joy; consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds.

There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is a feeling~ it is temporary. It revolves around something that happens and is not meant to last. Joy, on the other hand, is deeper. Because it revolves around God it is not based on circumstances. As I look around I see everybody consumed with trying to be happy, trying to replace joy in God for something that feels the same way. It hasn't worked so well in my life. How about yours? So the journey continues that God has me on to rid myself of all the false notions that anything but Him will bring me joy. I am learning really what that simple Sunday School song means, day by day, as I seek the Savior who it is all about. That pure joy really is found down in my heart, in Jesus' love, even in trials of many kinds as James says, not in an aisle of Walmart. To God be the glory forever and ever my friends!