When the Day Seems to Get Away From You

By J. K. McGuire on December 1, 2011 in a mother's heart, The Word, worship

The day tries to take over before the sun has even reached the horizon so I am learning to be still in the dark of the morning. I am learning to be intentional about the ordering of my day because an alert mother has her wits about her when the rushing turns into tsunami flooding.

“On every level of life, from housework to heights of prayer, in all judgment and effort to get things done, hurry and impatience are sure marks of the amateur.” -Ann Voskamp

The children jump out of bed on the right side or not so I am setting the alarm clock early…very early.

Be Intentional
The day will get away from me if I am not intentional. The day will run full force if I do not stop to get God’s permissions first. The day will rule the roost if someone does not take it by the horns and tell it, “Be still.”

So I set the alarm clock for stun and put the coffee to delay brew so I actually get up. The night before I set out my Bible, pens, notebook and timer (a way to practice silence before God 3 minutes at a time). Then I just sit in silence for as long as it takes to still my heart. Some mornings my brain is already rushing full steam ahead and other mornings I am fighting the urge to get back in bed.

It is in the silence of the morning that I learn how to rangle the day… so the day does not hogtie me before breakfast.

A few ways to take back your mornings:
1. Get up at least an hour earlier than everyone else.
There are seasons when this will be easy and times when this will be impossible: when you have nursing babies, when you work, or when kids get up super early. You will find that there are a ton of reasons NOT to do this. The best advice I can give you is to try.

2. Get to bed early.
But what about my shows? If your prime time TV shows are keeping you from making good daytime choices than perhaps it is time to turn off the TV. Get the housework finished throughout the day so that you can actually enjoy your family in the evenings. If you are a single mom do one thing at a time and leave the non-essentials so that you can get God time at some point during the day.

You have to find a way to fill the well so that it does not run dry.

3. Make mornings about quiet time
Take time to be quiet, pray, take a walk, watch the sunrise, read your Bible, listen to music or pick up a devotional if you need help getting motivated. Find some way to anchor your day in the things of God. Find some way to “cast your cares” on Him. Allow God to order your day before you rush ahead of Him.

4. Release the Guilt
But “I’m not a morning person.” “I’m a sleep Nazi.” “I work.” “I’m too tired in the morning to concentrate.” The truth is that God created you. He formed you. He knows you need 1.5 cups of coffee before you begin to have your wits about you. He gets that you do not do silence. The truth is that God is not asking you to feel shame at how you start your day, this is not a competition between you and some other mother who happens to get 3 hours of God time and you struggle to find 15 minutes.

Hear me on this: God wants you.

He wants your life to be about Him. He wants your mornings, your evenings, your every moment to be directed in worship to Him. If that happens in the middle of the night while you are rocking a fussy baby, first thing in the morning while you are groggy or in the evening rush-hour traffic – God just wants you.

No where in scripture does it say, “Get up and run around like a chicken with your head cut off.” or “You’ll find God if you rush.”

However, throughout scripture we are reminded to Be still. Seek Him to find Him. To live lives of Worship.

Take time with God everyday… even if that means you might be a little tired later.

He is worth the lack of sleep.

Photo Credit: Shaunie Friday of Up the Sunbeam

7 Comments

For when I forget my children are a blessing.

By Katie Orr on November 19, 2011 in a mother's heart, hope for the weary mom, Prayer, The Word

The house is a colossal mess. The floors are sticky with juice-laden footprints. The laundry seems to be multiplying by the hour (and I wonder why these children have so many pairs of pajamas?!) And, whatever you do, PLEASE DON’T LOOK AT MY TOILETS

Bedtime TOOK FOREVER as little ones kept getting up for a drink, then to go potty, then they were hungry (and now they are thirsty again.) Just when I settle in to actually get something done, I hear little footsteps yet again; this time they are scared.

I’m exhausted from being woken up again and again by a teething babe, and getting to bed late after trying to accomplish something in the quiet hours while they sleep.

‘Round and ’round I go, each day seeming to be a repeat of managing chaos, constant discipline, and I wonder what the heck we were thinking by having three kids in under five years?

Children are a blessing. Right, right; I know, I know. But so often I struggle with connecting what I know to what I feel. So what must I cling to in the moments when the last word I would use to describe my experience in motherhood is blessed?

My only rock, the sole constant in my life is God’s Word. So I claim scripture, and as I do I ask God to transform my heart and mind to believe what it promises.

Lord, help me to remember that the the fruit of the womb is a reward. —Psalm 127:3 ESV

I thank you that each of my children are fearfully and wonderfully made. Each of their personalities are hand-crafted by you. —Psalm 139:13 ESV

Give me strength, wisdom and great patience to train up these children in the way they should go. —Proverbs 22:6 ESV

I am thankful that ultimately, all my children are taught by You. —Isaiah 54:13 ESV

Lord, each of my children are good and perfect gifts from above, coming down from You, the Father of lights. —James 1:17 ESV

Give me grace, that I would not provoke my children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. —Ephesians 6:4 ESV

Never let me be a hindrance to my children coming to Jesus. —Mark 10:14 ESV

Amen.

What do you do when the demands of motherhood overwhelm? What scriptures do you cling to in the messiness of everyday life?

Photo credit

*******
Find the next post in our Hope for the Weary Mom series at the MOD Squad blog today!

14 Comments

Do You Know What’s In the Bible?!

By Erin M. on November 8, 2011 in Christmas, The Word

Dear friends, will you please take a moment today to lift up Hal and Melanie Young‘s 2 1/2 year old daughter, Katie? She is going through a very risky procedure to determine if she has grown out Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. You can read more here, but please consider this specific prayer request from Hal and Melanie…

Please cover her in prayer. Please pray that regardless, she would not go into SVT before the procedure. Please pray the EP test would be safe and accurate and that if it is the Lord’s will, that she will be completely healed.

Thank you for your prayers and we will keep you updated as we know more.

*****

Fact: My boys asked if they could get outfits to dress up like Buck Denver.

Who is Buck Denver, you ask?

Buck Denver is the news anchor for What’s in the Bible?, the latest project from Veggie Tales creator, Phil Vischer. What’s in the Bible? is a DVD series that takes kids through the Bible with hilarious puppets, great music and LOTS of information.

My five-year-old knows what the Pentateuch is now. Whoa.

This isn’t just a puppet show for little kids. What’s in the Bible? is fast-paced and funny enough to challenge, inform and entertain all elementary-age kids.

It may be a little above the heads of preschoolers knowledge-wise, but I believe it is never too early for children to hear the truth, especially if they are entertained by it as well! On the other hand, I’ve even known of a friend or two whose teenagers sat down with younger siblings to watch – and LIKED it!

So far, there are six DVDs in the series, which will take you through 1 Kings & 2 Kings. I have loved things about each of them – the first one has great information about how the Bible came to be, the Bentley Brothers sing super-catchy songs in each episode, the Sunday school lady uses a flannelgraph to teach lessons…I could go on and on.

But Volume 5 is one of my favorites so far because of a great lesson about sin involving Saul, David and Solomon. We all sin, but how do we react AFTER we sin? Ooh, I just LOVE how they handle this topic!

And now…

They have a CHRISTMAS DVD!

Why Do We Call It Christmas? isn’t about the Bible as much as it is about explaining the origins of many Christmas traditions and how it all comes back to Jesus.

They even talk about Jesus AND Santa! For those who make Santa part of their holiday festivities, there are no spoilers, just an explanation of Santa’s roots in Saint Nicholas. And for those who don’t include Santa, Saint Nicholas can just be Saint Nicholas! I think this may be the first time I’ve watched a Christmas DVD where they talk about Santa without telling you whether to believe in him or not. This makes it perfect for every family!

Speaking of Christmas, What’s In the Bible? would make an excellent gift for any children in your life and they have a GREAT deal going on right now! Watch this promo and then read on…

Each DVD usually sells for $12, but this holiday season {from now until January 1, 2012} you can get the first five DVDs plus the Christmas DVDs for only $37.95 by clicking on the image below!

We LOVE this DVD series and how it is providing more Biblical knowledge for children outside of Wednesdays and Sundays at church! If you have any questions about it all, feel free to ask!

*****

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

8 Comments

Savoring Living Water

By Katie Orr on October 17, 2011 in The Word

As a mom of two boys and a girl, all 6 and under, it is a constant battle to make the best use of my time. I especially want the precious, quiet moments when I sit to connect with the Lord to be time that is spent well.

Whether it be in the early morning hours or minutes tucked away here and there throughout the week, my time alone with God is a must. There is no telling what might be ahead for me in this day, so when I sit down to read my Bible and fix my eyes on Jesus I need each moment to be fruitful.

What about you? What is your time with God like? Do you have a structure for your time, whether it be 10 minutes or an hour? Would you like to be able to read and study the Bible and discover life-changing truths on your own?

Are your “quiet times” well-spent?

We may know that His Word is “living water” meant to quench our soul thirst. But many of us struggle with how to drink deeply of it. We may want His Word to affect our daily living, yet it could feel as if the truths lay flat on the pages of Scripture.

In Savoring Living Water we hope to equip you with tools that can help you connect with God in a meaningful way through His Word.

We present a framework for what to do in your “quiet time.” Along with stories and encouragement from each of our own journeys, we offer a road map for you to use in your times with the Lord: how to journal, study the Bible, memorize Scripture, and apply His truths to your days…

-Introduction, Savoring Living Water

My dear friend Lara Williams and I have written this book to teach you how to have an effective time in God’s word. Through the pages of this book, you will discover:

A practical how-to method for studying the Bible on your own.
Tips on connecting with God in a meaningful way through journaling and scripture memory.
Ways to deal with the distractions that inevitably arise during a quiet time.
How to apply God’s word to the moments of daily living.
…and much more.

With every copy of Savoring Living Water sold, $2 will be donated to OneVerse, and for every 13 copies purchased we will be able to fund the translation of one verse into the native language of the Vidunda people who presently have no Bible in their own tongue!

So, if you are looking for a better way to spend those invaluable moments you have to study your Bible, Savoring Living Water can help equip you make the most of that time.