Slow to Speak {Scripture and a Snapshot}

Today is day one of the new Hello Mornings Bible Study and I have to be honest I wanted to sleep in this morning. I didn't but I wanted to.

This weekend actually flew by less stressful than we expected. Thank you, Lord for your provisions! So to check in from Friday... Sick child = the doctor saying it could just be allergies. I don't really see anything wrong with him. YAY! Better safe than sorry. Birthday Parties = we only went to one of them. Huge church meeting = God is doing AMAZING things!!! Can not wait to be apart of them!

Life = refreshing.

Honestly, last night driving to small group there was an essence of bliss around it. We were rushing to get there but just the whole day as a whole felt blissful. We left margin in our day and life felt right all the way around. We are chalking it up to our listening to God revealing where we belong. Him revealing our "Promise Land" and  our perspective to embrace the season we are in. Oh how freeing it is. How enough He is!

Today's Hello Mornings passage is about Peter. The passage was where Peter tells Jesus that no matter what in life he will always stand by him, and Jesus tells him "No, you will deny me 3x." I thought about how real Peter was. So confident and ready to spit out words that are hollow and just what he felt he should say. Even though his words were real and genuine he didn't have the strength to back them up. He was human. Even as a disciple he was human. I thought it was a perfect example for us that no matter where you are at with your walk with Christ, you are human. We talk bigger than we have strength for and feel so confident with all we think is coming for us we don't seek Christ for strength to make sure we are armed for what he has told us is coming.

"We got this, Lord."

"Watch how awesome I handle this."

"You are so wrong. I would never do that!"

Hello test... Hello big mouth and hollow words.

We let our self-confidence (when not backed up and armed for battle) fail us every time. I do! We think we have it all figured out and ready for all the Lord is warning us is coming and we listen half-heartily because we have it all figured out.

Even as one of Jesus' right hand men messed up like I do daily! I find comfort in that. I need to be slow to speak and I need to listen and prepare my heart for what the Lord tells me is coming up. Or not coming up for that matter. I need to be seeking him daily, falling at feet saying I don't have an ounce of this without your help. I don't want to be denying him at any moment and I want to be guarded against times like Peter faced so when the time comes I can stand tall and ready.

Thankful to know that when I do fall exactly how God says I will due to my self arrogance he will forgive me when I come crying back to him asking forgiveness and help. Just like he forgave Peter.

I want to be slow to speak and to make sure I have sought the Lord in all I open my mouth to say. To make sure I am in saying words in ignorance.

Rising Early... In the Word

After taking some time off, sadly, during the insane beginning of summer months from my morning devotionals I have jumped back in full swing... 2nd week now.

Inspiration?

Other than the fact my days just plain seem WAY better when I start with God... our current series at church about being overwhelmed. Its timing, as usual, perfect and inspiring. The power I feel each day when I start with God is like nothing words can describe however I have got to be honest... This whole Olympics running until 11pm is kicking my behind. That 5am alarm clock comes soooo early and sadly I hit snooze until 5:30. I still get my time in with God but sadly not like I'd like to. While I am so excited for the Olympics... have hardly missed a night!... I really can't wait till have I have better willpower to hit the hay earlier.

With that being said I am soooo amped for the new Hello Mornings and Good Morning Girls studies that are coming up!!! T-minus 12 more days until Hello Mornings starts... Have you registered?????

You totally should.

The summer study on Loving like Him changed my life and perspective forever on 1 Corinthians 13.

Good Morning Girls just announced that in September their new study will be the book of Colossians.

Can.Not.Wait.

The voice of the Lord I have heard this summer by following along with these studies has changed me. It has left me forever thirsty for more. I have learned and grown so much. It's going to be amazing!!!

 So if you'd love to take the leap of early rising (even with a few snoozes in between) come check out Hello Mornings (1 Peter Study) *STARTING August 20th* and Good Morning Girls (Colossians) *STARTING September 15th* with me.

I'd love to share in all that the Lord is speaking to us with you!!

 Let me know if you sign up! I'd love to know! :)

Striving for Eager Hands

I just finished week 3 day 2 of the Bible Studies I mentioned two weeks. Today was about all the things love is and isn't. What it does and does not do. As well as how to be a Proverbs 31 woman who is eager.

Eager.

That is a hard word for me in the mundane of my day to day. I feel it's daunting sometimes. Overwhelming even.

What smacked me hard this morning was the 2nd verse of the day highlighted in the Good Morning Girls Proverbs study. Colossians 3:23. Not only just the words of this verse alone but the fact God keeps bringing it up to me. See, last year I felt God leading me to have this verse to be a staple for our homeschool. A staple in which when the days got hard and tears or attitudes met our schedules this was the verse to bring us the reality check. What God keeps reminding me of though is that I am not just to be the voice of reason, if you will, to my children during the days work but that he wants me to LIVE BY EXAMPLE. To have this verse smack me when MY attitude gets out of line over what the Lord has placed in my day. To vocally stop and say it to myself... "Who am I doing this for?"

Yes, the housework and mundane tasks that sometime stay at home moms feel plagued with are just that... mundane, but I know that when I stop and ask myself that question the task doesn't seem so bad.

I have been called to be a stay at home mom/wife. I have been called to homeschool. I have been called to be the keeper of missing socks and folded underwear. I lose sight of that sometimes and instead of eager hands for the task in which I have been called my hands become idle. They beg for someone else to pick up the load and take over. That isn't what God called of me though. I have noticed first hand that when my heart and mind are aligned with Him on the task at hand it actually moves quite quickly and not slow or painstaking as first thought.

I am resolving to not only be more in the mindset of who I am doing the work for, (yes, my family reaps the benefits of what God has called me to do, but I am not doing it for "man" but for God. I am serving my family with the servant's heart God has commanded me to have.) but to also be more vocal with reminding myself of the verse. To what I have been called to do.

Following Him and Serving Them.

My children... my family... need to hear and see me putting it into action and not just speaking it over them when their days are tough. If I can get a hold of this I think it's going to change my household.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

Renewed Strength Continues

Here I am... a blank screen and flashing cursor meet again.

God is really working on me lately. Through the Bible Studies I am doing. Through the ending of the semester activities I've been apart of at church. Through the new faces and relationships God is bringing into my family's life. The strength that comes from him alone is so uplifting.

Renewed confidence in the road we have felt him lead our family in all areas. Family life, Finances, Church... you name it. The resounding "you are doing exactly as I desire for you" even though it feels we are always explaining ourselves is refreshing.

The last week and a half since starting the studies and waking up early to do them... what a difference it has made. I physically feel lighter. If that even makes sense.

Renewed.

Strengthened.

No fear or doubt.

We are doing exactly what we are supposed to be doing.

We are doing life with people God has placed in our lives for a reason and for this season. He is moving through us and he is only getting started. He is transforming us... He is transforming others. As, we draw near to the end of all the spring activities, small groups, and so forth I am amped for what is ahead in the days to come.

Our homeschool has felt so disconnected this year and while we are about to finish our year with A's and a B it doesn't feel the same as years past. I feel such a calm for next year though as we add another full time sibling into the mix. He is going to use our homeschool in a way he has never done before and I can't wait!

Same goes for all the leadership and opportunity God has shown us and entrusted us with at church in the last couple months. We are taking on a role and stepping out of our comfort zone like no other. When he said "When you move you will jump in." He wasn't kidding. While I know he is using us and our story to give hope in the lives of people we meet truthfully I feel they are changing us.

I long to feel more and more confident everyday in all that the Lord is doing and leading with. I don't fear what is ahead and I know, no matter what, he is providing and preparing our hearts for more than we could ever imagine. He is near. He is moving. He is God and the fact he has chosen us, this time, these studies, and the people in our lives for his glory is amazing.

Just had to share how awesome he is!

"Let us hold UNSWERVINGLY to the hope we profess, for he who promised IS faithful." Hebrews 10:23 

Refreshed with God

So I have felt a pull lately through all this chaos to stifle Satan and his attempts to ruin peace and to see things closer to God. To dig into his Word more and get back to seeking him daily... deeper, personal, fuller. Back to when we were seeking direction and to not lose sight of his faithfulness now that we are here. I know that now we are here we need to seek him even more than before to hear his direction and why. His path and plan for us to disciple here.

If you are on Twitter at all and follow any handful of women you have probably seen the hashtags #hellomornings and #goodmorninggirls. I know I have. I have known about Good Morning Girls and had even printed off a study once, but sadly never got very far. I have to admit though Hello Mornings I knew nothing about.

I thought secret society I wish I had the "in" on. Shameful but true.

So yesterday I felt I needed to search it out. What is this Hello Mornings all about anyway? To my pleasant surprised it's a Bible study (which I had gathered via tweets), but what excited me was that a new session was starting... THAT day!! There was still time to join. I bookmarked it and said I'll come back to see what all the details are and register.

Satan really didn't want me to join... well, I have news for him... HAHAHA God won! It took all day and it wasn't until the kids were in bed that I did it, but I registered and that was all that mattered! I fought the urge of wanting to go back to sleep this morning after my husband left for work.

(Buying great new pillows doesn't help that urge by the way.)

And I went through 3 (2 via Hello Mornings and Proverbs 31 via Good Morning Girls) studies this morning. It felt FANTASTIC!!!

Just God, My Bible, The studies, coffee, and the glow of my computer screen.

Pure.Bliss.

I did Day 1 and 2 of all the studies today, as I missed doing Day 1 yesterday morning. It was great. I feel so refreshed and ready to tackle the day. My priorities in sync with God's and it's going to be a great day.

I love how it plays into the pulling on my heart that the Lord has been doing lately. So much seeing and listening he wants me to do. Gratefulness and thankfulness to be had. He has been pulling on my heart to get back into Snapshot and a Scripture as well.

The sight he brought my eyes through his creation and the Scripture he brought me to each week is one I reflect on all the time. I miss it. The fact I feel less inspired here is one reason I feel he is saying get back to it so hard. He wants me to see his beauty here too. To seek his Word for his words for the pictures again. So I'm going to be linking back up with Scripture and A Snapshot. I also though will be linking up with Brooke's One Beautiful Thing. With seeing the beauty and blessing God has been hitting me hard to count them as well. I have picked up the One Thousand Gifts book who knows how many times and I own it! But I haven't read it. Sad I know. I WILL READ IT SOON THOUGH!! :( I have felt huge tugs though to count. So that is exactly what I am going to do.

I am going to be more mindful of all the good and small everyday around me. All God is saying and leading to. All he is in control of and stop fretting over the details of how, when, or any other "me in control" word you can think of. 


I will be inspired here.

I will walk closer to God daily.

He will be how I start my day and end my day. Everything in between. I will rest and have peace he has control over our finances and future. Satan does not have a hold and will no longer win out here. God wrote out all these days before any came to be. I will be better at seeking and hearing him daily.

Starting my day with him. Satan will say "Oh man she's up!"

So my first gift...
#1 : God himself and his heart to want me so badly. 

God is working over here. In my heart, my family, my husband... everything. We feel him and sense his presence. It's stronger than it's ever been and we are so amped to see what he is working on. Seeking him daily and starting my day. I look forward to this journey God has me on and all he is going to reveal to me. Today in Day 1 and 2 of Good Morning Girls study of Proverbs 31 God laid on my heart to LISTEN and be VIGILANT to all around me.

I resolve to do just that!!!


Has God been pulling on your heartstrings about anything lately? I'd love it if you shared or joined the journey with me!