Wednesday, October 26, 2011

May My Life Be Like A River

When I look at these photos, it sure makes me count my blessings. Man, I love these children! Even though they drive me crazy or drive me to exhaustion, it is all worth it. I love that both my kids come up to me out of the blue, multiple times a day to tell me they love me. Hailey says, "I love you even when you discipline me." Does it get any better than that? 

I praise God He loves me enough to discipline me. I'm getting to a place in my spiritual walk, where I'm wanting Him to keep me on the straight and narrow path. I want to keep in step with Him always. Of course he has to discipline me to do it, but it is worth it to get back under His wing of protection.


I'm seeing glimpses of fruit in my children's lives, especially Josiah right now. I'm starting to see that the hard work of training is worth it. The other day, Josiah's AWANAS teacher told my neighbor that she noticed Josiah was really growing up and becoming a fine young man. Last year, we were getting a bad report every other week. Since he's started the new year, there hasn't been a bad report yet. This is a good reminder to me that every season in parenting is temporary. They really are paying attention and learning. All the training we do does have its benefits. 

Even though we still have our intense moments, they are fewer and farther between. So much of that is because of MY willingness to change. God has been working on me big time with my anger and frustration level, especially my natural tendency to yell and be sarcastic. It still happens every now and then, but nothing like it was. As I keep working on this character flaw of mine, I pray that one day (sooner rather than later), it will be gone completely. I want to "Lead with cords of human kindness, with ties of love." Hosea 11:4. I pray that nearly every morning and I will until the day I die if I have to.

I want my home to resemble this river. Calm, yet flowing. Peaceful, yet still moving. Still getting the job done. Still running the race. These cute, active, challenging redheads in my life have made me face myself. My pure selfishness at times. God is using them to refine me in a whole new way. My faith has been stretched sometimes to the breaking point, but still I hold on, even by a thread. When I gain perspective again, I always come out of the difficult situation with my faith stronger than it was. "For God works to the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose" Roman 8:28 - my life verse.

If you are having a hard season with your children, marriage, employment situation, ministry, etc. I hope this encourages you today. God loves us too much to let us remain stagnant in our faith. Let our faith be like a flowing river instead. Sometimes we'll have calm moments, sometimes we'll have rapids in our lives, but we always need to keep moving towards the prize.

God Bless,
Jackie

12 comments:

  1. LOvely, Jackie! You got it figured out...I mean, how it works. I pray that as you flow you will pick up the big stuff easily and embrace it if is right, and chuck it if is isn't!

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  2. Great advice, Catherine. Thanks! You have a super blessed day :)

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  3. This is so beautiful and echoes my heart completely. What an encouraging way to start a new day.

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  4. Yelling, it is my pitfall too - and it becomes painfully obvious when one of my kids do it to each other. Yuck, what I must sound like!

    We must model the change we want our children to have. They learn so very much from our examples first, then our words second. This has been a very hard lesson for me!

    That is very sweet about Josiah's AWANA teacher! Awesome job!

    Stephanie

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  5. Wow Jackie, that kinda mirrors what I have been learning. Yelling and sarcasm, oh why are these so hard to put away. And yet, as I do, things are so much easier with my kids (and husband too).

    Elisha is at a difficult age right now and I'm having a tough time getting through to him sometimes. But the other day I just grabbed him and hugged him tight for several long seconds. I didn't realize it at the time but I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to do it. Since then he has sought out long hugs and has been somewhat more willing to hear me and talk to me with respect. I hadn't realized he had such a big need, thankfully the Holy Spirit did!

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  6. Very good words. Time goes so very fast...

    Yelling is where I fall into the trap...

    My two youngest 9 and 8.... I think pretend they do not hear me!!

    Grace,
    Teena

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  7. Love these pictures...so beautiful!

    blessings,
    Jill

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  8. How PRECIOUS those two children of yours are Jackie! They are beautiful. Great photos! And WONDERFUL words of encouragement! May the LORD use them to be a blessing to many. Have a lovely weekend my friend. :)

    Love,
    Camille

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  9. It was such a pleasure reading it. I have bookmarked it and I will show it to my friend, she is a huge fan of this subject.

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  10. Beautiful, Jackie! I want to be like a river, too! Always moving on towards the goal of being more like my Savior. No stagnation here, please and thank you!

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  11. Such an encouraging post Jackie!

    Apologies for being so late on commenting on this wonderful post...only just catching up on my reading!

    Such beautiful photo's of your kids! LOVE Haileys hat too ! :)

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  12. Jackie, that was sooo good. You have changed so much. Josiah and Hailey have changed so much! Praise God everyone is Changing!!!

    Love you so much and Catherine, that is great advice.

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