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Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Romans 13:7

This past week our nation has learned of the passing of our 41st president, George H.W. Bush. Memories of him have been plastered across our TV screens, and people have flocked to Washington DC to mourn his passing and honor him. Today, December 5, is even a presidential proclamation of a day of mourning. No matter your political affiliation, he was a great man who did some great things for our country and well deserving of the remembrance and honor our nation has given him.

But I want to ask a bigger question? Are we honoring our Savior in the same way? Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one;'”. So no matter how wonderful we might think someone is on this earth, they are not even considered good in the eyes of the Lord, that’s why our Father in heaven sent Jesus Christ. Only through His righteousness can we stand before the throne of God.

If we truly believe that. If we truly believe what our Bibles say, then why aren’t we living our lives that way? Why aren’t we putting our trust fully in our Savior for every area of our life? Why aren’t we honoring Him in every area of our lives?

It is only through the Cross that we even amount to anything. The Cross bridges the gap between our sinful ways and God’s perfection. As Jesus stretched out His arms on that Cross, He said come to Me. And because of this, we should be honoring Him and worshipping Him everyday. Even if He never did anything else for us, the Cross was enough!

If you don’t know Him today, I pray that you find a real relationship with Him. If you’re not sure how to do that, I would be more than glad to pray with you. He is where our honor is due!

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Several years ago we decided to start having family devotionals. Now, it’s not always been easy with little ones, but now with a toddler, some nights it almost seems impossible. Last night Witten was trying to climb on the coffee table, Thomas was getting on to him, and Olivia was trying to read. Every now and then, she’d pause, and I’d have to tell her to just keep reading. We were a hot mess! So, I’ve compiled a list of some ways to successfully get through family devotions even with your tiny human.

1. Just Do It – There’s no better advice than Nike’s slogan “Just Do It” when it comes to family devotions. You have to just decide to do them. Even when Witten is being wild and loud, we have to just decide to go ahead.

2. Have a Plan – You have to know what you’re going to do. We buy the girls devotional books, and that’s what we use every night. The girls love these. Lifeway has some great resources you can check out either in store or online. Check out their website at http://www.lifeway.com. Also, both of the girls pray, and then either Thomas or me pray.

3. Stick to Your Guns – Life is messy, and some nights are just hard. Trust me, I know, and some days I fail miserably. But I also know how important it is for our family and for our children. Even on the long, hard days, I have to remind myself.

4. Get Back Up If You Fail – If your family, gets off track, just pick it up again. It’s going to happy, and it’s ok. Just don’t completely fall off of the bandwagon. It will be so worth it.

Our family devotions are messy, wild, and loud, but they’re real. They’re a time for ya to teach our children the true love of Jesus. It’s a time for us to teach them the power of the almighty God we serve. Find what works for your family.

What does your family do to make devotions work?

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Psalms 139:7-10

It’s always so amazing to me when my different devotions use the same Scriptures. That’s when God is really talking to me. He knows I’m going to need to see it a few places to really take it to heart. Today is one of those days. Both the devotion I read and my Bible study used the verses above. My mind quickly went to a conversation I had yesterday.

Someone was talking to me about all of the things they were worried about, and they were just so down and out. I immediately and boldly said to them that they are not so powerful to mess up God’s plans. And it’s so true. We spend so much time worrying about things, but God says to give it all to Him.

When we sit and formulate a plan to “fix” everything, we are not following the will of God. We are not putting our trust in Him. All we have to do is give it all to Him because He’s right there. No matter how far away you think you are from Him, you can’t get out of His reach. You are not that powerful.

Yesterday as those words boldly and freely came up out of me, I realized such a profound thought. I realized that all of the years that I’ve spent my life as a Christian that I haven’t always believed in the fullness of God. I’ve put Him in a box, neatly tucked away for when I need Him. I’ve asked that He bless my efforts and not what He wants for my life. I’ve worried and schemed and complained about my life. I haven’t lived as though He is always with me and in total control. But guess what? He is.

As I read the above verses this morning, it just solidified in my Spirit the work He is doing in me. In just the past few months, I’ve had a renewing of His Spirit in my life. No, there hasn’t been any major miracle around me. But I have spent time each day in the presence of God. Real time with Him. Not just read a few verses and send up my requests. No, I’ve sat and really worshipped my Savior. I’ve listened for the Holy Spirit. I’ve given it all to Him. And throughout my day, when things have gotten difficult or overwhelming, I’ve done the same.

You see, God isn’t confined to our churches or our prayer spot. He is everywhere. We can’t get away from Him. How different would our lives be if we lived in this way? I pray that I will consciously recognize His Spirit wherever I go. I pray that I don’t try to put Him in a box. I am not that powerful, and I won’t succeed. I want His full presence in my life today!

But you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18b

One thing about sharing in a blog, especially one that deals with faith, is that everything I deal with gets plastered across the internet. The things I share with you are things that God is working on in my life. As I sit and read my Bible in the mornings while everyone else sleeps, God speaks so clearly in my heart. Sometimes I hear that still, small voice and others times, the Scriptures are screaming at me.

Today it seemed as if everything I read kept saying to me to love others. One of the things I’ve heard my whole life growing up was how sweet I am. But I’m not sure that’s an accurate description of me. I am a type A personality who likes things done a certain way. Unfortunately, I can be quick to judge others if I don’t think they’re doing something “right”. I also have a very low tolerance for laziness and stupidity. I sound horrible even as I type those words out. God really has his hands full with me!

Proverbs 24:17-18 says, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from Him.” You see, it’s not up to us to judge others or even try to fix them. It is our job to love them and show them the love of Christ.

Judge not, that you be not judged. Matthew 7:1

My dad is the pastor at our church, and very frequently he shares Matthew 22:37-40 which says, “Jesus said to him, ‘ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.'”

The first commandment is easy. I mean God has done so much for me. He is amazing! He went to the cross for you and me, and He continues to bless my life everyday. But then we get to the second commandment. He didn’t know my neighbor, as my dad would say. And isn’t that so true for so many of us? Jesus even says in Luke 6:27-28 to love our enemies! Wow! That’s huge.

But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. Luke 6:27-28

God calls us to be different than this world. One way that we are different is loving those who are around us, and not just those that are easy to love but even those that aren’t so easy to love. I know I have to make a conscious effort everyday to love those that are hard to love. I also know that I can do that through the power of the a Holy Spirit. I pray today that I can show the love of Jesus to everyone I meet. I pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit that I am changed so that I can truly show love to others.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalms 127:3

After being up late watching the Cowboys play football, getting up early for work, standing on my feet most of the day, and then coming home to take care of kids, I was exhausted last night to say the least. I was sitting in the recliner going over spelling bee words with my oldest while timing my middle one while she read and my youngest was in my lap watching Moana. My eyes were drooping, and I was struggling. I just wanted to go to bed.

Finally, I convinced everyone to the back and sat in my bed watching “Toodles” aka “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” with Witten while the girls played in their room. It was getting later, and I knew everyone would be okay if I dozed off momentarily. But of course, that never gets to happen. Witten wanted up and down from the bed, and the girls started arguing.

Motherhood is a constant battle. Sometimes it’s just a battle to get it all done. Sometimes it’s just a battle to stay awake. Other times it’s a battle to know if you’re doing it all right. And when you’re in battle, there’s only one way to fight, and that my friends, is through prayer. Only through Jesus Christ will you have victory.

If you are not praying for your children and your role as their parent, then today is the day to start. Because let me tell you something, your children are in battle too every single day, and they need to be covered in the blood of Jesus before their feet even step on the floor in the morning.

Our children face a world today that we never would have imagined when we were kids, and we’re facing the same world as parents. It’s constantly changing and fueled by technology and social media. Every single detail of our lives is plastered across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Our kids have to deal with this, so Momma and Daddy, you better get on your knees. Temptation is everywhere for us and them. They will only be able to overcome through the power of the Holy Spirit.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Revelation 12:11a

Every morning I pray for my children during my quiet time. I started keeping a journal for prayers and Scriptures several years ago. Through these years, my list has grown for the prayers of my children. I continue to add to that list and pray over them, as well as my role as a parent. Below are the things I pray each day.

Conviction of sin

1. Free from the need of other’s approval
2. Experience God as a rewarder
3. Love for God’s Word
4. Submission to God
5. Purity
6. Faith
7. Christ-like attitudes
8. Godly friends
9. Share the love of Jesus
10. Their focus be on Jesus
11. Priorities stay straight
12. Hearts of service
13. That their feet will go where He sends them
14. Godly spouses
15. Minds transformed by God’s Word
16. Hearts follow after Jesus
17. No corrupt word come from their mouths
18. Wisdom

I know that seems like a lot, but I know that part of my job as a parent is to go to war for my kids. I know I need to be on my knees for each and everyone of my children.

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16b

Won’t you join me in praying for your children today? Trust me, they’re counting on it!

For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16

If you know my husband at all, you know he is a major Dallas Cowboys football fan. He has shirts, shorts, socks, autographed pictures, signs, and we even named our son after a Cowboys player. So of course, we had to watch the game last night.

It was a huge game, and the Cowboys pulled out a win. Thomas was like s kid in a candy store! He could hardly contain his excitement! Well, when Thomas gets excited, he starts talking. So, even long after the TV was turned off, we sat talking.

He then confessed something to me. He told me that at night, every worry and bad thought begins to seep into his mind. I immediately told him that he needs to pray about that. He said that he does. I then told to him that he needs to rebuke those thoughts in the name of Jesus.

And in that moment, I became convicted. Because of course I had the right answer for him, but I definitely didn’t always do it. How many times do I let my own thoughts fester that I shouldn’t? How many times do I let worry and doubt seep in when I know I need to give it all to God?

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if anything is praiseworthy – mediate on these things.” He tells us to meditate. The Merriam-Webster defines meditate as to engage in contemplation or reflection. Are we meditating on the things God wants us to or are we spending our time reflecting on our problems and our worries?

So many times we think we have to fix it all, so we spend all of our time coming up with a plan to fix our problem. But He just wants us to bring it to Him and think on His love and His goodness and His blessings.

I pray today that when those thoughts start to creep into my mind, that I immediately rebuke them in the name of Jesus and proclaim His blessings over my life. I want to think about His promises for they are yes and amen! I pray that I have the mind of Christ.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5

I cried at the end of the school day yesterday. Tears streamed down my face and Thomas just sat holding me, reassuring me of his love.

It had been a bad day, and if you’ve ever spent a day in public education, you can relate. Teaching in today’s world is hard. We deal with kids from all different backgrounds and home lives. Add that with hormones kicking in at the middle school level where I work, and you have a recipe for disaster.

My days are spent caring and working hard for my students. And then they come to school and don’t care at all about what we’re doing. But we have to think to ourselves, did they even have dinner last night? Did they have to stay up half the night caring for a baby they didn’t ask for but have suddenly become responsible for? Did they have so many other things to worry about besides school work?

That’s a hard pill to swallow for some of us teachers. We want them to care because we know that with an education, life can be better. We know that if they’ll just quit putting on that mask to cover up their problems that this education will open doors they never thought were possible.

I have to remind myself, though, that only through Christ can they be changed and totally free. I also know that only through Christ can I love my kids unconditionally the way I should. So, I am inviting Christ back into the classroom. I am inviting God into my school. He’s been gone for way too long and so many worry about stepping on toes or offending people, but I am standing up. I am proclaiming, “No more! Holy Spirit, thou art welcome here.”

Won’t you join me in praying this prayer over your classroom today?

God, I know this is a place where they say you aren’t allowed, but I’m asking You to come Holy Spirit. I’m inviting You into this place. I pray that as my days are spent in between these four walls that You change me and every student that steps through my door. I pray that the love of Jesus would radiate from me and that I would be a light in this dark world. I pray over every seat in this classroom. I pray that Your Spirit is felt each and every day. In Christ’s Name I pray, amen.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

If you’ve been following my blog at all, then you can see that God has really been working on me. He continues to call me into true dependence on Him.

If you know me at all outside of this online world, you know I am fiercely independent. And normally if I ask you to do something, I have a particular way it should be done. I’m extremely opinionated and type A personality to a “T”. So, God really has his hands full when it comes to me.

I struggle with letting go of control of so many things. My prayer time consist, a lot of the time, of me giving back to God those things I thought I needed to pick back up yesterday. How exhausting! He whispers to me Matthew 11:30, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Why do I continue to pick back up my baggage? Why do I continue to worry about the things I can’t control? Why do I not just let God take care of it all?

Matthew 6:31-34 says, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Jesus tells us right here not to worry. My granddaddy used to say that worrying was like sitting in a rocking chair, you’re moving, but you ain’t getting anywhere. When we worry, we put out a lot of effort. We sit back with a lot of “what if’s?” and try to come up with our own plan. That’s not what God has in mind. He wants us to bring those worries to Him. He wants us to turn those worries into prayer and praise.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” This has been one of my favorite verses for years, but only in the last few months have I really been putting it into practice. I have been doing a Beth Moore Bible study, and she describes that process as eating the seed and not sowing it. I was spending so much time quoting this verse, but I wasn’t applying it to my life. I wasn’t thanking God and giving it all to Him like I should. I pray that I don’t just consume the Word of God but that I apply it to my life.

I know that when I began applying this Scripture to my life and truly putting my trust in God completely, that things have began to change. In some areas, it has been so small that if I wasn’t looking, I could have missed it. In other areas it has been so huge and miraculous. God still works in mighty ways, but we have to get out of the way. Trust me, I know that’s not always easy.

But let me tell you something, if you will get out of the way, God will work in your life in amazing ways. He will take care of those needs. He will work in situations that you thought were impossible. He will heal those who are hurting, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Now, don’t get me wrong. God doesn’t always work the way we think it should be done. He’s not always going to fulfill that perfect picture in your mind, but trust me, brothers and sisters, He has something so much better for you!

I pray today that if you struggle like me, that you will give it all to God. I pray that you will put your full trust in your Savior for every area of your life. Remember Isaiah 55:8-9 which says, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'” His plan is so much better than ours. Trust Him for it today!

And I will the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He May abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be with you. John 14:16-17

If you are a born again Christian, you have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He is the Helper Christ left for us when He physically departed this world. And if we are truly living our lives for the Lord we should be listening for the Holy Spirit to speak to us.

Now if you’re anything like me, the Holy Spirit speaks to you in all kinds of ways. Sometimes I hear that small voice in my spirit, sometimes it’s just a dream, and sometimes it’s a vision like a movie playing in my mind. And this morning, it’s more like a megaphone in my heart because I’ve been delaying on something God has asked me to do.

Have you ever done that? Have you ever felt like you should do something and you really have every intention of doing it, but life gets in the way? You get busy, you’re tired, the kids get sick. Oh, we make so many excuses!

All He’s asked me to do is make a pie for my new neighbors and take it to them. How hard is that? First, there was Thanksgiving. Who wants an extra pie at Thanksgiving? Then we were busy cleaning the house. Then we had another Thanksgiving dinner out of town. We went back to work yesterday, which was completely exhausting! You see how easy it was for me to make those excuses?

Psalms 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord, And He delights in His way.” Oh how I pray that my steps are ordered of the Lord, even in the small things. In Luke 19:17 Jesus finishes His parable by saying, “And he said to him, ‘Well done good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'” Let that phrase very little sink in. I think we’re so easy to dismiss the small things He asks us to do, but He wants us to be faithful with everything He asks. He wants obedience from us. Proverbs 21:3 says, “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

I pray today that I am listening to that still, small voice. I pray that I am faithful and obedient even in the very small things. And I’ll be making that pie tonight!

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” Luke 1:30-32

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I LOVE Christmas movies. Not those cheesy Hallmark movies (though you might find me sneaking in a few), but the classics, especially the kid’s movies. Once Thanksgiving break hits we have all of The Santa Claus movies on repeat with both Home Alone movies thrown in. I absolutely LOVE It’s a Wonderful Life even still in black and white, and now we’ve even thrown in The Star.

Over the past week, I have watched The Star twice. There’s just something about the real story of Christmas. It pulls at my heart strings every time I watch it, and I’ll be sitting there in a jumble of tears, blowing my nose. Everybody kind of giggles at me because after all, it’s just a cartoon, right?

Oh, but it’s so much more, and God has been using that simple, humorous cartoon to talk to me in a big way. He whispered to me, “I love you THAT much.” And He meant He loved me that much to come to earth as a baby. A baby. A helpless, innocent little baby.

If you haven’t been around babies very much, they can’t do anything on their own, for several years. My two year old still thinks he’s incapable of putting his cup on the table by himself. He has no desire to potty train. He can’t bathe himself or clothe himself. He’s completely dependent on my husband and me. He can’t yet control his emotions or feelings because he can’t express himself fully in words. He becomes frustrated when we don’t understand and although is learning some independence, he is still helpless.

And Jesus humbled Himself to come to earth as a baby. The almighty Son of God became a helpless baby for us. Let that sink in for a moment. If you’re like me, you’ve heard this story a thousand times, but have you ever really thought about what an amazing sacrifice this was?

Philippians 2:8 says, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Now, I’m not taking away from Christ’s death at all, but I think we’re so easy to skip over the sacrifice of His birth. He gave up the glory of Heaven to come to this earth. He didn’t just come down as the glorious King that He is. He came as a baby.

So as I sat there watching The Star, I thanked Him for His sacrifice. Through my tears, I thanked Him for humbling Himself enough to come as a helpless baby. By coming to earth helpless and fully human, He walked through all the things we have. He grew up with brothers, had earthly parents, learned a skill from His earthly father, was tempted. He knows what it’s like to walk this earth. He knows what it’s like to be ridiculed and persecuted.

Thank you, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. You could have come to earth in so many different ways, but You chose the most humbling way of all, a baby.