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And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

I have always been the type to fret over everything.  I worry all the time.  As my husband balanced the checkbook yesterday morning, my stomach tied into knots.  It was lower than I expected.  My mind began racing.  How were we going to pull off vacation?  How were our bills going to be paid?  How were we going to make it?

He put his hand on my shoulder to try to calm me down, and I said a small prayer.  I tried not to think about it.  After all, here I was in church.  My focus needed to be on Jesus right now.

As we left church that afternoon, we checked our other bank account.  This is the one where child support is put.  To be honest, I never have much faith when I roll up to the ATM for this one.  There was nothing, of course.  Eight weeks of nothing.  I felt so discouraged and just didn’t understand how this could be.

Then the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “He is not your provider.  I am.”

Wow.  How true were those words and how convicted in that moment I felt because I haven’t been living that way.

God is my provider.  No one else.  No matter what we think the source is, it is ultimately God.  He provides with a job.  He provides when there doesn’t seem to be a way.  He provides when we put our total trust in Him.

Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  He will take care of us.  I have to start putting my total trust in Him and stop relying on man to meet my needs.

Would the child support be nice?  Absolutely, but I fully believe that as long as I’m giving credit in the wrong place that it won’t be there.  God is my ultimate provider.  No matter what.  Even when things seem bleak, He shows up and shows out.

I pray today that I will put my full trust in Him always.  I pray that no matter what is happening in my life, that I realize He is my source and provider.  I choose to give it all to Him.

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

Recently Olivia came to me because someone we know is pregnant outside of wedlock.  My precious innocent ten year old didn’t understand how that could happen because she’s not married.  Of course, this led into “the talk”.  We discussed things, and I answered questions.

Then Olivia turned to me, and said, “She’s going to hell.”

At first I was taken back by what she had just said.  How did my sweet little girl become so condemning?  But it was such a great moment for me to talk to her about God’s grace.

I explained to her that, no, that’s not the way God intends for us to have children, but it’s not any different than any other sin.  And Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for ALL sins, big and small.  It doesn’t matter.  If we ask, He will forgive us.  I explained to her that we all mess up, daily.  We all do things that go against the will of God, but He’s always waiting with open arms to receive us back.

I hope in that day, I gave her a better picture of Christ.  I don’t want her to imagine that He’s there to smite her every time she does something wrong.  I want her to know that He isn’t pleased when she does something wrong, but that He is always willing to forgive her.

And parents, this is where it starts.  At home.  If you aren’t teaching your children about God and His grace, then who is?  You can’t leave it up to the church.  It is our job as parents to lead our children to Christ.  I don’t always do this the way that I should, but I pray everyday that Christ will guide me in raising my children.

We have to stop being complacent.  We have for too long relied on everyone else to teach our kids everything.  As a teacher, I am expected to teach children how to act and social behaviors, and as a youth pastor’s wife, I feel as though I am expected to teach our youth all they need to know about Jesus.

I am only there to take that knowledge deeper.  Parents, we have to step up and take responsibility for our God-given duties.  We have to be the ones to teach our kids about Jesus.  Because once they step foot outside of our doors, they are bombarded by this world.  They are pressed from every side with things that don’t honor Christ.  Start today by praying specifically for your children.

5 Things to Pray Specifically for Our Children

1. Conviction of sin, not condemnation
2. Free from the need of other’s approval
3. Experience God as a rewarder
4. Love for God’s word
5. Submission to God

I pray today that we, as parents, will begin instilling Christ into our children at home.  I pray that we bathe them in prayer and the Word.  Remember, our children are the future.  I want my future led by God-fearing individuals, and that starts at home.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;” Proverbs 3:5

Lately, everywhere I turn, God seems to be telling me, “Trust Me”.  I keep saying, “I do trust You, Lord.”  However, I am starting to understand that He wants me to trust Him for so much more than just my salvation or even for a healing.  He wants me to trust Him in every little area of my life.

For some reason, that seems so hard.  I look around at my circumstances, and it is so hard to see what God has planned.  So many things seem to be going wrong, how in the word will He pull us out?  But I have to trust Him when He says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

He says again to me, “Just trust Me.”  With every devotional I read, every sermon I hear, every Scripture I read, He just keeps telling me to trust Him.  I am trying.  Every day I pray that I can give it all to Him, that I can trust Him, even with the things that “don’t matter” because to Him, it all matters.

In Matthew 10:30, He says, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”  He cares about it all.  He cares about the things that we seem to think are so insignificant.  We have to trust that His plan is better than our plan.  We have to trust that He will see us through.  And on the days when it seems that our faith is wavering, we have to be like the man in Mark 9:24.  It says, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!'”  This is my prayer today, that when my faith wavers, that I pray that the Lord will help my unbelief.

Lord, today I trust You with even those things that seem insignificant.  Help me to remember that Your ways are not my ways.  Help me to remember that you have a better plan for my life than I could ever imagine.  I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.

Have you ever looked at your children and thought perfection?  I do all the time, especially when my little boy is sleeping in my arms.  I think, “How could he be more perfect than this?”

Does that mean that I think my children are perfect?  Absolutely not!  I know they are human and that they mess up.  I feel like the only thing I say to Witten lately is no because he’s constantly into something that he shouldn’t be.  Ann Elizabeth is my fun, loving child who thinks she should break down into major fit mode anytime she doesn’t get her away, and Olivia is almost in the double digits, which means the preteen days have begun.

I know that they are not perfect, but there is a love there that looks beyond all of their shortcomings.  There is an unconditional love that I have for them that no one can take away.  It is the same way with our heavenly Father.  When He looks upon us, He sees perfection.  Not because we are perfect, but because of the sacrifice of Jesus.  He sees us through the lens of the Cross.

Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”  We are made righteous through the blood of Jesus, and that’s how our heavenly Father looks at us.  Does this mean we go on sinning?  Of course not!  Just as though we wouldn’t want our own children to continue in their bad behavior just because we have unconditional love for them, so God does not want us to continue in our sin.

We want our children to grow and learn from the things they do wrong, and God wants us to grow as well.  Hebrews 5:12-14 says, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

We should be striving to grow and become more Christ-like everyday.  We should be striving for that perfection that God sees us as.  No, we won’t achieve it in this earthly life, but we will in glory with Him!

Marriage is hard.  Plain and simple.  Two separate people come together and suddenly everything is joined, but that’s the way God designed it.  Genesis 2:24 says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”  Where before there were two, there is now suddenly one, and although, you love that person, this transition isn’t always an easy one.

That’s why prayer is so important.  Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by 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.”  God tells us to bring everything to Him in prayer, and this especially true with our marriages.  I believe it is important to pray specifically as well.  I’ve listed 5 ways to pray specifically for our marriages.

1. Communication

It is so important that we communicate with our spouse.  It is so easy to become caught up in the busyness of life that we fail to just talk to the one we love.  However, communication is a two way street.  We must also listen.  Proverbs 19:20 says, “Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days.”  Pray that you will have open your heart to your husband and listen when he speaks.

2. Trust

It is so hard to have a good relationship when there is no trust.  You must be willing to forgive your spouse and trust.  This one is especially hard for me and one that I have to constantly ask for help with.  I know that my marriage will flourish, though, if I am able to forgive and trust my husband completely.  Matthew 6:14 says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”  If you struggle in this area, give it to God and pray that He will help you trust your husband.

3. Love

This should be a no brainer, but I have been in a loveless marriage before.  Sometimes all the little things become one big thing and we stop loving.  We must make a choice everyday to love our spouse.  We must remember that they are human too, and we can also be unlovable.  The main way that our husbands experience love is through respect.  Ephesians 5:23 says, “Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”  Pray that the Lord will help you to show love to your husband always.

4. Conviction

I know this one may seem odd, but we should pray that if we have caused an offense, that we are convicted.  Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  So we are definitely going to mess up.  We need to pray that we are able to recognize that sin and ask for forgiveness from not only our husbands, but also from our heavenly Father.

5. Blessing

Lastly, we should be praying for blessing for our marriages.  God wants to see your marriage thrive.  Marriage is a vision of Christ and the church.  He wants that picture to be beautiful.  Pray that God will bless your marriage in unthinkable ways.

I pray that your marriage is one that is centered around God and His holiness.

Writing a blog has always been something that I’ve wanted to do.  I’ve tried writing with blogspot, but I never seem to be able to reach the audience I want to.  I’m hoping with this blog, I can reach readers and inspire others through my faith and love for my family.

I am a wife, mother, and teacher.  I have a wonderful husband, Thomas, who is also a teacher, and we have two daughters, Olivia and Ann Elizabeth, as well as a son, Witten.  I teach fifth grade at a middle school in Caruthersville, MO.  My husband and I are also the youth leaders at our church.

My hope through this blog is to be an inspiration to someone.  I will share my life struggles, my faith, and my family with you.  I hope you come along for the ride.