That one time I dressed up as a giant heart for A Child Free Parent Day! We were covering the fruit of the Spirit…Love!
Hey đ
So given the fact that there will be no physical church gathering this Sunday and there hasnât been for the past two Sundays I wanted to share a few resource being offered by my favorite place to get ahhhmazing Sunday School activities, VBS Packages , Sunday School Curriculums and so much more!
They really are amazing and nothing short of excellent regarding everything they provide for Childrenâs Ministries!
With that being said here are a few of their Sample Lesson Plans and Demos that you can conduct with your kids from home:
Simply Loved Sample Lesson –
A simpler approach to Sunday school where kids experience Godâs greatest gift
They also provide a Free Resource Hub! The link below has Free Resources for Childrenâs Ministry, Youth Ministry, Kids & Families, For Teenagers and Free Coloring Pages:
So parents we’re on my heart when I created this. I’m not sure if many of you know this but I am a preschool teacher and we were asked to put together an Activity Plan for our children for the time they’ll be at home. I wanted mine to be one that didn’t burden parents but just allowed them to enjoy their time completing the activity with their children. It’s geared towards preschool aged children but can definitely be tweaked for older children as well. I hope you enjoy browsing through them! đ
They are actually taken from Momma’s that have done these very same activities at home with their children and I guess that’s what made putting them together so special for me!
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I have also attached an Activity Log for each month to help you document your observations of your child during your time at home. Observations show their progress and also help you better access what you could work on more with your precious little ones!
Documenting the activities you guys have done also helps you with any parent guilt you may have about not doing enough with them during your time at home. Think about it!
In the weeks to come some activities are repeated which is on purpose. Ever lose a toy that belongs to your little one? What happened to their face when they find out you found it in the washing machine? (Insert beaming bright smiles!)
The same thing happens when you reintroduce an activity they know and love to them!
Is definitely a mentality of entitlement. I remember being so bitter as a young adult, believing that this world owed me something. Why you ask? Because I grew up without a dad in my home. Because I was the daughter of a single parent. Because I started working to take care of myself at the age of 15. Because I had to work my butt off for everything I ever got. Because I thought that because of the tough life I had things would just be rewarded to me. God knew all that Iâd been through, no one else did and no one else needed to know. âI deserve everything that I get, you donât know how hard my life has been. So Iâm going to walk around with the worst attitude and the biggest ego demanding I get my wayâ, and this is the way I walked around and viewed the world.
Little did I know that NO ONE ( not even someone that possibly did owe me something) OWED ME ANYTHING and they still donât. My life and itâs happening is a direct result of choices (not always mine), the enemies schemes (not without the allowance of God for a greater purpose) or miracles. Most of these happenings come from choices.
There comes a time in our lives where we have to take responsibility for our choices. Not to say that we have to suffer over and over again because of them but we do have to start to link our life to ourselves (actions, words, lack there of) and who we are. Not to everyone and everything that has happened around or to us, no matter how unfortunate they may have been.
Our lives can take a different path at any moment, we just have to be willing to go there and work for it.
Godâs Mentality:
Romans 13:8
Owe nothing to anyoneâexcept for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of Godâs law.
Philippians 2:14-16
Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christâs return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.
Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is Godâs will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
There are so many things in life that can lead to bitterness and discontentment. It is our job to do what we have to in order not to hoard these feelings. There is nothing valuable about them, they do the work of holding us back rather than propelling us forward.
Hoard
noun
:a stock or store of money or valued objects, typically one that is secret or carefully guarded.
:a supply or fund stored up and often hidden away
verb
: to keep (something, such as one’s thoughts) to oneself
So tonight while doing a few activities with Eli I sat for a while in wonder at this little human.
Not because heâs mine or anything but because he really is great at grasping whatever it is you throw at him. Itâs like he just retains information extremely well! We recently started going over his colors and he already knows almost all of them (with the exception of brown)! Ha!
As I worked with Eli tonight I continued to think on his development and all the places heâll go. I also thought about my role as a mom. The role I play in his development and how I may be able to add to and foster this growth.
I am aware of the need for me to help strengthen specific areas regarding his growth and development so that they can better serve him in the future. Areas like language, literacy, social emotional, fine motor and gross motor skills are all areas (among many others) that if worked on often can catapult Eli into the next level of learning when it comes to his overall education.
It is scientifically proven that the first 8 years of a childâs life is critical for the the building of the foundation for future learning, health and life success. The brain is 90% developed within the first 5 years of a childâs life. So think about how much we just give up on when we donât take the time to develop a thing, the time to build that thing, the time to form a foundation of something or someone before placing expectations on it.
The thing with working on these skills is that I can not expect things of Eli that are not developmentally appropriate. I can set expectations or goals and work towards them with him but I cannot just expect things from him that have never been worked out in him, or even practiced by him.
This then lead me to my next thought. Isnât it like us to set expectations on others that are not developmentally appropriate for them or for the place they are regarding their spiritual walk, maturity in specific areas and just in general? Isnât it like us to want to just get rid of something or someone because they donât do what we want them to do? Isnât it like us to just throw the whole thing away because it isnât responding the way weâd like it to? We havenât received what we wanted from it (a thing) or them (people) so we are just done with it or them all together.
Developmentally Appropriate according to Scholastic describes an approach to teaching that respects both the age and the individual needs of each child. The idea is that the program should fit the child; the child shouldn’t have to fit the program!
There is much to gain when we remain committed to the development of others. People shouldnât just be disposed of because they didnât do what we wanted them to do. They should be worked ON and IN, in order for the desired result to be worked OUT. We have to work with people. We have to be patient. We have to believe the best. We have to hope the best, in order to see the best.
There is sooo much potential in every human being, we just need to be those that are determined in working out the skills needed in order for that potential to be developed in others. We have to respect where they are but be committed to working on the growth and development of that person through our thoughts, words and actions. No one is perfect but all people should have other people around them that help build them up and help mature them into who they should be in life. People, who are willing to not give up on them and work towards the desired expectation or goal with them.
It isnât healthy to expect before working. The goal is achieved and the expectation is met AFTER the work is done, not before it. The right preparations have to be made in order to achieve the desired result.
Keep Reading…
James 5:7 NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lordâs return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.
Psalm 126:6 NLT
They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.
Galatians 6:9 NLT
So letâs not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we donât give up.
So I broke my leg when I was in grade school. It was a really bad break. I was riding on the handle bars of a bike while a friend of mine peddled the bike. Before heading outside that day I specifically remembered my mom telling me not to go outside. While she was in the house I left anyway and went for a bike ride with my neighbor. Something must of been wrong with the setting on the brakes because as we were riding I accidentally pressed on the breaks which was located on the handle bar and the bike flipped over. Only to find out almost instantly that my leg got caught in the chains of the bike in the process of it flipping over.
Knots started to form in my stomach and nervousness was the feeling I had. I screamed for my mom while the owner of the corner store beneath my building ran out and removed my leg from the chains and held me until my mom came down. Everything happened so quickly and as soon as she came down we jumped in a cab and made our way to the hospital.
I donât remember much after that but I also remember that this specific incident almost caused me to lose my leg. The hospital mistakenly wrapped my entire leg in a cast. Yes, with open wombs. I know! What were they thinking?!
Fast forward to me having the cast on for a few months. One day, after I had showered and was relaxing in the living room my mom kept complaining of a stench and we didnât know where it was coming from. She smelled my cast and that was when she noticed where the smell was coming from. The rotting smell was coming from my cast. She took me back to the hospital right away. This is when the doctors realized that there was a big mistake made. They then sawed two squares out of the cast, one on each side of my ankle and as soon as the squares were removed the smell got stronger. They cleaned up the wounds and if I can recall correctly gave me antibiotics to take. Following this correction my leg healed perfectly, minus the scars around my ankle, which Iâd take over a missing ankle any day.
After this incident, whenever I knew I was disobeying my mom (as a child) I would get this weird feeling in my stomach and not feel so good about not listening. Because of this experience, I carried a fear of something bad happening if I didnât listen to my mom well into my teenage years. As I grew older I forgot about how tragic the experience was and began to disobey my mom again but not without consequences of course.
This experience reminds me of the Fear of God. It helps me to recall the way I want to fear the Lord and honor Him in all my ways. I know we are told that this Fear of the Lord that the Bible speaks of isnât actually fear but a reverence, but this is a topic that I would beg to differ on. I believe that the Fear of God is a mixture of both reverence and actual fear.
Reverence by definition is honor or respect felt or shown.
Fear by definition is an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. It is, to be afraid of : expect with alarm or to have a reverential awe of.
God teaches us not to fear a lot of things:
Jeremiah 1:8 NLT
And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Matthew 10:28-31
âDonât be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrowsâone copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So donât be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
But He also instructs us to fear Him. This fear, the fear of God is rightly placed. Just like we are taught and told to âTrust Godâ or to âTrust in the Lordâ I believe we should be taught to âFear Godâ and to âFear the Lordâ.
I believe that we are told to trust God for numerous reasons. Some of the reasons are listed below and can be used as the same reasons for why we should fear God as well:
He knows the end from the beginning.
Isaiah 46:10 NLT
Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
He holds the world in the palm of his hand.
Isaiah 40:12 NLT
The Lord Has No Equal
Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
He holds our future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
For I know the plans I have for you,â says the Lord. âThey are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
He is all powerful, almighty and all knowing.
Matthew 19:26 NLT
Jesus looked at them intently and said, âHumanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.â
Luke 1:37 NLT
For the word of God will never fail.â
Genesis 17:1 NLT
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, âI am El-ShaddaiââGod Almighty.â Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.
Psalm 147:5 NLT
How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!His understanding is beyond comprehension!
1 John 3:20 NLT
Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
Nobody is greater than God.
1 Kings 8:23 NLT
and he prayed,
âO Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.
Isaiah 46:9 NLT
Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.
We should look to God in our times of trouble and times of need but we should also look to God to obey Him as well. How well do you listen to someone you fear vs someone you donât respect at all?
Our response to this would probably all be the same. Iâd listen to the person I feared really well and to the person I didnât respect or consider Iâd probably never listen to them. Fear can be healthy when it is in the right things. For example, if I fear getting a ticket I will do everything in my power not to park my car where I shouldnât and be mindful of street signs, keeping the speed limit and following the proper rules and regulations for safe driving.
The same goes for fearing God. If I know that God is God and that there is no god/one like Him, I also know that He should be reverenced. On top of me fearing Him, what is being said by Him would also matter to me. I would want to do the things that God wants me to do because I know that they will protect me, keep me safe, give me the results I am looking for, provide for me, help me in specific areas and so much more. Why wouldnât I listen to what God is asking of me? If I feared the outcome of my life regarding disobeying God I would follow and obey Him all the way. Fear is not a bad thing if itâs applied to the RIGHT THINGS.
Considering all that I mentioned and the incident of breaking my leg. If Iâd of had a bit more fear and reverence for my mom when she told me not to go out that afternoon I wouldnât have gone through the experience I did with almost losing my leg (and trust me that is an experience that I would of passed up on 100 times over). I also know that itâs cliche to say âI wouldnât change anything about my past because it made me who I am.â I completely understand where this statement comes from and I get it. Although I donât regret what Iâve been through I also am aware that I could have been much further in life or dodged a lot of hurt and trouble had I not made some of the mistakes Iâve made in my past. Can I learn from each of these mistakes? Yes, but there are some mistakes that Iâd rather not had to learn from. Or their are other mistakes that there is no coming back from. For instance, if I would of lost my leg from the bike incident the loss of a leg would not have been worth the âlesson learnedâ. If we all were to be honest with ourselves, there are a lot of things that not fearing (reverencing and being aware of) God has caused us to experience that we most likely would of been better off not experiencing.
Proverbs 9:10 NLT
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
A lesson I am always learning. This is also something that I believe all believers should practice. I have convinced myself to live by this statement because of one thing; If I am constantly trying to prove someone wrong about what they think or the way they view me I will never be pleasing to God. Operating with this mindset will by default, cause me to live trying to prove others wrong instead of PROVING GOD RIGHT by the way I live my life.
1 Thessalonians 4 :1-2 NLT
Live to Please God
Finally, dear brothers and sisters,we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
You see, God has commanded us to live Holy as He is Holy not as others desire us to live. If I am constantly focused on what someone else thinks of me how can I live for God?
He is the One that has brought me out of darkness into His marvelous light and is also the One who deserves my devotion as loyalty.
(1 Peter 2:9)
Leviticus 11:44-45 NLT
For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves with any of these small animals that scurry along the ground. For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.
1 Peter 1:15-16
But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, âYou must be holy because I am holy.â
The Bible also says that we can not serve two masters because we will love one and hate the other. Although this scripture was specifically referring to money, I believe it to be true in other areas as well. Ever get upset with God because He didnât do what you wanted Him to do in your life in order for you to âshowâ someone else who He is in your life? Yeah?! Thatâs a prime example of what serving two masters can look like.
Matthew 6:24 NLT
âNo one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
We are to know Who God is in our life simply through our own personal relationship with Him, not based on what someone else thinks of our relationship with Him. God is not obligated to do anything in our lives for the applause of someone else. Whether we suffer in life or if everything is perfect in our lives, God is still God, Heâs is still the same and still deserve our loyalty and devotion. (Philippians 1:21)
The Bible teaches us that:
Proverbs 16:7 NLT
When peopleâs lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them
If I know this truth and hold on to it, I should also know that what God says and how He moves over my life is true as well!
If you, like me have ever tried to please everyone around you; you also, like me, know how exhausting it could be. Only when you live for God and try to be pleasing to Him do all things and people just fall into place. Living for God, in my opinion, is by far the most freeing thing I have ever chosen to do. Does He check me? Without a doubt! But the Bible teaches me that God corrects those He loves and when I feel the presence of His correction, not only do I immediately know to get in line with what he wants to change in me but I also know and feel the warmth of His love. He loves me enough to show me when I am in error and fights for me to totally be in submission to Him.
Hebrews 12:6-8 NLT
For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.â As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesnât discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.
That there, frees me from trying to prove others wrong and reminds me that living for God is the only right way to live. When I make pleasing God my priority and get busy caring about what He thinks I am liberated to live the life he intended for me to live all along.
John 12:43 NLT
For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
I can remember so clearly the times when I lived to please others. There was always always always a problem or confusion in my life and this was after I became a believer. People would like me for a moment and then as soon as I did something they didnât like I would be put in a specific box đŚ with them. I would try sooo hard to get on their good side again and even compromise my beliefs to do so. After doing all of this I would end up losing myself in the process and have to start at square one, with God, all over again.
Proverbs 29:25 NLT
Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.
I learned a specific scripture some time ago and it has helped me so much regarding being a People Pleaser.
Matthew 10:28 NLT
âDonât be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Ultimately, what helps me with not being a people pleaser is:
1. The process of properly grouping people in my life.
2. Being conscious of others level of influence on my life.
3. Maintaining healthy relationships with others.
4. Being mindful not to create relationships that can easily become an idol in my life.
What I mean by this is that I make it clear not to worship, desire or depend on the relationships I acquire more than the one I have with God. I am clear that God is my source PERIOD. (Not my job, not my friendships , nor any connection that can benefit me in any way.) I have learned that everything I have and everything Iâll ever need comes from God and if anyone ever tries to leverage what they have to offer me in hopes that Iâll âhopeâ in them more than God, I donât need what they are offering nor do I need them. I have learned that God will never ever leave me or forsake me and that if the opportunity they are offering is with the wrong intentions, I donât care how good it is, I donât want it.
Psalm 54:4 NIV
Surly God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.
Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.â
Psalm 46:1 NLT
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Prioritizing relationships is a must when it comes to being a people pleaser. I have to know where God stands in my life and where everyone else does too. You have to be open to allowing God to shift your life in a way that your devotion remains with Him. There are seasons for our relationships and we have to respect those seasons as well.
Your life gets so simple when you know who you are suppose to please. Itâs just easier, things work better and at the end of the day everyone leaves pleased. Why ? Because the One who ultimately matters is pleased.
Romans 12:1-2 NLT
A Living Sacrifice to God
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrificeâthe kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Donât copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know Godâs will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
So the majority of my post are shared to encourage someone in their faith or focuses on drawing someone closer to God.
My most recent video received collectively about 185 views. Approximately a handfuls of people liked it, right, but over 150 people could have possibly said the salvation prayer. So when thinking about these numbers my concern is not about likes, itâs about the post reaching others.
I donât care about a like I care about planting a SEED. My prayer is that these seeds bear fruit of 100 fold, not that I have 50 million likes on a post. My prayer đđ˝ is that someone will inbox đ¨ me about wanting to get closer to God, or that someone will see my life, the highs and lows and KNOW that if God could save someone like me He could save them too. That if I know Him in all of my simpleness that they could too.
My goal isnât to impress anyone or to share my highlight reels. Itâs to share my daily REALS and to magnify that even with a âregularâ life there is joy to be found in each day. My goal is to be transparent so that another person can see an example of what a Christian life can look đ like. I may not be relatable to all but to whomever I am relatable to I am glad for it.
Fun Facts: Did you know that a baby can take up to 15 times of trying a new food before they actually like it?!
Can you guess how many times someone has to be pitched something before they actually give it a try?
There is a rule in marketing called âRule of 7â
The Rule of 7 is a marketing principle that states that your prospects need to come across your offer at least seven times before they really notice it and start to take action. Your prospects can be exposed to your offer significantly more than seven times, but they need to see it at least seven times.
Did you know that in the 1900âs when movies đĽ first started showing in the theaters đ that without people even knowing ads like Coca Cola would be flashed throughout the film đ and when people would leave the theater wanting letâs say a Coke, their âwantâ would be credited to the ad they just saw. The advertisements (now called product placement/undercover marketing) shown throughout the movie would sway their decision making and desires.
So yes, I will continue posting and continuing sharing Christ all the way into eternity and thatâs a fact!
#KnowYourWhy
I wrote this post to encourage two types of people: The one who has truth and wants to encourage others regarding it: What are you waiting for? Go for it! Encourage another individual, donât be concerned with the likes!
The one that watches entirely too much of the wrong things: Be mindful of what you are taking in. Everything is a seed and you are the ground. Yes you will want to go to the strip club and lust after things you donât need if thatâs all you see skimming through your timeline. Yes, you will be aggressive and want to fight everyone if all you watch is clips from housewife shows and the drama of others on your timeline.
I encourage from a place of experience not judgement. I hope this helps someoneâŚ
So last night I read a page from a Fancy Nancy story and it made me think about a prayer đđ˝ I prayed.
Before I tell this story I want to let you know that it is the job of believers to pray for people (in general) as well as to pray for one another (other believers)
James 5:16 NLT
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Matthew 5:44 NLT
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
Ephesians 6:18 NLT
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
True Story:
(Donât judge me! đ)
Stupid vs. Blind
I was upset with the actions of an individual and prayed that God would remove the spirit of stupid from them because the things they were doing were just that, STUPID! I had no other words regarding prayingđ§ââď¸for them and could only pray these words about the situation. It sounds soo hilarious 𤣠to me now but I was so serious when I prayed these words. In my eyes đ I couldnât see how the person could actually think that what they were doing was sensible, they just couldnât.
When I pray sincerely and whole heartedly for an individual following the prayer God will always either give me peace in my heart about this individual or speak words/confessions of faith over their life to my heart that I then repeat as a declaration for them.
When I prayed this particular prayer God didnât do this.
I left the situation alone for a while and one day while walking to the bus stop đ with Eli, God put in my heart the words that I needed to pray for the person. He said that they are blind in this area, they donât have experience, an example nor do they seek my instructions on how this is supposed to go. My heart was immediately softened towards that person and I was able to pray compassionately (even with tears)and sincerely for them regarding this. The peace of God came over my heart proceeding this prayer.
You see, these words in this story remind me of my prayer and it reminds me of so much more.
When you think about it Fancy Nancy didnât like jellyfish because she had been stung by one before. She didnât think to consider all of the things they did not have (a heart, eyes, bones, ears etc) as to why they would sting her. The jellyfish stung Fancy Nancy as a way to defend itself. When she realized that jellyfish just donât know any better she was able to be more open to liking/accepting them.
The same concept goes for us. We as humans would quicker help a blind person than someone that we think is just irresponsible or unwise in an area. The reason behind this is pretty simple, we have more grace for the person that is blind than the one who is just, smh đ¤Śđ˝ââď¸đ. Isnât this true? We donât consider all the factors that may play a role in an individuals thinking (like their upbringing, history/past, level of maturity etc.). Weâd rather completely ignore them than pray for them because they are just, đ¤Śđ˝ââď¸đđ¤đ¤Ż! …đ
But God wants us to have compassion and give grace to everyone, including those that just donât know any better!
Jesus is our go-to person when we want to refer to someoneâs example on how we should respond regarding any topic.
Hereâs how he responded during the time of his crucifixion (While under trial He was sentenced to a death by crucifixion which were both credited to the demands of a crowd):
Luke 23:26-34
The Crucifixion
As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. But Jesus turned and said to them, âDaughters of Jerusalem, donât weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, âFortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.â People will beg the mountains, âFall on us,â and plead with the hills, âBury us.â For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?â Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucifiedâone on his right and one on his left.
Jesus said, âFather, forgive them, for they donât know what they are doing.âAnd the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
Here Are A Few Things to Note:
Some of our prayers may not be answered by God because of our heart posture towards the situation or person involved.
Prayers đđ˝ should be prayed with sincerity and compassion for others.
The truth is that we are all blind in one area or another, and we are all in need of prayer in order to change these areas.
2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who donât believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They donât understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
So this blog was inspired by those that are constantly asking me âHow do you get to do so much with Eli?â âArenât you tired?â âWhat about your house? How are you able to clean, run errands and do something with Eli most weekends?â âWhere do you find the places you take him?â
Firstly I want to note that I am conscious of when God is asking me to sacrifice my time of leisure to accomplish a specific task. On these days I stay home or go where I have to in order to accomplish this or these task.
My How:
#1
I have tried a few things that work very well for me! Instead of leaving every errand and household chore for one day, I do it through out the week. Iâll do laundry on a Thursday, clean my home one room a day or I take one evening during the week to clean the entire house and this works for me.
#2
Instead of spending my entire morning at the supermarket on Saturdays I do my grocery shopping during the week after work (I make it a family trip) or I take care of it after our fun activity on a Saturday or on Sunday after church. I also donât do big grocery shopping, I do a little at one store and then a little at another according to what I need. Either way, it still gets done and I still get to enjoy the weekend with my loved ones.
#3
Iâm not convicted when I enjoy my Sunday at an outing with my little one after Sunday Service or if I donât go to service and decide to spend time to hear from God at home and following this spend some QT with my family. Neither does my house have to be spotless in order for me to leave it on a weekend.
Scriptural Reference:
Psalm 118:24 NLT
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Everyday is a gift from God and I refuse to spend it moping around because I missed the âmarkâ (that has been set out for me by others). I will rejoice and be glad in each day even if this fact stated in the scriptures is the only thing I have to rejoice about.
It has taken me some time to get here given the fact that I grew up in a home where normally everything had to be clean before we left the house on a Saturday to enjoy our time. It was customary for us to clean and get our laundry done on the weekends so that we can be prepared for our work week. My thoughts on this drastically changed due to no specific reason other than thinking on it.
By no means am I a messy person, if you ask most theyâd tell you that I really am a neat freak. But these thoughts really began to bother me. So I wanted to clearly define what I believe about them.
Here it is:
Most of us spend 40 hours or more at work and then spend most of our free time preparing to be there (by taking work home, preparing ourselves to be there and obsessing over what has to be done before we get there on Monday). The question of âWhere is the balance?â was something I asked myself and soon after I began to change the way I did things. Before committing my time to anything I consider what matters to me most, my desired end result and how I can still lead a balanced life if I committed my time to something. I am a firm believer that in order for me to be any good to anyone I have to be well balanced in life. This is the topic of another blog coming soon so I wonât dabble in it too much.
Hereâs something I heard a man say about his wife that also helped shape the thinking I currently have.
âI wasnât concerned so much if my wife could cook and clean, because those are all things I can pay for, I was more concerned with her character and her relationship with my mom…â
This thinking was extremely valuable thinking. My goal is to focus on the essence, beauty, character and foster good relationships with my loved ones rather than focus on how well they do a task that can be paid for. How much does being able to cook and clean say about who a person is? I also think this way about how I spend my time on the weekends. If my house is spotless and my laundry is done and everything is perfect but I donât spend anytime with Eli and fostering the development of who he is as an individual, what good is a clean house, and everything being all set for the work week ahead of us? How am I training my child to think? What am I training him to put value in?
We sometimes work to prepare for work, but forget to work to prepare for balance. Times of leisure, family, things that God has placed on our heart to accomplish, our hobbies and things that can free us from working harder but working smarter all get put on the back burner as we prioritize one thing âworkâ.
Answering Some Questions:
How do you get to do so much with Eli?
I prioritize whatâs important and divide my responsibilities (the things I have to do – call companies, tackling my to-do list, paying bills, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping etc.) for days/evenings in the week.
Arenât you tired?
Sometimes I am, maybe most times, but when I push past my tiredness I often realize that I wasnât really that tired after all and enjoyed our outing so much that I donât mind being tired.
What about your house?
I do as much as I can during the week or before and after our activities and if I donât get to everything, tomorrow is another day.
How are you able to clean, run errands and do something with Eli most weekends?
I donât say that âSaturdayâs are the only day I have to do these things.â I adjust my week schedule to do them and also make time for rest, and not do them. Iâm okay with that as well. I know my limitations and know when I can be doing more.
I hope this helps someone know that it is okay to do things outside of what has been your ânormâ for forever by switching things up to create a new norm for yourself. A norm that works best for your values, preferences and whatâs important to you.
Where do you find the places you take him?
Google and surfing the internet are my go-toâs for finding fun things to do with Eli. Word of mouth and being connected to your community and their events are also great for finding things to do with your little ones.
(Turned Transparent Blog because it was just too long to be a post! Ha!)
Guilt was something that I struggled with for so many years after coming to Christ. I would feel guilty about every flaw I had as well as hold onto every wrong thing Iâd ever done in life.
I would walk around crippled, afraid to truly be me, because guilt had a strong grip on me. I tried to walk such a good walk, like I really really did, and if I messed up in any way I would beat myself up really bad and lose all hope in myself.
For example, if I snapped at someone or God forbid I was late to work, all my confidence in my goodness(righteousness) would be lost. I would doubt who God had redeemed me as and all that He called me to be for days, weeks, months, years, you name it.
The thing with this kind of thinking is that I was placing all that God wanted me to be in my own feeble abilities. I placed my hope, trust and confidence in my âflawlessâ life and reputation rather than the finished work of the cross. My thoughts were that of guilt and shame, and I didnât know that faith was suffocated by thoughts like that.
Now I have a different mindset. I donât beat myself up anymore, because I know it does me no good.
I give those areas I struggle with to God and take up the promise He made me written in His word that says His grace is sufficient and that His strength is made perfect in my weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, âMy grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.â So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. Thatâs why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I am no longer paralyzed by the thoughts of guilt because I am comforted by the truth of Gods word that says Heâs faithful to finish the work He started in me.
Philippians 1:6
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Iâm not plagued with anxiety regarding my weaknesses anymore and am free to be who I TRULY AM, one who is flawed and favored because of the instructions of God that says be anxious for nothing but in everything through prayer and supplication present your request to God and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will abide in my heart and mind through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Donât worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience Godâs peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
I no longer walk with my head held down because my confidence doesnât come from my performance (even though the feeling of doing your complete best is ahhhmazing), it comes from knowing that I belong to the King of kings and the Lord of lords and that nothing can ever separate me from His love. God is enough!
Romans 8:31-39
…Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No oneâfor God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No oneâfor Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at Godâs right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christâs love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? …No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from Godâs love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrowânot even the powers of hell can separate us from Godâs love. No power in the sky above or in the earth belowâindeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I speak about God boldly, not in fear that I may be bringing âshameâ to His Name through my life knowing that God can even use my flaws, faults and failures for my benefit and turn it around for my good.
These things can also give someone else confidence that they too can know Him, speak of Him and be used by Him.
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Philippians 1:14
And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak Godâs message without fear.
Where guilt no longer abides, love đ can live freely!
1 John 4:18
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
P.S.
I also am fully aware that new places in life call for a greater capacity to handle those places but I am also aware that God doesnât give us what we deserve either.
Psalm 103:10
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For every negative thing trying to tie itself to you, God has a truth about you and truth about Him for it. For every issue youâve got, Godâs got the fix through His instructions for it.
TrulyArielleA 