“What you want Mama?”

November 22, 2010 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) 3 Comments

Our toddler frequently grabs a piece of paper or small notepad and asks me, “What you want Mama?” Typically, I will give her my order of some foods for her to pretend to prepare or some items for her to write on her ‘grocery list’. About a month ago, when she asked this commonplace question, my mind unexpectedly sent out a flurry of silent answers for her…

Joy and contentment
Obedient children – For the older girls to not question and correct me; for our oldest son to eat foods everyone else eats; for our toddler to not scream and throw tantrums; for our sweet baby to sleep longer at night
Children who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength
To get outside in the fresh air more
To be able to pray aloud with my husband
To sleep for more than 4-5 hours a few nights in a row
To have time to record the memory verse songs
To not be so pressed for time and always feeling behind
To be a prayer warrior for my kids and husband
To be in the Word and sitting at Jesus’ feet daily
To draw my children close and to not push them away with my too quick responses, harsh tones, or actions
More time with my husband
Trees and flowers
To not feel so tired and to not look so tired and worn out all the time

She kept asking and I kept telling her some of my favorite foods to add to her list of circles and scribbles, but even after she ran off to play something else, the unspoken responses stayed with me. Many of these ‘wants’ were good things. However, could any of them possibly have become idols? I also noticed that several of the ‘wants’ were caused by areas of sin in my life that must be dealt with. For example, was I correctly training and instructing or had I been letting certain behaviors slip by without addressing them? And then there were a few that I had to question as to whether they were actually grumblings and discontentment against my faithful Lord.

God can use the innocent speech of our children to prick our hearts and to help turn our thoughts back to Him.

Filed Under: Mom's Heart, The Joy of Children

On the Front Lines

November 2, 2010 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) 3 Comments

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those
in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
(2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Since giving birth to our fifth precious little one, I have been feeling increasingly overwhelmed by…well…everything. It is a combination of having a large amount of work to do (Don’t all moms have this?), an increasing lack of time (baby, school x4, chores, outside family commitments), an inconsistent time for Bible reading and prayer, and a decreasing energy (living on little sleep and poor hydration). This has led me to be weakened in my spiritual and physical strength and a likely target for an attack. God has allowed this and I have once again been shown how utterly dependent I must be upon Him.

I have been here before, after the birth of our third child, and I remember with vivid detail the depths of that pit. I also clearly remember God’s hand sustaining me. (Some of the thoughts below are from what God has shown me in the past and some are formed based on the writings of John Piper in his book ‘When the Darkness Will Not Lift’.)

Dear weary mama and sister in Christ, put on…

Prayer
God wants us to turn to Him and pour our hearts out to Him. Cry out to God for help, for strength, for wisdom. Pray for our children, marriages, and even for other moms who either are, or may likely be, experiencing similar battles.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God. My hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation.
He is my fortress, I will notbe shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God.
He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people.
Pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
(Psalm 62:5-8)

Thankfulness
Put off grumbling and complaining and put on a spirit of gratitude to God…for even the smallest hints of joy (a baby’s giggle, a toddler’s funny saying, an open Bible left in the middle of the playroom floor).

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
(Colossians 2:6-7)

Truth
Focus on the life giving truth in God’s Word, the saving power of Jesus Christ from our sin, His great love for us, etc. Memorize Scripture and hang onto His promises. Pray for God to speak Truth to our hearts and minds, replacing the lies with His Word.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
(2 Corinthians10:4-5)

The Full Armor of God
We can not face each day without Christ’s power and strength. He has given us everything we need for daily battle.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6: 10-18)

Action
Do what God has called us to do and serve Him with gladness. Keep pressing on with the strength He provides and don’t be idle. Repent from any unconfessed sin and pray for the joy to be restored.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
(Colossians 3:23)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and
will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9)

Patience
Wait patiently. He gives us strength to endure dark times and provides a way out. Eventually, the darkness will lift and the joy will return. Until then, know that we are never out of the control of His loving Hand.

I waited patiently for the LORD. He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire.
He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.
(Psalm 40:1-3)

God is our faithful Father and protector.

But let all who take refuge in you be glad. Let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous.
You surround them with your favor as with a shield.
(Psalm 5:11-12)

He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
(1 Corinthians 1:8-9)

Those leading and tending to the care and training of the next generation are on the front lines every day. Attacks from the enemy have the goal of rendering us ineffective… ”But the Lord is faithful and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

Filed Under: Mom's Heart, The Joy of God's Word

I Got Nothing Done Today

June 23, 2010 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) 1 Comment

I have a LONG list of things that I want to accomplish this summer.
Not one of them got done today, but not because I didn’t try.

Instead…

I nursed the baby.
I looked in the baby’s bright blue eyes and told him that I loved him.
I held a fussy baby and prayed to know how to help soothe him.
I washed the dishes.
I got my heart checked by a cute, in-house, princess doctor.
I swept up the noodles that strayed from the kids’ sensory tub.
I filled, ran, and emptied the dishwasher.
I prepared lunch.
I wiped cheesy wild rice soup remains from a toddler’s face.
I kissed a toddler’s knee after she fell and wiped away her tears.
I changed diapers.
I tried to keep my calm as a little one in training became wet once again.
I cried out and prayed to the Lord for strength.
I listened to a 6 year old read a funny story and heard her laugh.
I helped a 4 year old make a list of foods that he wants to bake when he grows up and becomes a chef.
I washed, dried, and redid sheets.
I sang silly songs and got to dance.
I kissed the sweet cheeks of a sleeping infant.
I shared a lift the flap book with a toddler while lying on the floor.
I heard God’s Word being sung through a child’s voice.
I got my order taken by a little waitress, over and over again.
I got to comfort an 8 year old with a headache that doesn’t seem to go away.

I died to self as things I wanted to do were put aside.
And, I nursed the baby again, washed the dishes again, changed diapers again…

I got nothing done today – at least by this world’s standards.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up.

Filed Under: Mom's Heart, The Joy of Children

To Know You

May 6, 2010 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) 2 Comments

I have a love-hate relationship with my computer. I love it in that it is a large part of this stay at home mom’s means of communication and connectedness with the outside world. However, I also hate it in that it pulls me in at times, sucking my time and focus away from those that matter most. I’m hearing His call to draw me closer to Himself, calling me to deliberately choose to go to Him and His Word -instead of to my computer so frequently. Yes, this probably sounds familiar because I’ve blogged about it before. God has a way of subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, getting my attention and reminding me of things I thought I had already learned.

Philippians 3:7-14

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christand be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

When I read these Words (above) and hear this song (below), my heart longs to truly know my Savior more….

from Casting Crowns ‘Until the Whole World Hears’ album

To know You is to never worry for my life
To know You is to never give into compromise and
To know You is to want to tell the world about You
Cause I can’t live without You

To know You is to hear Your voice when You are calling
To know You is to catch my brother when he is falling
To know You is to feel the pain of the broken hearted
Cause they can’t live with out You.

More than my next breath
More than life or death
All I’m reaching for, I live my life to know You more
I leave it all behind, You’re all that satisfies
To know You is to want to know You more
To know You is to want to know You more

To know You is to ache for more than ordinary
To know You is to look beyond the temporary
To know You is believing that You’ll be enough
Cause there’s no life without You

All this life could offer me, could not compare to You , compare to You
And I count it all as lost, compared to knowing you , knowing You

I hear You Lord and I want to know You more…..

Filed Under: Mom's Heart, The Joy of God's Word

A Day in the Life with a Newborn +4

April 27, 2010 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) 1 Comment

Warning: This post was written by a sleep deprived mother of 5. Proceed at your own risk of encountering incoherent thoughts and run-on sentences.

Day one of being home alone with all five precious kiddos brought this…

the good

Our oldest got all of her work with mom and independent schoolwork completed. (amidst cries from her youngest sibling)
Our preschooler didn’t argue about going to his room for ‘rest’ time. (It was amazing!) He played contentedly for a long time – building with blocks, constructing with Super Structs, and playing with his cars and trains.
I think I experienced a couple of 5 minute naps in the late afternoon, in between each time the newborn’s pacifier came out.
I was able to sneak a leftover chocolate frosted cupcake without any of the kids noticing. (Any mother can see the importance of this, right?)

the bad

I left the school/playroom to attend to our newest little one. I returned 5-10 minutes later only to find toys strewn all over the floor –See Exhibit A, below. (At least they were educational games and they were learning – Yes? No? Okay, this may just be wishful thinking. It is more likely that the toddler just dumped them out.)

While I was reading aloud to the older children and holding our newborn (who was refusing to nap anywhere other than in Mommy’s arms), our toddler got into the pantry, took out some cereal, and was proceeding to locate a bowl for it. I told her no and I removed the cereal box from her hand. She then threw the bowl and began to run away from me, throwing toys, a book, anything she could get her little hands on. (Ahh, the joy of having a dearly loved, spunky, red headed two year old…)

and the just plain ugly.

Through groggy eyes and an unguarded tongue, mommy’s impatience made appearances off and on throughout the day.

Be completely humble and gentle.
Be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)

(Yes, even when I’m tired… Ouch.)

In addition, we are also seeing much more of this

(in lingering piles)

and this

(Yes, that says AM. It could start with a 1,2, or 3. We’ve seen them all!)

which, of course, means a lot less sleep!

But…. it is soooo worth it for this little blessing!

(In a blink of an eye, this stage will pass quickly.)

So, guard your heart and mind, mama. Stay in the Word. Pray for daily, hourly, and minute by minute doses of wisdom, grace, and strength. Consider His faithfulness.

I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Filed Under: Mom's Heart, The Joy of Children, The Joy of Family, The Joy of God's Word

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