Love Notes to My Weary Heart

March 31, 2008 by 2 Comments

I have a small spiral bound notebook that I keep with my Bible.  I like to write down verses from Scripture that really speak to my heart and that I want to reflect and meditate on more.  I seem to reread these more when I am feeling especially anxious, weary, or under a spiritual attack.  You might call these God’s love notes to my weary and faint heart.   Below are just a few verses (emphasis added is mine). I am posting them here so that I might have just one more way to speak them to my heart.  May you let His words encourage your soul as well….

Psalm 55:16-18
But I call to God,
and the LORD saves me.
Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
He ransoms me unharmed
from the battle waged against me…

Psalm  55:23
Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

Psalm 68:19
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.

Ephesians 6:10-11
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.

Psalm 105:4
Look to the Lord and His strength.  Seek His face always.

Psalm 116:5-9
The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The LORD protects the simplehearted;
when I was in great need, he saved me.
Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you.
For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.

Psalm 118:14
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.

Psalm 63:7-8
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 121:2-3
My help comes from the LORD,
 the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

Psalm 62:5
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

Psalm 29:11
The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

Lord, Your Words are the healing medicine that my faint heart needs.  You are my strength, my protector, my sustainer, my rest, my hope, my song.  To You belongs all praise.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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

A Lesson From My 2 Year Old

March 26, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Yes, you read that correctly –
A lesson FROM my two year old, not a lesson FOR my two year old.

Whenever something isn’t working right, our little two year old guy brings it to us saying it is ‘boke’ and to ‘fi  it’ (translations: “Broke.” and “Fix it.”)  Often it is a toy that needs the batteries replaced.  Today, I specifically remember him saying that two times, but not for toys.  This morning, he pointed to one of our lights in the kitchen.  It has burnt out and needs replaced.  He wanted me to turn it on and I told him that it couldn’t be turned on because it was broke.  He quickly replied back, “Ba rees!”.  I tried to explain that it didn’t take batteries to fix it, but that we needed a new lightbulb.  I don’t think he quite got it.  Anyway, tonight, at church, he was in the nursing room with me and his baby sister when he noticed that there was a TV.  (We are blessed at our church to have a nursing room with a TV hooked up so that nursing moms can still watch and hear the sermon on Sunday mornings while they care for their littlest ones .)  Well, you guessed it, the TV has not been working for a couple weeks.  I told him it was broke and he thought we could ‘fi it’ with ‘ba rees!’  Too cute.

While I was thinking about this tonight, I thought, ‘Wow.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could fix everything with batteries?  Just switch out the old batteries when they are used up and replace them with new?’  I don’t know about you, but as a stay at home mom to four little ones  five and under, I am feeling like my ‘batteries’ are pretty worn down right now.  I see it.  I feel it.  I hear it in my voice.  I’m tired and at the end of my energy.

But wait!  Whose strength am I relying on?  Whose ‘batteries’ have been charging me to get up and go each morning (and to keep going throughout the day and into the night)?  Hmmm.  I have been doing lots of ‘good’ things that do indeed have to get done for my family or for church, but I have not been making time for what I know I need first thing each and every day in order to complete them to the best of my ability and for the glory of the Lord.  If I am honest, I would have to say that I have been lax in my time spent with God each day – the Source of my strength.  I need to go make a point to read, and pray, and fall at my Savior’s feet.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

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

Easter Reflections

March 26, 2008 by Leave a Comment

But because of his great love for us,
God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ
even when we were dead in transgressions
—it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5

But now in Christ Jesus
you who once were far away
have been brought near
through the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13

Read these verses in context: Ephesians Chapter 2

Filed Under: Easter, The Joy of God's Word, The Joy of Holidays

You are Amazing God

March 19, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Amidst endless questions, toddler tantrums, diaper changes, middle of the night feedings, and cloudy thinking due to lack of sleep, God has placed a song of worship in my heart the past few days. We sang this at church this past Sunday and I have not been able to get it out of my mind. I’ve been singing the chorus (since that is what was so captivating about the song for me), but I thought it would be good to look up the words to the rest of the song as well. I came across the following You Tube video of the song and listened, sang, and worshipped with my 2, 4, and almost 6 year old around the computer screen. Indescribable by Chris Tomlin . . .

The Creator of the universe sent His One and Only Son into the world to live among sinners and to die for sinful men. You saved us when we were still rebellious towards you. You are amazing God. YOU are AMAZING, God.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless,
Christ died for the ungodly.
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man,
though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8

My Lord, You are …..
A -AMAZING
B – Beautiful
C – Compassionate
D – Deliverer
E – Everlasting
F – Faithful and Forgiving
G – Glorious
H – Holy, Humble
I – Indescribable
J – Jesus
K – the King of kings
L – the Lord of lords
M- Mighty and Merciful
N – Near to the broken hearted
O – Omniscient
P – all Powerful
Q – the Quieter of my soul
R – Righteous
S – Savior
T – Truth
U – Undefeatable
V – more Valuable than anything
W – Worthy of praise
X – Excellent
Y – Yearning for me to bow all my life before You
Z – Zealous in pursuing me

What joyous heart preparation for celebrating Easter this coming weekend!
You are Amazing, God.

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

My Thankful Trigger

February 18, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Linda Dillow, in Satisfy My Thirsty Soul, gives several practical ways to cultivate a grateful heart.  Here are two of the ways that she mentioned that I would like to attempt to implement in my own day to day life….

1) Thankful Triggers:  Dillow describes a ‘thankful trigger’ as some thing, sound, or place that you come across frequently during your day that will ‘trigger’ or remind you to say a prayer of thanks to God.  She gave examples of passing a certain church or hearing the sound of a train whistle.  At this point in time, I think that I would like to try to remember to lift up thanks to God whenever I hear our new baby cry.  She should be a good, regular reminder to thank my Lord at least every 2 1/2 to 3 hours for awhile =)

2) Make a Sign:  Dillow shared how her daughter in law had posted a sign in her kitchen to remind her to thank God for her three young children.  Here are words for me to remember as I daily care for our four precious children, ages 5 1/2,  4,  2,  and  3 weeks.

What is truly important for each day?

  • Sing praises and songs of worship together.
  • Give thanks in ALL things.
  • Hugs and kisses.
  • Think before committing to a yes or no.  (Try to say yes more often.)
  • Stop, look, and listen when they speak.
  • Respond with patience and love.
  • Be consistent.
  • Let the princesses dance.
  • Let them help.
  • Be their encourager.
  • Pray.
  • Smile and laugh.
  • Sing and read God’s Word together.
  • Making messes makes for fun memories.
  • Start and end the day with thanksgiving to our Lord.
  • Our children will not always be this little.
    Train them now, but also enjoy them now!

Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

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