Monday, August 23, 2010
A Season Comes To An End
So, I am closing down this blog. I intend on publishing it into a little book for my family to have. There are some sweet memories in this blog and I have fully enjoyed writing here. I think that this time has been one of my most fruitful times growing in the Lord during the writing of this blog. It's not the end though for I am thinking through a new blog and some new ideas on what I'd like to write about. I am also going to make it public again, so until that time...
Monday, May 24, 2010
Life is Full of Decisions
My mind is swimming a a pool of decisions that need to be made, some right now, some this next year and a couple for the future. On top of that everyday is a busy day and here I sit at my computer wanting to write. I think I can sometimes organize my thoughts here and in a way I can "self talk" myself into organization. So, I sit here and say to myself, "Suzi,what have you always said about confusion because your God is not a God of confusion." Good point! This I know that as my life seems to spin and looks as if I am spinning off the track I can ALWAYS ALWAYS bring myself back to my time in the Word. I don't know if you've ever struggled with hot and cold times in your walk with the Lord but I still do. I still must fight my flesh and my lust daily and although I long for Him my busy life competes with my time with Him.So as I sit here and self talk myself through this I
know that what will be key to my summer is discipline. I have got to be disciplined to make this a profitable short 8 weeks of summer before school starts again.
"Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands"
This might seem like an odd verse to quote after this but I so often think of myself like the Israelite nation. Here Moses is affirming how God faithfully led and provided for them in the midst of idolatry, in the midst of hunger and thirst, in the midst of battle after battle once in the Land of Promise. He saw their hearts and He punished them and forgave them and returned blessing when they returned to Him. I am just so reminded of how much I am like them. My heart gets tested and I see how often I fail Him but I am oh so thankful that as I repent and and return to Him our relationship is restored as before. I'm so sorry, Father, that I take you and our relationship for granted.
know that what will be key to my summer is discipline. I have got to be disciplined to make this a profitable short 8 weeks of summer before school starts again.
- I recognize that it gets over whelming when I know my time in the Word has not been as it should be and my time in prayer. It's at times like these I have to give myself a good kick in the butt to make that happen.
- Plan, I need plans and lists. I am a big list person. So, in order to do that I need to get my desk and my room organized. Then I can make lists. What do I need to make lists for currently? Excel, my budget. Summer and what I want my day to look like including when I wake, read the Bible, pray and exercise. A list and new schedule of responsibilities for my kids. I am finding this even more necessary with a large household and busy schedules with my kids working now too. All the driving takes time and so I need more help.
"Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands"
This might seem like an odd verse to quote after this but I so often think of myself like the Israelite nation. Here Moses is affirming how God faithfully led and provided for them in the midst of idolatry, in the midst of hunger and thirst, in the midst of battle after battle once in the Land of Promise. He saw their hearts and He punished them and forgave them and returned blessing when they returned to Him. I am just so reminded of how much I am like them. My heart gets tested and I see how often I fail Him but I am oh so thankful that as I repent and and return to Him our relationship is restored as before. I'm so sorry, Father, that I take you and our relationship for granted.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Encouraging Younger Women
So, this is an article I wrote sometime back for our church newsletter. I thought it is a good reminder even for myself to not forget the Foundation of my walk that affects every aspect of my day. So, I guess it is more my kick in the butt for today. P.S. Discipline makes Consistency,makes for Hunger and Desire of the Word, which makes for Change, which brings Joy! I shared this with a friend of mine last night, my own formula. :)
When being presented with the topic of encouraging young women to love their husbands and to love their children I was a bit over whelmed with where to start because there are many disciplines that need to be a part of our lives in order for our families to function under God’s plan and design. So, I have decided to encourage you in what I find the two most important areas. I have spent a lot of time teaching young women on what their foundation is to be built on. What disciplines should be instilled in their walk as godly women. Whether a college student, a single woman or a young married woman these two disciplines must take precedence in our lives. The two disciplines are your personal time in God’s Word and your prayer time. Upon these two disciplines our roles as single women, young married woman and mom depend.
The first discipline, the foundation, is your personal relationship with God. Seems simple huh? It is work though, sometimes hard work, especially when we are busy being wives and moms. You must have personal time with Him. I realize that at different seasons in our lives of being a wife and mom it seems so hard to make that happen. There may be times when you have to change things up, do not set yourself up for failure by expecting something im practical in your quiet times. Be thoughtful in planning time with the Lord, be real as to what you can do at a given stage in your life but do make it happen. Your sanity and that of your family depends on it. ;) You must be hiding God’s Word in your heart. Do not let this season of life go by with your barely hanging on. You might even need to request the help of your husband if finding alone time with God seems to be a daunting task. I was never very good with early rising and by this I mean before 6a.m. rising, nor did my head seem clear enough so I found that the best time for me to spend quiet time with the Lord was when my kids were down for their nap. That means leaving the phone alone, staying off the computer, leaving my chores for an hour. If I knew I had a busy day ahead, the night before I would specifically right down how I was going to work in my time with the Lord before I awoke the next day and time “got away”. You can not expect a right relationship with your spouse and your children when you do not have a right relationship with your God and that takes time and effort.
Secondly, is time in prayer and included in that is specific prayer for your husband and children. So as not to be over whelmed when I was a mom with young children I designed a calendar/prayer journal where I could break my week down and write in specific areas for each of them that I would pray over that day. This way it would not seem daunting as if trying to quickly get it all in on one day. I could really bathe them in prayer. I prayed for them everyday and then I would put in another topic of prayer to go along with that for the day. For instance one day would be missionaries; one day unsaved family, one day our elected officials, one day church leaders and helpers. You get the idea. I realize you might be hard pressed to find time, but may I encourage you to do just that.
So, I know this is just a drop in the bucket but I find that these two disciplines must be just that. No matter where you find your season in life right now these are crucial in your walk as a godly woman. When these take priority in your life you will find great measure of time being graced upon you for all you need to do. You might not get it all done in that one day but you have chosen the best to do in that day and your husband and children will reap all the blessings from that. Further passages to study on your role as a wife and mom are Deuteronomy 6:4-8; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; The Book of Proverbs; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-21 and 1 Peter 3:1-7.
When being presented with the topic of encouraging young women to love their husbands and to love their children I was a bit over whelmed with where to start because there are many disciplines that need to be a part of our lives in order for our families to function under God’s plan and design. So, I have decided to encourage you in what I find the two most important areas. I have spent a lot of time teaching young women on what their foundation is to be built on. What disciplines should be instilled in their walk as godly women. Whether a college student, a single woman or a young married woman these two disciplines must take precedence in our lives. The two disciplines are your personal time in God’s Word and your prayer time. Upon these two disciplines our roles as single women, young married woman and mom depend.
The first discipline, the foundation, is your personal relationship with God. Seems simple huh? It is work though, sometimes hard work, especially when we are busy being wives and moms. You must have personal time with Him. I realize that at different seasons in our lives of being a wife and mom it seems so hard to make that happen. There may be times when you have to change things up, do not set yourself up for failure by expecting something im practical in your quiet times. Be thoughtful in planning time with the Lord, be real as to what you can do at a given stage in your life but do make it happen. Your sanity and that of your family depends on it. ;) You must be hiding God’s Word in your heart. Do not let this season of life go by with your barely hanging on. You might even need to request the help of your husband if finding alone time with God seems to be a daunting task. I was never very good with early rising and by this I mean before 6a.m. rising, nor did my head seem clear enough so I found that the best time for me to spend quiet time with the Lord was when my kids were down for their nap. That means leaving the phone alone, staying off the computer, leaving my chores for an hour. If I knew I had a busy day ahead, the night before I would specifically right down how I was going to work in my time with the Lord before I awoke the next day and time “got away”. You can not expect a right relationship with your spouse and your children when you do not have a right relationship with your God and that takes time and effort.
Secondly, is time in prayer and included in that is specific prayer for your husband and children. So as not to be over whelmed when I was a mom with young children I designed a calendar/prayer journal where I could break my week down and write in specific areas for each of them that I would pray over that day. This way it would not seem daunting as if trying to quickly get it all in on one day. I could really bathe them in prayer. I prayed for them everyday and then I would put in another topic of prayer to go along with that for the day. For instance one day would be missionaries; one day unsaved family, one day our elected officials, one day church leaders and helpers. You get the idea. I realize you might be hard pressed to find time, but may I encourage you to do just that.
So, I know this is just a drop in the bucket but I find that these two disciplines must be just that. No matter where you find your season in life right now these are crucial in your walk as a godly woman. When these take priority in your life you will find great measure of time being graced upon you for all you need to do. You might not get it all done in that one day but you have chosen the best to do in that day and your husband and children will reap all the blessings from that. Further passages to study on your role as a wife and mom are Deuteronomy 6:4-8; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; The Book of Proverbs; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-21 and 1 Peter 3:1-7.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Another New Little Nephew
This has been such a busy year, between the beginning of it with surgeries and head injuries and now into much more pleasant things like babies! Both of my sister-in-law's were due originally on April 17th. My sister-in-law on Tom's side of the family gave birth early as I posted below. My sister-in-law, Natalie, on my side of the family just gave birth last Wednesday. William's addition now makes 14 living in our house! I'm so thankful for my new little nephew's!
WILLIAM LANE GREEN
7 lbs. 13oz. 21 inches
April 14th,2010
Matthew, Ethan,Natalie,William and Katelyn
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