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May 20, 2009

Acceptable to God

These verses and quote and their concepts really hit me yesterday listening to Beth Moore. In a stage where I'm feeling like I'm failing a lot as a mom and wife, it's helpful to know that God accepts my efforts and sacrifices through Jesus. And God reminded me how often I am making the mistake that the Jews did: pursuing righteousness by the law instead of by faith. I so easily get mopey when I don't meet my own expectations for myself or what I know or imagine God's to be for me. This is a good reminder to get over myself and accept God's grace and just keep trying with his strength. I'll never achieve perfection this side of heaven, but he promises to bring me to completion someday. Life is too short and there's too much he has planned for me to waste it feeling defeated. Hope this is an encouragement.

...You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15

Commenting on the words "acceptable to God" in 1 Peter, John Calvin says:

It ought also to add not a little to our alacrity, when we know that the worship we perform to God is pleasing to him, as doubt necessarily brings sloth with it. It is, indeed, certain that no one will seriously and from the heart devote himself to God, until he is fully persuaded that he shall not labor in vain.

But the Apostle adds, "through Jesus Christ." There is never found in our sacrifices such purity, that they are of themselves acceptable to God; our self-denial is never entire and complete, our prayers are never so sincere as they ought to be, we are never so zealous and so diligent in doing good, but that our works are imperfect, and mingled with many vices. Nevertheless, Christ procures favor for them.

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. Romans 9:30-32

Posted by Shannon at 07:13 AM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2009

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

Yesterday my fatigue and the dreary weather combined to make me feel pretty aimless and blah at the start of the day. My brain swam with potential ways to spend the day. I thought about being purposeful and making the moments count. I thought about my dirty house. I thought about all the people I would love to call or visit or reach out to in some way. I prayed for God's direction and energy but just felt overwhelmed and paralyzed and pretty much wanted to crawl back in bed with a good piece of fiction and not be a mommy (which is why I needed to pray!!).

The last couple weeks of Charlotte teething and sleeping restlessly and everything being a battle with "No-girl" Natalie has left me feeling drained and a bit of a failure. Sometimes I'm handling it great, being patient, riding it out and keeping perspective. But many other times I am over-analyzing my every interaction with them, getting impatient, feeling horribly guilty, feeling discouraged, feeling discontent, not getting enough time with God, etc.

SO after that desperate breakfast prayer for energy and direction, I asked Natalie if she would like to paint. She promptly responded, "Ya wanna paint scenery like in the you give a moose a muffin book? Ya wanna make sock puppets?"

"That's a great idea!" I replied and set off to collect supplies (I'd actually been thinking sock puppets would be fun to do sometime since we read this book recently.)

It was the perfect thing to snap me out of my funk and gave us something positive to do together. It was also a good reminder that although my feelings have value, I don't need to let them rule my day or dictate my mood--indeed, I can't as a mom. A lot of days you just have to forge ahead and do the next thing and trust God for the feelings to follow in the wake of your willful obedience. This is VERY MUCH against my natural tendency to wallow in it (just ask my stoic, anti-feelings hubby). :) Yet another way motherhood is so good for me.

So I'm thankful for sock puppets and the other little ways God has brought encouragement when I've needed it these past couple of weeks. Just when I don't think I can face another day on the other side of the covers, He always comes through.

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2Corinthians 12:9

Posted by Shannon at 09:20 PM | Comments (1)

May 09, 2009

Kids are Scary

I'm not sure why my daughter did this. Perhaps it's best that I don't know.

Posted by Peter at 10:25 PM | Comments (1)