Driving Out Our Fear

6:24 am is when I was awakened from my sleep due to a bad dream. It was a "Mommy" dream that painted all the horrible things that could happen to my children, marriage, and future. It was a dream that was driven by fear and sadness. I rolled over immediately and asked my husband to pray for all of these things that happened in the dream and he listened closely to every word that I said. Thankfully, he prayed as I had requested and after closing the prayer he gently began speaking these words of scripture to me.

"6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness."       1 Timothy 6:6-11 (NIV)

I was comforted by his words and thankful for him to speak over me the Word of God. There was one thing that was said that really resounded within my heart as a mother and wife. Thankfulness is the force which drives out fear. It is my contentment in our good God that will sustain me through all my deepest fears and failures.

How will you walk in thankfulness today? I will remind myself that in 2 Timothy 1:7 the Amplified Bible  "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control." In this truth I will remind myself to walk in His strength and not my own.

Blessings,

KtMaude

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
   throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
   or you brought forth the whole world,
   from everlasting to everlasting you are God.


3 You turn people back to dust,
   saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
4 A thousand years in your sight
   are like a day that has just gone by,
   or like a watch in the night.
5 Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
   they are like the new grass of the morning:
6 In the morning it springs up new,
   but by evening it is dry and withered.


7 We are consumed by your anger
   and terrified by your indignation.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
   our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 All our days pass away under your wrath;
   we finish our years with a moan.
10 Our days may come to seventy years,
   or eighty, if our strength endures;
   yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
   for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
11 If only we knew the power of your anger!
   Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
12 Teach us to number our days,
   that we may gain a heart of wisdom.


13 Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
   Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
   that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
   for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
   your splendor to their children.


17 May the favor[a] of the Lord our God rest on us;
   establish the work of our hands for us—
   yes, establish the work of our hands.

Wisdom Wednesday: Beyond the small perimeter of me

My bread box is my daily reminder

Those Little Eyes

By Richard Netherland Cook

Little eyes are watching you 

Each and every day, 

And little ears are listening too 

Every word you say. 

Little hands are fast at work 

Doing what you do, 

And a little mind is dreaming 

To grow up just like you. 

To him you are the wisest 

He leans on your every word 

He believes in you with all his heart, 

And all from you he's heard. 

When he grows up he wants to be 

A man who's just like you 

So watch the all of what you say, 

And all the things you do.

A humbling thought that our lives have the power to impact so many people. I encourage you to never forget that everyday is an opportunity to use your life, gifts, talents and failures to better the life of someone else. This poem has been my daily reminder of how I must choose to live my life before my children. I have to make a choice everyday to live a honest and simple life that is for the betterment of others and for the glory of God. Our family has been serving in ministry for seven years and with this privilege comes great joy, challenges, and at times pain.  The great joy of ministry has always outweighed the painful moments and by God's grace our family has endured. Many of our hardest seasons as a family has been when ministry has demanded more than our family could give but with the help of wonderful mentors and prayer warriors for friends we have always ...but not easily... made the choice to keep our small family the main priority.  

In what way do you remind yourself to live a life beyond the small perimeter of "me"?  During the hard times  I must run to the Word of God and hide His Word in my heart...one my favorite hidden treasures is: "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."  In other words, everyday of my life, I must choose to live beyond myself- to use my daily opportunities to live as a good example before my little children. This life we live will not be perfect but our imperfect lives are God's masterpiece and that is what brings beauty to our current moment.

Seize the moment to live and love well today

KtMaude

The Perspective of Gratitude

It was 7:47 am and I was holding my hands under the water at the kitchen sink and quickly turned to run my damp hands through my daughters curls. Rushing...look at the clock...fix a curl...grab backpack...snack... and all of the sudden my husband's voice says with a smile "Mothers and daughters."  I stopped suddenly looked at my daughters big brown eyes, rustled her curls and smiled. "I love you and I would do this everyday for the rest of my life if I could."  I was so grateful for that moment and the wise short words of my husband that truly gave me perspective for the day. It was for that moment that I didn't dwell on my downfalls of not being a early riser or not being able to pack Naomi's lunch the night before type of Mommy. Instead, I was able to enjoy the moment and find perspective for my day.

The perspective of gratitude...so simple but yet so difficult to keep in the flow of life. I am so thankful for my husband who is my daily reminder that I need to come to a position of gratitude daily or my heart's posture will surely stink of entitlement, ungratefulness, and selfishness. When I mentor younger women here on Princeton's campus or encourage friends I find it easy to see the things to be grateful for. Yet, in my alone time when my children have said "Mommy" a zillion times and my dishes are piled high with expected guests in an hour...I tend to lose perspective. Therefore to help keep perspective (with a nudge from my handsome husband) I started a gratitude journal at the beginning of this year. It has been such a blessing as well as a reality check for me to have documented moments in time for which I can return to and remember how good I really do have it. This sweet journal, my Gratitude Journal has been such a blessing for me that I wanted to share it with you.

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."  -Marcel Proust (1871-1922)

"In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for." Henry Lewis Mencken (1880-1956)

May you enter today with gratitude and joy!