My wife and I are always talking about things we want to do, to accomplish. Being the youngest, we find it easy to measure our worth by how much we do. I remember many years of seeing an older sibling accomplish something and how one day I’d do the same or better. Somehow they kept doing things I also wanted to do, and I kept having to replace my unfinished goal with the next.

And while in the “busyness” of raising two beautiful little girls, managing a home and job, we find ourselves at odds with the desire to accomplish and finish things. Our greatest fear is to be known as people who don’t follow through.

A friend of mine told me he didn’t know of any couple that set more goals than me and my wife. That would almost be a complement except for the rest of the statement that didn’t come out, “and achieve those goals.”

So my wife and I have been talking a lot about how we need to learn to simply “be” who we are. Right now I’m not in a full time ministry, so we can afford to not be at every church function. I have a relatively easy work schedule, so I can usually be home with my wife and girls each night and weekend.

Do we want to do more? Of course, because God made us that way. We want to lead and help others accomplish great things for their savior. I want to be a full time pastor again and spend my time helping people in need. Emily wants to be part of a deeply theological discussion group with young women who are poised to be married or who are just starting their careers. But for now, we are trusting that God has more in store for us when the time is right.

So, what’s been going on? Not much – just staying busy raising little girls to love God, to do our best in the circle of friends around us, and do my best at work so I can continue to provide for my family. That seems to be enough for now!

http://www.joniandfriends.org/blog/loves-last-calling/

Today’s fun ended, however, when our eldest decided to be stubborn and disobey mommy and daddy. Now that she is 3, some of the previous means of discipline have lost their effectiveness, so we decided to remove a privilege. Because she wasn’t obedient, she would not be able to go to the pool.

While the house is quiet now (my wife and other daughter are happily at the pool), I’m reminded of how amazing our Father in heaven is. And, I wonder, how often he removes a privilege from us while he disciplines us.

I know in my own life, there have been many things that I didn’t quite get – much worse than a 3 year old. And, now, it makes me wonder what I’ve missed out on. What privilege did I not get to do while my father was shaping me and forming me into something better?

Discipline is hard – especially for parents in this world. But, our Father in heaven does it all the time with the best intentions and most amazing compassion. I hope my wife and I learn just a little bit of how he parents us in our daily parenting of our kids.

And, I’m going to spend a little more time today reflecting on the times that I, myself, disobeyed the Father and lost out on something – maybe I’ll also discover I actually learned some valuable lessons. And, I’ll pray that our daughter learns her lessons, too – without to many privileges lost.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/finding_family/110623-adopting-siblings

This is a re-post from Proverbs 31 Ministries – could not help but pass it along as I sit here @ 11:30pm (yes, that is LATE for  ME!) with “stuff” on my mind.  God is good and bigger than all my anxious toil.  AMEN!!!! I think I will go to bed now, sweet dreams everyone!

Encouragement for Today From Proverbs 31 Ministries

Daily Devotions for Women
February 11, 2011
Sweet Dreams

Karen Ehman

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
Psalm 127:2 (ESV)

I restlessly rolled over and squinted sleepily trying to focus my eyes on the bright blue digits still taunting me in the night. The alarm clock on my dresser flashed the awful news:

3:18 AM. Ughhhh!

I had crawled into bed nearly four hours earlier, eager to rejuvenate my body with a sound night’s sleep. My ever-full schedule as a wife, mother, daughter, volunteer, neighbor, friend and part-time work-at-home woman had me worn and weary. Not only was my body tired, but my brain raced as well.

Random thoughts strung together like an annoying necklace of woes: Would my latest project be done in time? Is my adult daughter doing okay in her new job and living situation? Is my elderly mom going to slip and fall on the ice in this nasty winter weather? Did I offend my friend when she’d asked for my honest opinion about her child-rearing decision? Are my sons making wise choices when it comes to their peer groups? Would I gain back the twenty pounds I’d just lost…..for the third time?

And then…the dreaded “what ifs.” What if the young mom in my Bible study discovers her husband is having an affair just as she suspects? What if my high school son with special needs doesn’t do well on his ACT exam next year? What if my friends lose their home to foreclosure? What if my sister-in-law’s ex-husband threatens her again…or worse?

And so I tossed and turned; and tried to no avail to induce sweet slumber that would whisk me away from all of my fears, both real and imagined.

Finally giving up, I dragged my flannel-clad self into the kitchen to heat some boiling water in my kettle and steep a bag of chamomile tea. I hoped it might do the trick.

Then, I recalled today’s key verse.

Anxious toil. Yep. That pretty much sums up the state of mind in which I found myself:

ANXIOUS: “feeling nervous: worried or afraid, especially about something that is going to happen or might happen.”

TOIL: “hard exhausting work or effort.”

And all of this worry, unrest and wondering was costing me precious moments of sleep.

So that night, and many nights since, I have taken God at His Word. He says it is vain for me to toil anxiously. He says He gives sleep to His beloved. So I asked Him to give me the very sleep He promised!

As in many areas of my life, He doesn’t simply wave a magic wand and make everything disappear. Oh, He is willing to grant. But sometimes, I also need to be willing to help in the process. So now, when the restlessness creeps in and threatens to rob me of another night’s sleep, here is what I do:

With a notebook by my bed, I jot down my worries and leave them in the hands of the only One who never slumbers or sleeps. I transform my list of “what ifs” into a prayer page of “please advise,” asking the God who crafted the entire universe out of nothing to show me, when He is ready, what action, if any, I need to take with regards to my list. For the time being, I request that He work on them, so I can get some shut-eye.

I also ask Him to show me if there is work for me to do that will require a temporary loss of sleep. Oh, not the flustering worry-work of fretting, but the pure, sweet work of simple prayer. I slide out of my comfy covers and get down on my knees. Then I pray a child-like prayer (about the only kind I can muster at that hour) and solicit the Savior. At times, I’ve even fallen asleep at the edge of my bed. (It may sound un-spiritual, but I see it as an instant answer to prayer! After all, I was asking for sleep and He granted it!)

If you too are tired of sleepless nights, will you join me in this quest for slumber? Stop counting sheep. Come to the Great Shepherd instead. You are His beloved and He has a little gift for you: rest for both your body and your soul.

Dear Lord, I am tired. I am weary. I want to be at my best so I can serve You fully. Will you please grant me, Your beloved, sleep just as You promised? In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
For more on this topic and a Sweet Dreams basket giveaway, visit Karen’s blog

A Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehman

His Princess: Love Letters from Your Prince by Sheri Rose Shepherd

31 Days of Power: Learning to Live in Spiritual Victory by Ruth and Warren Myers

When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you touch eternity
because your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide
at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can’t compete with prices offered by
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every purchase you make with us. Thank you!

Application Steps:
Locate today’s key verse in your Bible. Read each word slowly, pausing to let the words penetrate straight to your soul. For added effect, look up the specific definitions to any key words.

Reflections:
When have I been unable to sleep? What did I do? Did it work?

What other ways can I combat sleeplessness and restless thoughts?

Power Verses:
Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (ESV)

© 2011 by Karen Ehman. All rights reserved.
Encouragement for Today

It is 11:30 at night. The house is quiet and slightly aglow with Christmas lights. It is WAY past my bed time!  So what keeps me up this late?  First, it was restlessness in my legs (so I thought) and the cure was some Advil and an ABC family movie (again, so I thought).  After the movie I was glancing around Facebook (yes I am addicted and need help!) and as I was looking at some pictures I had posted of my girls playing the snow I became overwhelmed at God’s goodness and blessing in my life. Not simply because I have two amazing daughters, a husband (and incredible father) who cherishes me and them, but because I have a Savior who loves me more than I love my husband and daughters, and more than they love me… how mind boggling is THAT! 

As I pondered all this I was brought to tears that I have lost sight of HIM during this season.  It’s as if along with the lights, the glitter, the glow and the gatherings of the season my brain was hijacked into “mission mode” as I call it and the mission was …GETTING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS!!!!

How sad is that.  I know it is not Jesus’ actual birthday on December 25th (sorry if I just burst anyone’s bubble) yet this is a special time, not the ONLY time, to reflect on our Savior’s birth and all that it meant.  This has brought me to 2 Chronicles 20:17, a verse that stops me in my tracks.  This verse describes a paricular battle with an odd strategy – prepare to fight but let someone else do the actual fighting. It says “stand firm, hold your position and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf.”

JINGLE BELLS!  In the quiet of this night, it dawned on me how God calls us to prepare for battle but reminds us it is not up to us to FIGHT every battle.  Sometimes God calls us to “see the salvation of the Lord on [our] behalf” or as I like to think of it, “watch God do HIS thing!”

I don’t know about you but so much of my time, I am realizing, is wasted on fighting battles God has not asked me to fight – battles too numerous to name so I won’t even try. It is no wonder I feel drained, complacent, and detached – I am squandering my energy fighting battles that are not mine to fight instead of simply standing firm and holding my position of faith and trust in God.

This season, I have been choosing to fight the battle of checking off my holiday list and it’s not a battle God has called me to fight.  During the special time of year, as with most of our year, God is asking me to focus on understanding more about him and how I can alter my life to be filled more by him, but the chaos once again distracted me.

Don’t think though that God has trained us to sit on the sidelines and watch while he does the work in all the battles of life.  OH NO, there are battles out there for us to take on (some hand-to-hand combat, no doubt).  But, I would dare say that all too often we get “trigger happy” and leap right into a battle without asking God if it is one HE has called us to fight.

My prayer is that you will seek God in the daily challenges of life, whether mundain or monumental. Maybe He is asking you to jump in there with both hands or maybe He wants you prepare for a battle but trust Him enough to rest in Him and watch Him win the battle and glorify Himself in your life.

Life before kids was simpler.  Now, we are faced with questions and challenges at every turn.  There are economic fears, parenting skills fears, even fears about whether or not the kids will wake up in the middle of the night and leave us exhausted in the morning.  Being a parent is the most draining and exhausting thing I’ve ever done.

But, before you say I’m a grinch, let me also share the other truth.  Our children are amazing, and we couldn’t imagine life without them.  I recently told my wife that in the midst of the craziness of life, even the times when my own trust in God is wavering, some of the truest moments are the times I look into my children’s faces and see their smiles.  Some of the most spiritual moments come when our little girls answer the question of “Who loves you?” with “Jesus loves me!”  (Of course, they also proceed to repeated sing the accompanying “Jesus Loves Me” song!)

I never expected life to be so hard and have so many twists and turns.  And, equally so, I never expected my little girls to be so important in keeping me grounded and trusting in my God!  Thank you, Lord, for bringing these little girls into our lives!

So let me declare right now, that I am thankful to God – the God of the Bible, the God of Israel, Yahweh, Jehovah, the Christ Jesus who is the Son of God and is God himself.

Why make such a public and loud statement? Paul says it well in Romans 1:16:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

I am very thankful for this good news – this gospel! And because of this hope, there are other things that I give thanks for today as well:

• My wonderful wife, Emily, who supports me with such unconditional love, it amazes me daily.
• My darling little girls, who clearly are little Rotens through and through!
• Family and friends that stand by you, encourage you and challenge you in so many ways.
• God’s provision through a job and manageable expenses.
• A city to live in that offers such variety, excursions and a healthy environment to raise our little girls.
• Technology – not only because it is fun (ipods, netflix on wii, imacs, android phones, and so much more), but because it allows us to communicate with people all around the world, sharing our lives with others.
• A passion for adoption – and a desire to share that passion with as many as will listen so that no little boy or girl will have to live life without the blessing of a caring and nurturing set of parents.
• And much more (things that you’re probably horrified that I forgot to list!)

Ephesians 5:20 – “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Copyright United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

1 Kings 3:9 “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

I know it has been a while since I actually blogged but I’m on a “scheduling” kick and set aside some time to ponder and write out what God has been speaking to me lately.  Going to be honest, it has been a WILD few weeks, and I still feel like my head is spinning (hence the feeble human attempt at control by trying to “schedule” my time with 2 pre-schoolers, I’ll keep you posted on how long THAT last!).  As I was looking back on passages I had read one came to mind that I hadn’t even marked, 1 Kings 3:9.

Here again is an example of how the Holy Spirit used a “familiar” story and opened my eyes to apply it to my life.  It’s the passage where King Solomon asks for wisdom.  I remember reading this passage after a stretch of feeling depleted, unqualified, frazzled and frankly at my wits end with life in general, and the light bulb went on – ASK FOR WISDOM…DUH!  It was so obvious and so profound at the same time.  I was racking my brain for how to exemplify Christ to my daughters, love my husband well,  build my home business, get involved in church etc.. and the one thing I wasn’t doing was every morning asking God for His wisdom.

One phrase that struck me was “For who is able to govern this great people of yours”.  Who was I to think I had all the answers… NEWSFLASH, I DON’T.  I can hear the collective gasp of unbelief from everyone reading this, right?  Emily doesn’t have all the answers, and the only person apparently shocked by that realization was me.  What a relief to know I did not have to come up with all the answers (and may never have many of the answers), but God is an endless source of wisdom that I can go to at any time!

Side note:  let’s not confuse wisdom with knowledge, as my sweet hubby has taught me.  The internet is full of knowledge, but it is simply information.  Wisdom is knowledge centered and based on the principles found in God’s word!

My charge to you today is pray for wisdom, how to love a friend, a spouse or family member, how to reach out to your neighbors or raise your kids, and release yourself from thinking you need all the answers!