Big God Story for Christmas

I love Christmas. I am one of those crazy people who gets excited to see Christmas decorations at CostCo in October. For me, the anticipation of the holiday is the best part so of course I love a longer anticipatory period. Since having children, Christmas became very important to me because it is paramount that Zachary and Sadie know that this holiday is not about Santa or presents or even those fabulous decorations at CostCo. It is about how God prepared a rescue plan for his people and that hero was Christ. In our family, we talk about how we decorate our house because we are celebrating Jesus, just like we decorate the house for the kids’ birthdays. We make Jesus a birthday cake, complete with dinosaur candles or something of the like. We talk about how the gifts under the tree symbolize the greatest gift ever given - Christ.

Last year, we introduced the advent calendar. Each day, we opened the next door of the calendar, Zachary would get a piece of chocolate and I would read a card and a verse that I got from our church. However, some of the cards were confusing, even to me and all Zachary cared about was the chocolate. I vowed to fix this for the following Christmas and decided to make my own advent story.  I figured I was a strong writer and this way I could make sure it was done the way that was the most effective for our kids. I decided to go through the whole Bible in 25 days all while being kid appropriate. Using my Bible and the Jesus Story Book Bible, I wrote out beloved Bible stories that oozed God’s love for his people. After I wrote my daily stories, I thought that because my kids are so young, it would be good to have a visual to help them remember the story. So, I made felt ornaments to go along with each story. The plan is to show the kids the ornament while I read the short story (and they eat their chocolate because let’s face it, chocolate makes everything more fun) and then they can take turns putting the ornament on a little tree we have just for such a thing. My hope is that this will become a treasured tradition in our family that will help to solidify God’s big story in hearts of my kids that they can recall throughout the year.

If you would like to share God’s big love story with your family, please feel free to use my advent stories with your family. Each day has a story, a Bible verse and a visual to help kids remember the story (the visual is in parenthesis). You could even add a creative activity for each day. Maybe you aren’t interested in sewing up 25 ornaments, that’s okay! Head over to your local craft store and find little trinkets to put inside your advent calendar or have your kids draw a picture of the story and tape them up in your home. Or print up the photos of my ornaments and use them how you like. The main idea is to talk about the love of God with your family and keep the focus on Christ this holiday season.

I wish you a blessed holiday season. May you experience God's love in a new way as you reflect on how He has a part for you to play in His Story. Merry Christmas!!

December 1 - Creation  (Earth)                            

In the very beginning, there was nothing - well, nothing except for God. God decided to fill up the emptiness with his beautiful creation. He created daytime and nighttime. He made the mountains and the oceans. He made all the flowers and trees and animals. God looked at what he had made and thought it was good. Then he made his best creation of all, people, named Adam and Eve and then he stepped back and thought his creation was very good. Just like you look like your daddy (or mommy), Adam and Eve looked like their daddy because God made them to look like him. God loved them with all his heart and they were beautiful and lovely because he loved them. Everything God made was good because God is good.

Genesis 1:1   In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

December 2 - Adam and Eve (Tree)

Adam and Eve lived in a beautiful garden that God created for them called Eden. They enjoyed eating delicious fruits and vegetables. They relaxed under the shade of the trees and enjoyed sunrises and sunsets and walks with God in the cool evenings. Adam and Eve had everything they ever needed because God took care of them. They only knew happiness and joy. There was no sadness or meanness in the Garden. Those things didn’t exist. God did have one rule for Adam and Eve and that was that they were not to eat the fruit of one of the trees in the garden. He told them that if they ate the fruit from that tree, they will think they know everything and stop trusting God and then sadness, meanness and death will come into the world. God gave Adam and Eve this rule because he loved them so much and wanted to keep them safe.

Genesis 2:16-17   And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

December 3 - Sin (Apple)

One day, while Adam and Eve were enjoying the garden, Eve found a snake slithering near the tree that God told them to stay away from. This snake was Satan, who was jealous and angry at God and wanted to ruin God’s beautiful creation, so he tricked Eve. That is what Satan does, he takes the truth and twists it into a lie and hopes you will disobey God. Satan told Eve that if she ate from the tree that she would be able to see the difference between good and bad; however, Eve had never seen anything bad. She only knew good, so Satan only wanted to show her what was bad. Satan was sneaky and tricked Eve into thinking that she knew more than God. Sadly, she chose not to listen to God’s words and she ate the fruit. Then she gave some Adam to eat and suddenly, they knew that something was very wrong. They felt scared – a feeling they never knew before - because sin had entered the world. This made God so sad. Adam and Eve couldn’t live in the garden anymore but God had a plan to get his beautiful children back.

Genesis 3:6   When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was pleasant to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

December 4 - Noah (Boat)

Years went by and now the earth had lots and lots of people but most of these people did not love God or listen to his words. This made God sad and frustrated. There was one man who still loved God and wanted to make him happy. His name was Noah. God told Noah to build a huge boat, called an ark and to fill it with two of every kind of animal on earth. The ark was going to be like a floating zoo! Then he wanted Noah and his family to get on the boat and take care of the animals. Noah was an old man, and even though this idea sounded strange, he built the ark because Noah loved God and knew that God’s plans were the best plans.

Genesis 6:8 & 19   But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. “You are to bring into the art, two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.”

December 5 - Promise (Rainbow)

Noah built the ark. Even though people laughed at him, he knew it was important to obey God. After Noah brought all the animals and his family onto the ark, God shut the door and then it began to rain. First it was just misting and then the mist turned into raindrops and the raindrops got bigger and bigger and then there was a huge storm. Pretty soon the puddles on the ground started to run together until the ground was completely covered in water and the water continued to rise. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights and the rain washed away the sadness and meanness that had grown since Adam and Eve left the garden. Then the rain stopped. After a while, the earth became dry again and God made a rainbow as a promise never to flood the earth again. God always keeps his promises.

Genesis 9:16   Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of ever kind on the earth.”

December 6 - Abraham (Stars)

More time passed and people were still mean and sad. Another man, named Abraham, loved God very much, so God told Abraham that he was going to give him a big family, with as many kids as the stars in the sky! Abraham was happy but very confused. He and his wife Sarah always wanted to have kids, but they were very old and Abraham wasn’t sure how God would keep his promise. But our God is a big God, who can do anything and he always keeps his promises. Wouldn’t you know it, God put a baby in Sarah’s belly and soon a baby boy was born. Abraham and Sarah were parents! They named their boy, Isaac and in the years to come Abraham and Sarah would be the grandparents and great-grandparents of many children who loved God.

Genesis 17:19   Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”

December 7 - Joseph (Coat)

Isaac grew up and had a son named Jacob and Jacob grew up and had a son named Joseph, whom Jacob loved so much that it made Joseph’s brothers jealous, especially when their dad gave Joseph a fancy coat with lots of pretty colors. Joseph’s brothers decided to get rid of Joseph, so they sold him to some men who took Joseph to a place called Egypt. Then they told their dad that Joseph was eaten by a ferocious animal. You might be feeling pretty bad for Joseph, but God was in control and he had a plan for Joseph. He gave Joseph a special talent of being able to explain dreams and this came in really handy when the king of Egypt had a dream about . . . . cows. Yep, cows! First the cows were big and fat and then the cows were tiny and skinny and the king didn’t know why he was dreaming about cows or what it meant, so he called Joseph to help him figure it out. Joseph told the king that his dream meant that there would be a time were there would be lots of food to eat and then there would be a time were there wouldn’t be any food to eat at all. Joseph was then put in charge of saving up food for the times when there wouldn’t be any. During that time when food was scarce, Joseph’s brothers were feeling really hungry and went to Egypt to see if they could get some food. Joseph recognized his brothers right away and not only did he forgive them for how they treated him, he also moved all their families to Egypt so they could be together! Wow! What a great way to show love!

Genesis 37:3   Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him.

December 8 - Moses (Burning Bush)

Many years passed and Joseph’s family was now huge and Egypt had a new king who forgot all about Joseph and how he helped Egypt all those years ago. This new king also didn’t love God or the people who loved God so he made them work all day long, without pay, and were very unkind to them. God’s people prayed to God that he would help them. God heard their prayers and decided a man named Moses would be the one who would lead his people out of Egypt. He spoke to Moses through a burning bush, but even though the bush was on fire, it wasn’t hurting the bush. This was very strange, even to Moses. Moses obeyed God and went to the king and told him to let God’s people go free, but the king didn’t want to lose all his workers, so he said no. God sent all kinds of gross things to Egypt, like millions of bugs, hail and sickness, but the king wouldn’t let God’s people go. The king thought his way was better than God’s way, so God had to do something drastic to get the king to change his mind. Moses warned the people that great sadness would be coming and that families needed to put a sign on their door that showed they loved God. Anyone who did not have this sign on their doors would lose their first-born son. That is what happened to the king. His son died and he was so sad and so angry that he finally agreed to let God’s people go. The king didn’t realize that God is in control and his way is the best way and when we follow God’s plan, he will keep us safe.

Exodus 3:2-3   There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that the bush did not burn up. Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.”

December 9 - Crossing the Red Sea (Parting Sea)

After Moses led God’s people to freedom, the king in Egypt was mad and changed his mind and wanted to make God’s people his workers again. He gathered his army and chased after God’s people, but God always takes care of his children so God made a great pillar of smoke and fire so that his people would know where to go in the day or night as they left Egypt. God led his people to a big sea but his people were scared because the thought they were trapped and the king would surely get them. They shouldn’t have been scared, because God is in control. God sent a strong wind to blow on the sea. It was so strong that it cut the sea in half and a dry path opened up for God’s people to walk across. All of God’s people got across the sea but by this time the Egyptians had caught up to God’s people and were walking across the dry sea floor too. Then when the last of God’s people safely reached the other side of the sea, the wind stopped and the sea came crashing back down, right on the Egyptians and washed them away. God had protected his people in an amazing way!

Exodus 14:21-22   Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it to dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

December 10 - The Ten Commandments (Two Tablets)

After God saved his people from the Egyptians, they started to do a lot of whining which made God sad because he had just saved them and he was feeding them every day with food from heaven called, mana. He actually had their food rain down to them while they were in the desert. God wanted to help his people know him better so he called Moses up to a mountain to give him ten rules, called commandments. The most important rule was to love God more than anything else. There were other rules too, like don’t take things that aren’t yours or tell stories that aren’t true and to listen to your mom and dad. Remember that God gives us rules because He loves us and wants to keep us safe. God’s rules show how life works best.

Exodus 20:1-17   And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out the Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself and idol in the form of anything in heaven or above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord you God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor you manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his manservant or maidservant, his ox, or donkey, or anything belongs to your neighbor.”

***Due to the length and content of this scripture, it may be more appropriate to paraphrase this section.

December 11 - David and Goliath (Five Stones)

There was once a group of people called the Philistines, and they did not like God’s people. In fact, the Philistines were going to fight them and their chief warrior was a giant named Goliath. All of God’s people were afraid of Goliath because he was huge, but we already know that we don’t need to be scared because God is in control. A boy named David knew this and so he volunteered to fight Goliath. He knew that God would help him. The king tried to give David his own royal armor to wear but David didn’t need it – he had God. So, he went to a nearby stream and picked up five smooth stones. When the time came to face Goliath, he put one of those stones in his sling shot aimed for Goliath. The stone struck the big giant right between the eyes and Goliath fell to the ground. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they all ran away. The boy named David was a hero because he trusted God’s plan.

1 Samuel 17:40,49   Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

December 12 - David's Promise (Heart)

David grew up and became a great king. He loved God but that doesn’t mean he was perfect. David made a lot of mistakes but God can take all our mistakes and make them work in his plan. David asked God to change his heart and forgive him of his sins. God heard his prayer and forgave him. He even promised David that one day the True King would be born from David’s family and this King would fix everything. This King would erase all the sadness and meanness from the world.

Psalm 51:10   Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

December 13 - Isaiah's News (Candle)

The world continued to be full of meanness and sadness, so God decided to share his plan that he told David with a man named Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet and his job was to listen to God and tell the people what he heard. God told Isaiah to tell his people that he loved them very much and he was going to send a Savior to be a bright light in our dark world. He told Isaiah that this Savior would come as baby and he would be born to a young mommy who was not yet married. This Savior would be a hero but there would be some people who won’t like him and they will make him suffer and die. But this Savior won’t stay dead. He will come back to life and one day He will rule forever!

Isaiah 9:6   For onto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

        

December 14 - Jesus is Born (Baby)

The time had come for God’s rescue plan to happen. There was a young girl, named Mary, who was going to marry a man named Joseph. An angel came to Mary and told her that she was going to have a baby boy and she needed to name him Jesus. Mary was nervous because she wasn’t married yet, but she was excited that God had chosen her to take care of his precious Son. About the time that Jesus was to be born, Mary and Joseph had to take a long trip to the City of Bethlehem. When they got there, they couldn’t find anywhere to sleep which was a problem because it was time for the baby to be born! One man said that Mary and Joseph could stay in his stable which is a fancy word for barn. That night, by the cows and the sheep, Jesus was born! A beautiful star shone brightly and it guided people to come and worship the new King.

Luke 2:11-12   For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

December 15 - Jesus is Baptized (Water)

Jesus grew up and it was time for him to start teaching everyone about how much God loves them, but first, he went to see his cousin John. John loved God and knew God was sending a Savior and it was John’s job to tell everyone to get ready for him. John would baptize people in water, which was a way to show that they wanted to follow God and start a new life. Jesus came to John to be baptized too. John knew his cousin was God’s Son and did not think that he was important enough to baptize Jesus, but Jesus wanted to be baptized to show us what we should do and because God told him to. God was so proud of his Son that his voice came down from heaven and said, “This is my Son, whom I love; and with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:17   And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; and with him I am well pleased.”

December 16 - Jesus' Disciples (Fish Nets)

Jesus needed to find some helpers and friends who would share with the world how much God loves us. First Jesus found some fishermen. He said to them, “Follow me,” and at once, they left their boats and fishing nets to go to Jesus. Jesus didn’t choose his helpers because they were really cool or had neat tricks. He chose ordinary people to show us that we can all be helpers for Jesus and share his love with everyone.

Mark 1:17   “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people”

December 17 - How to Pray (Hands)

Jesus taught people many things and one of those things was how to pray. He told people that God loves them and wants to hear from them and that we can talk to him about anything. Then he gave an example on how we can pray and it was like this:

God,

We want to know you and be close to you. We want you to be in control because your way is the best way. Please give us what we need for today.

Please forgive us when we hurt people because we know that it makes you sad when we are unkind. Please help us to forgive people when they hurt us, because you always forgive us. Help us to love other people, to be kind and to do what is good and right in your sight.

Keep us safe from those who want to hurt us. You are in charge and your plan is the best plan. We love you, Lord! Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13   “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

December 18 - Birds (Bird)

It was really important to Jesus to talk about how much God loves us and has promised to take good care of us. Because of sin, our meanness and sadness are a part of our world and people tend to worry a lot. People worried a lot during Jesus’ time too. He told them to look at the birds. Birds don’t go grocery shopping at Kroger or Target. They don’t have pantries full of Goldfish or fruit snacks, but they don’t worry about what they’ll eat because God knows what they need and he feeds them. Then Jesus said that we are much more important to God than birds, so we don’t need to worry either because God will take good care of us too!

Matthew 6:26   “Look at the birds in the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they?”

December 19 - Miracles (Fish and Loaves)

Jesus did many amazing things while he was teaching. Things that people couldn’t explain because they were so awesome. These are miracles. There were times when Jesus made people who were sick, well again. There was a time when he calmed a big, scary storm. He fed a whole crowd of people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. He even brought people back to life who had died. Jesus did these miracles because he was the Son of God and to show us that we can do anything that God wants us to do.

Luke 9:16-17   Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

December 20 - The Last Supper (Bread and Wine)

Jesus was celebrating with his dear friends. After they ate dinner, Jesus got up and washed his friends’ feet. He did this to show his friends that he loved them and that he came to the world to take care of people. After his friends’ feet were clean, he took some bread and wine that were on the table from dinner and explained what was going to happen soon.

[“My body is like this bread. It will break,” Jesus told them. “This cup of wine is like my blood. It will pour out. But this is how God will rescue the whole world. My life will break and God’s broken world will mend. My heart will tear apart and your hearts will heal. I will die instead of you. My blood will wash away all of your sins. And you’ll be clean on the inside – in your hearts So whenever you eat and drink, remember,” Jesus said, “I rescued you!”[1]]

Jesus’ friends were sad and scared that Jesus was going to die, but Jesus told them not to be afraid and that God’s Helper would come after Jesus left. Then Jesus prayed for his friends, and for us.

Luke 22:19-20    And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

December 21 - Jesus Death (Cross)

After dinner, Jesus and his friends went to a garden so Jesus could pray to God.

[Jesus knew it was time for him to die. He and his Father had planned it a long time ago. Jesus was going to take the punishment for all the wrong things anybody had every done or ever would do![2]]

While in the garden, an army of soldiers came to arrest him even though he had never done anything wrong. The guards made fun to Jesus. They hit him and spit on him and made him carry his heavy cross up a hill where he would die. Then they nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross.

Jesus could have climbed down from that cross. He could have said a word and made it all stop, but he stayed because he loves us. It was the middle of the day but the sun stopped shinning. The earth shook. Jesus cried out, “Father, I give you my life!” and then he let himself die. Jesus’ friends took his body and put it in a new tomb carved out of rock. Soldiers were sent to guard the tomb so that no one could get in. Or out.

Luke 23:45-46   for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

December 22 - Resurrection (Open Tomb)

Jesus’ friends were so sad. They didn’t understand how he could die. He was the Rescuer. How could this be? In the early morning on the third day, God sent an angel from heaven to roll away the huge stone in front of the tomb. Some friends of Jesus came to the tomb that morning and saw that the stone was rolled away and Jesus’ body was gone! The angel appeared to the women and told them not to be scared. Jesus wasn’t here because Jesus wasn’t dead! He was alive!!

Jesus appeared to his friends who were overjoyed to see their friend again. Jesus stayed with his friends for a little while and told them to tell his love story to everyone. Then he went up to heaven to be with God.

Matthew 28:6   He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

December 23 - Pentecost (Flame)

Before Jesus went to heaven, he told his friends that he had a special present for them, a Helper, the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ friends were all waiting in a room together, waiting and wondering about how and when the Holy Spirit would come to them. Suddenly, a great wind came through the room and above everyone’s heads were flickering flames, like birthday candles, but bigger. Then inside their hearts, they felt something warm and fuzzy, almost like a hug. Their hearts were being fixed and now they could love people like Jesus loved people.

They were so excited that the Holy Spirit was going to live with them forever, that they ran outside the little room and told everyone that Jesus died for us because he loves us. Instead of running away from God, we need to run to him.

Acts 2:2-4   And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

December 24 - Spreading the News (Megaphone)                                              

Jesus had told his friends to share the Rescue Plan with everyone. Everyone needs to know how much God loves us and we need to believe that Jesus died on the cross to free us from our icky sin. Jesus told his friends that we need to spread the good news to our friends, our neighbors, to people who are hard to love and even to people on the other side of the world! When we have such good news like this, we just can’t keep it to ourselves!

And that’s just what the disciples did. They shared God’s love with everyone and many people believed and churches were formed and people were rescued! But sharing the good news was not just for Jesus’ friends back then. We are friends with Jesus too, so it is our job to share God’s love as well.

Acts 1:8   But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.                                                                        

December 25 - The Second Advent (Castle)

Many years after Jesus went up to heaven, he appears to one of his friends, John. John was very old now and had spent his years talking about Jesus. Jesus told John he was going to show him God’s amazing plan and it was John’s job to write it all down.

John saw a throne and Jesus was the king sitting on the throne. Everyone was bowing down and worshiping Jesus. They were singing and cheering for the Rescuer, Jesus. John saw Satan, the one who tried to ruin everything, defeated. There was also a beautiful castle made of precious stones and a street paved with gold and this city was coming down from heaven to earth. There was no sun to shine on the city because Jesus was the light that shone everywhere. There was no more crying, no sickness, no death or loneliness. No one was scared or running or hiding. It was wonderful! And Jesus wiped away every tear from every eye. He had made everything new and beautiful.

It was hard for John to write down all the amazing things Jesus showed him but someday we will get to see for ourselves what Jesus showed John. Someday we will get to live with him in heaven and there will be no more meanness or sadness. Jesus will come back to rescue us because he loves us so much!

Christmas celebrates Jesus coming to earth the first time as a baby boy born in a stable, but Christmas also celebrates Jesus’ second coming when he will fix everything. Thank you, Jesus!

Revelation 21:4   He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

---

[1] Lloyd-Jones, Sally. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Zonderkidz. Grand Rapids. (2007). page 292

[2] Lloyd-Jones, Sally. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Zonderkidz. Grand Rapids. (2007). page 294

Mommin' Ain't Easy

Today has been one of those days when I question everything about my parenting. It has been one of those days when I have been crying right alongside my toddlers. It has been one of those days when I pray I can just make it to nap time. I love my babies but this mommin' stuff ain't easy. My threenager has decided that he wants to run the show and my 18 month old won't let me do anything out of her sight, so much so that we call her a gorilla baby since she hangs on to me like those baby gorillas at the zoo hang on to their mamas. This is a very hard stage for us. The hardest we have had thus far. Some days we come out fairly unscathed, but today was a day that made me put on my war paint and I was tempted to wave the white flag.

Unfortunately, due to temper tantrums and melt downs, I was unable to go grocery shopping yesterday so I had to go today, but this morning was like the movie Groundhog Day and I was doomed to repeat the mayhem of the day before. I buckled everyone into car seats and said a silent prayer that the change of scenery would do us all some good. We made it through the store in record time and fairly good behavior. I went to check out and as the cashier was handing me my receipt, the women behind me asked if my children liked M&M's. Was this a trick question? Then she hands me a bag and tells the cashier she will be purchasing that for us. She told me sometimes people did that for her when her kids were little. Through teary eyes I thanked her. I mumbled about how hard our day was and she smiled and nodded back to me as I tried to corral my toddler posse and head out to the car. I tried to use this as an opportunity to teach Zachary the importance of loving others the way that woman loved on us, but I couldn't help but feel like that bag of M&M's was really an encouraging way for the Lord to tell me that He's got me. It was a way to tell me, that I am doing a good job and to keep pressing on.

Isaiah 40:11 says, "He tends to his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." This has been my favorite verse since I became a parent because basically what Isaiah is saying here in fancy Biblical terms is that God knows that mommin' ain't easy, otherwise why would He be to tender with "those that have young?"

When I woke up today, God was with me. When my son threw a tantrum so big that he wet himself, God was with us. When my daughter pitched a fit on the floor and had herself a diva moment, God was with us. When I started to believe the lies that I can't do this, God was with me.

Truthfully, I have no idea what I am doing. I try new parenting strategies on a weekly basis. I have books on parenting piled on my nightstand. I read blogs and pick my friends' brains on how their families operate. I try to gather all my intel and proceed with a plan of attack but most of the time I feel like I am flying by the seat of my pants and many times, I react out of anger - and if we are being honest, pride. But I have the access to the Most Holy God who empowers me to do the job He has called me to fulfill, being a mama. I need to remember that more often. 

Zachary, Sadie and I shared that bag of M&M's after lunch and Zachary wanted to know why that sweet woman gave them to us. I told him it was because she wanted to show us some love. Sometimes love is hard. Love is not a butterflies-in-our-stomach feeling. Love is not just saying the words. Love is an action. Love is a choice. Buying that candy and handing it to me was an act of love. Disciplining my children is an act of love. Reading books and playing that Blaze and the Monster Machines game with Zachary for the upteenth time is an act of love. Sending someone to encourage me on a hard day of parenting is an act of love.

As I reflected on the day, I realized that though these are hard days, God's got me. He loves me more than I can fathom. God’s got my children too. He loves them more than I do. I can't screw them up if I seek his wisdom because He can right any wrong. 

Today, I wanted to send some love out to those weary mamas who need a bag of M&M's. I know you feel like you aren't seen. I know you selflessly give everything to your families. And I know that you are doing the best you can. I am here in the trenches with you. Mommin' ain't easy, but it is a little better with chocolate and a whole lotta Jesus.

Being Blessed by the Beatitudes

This week has been rough. My almost three year old has been exploring how far he can push boundaries with his parents. My one year old is convinced that she needs to be surgically attached to me for a large portion of the day. To be honest, I feel like I don’t even know who I am these days. I feel like my day consists of protecting Sadie from getting wailed on by Zachary, cleaning up/fixing meals with Sadie attached to me like a kangaroo joey, enforcing time-outs/brain storming disciplinary strategies, and then everything just seems to be on a repeated loop.

There are certainly great things about each day; like when Sadie wraps her little arms around my neck and presses her face close to mine, or watching Zachary and Sadie delighting in a bath time splash session, or hearing Zachary talks about his day enthusiastically, but we are definitely in a season where most of the day is hard and we are trying to find our rhythm again. I seem to be asking myself the same questions over and over again. How many temper tantrums can one toddler throw in a day? Are time outs even effective? Am I making a difference in the lives of my kids? Am I showing them the love of Christ in my parenting? How can I do that when my anger flares up and I lose my patience? How can I live up to the standards that Jesus taught on the Sermon on the Mount as a parent? Even though I lose many battles in a given day, I know that I am equipped by the One who is the Ultimate Parent to guide me in parenting my children well, and you are too. We just need to remind ourselves of this fact, and sometimes we need that reminder multiple times a day. Let’s look at what Jesus taught on the mountainside.

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom and heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:1-12

The Sermon on the Mount was the longest recorded sermon of Jesus.  When the people heard Jesus preach on the Beatitudes, they were, no doubt, confused because each beatitude was – and still is - a contradiction of the world’s way of life. Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit, but the world values pride and personal independence. Jesus said blessed are the meek and those who mourn, but the world says we should strive for power and happiness. Jesus said blessed are the righteous and merciful, but the world says we should pursue personal gain and should do so in any means accessible.  So basically, to be blessed means to be a walking contradiction to what our flesh desires and society deems as acceptable. How then, can we meet the mark that the Lord has set for us when everything in us and around us points us in the opposite direction?

The first is to see yourself as God sees you. The Bible is essentially one big love story between God and his creation, which includes you. The “Cliff Notes” version goes like this: God creates everything and deemed it good, but after he created man, it was then that He said it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).  God gives Adam and Eve a simple rule: don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17), but Satan tricks Eve into thinking she needs to be able to see both good and evil. Up until that moment, Adam and Eve only knew good, therefore Satan’s offer was to expose them to evil and so Eve is deceived and eats from the tree and gives some fruit to Adam (Genesis 3:6). Their eyes were then opened to sin and they felt naked, ashamed and fearful – all things they never knew or felt until that moment. They also broke their Father’s heart who desperately desired a relationship with his creation but now that relationship was marred, so God made a new plan.  This plan would bridge the gap between His perfect righteousness and his broken children. This plan was his own Son, Jesus, who would come to earth in the most humble way to die as an atonement of our sins and then rise again three days later. That kind of sacrifice shows just how crazy in love with you God is. The Bible is God’s love story written out for you. In it, he tells you truths about who you are in Him. You are worthy (Ephesians 1:4). You are loved (Romans 8:38-39). You are meaningful (Ephesians 1:11). You are God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). You are redeemed and forgiven (Colossians 1:22).

1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”  When we start to view ourselves as God views us, we don’t have time to entertain thoughts that devalue us. It doesn’t matter if we aren’t skinny/smart/creative/wealthy/funny/etc. enough for society’s standards. Sometimes, when I am feeling low, I think about this truth. My Father loves me. My Father desires to be in relationship with me. My Father never leaves me. My Father strengthens me. When I reflect on these truths, my self-worth rises and I remember who I am. I am a daughter of the King (John 1:12) and so are you. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, when God looks at us, he sees us washed and redeemed. It doesn’t matter what you have done in the past. If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, then our Father looks at you and sees righteousness.

However, it is not enough just to bask in your knowledge of how treasured you are; you need to act on that truth. Love is an action. It is a choice. You need to make that choice every day – multiple times a day, and that is hard because our flesh desires the exact opposite of what Jesus taught on the Sermon on the Mount. So then we need to live differently than the world lives and we can do so by trying to be more like Jesus. This may seem like a daunting task, and certainly, we will never be perfect, but we don’t have to do this alone. Jesus told his disciples that he was going to send the Helper for us, who is the Holy Spirit who will be with us always (John 16:7). And we also know that this Helper is greater than “he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4) so we can overcome the traps that Satan sets for us to fail. We will fail but the Holy Spirit will help refine us if we truly desire to imitate Jesus.

The take away here should be that it is possible to be blessed. It is possible to develop the attitudes Jesus taught when we see ourselves the way God sees us because that elevates our self-worth and stirs a desire in us to love others. When we love others we are acting more like Jesus and when we act more like Jesus we make the choice to be righteous which is how God already sees us.

Ephesians 5:1-2 can sum up this lesson beautifully:

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

**Originally written for Emerge Mothers Academy Parenting Class**

Choosing Peace with God’s Calling for You

These past couple of months, I have asked you to do more than just read the words in this blog. First, we talked about identifying who God called you to be. I wanted you to make a list of your skills and learn your spiritual gifts. I requested you to spend time in prayer to earnestly seek your identity in Christ. Next, I challenged you to bravely step into the role God set aside for you. We talked about how you are good enough, strong enough, and grace-filled enough to fulfill a purpose that God designed specifically for you. Now, I am asking you for one final action and that is to choose peace with your God given role.  The homework that I gave you over the course of these past three months is a condensed version of a lesson that God had been teaching me for almost three years.

Before I had children, I was professionally driven. I was finishing up graduate school and had my five year plan all set to go. I even had two teaching positions offered to me before I even graduated. I thought that I was exactly where I needed to be. After all, teaching and molding impressionable youth is important and Jesus loves the little children too, so I thought I was golden. I felt that I was loving my neighbor and serving my community through teaching. I also knew that time was ticking for me to begin having a family, but I figured I could get a few years of teaching in before that and then I would continue to teach since I could enjoy my kids during my summers off. It was a good plan. It was a noble plan. It was not God’s plan.

I came home one afternoon to find my husband, Troy, already there. I figured he came home from work sick but he was just sitting on the couch, waiting for me. He told me to come in and talk with him - never a good sign. He had learned that day that his company’s accounting team would be transferred to Cincinnati and we would be moving within the year. This threw a wrench in my plans. All my teaching ties were in Minneapolis. What was I going to do in a city where I didn’t know anyone? I tried to hit the ground running. I researched hundreds of school districts and filled out many applications as well, but I didn’t have any contacts. I was able to get a job as a classroom aide, which was great because the teacher I worked with gave me a lot of teaching freedom, but it wasn’t my own class – and my biological clock was still ticking. I got pregnant that school year and was hopeful about getting a teaching job in that school for the next year. I figured I was a shoe-in, but once again, God had a plan that differed from my own.

After my son was born, I was home on maternity leave and found out that I did not get the third grade position for which I had applied and interviewed. I was crushed. But my principal told me to be patient and that she felt confident a teaching position would open up soon that would be a better fit for me, so I planned to come back the following year as an aid again and bide my time.

A day or two after that dismal phone call, Zachary was just two weeks old and we were sleeping in the converted attic of our rented Cape Cod cottage when a large limb from the 150 year old Beech tree fell on our house. Being from the upper Midwest, I initially thought there was a tornado as I saw the roof and the wall rip apart. I ran to Zachary, but with the damage being right by the stairs, I didn’t know how to escape. I honestly thought I was going to die that morning and hoped that if I threw myself over my baby, he might survive. Thankfully, both Zachary and I walked away unscathed – not even a scratch on my feet as I walked barefoot through the debris of broken glass and nails.

Needless to say, we moved. We got out of our lease and went out to the suburbs where the commute to my job would be a wash financially, so my husband and I decided I would stay home with Zachary. While I loved being with my sweet boy, I was isolated and what’s worse, I didn’t think I was making a difference – especially with kingdom work. It was hard for me to think about all the money I spent on my Master’s degree, only to see it collect dust as I traded in my dress pants and lesson plans for sweats and Sesame Street. I needed a purpose. What was my calling? I wanted to be obedient to God.

One evening, through prayer and meditation, God gave me my purpose and to be honest, He didn’t seem pleased with my reaction. I felt like our conversation was Him lovingly rebuking me. He very clearly told me that He had given me two healthy children (I was pregnant with my daughter, Sadie, at the time) and my job was to raise them to love the Lord. I am sure He was thinking, “What more do I need to do to get this idea through your head? I moved you to Cincinnati so you could focus on your family, but you focused on your agenda. I took away the teaching job so you could put your energy into Zachary, but still, your eyes were on your plans. That Beech tree fell on your house and forced you to move and only then did you reluctantly stay home with my blessing of Zachary and yet you still don’t know your purpose?!”

After that night, I turned my attitude right around. No longer was I moping around the house, mourning my former life. While I still have days that are hard, I am able to look at my job as a mother as true and valuable kingdom work. Amazingly, after I accepted my role as a mother, the Lord blessed me with more opportunities to serve Him, one of them being writing this blog for you. I learned that the more obedient I was to God, the more He entrusted to me. However, there were a few wrong turns I made and pit falls I fell into that I wanted to share so that you can overcome and identify these obstacles as you live out your mission.

Recognize Opposition. What’s right is not always what is popular and this is even truer when it comes to following God. Whenever we do the will of God, we become a target for evil. Satan doesn’t want us to further God’s kingdom, so believe me; he is going to do his best to derail us, whether by a friend, neighbor, family member or situation. Stand firm and know that following God is far more important than following man. I Peter 3:14 says, “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.”   

Pray to be Equipped. When Sadie was a few months old, I was holding her as she lay sleeping peacefully in my arms and reflecting on that day. I was exhausted just reliving it mentally. Both kids had been so demanding that I felt I was running on fumes. I cried out to God that night. I told Him that I knew my job was to raise these two healthy kids but that I was doing a terrible job of it. I was tired and void of joy. I didn’t want Him to make my days any easier, as I recognize that God is not a genie, but I did want Him to equip me for this role He gave me as a parent. This continues to be my daily prayer. Each day brings new challenges so it is vital when carrying out God’s plans that we are seeking Him for guidance. James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” When you ask the Lord for wisdom in your obedience to Him, it gives Him great joy to know that not only do you what to do the task He has given you - but you want to do it well.

Grab a Buddy, a Group and a Mentor. We were created for community. God has community within the trinity with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and so it was also necessary for man to have community. Genesis 1:18 states, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” This is true for us all. We need people to help build us up with encouragement, present us with teachable moments and sometimes lovingly discipline us when we stray from the path. It is vital that each of us finds “our person.” This is someone who you can completely reveal yourself to. This person is someone who keeps you in check. I have a dear friend from college who loves me so much that she tells me when I am being a bonehead and encourages me when I am low. Next find a group of people with similar interests and needs as you. This will allow you to bounce ideas off each other as well as help you to realize that you are not alone with what you are facing. As an introvert, this was scary for me, but I took a deep breath and joined a MOPS group and a young ladies Bible study. These are all young moms who are on the same path as me and we walk alongside each other in our trials and joys. I am also in a Supper Club group. This is a group of friends who just want to spend time together. Our only agenda is community together. These groups of women encourage each other and by spending time with them, it enables me to recharge my batteries, making me a better mom. Finally, find a mentor. Nobody has all the answers, but why not glean the knowledge from someone who has already walked in our shoes. Find someone who will invest in you and challenge you in your walk with the Lord and your fulfillment of His purpose. I like to describe these people as those who ooze wisdom. Don’t feel strange asking someone to mentor you. They will be impressed with your tenacity to be a better person and a better mom.

Get in the Word. If you want to seek God and you want to find your purpose in His plan, you NEED to grab your Bible and read. This part is not optional. God’s Word is holy and alive and is our owner’s manual for figuring out how to do life. I read somewhere that because the Bible is God’s living Word, when you open your Bible, you should expect something to happen. I love that. It certainly makes reading a whole lot more exciting! Can your latest best seller book say that for itself? I don’t think so. This is the only Book that is God-breathed[1], so why wouldn’t we want to get into it and see what He has to say. The scripture that you read will not only help you overcome everyday obstacles and help you with the oppositions you will surely face, it will also further prepare you for the kingdom work you are pursuing as well as delight the Lord. It’s pretty much a win all around.

Choose Peace. Peace is not sipping a mojito on the beach, listening to the waves gently crash against the shore. (Though, I wouldn’t mind participating in that focus group to find out firsthand.) Peace is a characteristic of the Holy Spirit[2] and therefore contrary to our human nature. We live in a crazy and chaotic world. Peace is something we have to choose because it does not come naturally to us. If it did, the temper tantrums that my toddler throws would be a cake walk. Choosing peace means that when I am second guessing everything I am doing as a mom, I understand that God loves my kids even more than I do and He has got this thing under control. Choose to believe that truth – God’s got this! Nothing is too big for Him. When you choose to believe God, you are actively choosing peace. When you actively choose peace, things will fall into place.

As we conclude our series, I want to tell you how proud I am of you. I know that some of you actually did your homework. Some of you are desperately seeking God’s will and my heart rejoices in knowing that. More importantly, God’s heart rejoices in your desire to be obedient to Him.

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for every and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews13:20-21

**Originally written for Emerge Mothers Academy Parenting Class**

---

[1] 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

[2] Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Bravely Stepping into the Role God Has Planned for You

My son, Zachary, is two and half years old and has recently discovered the movie, The Incredibles. “Mommy! Dada! Snuggle and watch Incredibles?” is what we hear almost every day.  Zachary loves to watch this super hero family because they are the good guys, they save the world, and they are brave. Brave. Sometimes this is a word that we would only use to describe our super hero cartoons. Maybe we would use it to describe someone who puts their life on the line like those in the military, law enforcement or firefighters. Brave might be a descriptor for those who are persecuted, grieving a loved one or fighting cancer. Brave is not always a word we would use to label ourselves in everyday life; however, brave is exactly what we are called to be. Today, we are going to debunk three myths[1] that many of us wrestle with when it comes to stepping into our roles God has planned for us.

Myth #1: I am not good enough.

Oh my, how I have said this to myself so many times. After my son was born, I had a hard time believing that I could make a difference, especially when it came to kingdom work. After all I was “just a stay at home mom” and it was challenging enough just keeping my clothes free from breastmilk, spit-up and that nasty baby poop that smells like sour Greek yogurt. I would image that God’s heart breaks when he sees us feel this way about ourselves. He dearly loves us. He designed us and sustains us so of course we are good enough, but sometimes we have a hard time accepting this truth.  Moses – spoiler alert - wasn’t a mom, but he felt this way too. When God told him to lead His people out of Egypt, Moses actually said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11) God straight up tells Moses what his purpose is, and Moses decides to tell the All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Creator of the universe that he is going to take a hard pass. But our patient Father knew that Moses was nervous – after all, He knit Moses in his mother’s womb[2], so God tells Moses, “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) What can we take from Moses self-doubt? We are absolutely equipped to fulfill the purpose that God has planned for us because HE planned it for US. We ARE good enough.

Myth #2: I am not strong enough.

Everyone is wired with a defense mechanism when we are in trouble. It is called ‘flight or fight.’ When those hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you know something funky is about to go down, you either clench your fists and stand your ground, or you road-runner your rear out of there. I am a flighter, not a fighter. Sometimes this is a good thing, a more safe choice. Other times it means not standing up for what is right which makes me responsible for the wrong. I want to do what is right, but I think that I am just not strong enough. What can I do? Gideon felt this way too. After Moses listened to God’s calling and realized he was good enough, he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before this people group forgot about how God answered their prayers and delivered them from slavery. They started whining about not getting to their destination quick enough and decided to worship fake gods, which did not sit well with THE God. God figured that since the Israelites didn’t need Him, He would hand them over to a group of people called the Midianites. These people were trouble. They ransacked camps, crops and livestock. The Israelites decided that they needed God again and pleaded with Him to save them….again. God chose Gideon to save the people from the Midianites; however, Gideon gives the Lord the “but God, I am not strong enough” spiel. “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest and I am the least in my family.” (Judges 6:15) Once again, our patient Father knew that Gideon was scared, because He created Gideon too, so God tells him, “I will be with you.” (Judges 6:16) We were wired to do the job that God calls us to do because God created us. He knows what we can accomplish because He made us. We ARE strong enough because HE planned it for US.

Myth #3: I am not grace-filled enough.

Pride is a sneaky thing. It tells us that we are better than our neighbor because our kids are better-behaved. Pride allows us to look down on others who don’t have as high of an education as we do. Pride gives us permission to deem what others “deserve.” Pride is a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Moms play a part in this ugliness. I have seen (and sometimes, shamefully been a part of) quips on social media about stances on breastfeeding, vaccinations, schooling, discipline, etc. Sometimes we think that we are “helping” others by sharing what we do, but what we are doing is throwing our pride around and making it look like we are extending grace, but that is the last thing we are actually doing. Jonah struggled with this too. Yep, that guy that got swallowed by a whale. He chose not to follow God’s calling for his life, and his reason was pride. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach against the people’s wickedness, but Jonah doesn’t want to save the people of Nineveh because they weren’t Israelites and he knew that if he went there, God would change the hearts of those people. Doesn’t this sound familiar – not wanting to help someone because they may not be like us or make us uncomfortable? Jonah’s heart was hardened to the Ninevites, but three days in the belly of a whale can change a man, so he did in fact go to Nineveh and the people repented as Jonah feared they would. Later, Jonah decided to have a little chat with the Holy One who apparently – in Jonah’s eyes – needed a little hand slap. “But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.’” (Jonah 4:1-2) Jonah is actually mad that God is so forgiving. God lets Jonah rant and then He says to him, “Have you any right to be angry? (vs. 4) Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (vs 10-11) God basically tells Jonah, to chill out. He wants Jonah to understand that lives are at stake here - and apparently cattle, maybe He was craving a good burger. God knows it’s hard for us to extend grace because he made us. However, that little fact does not get us off the hook. We have been forgiven for every wrong and so we need to extend that same grace to others. We may not feel that we are grace-filled enough, but we are called to love others as ourselves[3]. Being grace-filled is something that we have to practice. We can ask the Lord to help us love others the way He loves them. By doing so, we CAN be grace-filled enough.

Your homework was to reflect on your skills and gifts. I asked you to group items together to see if any patterns could be made. More importantly, I told you to spend time in prayer, asking God what He wants you to do with the gifts He has given you. Some of you reading this know what your purpose is right now. While it is exhilarating, it can be scary too. Following Jesus is anything but comfortable. Maybe you have been believing the myths above. Maybe you think you’re not good enough, like Moses thought. Maybe you think you’re not strong enough, as Gideon did. Or maybe you think you aren’t grace-filled enough like Jonah.  The big take away from debunking these three myths is that all these guys were equipped by the Lord and none of these guys were alone. God was with them and He is with you. Don’t let Satan come in and convince you that God’s power is not enough. Remember, God sees you as His treasured and precious baby girl. He won’t leave you. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you.” You’ve got this! You can do this! You ARE good enough. You ARE strong enough. You ARE grace-filled enough, because you are not alone and you have been created for a specific purpose. God won’t let you fail at what He has called you to do.

Maybe you have done your homework but you feel like you don’t have a clear direction of what God’s purpose is for you right now. I would encourage you to take this time to volunteer in an area that gives you joy. If one of your skills was baking; make some cookies for a lonely neighbor. If you like to read; offer to read with kids at your local elementary school (as a former teacher, you should know that staff loves this! Call the office and tell them you want to volunteer and you will be placed somewhere quickly!) My husband’s aunt grows a garden and its sole purpose is to give the flowers away to spread a little cheer.  If you like to garden, try that! You may find that the giving of your time lends itself to learning your purpose. Stay willing and flexible. Continue to make notes in your notebook and pray for God’s leading. God’s timing is perfect but often not the same as our timeline. He will use you.

The time has come for us to bravely step into our roles. Remember, we were not created with “a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:6) When we exhibit that spirit of power, we get to be super heroes who are fighting for the Lord. Thankfully, this does not entail spandex suits, but it is awe-inspiring to see someone following Jesus. Go on, ladies, be brave.

**Originally written for Emerge Mothers Academy Parenting Class**

 

---

[1] Posthuma, P. (2015). B.L.E.S.S. Saying Yes [Sermon] Montgomery Community Church, Cincinnati, Ohio http://www.mcc.us/information/weekly-media

[2] Psalm 139:13 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb.”

[3] Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Identifying Who God Called You to Be

Life is full of surprises, good and bad. As much as that sounds like a lame fortune cookie message, sometimes we forget that it is all a mixed bag. When I look back on my life, some of the surprises I got were awesome, like marring my husband. I honestly thought I would never get married. I thought I was too awkward and self-deprecating to be able to land a stud like the one I married. Some of the surprises were heart-wrenching like when my grandma died. My heart broke into what felt like a million pieces and even though that was over a year ago, I still grieve for her and miss her terribly. Some of the surprises were scary like when we had to relocate from Minneapolis to Cincinnati and we knew nobody. But all of these surprises where part of God’s plan and they all played a role in my life to mold me into the kind of person that He needs me to be to further his kingdom.

You play a vital role in furthering God’s kingdom too. Don’t look behind you, I’m talking about you! Yes, you. I know your life is messy. I know you’ve done things you wish you could take back. I have too. None of us are squeaky clean and yet God views us as valuable. These past few months, I have been learning about how much God loves me - us. Even though we feel, as mamas, that we have to be strong; we still get to be God’s baby girl. Can you just take a minute to let that nugget of truth sink down deep inside you? We are His baby girls. We are treasured by God. Treasured. This fact means that God has plans for our life that will also have value and while our purpose for this life may seem small, the ripple effects are going to be huge. Sometimes those divine plans can seem ambiguous. After all, I am a thirty-something mom who has been out of the work-force for almost three years – you better believe I too have wondered how I can further God’s kingdom. So the question becomes, what does God want to do with my life?

We are going to work through this question with a series of three articles that will unpack information to help us determine what God’s plan for our life is that will honor His kingdom. First, we are going to focus on identifying who God made us to be because we need to know ourselves and our strengths before we can determine how we can be used. This is going to require some self-reflection, so if you are struggling with figuring out God’s will for your life, don’t just hastily read through this. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, grab a notebook, get comfortable and allow yourself to really reflect on the fabulous woman that you are.

In your notebook, I want you to write MY FANTASTIC SKILLS. Yes, put that adjective, ‘fantastic,’ in your title. As women, we have a tendency to belittle our strengths, but God did not create us to be timid. 1 Timothy 1:7 says, “God did not give me a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” You are not “just a single mom” or “just a stay at home mom” or “just not good enough.” Remember, you are God’s baby girl and because of that, you have a lot to offer. I am going to help you get started with your list of skills. Underneath your title of MY FANTASTIC SKILLS, I want you to write “A desire to be a better mama and woman” because that much is already true if you are partaking in this exercise. Now it’s your turn. I want you to take some time and write down attributes/skills/feelings that you positively display. I know it feels strange to write about yourself in this way, but give it a try. I promise there is a method to my madness. If I were to do this exercise, my list may look like this:

MY FANTASTIC SKILLS

-desire to be a better mama and woman

-organized

-empathetic

-good story teller

-welcoming hostess

-easily amused

-make delicious guacamole

-responsible

-nice handwriting

-planning

-writing

After you have made your list, study what you wrote. You should be able to make connections to many of the items on your list. If we use my list as an example, we can gather that I probably have decent administrative skills based on words I used like, ‘organized’, ‘responsible’, ‘planning’, ‘writing’, and even ‘welcoming hostess’. Or you may have looked at this list and thought maybe I have some teaching skills based on many of the same words like, ‘organized’, ‘responsible’, ‘planning’, ‘writing,’ but adding to that, ‘good story teller’ and ‘empathetic’. Group your words together and see what patterns you can make based on what skills you wrote, then give each group a title.

Everyone has skills. Everyone is good at something. Every one of you who did this exercise had at least one thing to write under your skills because remember, I started you off with one. These are things that come from simply being made in God’s image. Genesis 1:27“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God is good; therefore we have good in us. However, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior also have been given spiritual gifts. Romans 12:6-8 tells us, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously if it is leadership, let him govern diligently, if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Spiritual gifts are different from the positive qualities that everyone possesses. They are reserved only for those who choose to follow the Lord and should be used to further His kingdom. Some of you are sitting on the fence, wondering what God’s will for your life is and yet you haven’t made that commitment to give your heart to the Lord.

If you want to know God’s will for your life; if you want to receive a spiritual gift; if you want to revel in the grace and forgiveness that only God can give, then consider that our Heaven Father, the One who considers you His baby girl, is calling you to walk more closely with Him. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Him, maybe that nudging you feel is Him pleading with you to let him into your life. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus wants to take your yolk. He wants to give you rest. But he also want you to make that choice. All it takes is a simple conversation between you and God. You could say is something like this:

Lord, thank you for loving me so much that you consider me your baby girl. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Please forgive me for things I have done wrong and help me to make choices that are honoring to you in the future. Please come into my heart and help me every day to walk closer to you and to do your will.

If you prayed that prayer, you need to know that a huge party is going on heaven right now because of you! You are now a permanent part of the family of Christ and you can never be snatched out of the hand of Jesus – no matter what!! The Bible says so! John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” Woo-hoo!!

Now, let’s get on to the gifts! The next part is going to take a little chunk of time, so set some aside in the midst of your busy day to sit down and take the Spiritual Gifts test. (http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/test/adult) When you are finished you should have at least one gift that is predominate but you may even have two or three. In your notebook, underneath MY FABULOUS SKILLS, I want you to write MY SPIRITUAL GIFTS and then list the gifts that you were given based on the assessment.

Reflect on your skills and your gifts. Maybe even make a list of how you are currently using your gifts and skills or how you would like to use them. Then spend some time in prayer. Ask God to tell you what he wants you to do with what he has given you. It is okay to ask - in fact, it is encouraged! 1 John 4:14-15 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.” He is always pleased when we want to know how to bring glory to Him and to further His kingdom. This is your homework until the next time we meet. Use your notebook to write down nudging that you think may be from God. There are no wrong answers here; just the opportunity to reflect on identifying who God made you to be.

**Originally written for Emerge Mothers Academy Parenting Class**
 

A Time to Take and a Time to Give

The year before we got married, my husband fulfilled his goal of running in the Chicago marathon.  After months of training, race day came and we drove downtown early that morning to get him all set up at the start line. His family and I moved around the city to cheer him on at different parts of the race. Everywhere we went, a slew of volunteers were helping to make sure the race ran smoothly and did everything they could to help these runners finish the race. There were bands playing, spectators cheering and people handing out cups of Gatorade. I would watch Troy run down the vehicle vacant streets of Chicago, reaching out for a cup of Gatorade to quench his thirst and give him the boost his body needed to go a few more miles. If one was to strip down race day and categorize the people, we could find two groups: the takers and the givers.

The takers would be the runners. They took the opportunity to run in this race. They took the kindness of the city to shut down the roads so the path would be safe. They took the cups of Gatorade. They took the cheers of the side-liners. They ‘took’ to complete the task; finishing the race.

The givers were those who helped the runners finish. These people gave their time. They gave up their sleep to be prepared. They gave their support. They ‘gave’ to complete the task; finishing the race.

As mothers, we have our own marathon to run. We have been charged with the most important job anyone can have, raising our babies. Our goal is the same as the runners; we need to finish the race too. That morning, as I cheered for my soon-to-be husband, I saw many runners who had to drop out of the race. They couldn’t finish those 26.2 miles physically or mentally. I have seen moms drop out of the race too. To be honest, I have dropped out of the race myself. Mentally, I couldn’t hack this mommy marathon.

After my son was born, I was still new to Cincinnati. I didn’t have any friends in the area. I wasn’t connected to a group and I was a stay at home mom so I couldn’t find camaraderie at work. Though I was extremely appreciative of my many blessings, I was desperately lonely. Each day that went by, I became more isolated and I felt like my joy was being slowly stripped away. Of course, I had my husband, but I am going to let you in on a little secret, men and women are totally different creatures.  Men don’t always respond to the needs of women the way women would like. Shocker, I know. This is almost always a communication issue which is a whole different topic of conversation, but my point is that women can relate better to each other because their experiences are similar.  So having a group of women to support us while we parent is crucial. I decided to join a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group at my church. The first meeting I attended was another game changer for me. I have shared with you in my It Takes a Village blog post, that I confessed to my small group that I was lonely and my joy tank was near empty. I also told them that as much as I loved and appreciated being a stay at home mom, I wasn’t sure if I wanted that title to define me; I guess I was still mourning my professional life. Instead of looking at me with judgement, those women rallied around me and loved on me for the next nine months of MOPS. They gave me encouragement. They gave me a renewed view on the importance of my role as a mother. They gave me advice. They gave me the impression that I was not alone. They gave. I was in a season of my life where it was a necessity for me to take.  

By the end of the year, I felt empowered.  This was great, because by then, I was a mama of two children under the age of two. I was approached by our MOPS coordinator to join the steering team for the following year. I knew I wanted to take a leadership role in MOPS, but I thought that would be farther into the future. I just had a baby; now wasn’t a good time - but if we are always waiting for a good time to give back, we will never find that time. I decided I needed to join the leadership team for MOPS, because I had to bless other moms the way these moms had blessed me. I had reached a stronger place in my race and now it was my turn to give.

We all have ebb and flow in our lives. Some seasons show us that we need to revel in a time of taking. We need to work on our own personal growth as I did my first year in MOPS. Other seasons need to be a time of shepherding and giving back when a healthier place has been reached. It is important to note that these roles of the Taker and Giver will dance back and forth depending on our situations but one thing is true, it is important for all of us to be both the Taker and the Giver in our lives.

For those of you reading this now who are in a season of self-doubt or loneliness, look around you. Are there people who are trying to hand you a cup of Gatorade as you determine whether or not you are even going to stick in this race? Accept their cup. TAKE. This is your place of need and that’s okay! There is no shame is reaching out to those who want to help you. They are doing so because someone reached out to them.

Maybe you are reading this and you are thinking that you are in a good place now. You find that you don’t need to take as much as you once did. I encourage you to look around and see where you can contribute. GIVE. Give of your time, your wisdom, your leadership, your talents, your encouragement and your stories.

Remember, regardless of where you are on race day, the goal is the same. We all just want to finish, but we can’t do it alone. We need others around us and we need to determine if this is our time to take or our time to give.

**Originally written for Emerge Mothers Academy Parenting Class**