So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Galatians 5:1, 13 NLT

As mothers we are bombarded with what we should and shouldn't do for our families every day. Even those of us who choose to research and make educated choices, there is constantly new information to take into account. Having a family is hard work especially when you want to do it the best way despite the way things have always been done.

God has given us freedom from the law but many of us want rules. We misunderstand rules as boundaries within which we feel free. Rules are constraints. And since we live under God's grace instead of under the law these constraints we have placed on ourselves.

I know many crunchy moms  (I would fall into that category as well). Being a crunchy mom is something you do because you feel our current way of doing life is toxic. So you decide to cloth diaper, and breastfeed, and eat non-GMO food, and have a water filter, and make your own toothpaste, and much more.

These things are great but they can turn into constraints for us.  As we seek order and to make sense in the world I have seen crunchy living turn into law for people.  I have seen it become an idol! Yes I am proud of the fact that we choose to use elderberry syrup instead of flu shots and I homebirth instead of using a hospital.  But these things are not my idol. These things mean nothing compared to Jesus' saving grace.

Since we have freedom from the law through Christ, let's make sure we are not creating other laws to follow and idolize. Our worth worth comes from God alone and not in the things we do. I'm no better than another people just because I am crunchy.

We are called to use our freedom to serve others in love. How can we do that daily? Being a mom I feel like I'm always serving.  I also serve at church and in my community.  And because crunchy living and Jesus are so important to me, I share about them often.

Embrace the freedom God gave you by serving others and living free.

Let us pray 
Lord God we thank you for today and everyday. Thank you for this word and for reminding us that we need to focus on you as our source of worth and not on the things we do. Lord help us to serve.  Help us to further your kingdom.  Help us to seek you above all else. And help us to grow daily in you. We love you.
Amen

Your name is so connected to who you are. It is a part of your identity. When you hear your name or see your name you react differently than with other names. Maybe you were named after a family member or something special. I have the same first name as my mother and my grandmother. Family gatherings were always interesting.

Every name has a meaning. In the Bible, we see many instances where the meaning of someone's name is connected to who they are and what they do. We even see many times where God changes people's names.

Abram to Abraham
Sarai to Sarah
Jacob to Israel 
Simon to Peter
And so on...

Both the names of people and the names of places has significance regarding the person or place. Altars were built with names that symbolised what occurred there.

Job means "persecuted or hated"
Abraham means "father of many"
Elijah means "my God is YAHWEH"
Paul means "humble"
And so on...

If God places such an emphasis on names, I feel we should too.

Take the time to figure out what a name means and decide if it is right for your new child. Every time you speak your child's name, you can be prophesying over their life. Strong names with great meanings can have an impact.

Examples of some names:
Alexander- protector of defender of mankind 
Asher- joy, happy 
Joel- Jehovah is God

You can see how if you name your child something with a meaning like "protector of defender of mankind" that you are prophesying this over him every time you speak him name.

​Go to God in prayer when seeking names for your children. God cares about the names of your children and will direct you in your process of choosing a name, an identity, for your child.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 
​
Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
 
Our lives are wrought with change. We wake up and expect everything to remain the same but the truth is that everything changes. The wind and the rain, the waves in the ocean, everything is moving and shifting, even the Earth under our feet.
 
It is very hard, at times, to remain constant when everything around us is shifting. It is challenging to maintain confidence when our whole world can change in an instant.
 
One call from the doctor with unwanted test results can change the course of your life.
 
One meeting at work with an unfavorable outcome could forever change your finances and way of life.
 
One car accident could forever change your child.
 
Nothing in life is guaranteed, except for change.
 
So how do we remain confident and positive when we are not even promised tomorrow?
 
We focus on God, that’s how. He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change like shifting shadows or the ever-changing ocean waves. He is always present, always knowing, and always powerful in our lives.
 
He is our constant.
 
He is our source of confidence.
 
He is the reason we can remain joyful, no matter our circumstances, no matter what tomorrow may bring. We can rely on Him to see us through anything. His promises in His Word are for us to hold on to.
 
I encourage you to pray daily and read His love story to you every chance you get.
 
Let’s pray.
 Heavenly Father, we thank you for this simple, yet profound reminder that in the midst of a world full of change, you are our constant. Thank you for being the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thank you Lord for being with us amongst our life of change. Thank you for caring for us daily. We love you tremendously. Amen.

I will be the first to admit my slight worry every time my husband backs out of the driveway and drives to the airport in order to travel for work.  I always think about the what if's and the worst cases. I sometimes even call him to make sure I say "I love you," just in case.

When we look at our world, one can easily understand why worry is an easy emotion to have. War, terror, bombings, accidents, earthquakes, and more. I sometimes worry about my kids sleeping in a different room. What if someone breaks in? 

It is easy to start thinking about the what if's and get swept up in a whirlwind of worry and concern. Worry can be crippling if you do not know how to handle it.

Let's see what the Bible says about worry:
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:31-34

We cannot know what the future holds and spending our time and energy worrying about a hypothetical future is a waste of our precious time. Instead we need to focus on Jesus and rest in Him. We are in His hands and He will care for us.

​We also need to remember: "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

Fear, worry, and overwhelming concern do not come from the Lord. God gives us power and love and a sound mind. When I choose to worry I am choosing not to follow Christ. I am choosing to rely on my own strength instead of upon Him. The Bible makes us many promises and tell us of the great things God has done. He wants us to rely on Him, to trust Him, and not to be consumed by worry.

Reminding myself of the scriptures helps me to focus on Jesus and not be overcome by worry, even in a world full of chaos. 

"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 

As a mom, we try to do just about everything. We cook, we clean, we teach, we guide, we counsel, we drive, we learn, we love...you name it and we probably do it. There are so many things that moms do (dads too, but this post is for the moms). 

After a long day of doing mom stuff, I just want to relax, but instead I clean, do laundry, do some Bible reading and maybe some journalling, spend time with my husband, catch up on some work, and put the kids back to bed a few times. I'm sure you can relate. 

We need to remember, that as we do all of these important tasks every day, that we are focusing on Jesus. The verse in John 15 says that when we choose to remain in Jesus, we will produce much fruit, but when we are apart from Him, we can do nothing. Without Jesus, we might do something, but it will be fruitless. 

How do we remain in Jesus? 

1. Pray without ceasing. 
Praying is just talking with God. Start your day by praising Him for all He has done. Ask Him to give you strength today for whatever may come and to be an effective mom and wife. Throughout the day just pray to Him when you need help, patience, advice or just praise Him. At the end of the day finish up and say amen. 

2. Listen to worship music.
Listen to worship music in the car and in the house. I often have worship music playing while the kids play instead of television in the background. Worship music helps to focus your attention to Jesus and helps you to keep a heart of praise all through the day. It also helps to remind us to depend on Him in our time of need.

3. Read your Bible or other devotional book daily.
By dedicating time to Jesus, even just 15-20 minutes a day, you will grow in your relationship with God, learn more about Him, and renew yourself daily. This is an important part of remaining in Him. The Word of God, our Bibles, are a consistent way for us to keep our eyes on Jesus.

By doing these small, but important things, we can ensure we are doing our best to remain in Him so we can produce fruit. 

Let's pray:
Heavenly Father, we are so grateful to you for all you have given us. We are thankful for this reminder that without you, we can do nothing, but when we choose to remain in you that we will produce fruit. Help us to be fruitful in our relationship with you and allow that fruit to have a positive effect on our other relationships. Thank you for your Word and thank you for the ability to communicate with you daily. I love you Lord. Amen.

Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

As I was sitting in my car this morning, waiting to meet up with a friend, I picked up my Bible and opened it to these chapters. I didn't intend on having church in my minivan but oh, how God planned otherwise.

 The Lord was just all over me as I read! I mean those moments you feel like you are suffocating in his presence. Where His presence brings you to tears. These thoughts were revealed to me. God wants US to be like a spiritual Mary!!! 

Mary was so pure and favored she was entrusted by God himself to conceive and carry Jesus in her womb. To nourish him. To sacrifice herself to bring Him to life. We should be so pure and favored that we conceive and carry Jesus in the depths of our souls!

When a woman becomes pregnant her body starts changing. Things start moving around to make room for the new life within her. Her body starts providing nutrients so the life can grow! We too should be moving things out of the way for Christ in our lives!

 We should be feeding our souls and nourishing Christ within ourselves. Make room for Jesus! Get that addiction and push it aside. Get rid of that anger so the life within you can grow and flourish. Rid yourself of those wayward thoughts so Jesus can stretch! Give him room! 

Then when we see that Mary so much as greeted her cousin and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and her own baby LEPT in her womb... Wow!!! Can you imagine if we were so full of Christ within us we just had to greet someone to fill them with the Holy Spirit? I mean c'mon, that's how we should be! Overflowing with Christ's presence till the people around us can't help but feel it too. That's how I want to be! 

I want people to know I'm different just by my spoken word. I want them to feel Holy Ghost floods in their spirit when I say nothing more than a hello! Will you allow yourself to be a vessel? Will you make room for Jesus today? Not just a little room but let him really have all the space he needs, even if that means he's pouring out of a brand new you? I will! 

Phew, as I write this out to blog it it's happening all over again. I have chills under the power of this comparison and revelation. And I hope you feel it too. 

 BE FILLED! 

Shelby Sheene

Last night was rough. Really rough. It seems like every night this summer the kids have gotten to bed late. It is hot and sticky. Frankly, even if the baby didn't cry half the night and my four year old didn't insist on sleeping on me I would still be tired

Everything seemed to go wrong this morning. I tripped over a toy. The baby screamed the entire time that I spent making breakfast and my four year old was in tears over her cereal. That she asked for. On top of everything it seemed as though the girls hard argued since sun up and my beloved coffee spilled. 

I became so over whelmed that in the pit of my stomach Grumpy Momma began to rage. Don't they know how tired I am? Why does no one ever think of me? Can I ever just get five minutes to rest? Or pee? Or pray? I'm so tired of this. Standing there in my kitchen I had a choice to make. A choice that would make or break the entire day. Do I handle my children with love and grace, the same love and grace that God shows me every morning?

Or do I unleash Grumpy Momma?

Grumpy Momma is loud and irrational. She doesn't listen to reason and doesn't care that they are just kids and are still learning. Grumpy Mama wants to sleep. Grumpy Momma can wreck her kid's heart in a moment. She would be mortified if anyone ever saw her like this. And livid if anyone ever treated her children like this. Inevitably, she always regrets her words and feels like the worst mother ever. 

I felt her coming in the pit of my stomach. Threatening to show up and explode and take over. . 

How could I stop her? The emotion was so strong that I felt so out of control. A slave to my emotions, an adult sized temper tantrum. In the split second I had to choose my words and reaction. I took a deep breath and called out to my heavenly father. I simply spoke these words. 

"In the name of Jesus I take authority over my emotions.

Peace. Calm me and give me serenity. 

Grace. Help me show them grace, as you show me every minute of every day.

Love. Show me how to love them as you love them.

Forgiveness. Forgive me of my grumpy thoughts and help me to forgive them.

As he hears all prayer he heard mine. I chose grace. I swallowed Grumpy Momma and believed he would give me strength as his word says he will. 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Momma, I know Grumpy Momma threatens you too.  I know she lingers, looking for the opportunity to steal your joy. I know that you often feel overwhelmed, isolated and like you're the only one. The thing is that the enemy wants to you feel this. He wants you to feel like you have no control over your emotions and outbursts.  


But Momma, there is POWER in the name of Jesus. 


Every single time you feel like you're going to blow speak His name and surrender your emotion to Him. When that anger bubbles inside of you and your connection and relationship with your children is threatened, speak His name with authority. 

We have power OVER OUR EMOTIONS with the name of JESUS. 

Break those chains of adult temper tantrums and speak love to your family. 

Choose grace today.

I have to wonder what the church would look like if we, as mothers, came together to love and support one another. What would it look like to our communities if we modeled our hospitality off of the early church. What if we embraced this radical notion that we were designed for relationship and community. That we were never meant to be solitary or lonely. 

Momma, I cannot express to you how my life change when I searched, found and established my friendships. I am praying that you find your community just like I have.