Sally Clarkson is an author I have grown to really appreciate. If you are a mom, I highly recommend her books to you. Any of them!
You can get a little preview of her writing and her heart in this great post on her blog.
Showing posts with label God's grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's grace. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Intentions
It has been a frustrating day. Did anyone else have one of those? It was the kind of day where I was tired and in lots of pain. The kids were fighting and misbehaving and I wasn't as patient as I should have been. It left me frustrated with them, but much more frustrated with myself.
I often become focused on all the good intentions that I have or have had, and how I've failed to follow through on so many of them. It is frustrating. And even more so when I think how that might impact my kids. When I establish a rule or habit for them, follow through with it for a couple weeks, and then mostly forget about it, what am I teaching them? When I set a goal for myself and fail to reach it, fail to even keep trying, what am I teaching them?
Part of the problem lies in my desire for perfection. I tend to set my expectations too high. The remainder of the problem comes from giving up completely when I realize I have run out of the energy needed to live up to my own expectations.
Dear Jesus, Please help me to seek you and your will first. Please give me wisdom to determine what goals you want me to set, which you want me to work on now, and which ones are for later. Please forgive me for my impatience today with my kids and with myself. Thank you for your patience with me. Please help me to train my children in your ways, with love and grace. Amen.
I often become focused on all the good intentions that I have or have had, and how I've failed to follow through on so many of them. It is frustrating. And even more so when I think how that might impact my kids. When I establish a rule or habit for them, follow through with it for a couple weeks, and then mostly forget about it, what am I teaching them? When I set a goal for myself and fail to reach it, fail to even keep trying, what am I teaching them?
Part of the problem lies in my desire for perfection. I tend to set my expectations too high. The remainder of the problem comes from giving up completely when I realize I have run out of the energy needed to live up to my own expectations.
Dear Jesus, Please help me to seek you and your will first. Please give me wisdom to determine what goals you want me to set, which you want me to work on now, and which ones are for later. Please forgive me for my impatience today with my kids and with myself. Thank you for your patience with me. Please help me to train my children in your ways, with love and grace. Amen.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Living in His Grace
I am embarrassed to put the following in writing, but I want to be honest about what God has been patiently teaching me. For the past year or so I've been whining and feeling sorry for myself because we needed to move from a spacious house into a less spacious, but still nice home. Admitting it makes me realize just how shallow I've been! My sincere apologies to all of you who endured listening to me!
Here are the questions I am considering. What are my true NEEDS vs. wants? Have I ever been unable to feed my children multiple healthy meals each day? No! Have I had to wonder if we'd have a warm and safe place to sleep at night? No! Have we always had some clothing to wear and safe water to drink? Yes! I've been concerned by things like not having a private yard and having to park a bit of a distance from my front door. I've complained about it. I've whined about it. I've been self-absorbed and worldly in my thinking.
Please don't misunderstand me on this. God still has a lot of work to do! I continue to have days when I really want unnecessary things. I still hope to someday have a home with a yard for my kids. One of the main things I've needed to learn is to be content and thankful no matter what my current situation is. The biggest thing that is helping me change my attitude and focus is realizing that the more unnecessary things I do without, the more I am able to give to others who have true needs.
God, I am so sorry for this terrible attitude. I apologize for my selfishness, my pride, my lack of trust in you. I'm sorry for not having a thankful heart when I've been SO richly blessed. I thank you Lord for your grace, patience, forgiveness, and abundant provision for me and my family. Please help me to remember this lesson all the days of my life. Please help me to continue to grow in the knowledge and understanding of your truth. Thank you for my salvation that is so completely a free gift, a gift given with immense grace. Thank you for making me a new creation and for continuing to mold and shape me. Thank you for my daily bread! Amen.
The following passage is what God spoke to me regarding this subject. I don't think I'll type it out for you today. Go get your Bible! And if you are reading this and don't have a Bible, leave me a comment and I will send one to you.
Here is the passage - Luke 12: 22-34. Does this speak to you too? Read it again, and again if needed. I sure have! The topics in this scripture have been huge in my life lately. It is likely they'll show up again in future blogs.
Here are the questions I am considering. What are my true NEEDS vs. wants? Have I ever been unable to feed my children multiple healthy meals each day? No! Have I had to wonder if we'd have a warm and safe place to sleep at night? No! Have we always had some clothing to wear and safe water to drink? Yes! I've been concerned by things like not having a private yard and having to park a bit of a distance from my front door. I've complained about it. I've whined about it. I've been self-absorbed and worldly in my thinking.
Please don't misunderstand me on this. God still has a lot of work to do! I continue to have days when I really want unnecessary things. I still hope to someday have a home with a yard for my kids. One of the main things I've needed to learn is to be content and thankful no matter what my current situation is. The biggest thing that is helping me change my attitude and focus is realizing that the more unnecessary things I do without, the more I am able to give to others who have true needs.
God, I am so sorry for this terrible attitude. I apologize for my selfishness, my pride, my lack of trust in you. I'm sorry for not having a thankful heart when I've been SO richly blessed. I thank you Lord for your grace, patience, forgiveness, and abundant provision for me and my family. Please help me to remember this lesson all the days of my life. Please help me to continue to grow in the knowledge and understanding of your truth. Thank you for my salvation that is so completely a free gift, a gift given with immense grace. Thank you for making me a new creation and for continuing to mold and shape me. Thank you for my daily bread! Amen.
The following passage is what God spoke to me regarding this subject. I don't think I'll type it out for you today. Go get your Bible! And if you are reading this and don't have a Bible, leave me a comment and I will send one to you.
Here is the passage - Luke 12: 22-34. Does this speak to you too? Read it again, and again if needed. I sure have! The topics in this scripture have been huge in my life lately. It is likely they'll show up again in future blogs.
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