September has always been, to me, the season of new beginnings, even more than Spring. Maybe it is because the end of Summer brings with it the crisp freshness of cooler air. Or perhaps all of the hopes for the first days of school are forever etched upon my memory. September is a season of fresh starts, second chances and renewed vision. New school supplies, the end of loose schedules and the return of routine can be simultaneously sad and exciting.
Maybe you are sending your oldest to college, or your youngest off on their first day of preschool, maybe a grown child off to military, or your only kiddo to their first day in a new school; Maybe you’re Homeschooling for the first year or sending your children off to Public or Christian schools, maybe it’s your first season with an empty nest.
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Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17
I have a few regrets in life, like everybody else. As I reflect back on these past 13 and a half years of motherhood with all of the ups and downs, challenges, blessings and everything in between, I have come to appreciate the gift of the early years. Recently it dawned on me that there was something missing in those early years, something that, in retrospect I realize, I didn’t miss at all.
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“Because God is a writer, it is only natural that we, created in His image, are writers also.”
Lynn D. Morrissey
I hear it often when the conversation turns to writing or journal keeping.
“I wish I had more time to write.”
or, “I’ve tried keeping a journal before but stopped.”
Another common concern is privacy. Revealing your heart’s condition and committing it to paper can be a scary proposition. The possibility that someone else might see something that you did not want to share can hinder the beautiful freedom that journal keeping can offer
So, whether you have never kept a journal before or are an on again off again journaler, I want to offer a few tips to help you find the time to squeeze journaling in and to keep journaling on.
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For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. ~1 Peter 1:23
Jesus stands in a boat teaching the masses, telling one of His most well known stories. He tells the parable of a farmer planting seeds describing the soil and ultimately the outcome. Apparently the disciples were not completely clear because Mark records the fact that once His core group of followers had Him alone, they questioned the meaning. Isn’t it reassuring to know that those closest to Jesus didn’t always get it? Jesus patiently and persistently elaborates:
“You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works.
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“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. ~John 13:3
Recently, we have encountered some computer problems. Our computer started doing strange things and ultimately needed to be brought in for a complete overhaul. It started with the screen, then the mouse went crazy, the printer next, our internet connection was lost, and finally the hard drive.
It seemed each time one problem got resolved another reared up in its place. Meanwhile as a one computer family we were pretty much disconnected from much of our online activity. This definitely has its positive and negative points, but one would prefer to choose the way, how, why and when a computer break would happen.
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For we walk by faith, not by sight. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7
Recently, I listened to a friend share with me about an ongoing series of trials that seemed to have the family under siege. She could not perceive the good that God might be working in the very painful, not so pretty realities surrounding her life in the current season. I get it. I’m still getting it. How often do circumstances arise with a fairy Godmother in tow, ready to make everything perfect for us in every way?
We are Princesses, but the Prince has a very specific agenda in mind with regard to our own fairy tale endings.
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“What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” ~Mother Theresa
There is a Holly bush in our backyard. It, along with its mate, holds a prime spot on our lawn. Both have been here longer than I. The male overlooks the female, in a protective posture in close proximity, a bit taller in stature while she, hovers low and wide to the ground, as if to bow hospitably to welcome the little creatures who linger here.
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There you are in the quiet of the morning, ready to meet the Lord for strength for the day. Your Bible is open and perhaps you’ve already studied, read or done a devotional.
It’s a little bit like an appetizer to a good meal. But, if all this is appetizer for the quiet time meal, what’s the main course? Prayer.
But what about those times when your prayer conversation falls short? What when words fail to come? What when the heart sighs, and the voice is too weary to articulate even the one word prayer , “Help.”
Have you ever just sat in His presence and felt that you had nothing to say or pray?
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