What Kind of Environment Are You Creating?

Not long ago Tim and I were talking about the dynamics of our home life. Especially as a single income home, for the most part the provisional/financial stability of our home depends on him, but the emotional stability of our home in large part depends on me. As wives and mothers, we dictate the emotional environment for our homes. We’ve all heard the phrase, “If mama’s not happy nobody’s happy.” And I believe there is a lot of truth to that.

If I’m stressed, frustrated and have a short fuse everyone can feel that energy...Tim, the kids, even the dog. There is nothing inherently wrong with these feelings. They are a normal part of life. But it is what we do with those feelings that makes the difference. Am I controlling them, or are they controlling me? I must ask myself, am I believing the best of others? Am I slow to anger and quick to forgive? When I slip up, am I quick to seek forgiveness, receive that forgiveness and jump back into striving to live out the joy of my salvation and let it splash onto all those in my house? I must be continually praying to be controlled by love. Love is the key, and Christ said loving God and loving others is our most important job.

So please, as we are in the midst of a wonderful Christmas season, focus on the type of environment you want to create in your home. Seek the Lord’s help and strength to keep your entire being (mind, spirit and soul) controlled by love. Take some time to sit and pray over and meditate on this topic. How do you want people to feel in your home (not just at Christmas but all year round and not just guests, but your husband and children especially)? Make a list of the qualities you want to foster. Then list the things that could (or do) keep you from attaining these, and pray about ways to prevent or control those limiting factors. Remember to take every thought captive making it obedient to Christ and to love others as Christ loves you.

Take a deep breath, push the “restart” button, and begin right now allowing God to create a peaceful and joyful environment for your home and family. And let the change begin with you!

“Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1

It's Christmas time! Are you rejoicing?

The verse for Mikaela's preschool this month is Luke 1:14, "Many will rejoice in His birth." So my question is,are you rejoicing?

This is a wonderful time of year, filled with lots of activity and excitement. But if we are not careful it can become an overwhelming time...especially for the women who do most of the planning, attending, and cleaning!

It is so important that we take plenty of moments to pause and think about the reason for all the rush. It should thrill us as Christians to remember that, like it or not, all of the to-do this time of year is because our Savior was born! Without Christ there would be no CHRISTmas or controversy surrounding it. :)

So when you find yourself lost in the details of going and coming and shopping and planning, I challenge you to take a minute, go into your closet (literally if that is the only place you can find peace and quiet), and take a minute to meditate on this simple verse. "Many will rejoice in His birth."

Personalize this verse and make it your motto for this wonderful season. Confess to the Lord, to yourself and to the world, "I will rejoice in His birth!" "I will rejoice in His birth!" "I will rejoice in His birth!" Say it often and your feelings will eventually catch to with your words!

Your Testimony is Powerful!

Hi there. Remember me?? I apologize for dropping off the map for a bit. Been caught up in various family events and the excitement of the season and my blogging took a backseat.

For this post I have a quick word of encouragement for my fellow faith-like-a-child believers. I have over heard many who, like myself, were raised in church and came to Christ as a very young child and who, apart from being born with a sin nature, had little time to do any really “dramatic” sins (though in God’s eyes they are all the same), say that they feel they don’t really have a very strong testimony. I too, having accepted Christ at the age of seven, have heard these same ridiculous lies whispered in my ear when hearing someone give a gut wrenching testimony of how they were high and in prison when suddenly the power of God reached down and rocked their world. These stories are awesome, powerful witnesses to the majesty and power of our great God to reach into the deepest pit and radically change a life. But we must remember the true greatness of the salvation experience is the love of a perfect God reaching down to a ruined sinner and bridging that eternal gap by the giving of His only son. It’s not about the person, it’s about the God!

Besides, the impact our story has on someone else is not our responsibility. God will take our obedience to share and run with it, opening doors and hearts in ways we never dreamed possible!

So don’t give into that fear or doubt that creeps in and tries to tell you that your testimony isn’t powerful or big enough to bother telling. At this time of year when Christ is the reason for all the excitement don’t be afraid to speak up and share what that baby’s birth did to change your life!