Moving Realizations....part 6

If I am honest, it is getting old. This moving. This consistent change...
And they are getting older. I notice it in their smiles from those tiny triangle preschool teeth, to the six year old with bottom ones that wiggle, and that tween stage and smile of all size teeth in every direction that are starting to appear more adult like every day. These are the changes that every parent longs to remember and cherish. These are physical change, such gracious reminders to grasp the strings that kids try to tie to doors to pull them from one season of childhood to the next. Change is sensitive and sometimes I can get stuck. Stuck to a depth that the thread string won't pull me through, sometimes I need a tug-o-war type o' strength rope, and more than not through these moving realizations, I need a chain to pull me from the pit of falling into belief of my vain imaginations and futile thoughts. The move was blessed again with many details of His Amazing Grace and provisions that move us to new places of refreshment and challenged faith. It's been many months now since we swam out of one city and into another city, the U-Haul filled with boxes and no room for much but to remind myself to stop and breathe and circle up with my children and pray. These are treasures of change. God's grace so fills my empty view and fear of what the future holds. As I have mentioned before, the boxes labels continue to get sweeter with handwriting other than my own and take twice as long to pack with such determination to help.

His mercies are new every morning,with every box, with every child. These lil' changes, I must handle with less of me and more of them. Yes, Jesus, I want to echo your prayer to Our Father, "less of me, and more of you." This is our calling. God made me a woman, a wife and a mother. God made my babe, a man, quiet leader of our home, the provider and passionately seeking endlessly for God's plan to break the chains that bind, fighting with weapons not of this world for a victory; a new legacy for generations to come. This is the reason, God continues to hem us in before and behind (Psalm 139). He graciously and gently continues to remind me...The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...right, I shall not want. Oh, so many things my flesh can flare to consuming flames that take more than myself to burn away my selfish desires. My man is so gentle, so beautifully broken, so hopeful for God's greatness. He leads us as God moves us to streams of living water that we often do not see. The waves of emotion run high as all transitions are certain to bring. In the valley, it is so plush. Each move, we battle fear, insecurity, wonder, and twisted excitement...and yet we cling to a peace that passes understanding. We know that God's ways are not the world's and not for our own understanding. God's sovereignty and goodness are an unfathomable gift to explain and one that I pray each can experience. I am so weak. I am so broken, so sinful, so moved in more ways than literal. After this 5th move in 4 years, my heart cries the words of these songs...

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me...my chains are gone, I've been set free,..So look up, look up this is the song of the redeemed, it's gonna be alright, turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Amazing Grace...My Chains are Gone

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus / Look Up

He is our chain to pull us out, and breaks the chains that bind us. My man and I strive for this prayer to be answered...we pray to be CHAIN - BREAKERS in Jesus Christ, our Savior, Our Lord. May He forever move us closer until heaven calls us home. Amen and amen.

King Herod is still part of Christmas

I was reading the Christmas story to my 3M's tonight before bed. After finishing, I asked them each their favorite person of  Christmas. Matthias quickly answered, "Jesus because he is the savior!" And Malachi followed quickly in his big brothers footsteps. Miracle she said she liked the angels who brought the good news and also the shepherds who went and told everyone about Jesus whom them had seen. 

Then, Miracle said, "Ask us the worst part of Christmas?" And they all answered, "King Herod!" Their faces cringed as if Christmas would be better without King Herod.

I challenged them to think about why King Herod was an important part of Christmas? Yes he was the mean King ; trying to be the death of Jesus, but he is also another reminder to us as followers ofJesus that God protects and leads those that are His. I asked them each to think of the meanies in their world right now. For Matthias it was his struggle to make a super long playdough hotdog just like his sister today...tears and frustration filled his body as the battle in his mind was so easily seen through my mom heart. I quickly called him to me and he squeezed me tightly with tears. I whispered truth loudly in his ear, "you are good, you are not measured by the playdough, you don't have to believe the lie that wants to ruin your fun of playing playdough."

What is it that is seeking to "kill" your life today, to keep the real Savior and King from claiming the throne in your heart and mind and entire life? I know for me, I recognized it as pride today. It's a monster that I wish I didn't have to admit. The silent loud whisper in my head...the control, the nagging angry rise to know ... If pride could just get to the stable where He lay...my 'King Herod'...plays to deceive...but God is greater! Because of 'King Herod's' in our lives, God has more opportunity to speak and appear more...continuing to prove His promise and Authority, and Rule and Reign! The silence was broken, and God's word fulfilled demonstrating that nothing can alter the sovereignty of God. Have you made it to the manger this Christmas because of a 'King Herod' that drove you to find Him? And are you willing to take a different route in obedience of God's warning? After all, the only reason you found Jesus the Savior was because God led you with the star in the sky...

Read the Christmas story account for yourself and ponder...it's time to breathe Him in! From Matthew 2...

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.”

Matthew 2:1-23 NIV

http://bible.com/111/mat.2.1-23.niv