This is my journey of being molded into the woman who God created me to be as I serve the family He gave me and learn the lessons God provides in the midst of the endless piles of laundry, dishes, meals and all the other continuous messes and duties that being a wife and mother includes.
Last week I paid a visit to my original blog to investigate why the text was not showing up and as I opened up the page my description grabbed my attention.
"Are you living the abundant, joy filled life of freedom God intended for you or do you live a life driven and fueled by fear and worry? I invite you to join me as I learn to walk in the freedom that God has given me as His child."
I would have to answer "no" to my own question! I suddenly realized that I had slowly slipped back into bondage, a new bondage of busyness and heavy burdens. This blog reflects that bondage, Mt. Evermore, doesn't exactly sound like an easy burden, does it? Journaling the piles of laundry and dishes rings of drudgery not abundant joy and freedom. I'm moving out of the bondage and back into the walk of freedom, joy and abundant living that God has called me to. Join me on my freedom walk.
In an effort to journal my year and improve my photography skills, I'm going to participate in this 365 project. At the moment I don't have a theme for my photos for this project, just whatever suits my fancy to shoot, I'll shoot. If I wait until I have a theme and then find photos for my theme, well I would probably not make much progress.
I'll begin with a photo of something I long to do in all areas of my life:
Perfect 10! No cavities!!!
JL, 7 weeks...smiles and coos and will now sit in the swing while I cook.
This last photo, does it look too yellow to you? On my camera screen it has a nice warm glow but on my monitor it has a yellow/orange color. I'm trying to determine which I need to configure...camera or monitor.
I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!
I have many things I need to accomplish and want to accomplish this year, but my main goal is to seek the One who equips me to accomplish all that He has called me to. I want to seek Him with a passion and abide in His presence. That is my chief goal for the year.
Perhaps it is the bleak, wet, dreary day, the sleep deprivation, or postpartum hormone swings but my husband's unenthusiastic response, to my announcement that I wanted to attempt to read the Bible in 90 days, hit like a boulder and opened a flood gate of tears. For a woman who is already feeling overwhelmed by all that I have to accomplish on a daily basis and knowing that I can only accomplish it through God and that I must immerse myself in His word in order to have anything to give those in my charge...well let's just say I needed some encouragement and enthusiasm, not a critique of how poorly I'm managing all of my responsibilities. I"m not exactly sure what he said or meant, but what I heard was that once I managed to accomplish everything else I have to do, then sure I could take the time to read God's word. I know from experience that this approach does not work. It must be God first or everything I attempt will be a failure. I definitely have not had enough of God lately and I'm feeling the deficiency and experiencing the lack of fruit and most probably why I'm having such a blue day.
It is only by abiding in Him that I can live the life of freedom and joy that He has promised me.
Today is the last day of 2010. A year full of blessings and stretching. Yesterday I reflected on the verses that I clung to over the course of the year. Today I will spend the day out with my family goofing off in celebration of the wonderful year that ends, but first I'll take a few minutes to record my vision of the new year.
As I've thought about the upcoming year, I've made mental notes of some things I'd like to accomplish.
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18
Spiritual a. Read through the Bible b. Pray more diligently for my children and husband c. Do another Beth Moore Bible Study, I love how her studies draw me deep into God's word. To be all that God has called me to be as a wife and mother I must be equipped and I know of no better way than by spending time in God's word and prayer.
Health a. Omit dairy and sugar - we've been dealing with some food sensitivities and these two must go. Once those are eliminated I'll asses if there are other trigger foods that need to be dealt with. b. Exercise - I love the Walk At Home Series and am looking forward to getting in 3 miles a day again.
Personal Interest and Development
a. Photography - I will continue to develop my skills in this area. One of the tools I will use this year is the 365 project, which will help keep me consistent b. Doula/Childbirth Instructor - I love to encourage women and this is something I've considered doing for years and I'm going to tackle this year after my midwife encouraged me to go for it. Thanks M! c. Writing - I enjoy writing and will attempt to be more consistent with both journaling and blogging. d. Leading the CHEC MOMS group - another area of encourage women and keeping me accountable to the life of Freedom God has called me to
These are some pretty hefty goal with a newborn in the house, so we'll see how well I do with these.
Homeschooling
This past fall was very difficult because I became intimidated by having an 8th grader and let the opinions of others sway my decisions. I quickly found myself in bondage to the expectations of others and I've learned my lesson, at least for the moment, not to say I'll have to repeat it again in the future. God has a special purpose and plan for each of my children, so I will diligently seek Him and not others as I prepare and plan our lessons. I'm looking forward to pursuing the vision He has given me for the upcoming months and not following the ideas of others.
Without further ado I say Goodbye 2010 and hello 2011!
This morning as I thought back over the previous year and all God had blessed me with I could not help but break out in singing the hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness", for it really sums up what God has brought me through and where I am now.
That song brings to mind all the wonderful verses God has given me to cling to and try His faithfulness. As part of the Thankful Thursday Top Ten, I'm going to share ten of the verses I'm thankful that God has given me.
1. Lamentations 3:22-23, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning:great is thy faithfulness."
Not only is this the verse that the above hymn was based on but this is also the verse God gave me during the two lowest points of my life, when I felt like all was lost. When I was ready to give up and felt completely hopeless I opened His word and this verse was there to carry me through.
2. Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts."
This is the verse I go to every year as I struggle with how I'm going to accomplish everything He has called me to, like being a helpmeet to my husband and a mother, nurturer and instructor to my seven children. Although in the flesh it is impossible, His way is possible.
3. John 14:13-14 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
God showed me the importance of asking and claiming His word with this verse. In February of we discovered I was expecting our 8th child. We've allowed God to bless us with His children and timing, yet I really struggled when I discovered I was expecting. I immediately called out to God. Pregnancy is very hard on me. I struggle to keep up with the chores, meals, schooling, etc. As I cried out to God, I gently heard Him say, "You have not because you ask not.", and I immediately began to ask God for an easy pregnancy and delivery and He answered in a mighty way that brought all glory to Him. He used this pregnancy to confirm His hand and answers in our lives. He confirmed that we were to stay in the south and not continue to spend the winters in the south and summers in the midwest. I enjoyed that very much as I have wonderful friends in both places, but packing up and moving 900 miles twice a year was challenging and it would take me at least 3 months to get settled and organized and 3 months later it was time to do it all again. Our baby was born the week before Thanksgiving, reminding me of what a gift he truly was to our family. I get to experience the joy of having a homebirth again and experiencing a supernatural delivery. I could go on and on about the His faithfulness through this time.
The following verses are from Psalm 91, which I discovered in hindsight was God's passage for our family for the year. We started out memorizing it in the fall as part of our schoolwork. The following verses God brought to life for me.
4. Psalm 91:11,13a, "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways...Thou shalt tread upon the loin and adder:"
The day my daughter was bitten by a water moccasin, this verse came to life for us as she received a dry bite with no harm. What a day of rejoicing this was for us as we say God's protection. I learned to trust Him more in the keeping of my family and she was reminded that God has a special purpose for her life and He loves her.
5. Psalm 91:3,10, "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence...There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."
We spent most of October and early November sick, with strep and high fevers. God gave me this verse to cling to as the arrival of our baby approached. He is good and all sickness left and we have been healthy since.
6. Philippians 2:13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
A wonderful reminder that God is working in me, despite how I may feel and how the circumstances look.
7. Philippians 1:3,4,6, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,...Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"
This verse encourages as I look at the character flaws in my children and my poor parenting skills. I am encouraged to thank God for them and release them to Him, knowing that He is faithful to finish that which He began in both me and them.
8. Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Hope for this failure prone, perfectionist driven mom and her children. Thank God for His gift of grace.
9. James 1:5, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him."
What parent doesn't need wisdom??? I find myself claiming this verse all day long as I'm faced with training my children and needing wisdom to do the job right.
10. Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth, me."
This is my go to verse when I'm feeling defeated and forlorn. He is faithful to do it through me, if I will just depend upon Him.
His passed faithfulness encourages me to look forward with hope and expectation for what He will do in the coming new year. Reviewing these verses gives me a new hunger and thirst to devour even more of His word and promises.
