Tales of a Thankful Mom

          I played the song There Goes My Life   after my children left for their visit with their Dad the last week of Christmas break. These visits with their Dad, teach me each time how much their laughter, silly antics, and funny stories fill my days. In a lot of ways, I spend their visits with their Dad looking forward to the next time that I get to talk to them. I need to do a better job of remembering this when I have heard "Mom" being called out for the tenth time, while I am trying to cook dinner. I need to remember that it is a blessing every time that I am interrupted from what I am doing by my children. During this season of my life, being my children's mom is one of my most important roles. May I remember this on the long days. Far too soon, my children will be grown adults. May I show them that they are a priority to me while they are young.

            The morning of February 20, 2018, I was nervously awaiting a phone call from my family law attorney all the while praying that my children did not pick up on my apprehension. My attorney was trying to negotiate with my children's father (who is now my ex-husband) so that we would not have a hearing in the family courts the next day. My mother's cell phone rang. My mom told my father and I, "It's Emma." I answered, and then asked if she could hold on one second, so that I could step outside and have this conversation away from my children's listening ears. My father stepped outside my parents RV with me, and I put the phone on speaker, as the snow began to lightly fall. My attorney told me that my children's father aggreed to vacate the hearing and that we would work out the details of a temporary custodial agreement at the courthouse the followng day. Relief washed over me, and I gave the my Dad a hug. This is my memory of the day where I felt ...

          In the last couple of weeks, I have been seeking peace in all of my relationships. Romans 12:18 " If it is possible , as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." I will admit that some days that this is easier than others. Someone close to me apologized  in September   for deeply hurting me. When he apologized I had already forgiven him, but I struggled being able to tell him that I forgave him. I felt like if I told him that I forgave him that it would be saying that it was okay that I was deeply hurt. I now realize that forgiveness is not saying that the pain and the hurt do not matter. It is saying that God can take something that others meant to harm me and use it for good. I came to this realization after hearing the testimony of a new friend and how she forgave someone who caused her greater pain than the pain I experienced. After hearing my friend's story I reached out to the person that hurt me, and told him...

          I will admit that when I read that the prompt word was sacrifice I cringed. I wish I had the view of the word sacrifice that I did ten years ago. You see the word sacrifice is a trigger word for me. My ex husband threatened to sacrifice me and our family. This was a threat that I believed for a long time. I am realizing that I have a choice on how I view the word sacrifice. I can hear the word sacrifice and chose to focus on painful memories, or I can chose to thank about Jesus' sacrifice for me. I want to have a healthy view of the word sacrifice. I want to think about God's sacrifice and remember that I am a child of God. My prayer is that God helps me remember that Jesus died for me, and that I can live a life of love because He lives. 

          As a Mom, I often feel like I am wandering around in circles. I am in the middle of doing something when one of my children yells, "Mom!", and then I go tend to whatever my child may need. I then try to figure out what I was doing before my child interrupted me. I admit that sometimes that I get frustrated about all the interruptions. This is one thing that my children's visits with their father has taught me, that when my children are not here I miss the interruptions. So, I am trying to remember to handle the interruptions with grace. I want to give my children directions with the same grace that God gives me. I want to gently encourage my children to get back on track, as my Heavenly Father calls me when I wander and lose my way. I know I do this imperfectly, but I want to love my children well and point them to their Heavenly Father who loves them perfectly.

          1 Peter 2:16            Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God             The above verse is one of the most important truths that I have learned in 2019. "May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right."-Peter Marshall. This year as I embraced my freedom in Christ, I realized that the most freeing aspect of spiritual freedom is telling others about God who set me free from a situation that at one time I thought was inescapable. My story is that "He's still rolling stones!" to quote Lauren Daigle. As I have embraced freedom in Christ, I have realized that it is not about me. It is all about Him. I want my story to tell of Jesus and how He has rescued and redeemed me. He has put a new song in my heart and my mouth. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so...

         On January 1, 2019, I knew that I needed to embrace freedom in Christ. The previous year had been one of change and transition for myself, my children, and even my parents. I needed to be reminded of who I am. One day I was reading Romans 11, and read these words that I found greatly encouraging, " For the gifts and calling of God are unchangeable."  I am thankful that God's calling does not change even as my circumstances change. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever ." (Hebrews 13:8) I have found that live a life of freedom that I need to preach the gospel to myself everyday. When I am scared and struggling with decision fatigue, I need to pour my heart out to God, and ask Him for wisdom and guidance. Psalm 62:8 " Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him , for God is our refuge." Last night, I enjoyed a movie night with my mom. We watched the movie Overcomer which we both...