Tales of a Thankful Mom

        I clearly remember finishing up quiet time one morning when my children were little. I could hear the sounds of them talking as I was finishing praying. I felt so thankful for my time with God that morning. As I walked into the main area of the house. My youngest took a toy from her brother. My son snatched it back, and my youngest started crying. My eldest started yelling at my son for being mean to her baby sister. I stood there and wondered what happened. If I could go back and tell my younger self anything, is that He was with me in those moments. He is my Shalom. My life doesn't have to feel peaceful for the Prince of Peace to be actively at work in my life and my children's lives. I need to persistently pursue peace. I need to live a life of surrender to God.

         I have three important reasons for pursuing a life of shalom. These reasons are my children. I want them to remember that their mother was peaceful, and I want them to know Who is the source of true hope and peace. I want to teach them about God, and live out what I am teaching them. I want them to know that they can come to their mom when they need peace, hope and encouragement. I want them to know that I am rooting for them and praying for them. The reason that pursuing shalom is relevant is that shalom was needed thousands of years ago, and it is greatly needed today. Who can you share the gift of shalom with today?

          I understand the importance of scheduling time with God. As a mom of three children ten and under, I realize that if I don't make a point to schedule time with God, and make it a habbit it probably isn't going to happen as often as I like. The Basic Bible Atlas by John A, Beck is a great resource to use as I am studying God's word. There are many scriptures that deal with Ancient cities- Jericho, Jerusalem, and Capernaum to name a few. It was wonderful to see these cities on maps of the ancient world and see how those maps changed through the course of history. But this atlas was more than a collection of maps. The pages of  The Basic Bible Atlas described how the cities in Ancient Israel and neighboring countries were not only an important part of the history of Israel, but were also like a character themselves in the Biblical narrative. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to dig into Bible study by learning more about the villages and cities that

 John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” [ a ] In order to have shalom, I need to walk in step with the Prince of Peace. I sometimes panic when I feel I'll at ease. I try to fix myself, but instead of searching for peace in all the wrong places, I need to remember true peace is found in Jesus. He is my strong tower. He is my identity and security. He knows all of my sins, flaws and failures, yet He loves me anyway. Please increase in me today.

          We all have voices. God gave us these voices to be able to communicate with each other. We need to use our words for building up and encouragement. I went through a period of several years of believing my opinion did not matter. I stopped giving my opinion because it was harshly rejected and I was even punished for having an opinion. In the two years that have passed since I broke free from that situation, I have relearned how to express my opinion. I have realized that everyone should be able to express their opinion. I have learned that friends and loved ones can have a different opinion than me. It is a good thing to be able to agree to disagree. I tell my children all the time that it is admirable to meet in the middle, and focus on what we do agree on and what we have in common with others. What about you, is it easy or difficult for you to share your opinion? Do you enjoy listening to the thoughts and opinions of others? I would love to hear your opinion in the comments

          I am not very patient with the growth process, I want to see results as soon as I start working a plan. I don't like waiting to see how things work out. I am learning that fretting and making a thousands contingency plans in not the path of shalom. A life of shalom is a life of surrender. It is remembering that I am not in control. It is living out Proverbs 3:5-6. It is walking with Jesus, instead of trying to run ahead of him. It is asking God to lead, guide and direct me each day. Growing in shalom is daily growing in surrender to Christ moment by moment and day by day.

            First thing that I think I need to share right away is that I struggled with the word success. I am writing about shalom, but I don't necessarily feel like I successfully chose a life of shalom as nearly as I should. I am reminded whether it is describing my circumstances, my children, or myself a language of absolutes using words such as always and never is not usually helpful. I do want to continue to work at choosing shalom. I want to remember that by prioritizing a peaceful life, and by remembering that true peace comes from God, I am taking steps toward a life of shalom. How can you walk in shalom today?

         I realize on stressful days that I have a choice to make. I can focus on my worries or I can count my blessings. I can complain or I can praise and worship God. I can hide in my room or behind my phone, or I can ask my kids if they want to play a game, go for a walk, or help me whip up something in the kitchen. I can be stressed out about the events going on in the world, or I can smile as I hear my youngest daughter counting as she is washing her hands. There is always something to be thankful for, and I want to remember this and teach it to my children. Lord, help me to remember that each moment is a gift. God, you are good all the time. Help me to focus on your goodness.  My children and I enjoy playing the board game Sequence. My son enjoyed working on and completing a project about oceans this week. I have had nice phone conversations with my sister and a friend this week. I spent some one on one time with my Cuddle Bug on Tuesday.  I bought a new pai

Natthew 10:29-31 29  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? [ a ] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.           I don't have to hold the world together, God already does. This is a truth that I remind myself of frequently. I used to think that not only did I have to take care of my family, but caring for my family meant that I had to do everything for them. My parents are helping me see that it is better and healthier to teach my children how to do things for themselves, and then take a step back and let them do it for themselves. I have been blessed this week to see my son come home from school, and complete a school project all by himself on the first day of a long spring break. I am so proud of him. It is a hard habit to break thinking that I have to take care of everything, but I am learning to not hold things with such a

          Trials will occur. They are a part of life. We have a choice about how we view a trial. We can sink in despair and ask "God why me?" or we can ask God "What are You trying to teach me?" We can also ask God, "Help me abide with you in the middle of this storm." "Teach me Lord what you want me to learn from this trial." Remembering that trials are a part of living life in this broken world helps and surrendering to God in the midst of trials produces endurance. I am reminded of the scripture from the book of James. James 1:2-4 n Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.   When looking back on the trials that I have gone through I am thankful that God had a purpose and a plan for my life even in the midst of trials, and th

          It is hard for me to rest. There is always something that needs to be done. I tell myself when I get done with such and such task, I can rest, but there always seems to be more that needs to be done. I used to believe that if I was not allowed to rest until all my tasks were done. No wonder I felt overwhelmed, worn out and grumpy. I am now learning that I need to take time to rest even in the midst of completing tasks. My children report that I am a kinder more joyful mom when I am well rested and the tasks do not seem as overwhelming when coming from a place of rest. I don't have to run on empty. I can just breathe. In what ways could embracing rest make you more effective? I would love to read your ideas in the comments.

          I share the below song three years ago on Facebook. I remember the day that I shared this song. A dear friend had discovered that I was in an abusive relationship, and she was sharing this information with my parents, in hopes that they would be able to help me and my children. I was so scared and ashamed that my secret was now out in the open. I learned that day that honesty is a key element of any healthy relationship. You can only find shalom when you are willing to be honest with God and those closest to you. There is healing in honesty. It reminds me of the full meaning of shalom not only peace but healing and wholeness. I do believe especially in the social media age that there is such a thing as oversharing. I think we need to make sure the people that we are sharing with are trustworthy and have our best interests at heart. If this is true, we need to lay aside the mask and be honest. "So bring your brokeness and I'll bring mine. Cause love can heal the wound

   A few years ago, I was afraid to try anything new. Trying something new could lead to failure, and I could be punished for failure. It just felt safer to go with the tried and true. I did not want to rock the boat. One of the most freeing aspects of the last two years is feeling free to experiment. I have felt free to try new recipes, new hobbies, and even new perspectives. I have been able to change up the house rules if something wasn't work with the old ways we have done things. It has been so much fun to experiment.