Missing My Husband (2010)

When Missing My husband led to gratefulness of Christ's endurance on the Cross!

Have you ever missed someone you loved so dearly? I have and do (my hubby, away for Army stuff). I am assuming most would say "yes". Now, take a moment and think about those deep emotions and yearnings you've had. Yearnings just to see their face or hear their voice. Now. Imagine if God left you for a moment. . . man, we would be unable to This little life experience, of being separated from my husband, for nine months, makes me understand why Jesus yelled, on that old rugged cross, "Eloi, Eloi lama Sabachthani?" "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (*)That was the only time on the Cross that He experienced much agony. For the first time, God, His Father had turned His back on His beloved Son! I'm sure the pain of being physically nailed to that cross was more bearable than His Father forsaking Him. But it had to be done. Jesus, knew sin separates us from God. But yet He chose to take up our infirmities and on our sin, so that we would not have to experience a moment of separation from our Father. We would literally break; no longer exist if GOD left us for a moment. Thank You Lord for Your EVERLASTING promise, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Matthew 28:20)

Now praise Him.

(*) One of the things, I truly grasped from our Army life, is that families are NOT meant to be apart. Husbands and daddies are meant to be home with their families. We as women, cannot bear what our husbands are called to bear. Although, there are single mommas out there, whom God gives AMAZING Grace to lead their homes and families, well. I'd dare to even say that if they had the choice, most would choose to NOT to be alone in raising their families. My hats went off to single mommas out there! You are awesomely brave.

God’s Topsy-Turvy Truths

God’s Topsy-Turvy Truths

Luke 6:38 
Give and it shall be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you

Matthew 5:44 Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Matthew 20:16 The last will be first and the first will be last

Leviticu 27:30 A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective

Whisper His Name: Jesus

You've forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we're at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don't know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise—again, whether in or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard. This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I'm not saying another word apart from the humiliations.

If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I'd still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Corinthians 12 (The Message)

God is so AWESOME isn’t He!!!!

I want to focus on Our Weakness, God’s grace, His Strength. Let’s talk about our weaknesses.

• We all have weaknesses. 
• Weakness is defined as: - lack of strength or determination: lack of strength, power, or determination

And as human beings we find ourselves weak. But as moms especially, we can find ourselves with a lack of power- thinking that we really have no control here (esp. in the moment of disobedience). Or being tired and not having the strength to handle our children or our day. I find myself here quite often now that I have began to homeschool. Thinking, “Oh God is this really your plan for us.” Or “You know me, are you sure about this?” But thank God for His Word, huh?

Paul encourages us with his own testimony to delight in our weaknesses because it there where we are made Strong through Jesus Christ. Paul tells us of his “thorn” in his flesh which he thought was a form or sign of weakness so he asked the Lord to take it away. But He says that the Lord responded to Him, “My grace is enough. My grace is all you need. My power is made perfect in your weakness”

Definition for perfect

• without faults: without errors, flaws, or faults

• complete and whole: complete and lacking nothing essential

So when we are weak in our flesh, in our bodies, in our minds, God says to us, "My favor is enough for you today, in this moment. Though you are weak now I am making you complete and whole, in lack of nothing." How good is our GOD!!!

I like one of the definitions of perfect: it means excellent or ideal: excellent or ideal in every way.

So when we are struggling when we down, God’s favor is enough. He is strength is excellent! It’s the ideal thing!!!! In every way! Praise God!

So Paul continues on after God’s words to Him (so should we)- Paul says I welcome hardships! I just take it in stride!!!! I don’t even focus on my issues or let them overwhelm me- I just let Christ take over!!!! Hallelujah!

So, as we parent our children, we learn that there is NO ONE WAY/STYLE to parent/correct them. And we also learn that as our children grow that we have this Grace that is ever ready for us and this Excellent- Ideal Strength that awaits us in our weak moments all we have to do is ask Him.

Prayer

Lord we celebrate Your Awesomeness! Lord we praise You for Your Word that has proven itself over and over and over. We thank You that Your Grace was not only enough for Paul, but it still is Enough for us Moms here today. We thank You for the Encouragement which says its ok to be weak, to have flaws because Your Perfect Power is Ideal for our everyday situation; in every way. Lord, please help us to remember this. In Your Son’s Name, Amen.
(written 2009, MOMS study)