Beauty of Bridled Strength

I'm so glad you are here! I hope during your visit you get a glimpse of God's heart for we become what we are gazing at. I pray that God refreshes you and gives you readiness to persevere in what He has for you today.  My desire is to be a blessing to you in helping you know God more and make Him known so I've made theses Resources  and tools available to you and the Missional Living blog tab for practical ideas of how to live on mission right where you are. 

If you are blogger please come by on Friday to link up for Brag on God Friday. And I just started "Ask Laura" so head on over to the Ask Laura tab to shoot me a question.

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Thank you for participating in the Give-Away for my book Beholding Him, Becoming Missional. I wish I could each of you a copy. If you would like a copy, there are some available over at amazon.  If you are considering using it to lead a group of women through next year, I would like to talk to hear about your group and send you a complimentary copy. Just shoot me an email and let me know the details.

Winner of the Give-Away is Beth Steffen. 
(I will be sending you an email to get your address.)

"So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help." Judges 4:2-3

The Beautiful Offering of Bridled Strength

So I have wonderful boys. A year apart, both wildly full of energy and strong-willed. Today there was a new teacher in Asher's (our oldest, 4) Sunday school class. When we picked him and asked how he was, she responded, "He's intense." Yup. And when they are around each other (which is almost always) the "intense-ness" is multiplied to a whole new level. 

Uriah (3 years) is my sweet cuddler but stubborn red head. For instance, I go and get him up in the morning and carry him downstairs. That is his expectation and if it is slightly different than expected, he had a very hard time adjusting throwing a fit for an hour. I've prayed often for the Lord to give him a meek spirit. Then there is Eden (1 year). Yesterday she was yanking on an ornament on the tree and we looked at her and said "No" and she stopped. That's it! We just said No. So wonderful!! For Asher and Uriah to get to that point it literally has taken 2 and 3 years of daily correction and persistent discipline. (Sometimes 2-3 hour battles)

Meekness, strength under control. Picture a wild horse rearing and it's mane flipping around it's neck, unwilling to submit and yield to the trainer. It takes a lot to get that wild horse under control in order to be useful to others. We can be the beauty of bridled strength if we just choose to yield to His way in our life instead of cling onto other things.  

Don't you find it just amazing that the Lord knows exactly what it takes to get us where He wants us. It took 900 iron chariots and 20 years  to get these sweet people to a place of surrender to the Lord. But it didn't have to be that way, just as it doesn't for us. How beautiful would it be to willingly yield, to surrender before the hurt to humble. How beautiful to walk with the Lord and be senstative and receptive to His leading and correction that it wouldn't take something dramatic to convince us and bring us into submission.

How quick are you to yield to the Lord? Is it quicker for some areas than others? If so, what are the areas that take longer to surrender to Him? Why?

Why not take a few minutes and let go of  what you hold tightly gripped and lay it as His feet as a beautiful offering.

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The Entire Series of Weekday Devotionals, 
A Glimpse of Glory in Judges

Chapter One
{Day One} Delighting in God as the Know-er of All Things
{Day Two} Reliance 
{Day Three} Bigger Picture 
{Day Four} Prepare for Battle
{Day Five} No More 

Chapter 2
{Day Six} Revealer 
{Day Seven} The Lord's Anger
{Day Eight} Love Conquers All
{Day Nine} The Great Rescue
{Day Ten} The Big Test

Chapter 3
{Day Eleven} What God Can Do with the Willing & Available 
{Day Twelve} Facing the Enemy
{Day Thirteen} Freedom for Captives
{Day Fourteen} Lone Ranger-Overcoming Comparison

Chapter 4
{Day Fifteen} Delighting in Grace

I'm linking up with the wonderful ladies at  A Holy Experience, The Beauty in His Grip, Nebraska Graceful, The Wellspring 


#302 The Lord teaching me. 
#303 My kids growing in self-control and meekness
#304 Our truck almost fixed
#305 Getting to speak at the Denver Christmas Conference next week.