Happy Thanksgiving and black Friday friends! Angi and my newly released, amazon best seller book Reach; How to use your social media influence for the glory of God is on sale through the weekend for $2.99. So hop on over the ReacheBook.com to check it out. Are you the type of person who once they've made up their mind about something it seems pointless to keep thinking about it? I am. Once you have a decision why in the world would you keep talking about other possibilities. This however is very different from Austin. Oh the joys of marriage and being made more like Christ through differences. Anyway, we have a friend who substitute taught at the school the boys are suppose to attend. While she was teaching a kid was telling the other kids how his parents just had a levitation service the night before and said the school has a very strong homosexual push found in the kids books. We were already leaning toward homeschooling because it seemed there was so many benefits, but this pushed us over the edge. It was settled that we would start homeschooling and would take it year by year. Here I was thinking I was so flexible and adaptable taking things year by year until God has His sweet gentle way of checking me back into reality. Austin was at the park a month-ish ago and our kids were talking about Jesus with some other kids. We live in a very new-age and homosexual neighborhood so Austin went over to hear what was being said (I think mostly to keep our kids from being yelled at by the kids parents. The other day 4 year old Uriah told a 8 year old kid who said, "Oh my God" he shouldn't say that, God doesn't like that and the kids mom came over and yelled at Uriah). The mom also walked over to listen in. Turns out they were believers. The lady started telling Austin about this brand new Christian Classical school 3 blocks from our house. He came home with her number for me to call. But me, in my "we've already decided" mindset I thought that would be a waste of time to call some random lady I don't know to get information I don't need. A couple weeks later I was with the kids at the park. The boys invited other kids to play Narnia. The dad of some of the kids asked me if they were playing Narnia and turns out they are believers too! Then he proceeded to tell me about this great Christian Classical school 3 blocks away his kids go to. Crazy! The big question in my mind was "Is this the husband of the wife Austin talked to?" A week later Austin's father in law was in town and I took him to chick-fil-a, not anywhere close to where we live but those nuggets are so worth the drive! I was telling him the story of meeting the people at the park when Asher stopped playing to come tell me his friends were there. I said, "Oh sweetie, I don't think so" thinking there is no way we know anyone way up here. A minute later a lady comes up to me to ask if I am Asher and Uriah's mom. Stunned I say "Yes" and she goes on to tell me she met my husband at the park... You know the rest of the story. Finally I get a clue and get information about the school and ended up going to an open house where I fell in love with it! The question is, how can someone think they are being so willing and adaptable and it take that much to get them to budge in their heart desires!? How could I have thought I was so willing to do what God wanted us to do with the kids schooling but yet have actually been so completely unwilling that it took that many goads to get me to just go to an open house!? Once again I find comfort in the mistakes and failures of the disciples. Oh thank you Lord for including them in Scripture and not just giving us a bunch of perfect people examples. "They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it." Mark 9:30-32 Unwillingness is a result of many things, but for the disciples it was from fear. But the consequences of their unwillingness not only affected them but also others. They totally missed out on the blessing of understanding because of their unwillingness. Meek is the opposite of unwilling. Meek is being pliable in the Master's hands. It's a strong person surrendering their rights. It's like a wild horse yielding to the master. When we are unwilling we are like wild, out of control horses who cause nothing but frustration to ourselves and the people around us. It makes me wonder why we, why I, ever hold onto things so tightly, so unwilling to let go. It's probably causing me more pain and frustration to hold on than actually letting go and being mold-able in the hands of God. What about you? What are you holding onto, unwilling to let go of? And what does it take to get you to change? Click here to follow Beholding Glory Devotional via email. I'm linked up with the beautiful ladies at Fellowship Fridays, Nebraska Graceful, Reflection of Him,Spiritual Sunday, Heart Reflected, The Better Mom, Create with Joy. Faith Filled Friday Link UpWe exist to glorify God, to display His heart and character. And I just love how we are all uniquely built to do that. So every Friday I want to give you, uniquely designed by God, an opportunity to link up your thoughts on God, art, baking, photography, parenting, marriage, homeschooling, writing or blogging and more if they tie into or display the the Lord somehow. So go ahead and link up below by clicking the link below and following the prompts. Please just let your readers know by including a link at the bottom of your post (or somewhere on your side bar) or put my button code (found on my side bar or the Faith Filled Friday Tab) so they can find these other great people glorifying God and we can continue to grow as a community.Thanks! And in effort to encourage others in their writing by faith, please take a minute to comment on the post linked up before you.
16 Comments
What am I holding on to, unwilling to let go of? Answer: My desire for a spotless home - a kitchen that looks like it's always ready to be photographed for a home magazine cover, a well-manicured garden, and so on. This perfectionism gets in the way with my important relationships and at times steal my peace and rest.
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Laura
11/22/2012 11:05:24 pm
I can relate!!!
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11/22/2012 09:43:50 pm
I agree with Rina's comment as well. I'm also struggling with God's desire for me to rest. I'm a work-a-holic and now that I've started blogging and working on writing projects, I think that because they're "for God" I have to be working on them or toward them 24-7. God is gently trying to tell me to take a break now and then, and I'm having a hard time listening!
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Laura
11/22/2012 11:08:37 pm
Yes!! I know this battle too. I love how The Lord is so gentle in His correction yet He doesn't ignore things that don't please Him. Yet He doesn't leave us helpless either. So grateful for His Spirit who is making us more and more like Him everyday. Thanks for sharing Elizabeth!!!
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After all of those "coincidences" some people would still be ignoring what God was trying to do. I want to encourage you to keep up the good work because it sounds as if your kids are very blessed to have parents like you and your husband who care about every aspect of their lives. Bless you and thanks for the blog hop, today.
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Laura
11/22/2012 11:09:54 pm
Thank you for the sweet encouragement EvieJo.
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Laura, I'm that way about pretty much everything.
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11/23/2012 12:45:04 am
Laura, I loved this story! I am majorly concerned with the educational choices for my kids, so I'm sure it would have taken just as much convincing for me:) However, with some changes coming up in our life soon, I will take this lesson to heart. I needed this reminder to stay flexible!
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11/23/2012 01:13:35 am
Amen, Laura! May we always be yielded to the Holy Spirit, even when He is urging us out of our comfort zone. Thanks for the beautiful post & for hosting, & God bless!
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11/23/2012 03:08:58 am
Interesting and though provoking post! Maybe God just wanted you to be willing to homeschool! BTW, your kids are adorable!!
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11/23/2012 07:12:57 am
Wonderful story of God's work! Isn't it comforting to know that He persistently and patiently prompts us to move out of our "the decision has been made" mode. I loved your comment "Meek is the opposite of unwilling." Thank you! Keep up the great sharing!
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11/26/2012 11:53:27 pm
Praise God that He is patient and keeps speaking His desires into our lives until we hear and obey. It's comforting to know that if I miss what God is saying to me the first time, that I haven't "wrecked everything," but that He will keep prompting me until I know. He knows what it takes for us to hear. I want to keep my heart turned towards Him always concerning all things, that I may hear His sweet, gentle yet powerful voice immediately and respond with joy.
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8/20/2013 08:24:09 pm
I would like to thank you for your nicely written post, its informative and your writing style encouraged me to read it till end
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8/21/2013 12:47:06 am
This even so is very not the same as Austin. Also the particular pleasures of matrimony as well as currently being built more like Christ via differences.
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