I LOVE that verse. Confidence is something I struggle with,but if I place my trust in God I can me confident in Him. In the times that I feel like a withered and dried out failure, he provides the support, nurturing, and strength I need to be fruitful and productive.

I want to share with you a section of my devotional from today. It is from the YouVersion Bible app plan called No More Perfect Moms.

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

I am attempting to loose some weight by eating better and exercising. This is not enjoyable to me at all. But I know that if I don't give up and I discipline myself then the reward will be well worth it. 
I have a lot to learn when it comes to being a good wife and mother. Having my failures brought to light is not enjoyable, but if I can learn from them I know that they will help me to grow. 
As a child of God, I want to be disciplined to study God's word daily. To be knowledgeable about the Word and to develop a deeper relationship with my Lord. When I fall and fail, as I always do, it's not pleasant. Growth can be painful. I know my daughter is going through a growth spurt because she will often wake up in the night crying because of pains- growth pains. Just as our physical bodies grow and experience changes and pains, so do our spiritual selves. There are things in my life that God has asked me to put aside. I have had to "die to self" and sometimes that is really not easy. Sometimes I kick and pitch a fit, moan and grown, and tell God how it's not fair. That little thing in my life isn't that big of a deal. Everyone else is doing it, why should I feel convicted about it when no one else seems to be? But God says, "My relationship with you is personal, don't compare it to anyone else. Will you choose to live for you or for Me?" 
Hebrews 12:10 God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.

Do you want to share in God's holiness? I know I do. Sometimes it seems like a pretty impossible goal. Sometimes I'd rather just take the day off and be selfish and just do what the rest of the world is doing, but God has called me to something better. He has called you also. He calls all of His children to live a better life. To step out of the world's standards and norms and hold themselves up to a higher standard. That includes what we choose to talk about, what movies and tv shows we watch (ouch), our actions and attitudes toward others.  
God has had to administer some discipline in my life lately. No, it's not enjoyable, but I know that it is good. It means that God loves me, that He calls me His own- His child. I have to discipline my own children, and although it may seem to them that I am just being a mean Mommy, the truth is that I have to discipline them for their own well being. If I let them do whatever they wanted then they would probably end up in prison or dead. Little people need big people to lovingly guide them and train them in the ways they should live. 
Is God working on something in your life right now? Take time to let God. I know that sometimes there are areas in your life that you just don't want to address. You want to push them to the side and not think about them. You don't want to pray about them, because deep down you know that they are not good or Godly. We can't hide from God. We can only grow when we are ready to face the growing pains. 

Are you selfish? It's not something I like to admit, but if I'm being honest, I am selfish. Do I give my time and energy to others for the majority of every day? Yes, I do. So how can I be selfish?

I have to think about attitude and my thoughts when I am doing those things- my motives. I guess you could say it's a heart issue. The Bible tells us to do everything without complaining and arguing, but I would have to say that my heart and mind have a tendency to complain and argue.

Let's say, for instance, that I finally got the opportunity to sit down at the end of the day. Dinner is over, I have cleaned the kitchen, straightened up the house, and am just sitting down on the couch for the first time in what seems like a year when my husband says," Hey sweetie, can you please grab my wallet of the dresser upstairs?" While I will probably do it, my brain will be grumbling away and my body will probably show that I am not very happy. My mouth may even go so far as to make a smart remark. I know some of you would probably tell him where he could put his wallet, or ask him if his legs are broken, but that is not my style. I like people to think I'm selfless. Isn't that horrible?! It's really a fine line between selfless humility, and a self serving show.

Or

I sit down to do my devotions and Bible study when all of the sudden everyone in the house has come down with a case of tourettet syndrome. Except instead of shouting curse words, they are all shouting some variation of the word "Mom!" So I get up and go find out what is going on. While saying something like, "For heaven sake, Lord, help me not to murder anyone today!"

So, am I really being unselfish and loving? Does the fact that I "do" or "act" all that matters in the end? Or is there a deeper issue at work here? Does the idea of loving unselfishly go beyond going through the motions of service?

I strive every day to do better. I pray that God will grant me patience. I ask that He will show me how to be truly grateful and thankful for the things and people I have been given. My children and my husband are precious gifts that bless my life in countless ways every day. I pray that God will help me to stop worrying and caring about what other people think of me so that I can act with pure motives. I am a work in progress.

People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. Proverbs 16:2




What do you think?

1 John 4:7-21 Loving One Another
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other....God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

Love is the highest and most important calling that we have as Christians. We are supposed to be set apart and recognizable as Christians by the way we love. This word "love" is easy to throw around. We say "I love coffee, I love my dog, I love my family, I love God" Well, those are all very different types of "love." I love me some brownies, but that is not the same way I love my husband or my kids. At least, I'd like to believe that it's a different kind of love. Is that how my family feels though? Do my kids feel like I love them more then brownies? Do I treat my husband in a way that makes him feel and know that I love him? God's love is perfect, in fact- God is love! The verses above tell us that if we love God then we must also love one another. It goes hand in hand. We can't say we love God and then decide that we don't want to love God's children. 
I want you to take a look at your life and think about how you are doing at this whole love thing. Are you treating those around you with love? Are you loving your family, are you loving your enemy?  There are some people out there that we come in contact with that can be very difficult to love. Have you even thought about trying to love them? 
As some of you may know, I started leading a new study today called Loving Well, by Beth Moore. There is still time to join in! But for those of you who can't join us, I would just like you to know that I am praying  for you. I will share with you bits of what we are learning as we go. She talked today about the different types of people we are called to love. The ones who are a JOY to love, the ones who she calls "TESTY" who drive you crazy an make love a bit more difficult, the "FOE" who would be your enemy or the one you may even go so far as to say that you hate, and the "FAR" who are the strangers and people that are not even on your radar. Try to picture all of those people and who they are in your life. I think that sometimes the ones who are a joy to love can also fall in to the testy category. Family especially can test your ability to love and give of yourself at times. 
God loves us unconditionally and perfectly. Take a minute to soak that in and really allow yourself to feel God's love wash over you. Do you really believe that He loves you? No matter what. Period! There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. Once you truly accept that God loves you no matter what, no matter how many times you mess up, it makes it easier to share that love with others. 

John 13:34-35
 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

When I was growing up you never knew when someone might shout out in a church service and say "God is good!" Then everyone else would shout back "All the time!" I just have to give a huge shout out to God today. He is so good. It has been a big week-end for us. If you have been following me you may know that we have been given a short period of time to get out of the house we are currently renting and had been trouble finding a new house and getting our financing. Well, as of this weekend we have our financing and are in the works on purchasing a beautiful home! God really worked it all out so perfectly- as He always does. We are not all the way there, but I am giving Him thanks and praise for what He has already done and in advance for what I know He is able to do.  
Today is also my son's 10th birthday! It's hard to believe that I could have a ten year old son, time sure does fly. I pray everyday that I will be able to be a Godly example to Him and raise Him to love and serve God. 
 Also, my in-laws are in town for a short visit- and yes, that is a praise report I have amazing in-laws. They came up because my husband was ordained into ministry yesterday. It was such a great service. My husband and I have been involved in ministry of  some kind for our entire marriage and we were both involved in ministry before that as well. I am so very proud of him and his heart for the Lord and for people. I don't think I'll start calling him Pastor though. :-) 

What I know and firmly believe is that the Lord is faithful. 
Philippians:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Just a few verses up from there it says:
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

So, what do you need, what are you worrying about instead of praying for? Tell God what you need and don't forget to THANK HIM for what He has done. No matter what you are going through no matter what we face, there is always something to be thankful for. 

Family-Friends-Food-Shelter-A Church Family-Grace-Salvation. 
Thank you Lord for all you have done and all you have provided! 

God's grace is so amazing, and I am so thankful for it. Grace is God's free gift, His unmerited and undeserved favor  and forgiveness. It is never ending.  But do you ever think that maybe since it is free and never ending that we take it to lightly or even for granted?  We even use it as an excuse to continue in sin?   God's desire and will for our lives is to live our lives pure and holy before Him. But we say, "I'm just a sinner, saved by grace."  or "I'm only human!" What we really are saying is that we know that a little sin is acceptable, even expected, God's grace will cover us, right? 
We should be grieved by our sin. It is the thing that  separates us from God, it binds us and holds us captive.
Romans 6:1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? ....15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

I think we have the tendency to grade our sins on a scale of "mehh, not so bad" to "God will strike you dead!" But to God, sin is just sin. That little white lie you told to cover up what you forgot to do so that you would't get in trouble with your boss or husband. Allowing so many things and people to take the place of God in our lives, and let's not even begin on the topic of gluttony!  Our society- and myself included, have turned food into an idol all its own. We can't allow sin to sit and remain in our lives because we let it slide as normal. "Everyone is doing it" is not a valid excuse.
So, am I saying that we should start wallowing in self-pity and guilt? NO! God does not condemn us, he offers us grace, freely and continually. But lets not overuse God's grace. Let's strive to live lives that are blameless and pure. Let's not be slaves to our sin, or apathetic to them. We should feel challenged. The idea is not to dwell on the past or our mistakes, but to learn from them and grow in maturity. It may be a little painful at first, but it's a pain that brings growth!  We have been saved by grace and we are no longer slaves to sin. We are free!  The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church at Corinth that had to deal with some tough issues, but he had a greater purpose in mind. 
2 Corinthians 7:8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 

Throughout the Bible, when God revealed Himself to different people or in different situations He often revealed a new name for Himself. In Genesis He is the great Creator, to Moses He was I AM, to David He was My Stronghold, My Helper, My light, to Job he was My advocate. He was called the Father to the fatherless, Righteous Judge. My Comforter, The God who Saves, the Lord our Healer, God of Peace, God our Strength, The One Who Sustains Me, The Potter, The Rock, My Refuge. The list goes on and on. This website has a list of over 900 names, titles, and descriptions of God. 
In my own life and personal walk with God, He has revealed Himself to me in many ways. He has been my comforter, my guide, God of truth, a refuge, My helper, The God who Saves me, the God who judges righteously and test my heart and mind. I lean on Him every moment of every day and He never fails. As I face new situations and circumstances in my life He continues to reveal Himself to me in new ways. 
There are times when I need correction and discipline, and He is there. There are times I nee peace and comfort, and He is there. I am so thankful for God and who He is. Right now I am relying on God to be my provider, and I know that He is and always will be. He may not go about things the way that I want or think I need, but thankfully He has a much higher perspective then I do. He can see the endgame and knows what is best for me and my family. 
Who has God revealed himself to be in your life? Have you walked close enough with Him to know Him at all? There is a difference between knowing about someone, and knowing them personally. I can read all about a person, but until I spend time with them and talk to them I will never learn all there is to know. I can never truly understand their personality or have a relationship with them. We can never learn all there is to know about God, but we can have a relationship with Him. We can learn to know more and more about Him every day. So take a look thorough the list or in the Bible, or just looking back at your life. Who has God been to you? Take some time to thank Him for all He is and all He does. 

I was driving around today, praying and listening to some music when God kind of reached out and whacked me. Has that ever happened to you? Right now I am trusting God for a lot of things in my life. And I do, I really do trust Him. I am trying to honor God with my life and follow his commands. So, why did I get a whack upside the head? As I was praying, I felt like God was asking me "Ashley, would you still do all those things(trust, honor, etc) if you knew you wouldn't get the "things" you wanted?" In other words, "Why are you praying, why are you serving Me? Is it so that you will get the things you want?"  I know God will provide for me, but am I obeying Him because I want His provision or because I love Him? I am reminded of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedngo. They wouldn't bow down and worship the idol that King Nebuchadnezzar set up, even when the king threatened to throw them into the fire. 


Daniel 3:6-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

They wanted to honor God with their lives, they trusted that God would rescue them, but then there is that line that I love..."But even if He doesn't, it would make a bit of difference...!" Lord, I Love you. I want to honor you with my life. Even if you don't provide the things that I want on this Earth. Even if I have to go hungry, or face suffering and persecution. Give me that kind of love, faith, and trust. You are the great I AM, the creator of the universe. I don't need you to do anything for me in order to earn or deserve my obedience and trust.   
The Bible tells us: My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 But there are days when it seems like God is really not providing. There are times when it seems like He has just completely forgotten us.
 As good Christians we often put on our best Christian smile and hide the pain. We say, I'm trusting God to provide!  But in our hearts we are broken and terrified. Do I have the kind of faith that can have real joy even when I'm in the fire? Do I have the kind of love that can stand and sing praises to God even when I am being burnt? God doesn't ask us to put on a show. He knows your heart, and he doesn't mind when you cast your cares on Him. Just don't treat Him like a vending machine that you just kick and walk away from when it eats your coins and doesn't give you your candy bar. When God isn't providing what you think you need, it's because He has a different plan in mind. That plan might include suffering along the way, but somehow He will work it out for His glory, not for ours. 
So, I think that is what God wanted to tell me today. His glory and mine are very different things. Even when I don't feel like God is providing for me and even if God's provision looks like a fiery furnace, I will still obey Him, still trust Him, and still love Him.
This song Blessing by Laura Story just came to mind, I think it fits - Enjoy!  

We were driving down the Palmer Wasilla HWY today and passed a church that has one of those marquee signs that always has a short message on it. Today it said something like "Don't judge others just because they sin different then you."  Isn't that the truth. We all struggle with different sin, we all have different faults and failures, but when we see something in someone else we like to point out the bad. "Did you see what a mess she is?" "Did you hear how she talks to her husband?" Did you see how she treats her kids?" "I would never....." And there we are, judging others. It's an easy trap to fall into. I try very hard not to judge others, because I know that my own life is so full of faults, failure, and sins that I don't want to be judge by others for. 

Matthew 7:1“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others.The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. 3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.


Specks and logs, I'm full of both. We find a little area of pride in our own life, something that we are good at, and we somehow think that makes us better then someone else. Let's strive to be encouragers. Lets make a promise to not be involved in judging or criticizing others. I saw this post from Lysa TerKeurst the other day: 

There is a big difference between sins and faults. A fault is having not organizational skills, a sin is  If you see a sister in Christ struggling with a sin, it's ok to go talk to her about it in a loving way. We are here to build each other up and help one another face temptations. That's why we have one another. 
Ecclesiastes 4: 9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 

I want to be someone who helps other people succeed! I want to be an encourager and a true friend, not the type of friend who always says what you want to hear, but the type who will say what needs to be said IN LOVE. 

Would you consider yourself a worrier?  Do you constantly think, "What if...?"  What if the kids get hurt? What if the airplane crashes? What if I loose my job? I use to think that I wasn't a worrier, and when it comes to most things I'm really not. I don't worry about getting into a car crash, or that I might get cancer. I don't worry that my kids are playing with friends down the street and my get hurt. I have a few friends who worry about EVERYTHING! 
Don't take a shower in a thunder storm; never stand under a ceiling fan; and make sure you have one of those glass breaking hammers, just in case you drive off a bridge and can't get your door open....I mean really, who thinks about stuff like that?


So, what do I worry about?  What are my "what ifs?"  What if I fail? What if they don't like me? What if I say the wrong thing?  What if they are judging me? What if I am really not a good friend? What if I'm not a good mom?  I think the word insecure defines me fairly well.  We all have what ifs in one form or another. 
Do you know what the opposite of worry is?   PEACE. It's such a wonderful sounding word. Peace is a sense of security. It's when you trust that God has got everything under control. It's hard to imagine sometimes. So, how can I give God my "what ifs" in exchange for His peace? 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Sounds pretty simple. What do you need? Ask God for it. I need to stop looking for and needing the approval of people. I need to remember that I am accepted and loved by God, no matter what. I need to stop worrying and start praying. 
I love that God's peace is more than we can understand. It's the kind of peace that doesn't make sense. There are times when things around us will be crazy, our circumstances will be a mess, but God gives us a peace that makes others look at us and say, "Why are you so calm? Why aren't you freaking out right now?!"  He guards our hearts and our minds. Think about that for a sec. What goes on when you worry? You start thinking crazy thoughts and feeling crazy emotions. Your MIND and your HEART get all worked up and out of whack. But God's peace will guard our hearts and our minds so that doesn't happen. Trusting in God is the cure to worry. So, instead of saying "what if" I need to start taking steps of faith. Trusting that God will be there to hold me up, and hold me close.