I'm a Much Better Parent With God

There are certain things I really don't know about being a parent. I think I know less than I think I really do. BUT, I always hope that I can be the best parent I can be, flaws and all.

My little girl has a way of challenging everything that I once "thought" I would say or do as a mother. It is thrilling to get to know her a little more everyday. To understand how she was beautifully and fearfully made, and to encourage her spirit to be the person God intended her to be. She's only two at this point, and most of the time I'm really finding out how she was fearfully made.... can I get an Amen!? Some days, I truly don't know how I can carry on and then something happens.. I admit to myself and to God that I am NOT, to contrary believe (I think of just myself),  the ruler of the universe. And when I ask humbly for help - because I know that without the help of the Holy Spirit I suck at being a parent - I see the miracle that God gives me that day... patience, forgiveness and unconditional love to my little girl.  Now ask me if I do this everyday... NOPE! I get so caught up in "life" that some days I don't back down and I think I alone can do it all. Those are the days that I find it hard not to yell, those are the days that I cry of frustration, those are the days that I walk into my little girls room and see she has taken her diaper off and poo is smeared ALL over herself, the crib and her favorite stuffed animal. Cool. I am not trying to say that when I ask for God's help in directing me as a mommy everything goes right. However, my attitude is so different that I bring on a different, more positive energy into the day that even if I'm thrown for a loop, I have the Holy Spirit backing me up and I can feel a difference. There is a difference. The tough part is remembering and putting into action my faith in God as a parent. He can help me be the mother he intended me to be. Will I fail miserable time and time again? Yes, but there is a wonderful thing that will happen when my daughter sees my vulnerability as a mother. She will relax in herself and she will know that even mommy needs God's help. And she will see a difference when I trust in the Lord. Example is by far more impressive to a little heart than empty words and expectations.

Let God lead you today to be the parent He created you to be. You will never be perfect, but you will have an awesome opportunity to transmit a seed onto your children that will feed a hunger for God.

Stay blessed and stay saucy!

Starting New

I never in all my life thought I would really come to know peace. My life has been beautifully traumatic, I've been shaped by the waves and crashes of life. Fair? NOPE. Needed to shape me into who I am today? Probably. 

God doesn't let us experience anything that He isn't 100% sure we can endure in His strength. Even if we're too prideful to ask for His help He is always there waiting, probably stepping in like a defense line backer protecting us from the unimaginable. Things that never came our way because God was protecting us from these horrible boulders coming at us to take us out. Yet we only see what does happen to come our way and our attitude becomes one of complaint and "why me" ( I'm speaking of my experience... It usually takes me a while to have a thankful attitude toward challenging times..) 

Our little minds and little faith think that our lives are going pretty good because of our own doing - "I succeeded in this and that makes me a super amazing human being.. mwaahahaa" we say- We pretend to  have it all together. Until a real catastrophe comes in and tears us a new one and we are left looking upwards wondering where God has been all along. God's wrath is not some fiery hell hole that we have to endure in this life. It is our own choice: not trusting Him and not letting Him into our daily life that becomes His wrath, because apart from God we can do nothing that truly matters. God's wrath is the absence of Him in our life. It's something that WE can prevent by just saying, "I'm trying to trust you LORD." "I want to love you with all my heart." "I don't know how, but I want you to show me." The tricky part is that we need to be ready for all of the undoing that God has to do, to give us the ability to trust and let Him.  We have to die to ourselves and make many changes in our life to truly say that we are all in with God. This is not easy. We have to die to ourselves and to all of our preconceived desires of this life. The more we exercise trusting God and having a thankful attitude for the challenges that come our way, the easier it becomes to trust and to be thankful for some "catastrophe". God can bring a blessing in the darkest times. We just need to hold His hand. 

A part of trusting God and wanting Him to change our hearts has to do with surrendering who we think we are, and who we atta be. Everything that we think we deserve and want is not often what we need. God doesn't mess around. If we're truly coming to Him wanting His help and surrendering to Him we have to make a choice, to die to ourselves and see what He has for us.  Whatever His plan is, it’s probably a thousand times better than what you or I have in mind. Maybe we can't see it yet, but it's there. God promises us good news. He is a kind and gracious God that is faithful and never fails. 

Even with all the events I've had to endure in my life I can say that God has shown me a peace beyond anything I could of ever imagined. I would not trade that for the world. God will break us and put us back together much better than we ever were. I want to trust God with all of my heart. I know that I don't do that at all times. I need help, I need encouragement. But I know that for the 1.3 minutes that I can say I had 100% faith in God He has been faithful to me. And I know He will to you as well. TRUST. 

Stay blessed and stay saucy!